Chapter 370: A War Film Masterpiece

"I heard The Lord of the Rings fans have been gathering outside the Wellington set to protest against you?"

Duke had just walked into the cast's VIP room when he ran into Michael Ovitz. The entertainment agency mogul shook his hand, smiling brightly.

His words, however, carried a hidden edge. "The Lord of the Rings fans are a stubborn bunch. If they don't buy into the film adaptation, it's definitely a headache. Right, Duke?"

Duke didn't take the bait. Instead, he studied the man's face and said in a helpful tone, "Michael, how long has it been? You look like you've aged quite a bit. Have you considered when you might retire?"

His discord with Michael Ovitz and Martin Bob was widely known in Hollywood; the other people in the room were clearly steering clear of them.

Only Naomi Watts, her arm linked with Duke's, remained standing firmly by his side.

Michael Ovitz's expression didn't change as he replied lightly, "Experience is the most valuable asset..."

Sounding like an elder lecturing a junior, he added, "Modesty is the most basic quality a young man should possess."

"I agree with your point." Duke smiled faintly. "Modesty is a virtue everyone should possess."

While he wasn't particularly skilled at it, he wasn't afraid to engage in verbal sparring with anyone when necessary.

"Duke, do you really believe you'll keep succeeding forever?"

Although last year's Daylight had hit new lows for Duke's directing career, Michael Ovitz wasn't an amateur. He knew that given the film's genre and budget, raking in over $200 million at the box office was still a massive success.

However, no one experienced smooth sailing on the road to success forever.

He stared at Duke. "Even Spielberg has moments where he misses the mark."

"I've never thought a person could succeed forever." For once, Duke spoke a genuine truth, but then his tone shifted. "But I have faith in The Lord of the Rings trilogy."

"Hmph..." Michael Ovitz sneered. "What a pity that even the fans aren't buying it..."

"Michael!" Duke cut him off. "If you think The Lord of the Rings trilogy is going to fail, why did you change the release date for Pearl Harbor?"

He stared right back at Michael Ovitz, as if giving the man a chance to explain.

"Because..."

But Duke didn't let him finish, interrupting once again. "There's still plenty of time. You have every opportunity to convince Touchstone Pictures to move Pearl Harbor's release back to the Memorial Day release window. I would really love to see two massive blockbusters hit theaters at the exact same time."

Michael Ovitz's expression finally darkened, but he wasn't impulsive enough to actually do anything. Someone who had climbed to such a high position wouldn't just slap his forehead and make a foolish decision just because he was provoked.

Yes, he really did want to move Pearl Harbor's release date back, but reason wouldn't allow it.

Michael Bay was a strong director, and the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings was indeed being protested by a huge horde of fans, but just the thought of Duke Rosenberg standing on the other side was enough to cool Michael Ovitz down. Those so-called problems weren't problems at all for Duke.

He would have to be as stupid as a pig to think that Little Explosion Maniac Michael Bay could compete head-to-head with Duke Rosenberg!

Strictly speaking, Duke rarely engaged in direct verbal altercations with others. He had always believed his mother's words made perfect sense—words were the most powerless form of counterattack!

Still, with Michael Ovitz showing up at his door hiding daggers behind smiles, he wasn't going to play nice either.

Their conversation naturally ended on a sour note. Michael Ovitz left with a cold face, and Duke's eyes were indifferent as he watched the man's back. Ever since Martin Bob defected to Michael Ovitz's banner, the already strained relationship between both sides post-Godzilla had taken a sharp nosedive. And regarding the release dates for Pearl Harbor and The Fellowship of the Ring, it was obvious that he and Warner Brothers had completely outmaneuvered him.

Moreover, this was an open scheme. Michael Ovitz had no place to air his grievances, as choosing an appropriate release date was, after all, the distributing company's prerogative.

"He approached me last year."

It wasn't until Michael Ovitz's figure completely vanished into the crowd that Naomi Watts, still linking arms with Duke, finally spoke up. "He wanted to poach me."

"The conditions?" Duke asked.

Naomi shrugged. "The female lead in Pearl Harbor, but I turned him down."

"Darling." Duke walked her to the side. "You made the right choice."

Glancing ahead at where Nancy Josephson and Tina Fey were standing, Naomi added, "I haven't thought about changing agents."

If Naomi Watts left, Nancy definitely wouldn't turn a blind eye like she had with Kate Beckinsale. The gap between the two women's fame and status in Hollywood was simply far too wide.

"Let me introduce you to the cast."

Seeing Duke nod, Naomi pulled his arm and led him toward where Peter Jackson and the others were gathered. Setting aside those he already knew, she introduced the remaining members of the King Kong cast to Duke one by one.

Aside from Naomi Watts and Andy Serkis, the actors in this cast were completely different from what he remembered. This was perfectly normal; actors like Adrien Brody, for instance, were probably still floundering around in independent film circles.

However, right next to the King Kong crew was another cast, almost entirely made up of familiar faces. Thinking back to the information he had gotten from Nancy, it wasn't hard for Duke to guess that their presence at the premiere of a massive production like King Kong was an opportunity to promote themselves—they were all Universal Pictures projects, after all.

Although Naomi Watts wasn't particularly close to them, she still knew who they were, and she introduced these people to Duke as well.

"This is Vin Diesel..."

"This is Paul Walker..."

"This is Michelle Rodriguez..."

Finally, with her arm still in Duke's, she led him up to a sweet-looking girl. The young woman had smooth, chocolate-colored skin and long dark brown hair cascading over her shoulders. When she smiled, she revealed charming dimples. Judging purely by appearances, she was a phenomenally qualified piece of eye candy.

"This is Miss Jessica Alba."

After introducing the Latina actress to Duke, Naomi Watts turned to the person beside her. It was an unfamiliar man, so she turned her head and asked with a smile, "Jessie, who is this?"

Without waiting for Jessica Alba to introduce him, the man took the initiative to extend his hand to Duke. "Hello, Director Rosenberg. I am Christophe Rocancourt from France. I'm Miss Alba's boyfriend."

"Hello, Mr. Rocancourt." Duke shook his hand.

Right then, someone else came over to say hello, so Jessica Alba and Christophe Rocancourt turned away to exchange pleasantries.

Naomi Watts took the opportunity to whisper to Duke, "That girl was introduced to the cast by James Cameron."

Naomi's implication was obvious: if the girl didn't have James Cameron backing her, she wouldn't have bothered giving such a polite introduction.

The couple finished their quick chat with the other person and swiftly turned back around.

However, there was a distinct difference in their attitudes. Even with James Cameron's recommendation, for Jessica Alba to land a role in a production packaged by Michael Ovitz, she must have signed an acting contract with him. She wasn't a Hollywood rookie, and she smartly maintained a polite distance.

Her boyfriend, on the other hand, was entirely different. He was overly enthusiastic toward Duke. If Jessica Alba hadn't been standing right there, Duke might have suspected the man was gay.

"Chris is a descendant of European nobility, and he even inherited the title of count."

When talking about her boyfriend, Jessica Alba wore a look of pure bliss, seeming exceptionally happy. "He's a producer. After Fast & Furious, he's going to custom-tailor a movie just for me."

"Congratulations, then," Naomi Watts said casually.

Christophe Rocancourt slightly raised his chin. His dark hair was slicked neatly back, and he was dressed in a sharp, crisp suit. Paired with his decently handsome looks and refined manners, he genuinely did resemble European aristocracy.

Duke's eyes quickly swept across his face. He inwardly sighed, 'Miss Alba is far too naive, and this French count's eye for talent is truly mediocre.'

How much credibility was there when a producer casually promised to tailor a movie for a pretty actress who barely had a name for herself yet?

If Christophe Rocancourt actually intended to go through with it, his judgment was altogether too poor. Elevating this girl to the A-list would be a massive uphill battle, considering both her acting chops and her skin tone.

The thought flashed by before Duke tossed it aside. Whatever ended up happening with these two had nothing to do with him anyway.

Who knew? Maybe with this financial backer's help, Jessica Alba would diverge from her original path and become a top-tier star.

Christophe Rocancourt seemed highly skilled at closing the distance with people. In just a few short minutes, he had Naomi Watts laughing several times, and, with Jessica Alba corroborating, he even started recounting his past glorious exploits.

"I once won the European lightweight boxing championship. After I came to Hollywood, I met Mickey Rourke, and we're good friends now..."

Jessica Alba chimed in from the side, "Chris is preparing to invest $12 million to help Mickey Rourke climb out of his slump."

Hearing this, Duke felt something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Regardless, he had no interest in either of them and couldn't be bothered to listen to them rattle on any longer. He shot Naomi Watts a glance, and she smartly took her leave of the couple, taking his arm and leading him back to a quiet spot.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nami," Duke warned her seriously. "There's something wrong with that man. Don't interact with him too much."

Naomi Watts nodded immediately. "I felt something was a bit off too."

She had ground her way through Japan, Australia, and Hollywood over the years. Her worldly experience was substantial, making her fundamentally different from naive young girls.

As the female lead of the cast, Naomi Watts had other social obligations to attend to, so she soon stepped away from Duke's side. Just as Duke was debating whether to go look for Nancy, he suddenly noticed Christophe Rocancourt walking toward him.