Chapter 425: The Dust Has Settled

Just as everyone had predicted, none of the most heavily weighted awards included the name of The Fellowship of the Ring. The film only picked up three technical awards: Best Makeup, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects. They were obvious consolation prizes, but Duke didn't particularly care. Even if the School truly valued the series, they would save the major awards for the final installment.

Though he attended the ceremony, Duke, much like his film, spent the entire night as an also-ran.

This was destined to be a controversial Oscar Awards Ceremony—perhaps the most disputed in the last decade. Without Saving Private Ryan serving as its foil, Shakespeare in Love hadn't sparked quite as massive an uproar. And while Ron Howard and A Beautiful Mind taking Best Director and Best Picture, respectively, caused little debate, the arguments over Best Actor and Best Actress showed no signs of stopping.

Even ten years from now, Denzel Washington and Halle Berry's wins would remain mired in controversy, easily ranking near the top of the Oscar list of most unearned awards.

Whether it was Denzel Washington or Halle Berry, when compared to their competitors—Sean Penn and Russell Crowe, or Renee Zellweger, Judi Dench, and Nicole Kidman—both their roles and their performances lacked any real conviction. This was especially true of Berry, who was clearly a step behind the rest.

The key factors behind their victories had nothing to do with cinema. It was simply because this was the first Oscar after 9/11, because of political necessity, and because mainstream society currently needed to show solidarity with Black Americans!

Yet few people, Duke included, found this surprising. This was the Oscar; films and performances were never the only prerequisites for winning, nor were they even the most critical.

Political correctness was profoundly influencing the Oscar. Skin color had decided the fate of Best Actor and Best Actress.

At the Vanity Fair party, Nicole Kidman watched Halle Berry laughing wildly in the center of the crowd.

"I just can't accept this!" she told Duke. "If I had lost to Judi Dench or Renee Zellweger, I wouldn't have said a word, but losing to her..."

"There's nothing you can do, darling," Tom Cruise said, seeing the situation just as clearly. "You simply aren't Black."

"Damn politics!" Nicole Kidman cursed under her breath. "Damn skin color!"

Then, she dropped her voice even lower, so quiet that only the three of them could hear. "Damn nigger!"

"Hey, Mary," Duke warned the notoriously hot-tempered woman. "That kind of talk isn't suited for a place like this."

"I'm just so bitter!"

If she'd never had a chance in the first place, she could have let it go. But the Golden Statuette had been right in front of her, only to slip away for some baffling reason. It was inevitable that Nicole Kidman felt resentful.

"Seeing Halle Berry looking so completely full of herself just makes me..."

She practically ground her teeth together.

After working together over the past few years, Duke had maintained a fairly good relationship with the Cruises, and they rarely hid their true feelings in front of him.

Of course, they had benefited immensely from their collaborations with Duke, and showing this kind of candor was their way of drawing closer to him.

Duke knew exactly how shrewd Nicole Kidman was, and he couldn't be bothered to figure out how much of her furious display was genuine. What piqued his curiosity the most about this couple was that, even now, there were no signs of them getting a divorce!

Just as in his increasingly hazy memories of the past timeline, Nicole Kidman was starring in her original films one after another. But the difference now was that the largest investor behind projects like this year's Moulin Rouge! and the reportedly in-production The Hours was none other than Tom Cruise...

"This year's Oscar has really given me a lot to think about." Tom Cruise, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly spoke up. "This is the most authoritative award in Hollywood, yes, but there are far too many factors that can influence it..."

He suddenly patted Duke's arm. "Take the two of us, for example. Those old men have deep-rooted prejudices against us. No matter how hard we try, they always turn a blind eye."

"So, Mary, you don't need to keep complaining," Duke said with a touch of self-deprecation. "I have even more reason to be resentful than you do. We had thirteen nominations and only walked away with three conciliatory technical awards. Who am I supposed to cry to?"

Despite his words, Duke looked entirely unbothered. If he genuinely believed that simply having a stellar film and great characters meant he deserved to sweep up a pile of Golden Statuettes, he would have been hopelessly naive.

After chatting a bit more with the Cruises about the Mission: Impossible sequel, a tall figure suddenly walked over.

"Hi, Nicole. Hi, Tom."

She politely greeted the couple first before turning to Duke, her courteous smile shifting into one of familiar intimacy. "Can we talk for a minute, Duke?"

"Of course."

The newcomer was Charlize Theron. Seeing Duke nod, she linked her arm through his and led him toward the banquet hall's large terrace. She specifically sought out a table far from the crowd and ordered two glasses of soda water after they sat down.

"You haven't come looking for me in a long time."

Setting down her glass, Charlize Theron looked at Duke. "Have you forgotten all about me?"

"Don't joke around, darling," Duke said, gently turning his glass in his hand, intentionally reminding her. "I already have a girlfriend."

Charlize tilted her head, asking in a teasing tone, "Why not me?"

"We've had a great time together over the past few years, Sally." Duke frowned but continued anyway. "I remember telling you what my conditions would be if I ever looked for a girlfriend..."

"So, you chose an outsider like Ivanka Trump?"

In truth, Charlize had known this for a long time. Even though she was very interested in becoming Duke's girlfriend, she was already famous. Giving up her own career and quitting Hollywood just to be someone's girlfriend was a path she would never choose.

"Sally, let's get down to business," Duke said.

He knew very well that Charlize hadn't come to him just to talk about this.

Knowing Duke's working style, Charlize didn't beat around the bush. "I received an offer. It's a very unique role, and it requires a lot from me. I don't know if I should take it, so I wanted to ask for your advice."

"What kind of role?" Duke asked, somewhat curious.

"Have you heard of Aileen Wuornos?"

Seeing Duke look like he was trying to recall the name, Charlize explained, "A female serial killer. She murdered six men, including a police officer..."

Hearing this, and with Charlize Theron sitting right in front of him, Duke gradually remembered. "I've seen her case in the papers before."

"Someone wants to adapt her story into a movie?" Duke asked.

"Yes..." Charlize nodded seriously. "And they offered the part to me, which is why I'm so torn."

She paused and took a sip of water. "I talked to the project head once. Playing this role requires giving up a lot. I'd have to gain at least thirty pounds and shave off my eyebrows..."

A woman's appearance was practically her second life; Charlize was clearly very hesitant.

Duke rarely interfered in other people's private matters. Even though Charlize Theron had maintained a long-term sexual relationship with him, he wouldn't directly force his own views on her.

"Sally, you didn't reject it outright. You just have concerns about taking the role, right?"

"That's right."

Hearing Charlize's answer, Duke continued. "Why didn't you turn it down? What can this role bring you?"

"Change. A chance to break away from my image as just a pretty face," Charlize said, turning to look back into the banquet hall toward where Halle Berry was standing. "It can bring me honor and authoritative recognition."

Duke didn't say much more, only leaving her with one final thought. "Darling, whether it's worth it or not is something you have to weigh yourself. I can only tell you this: the chances of you winning Oscar Best Actress through conventional means are very small."

In truth, when it came to the Oscar, Charlize Theron was very similar to him. Both had made their names on commercial productions, exactly the type the School discriminated against. Without taking advantage of certain special circumstances, getting their hands on an Oscar Golden Statuette would be incredibly difficult.

Duke was also keenly aware that his best chance would come in two years, leveraging the cumulative momentum of The Lord of the Rings trilogy combined with the goodwill he had banked from the Christophe Rocancourt incident. Moreover, given his personality and production style, he would never make films purely to chase awards in the future. The Oscar of tomorrow would only become more politicized and niche, intersecting with his path less and less.

Once the Oscar Awards Ceremony completely concluded, Duke ignored both the outside criticism of the Oscar and the voices crying foul on his behalf. He poured all his energy into the post-production of Return of the King and the pre-release promotion of The Two Towers.

As the awards season came to a close, the media's various retrospectives on the past year in Hollywood kicked off once again. News related to Duke effortlessly snatched the headlines across entertainment sections.

On the Hollywood Reporter's 2001 North American box office charts, The Fellowship of the Ring, which had just finished its theatrical run, claimed the number one spot in North America without any suspense, pulling in $473.15 million. At the same time, it took the global box office crown with $1.13214 billion.

Second place went to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Although the film hadn't ended its North American theatrical run yet, its $328.95 million haul was enough to secure the runner-up spot. It also ranked second at the global box office, having grossed $892.33 million so far.

Additionally, the Hollywood Reporter released a list of the most highly anticipated films for 2002. The Two Towers and Matrix Reloaded claimed first and second place, respectively, with absolute dominance!

Meanwhile, in Vanity Fair's list of Hollywood's top ten gossip scandals of 2001, Duke made his very first appearance. Just as he had expected, Ivanka Trump's extraordinary background guaranteed that their romance would attract an unparalleled amount of public attention.

All of this, coupled with Warner Brothers' overwhelming promotional blitz, made The Two Towers even more eye-catching.

What's more, setting aside all the various entertainment industry rankings, Duke had also made his first appearance on the Forbes billionaires list!