Chapter 449: A Real-Life Magical Journey

"This is the moment we draw our swords together to fight the enemy side by side! In the name of wrath and ruin, let us dye the dawn with blood!"

"!"

Amid the rousing score, watching that company of knights charge indomitably into the enemy ranks, Tony Rogers trembled with excitement. This was war! This was an epic! This was a great film! This was the ultimate cinematic experience!

Even after the movie ended, Tony Rogers sat quietly in his seat, not wanting to leave at all. He was still savoring the afterglow of the film's climax, and it wasn't until the theater was nearly empty that he finally stood up and walked out.

Along with his excitement, his face showed obvious fatigue, because this was his second time watching it!

"Hello, we're reporters from CNN..."

Just as he walked out of the theater, someone holding a microphone stopped Tony. A shoulder-mounted camera turned toward him, and the person, who was clearly a reporter, asked, "Can you talk about your thoughts on The Two Towers?"

Hearing this, Tony Rogers immediately perked up and spoke into the microphone in an endless stream of praise.

"A great epic masterpiece! The battle of Helm's Deep is the most inspiring, with a majestic grandeur that is hard to surpass... No, I think next year's Return of the King will be even better, but that doesn't diminish the status of The Two Towers in my heart!"

"On a scale of one to ten, what would you rate this movie?"

Tony Rogers answered without hesitation, "Ten! It has to be a ten!"

After the interview, Tony walked out of the Santa Clara Cinema. Looking up at the bright streetlights, he couldn't help but feel a bit lost. The Two Towers was over, and he would have to wait a full year to see Return of the King.

What a long year that would be!

Right at the cinema entrance, he saw that the NBC Television Network and Yahoo Entertainment were also conducting interviews. The words drifting into his ears were almost entirely praise.

"The opening scene was absolutely stunning, and that momentum carried all the way to the end of the film. Perfect! I'm actually a little worried for Duke—how is Return of the King going to surpass this?"

"The battle of Helm's Deep is enough. The impact of the massive scenes, the exquisite details, and that kind of—I can't even find the words. In the face of this film's sweeping, majestic, and grandiose romanticism, I'm simply speechless..."

"The duel between Gandalf and the Balrog at the beginning was breathtaking, and the battle of Helm's Deep at the end got my blood pumping!"

"Watching it left me exhausted but so excited. This is definitely an experience I'll never forget!"

Everything he heard and saw left Tony Rogers feeling deeply gratified. There was a huge group of like-minded people in this world, and they would welcome the release of Return of the King by rewatching The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers over and over again!

The promotional dominance on the internet continued. Warner had not relaxed its grip on traditional media either; radio stations, television networks, and web portals were blanketed in wall-to-wall coverage.

Interviewing ordinary moviegoers on the spot was a low-skill promotional strategy, but it was highly effective. Paired with other tactics and the dwindling negative reviews online, The Two Towers finally unleashed its explosive momentum on Saturday.

Early Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Times published the relevant data on the front-page headline of its entertainment section.

"A brand-new single-day box office record—36.24 million dollars!"

"This is the box office revenue The Two Towers brought in on Saturday. It shattered the previous record of 33.35 million dollars held by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by over three million dollars. As everyone knows, Duke's The Fellowship of the Ring once set the North American single-day box office record, only to have it broken by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone last year. Now, he has once again claimed this record for himself."

"Duke Rosenberg sets records, and Duke Rosenberg breaks records. This has become a familiar sight in the North American film market. We believe this will not be the end of The Two Towers' record-breaking run; in the future, a whole series of records will be shattered by this magical epic masterpiece."

Putting down his newspaper, Elijah Wood looked through the lounge window at the densely packed crowd filling Nokia Square and swallowed hard. Although he had been enjoying the immense popularity of a hit movie star since The Fellowship of the Ring, seeing so many fanatical Lord of the Rings fans still left him in awe.

"Could any of you have imagined we'd end up like this today?" he turned and asked the others in the lounge.

"Tolkien created a great magical world, and Duke turned that magical world into an incredibly brilliant film..."

Sean Astin, who played Sam, was a relatively quiet person, but he was full of emotion at this moment. "But don't you guys feel like we've been living in a fantasy for these past two years? Can anyone tell me if everything we've experienced is actually real? Or am I just asleep in a dream, waiting to wake up?"

"Could there ever be a dream this beautiful?"

The speaker was Orlando Bloom. Through Legolas, he had become a massive sensation across the entire Western world. It was no exaggeration to say he had transformed from an ordinary minor actor into a wealthy, A-list heartthrob. "Could a dream be as wonderful as this? Sean, I can assure you, you are currently in the most beautiful stage of your life."

"When Duke first approached me to play Gandalf, I was still a bit hesitant. I doubted whether he could handle this fantasy epic..." Ian McKellen sat in a high-backed chair and set down his water glass. "You all know that Duke's previous filmmaking style was always all about explosions, but the facts prove that I was wrong. He has already produced two great masterpieces, and I believe the third one will be even more brilliant."

With that said, he stood up and declared in a loud, resonant voice, "I am incredibly honored to be part of the filming for this series."

"I'm honored as well. Duke and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy have given me everything!" Elijah Wood said, also standing up.

Billy Boyd chimed in unhurriedly, "I will be remembered by film history! Guys, I'm going to sing the theme song for the final chapter!"

The lounge door was pushed open from the outside, and Duke and Charles Roven walked in. They looked at the highly excited guys standing in the room, not quite understanding what had happened.

"It's about time." Duke beckoned to the Fellowship. "We should head out."

"Let's go, guys!" Billy Boyd, the active one of the group, shouted. "Our magical journey is about to begin again."

Passing through a dedicated corridor, the cast walked onto the stage in front of the Nokia Square AMG Theater. Duke naturally hung back; this was the time for the actors to shine, and as the director, he wouldn't step into the spotlight unless absolutely necessary.

"Legolas! Legolas..."

"Aragorn! Aragorn..."

"Frodo..."

"Gandalf..."

Waves of thunderous cheering rang out, and the entirety of Nokia Square seemed to tremble. To catch a glimpse of their idols, some fans standing in the back rows had even brought out large military binoculars.

A series of interactive activities had also been arranged on-site, but aside from making a brief appearance to wave to the crowd, Duke hid backstage with Charles Roven for the rest of the event.

At a moment like this, the promotional impact of the actors was far better than that of the director.

"Hi, Duke."

"Hi, Sarah."

The person who walked over to greet him was the deputy editor of the Los Angeles Times entertainment section. Their cooperation had always been very pleasant, and she was one of the few reporters allowed backstage.

Since she had run into Duke, Sarah naturally wasn't going to let him slip away. "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"I hope they're simple ones." Duke held up a single finger. "And nothing related to my private life."

"What do you think the first-week box office will be?"

Sarah habitually pulled out her pen and notepad. Duke just smiled, giving no direct answer. "My dear, you'll find out tomorrow."

Thinking about it for a moment, Sarah didn't press the issue and shifted to another topic instead. "Duke, did you know that New Zealand's Minister of Tourism just released some new data?"

"What data?" Duke had been busy for the past few days.

"Regarding New Zealand tourism." Sarah didn't intend to keep him in suspense and said directly, "According to data released by the New Zealand Government, from the release of The Fellowship of the Ring up to now, the number of foreign tourists visiting New Zealand has grown by one hundred and eighty percent year-over-year!"

She asked, "Do you think this has anything to do with The Lord of the Rings movies?"

Duke still didn't give a direct answer. "The data is far more convincing than my words."

Sarah nodded and asked another question. "Right now, a lot of people are saying that when The Lord of the Rings Trilogy concludes, the Academy will give you its ultimate recognition. What do you think?"

"Rumors are always just rumors." Duke shook his head. "Until the very end, who knows what will happen?"

Closing her notepad and putting away her pen, Sarah laughed. "Last question, and this is just me asking personally: is Return of the King finished? Has the release date been finalized? I really can't wait any longer."

"You'll be able to see it next summer."

The event lasted until dusk. There was also a media reception banquet in the evening, but Duke handed the task of hosting it over to Charles Roven and then slipped away from the crew.

Work was incredibly important, but Duke also understood that a relationship required careful nurturing.

In his relationship with Ivanka, she was undoubtedly the one who gave more. There was no such thing in this world as love that gave endlessly without expecting anything in return, and Duke needed to show that he valued his girlfriend. He pushed aside the crew's promotional activities simply to go to Los Angeles International Airport to see Ivanka off on her flight back to New York.

Of course, Ivanka didn't have to take a commercial flight. Duke's private business jet was already on standby at the airport.

"Honey, you can't just think about work all the time."

On the airport's private tarmac, Ivanka stood in front of the boarding stairs, reminding Duke earnestly, "Your diet and rest need to be regular. I'm going to call you every day to remind you. If you don't want me to worry, please do as I say."

"Don't worry," Duke pointed at his head and vowed. "It's all memorized right here."

The two of them lightly kissed each other on the cheek, and Ivanka boarded the plane. Seeming to think of something, she turned back and asked, "When the first-week box office comes out, remember to tell me!"