Chapter 636: The New Production Manager

After the meeting, Duke didn't linger. He exchanged a few more words with Doug Walter before joining Tina Fey to head out of the building.

They walked into the elevator lobby. While waiting for the car, Duke remembered something.

"Tina, remind Nancy," he said. "Have her check if ICM has any young actresses who are sexy, beautiful, and have a solid acting foundation. Preferably under twenty-two..."

Tina Fey pulled a small notebook from her bag and quickly jotted the request down.

She knew this was strictly work-related, not her boss looking to revert to his old lifestyle.

Then again, if Duke wanted to these days, how many women—even Hollywood A-listers—would actually turn him down?

The elevator doors opened, and Duke stepped inside first. Once Tina Fey joined him, he spoke again.

"Tell Nancy to put together their profiles and send them over after my vacation."

"I'm sure Nancy will be happy to," Tina Fey said with a smile, putting her notebook away. "Her agency recently signed a few new actresses, and they've been pitching them to various productions."

Duke nodded. Since the opportunity existed, he would naturally prioritize the people around him.

From the day they signed to the present, Nancy Josephson had been an exceptionally competent agent who never did anything against his interests.

When the doors opened on the ground floor, Duke stepped out and quickened his pace, soon reaching the building's front lobby. As always, Tina Fey followed a half-step behind him.

Just as they passed the reception desk, Tina Fey's phone rang. After taking the call, she said, "That was Charles. He's also here at Warner and wants to talk to you."

"Tell him we'll wait in the lounge," Duke said.

He headed toward the seating area on the right, picked an empty round table, and sat down. Tina Fey followed and took the seat across from him.

Behind Duke, a tall girl suddenly turned around. She glanced curiously at Tina Fey before her eyes landed on Duke's back. After a few seconds of hesitation, she stood and walked over.

"Hello, Director Rosenberg..."

Looking like an oversized Barbie doll, she offered her hand with a bright smile.

Duke glanced back at her and politely stood. He gave her hand a courteous, light shake. "Hello, Miss Swift."

"Taylor," she said, her voice bright and pleasant. "Just call me Taylor."

"Hello, Taylor," Duke said.

Noticing her eyes shift curiously toward Tina Fey, Duke casually made the introduction. "This is my assistant, Miss Tina Fey."

"Hello, Tina." She shook hands with Tina Fey as well, smartly adding, "I've heard Nancy mention you."

That sparked Duke's memory. He had seen her at the premiere of The Dark Knight; she was one of Nancy Josephson's newly signed clients.

"Can I call you Duke?"

The girl was smart enough not to overstep her boundaries, keeping her pitch concise. "I used to only like movies like Love Actually, but after seeing The Dark Knight, I realized how interesting sci-fi action movies could be. I actually tracked down all your older films and I've already watched a few of them..."

"Thank you," Duke said flatly.

"It's just a pity I'm so busy preparing to release my new album..." She put on a regretful expression. "I have so little free time. It's going to take me a while to get through all of them."

A blonde woman approached from across the room. Taylor Swift flashed a sweet smile. "My mom is here, and I should head over to Warner Records. Goodbye, Duke. Goodbye, Tina."

"Goodbye." Duke nodded at her.

Taylor Swift strode away on her long legs, joined the middle-aged woman, and quickly disappeared toward the elevators.

"Are all girls like this nowadays?" Tina Fey asked, watching them go. "So smart at such a young age?"

"Without brains and a bit of scheming, how could anyone get ahead in this industry?" Duke laughed. "Even if they got lucky and succeeded, they'd just end up as the next Britney Spears."

Who still thought Britney Spears could become the next Madonna Ciccone these days?

Duke had dealt with Madonna before. Although her private life was shockingly decadent, her intellect and emotional intelligence were far above average.

At that thought, he glanced toward the elevator lobby. At the turn of the century, North America had produced four great pop divas: Madonna Ciccone, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston. Between her race, nationality, and sheer popularity, Madonna Ciccone was the undisputed queen of them all.

Becoming the next Madonna was the ultimate goal for almost every female pop singer.

The person who actually came closest to that goal wasn't Britney Spears, but Taylor Swift. To achieve it, not only had she left her country roots behind, but she had employed an endless variety of tactics.

Her team inevitably played a crucial role, but her own abilities couldn't be underestimated. Otherwise, if she had stirred up constant chaos like Britney Spears, even Duke's own team wouldn't have been able to save her.

When Charles Roven arrived, Duke tossed these thoughts aside. A regular pop singer wasn't worth much of his attention.

"Did you need me for something?" Looking at his partner, Duke couldn't help but feel curious. "In a rush?"

"I just wanted to give you a heads-up as soon as possible," Charles Roven said with a weary smile. "I'm taking a long vacation. These past few years have been truly exhausting. Duke, your new project is going to need a new production manager."

"How long of a break?" Duke frowned.

Although Charles Roven maintained a low profile on set, that was exactly how a successful production manager operated. On a film set, the director's authority had to be absolute.

Over the years, Duke had grown accustomed to handing all the crew's logistical headaches to Charles Roven. The production would still run without him, but Duke would definitely feel his absence.

"About a year," Charles Roven said after a moment's thought. "Duke, it's been fifteen years since we first worked together. You must have forgotten one thing—I'm already sixty years old. I'm having a hard time keeping up with your pace."

Looking across all of Hollywood, how many directors could maintain a pace of one movie a year? Especially when almost all of them were massive, big-budget productions.

From pre-production through filming and into post-production, the sheer volume of work Charles Roven handled for these films was immense.

"I've felt my energy slipping since last year." Letting out a long sigh, Charles Roven pointed to his slightly haggard face. "Give me some time to rest."

No one could fight the laws of nature. Duke understood this and slowly nodded. "Then I'll wait for you to come back."

Duke's frown deepened. With Charles Roven taking a long vacation and Robin Grande stuck in London overseeing the Harry Potter series, he really did need a new production manager.

Having worked with Duke for so many years, Charles Roven could guess what he was thinking. He suddenly turned to Tina Fey and said directly, "Duke, I recommend Tina take my place."

"Me?" Tina Fey was taken aback.

Duke turned to look at Tina Fey as well, then slowly nodded.

Tina Fey had been working with him on film sets for over ten years now. She had accumulated endless experience, and there was absolutely no question regarding her qualifications or abilities.

There was another important factor: Duke Studio had already been acquired by Time Warner through a stock swap, so the administrative workload Tina Fey handled for Duke was steadily decreasing. And while no formal agreement had been signed yet in the negotiations between Instant Sharing and Google, they had basically reached a consensus. The remaining minor details didn't require her personal attention.

"I think that works," Duke said.

Hearing Duke's agreement, Tina Fey spread her hands in surrender. "Since the boss has spoken, I'll just have to give it a try."

"No need to rush right now." Duke stood up. "There's still some time before pre-production starts on the new project."

Charles Roven stood up as well and joked, "I'm about to start my long vacation. Too bad your yacht isn't finished yet, otherwise I could take my whole family sailing around the world."

"Don't worry, there will be opportunities in the future." Duke gently patted Charles Roven's arm. "By this time next year, you'll be able to realize your dream of a round-the-world voyage."

Building private jets and yachts took time; they were currently far from ready for delivery.

As they walked toward the building's exit, Charles Roven remembered something else. "When I left London, Bale had already been bailed out. There shouldn't be any trouble."

"I know," Duke replied, seeming wholly unconcerned.

During the promotional tour for The Dark Knight in London, Christian Bale had run into a bit of a situation. He had gotten into a physical altercation with his sister and mother. The two women filed a report and called the police, and officers from New Scotland Yard took Bale away. However, his lawyers and the production crew had already stepped in to post his bail.

Duke knew perfectly well that many Hollywood stars were trailed by a mess of highly problematic family members.

The fathers of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, for example, or Julia Roberts's unreliable older brother...

This was just a minor incident and wouldn't have much impact on The Dark Knight. Compared to Bale's negative press, the large "British faction" of actors in the film garnered far more attention from British fans.

However, heading into the upcoming weekend, The Dark Knight faced a rather grim challenge. Sony Columbia Pictures' Spider-Man 3 was set for a simultaneous release in 107 countries and regions, including North America.