Chapter 646: An Absurd Movie

Without the Pentagon's involvement, the film wouldn't have been impossible to shoot, but it certainly would have been a lot more difficult. Even though Transformers was categorized as science fiction, its portrayal of the US military still needed to be as authentic as possible, and the Pentagon naturally wanted the film to cast its soldiers and technology in a positive light.

This mutually beneficial partnership would bring significant results to the production, so how could Duke refuse?

And it would add to the film's appeal.

Setting aside the famous F-22 Raptor, there was the lesser-known CV-22 Tiltrotor Aircraft. This was a new piece of equipment the US military was about to deploy. Like a hybrid between a helicopter and a regular airplane, its rotors could tilt ninety degrees, allowing it to reach cruising speeds of five hundred miles per hour at high altitudes. Even the US Air Force only had three of them.

Then there was the professional guidance. The Pentagon was dispatching an entire team of veterans from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, led by Air Force Colonel Daniel Ferris. They would join the crew in September to coordinate communication between the two sides and assist in preparing the bombing and aerial combat scenes.

The crew's preparations had only just begun, but the promotional work was already ahead of schedule. Hasbro and Warner Brothers had jointly launched an official website for the live-action Transformers film. Following a sizable marketing push, they opened an "Optimus Prime Dialogue Contest" on the site, inviting fans to write lines for Optimus Prime. The winning dialogue would ultimately be featured in the movie.

Additionally, tie-in comics and video games would enter production as soon as the character designs were finalized, releasing ahead of the film to warm up the market.

Naturally, leveraging major events to promote films was a standard Hollywood tactic.

In July, North America hosted a major event related to comics, games, and movies: the San Diego Comic-Con in California.

This event held incredible prestige in North America as the largest comic convention in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest globally, trailing only behind France's Angoulême International Comics Festival. However, the latter was strictly a comics exhibition. The San Diego International Comic-Con was a massive gathering spanning comics, movies, television series, and video games. Its diverse exhibits ensured it was packed to the brim almost every year.

Every influential convention provided exhibition spaces for major companies to introduce new projects to fans directly, and the San Diego International Comic-Con was no exception.

The Warner Brothers exhibition area was located right in the center of the San Diego Convention Center. Not only did it feature figures like Superman and Batman, it also included the iconic characters who had just joined the Warner distribution lineup: Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Captain America.

Furthermore, Warner had carved out specific exhibition spaces for both Transformers and Watchmen. Although the two films had only just been greenlit and there was very little to show, the appearance of Duke and Zack Snyder still drew massive attention from reporters and attendees alike.

Despite the fans constantly screaming in front of the stage, Duke didn't have much to present. He simply had Hannah Serena come out and introduce some of the film's set designs and character concept art.

Unsurprisingly, the moment the Transformers concept art was revealed, a wave of discussion rippled through the crowd below.

This was perfectly normal. A hundred different people would have a hundred different visions of Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Regardless, Duke was the director of Transformers. After Hannah Serena finished her introduction, he stepped onto the stage to say a few words.

"Good afternoon."

He waved to the crowd below. Even a director could gather a massive fanbase in this era. Duke's fans were so fanatical that the outside world had dubbed them "Duke fanboys".

A chaotic chorus of shouts erupted from the crowd.

Once the noise died down a bit, Duke raised his microphone and continued, "Many people have been asking me why, after The Dark Knight, I chose to make a movie based on childish toys."

Hearing this, the thousands of people gathered below the stage gradually quieted down, leaving only the continuous clicking of reporters' camera shutters.

Duke knew he had no talent for stand-up comedy, so he got straight to the point. "I have always been a hardcore fan of Transformers... I don't say that just to pander to people who like them. Think about my age. When Transformers first came out, I was just a kid crazily obsessed with toys..."

Though half-true, his words were incredibly persuasive. When Transformers first hit North America, Duke had been barely ten years old.

"I read the comic books and collected the toys and models myself, all because I was deeply fascinated by the stories spawned by Transformers."

Duke's acting skills weren't entirely terrible when the situation called for them. "Anything related to Transformers could have become part of my personal collection. Furthermore, I always stubbornly believed that Hasbro would sooner or later authorize it to be made into a blockbuster Summer Season movie. Now, I have the honor of directing Transformers."

A round of enthusiastic applause broke out below.

Once the applause softened, Duke spoke again. "Transformers has a very rich, expansive history, which is the driving force behind our production. Without a doubt, everyone in the crew and I share the same sentiment—we are all deeply captivated by this story. We locked down the basic framework of the film as quickly as possible to create a work that highlights humanity. Then, we sought out the most outstanding actors to make the best possible use of this robotic cultural legacy."

Finally, Duke bowed slightly to the audience and said, "My crew and I will do everything in our power to bring you all a spectacular live-action Transformers movie next June."

"Thank you!"

With that said, he turned and stepped down from the stage, heading straight for the relatively quiet backstage area.

The release date for Transformers was set for the Summer Season in June of next year. On one hand, Duke needed more time to perfect the post-production visual effects. On the other, it was to avoid self-competition as much as possible; Warner Brothers and Marvel Pictures had long since finalized that Captain America would premiere in early May.

In truth, the San Diego International Comic-Con was probably the most generous convention when it came to exhibiting movies. Aside from showcasing massive commercial blockbusters, the organizers also included independent film booths. These were provided to smaller film companies and independent producers, a group that included quite a few rookies who had just entered the industry.

Before leaving that afternoon, braving the reporters' camera lenses, Duke took a stroll around the film exhibition area. Then, in the booth for Anchor Bay Entertainment Company, which was famous for producing low-budget horror films, he spotted a familiar movie title.

Shaking off the encirclement of reporters and zealous fans, Duke squeezed into the Anchor Bay Entertainment Company booth with the help of his two bodyguards. Someone immediately came over to receive him.

"Hello, Director Rosenberg."

As an industry insider, the man clearly understood that Duke was much more than just a director. He introduced himself, "I'm John Chambers from the business department at Anchor Bay Entertainment Company."

"Hello." Duke lightly shook his hand. He walked over to the area where compilation clips were playing and pointed at the monitor in the far left corner. "Is that a film produced by your company?"

"Not exactly, but the film's copyright is in Anchor Bay Entertainment Company's hands."

Seeing Duke ask about that completely ignored film, John Chambers said, "That's a small production our company bought at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Its concept is very unique..."

Duke raised a hand to stop him. "I presume no company or theater chain is willing to distribute it?"

John Chambers smiled politely.

Walking up to the LCD screen, Duke watched the playing clip for a moment. It featured a group of people gathered in a room, listening to one person talk endlessly. Confirming that he wasn't mistaken, he asked, "The production cost for this film couldn't have exceeded two hundred thousand dollars, right?"

John Chambers just kept smiling without speaking, but the film's standing in his mind had already skyrocketed several levels.

'A film that could interest Duke Rosenberg definitely has something special about it!' John Chambers thought.

Withdrawing his gaze, Duke walked back over to Chambers and said, "One hundred thousand dollars. Transfer the copyright to me."

"Director Rosenberg..." John Chambers revealed a somewhat troubled expression. "Your offer is too low. If the film goes to the DVD market, the revenue it could bring in would be more than a hundred thousand dollars."

"A movie like this?" Duke shook his head. "I've read the novel it's based on. I was just curious to see what kind of absurd movie such an absurd novel could be turned into. That's the only reason I have a little interest."

Even if he bought it, Duke wouldn't push such a film into theaters. That was practically a guaranteed loss. The audience for this kind of sci-fi film was simply too small. The DVD and online video markets were practically the only choices. Perhaps it could attract a small handful of cult film enthusiasts and bring in a little revenue.

But that would be the extent of it.

If the other party refused to sell, he wouldn't waste his breath.

Otherwise, if he was truly determined to get it, he wouldn't have shown up himself; he would have sent someone else instead.

But John Chambers didn't believe Duke when he claimed he wasn't very interested. Anyone who could become a company's business executive was no fool. Over the past few years, even excluding the ones he directed personally, almost every film Duke had taken an interest in had become a massive hit.

John Chambers discreetly made a gesture to the female assistant on his left, signaling her to notify the company's vice president in charge of film operations in another area to hurry over. A board member of Warner Brothers and Time Warner appearing in the Anchor Bay Entertainment Company booth was no small matter to begin with.

Duke's presence here had attracted the attention of many people. Perhaps he had never really noticed it himself, but in the eyes of others, he possessed an absolutely unique eye for film, especially commercial blockbusters.

David Ellison had also come to the Comic-Con and was discussing business with someone right next door in the Illumination Entertainment booth. The news flew into his ears almost as if it had sprouted wings.

Despite disliking Duke, David Ellison greatly admired his grasp of the film market. Upon hearing the news, he arrived at that booth at almost the exact same time as the vice president of Anchor Bay Entertainment Company.