Chapter 947: Epilogue (1)

Time passed swiftly. Over a decade flowed away like a rushing river, never to return, yet Hollywood remained as glamorous as ever.

Even though the Chinese market had surged to replace North America as the world's largest box office, and domestic Chinese cinema had risen rapidly on its home turf, Hollywood still stood as the global center of film. That status had never wavered.

Just as Duke once said, no country or region could usurp Hollywood relying on movies alone.

Even heading into the 2030s, Western culture continued to dominate the globe.

Much like Hollywood's position in the global film industry, the Oscar Awards Ceremony remained dazzlingly radiant.

Outside the newly completed Rosenberg Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, thousands of reporters and tens of thousands of fans had gathered, eagerly awaiting the start of the Oscar Awards Ceremony.

Would Duke Rosenberg show up at this year's Oscar Awards Ceremony? That was the question on every reporter's mind. If he was absent, the Oscar Awards Ceremony's debut in this new theater would undoubtedly lose much of its luster.

"I don't think he's coming," a thirtysomething reporter standing in the press photography zone said, shaking his head. "Don't forget, Duke Rosenberg hasn't attended a single Oscar Awards Ceremony since 2010. Rumor has it he clashes heavily with many people in the School. Besides, with his title as a fifty-billion-dollar box office director, does he really need an Oscar to add to his prestige?"

Many people around him nodded. It was just as the reporter said. Over the past half-century, the global commercial film industry had been completely dominated by Duke Rosenberg alone. Whenever a movie he directed premiered, countless fans would flock to theaters in a ticket-buying frenzy, acting as if they were struck by some carnival curse.

After becoming the first director in history to cross twenty billion dollars in personal box office revenue with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, his next eighteen films over the following eighteen years raked in another thirty billion, making him the first fifty-billion-dollar director in human history.

Granted, this was partly aided by the rapid growth of the Chinese market, but looking at the world as a whole during that same period, Duke Rosenberg remained completely unrivaled. To the film industry, he was essentially a glitch in the system.

Setting aside those total box office records, in 2019 alone, Future War, directed by Duke Rosenberg, broke the two-billion-dollar mark for an original film that wasn't an adaptation or a sequel. The feat left everyone stunned and finally shut the mouths of critics who had spent years mocking him for only knowing how to adapt comics and shoot sequels.

Did a director like that need an Oscar to boost his prestige? It was more like the Oscars needed him to boost their appeal and credibility.

Think about it: Duke Rosenberg had skipped the Oscar Awards Ceremony for over twenty consecutive years. How did that make the Oscars look? Did they lack appeal? Or was the fairness and justice preached by the School nothing but a sham? How could the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bear that embarrassment?

"Duke Rosenberg certainly doesn't need the Oscar halo," an older reporter suddenly spoke up. "But he will definitely walk this red carpet today. Just think about how much the School has compromised for him."

Many others nodded in agreement. Over the past decade, the School hadn't just consistently invited Duke Rosenberg every single year; to thank him for his contributions to Hollywood cinema, they had directly named the newly constructed Oscar theater the Rosenberg Theater!

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was trying to curry favor with Duke Rosenberg. Anyone with eyes could see that fact.

"I believe Duke Rosenberg is absolutely going to show up at this Oscar Awards Ceremony!" a local Los Angeles reporter spoke with utter certainty. "Have you all forgotten? Sofia Coppola is highly likely to win the Oscar Best Director Statuette, and the film she directed is also the biggest favorite for the Best Picture award!"

Sofia Coppola's decades-long friendship with Duke Rosenberg was well known, but the reporter was so sure Duke would attend for another reason. The title of this heavily favored film directed by Sofia Coppola was Duke Rosenberg!

That was right. This was Duke Rosenberg's biographical film! And it was the only biopic officially authorized and endorsed by the man himself!

Knowing Duke Rosenberg's personality, it was almost a given that he would show up in person to support Sofia Coppola.

The reporter quickly added another reminder. "Also, our princess, Anna Rosenberg, is nominated for Best Short Film at this year's Oscars!"

Everyone's eyes immediately locked onto the entrance of the red carpet. Duke Rosenberg and Scarlett Johansson would absolutely show up to support their daughter.

Right on cue, the latest model of a luxury electric car pulled up to the red carpet. The door opened, and a familiar figure stepped out. His dark brown hair had turned quite gray, but his posture remained perfectly straight. He turned back and helped a still-stunning blonde woman out of the car, who in turn was holding another delicate, pale hand.

The reporters on the scene went wild, frantically snapping photos as countless camera lenses swiveled toward them.

Even without doing anything—without even sparing the press a single glance—the couple instantly stole the show. They were undeniably the absolute center of attention outside the Rosenberg Theater.

Duke Rosenberg and his wife had arrived! The king of Hollywood commercial cinema was here!

It wasn't just the press; when the fans crowding both sides of the red carpet saw Duke, they erupted into deafening, tidal-wave cheers. It was as if they were worshiping their god, even though this god's eyes were focused solely on Scarlett Johansson and his daughter.

The young girl stepped out of the car with Scarlett Johansson's help, taking her place between her and Duke.

"Darling," Scarlett Johansson said quietly, feeling her daughter's hand excitedly gripping her arm. "Relax. Mind your manners."

Duke said softly, "Are you still not used to these scenes by now?"

As his daughter, she was destined from birth to be the focal point of thousands of eyes. It was a blessing, but also a burden.

But what pleased Duke was that his daughter was not only intelligent enough, but thanks to the guidance from him, Scarlett, and his late mother, she was also incredibly composed.

Anna Rosenberg smiled faintly, projecting an immaculate image. Hooking one arm through Duke's and the other through Scarlett Johansson's, she whispered, "Don't worry about me."

She wore a moon-white fishtail evening gown. Her blonde hair, inherited from her mother, was pinned back meticulously, highlighting her beautiful face and bright, deep eyes that resembled the ocean. But unlike Scarlett, she took after Duke in her build—slender and tall, standing a full five feet eight inches. Even the straight line of her spine and her steady demeanor perfectly mirrored Duke's, carrying an undercurrent of confidence and resolve.

Even though the hordes of media and reporters hailed her as the princess of Hollywood, Anna Rosenberg remained completely grounded, well aware that her path as a director was only just beginning.

Just as Duke had been his mother's greatest pride, Anna was Duke's greatest pride, and he firmly believed she would be the pride of his entire life.

The year Anna was born, Duke's capable assistant and good friend Anna Printz had died in an accident. To honor her memory, Duke had specifically named his newborn daughter Anna.

Born into such a family and steeped in the industry from childhood, it was only natural for Anna Rosenberg to embark on the path of a director.

She had already shown remarkable talent and worked hard enough to match it. Her second self-directed short film, Early Summer, had earned a nomination for Best Short Film at the Oscars. While it didn't guarantee everything, it was a massive validation and encouragement.

"Duke, look over here!"

Just like in the past, Duke held his daughter's arm and strolled down the red carpet at a normal walking pace. By the time they reached the press zone, the reporters were practically rioting.

"Ms. Johansson, could you give us a smile?"

"Miss Rosenberg, over here! Look here!"

Compared to the indifference of Duke and Scarlett Johansson, young Anna was far more curious about the world. Having grown up under the flashbulbs, she wasn't afraid of these reporters in the slightest.

She turned her head and offered the press section a faint smile.

"She's absolutely gorgeous!"

Many reporters sighed in awe as they snapped photos. "Truly God's favorite."

"She might not be real royalty, but you couldn't find a princess this beautiful even if you combined every royal family in the world!"

Another reporter exclaimed dramatically, "Aphrodite has descended from Mount Olympus and arrived in Hollywood!"

Walking the length of the red carpet, neither Duke, Scarlett, nor Anna Rosenberg showed any interest in accepting interviews. They headed straight into the Rosenberg Theater and stopped briefly in the VIP lounge.

"Hey, Duke, Scar, Anna," a familiar voice called out just as they entered the lounge. "Over here."

Duke turned his head to see Leonardo DiCaprio waving at them. Standing next to him was Sofia Coppola, the top contender for Best Director at this year's Oscar Awards Ceremony.

Leonardo had also aged, yet he remained as suave and charming as ever, with a long-legged blonde model standing beside him, as always.

The model wasn't very old, but after all these years, everyone was long used to Leonardo's style.

The current Leonardo was no longer the perennial Oscar runner-up. After winning his first Best Actor Golden Statuette, he had consecutively snagged two more, leaving him with three Best Actor Golden Statuettes to his name.

"Hi, Leo. Hi, Sofia."

After Duke finished his greetings with Leonardo and Sofia Coppola, Anna walked over to Sofia's side and took her arm. "Godmother, you're definitely going to win!"

She then turned her head and said to Leonardo, "It's a shame, Godfather. Just like Dad, you don't have a project in the running this year."

Leonardo laughed. "How could I compare to your father? He doesn't need something like an Oscar Golden Statuette at all."