Chapter 948: The Final Epilogue

Since taking their seats in the Rosenberg Theater, Duke and his group hadn't had a moment of peace. Countless people approached to greet them—executives from the Big Six Hollywood Companies, A-list actors and pop stars, attending socialites, and even the head of the world's largest theater chain from across the Pacific Ocean.

"God," Anna groaned, rubbing cheeks that had grown stiff from smiling now that they finally had a break. She turned to Scarlett Johansson to complain, "Mom, can't they just leave us in peace for a second?"

Duke naturally overheard. Gently patting his daughter, who sat between them, he said, "Darling, socializing is a fundamental skill you have to master."

For the sole heir to a massive fortune and a newcomer hoping to make her mark as a director, the importance of networking went without saying.

Anna Rosenberg had only been venting to her mother. She flashed Duke an apologetic smile. "I know, Dad."

Just like Duke in his youth, she kept her private and public personas entirely separate. Anna had received more than enough education in this regard since childhood; whenever someone else came over to greet them, the stiffness on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a poised, subtle smile.

The curtain finally rose on this year's Oscar Awards Ceremony. Although Duke's new film Avengers vs. Justice League had swept up nearly four billion dollars at the global box office, it was still largely ignored by the Oscars, save for a few technical nominations.

Even though the old men who had controlled the School over a decade ago had mostly retired, the Oscars remained the Oscars. Not only did they cling to their conservative judging style, but even the format and flow of the ceremony remained completely unchanged.

The older generation of School members had retired, only to be replaced at the core by another group of old men. People tended toward conservatism as they aged; it was simply an inevitable trend.

Though more than twenty years had passed and Duke still only held two Golden Statuettes for Best Director, his achievements were undeniable. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was no exception—otherwise, the Rosenberg Theater wouldn't exist.

Furthermore, the undisputed favorite of this year's Oscar Awards Ceremony was Sofia Coppola's biographical film, Duke Rosenberg!

Leonardo DiCaprio walked onto the stage as the guest presenter for the Best Picture nominations. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had clearly put a lot of thought into this, having him introduce this very biopic.

"Some people seem to possess a natural talent for directing and an endless well of curiosity. He has created countless unforgettable moments, yet he still strives for perfection, constantly challenging himself."

Standing dead center on the stage, Leonardo DiCaprio looked incredibly solemn, as if introducing the most extraordinary existence in the world. "The Duke Rosenberg I know is exactly like the one in Sofia Coppola's film, spending his entire life endlessly studying cinema. He can take every flicker of light and shadow he has ever seen and bend them to his will, forging a unique style to tell beautiful, moving stories on film."

His gaze shifted to where Duke's family of three sat. "Over the past few decades in Hollywood, many great directors have emerged. From Hitchcock to Martin Scorsese, and from Steven Spielberg to James Cameron, these directors were all pioneers of their eras. But not one of them has achieved the commercial success of Duke Rosenberg. Fifty billion dollars at the box office is the greatest testament to his greatness."

Thunderous applause filled the theater. Once it died down slightly, Leonardo DiCaprio continued, "He is a great director. He is smart, funny, and sometimes even a little humble—though, of course, he remains fiercely proud of his own films, whether they be his early entertainment flicks or his later, more thought-provoking works."

"He recently turned sixty," Leonardo said with a faint smile, "but you can still see that childlike spirit in him—you could even call it a kind of innocence. He is overflowing with passion, both for his next project and for his fellow directors."

Finally, Leonardo concluded, "Duke Rosenberg, a biographical film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, chronicles the life of this great director!"

As applause erupted once more, Anna Rosenberg clapped vigorously and looked at her father, her eyes filled with undisguised adoration and fanaticism.

This was her father. His greatness needed no validation from others; she had seen it constantly growing up. Her father was her greatest role model and the ultimate goal she sought to surpass.

Having a father like him made her immeasurably proud. He was a director whose adaptations could drive both diehard fans of the original works and non-fans completely crazy; he was an entity whose original films could sweep the globe.

Anna remembered it clearly. Over a decade ago, because her father was so focused on comic adaptations and the Star Wars Series, many media outlets that disliked him had clamored that he had exhausted his talent. They claimed he no longer had the ability to shoot original genre films and could only farm relevance and box office numbers by adapting the works of others.

But her father completely ignored the outside noise. He simply polished his scripts with meticulous care, resulting in the Future War sci-fi trilogy that swept through North America and the rest of the world just like Star Wars, forcing all his detractors to shut their mouths.

She had heard her mother say that since her birth, her father had directed a total of eighteen films, split evenly between adaptations and original concepts. The thirty billion dollars he grossed at the box office was also split almost exactly down the middle. This alone was enough to prove his absolute versatility in filmmaking.

There was still a type of person who always claimed her father could only shoot superficial sci-fi flicks and had no idea how to make a movie with depth. Anna was incredibly disdainful of them. To use the Chinese she had been studying over the years, those people were clearly full of envy, jealousy, and hate—just sour grapes.

At that thought, Anna looked over at Duke again. Duke turned his head, asking curiously, "What's wrong, darling?"

"Nothing." Anna shook her head, then whispered, "Dad, I just think you're truly great."

Duke couldn't help but chuckle. "That doesn't sound like something you'd say."

"I do always say I want to surpass you..." Anna's tone carried a hint of frustration. "But everything you've accomplished is honestly just despair-inducing."

Having a father like him was undeniably stressful, but Anna wasn't the type to vent her pressure aimlessly. She understood that pressure bred motivation.

By now, the Oscar Awards Ceremony had progressed to the third-to-last award. The male presenter on stage announced, "Tonight's Best Actress is Suri Cruise, for Duke Rosenberg!"

"How on earth did she win?" Scarlett's brows furrowed.

Anna quickly shut her mouth, stealing a glance at her father, only to see him acting as if he hadn't heard her mother at all.

Her mother was still grumbling quietly. Anna could understand why; after all, the character Suri Cruise played in her godmother's film was the legendary actress Charlize Theron...

Although her mother was complaining and Anna herself had missed out on the Best Live Action Short Film award earlier, it didn't dampen Anna's mood. This was especially true during Suri Cruise's acceptance speech on stage, where she repeatedly mentioned, "My godfather is the person who has influenced my life the most. The achievements I have today are all thanks to his influence and guidance."

Anna tilted her small chin up slightly. If she didn't have a director like her father as a godfather, could an actress like Suri Cruise—who had average talent and little tact in dealing with people—ever reach these heights?

Just the title of Duke Rosenberg's goddaughter alone was enough to make everyone in Hollywood afford her a wide berth of respect.

In fact, Anna even felt that the only reason Suri Cruise and her godmother Sofia Coppola were the favorites to win at this year's Oscars was because the film they starred in and directed was—Duke Rosenberg!

The members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences weren't stupid in the slightest. They knew exactly what kind of terrifying influence her father held across the world. Today, as the Oscars faced mounting criticism and a slow decline in prestige, gaining his support was absolutely vital to the School.

By now, even an idiot knew that her father had hundreds of millions of diehard fans worldwide. The "Duke fanboys" were scattered across every corner of the globe!

Just as Anna had figured, the rest of the ceremony went off without any surprises.

The elderly George Lucas stood on stage and presented the Best Director Award. "The Oscar Best Director is Sofia Coppola, for Duke Rosenberg."

If she hadn't shot her father's biopic, how many more years would her godmother have had to wait to win that Golden Statuette for Best Director?

Anna shook her head. She had seen all of her godmother's works. With the exception of Lost in Translation, which she directed right after leaving her father's side, the rest of her films showed a continuous downward trend. The reality was abundantly clear: without her father's help and influence, her godmother's directing level had plummeted.

She looked back at Duke. Her father's name alone was enough to sway the results of one of the most important film awards in the world. When would she be able to do the same?

Suri Cruise's father, Tom Cruise, stood on the stage. After introducing the other nominated films, he said, "There is a film that faithfully chronicles a director's journey from a newcomer to a cinematic great. I am deeply honored to have witnessed this process with my own eyes. That film is—Duke Rosenberg!"

He tore open the large, retro-style envelope. "The Best Picture winner is... Duke Rosenberg!"

Applause rang out once again, and suddenly, the entire theater rose to its feet. Everyone, including the camera operators, completely ignored Sofia Coppola and her crew. Instead, they all turned directly toward where Duke was sitting. The applause thundered, deafening and ground-shaking, as if the name Duke Rosenberg were echoing through the heavens...

As Anna clapped, she solidified her resolve: one day, she too would be as great as her father, Duke!