Made In Hollywood

Chapter 128: Escape or Collision?

In front of the Santa Monica shopping plaza, a group of young people, around twenty years old, were heading towards the cinema. One of them, holding a copy of the *Los Angeles Times*, was recounting an entertainment headline interview to his companions in a question-and-answer format.

"What do you think of the critics' attacks on *Independence Day*?"

"If you look at the history of the film industry over the past twenty years, you'll see that critics always like to attack the movies the public enjoys to make themselves seem unique. They like to target those who are highly successful in the film industry. Whatever, let them."

"So, Duke, you don't care about the critics' criticisms?"

"Why should I care? Miss Sarah, let me ask you a question: how many professional film critics are there in North America?"

"Probably over three hundred."

"And how many filmgoers are there?"

"Four or fifty million, maybe more."

"So the answer is simple: as a director, should I prioritize the opinions of millions of viewers or a few hundred critics? From what I know, *Independence Day* only has a critics' score of 3.1, but the audience approval rating is 86%, based on the feedback from 100,000 regular moviegoers. So whose opinion should I care about?"

"So, you're saying you don't acknowledge the critics' attacks?"

"Why should I? Critics only represent themselves. Can they represent the audience? Their tastes often go against the audience's. Why should I care about their criticism? In this world, the foundation of the film industry is the vast number of regular viewers, not a bunch of professional critics who spend their days attacking others with harsh words! If the audience disappears, the industry collapses. But if critics disappear, the industry will keep moving forward, perhaps even faster!"

As they neared the cinema, the young man finished his vivid description, put the newspaper in his bag, and looked at his companions.

"I think Duke makes a lot of sense. The audience is the foundation of the film industry. Without us, would it survive?"

"Exactly!" someone agreed. "From Duke's words, you can tell he cares about the audience's feelings, unlike those directors praised by critics but who always make baffling films."

"Who's more important, the critics or the audience?" another person asked.

"Of course, it's us, the audience!" several people replied in unison.

"Last night, after watching Roger Ebert's show, I had some doubts," the first person said. "I thought *Independence Day* was a terrible movie, but now I realize it's just terrible in the eyes of critics. The audience rating is so high—why didn't the critics mention that? Are they too embarrassed?"

"Haven't you heard the saying?" someone said mysteriously. "The movies critics praise are the ones people can sleep through, and the ones they attack are the ones that become blockbusters!"

Although the statement was exaggerated, it received nods of agreement. The group of young people completely dismissed the show they watched the night before and headed into the cinema to buy tickets for *Independence Day*.

The same scene was playing out across North America. Young people seemed unaffected by the widespread criticism from television shows and media critics and continued to buy tickets for *Independence Day*.

However, some things couldn't be avoided. For those in their forties and fifties, who had lived through the golden age of film critics, many originally planned to see *Independence Day* but ended up choosing other movies.

The competition in the summer box office was fierce, and many factors influenced the audience's choice. Expecting a film to be released in a quiet, peaceful world was unlikely, even on the day the entire film industry collapsed.

After two consecutive days of box office earnings over $20 million, the attendance rate for *Independence Day* noticeably dropped on Sunday—a pattern common with commercial films.

"Duke, there's an invitation."

Just as Duke walked into the *Independence Day* studio, Sofia Coppola approached him. "Jeff Robinov called. *Time Magazine* wants to do an interview with you."

"Oh, that's good news."

Walking into the office with Sofia, Duke sat behind his desk. "This sounds like something only superstars get, right?"

Sofia didn't respond to Duke's self-deprecating joke. She just shrugged and sat across from him.

"It will be a major interview," Sofia said as she flipped through the work schedule. "The Warner side said the interview would involve your friends and colleagues."

"They're fast," Duke quickly understood Warner's intent. "They want to stir up the media battle between me and the critics to create buzz and draw more curious moviegoers into the theaters?"

"Nancy thinks so too," Sofia nodded.

Duke rested his chin on his left hand and asked, "What's Nancy's opinion?"

"If you want *Independence Day* to earn as much as possible at the box office, you should accept the offer and completely ignite this war," Sofia said, simply repeating Nancy Josephson's words to avoid influencing Duke's judgment. "If you care a lot about academic awards, you should decline and keep a low profile during the release of *Independence Day*, even if Roger Ebert and others attack you directly."

Everyone in the industry knew where critics had the most influence: academic awards.

While other directors might be cautious about such matters, for Duke, it wasn't a tough decision. He wasn't about to give up tangible profits for a few awards. If critics could bring enough benefits, he wouldn't mind compromising. But now that critics were threatening his profits and would continue to do so, they were his enemies!

The choice was easy—just go with what served his interests best.

"Inform Nancy," Duke said calmly, "I'll accept Time Warner's invitation."

The war had already begun, and avoidance was not the best solution. Duke wouldn't avoid it. Some problems had to be confronted head-on!

Of course, he wouldn't overlook the fact that behind the critics, there were likely other figures pulling the strings.

"Are you sure?" Sofia raised an eyebrow, looking slightly concerned.

"Sofia..." Duke suddenly smiled. "Don't overestimate them. I'll avenge you!"

Sofia Coppola rolled her eyes, giving him a helpless smile. The vicious criticism of *The Godfather III* by critics seemed like it was just yesterday.

As the lights came on, Burbank became even livelier, showcasing the prosperity of the world's media capital. Following his mother's instructions from earlier, Duke picked up Scarlett from Andrew's Acting School and dropped her off at home.

"Goodbye, Duke!"

With a large backpack slung over her shoulder, Scarlett lowered her head as she walked towards her house, as if there were some terrifying monster inside she didn't want to face.

She looked so pitiful, like she had been abandoned, but Duke knew all too well her level of acting, so he didn't fall for it.

After pushing open the garden gate, Scarlett glanced back at the Bentley, then lowered her head again and walked towards the house, as if she were a defeated little chick, heading back to a home filled with arguments and coldness.

Why didn't she want to go home? Why did she prefer staying at her godmother's house during the holidays?

Because ever since moving from New York to Los Angeles, she hadn't felt the warmth of family. She no longer felt her father's concern.

"I'm not some kid who misses fatherly love!"

She muttered under her breath, pouting as she knocked on the door.

Through the garden fence, Duke watched Scarlett Johansson enter the house before starting his car, turning the wheel, and heading back the way he came. Once he reached Burbank's city center, instead of returning to Santa Monica, he turned towards Nancy Josephson's office. That evening, they still had to discuss the details of the interview.

For any major media interview, the interviewee would do a lot of preparation. What was shown in the media was never the most authentic side. Only fools would reveal their true selves to the media and the public.

Take Sean Connery, for example. His gentlemanly image was entirely a creation of CAA's careful marketing. Now that his true personality had been exposed, his status had plummeted, and he hadn't landed any work for over a year.

"Sean, this is Mel Gibson's invitation."

On Monday morning, Martin Bob suddenly appeared at Sean Connery's mansion, embroiled in internal competition within CAA. "Paramount has approved the film, and this will be a new CAA package project. While you won't be the lead, you'll still play an important role..."

Sitting on the sofa, Sean Connery seemed to be thinking. He had just looked over the character description. It was a somewhat dishonorable Scottish noble. In the past, he would have definitely turned it down.

"Mel will be directing the film," Martin Bob knew his client well. "It's a story about Scottish independence. You've always been an advocate for Scottish independence, and you and Mel share a common interest in that..."

Listening to his agent's words, Sean Connery remained silent. He had once sworn that he would never return to his homeland until Scotland gained independence.

"When will filming start? When is it expected to be released?" he slowly asked.

"Mel is currently scouting locations, but filming will definitely begin by the end of the year," Martin Bob felt relieved. Even if Connery's career was over, they had to squeeze out every bit of value. "Paramount accepted CAA's package deal. The film is tentatively scheduled to release before next year's Memorial Day."

Sean Connery nodded slowly. His publicist, Jack, suddenly entered the room "We got the first weekend data for Independence Day!"

Hearing this, Sean Connery and Martin Bob immediately dropped the topic they were talking about and looked over at the same time, appearing to be extremely concerned.

....

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