บท 37: Chapter 37: Simple and Direct
The negotiations had completely reached a deadlock. 20th Century Fox was exceptionally clear in its stance, and Duke was unwilling to make concessions for the time being. While continuing to negotiate with Fox, Nancy was also contacting other film companies, but unfortunately, no good news was coming back for the time being.
Duke was also not idle. The agency had already completed the registration of his studio in Delaware. He simply rented two offices in North Hollywood and outsourced the studio's finances to his accounting team. He then hired one official employee—a Latina woman in her forties—who was responsible for cleaning and answering calls.
As for the registered name of the studio, Duke directly used his own name, calling it "Duke."
In addition, Duke had communicated multiple times with the cinematographer John Schwartzman, recommended by Sofia Coppola, and Zack Snyder, who had come to Los Angeles. He even filmed some scenes at the Golden Gate Bridge. The three found common ground in aspects of visual language and color usage, especially since the latter two were eager to enter the film industry and promised to join Duke's production team if conditions allowed.
With the Duke Studio having an office space, it also facilitated Duke's communication with the two screenwriters he hired. Periodically, the three would meet in North Hollywood, where Duke reviewed the plots they had written and exchanged thoughts. Duke also promised them that if a film company used their script, their names could be credited on it.
It was more than just credit; as long as their names were listed in the screenwriter section, they would share in the film's writing fees. This was also a means to inspire their enthusiasm and motivation.
"Let's put it this way, Duke."
Sitting across from Duke at a small, makeshift desk, Sofia put down the script she had just completed a small part of. "This new script only showcases your endless desire for destruction; it's simply a collection of all the cliché elements of summer blockbusters."
"You're not wrong," Duke replied without lifting his head. "But the audience loves it."
"Besides business and box office…" Sofia couldn't help but voice what she had been wanting to say for a while. "Don't you want to pursue something in terms of art?"
"Of course I do."
Putting down his pen, Duke looked into Sofia's dark eyes. "I want to be an art master revered by the world, but I can't do that right now. My filming techniques are still quite immature. You can see that from *Speed*; narrative ability and emotional conflict are my weaknesses. If I abandon what I'm best at—commercial production—and turn to art films now, I'll only face failure."
The black eyes looking at Duke understood the truth of his words. The story and structure of *Speed* were relatively simple; what made it appealing was the thrilling excitement. After experiencing more than two months of shooting with Duke, she could see that compared to the explosive action scenes, his dramatic foundation was noticeably lacking.
"No one is born knowing everything, and not everything should be acquired by me," Duke smiled at her. "I need to continue honing my various skills in directing…"
"You could turn to independent films," Sofia suggested deliberately.
"Then I would soon be forgotten by the mainstream film industry," Duke replied, resting his hands on the table, treating the conversation as a break. "I don't have enough capital yet. If I fail in transitioning now, I will inevitably be eliminated in the competitive Hollywood scene. But once I have three or four major blockbuster films under my belt, even if I fail in the future, I can still return to being a commercial film director."
This was indeed his true thought. With enough capital, even if he failed in transitioning, he could always go back to being a Michael Bay.
"That's all very far off," Sofia bluntly countered. "You haven't even found a suitable investor for your second project yet. If this situation continues, the $500,000 loan you just secured will be used up quickly."
"Maybe I should give up on investing in films…" Duke sighed, feeling helpless. "Accept the terms of 20th Century Fox?"
"I can't give you any advice."
Hearing Sofia's nasal voice, Duke could only sigh. Before taking the first step, he felt that the first step was the hardest. However, once he had some capital and wanted to pursue more, he found that things were far from as easy as he imagined. Even with sufficient expectations about Hollywood's difficulties and complexities, the reality was even more challenging.
It was no surprise, *Terminator 2*, and *True Lies* as his capital, James Cameron almost faced 'suicide' when making *Titanic*, pushed by 20th Century Fox and Paramount.
A few days ago, Nancy had sent word that Warner Bros. was interested in *The Rock*, but so far they hadn't contacted him, which suggested either it was just a rumor or Warner Bros. was genuinely interested but wanted to wait and see.
Nancy specifically advised Duke to remain patient. Waiting a year or longer for a film project was entirely normal in Hollywood.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sofia walked over and opened it to reveal Naomi Watts. She smiled and greeted Sofia, then walked over, clearly looking for Duke.
"Hi, Naomi. Make yourself comfortable."
"I heard from Nancy that your studio has been established." She was not shy and directly sat in the position that Sofia had just vacated. "So I came to see and congratulate you."
"Duke…" Sofia had already packed her bag on the other side. "I have something to do, so I'm leaving."
Duke waved at her, and after she closed the door, he focused his attention back on Naomi Watts.
Her golden curls looked freshly styled, her face was adorned with exquisite makeup, and although she wasn't in formal attire, she wore a relatively formal dress, giving the impression that she was about to attend a party.
"Do I look good?"
Having already shared physical intimacy, Naomi leaned in closer, and Duke leaned forward, pinching her delicate chin and drawing her toward him.
Just as Duke was about to press his lips against hers, Naomi dodged to the side. "I spent half an afternoon on this makeup. Do you want to ruin it?"
"You look exceptionally alluring today."
While speaking, Duke suddenly felt a smooth, delicate foot glide under the table, teasing the hem of his pants, with two soft toes gently rubbing against the bony protrusion of his ankle.
"In a closed room," Duke tilted his head, his gaze towards Naomi taking on a hint of aggression. "A beautiful woman teasing a man is a very dangerous thing."
"So you think I'm beautiful?" She slightly turned her head, glancing at Duke. "It seems this is the first time you've said I'm beautiful."
"Except for being too thin…" Duke sensed that the foot had retreated, shrugged, and said, "You belong to the most beautiful level of the Hollywood actresses I've seen."
Makeup is a magical skill that can transform an ordinary face into a dazzling star face. Just like most Hollywood actresses who have decent looks and acting skills, Naomi's natural beauty was not lacking. She was also quite slim, especially since Duke had previously had her under him; it definitely didn't feel as enjoyable as her beautiful appearance suggested.
After casually discussing studio topics, Duke could see that Naomi didn't come here solely for romantic reasons.
"Is there something you need?" Duke directly asked.
"Do you have time tonight?"
Under the table, Naomi nudged Duke with her foot. Seeing him nod, she said, "Would you accompany me to a party in Beverly Hills?"
Her voice was soft and gentle, and that foot slid up Duke's pant leg.
Even though Duke hadn't been with any women since his encounter with Naomi Watts, he wasn't tempted by this level of provocation. He asked, "Where to?"
"You're really boring." Naomi Watts couldn't help but pout. "Don't you need to relax apart from work?"
"Alright." Duke nodded but still asked, "Where to?"
"Beverly Hills…" Naomi Watts stood up, walked around the desk, and tugged at Duke's sleeve, pulling him up. "Tom Cruise's mansion!"
As Naomi linked her arm with Duke while leaving the studio, she couldn't help but recall the only night they had spent together. Duke's physique was great, his strength was great, and his technique was great; those two times were almost the most physiological enjoyment. However, their post-encounter exchanges were certainly not pleasant, especially during the second time when they lay together talking. He never strayed far from the topic of films, as if movies were all that mattered to him.
There was a moment when Naomi felt a deep connection and thought that if she used some means to develop into a romantic relationship, it might benefit her future.
But she quickly abandoned that idea. First, her agency contract didn't allow it; second, the other party was clearly a clear-headed yet extremely self-centered person.
Naomi was not a naïve young girl without dating experience; she understood that to get someone like him to acknowledge her as his girlfriend would require her to invest far more than he would, which would take a significant amount of time and energy, severely affecting her recently started star career.
In fact, she might have to completely sacrifice her acting career.
Was it worth giving up a potentially glamorous future for an uncertain relationship? She thought it was not worth it.
No one can see into another person's heart, and Duke was no exception. This guy, whose mind was filled with movies, couldn't be bothered to guess a woman's thoughts. If they felt good together, they would temporarily be together. If it didn't feel right, then it was goodbye.
In this regard, just like the cheerleader who was thrown away by him and picked up by Rick Solomon after only two nights together, Duke's thoughts and actions are always simple and direct
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