"You look beautiful tonight, Ivy."
Charlize Theron naturally recognized Duke’s forr temporary assistant and appeared friendly, shaking her hand. "Let’s have coffee soti."
"Sure," Ivanka maintained her composure from earlier. "If I have ti, I’ll give you a call."
The two won smiled brightly on the surface, but what they truly thought inside was sothing only they knew.
However, both Ivanka and Charlize Theron were smart won. After a brief greeting, they quickly parted ways. Ivanka stayed by Duke’s side, while Charlize said a few words to Duke and moved on to continue socializing elsewhere.
Duke didn’t get much of a break. Joanne Rowling and Chris Columbus, along with several child actors, approached him again.
Most of the cast for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were no longer the nas Duke rembered. Of Gryffindor’s Golden Trio, the two boys were unfamiliar faces, but the girl nad Emma Watson still matched his mory.
Of course, the actors’ list had been finalized with Duke’s approval. He didn’t mind the replacents; this was a classic case of roles defining the actors. As long as they t basic requirents, it didn’t matter who played the parts.
"Chris, how’s post-production coming along?"
Handing over the kids and Joanne Rowling to Ivanka to entertain, Duke turned to Chris Columbus. "When will the film be completed?"
"By October at the latest!" Chris Columbus replied confidently.
Duke nodded and reminded him, "Keep Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on schedule. Try to wrap up filming before the kids hit their voice-change period."
Chris Columbus, a master of family-friendly films, naturally understood the critical points of working with young actors. "The preparations for the second film are almost finished. If all goes well, filming should conclude before next year’s Oscars."
Though the tiline was tight and sowhat risky, it had its advantages. For example, child actors would eventually undergo voice changes, which could complicate production. Additionally, per their contracts, the actors’ salaries for the first two films weren’t high. Continuous shooting could also reduce unnecessary disputes.
The next person to approach was Robin Grand. Duke seized the opportunity to escape the constant stream of people, taking Ivanka with him to a lounge. He had lost count of how many people he had socialized with that evening. Despite his energy, he still felt a bit ntally drained.
It wasn’t physical fatigue but rather ntal exhaustion.
The people who greeted him were either top Hollywood stars, high-ranking executives of major companies, or prominent figures from the dia and theater chains. Duke had to keep his energy up to deal with them.
Sure, he could, like so directors, disregard such individuals and focus solely on his work. But Duke wasn’t just a director; he was also a businessman and had never planned to distance himself from the mainstream circles.
"Robin, Duke."
As they entered the lounge, Ivanka cleverly moved to the mini-bar, acting as a temporary bartender. "What would you like to drink?"
"A glass of water."
"Sa here."
"Duke, I can imagine," Robin Grand said as he sat on the barstool, thanking Ivanka for the water. He continued, "Once Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone becos a hit, those child actors will surely co, flanked by parents and agents, demanding raises."
"That’s unavoidable," Duke said, taking the glass Ivanka handed him and nodding in thanks. "We can’t keep paying them less than $100,000 forever. If they make a fuss, we can increase their pay and offer so reasonable compensation."
Robin Grand nodded in agreent.
Duke took a sip of water and said seriously, "Robin, you know where my bottom line lies. For the first three films, no profit-sharing deals with any actor."
While the Harry Potter studio and Warner Bros. could legally shuffle profits through accounting tricks, those were tactics to use later.
"What if the actors playing the Golden Trio insist on it?"
"Then replace them!" Duke didn’t hesitate. "The nas Harry Potter and Hermione Granger can be attached to any actor."
Replacing them would be a last resort. Future negotiations with actors would require concessions from the production team. But if anyone crossed Duke’s bottom line and refused to back down, replacing them would be the solution.
"I know what to do now," Robin Grand replied.
Hearing this, Duke smiled and patted his arm. "You’re the production manager. Handle these matters as you see fit."
Robin Grand, a seasoned producer even before working with Duke on Speed, was better at managing these logistical issues than Duke was.
Robin didn’t stay long and soon left the lounge.
"Shall we head back out?" Ivanka ca over from behind the bar and sat next to Duke.
Duke shook his head. "I’ve been socializing all night. Let’s rest here for a while."
"Tired?" Ivanka asked with concern. "I’ll make you so coffee."
"Just sitting here is fine."
Taking another sip of water, Duke asked, "When does school start?"
"In a while," Ivanka replied. She thought of her earlier conversation and asked, "Are you planning to collaborate on a new project about Napoleon?"
"Word travels fast."
Seeing Duke’s curiosity, Ivanka quickly explained, "I overheard Christopher Rokenkort and Jessica Alba ntion it while you were chatting with Charlize Theron."
"Did they ask you for investnt?" Duke inquired.
Ivanka nodded. "Christopher Rokenkort said you’ve reached many agreents and are close to signing a deal. He suggested I invest in your project when the ti cos."
Duke frowned slightly. "Did you agree?"
"Of course not." Ivanka refilled Duke’s glass. "All my money is tied up in our website. Besides, I don’t know the film industry and don’t want to invest recklessly."
Hearing this, Duke recalled his own small investnt and asked, "How’s the website doing?"
"It’s expanded beyond the University of Pennsylvania and is gradually spreading to high schools and colleges in nearby states," Ivanka said, her excitent growing as she talked about her business. "I’ve hired several highly paid tech experts, and our registered users have surpassed 50,000."
"That’s impressive," Duke praised. "Better than I expected."
Ivanka’s smile grew even brighter, like a student receiving her teacher’s approval.
She looked at Duke for a mont before slowly asking, "Duke, do you think it’s ti to fully incorporate the website into a company?"
"Absolutely," Duke agreed. "If you need funds, I can continue investing."
"No rush," Ivanka replied, clarifying her intent. "We have enough funds for now. I’m more focused on choosing the company’s location."
"New York?" Duke suggested casually.
Not being knowledgeable about business managent, he didn’t plan to interfere too much in this risky but modest investnt.
Ivanka’s smile faded slightly. "We can register the company in Delaware, but I think Los Angeles would be a great place for its operations!"
"Los Angeles?"
Duke turned to look at Ivanka, eting her gaze. Her bright blue eyes seed to hold his entire image.
"You’re the one in charge of the company. It’s your decision," Duke said.
Without hesitation, Ivanka declared, "Then Los Angeles it is!"
"Los Angeles it is," Duke didn’t argue.
He stood up, heading for the door. "It’s about ti. I’ll go have a word with Jeff Robinov."
"Go ahead," Ivanka said, her eyes flickering as she watched him leave. "I’ll stay here for a while."
The lounge door opened and closed. Ivanka let out a long sigh. She didn’t have as much courage as she thought.
That bastard—she didn’t believe he couldn’t catch her aning...
A gentle knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Before Ivanka could respond, a tall figure in a silver-white evening gown walked in. Turning to see who it was, Ivanka frowned slightly but said nothing.
It was Charlize Theron.
Seeing Ivanka, Charlize wasn’t surprised or inclined to leave. Instead, she sat down in Duke’s vacated chair.
"Want a drink?"
The two had t many tis when Duke frequently traveled between Sydney and Wellington. Charlize casually grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from the bar, poured drinks for both of them, and raised her glass.
"Cheers!"
She clinked her glass against Ivanka’s and drained it in one go.
After a mont’s hesitation, Ivanka picked up her glass and followed suit.
"You won’t succeed," Charlize suddenly said. "So give up."
Ivanka turned to look at her. "That’s my choice."
"And your choice might affect ," Charlize replied cryptically. "To Duke, won fall into three categories—friends like Irene Lauder and Sofia Coppola, strangers or acquaintances with purely professional ties, and... lovers."
She smirked slightly. "Which one do you want to be? Or are you trying to break out of these categories?"
Ivanka didn’t answer.
Charlize’s smile deepened. "How many years have you known Duke? I’ve known him for nearly ten years, and we’re still... close."
.....
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