Compared to the seemingly smokeless awards season, the competition in theaters was far more direct and intense. After the release of Pixar Studio’s blockbuster Finding Nemo, it predictably broke the monopoly of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and ended its four-week sumr box office dominance.
This animated feature centered on the ocean once again showcased Pixar’s strength to all of Hollywood. Opening in 3,374 theaters in North Arica, it grossed $70.25 million, with a per-theater average exceeding $20,000—marking the best opening weekend for both Pixar and animated films to date.
Unsurprisingly, Finding Nemo beca the second box office champion of the 2003 sumr season.
The Return of the King, which had previously achieved four consecutive victories, also concluded its hottest screening phase. Both its theater count and showti allocation began to decline, but it still secured second place on the box office chart this week, earning $14.22 million across 3,458 theaters in North Arica.
No movie can remain red-hot forever, especially during the sumr blockbuster season.
To avoid clashing with The Return of the King, many big productions opted for June release dates. With morial Day arriving, May drew to a close.
From June onward, a series of blockbusters were released successively, including X-n 2, Terminator 3, and Bruce Almighty, all of which achieved impressive opening figures. By the end of June, The Return of the King had disappeared from the top five of North Arica’s weekly box office rankings.
Even after nearly two months of screening, the film remained in the top ten. By July 1, its North Arican box office had finally surpassed the $500 million milestone, reaching $515.87 million.
Globally, The Return of the King also broke the $1.3 billion mark, with total earnings of $1.35277 billion!
As the movie’s popularity waned and other major productions were released in both North Arica and overseas, its global daily box office slipped below $4 million, entering a stage where long-term screenings were necessary to accumulate further revenue.
By the third month of its release, the global Lord of the Rings craze had largely subsided, but the Matrix fever returned.
Last year’s Matrix Reloaded grossed $795.5 million worldwide. While its audience reception dipped slightly compared to the first film, it remained within the acceptable range for sequels. The simplification of the story and removal of philosophical elents worked in its favor.
The new installnt, The Matrix Revolutions, also perford well overall, earning $92.12 million in its opening weekend—enough to ensure strong comrcial results.
With two successful sequels, Duke’s forr assistant Zack Snyder quickly beca one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood.
Several studios even offered him "1 2" contracts, inviting him to direct films.
This is Hollywood: when you’re struggling for success, you’re often overlooked—even if you’re overflowing with talent. The industry’s giants won’t notice you, and even if they do, they won’t easily loosen their purse strings.
Once you succeed, however, invitations co flooding in—even if you just stand still.
"Any new plans?"
Inside Duke’s studio, Duke looked at Zack Snyder. "For the future or your next movie?"
"I desperately need a vacation."
Zack Snyder’s face, frad by a scruffy beard, was gaunt to the point of looking skeletal. "Back then, I could see how much pressure you were under while independently managing a project. But stepping into it myself, I realized just how overwhelming that constant pressure truly is."
He let out a long sigh. "Since taking over, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep."
"You’ll get used to it eventually," Duke said, opening a drawer and handing Zack a graphic novel by Frank Miller. "Take a vacation, and check out this book while you’re at it."
"300?" Zack Snyder glanced at it briefly. "I read it years ago."
"Interested in adapting it into a film?"
Such matters cannot be forced, so Duke added, "If you’re not interested, I’ll have to find soone else."
Having been friends and collaborators for over a decade, Zack Snyder didn’t hold back. "Leave it with for now; I’ll study it."
Duke didn’t plan to interfere much, so he nodded. "DC Comics has only given a five-year adaptation license. Don’t take longer than that to decide."
Zack Snyder chuckled. "I’ll give you a definite answer after my vacation."
There was a light knock at the door. Tina Fey entered, saying, "Mr. Neeson is here."
"Then I’ll take my leave." Zack Snyder stood, nodded at Tina, and walked out of the office. Once he disappeared, Duke turned to Tina and said, "I’ll et him."
Leaving his office, Duke stepped into the conference room on the sa floor and saw his guest.
"Hi, Duke."
The tall actor approached to greet him. "Long ti no see."
"Indeed, Liam."
Duke invited him to sit and ordered fresh coffee to be brought in. Without any preamble, he asked, "Are you free later this year?"
Although he’d received a notification from his agent and had so idea of what was coming, Liam Neeson’s eyes still lit up when he heard Duke’s words. He answered without hesitation, "Yes!"
"Tina." Duke called out, and Tina Fey handed a folder to Liam Neeson.
"What’s this..." Liam looked at Duke.
Duke gestured for him to open it while saying, "This is my next project, set to begin filming later this year. It’s an action film about a retired agent and his daughter."
Liam Neeson nodded, opened the script, and started reading. Duke continued, "I think you’re perfect for the lead role."
Although he couldn’t make a final decision without his agent present, Liam Neeson browsed the script briefly and said, "Duke, no one could refuse your invitation."
In his view, the script was fairly average. If it had co from another director, he wouldn’t have considered it. But the man sitting across from him was one of Hollywood’s top directors, and only a fool would think he’d produce a diocre film.
Even though formal negotiations were still to co, Liam Neeson didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
"Your role will be that of a skilled but retired agent," Duke explained briefly. "If we collaborate, you’ll need to undergo specialized training."
"No problem," Liam Neeson agreed.
Duke only established an initial agreent with him. Subsequent negotiations would be handled by Charles Roven and Liam Neeson’s agent. After a short chat, Liam Neeson left Duke’s studio.
Since the Independence Day holiday, Duke had officially put Taken into production. The project passed Warner Bros.’ approval process at record speed, with a production budget of $40 million—modest by current standards.
Duke didn’t intend to pursue large-scale scenes or high investnt. Warner Bros. fully funded the $40 million budget, of which $10 million went to Duke’s base salary.
Once the project was officially greenlit, Duke’s core team mbers ended their vacations and returned to work. By now, individuals like John Schwartzman had beco leading figures in their respective fields, inevitably drawing interest from other companies or projects. While most chose to continue collaborating with Duke, so left for other opportunities.
For instance, forr casting director John had exited Duke’s team.
This kind of personnel movent is normal, and Duke didn’t mind much. Finding suitable replacents wasn’t particularly difficult, but he wasn’t quick to trust newcors, so he temporarily assigned casting duties to Wallace Lee.
Hollywood casting, despite oversight from actors’ guilds and other systems, cannot entirely avoid behind-the-scenes dealings. Consensual transactions often go unnoticed. Anyone who thinks Hollywood is free of such unwritten rules or believes casting is purely rit-based must be utterly naive.
Duke never held his team to such idealistic standards—it’s impossible in Hollywood. As long as they t his requirents, he didn’t care who filled minor roles.
Major roles like the father, daughter, and mother in Taken, however, were outside the influence of casting directors and assistants.
"Lee, I need a lot of Eastern European actresses."
During a preparation eting, Duke instructed new casting director Wallace Lee, "And Eastern European n with distinctive appearances for the gangster roles. As for the prostitutes, they need to be beautiful."
"No problem, Duke. I promise!"
Wallace Lee was eager to take on this role. On the one hand, it was an opportunity to prove himself to Duke; on the other, it was a coveted position in Hollywood.
He knew that for the Eastern European actresses and prostitute roles, he’d have full authority over the selection.
As long as the candidates t Duke’s basic requirents, the final choices were entirely up to him. Such a position made him highly sought after by aspiring actors and their agents.
"Anna," Duke turned to Anna Prince, "Take over Zack’s previous responsibilities."
.....
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