In this industry, many actresses have skyrocketed to fa because of a single film, stepping into the ranks of A-list stars. However, their subsequent works tend to decline in quality, and their careers experience a sharp downturn. By the turn of the century, apart from their forr fa, when people ntion their nas, they still only rember that one film from years ago.
For example, Demi Moore and g Ryan.
The forr rose to stardom due to Ghost, but that film marked the peak of her career. Within a few years, she beca a box office poison, and even going completely nude in Striptease failed to reverse her decline.
The latter faced a similar situation. She beca Arica’s sweetheart with Sleepless in Seattle, but none of her subsequent works were noteworthy. With the shorter shelf life for actresses, by the new millennium, she struggled to maintain even a second-tier status. In a desperate attempt to revive her career, this forr sweetheart also decided to bare it all. Yet, her spring release, In the Cut, was a complete failure in both box office and critical reception.
It’s no exaggeration to say g Ryan is finished. Over 40 years old, with a negative box office return rate, she has been abandoned by mainstream Hollywood.
Without any surprises, this once-beloved sweetheart can only appear in small productions, taking minor supporting roles to maintain her presence.
Nancy Josephson recently signed g Ryan and recomnded her to Duke. After watching her audition, Duke decided to cast her as the mother in his film.
Top-tier and even second-tier actresses, unless absolutely necessary, are unwilling to play aging mother roles. Accepting such roles signifies being typecast, cutting off future opportunities for romantic or leading lady roles—a heavy price to pay.
But g Ryan had no other choice. Her pay for the role was only $2 million.
Her audition was decent, and the pay was reasonable. Under similar circumstances, as always, Duke prioritized actors recomnded by his team.
By mid-August, apart from a few roles, such as the daughter of the agent Bryan, most of the cast was finalized. Liam Neeson formally joined the crew and began training with action director Jimmy Carter and a firearms expert.
"Liam, many of the action scenes can be done using a stunt double," Duke said to the veteran actor, who had just finished his training in the studio gym. "But there are so scenes that I’d prefer you to do yourself."
"I don’t think my weight is an issue, as I’ve always been mindful of staying in shape," Liam Neeson said, throwing his towel to his assistant. "I’ll increase my workouts and take intense combat training. I’ve always wanted to be a combat expert."
"Are you interested in playing a villain?" Duke suddenly asked.
"A villain?" Liam Neeson considered for a mont and then replied, "If you need , Duke."
"Liam, I admire certain qualities you possess," Duke said sincerely. This veteran actor might not have exceptional acting skills, but whether portraying a gentleman or a thug, he did so with remarkable authenticity. "After Taken, I’ll have a new project featuring a villain who seeks to destroy the world to save it..."
"Can you tell what movie it is?" Liam Neeson asked with interest.
"The project is confidential for now, so please don’t tell anyone," Duke reminded him before saying, "I’m planning to reboot Batman."
"Batman?" Liam Neeson hesitated slightly.
Being well-connected, he was aware that Batman & Robin had nearly killed the franchise, forcing Warner Bros. to halt it temporarily. Rebooting Batman seed like a monuntal challenge.
However, he quickly realized that Duke wasn’t an ordinary director. If The Lord of the Rings trilogy could beco legendary, then rebooting Batman was certainly within reach.
"No problem," Liam Neeson agreed. "Let my agent know when the project is ready."
As Liam Neeson headed to the locker room to change, Duke added, "If you’re free tonight, join the party."
"Sure," Liam Neeson replied without hesitation.
The party was hosted by Middle-earth Studios to entertain rchants dealing in rchandise related to The Lord of the Rings. Anyone with business experience understands the importance of distribution channels. In an era where e-comrce was just erging and far from dominant, traditional rchants remained key to ensuring the success of film rchandise.
rchandise sales from The Lord of the Rings trilogy had already exceeded $2 billion globally, with Middle-earth Studios being the biggest beneficiary, though rchants also reaped significant profits.
Duke mingled with the attendees in the banquet hall, and two n soon approached him.
"Director Rosenberg..."
"Just call Duke."
Duke was always polite to those who contributed to his earnings, especially these two, who were the largest Lord of the Rings rchandise distributors on the West Coast.
"Hello, Peter. Hello, Edward."
Duke shook hands with the two Chinese-Arican businessn before turning to the won beside them.
As in every part of the world, wealthy and influential n in North Arica, regardless of ethnicity, were always surrounded by beautiful won. However, the woman beside Edward Yang seed particularly familiar to Duke.
Peter Ko, more reserved than the boisterous Edward Yang, quickly introduced her. "Duke, this is my date, Amanda Seyfried."
He then gestured to Edward Yang’s companion. "And this is Miss Zhang, from China."
Duke nodded politely to the two won. In such public settings, he maintained proper decorum.
Though he found it surprising that Miss Zhang clung so closely to Edward Yang’s arm, her past behavior explained it. Edward Yang’s business was closely tied to Hollywood, and given his character, he likely attracted her or vice versa.
Still, such matters didn’t concern Duke, and he soon dismissed them from his thoughts.
"Duke, if you have the ti, you’re welco to visit San Francisco," Peter Ko said, much more composed than the Edward Yang, who had once punched Orlando Bloom. "We deeply appreciate your unwavering support."
"You’re welco," Duke replied with a smile. "It’s a win-win collaboration."
Their retail chain had stores in every major city on the West Coast. Naturally, Middle-earth Studios prioritized such large-scale distributors with its resources.
After a brief conversation, Edward Yang left with Miss Zhang, while Peter Ko stayed behind.
"Is there sothing you need?" Duke asked.
Peter Ko hesitated before tentatively saying, "I heard you’re preparing for a new film, and the crew is hiring actresses..."
Understanding his intentions, Duke asked a server for a pen and paper, writing down Wallace Lee’s contact information for Peter Ko.
Duke didn’t mind such trivial matters and left it to the casting director. If Amanda Seyfried t the requirents, she could compete for certain roles. If not, Wallace Lee wouldn’t make exceptions either.
Though Duke valued traditional rchandise sales channels, he recognized the rise of e-comrce. At the party, he specifically discussed this with a representative from Amazon.
A few days earlier, Middle-earth Studios had signed agreents with Amazon. However, compared to traditional retail, Amazon’s sales of movie rchandise were still minimal.
Yet Duke understood the future power of online shopping, prompting Duke’s studio to establish strategic partnerships with platforms like Amazon.
After the reception, Tina Fey and a Warner Bros. executive flew across the Pacific Ocean.
Though the film market there was negligible, and Duke had no imdiate plans for it, many aspects of Duke’s studio had beco closely linked to the region.
One key factor was that much of the rchandise from The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter was "Made in China."
This didn’t just apply to Duke and Warner Bros.; Disney’s rchandise was also largely produced there.
Visitors to Disney stores and the parks often unknowingly bought imported goods.
Tina Fey represented Duke in signing new outsourcing contracts with several companies there.
Throughout August, Duke spent his ti preparing for Taken and socializing. When September arrived, while continuing his new project preparations, he also kept an eye on The Return of the King’s box office performance.
After four months in theaters, the film’s North Arican screenings had dropped to fewer than 1,200 venues, with declining screening rates and per-theater revenue. Over the past month, it had earned only $18.2 million dostically, nearing the end of its run.
However, its dostic gross had reached $562.45 million, inching closer to the $600 million mark. Duke and Warner Bros. had communicated with the National Association of Theatre Owners to keep the film in theaters as long as possible, not only to push for $600 million but also to maintain its presence during awards season.
A film still screening often influences certain voters’ decisions.
While The Return of the King cooled off in North Arica, the sa trend occurred globally. Over the sa period, it earned $20.21 million internationally, bringing its worldwide gross to $1.48059 billion.
Though it hadn’t yet crossed the $1.5 billion threshold, it was clear to all that the final number would surpass it.
But the remaining $20 million wasn’t easy to achieve. By mid-November, when Taken was ready to begin filming, The Return of the King finally crossed the $1.5 billion mark, reaching $1.50121 billion!
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