Chapter 105: Sofia Coppola's Diary

The sun disappeared behind the sand dunes as Sofia Coppola walked toward her trailer, her feet sinking into the soft sand. Although she wasn't physically tired after a long day of work, her mind was extremely fatigued, especially from the persistent ringing in her ears caused by the massive explosions on set.

"At least I've gotten used to it after all this time."

As she reached her trailer, she instinctively glanced next door at Duke's place, which was obviously empty. When he immersed himself in work, the only way to describe him was as completely focused. After filming so many explosive scenes today, it was anyone's guess what time he would finish.

"Not my concern; isn't there a Naomi Watts around now?"

Sofia muttered to herself as she opened her trailer door and stepped inside. She casually stripped off her clothes, which were covered in yellow sand, and headed into the bathroom, standing under the warm shower.

Maybe the scale of today's explosions was too massive; she had a lot of sand stuck in her hair.

Reflecting on the afternoon's shoot, Sofia felt her heart race. Even though she had adapted to Duke's filming style, seeing a hundred-foot-long spaceship model engulfed by flames in a massive explosion still made her heart pound. That explosion fanatic and destroyer had set up dozens of explosive points on the spaceship model, which detonated in succession like fireworks.

After her shower, Sofia dried off quickly, noticed the time was still early, wrapped herself in a towel, and sat down at her desk, pulling out a pen and notebook to jot down some work notes.

She didn't write every day, but whenever she had new insights about the film, she would make sure to note them down. Her entries didn't just cover the movie; they also included thoughts on the guy she was working for.

As she twirled the pen between her fingers and opened her notebook, she suddenly lost the motivation to write.

Putting down the pen, she didn't close the notebook but began flipping through the pages, looking at past entries, especially her thoughts on Duke's directing style, which seemed particularly interesting at that moment.

November 12, 1992, Sunny..

At Warner Bros. Studios, I discovered that beyond his focus and hard work, Duke was also full of adventurous spirit. He would never say "impossible" or "unfeasible," no matter how daunting the challenges. Even when under immense pressure and bearing anger, he always maintained a calm mind, viewing himself as an independent outsider within the crew. He could always offer timely criticism and suggestions to staff who made mistakes.

March 2, 1993, Sunny...

During post-production, Duke had a disagreement with Charles Roven, and they argued for two hours before he persuaded him. When Duke was making a film, he gave me the feeling that he was like a creator. If he said there should be light, then there must be light, no matter how it had to be achieved. We discussed General Hammer's admonition in the film; he firmly believed humanity wouldn't suddenly evolve to a stage where everyone would join hands and sing for world peace, leading to all conspiracies disappearing.

I suppose I believe that peace can be achieved through superior military power—perhaps this deeply ingrained view influenced Duke's understanding of films. He was always so enamored with special effects, explosions, and action.

August 16, 1993, Overcast..

"Independence Day" was greenlit. This would be a super production with a total investment exceeding one hundred million dollars. Duke finally gained full control over the filming and post-production, which was all he deserved. Most of us, including myself, recognized that Duke was always that director with a strong desire for control and destruction, and we were all surrounded by his powerful aura, rarely having a voice!

October 3, 1993, Sunny...

Duke finally arrived at the Duke Studio. I could smell the scent of women's perfume and the lingering odor of burnt marijuana on him. He had gone to a party for a model the night before, and I could guess what he had done without thinking! Duke admitted that he had been with Charlize Theron and Cameron Diaz last night. I got into an argument with him; I realized I could not suppress my inner anger and didn't want to either!

I questioned him about whether he had forgotten the importance of hard work now that he had gained some success. Had he forgotten the massive investment for the film he was preparing? I warned him that if this movie failed, he would be worth nothing, utterly defeated! Being too enamored with women would only be a hindrance!

"Sofia, I want to make one thing clear to you—once we embark on this adventure and the film starts shooting, nothing can stop me, not even the most beautiful or sexy woman! The only way to stop me is to kill me!"

Duke answered me, and when I looked into his eyes, I realized he truly believed that—he would never entrust his fate to anyone else; it was always in his own hands!

Suddenly, a knock echoed from outside the trailer. Sofia put away her notebook and walked over to open the door, revealing a not-so-tall girl standing there—the youngest among the main cast.

"Scarlett, what's up?" Sofia just peeked her head out.

"It's time for dinner. Mom asked me to see if you want to join us?" Scarlett took a step up. "Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Although the little girl could be a handful, Sofia liked her and let her in. "Make yourself comfortable; I'll change."

After changing clothes, Sofia led Scarlett Johansson toward the catering truck to join Melanie Sloan, who had gone ahead.

"Did you finish your studies today?" Sofia asked as she held Scarlett's hand.

"Yep, but it was so boring." Scarlett frowned. "Why does my scene have to be filmed in bits instead of all at once? Is Duke upset with me again?"

"Dear, when filming, Duke is all business," Sofia replied seriously. "Strictly speaking, you are his sister, but if you make a mistake, he won't go easy on you. Scarlett, any director would do the same."

"Why do you always defend Duke?" Scarlett rolled her eyes and suddenly changed the subject. "Sofia, you don't like Duke like that Naomi Watts, do you?"

"That's not something you should worry about," Sofia shook her head.

"Whatever, I'm turning ten soon." Scarlett glanced at Sofia's face and didn't notice anything special. "Before long, I can have a boyfriend."

The two women, one big and one small, joked as they entered the large tent connecting to the catering truck, which served as the crew's public dining hall. Besides the rented trailers and catering trucks, most of the facilities were actually provided by the military, and the Pentagon had indeed facilitated the crew quite a bit.

"I saw Duke," Scarlett pointed to a table near the corner of the tent. "He's sitting with that annoying Naomi Watts."

"Annoying?" Sofia felt puzzled. "What did she do to you?"

"When I was at Warner Bros., I brought Duke an ice cream once," Scarlett Johansson waved to her mother and then walked toward Duke's table, whispering to Sofia, "Duke was busy, so I temporarily put it aside, and then she went and threw my ice cream in the trash."

"That made me so mad! I'm really angry!" she grumbled. "I don't like her at all. If she becomes Duke's girlfriend, I'll definitely tell my godmother about her bad behavior; Duke respects her the most."

Sofia couldn't help but roll her eyes; this little girl was quite the troublemaker.

"Hey, Duke."

Just as they approached the dining table, Sofia noticed Scarlett Johansson immediately change into a bright, innocent smile as she rushed over, moved a chair, and sat next to Duke. "Mom wanted to eat in the trailer, but I missed you, so I came to find you."

Sofia pulled over a chair and sat next to Scarlett.

"What do you want to eat?" Duke grabbed a glass and took a bottle of Gatorade from Naomi Watts's table, pouring a cup for the little one. "Today, it's on me."

Duke had received a call from his mother yesterday, asking him to take good care of her adorable goddaughter.

"Maybe not," Scarlett shook her head as she took the cup. "I'm going to New York soon; can you treat me there? Also, the Super Bowl is coming up. I heard from my godmother that Santa Fia is hosting a halftime event. Can I go with you?"

After thinking for a moment and seeing the hopeful look on the little girl's face, Duke slowly nodded. "I can take you to Atlanta for the Super Bowl, but don't get too excited, Scarlett! There are two conditions: first, you must deliver a performance that exceeds my expectations during filming; second, you have to convince your mom yourself!"

"I promise I'll do it!" Scarlett beamed.

"The Super Bowl?" Naomi Watts seemed interested. "How about we all go to Atlanta together?"

Before Duke could respond, Scarlett Johansson quickly asked, "Together? Are you going too, Naomi?"

Seeing the other nod, she pretended to be curious, scratching her blonde hair. "Naomi, are you Duke's girlfriend?"

"Do you understand love already, Scarlett?" Naomi Watts's momentary awkwardness flashed by, and with her increasingly exceptional acting skills, no one could notice. "You're still so young."

"Of course!" Scarlett nodded vigorously.

"Scarlett, what do you want to eat?"

Duke stood up, interrupting the conversation that was inappropriate for the moment,After listening to the little girl's name of several dishes, he nodded to Sofia and Naomi Watts and said, "Let's go get dinner."

The three of them turned and walked towards the food truck. Behind them, out of sight, Scarlett Johnson reached out and took Naomi Watts's cup, spit a big mouthful of saliva into the Gatorade inside, shook it deliberately, looked at it carefully, found nothing unusual, and put it back in its place.

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