Chapter 267

Monster movies have always had a certain market in North America. King Kong has been reproduced countless times. After Naomi Watts became popular through "Chicago", he could choose such a movie, and Universal Pictures must have paid a high price. It's not easy to get a popular movie star in this kind of movie that partnered with monsters, and first-line actresses rarely play such roles.

Duke can faintly guess that there must be a reason for Nancy Josephson's persuasion and promotion. She has invested a lot in Naomi Watts. Of course, she wants to make more money when she becomes popular. Hollywood actress's. The shelf life is relatively short. After the age of 40 or even 35, even if they are unwilling, most actresses will go downhill.

Although no one will say it directly, chasing young and beautiful women is not only Hollywood, but also a very common mentality in this patriarchal society.

Later, so many older actresses got crazy injections, not hesitating to turn themselves into zombie faces, but also to maintain a youthful and beautiful appearance, which can be said to be the best portrayal of the actress's own development.

However, Duke did not say that it was broken. Naomi Watts must also understand this. Few actresses would pretend to be elegant and reject commercial films. They don't have enough box office appeal. Even if they win more prizes, they are at best Meili El Streep, an embarrassing position that can't be achieved.

Having reached this position, who doesn't want to be one of the top actresses?

If you want to be the top actress in the circle, you can be like Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts. There is no academic award recognition, but you must have excellent box office appeal as support.

Leaving the lounge, Duke took Naomi Watts around in the studio. In fact, there was a busy construction scene here, and there was nothing to look at. The two turned around casually and went to the special effects studio where the props group and the industrial light and magic group are located.

"Is this a squid?"

Standing in front of a batch of produced special effects props, Naomi Watts asked curiously, "Futuristic science fiction creatures?"

Through a layer of glass windows, the squid's whole body exudes a metallic luster, and several long legs that hang down like springs. There are also cold shining existences such as spikes and knives. On that hideous metal face, the dense red eyes make it look even more disgusting.

"This is a mechanical squid." Duke beckoned to Collins and walked behind Naomi Watts. "Some of the villains in the film."

Naomi Watts pointed to the face of the mechanical squid, "It looks too ugly."

"My dear, I'm not shooting Beauty and the Beast." Duke shrugged. "The villain must look like a villain, otherwise, is it still a Hollywood commercial?"

The American film industry has experienced more than ten years of development. Not only has Hollywood formed a streamlined commercial production model, but even mainstream audiences in North America and the entire Western world have also formed inherent film concepts. Most of the time, it's not that directors don't want to innovate, but innovation often faces huge risks. Risk represents failure most of the time.

The success of commercial films is often the result of the accumulation of many elements, and failures only need one aspect to make the audience feel annoying.

In addition to the mechanical squid model, the special effects team also produced models of a hovercraft and some wheat fields. Especially the dense wheat field model erected on the chassis, and the 'big machinery' standing on it. Even though they are all downscaled, they look extremely realistic.

"What are these for?" Naomi Watts asked curiously, looking at the wheat field.

"It's for planting things." Duke pointed to some mechanical models that were more than a foot high. "When the planted things are mature, they will pick them."

"What are you planting?"

"Human babies." Duke shrugged. "The people in the film no longer give birth to embryos, but are similar to those grown with such a device. To be precise, they are mass-produced."

"It sounds like a great idea." Naomi Watts' eyes rolled, "I regret it a bit."

Duke turned to look at her, she smiled and said, "I regret not continuing to work with you."

Although he said so. Naomi Watts knew very well that she was absolutely unacceptable to the low salary offered by the crew for the heroine.

After walking out of the special effects studio, the two of them went out of the studio. Duke checked the time. "It's noon right away. If you don't mind the shabby restaurant of Fox Studios, I will treat you to lunch."

"Okay." She took Duke's arm. "We haven't had lunch together in a long time."

Sydney at the end of July is the coldest time of the year. Today's weather is not so good. The sun is completely hidden behind dark clouds. Fortunately, although it is winter here, there is no need to worry about snow falling. Duke is tight. Subcoat, and Naomi Watts stepped up a bit, and quickly walked into a restaurant that was only open to Fox Studios.

Like most studios in Hollywood, the Fox Studios in Sydney is also divided into two parts: Fox Studios and the production area. The former is entirely a tourist facility, and the latter is a studio.

Under normal circumstances, the latter will not be open to the public at all, otherwise the crew will not say that the filming is normal, I am afraid that even dining will become a problem.

"Hi, Duke."

Someone greeted him as soon as he walked into the restaurant, and when Duke passed by, he also greeted him, "It's early today, Liam."

"My play will end soon." Liam Neeson said with a smile, "I came out a while earlier."

Duke looked at the restaurant. "Where is George? Are you still busy?"

Liam Neeson knew that he was talking about Lucas, "The heroine came over from New York, and George seemed to be talking to her."

I also introduced him to Naomi Watts. Duke went to wash his hands, took the dinner plate, and Naomi Watts randomly chose a few suitable meals, and found a round table by the window. Sit down and prepare for a restful meal.

Just like Sophia Coppola said, George Lucas's "Star Wars: The Threat of Ghosts" was selected at Fox Studios as the base camp for shooting, and they were stationed more than the "Matrix" crew. It's too early, now it has entered the shooting stage.

"When will "The Matrix" start filming?" Naomi Watts asked.

Swallowing the food in his mouth and taking another sip of juice, Duke said, "It will be September at the earliest, and it may be later."

Naomi seemed to be a little emotional, "You are always so cautious, just like when I first met you, confident but never arrogant."

"Only with sufficient preparation can we avoid failure as much as possible." Duke seemed to take it for granted. "Preliminary preparation will not become simple because I have a few successful films. Any negligence may lead to film failure."

As at the beginning, Duke never thought that he could succeed easily. Even if he was cheating, it would be just a delusion if he did not have decades of learning and accumulation in the past and present.

Success in this world is never easy. It requires continuous effort and struggle to accumulate. Failure is the opposite. When you relax and think that everything you do should succeed, you are infinitely close to failure.

The two of them ate and talked, and occasionally they talked about interesting things in the past when they were together. Naomi Watts was a woman who grew up in a Western atmosphere. Duke was also influenced by Western culture for more than 20 years. Will take that period of the past to heart, and now the status of the two are different from the past, some of their minds will naturally fade.

Duke is neither stupid enough to seduce first-line actresses with scripts and characters, nor too stupid to control a woman's life, and Naomi Watts has gone through many big-selling movies such as "Independence Day" and "Chicago". , Sit firmly in the position of the first-line actress, although facing the top directors are naturally in a weak position, but there is no need to deliberately please anyone.

To be precise, they have a basis for equal dialogue more than ever before.

"You know, Duke." After putting down the knife and fork, Naomi Watts talked about the past. "After the set fire, especially your comfort and concern for me in the hotel, I was crazy. I've been obsessed with you, and even want to be your girlfriend at all costs."

Once, after shooting "Chicago," Duke didn't care about it. He just asked curiously, "What happened later?"

"Later I discovered that you don't put your mind on any woman." Naomi Watts chuckled and shook her head. "At least not in the short term. No one will maintain a relationship that pays but is not rewarded. ."

"It seems that my mother said something like this."

Duke murmured, and when he looked up, he found George Lucas walking towards him with a dinner plate, followed by a petite girl.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" George Lucas asked, and then sat down on the side of the round table near Duke.

Duke laughed. "Just sit down."

Then he greeted another person, "Just sit down, Miss Portman."

The girl looked a little taller than when I saw it last time, but still looks thin and thin. She put down the dinner plate, said thank you first, then opened the chair and said, "It's nice to see you again, Luo Director Senberg."

"Just call me Duke."

"Then... nice to meet you, Duke."

She stretched out a hand and Duke shook it lightly. "It's nice to meet you too, Natalie."

"I can call me Nat." Natalie Portman looked very polite. "My friends call me like that."

Duke nodded, looked at George Lucas who was eating by himself, and said to Natalie, "Have you finished your Broadway show?"

"Yes, it's over." She replied.

"Sorry, I didn't go to see your show."

Upon hearing Duke's words, Natalie smiled lightly, "It doesn't matter, you must be very busy at work. And I met Mrs. Leah at the party after the show."