Chapter 204: The Road to Dream

Since we are in the UK and appearing on a local show, of course, we have to say things the British people love to hear.

When the host asked Gilbert about his feelings upon arriving in the UK, he responded, "It's a great feeling. The fans here are very passionate, and we've received a warm welcome."

Gilbert then talked about the local football culture: "We had a friendly match with the fans, and it was fun. I remember Bruce even scored a goal."

Bruce Willis added, "Yeah, that goal was great. I think I could play professionally."

The host laughed, "Maybe I can contact Coach Ferguson from Manchester United and get you a spot."

"Wow, that sounds great," Bruce Willis said, rubbing his bald head. "But actually, I'd prefer to go to White Hart Lane. I'm a Tottenham fan."

"Hahaha, alright, White Hart Lane welcomes you."

Using football culture to connect with local fans is a common promotional tactic when Hollywood comes to the UK.

As we all know, North America is a football desert.

So, when Americans talk about football here, it gives the citizens of the British Empire a great sense of pride.

After chatting for a while, Haley once again shared his ice cream story, making the entire room burst into laughter.

Then the host introduced a mysterious guest, saying, "We have a special guest today who's also a loyal fan of yours."

Gilbert was still puzzled; he didn't know many people in the UK.

The host didn't keep them in suspense and immediately introduced the guest: "Please welcome Catherine Zeta-Jones…"

Gilbert looked over, slightly stunned. He thought it was Rachel Weisz, but she was filming in Morocco. To his surprise, another familiar face appeared.

Having only met her once, Gilbert's knowledge of Catherine Zeta-Jones actually came from his past life. But in such a setting, he had to play along.

Gilbert quickly put on a warm smile and stepped forward to hug Catherine. "Hey, Catherine, long time no see."

Gilbert's warmth made Catherine feel a bit uncomfortable.

But she quickly regained her composure and smiled just as warmly, as if they were old friends.

Such occasions are all about mutual flattery.

Gilbert briefly mentioned that he had seen Catherine's performance at the West End theater and thought it was excellent.

"Very impressive. Not any less than the shows I've seen on Broadway. Catherine has great technique. Her performance details are fantastic, rich, with graceful and composed movements, yet not lacking in wild beauty."

Catherine returned the compliment, "I went to the cinema to watch The Sixth Sense. Wow, it was amazing. Sometimes I wonder how your mind works, Gilbert. It's really impressive."

"Of course, the person who surprised me most was Haley. No offense, Bruce, though you're great, I think Haley is even better..."

Haley, who had been praised nonstop, was initially a bit shy, but now he could face it with ease and looked every bit the seasoned professional.

The mutual flattery session ended, and the recording was nearing its end.

After the show, Catherine took the chance to speak with Gilbert privately. "Gilbert, if you have time, let me treat you to dinner as a thank you."

Gilbert was surprised. "Thank me for what? I haven't done anything for you."

"Of course, I have to thank you. The business card you gave me last time helped me solve quite a few problems," Catherine explained.

Gilbert then remembered, he had given Catherine his card, thinking she might be suited for Hollywood development. He wasn't sure if she had gone there, but now he knew.

In any case, Gilbert didn't refuse. "Alright, we still have one more stop in the UK. How about tomorrow?"

"Great!" Catherine said happily. After all, not everyone gets to have dinner with a renowned director.

The recording had finished late, and the crew returned to the hotel to rest. On the way back, Gilbert noticed Haley engrossed in a book, deeply focused.

Curious, Gilbert asked, "Haley, what book are you reading? You seem so absorbed."

After the show, he was a bit tired, but Haley seemed energetic, not at all sleepy.

Haley handed Gilbert the book and explained, "Mom bought it for me. It's a fantasy novel."

"A fantasy novel?" Gilbert took a look and saw that it was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Had this book finally been released in the UK after all this time?

He flipped through a couple of pages and confirmed it was the same book before handing it back to Haley. "Not bad, this novel is really good. It's perfect for you."

Haley continued reading with enthusiasm, and when they returned to the hotel, Gilbert immediately told his assistant Anna, who had accompanied them to the UK, "Go ahead and contact the publisher, find the original author."

Anna didn't ask any questions, wrote it down in her work log, and contacted the publisher the next day.

While Anna was reaching out to the publisher, Gilbert went to dinner with Catherine as planned.

When it comes to British cuisine, most people probably don't remember much. There's a joke from Gilbert's previous life about British food, something like "looking up at the stars."

But fortunately, London, being an international city, had plenty of French and Italian restaurants.

Catherine seemed prepared and knew that Gilbert was of Italian descent, so she booked a table at an Italian restaurant.

In such a setting, with such a pleasant atmosphere, talking about things that interest them made for a truly enjoyable evening.

"I started dancing at five, I even studied singing in a choir, practiced classical ballet and tap dance, and I won the National Tap Dance Championship in England..."

"Wow, your dance must be beautiful," Gilbert said, expressing his admiration.

"Yeah, everyone says that," Catherine said, raising an eyebrow. "But I don't want to just be a stage performer in musicals. I want to make it big on the silver screen.

I've been to Hollywood three times, but it hasn't gained much attention. I just finished filming The Mask of Zorro."

"Maybe you should keep going, Catherine. There are countless dreamers in North Hollywood, and they're all persisting, never giving up, even with just the smallest chance," Gilbert said.

In fact, Catherine had decent potential. Her starting point was higher than most dreamers in North Hollywood. At least she could land roles with names.

The dreamers in North Hollywood often couldn't even get a role as a background character.

To get a part, they had to swallow their pride, climb into the beds of small directors or producers, just for a slim chance.

Many of them were tricked and deceived into shooting in San Fernando Valley.

Or they became emaciated, just like at Nicolas Cage's famous pool parties, where many such people could be found.

Naomi Watts also faced a similar situation when she first came to Hollywood from Australia. To survive, she had to work in restaurants and nightclubs.

It wasn't until she met Gilbert that her career began to take off, and she eventually became a top Hollywood actress.

Gilbert briefly shared Naomi Watts' story and then said to Catherine, "In the West End theater, you're the star, and everyone is supporting you.

But in Hollywood, you're nothing.

You should keep a calm mindset. If you want fame, start with the basic roles."

Catherine's large brown eyes stared at Gilbert as she asked, "Starting from the basics will give me a chance?"

"Not necessarily, but at least your mindset won't be too shattered, and opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared." After talking to Tom Hanks so much, Gilbert had learned to speak in motivational clichés.

Gilbert then glanced at Catherine's feet and added, "Didn't you say your dance skills are great? I think you should leverage your strengths."

For some reason, Catherine felt this was a strong hint from Gilbert.

Is this the opportunity I've been waiting for? Catherine wondered.

Gilbert said it casually, but if Catherine took his advice and stayed in Hollywood instead of returning to London, her chances would definitely be higher.

And since she had already starred in The Mask of Zorro, Gilbert hadn't seen the movie, but at least he had heard of it, which meant the film had a certain level of fame.

As long as Catherine kept a calm mindset, she could land supporting roles even if she couldn't get the lead.

As for the dance hint, Gilbert had just said it casually. He remembered Catherine gave a strong performance in Chicago, after all.

But in Hollywood, no one is irreplaceable. If Catherine couldn't meet his requirements, Gilbert wouldn't force the original cast.

After all, he was already planning to replace Richard Gere and Renée Zellweger, so there was no reason why Catherine couldn't be replaced.

Normally, after dinner, Gilbert would drive Catherine home, and she'd invite him up for coffee or something.

But just after dropping Catherine off downstairs, his assistant Anna's phone call interrupted, and Gilbert had to regretfully say goodbye to Catherine and get back to work.

As Gilbert's car left, Catherine made up her mind. If she didn't make a name for herself in Hollywood this time, she wasn't going back.

"How did it go? Anna?" Gilbert asked eagerly when he returned to the hotel.

"I got in touch with the publisher and spoke with the original author. She said she wanted to meet with you in person," Anna reported.

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

Gilbert nodded and then instructed, "Contact Sheena, have her reach out to Warner and Disney to see who might be interested in this project."

"Alright…" Anna immediately called Sheena Boone, not bothering with the time zone difference.

Gilbert stroked the cover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and fell into a deep thought.

Undoubtedly, the Harry Potter series is one of the most commercially valuable series of novels in history.

Its value isn't only in the movies. In fact, the films are just one part of it.

The most valuable aspect of Harry Potter is its spin-off merchandise.

Gilbert remembered an article from his past life that caught his attention. Harry Potter films generated over $7 billion in box office revenue, while the direct merchandise profit exceeded $30 billion.

Not to mention the massive UK tourism boom driven by Harry Potter, indirectly creating a $100 billion market.

He also recalled that the most popular themed park when a film-themed park opened in Beijing was the Harry Potter themed park.

As soon as it opened, there was a wave of wizard enthusiasm.

A wand costs 348 yuan, a school robe costs 849 yuan, yet they still couldn't keep up with demand. This is the commercial value.

Theme parks, cultural promotion, merchandise, spin-off TV shows, games, novels, and movies – each one of these represents a highly coveted asset.

Such a huge project couldn't be handled by Melon Studios alone. It would require the involvement of media giants.

Movies have always been more than just movies.

The calculations behind them are complicated, and trying to monopolize it alone won't work. In fact, it would lead to an early demise.

....

Hi For access to additional chapters of

Director in Hollywood (30 chpater)

MV Director (30 chapter)....

Douluo Dalu:Breaking Clan(30 chapter)

Made In Hollywood (50 Chapters)

Join pateron.com/Translaterappu