Chapter 231: King of the World

A well-crafted trailer can be incredibly captivating.

The trailer for The Matrix, released during the Super Bowl, undoubtedly caught the attention of audiences across America, especially Gilbert's fans.

After a year of anticipation, it was once again that time of the year—summer—when audiences would walk into theaters for a Gilbert film.

It had become a tradition, an unspoken agreement, a bond between Gilbert and his fans.

With post-production fully completed, The Matrix began its promotional campaign just before the Academy Awards.

The first step was the release of character posters. These posters were meticulously designed to exude an extreme sense of coolness.

Beyond just looking cool, the posters also heavily embodied cyberpunk culture, serving as a concentrated showcase of its aesthetics.

Cyberpunk is a combination of the words "cybernetics" and "punk." Literally, it signifies a reflection on highly mechanized civilizations.

This genre is often set in a futuristic world where advanced technology coexists with a deteriorating social structure, depicting a contrast between high-tech advancements and the struggles of the lower class.

Over time, cyberpunk evolved from literature to films, tabletop games, and other media, fostering an entire subculture. It also developed into a distinct visual aesthetic, influencing various aspects of daily life.

Cyberpunk as a movement originated in the New Wave science fiction of the 1960s and 1970s and flourished in the 1980s.

In 1980, science fiction writer Bruce Bethke coined the term. In 1984, William Gibson's Neuromancer popularized cyberpunk and established it as a major subgenre of science fiction literature.

Cyberpunk narratives frequently revolve around conflicts between hackers, artificial intelligence, and massive corporations.

This aligns perfectly with The Matrix, which features all three elements—hackers, AI, and a domineering corporate-like robotic empire, against which the hackers, former employees of the machine regime, rebel.

Strictly speaking, The Matrix is not a purely cyberpunk film, but it incorporates strong cyberpunk elements.

Back in the early days of the cyberpunk movement, a landmark film in the history of sci-fi cinema had already emerged—Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1982.

That was during cyberpunk's infancy, yet Ridley Scott had already defined what cyberpunk should look like.

Unfortunately, the film underperformed at the box office, preventing a direct sequel for many years.

This was an unavoidable reality—regardless of how classic a film was, if it didn't make money, studios wouldn't continue investing in it.

Pure cyberpunk films have historically struggled at the box office. Thus, The Matrix, like its religious and philosophical themes, only touched upon cyberpunk elements without fully committing to them.

However, that didn't stop The Matrix from leveraging these elements in its marketing, attracting a dedicated following of cyberpunk enthusiasts.

In early March, Warner Bros. and Disney collaborated with Apple, Banana, Facebook, Microsoft, and other major tech companies to host a cyberpunk culture exhibition in Silicon Valley.

During the event, The Matrix released its second trailer.

This new trailer heavily emphasized cyberpunk concepts, making it the perfect highlight for an exhibition dedicated to the genre. It captivated many cyberpunk fans.

Gilbert personally understood the allure of cyberpunk.

He still vividly remembered the time he played as V, the protagonist of Night City, enduring countless game-breaking bugs while taking on Arasaka Tower in a blaze of glory.

Coincidentally, one of the game's key characters, Johnny Silverhand, was now playing the role of humanity's savior, Neo.

Despite its flaws, that game was Gilbert's first real introduction to the cyberpunk world—and it had enthralled him ever since.

If given the chance, Gilbert would love to make a film about V's story.

However, cyberpunk films had historically struggled at the box office, which was a real concern.

At the cyberpunk exhibition, Gilbert attended alongside Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron.

When Keanu and Charlize took the stage in their sleek black leather outfits and sunglasses, they instantly became the center of attention.

Scarlett, who had a keen interest in such events, had pestered Gilbert into bringing her along, so he did.

Her hair had grown back since she had shaved it off for a minor role—a testament to her dedication.

In his previous life, many young, trendy actors wouldn't even let production teams touch their hair, let alone alter their signature hairstyles.

Especially their bangs—those were untouchable. Any stylist who dared suggest a change would be dismissed on the spot.

Asking them to shave their heads for a minor role? That would have been out of the question.

Then again, maybe it all boiled down to status.

If Gilbert had his current level of influence back then, those actors would likely have complied without protest.

But if he had been that powerful at the time, he wouldn't have needed to cast those talentless idols who only had fan-following appeal.

As Gilbert and Scarlett wandered through the exhibition, she spotted a tabletop game.

"Wow, this looks so cool! I want to play!" Scarlett exclaimed, dragging Gilbert into the gaming area.

Gilbert chuckled. "Scarlett, do you even know how to play this game?"

"Hmph!" she pouted. "Don't underestimate me! I'm really smart, okay?"

As soon as people noticed Gilbert, they immediately made room for Scarlett, allowing her to take a seat.

While Gilbert took photos and signed autographs for enthusiastic fans, he kept an eye on Scarlett.

Surprisingly, she picked up the game quickly. Once she grasped the rules, she played like a natural.

What really caught Gilbert's attention, however, was the name of the game—Cyberpunk 2013.

If he wasn't mistaken, this was the precursor to Cyberpunk 2077.

Finding it here made perfect sense. There weren't many cyberpunk-themed exhibitions, so a tabletop game like this would seize the opportunity to gain exposure.

After a few rounds, Scarlett stepped away from the table and continued exploring with Gilbert.

"What do you think, Scarlett? Was the game fun?" Gilbert asked.

"It was pretty cool. The setting is really interesting," she nodded before throwing the question back at him. "Gilbert, do you think we'll achieve the kind of technology in the game by 2013?"

"I don't think so. It'll probably take until 2077," Gilbert replied.

"What?!" Scarlett looked disappointed. "By then, I'll already be an old lady."

Gilbert laughed and patted her head. "In a cyberpunk world, there's technology for immortality.

You could upload your consciousness to a server, then transfer it into a younger body whenever you want."

Scarlett furrowed her brows, deep in thought, before saying something unexpectedly profound:

"But even if I upload my data, that would just be a copy of me. How can I be sure that the digital version of me is still… me?"

And when the data is imported into a new body, the original data must be backed up, which means a third version of me is created. So, among these three, which one is really me?"

"Wow," Gilbert exclaimed in surprise. "Scarlett, I didn't expect you to have the potential to be a philosopher."

Scarlett rolled her eyes cutely. "Don't underestimate me. I'm not an idiot."

That was as far as Scarlett's thoughts went. When they returned to the lounge, Gilbert instructed his assistant, Anna, "When you have time, look into a tabletop game called Cyberpunk 2013."

Anna quickly noted it down and understood immediately. She knew her boss must want her to negotiate for the rights.

Scarlett asked Gilbert, "Are you planning to adapt this tabletop game into a movie?"

"I just have the idea. I'm not necessarily going to do it, Scarlett," Gilbert replied.

Scarlett shook her little head. "I think you should! If you adapt this game, I want to be the female lead."

"Hahaha, sure," Gilbert agreed without hesitation.

Gilbert was just toying with the idea for now. He wasn't sure if he would really adapt it into a film. But making contact first wasn't a bad move—just in case he decided to go for it, and it turned out to be a success.

After all, if there were any reincarnators or time travelers in his industry, there probably weren't many who thought of turning past-life games into movies.

For Gilbert, this was quite a unique experience.

Of course, even if he were to adapt it, now wasn't the right time. He still had to wait for technology to advance further before it could meet the necessary standards.

Once the cyberpunk culture exhibition ended, the promotional campaign for The Matrix continued full force.

But in late March, another significant event arrived—the Academy Awards.

To promote the film, Gilbert specifically brought Charlize Theron to the Oscars, while Keanu Reeves went on a talk show.

Naturally, the core crew of The Sixth Sense, including Bruce Willis and Haley, were also present.

However, this year, the grand spectacle was destined to belong to Titanic. Other films were merely there for the ride.

As expected, from the very beginning of the awards ceremony, Titanic kept sweeping up trophies, nearly dominating every category. It took home all the technical awards without exception.

Yet, in some of the major categories, there were occasional breaks. For instance, Best Adapted Screenplay went to L.A. Confidential.

However, Titanic wasn't nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay or Best Original Screenplay, leaving an opening for other films.

Gilbert, with The Sixth Sense, managed to beat his friend Matt Damon and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

This award was somewhat of a consolation prize—primarily because Gilbert had written the script himself. Otherwise, he wouldn't have even had the chance to deliver an acceptance speech.

When Gilbert took the stage, he followed the usual protocol: thanking the team members and the incredible actors while sneaking in a little promotion for his film.

"It feels a bit unreal. Could it be that we're living in a matrix world?"

The awards ceremony host, Billy, played along with a joke. "Sorry, I'm antivirus software. You know too much—time to leave the stage."

This playful exchange livened up the atmosphere in the auditorium.

While The Sixth Sense managed to snatch Best Original Screenplay from Good Will Hunting, Haley lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Robin Williams from Good Will Hunting.

From a distance, Sofia waved at Gilbert, as if saying, "We're even now."

Sofia's directing career had officially taken off. Not only had Good Will Hunting performed well at the box office, but it also secured several Oscar nominations and even won an award.

Gilbert had asked Sofia about her future plans. She had her eyes on a novel by John Irving, which she intended to adapt into a film titled The Cider House Rules.

Judging by the novel's title, it was clearly a drama.

Despite learning from Gilbert for years, Sofia ultimately chose the path of artistic independent films.

That was fine Melon Film Studio needed to expand in all directions. It couldn't focus solely on commercial films—it needed directors capable of making indie films as well.

Sofia had already spoken with Charlize Theron and planned to cast her in the film.

With the Oscars journey of The Sixth Sense and Good Will Hunting coming to an end, Best Supporting Actress went to Kim Basinger for L.A. Confidential.

Best Actor and Best Actress both went to As Good as It Gets, with Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt winning their respective awards.

Aside from non-Hollywood and non-feature film categories, the remaining Oscars all went to Titanic.

When it came to Best Director, James Cameron, unsurprisingly, triumphed over Gilbert and other contenders, lifting the trophy in victory.

At that moment, when James Cameron held the Oscar and declared, "I'm the king of the world!" his directorial career reached its pinnacle.

For that brief moment, he was the center of the world.

After that, there was only a long silence.

With Titanic securing Best Picture, the Academy Awards came to a close, and the film achieved an undisputed sweep.

The only minor regret was that Gilbert had missed out on Best Director. But there was nothing to be done—it was Titanic, after all!

Besides, Gilbert was still young. There would be more opportunities in the future. The next time he got nominated, the Oscars wouldn't be able to ignore him. Otherwise, Hollywood's inner circle might just explode in outrage.

James Cameron had already spoken with Gilbert in advance—he was going to experiment with a new technology and wanted Gilbert's support.

Gilbert knew Cameron was referring to 3D technology.

Of course, he supported it. Gilbert immediately invested $20 million to fund Cameron's research, with only one condition: all technological advancements must be shared with him.

The origins of 3D films were much earlier than most people realized. The first 3D movie had been created in 1922, only a few decades after cinema itself was born.

British film pioneer William Friese-Greene developed the world's first projection system for 3D films.

On September 27, 1922, the world's first black-and-white 3D film, The Power of Love, premiered at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. It was also the first commercial application of 3D cinema.

Unfortunately, with the outbreak of World War II, 3D film technology failed to advance further, and The Power of Love was lost in the war.

After the war, with the rapid rise of television, Hollywood responded by producing epic widescreen films, which briefly ushered in a golden age for 3D movies.

In 1952, the world's first color 3D film, Bwana Devil, was released, boasting a promotional tagline: "A lion in your lap! A woman in your arms!" It became a massive box office hit.

Columbia, Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, and 20th Century Fox all jumped on the 3D bandwagon.

By the 1960s and 1970s, 3D films had shifted toward horror, thrillers, and adult content, drawing criticism and controversy.

This led to the first major 3D movie bubble. The technology hit a bottleneck and was briefly forgotten.

It wasn't until 1995 that James Cameron, who had just conceived the story of Titanic, produced a twelve-minute 3D short sequel for Terminator 2.

This sequel, reportedly costing $60 million, was used for continuous playback at Universal Studios theme parks.

At the time, James Cameron shot it using two bulky cameras strapped together, forming a device that weighed as much as a 450-pound washing machine.

However, his team utilized a cable system and still managed to execute several groundbreaking dynamic shots.

After this experimental shoot, James Cameron developed a keen interest in 3D technology and became determined to continue researching it.

He had already contacted renowned Hollywood cinematographer Vince Pace, and the two planned to develop a new 3D camera system and shoot a deep-sea documentary to test the technology.

At the Oscars' after-party, Gilbert took notice of IMAX, which had just won an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement.

However, IMAX technology was still primarily used for documentaries, and it had a long way to go before entering commercial cinema.

That didn't stop Gilbert from acting as a bridge between the two sides. He struck up a conversation with the IMAX representatives, who were both thrilled and nervous to meet the famous Hollywood director.

IMAX had long intended to introduce its technology to Hollywood, but truthfully, without a well-known director leading the charge with a representative film, this goal would be difficult to achieve.

If Gilbert was interested in their technology, however, that would no longer be an issue.

After some brief pleasantries, Gilbert scheduled a visit to IMAX for a later date.

After finishing his chat, Gilbert found James Cameron, who was surrounded by well-wishers, and told him about IMAX. They agreed to visit the company together.

Having the chance to be part of Hollywood's technological evolution was a significant milestone for Gilbert, signifying that he was now capable of leading advancements in the film industry.

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