Chapter 236: Hollywood’s Version of a Prodigal Son’s Return

"Hello, master…"

"???" Gilbert frowned and scolded, "Liv, be serious."

"Hehe, alright." On the other end of the phone, Liv Tyler returned to normal and began her spy intelligence work.

"Sony Columbia Pictures has teamed up with Michael Ovitz and plans to focus on Keanu Reeves' scandals."

"They're using Keanu's scandals?" Gilbert was intrigued and asked, "How do they plan to do it?"

"Drug use. Also, I heard Keanu Reeves has a seriously ill sister, and he's never visited her. They plan to use that against him," Liv Tyler said.

"Nice work, Liv." Gilbert praised her.

"Hehe," Liv Tyler cooed, "Since I've done such a good job, can I get a little reward?"

"What kind of reward do you want? Makeup, bags, shoes—you name it." Gilbert readily agreed.

"Just hold onto it for me. I'll ask when I need it."

After chatting a bit more, Liv Tyler hung up.

Gilbert pondered for a moment, then immediately called Warner Bros. and Disney's marketing departments to discuss countermeasures.

After hearing Gilbert's report, Doug Walter, the head of Warner's marketing department, was surprised. "Gilbert, where did you get this information?"

Gilbert smiled mysteriously. "I have my sources."

"Alright," Doug Walter didn't press further and quickly devised a strategy. "We can't stop them from stirring up scandals, so we need to preemptively defuse the crisis."

"You mean we should create our own narrative?" Gilbert asked.

"Exactly," Doug Walter nodded. "We all know Keanu isn't like that. He's already quit. Plus, he's always cared for his sister. During The Matrix filming, he took multiple leaves to visit her."

"He took leave?" Gilbert didn't recall that, but seeing Doug Walter's look, he immediately changed his tune. "Right, he did. A loving brother like him shouldn't be slandered."

"Exactly. From what I know, Keanu regularly donates to charity and cares about African children displaced by war. He supports women's rights and environmental issues.

A man like that doesn't deserve moral condemnation…"

The marketing team quickly built on this idea, coming up with numerous PR strategies. Some were immediately put into action through media channels.

These strategies were, in fact, about seventy percent true and thirty percent exaggerated. Slightly embellishing the truth wasn't considered dishonest, especially since Keanu had indeed done those things.

On the other hand, Sony Columbia had done little actual investigation, simply dredging up Keanu's past mistakes while ignoring his personal growth.

Not that Sony Columbia was necessarily wrong—anyone with a background in journalism knew the trick: ignore key facts.

If Gilbert were in their position, he would do the same.

But Gilbert wasn't, and he also had an insider constantly feeding him intelligence.

Given Liv Tyler's status, she shouldn't have known about Sony Columbia's plans this early. If she did, it meant they were already at the execution stage.

Sure enough, within days, the media launched a massive smear campaign against Keanu Reeves, trying to stir up public resentment.

"The Hidden Side of Hollywood Actors: Keanu Reeves' Double Life."

A movie fan read the headline and was in disbelief. "This is The Matrix star? Is he really that bad behind the scenes?"

"The media wouldn't report it if it wasn't true."

"I just don't understand why Gilbert would cast someone like him as the lead."

"Isn't it obvious? Maybe Gilbert is just like him—a junkie."

"That… I never noticed."

"Do you really think you can tell what Hollywood big shots are like in private?"

Sony Columbia even considered fabricating scandals about Gilbert, but they couldn't find anything! The only thing remotely controversial about him was his long list of public girlfriends.

But honestly, that wasn't even a flaw.

In fact, if an A-list director didn't have romantic entanglements with at least seven or eight famous actresses, people would start questioning him—wondering if he preferred men instead.

Of course, there were those who did have unconventional preferences, but Gilbert had made his stance clear: he had no interest in that.

The real point here was that trying to tarnish a director's reputation with personal relationships might work across the Pacific.

They did it over there too, but they at least kept it secret. If the media exposed it, it would be career-ending.

But in Hollywood, it wasn't even a scandal.

In fact, North American movie fans openly speculated—sometimes with great excitement—about which beautiful actress Gilbert would win over next.

Even the fanbases of these actresses didn't seem to mind.

Gilbert's willingness to fight for the women he cared about—like when he clashed with Mel Gibson over Naomi Watts and Sophie Marceau—only made him more of a masculine icon.

Countless young girls, upon hearing such stories, fantasized about Gilbert being their knight or prince, coming to their rescue in times of danger.

So, in the end, attacking a director over his relationships wasn't just ineffective—it actually boosted his reputation.

Sony Columbia had no choice but to follow the advice of Michael Ovitz and Martin Bob, doubling down on Keanu Reeves instead.

However, at nearly the exact same time that Sony Columbia began smearing Keanu Reeves, Warner Bros. and Disney countered with their own media narrative.

Under their influence, Keanu Reeves was portrayed as a compassionate and responsible man.

Reports highlighted how he turned his life around after his close friend River Phoenix passed away. They emphasized that he had been covering his seriously ill sister's expensive medical bills.

It was also revealed that Keanu visited his sister almost every week, even requesting time off from filming The Matrix to see her.

Additionally, he was active in charity work and humanitarian efforts.

Under Warner Bros. and Disney's direction, Keanu Reeves soon stepped forward to acknowledge his past mistakes and declare that he had changed.

"I lived recklessly for too long, but my friend's death made me realize that God didn't put me on this earth just to waste my life.

So I woke up, I repented, and under God's guidance, I turned over a new leaf," Keanu Reeves stated.

People are often harsh on good individuals but incredibly forgiving toward those who were once reckless but show signs of change.

As soon as a former troublemaker shows even the slightest improvement, society is quick to crown them as a "redeemed soul."

It's unfair to the truly good people—after all, nothing should be taken for granted, and good people deserve respect.

But now, Keanu Reeves' redemption became a powerful promotional tool for The Matrix.

Those who had initially planned to boycott the movie due to the scandal started reconsidering:

"Keanu has changed. We should give him a chance. We can't let him fall back into his old ways—let's go see the movie!"

This shift in public perception worked massively in The Matrix's favor.

To further cement Keanu Reeves' redemption arc, Gilbert himself stepped forward to defend him.

"Keanu is one of the most hardworking and dedicated actors I've ever met. His lifestyle is nothing like that of a typical movie star—he lives more like an ordinary person.

He takes the subway to set every day.

He didn't stay in a hotel because he wanted to take care of his sick sister."

Gilbert also took the opportunity to boost his own image.

"Even during the most intense filming periods, he would request time off to visit his sister.

I sympathized with his sister's situation, so I agreed."

And it wasn't just Gilbert—under the studio's coordination, other cast members also came forward to vouch for Keanu Reeves.

Charlize Theron said, "Keanu is extremely professional. He never complains—whatever the director asks, he does his best to accomplish."

Laurence Fishburne added, "Keanu has an incredible charisma. He has this way of drawing you in without even trying. Working with him has been an absolute pleasure."

Hugo Weaving shared a behind-the-scenes story:

"There was a time when we were shooting an action scene together. I accidentally kicked him a little too hard—I think I might have hit his ribs because I heard a cracking sound.

I thought we needed a doctor, so I stopped.

But Keanu insisted he was fine and pushed through to finish the scene. In the end, we nailed that fight sequence—it turned out amazing.

Everyone should go see it in theaters. Both Keanu and I gave it our all."

With these personal anecdotes and firsthand testimonials from the cast, the initial negative publicity flipped almost instantly.

It was so fast that it felt like one moment Keanu was being dragged through the mud, and the next, he was completely redeemed—just like that.

Over at Sony Columbia's boardroom, the atmosphere was heavy, the air thick with cigarette smoke.

The Japanese CEO,tapped his fingers on the table, breaking the silence.

"Why isn't anyone saying anything? Do we not have a counter-strategy?"

Still, no one spoke.

After a long pause, Michael Ovitz finally said, "Every time we plan a strategy, they seem to know about it almost immediately.

Could there be a leak among us?"

"Does that even matter now?" Sony Columbia's distribution head, David French, interrupted.

Turning to Kazuo Kojima, he added, "I never agreed with this strategy in the first place. And now, everyone can see the results."

At that moment, one of the executives hesitantly suggested, "What if we shift the focus to Gilbert instead…?"

"With what? His relationships?"

"No," the executive clarified.

"I heard rumors that Gilbert has some unclear relationship with a young girl named Scarlett Johansson.

She's underage.

We could use that against him."

Kazuo Kojima's eyes lit up.

Michael Jackson had faced severe trouble over allegations involving minors—why couldn't they do the same to Gilbert?

Just as Kojima was about to approve the plan, Michael Ovitz firmly objected.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Why not? I think it's a solid plan!" Kazuo Kojima questioned.

Michael Ovitz explained, "Don't forget—Gilbert is Jewish.

You can smear him for being a womanizer.

You can even spread rumors that he's a drug addict.

But you cannot accuse him of anything involving minors."

Being labeled a womanizer or drug user was one thing—those were flaws, but they were common in Hollywood.

If the media reported it, people might complain, but it wouldn't be a career-ender.

But allegations involving minors? That was an entirely different level.

The Jewish power structure in Hollywood would never allow such a serious accusation against one of their own, especially not a promising young Jewish director.

Besides, did Sony Columbia honestly think they could get Scarlett Johansson to testify against Gilbert?

The very fact that Gilbert favored her already proved she wasn't an idiot.

...

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