Chapter 296:Thirty Years Old

"The Mummy Returns" completely ignited the summer box office war, with new films crowding every weekend.

On June 2nd, Warner Bros. released The Perfect Storm, which opened with a $41.09 million box office.

On June 9th, Dimension Films released Scary Movie, which took in $42.36 million in its opening weekend. This parody of Scream, with its reversed adaptation, was fairly well received.

Following that, What Lies Beneath, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Big Momma's House, and Unbreakable all premiered in June, making the competition even fiercer than in May.

The reason for this situation was that in July, a film that no one wanted to face was set to be released.

Hollywood was in a strange state. On one hand, most media outlets were pessimistic about The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and book fans were actively resisting it. Yet, on the other hand, film studios were avoiding releasing their movies close to this major production.

This contradiction was confusing.

If The Fellowship of the Ring was expected to fail at the box office, what were these other films afraid of? What were they avoiding?

Even the film companies themselves couldn't explain it clearly. Disney and Warner Bros. had obvious reasons for steering clear, as The Lord of the Rings was their priority for the summer.

As for the other studios, they seemed to instinctively fear it—purely wanting to stay away from any weekend that had a Gilbert movie releasing.

The reputation Gilbert had built over nearly a decade in the industry was now fully manifesting.

Although the release schedule had been set before The Fellowship of the Ring's test screenings, the film's performance afterward made many executives feel relieved.

At 20th Century Fox's headquarters, Tom Rothman was enjoying a cup of coffee made from Sumatran beans while listening to a report from his subordinates.

"Sir, according to internal sources, The Fellowship of the Ring has received extremely high praise.

At its internal test screening, almost everyone gave it positive reviews," an employee reported. "However, specific evaluations remain unclear, as the film's official reviews are still under embargo."

Another employee added, "Recently, on IMDb, the number of users marking The Lord of the Rings as 'Want to Watch' has surpassed one million. Many fans are leaving comments saying they will definitely go to the theater to support this movie."

Tom Rothman felt fortunate. "Good thing we didn't release a film on the same weekend as this summer's box office maniac. Otherwise, we'd be under immense pressure."

"Exactly," the subordinate nodded in agreement. "Our X-Men is set to release on June 30th, perfectly avoiding The Lord of the Rings' opening weekend."

Another staff member was curious. "Everyone's avoiding this film. What exactly is so terrifying about The Lord of the Rings?"

Tom Rothman chuckled. Once his smile faded, he explained, "It's not The Lord of the Rings that's terrifying. It's Gilbert."

"What a pity," he sighed. "A director like him—we, at 20th Century Fox, never got the chance to work with him."

Tom Rothman felt regretful. He had once had the opportunity to bring Gilbert over to Fox, but he had failed to seize it.

Now, with Disney and Warner Bros. holding onto Gilbert tightly, treating him like a treasure, other studios had no way of getting close—let alone poaching him.

And it wasn't just Tom Rothman who felt regretful. Not far away, Michael Ovitz was also lamenting.

"If CAA had agreed to Gilbert's conditions back then, our business could have expanded significantly," Michael Ovitz told Martin Bob.

Martin Bob, however, wasn't as sentimental. He calmly responded, "But a Gilbert who refuses to comply with packaged deals wouldn't have been of much use to us."

"Still, that would have been better than nothing! He's a brand name on his own…" Michael Ovitz remained unwilling to let it go.

"You make a good point," Martin Bob paused before suggesting, "Gilbert's 30th birthday is on June 29th.

Warner Bros. and Disney are planning a birthday party for him. We could attend."

Michael Ovitz agreed. "Alright then, let's go and wish Gilbert a happy 30th birthday."

June 29th marked Gilbert's 30th birthday.

Both Disney and Warner Bros. took this occasion very seriously. They had coordinated early with Gilbert's agent, Sheena Boone, to host a grand birthday party at the Hilton Hotel.

This party gathered Hollywood's most notable figures.

Even the guest list alone was a matter of much discussion. Naomi Watts and Cameron Diaz, as the leading ladies of Gilbert's Melon Manor, spent a long time deliberating over it.

Attendees included Tom Cruise and his wife, Tom Hanks and his wife, the entire Lord of the Rings cast and crew, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon.

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas also confirmed their attendance. Although director Francis Ford Coppola couldn't make it, he sent Nicolas Cage as his representative.

And it wasn't just the film industry that showed up—Silicon Valley and the tech world were present as well. Steve Jobs attended in person, and Bill Gates sent a representative.

Executives from companies under Gilbert's holdings arrived in full force, along with representatives from several Wall Street investment funds.

Even Washington couldn't resist getting involved. A certain high-ranking figure personally called to wish Gilbert a happy birthday and sent a representative to Los Angeles.

It was rumored that Gilbert would also be awarded a distinguished contribution medal in recognition of his efforts in globalizing Hollywood cinema.

This birthday party could be said to have gathered half of North America's political, business, and cultural elites.

However, Gilbert's greatest influence still lay in Hollywood. The lineup of celebrities attending his birthday banquet was comparable to that of an Oscar ceremony, giving him an immense show of respect.

In the morning, Gilbert started his day with a bowl of longevity noodles, prepared by Naomi. Her cooking skills were quite decent.

Afterward, he went to Melon Studios to take care of work. Once he was done for the day, Naomi drove over to pick him up, and the two headed to the Hilton Hotel.

"There are a lot of guests today. I've asked Leo to help with reception at the entrance," Naomi Watts said as she went over the arrangements for the party.

Gilbert nodded. Naomi Watts had always handled such matters gracefully and competently, never giving him any cause for concern.

"Also, there will be journalists specifically covering the event. Sheena asked me to remind you not to make any comments about what happened in May. If you have to say something, take a stance from the perspective of the weak, to avoid drawing public backlash," Naomi Watts added.

On May 14th, a Million Mom March had taken place in Washington, protesting against the widespread availability of firearms, which had led to school violence and juvenile crime. The event had shocked the entire nation.

The American public was largely sympathetic to the protesting mothers. However, their demands for a gun ban did not lead to any real solutions regarding school violence and crime.

The lawmakers in Washington were fiercely debating the issue. It wasn't just about firearms and school violence—it touched on the very core of the nation's freedom.

In this situation, the statements made by public figures carried significant weight. If enough of them took a stance, they might reignite a movement similar to the one decades ago.

However, Gilbert had chosen to stay out of it.

Sure enough, when they arrived at the venue, journalists swarmed in for interviews. One of them asked how Gilbert felt about turning thirty.

Holding Naomi Watts' hand, Gilbert responded, "I feel like I've entered a brand-new stage of life. Naomi and I have discussed it, and we're planning to have a child."

Naomi Watts leaned happily against Gilbert. That was the sentence she had most wanted to hear.

After that, the reporters shifted their questions to The Lord of the Rings. Gilbert answered them in detail.

A birthday party wasn't just about celebration—it also had a business aspect. Tying it to the movie's promotion was only natural. Not using this opportunity for publicity would have been a waste.

Toward the end of the interview, a reporter suddenly shouted, "Director Gilbert, do you have any thoughts on the recent events in Washington?"

Gilbert pretended not to hear and directly led Naomi Watts into the banquet hall.

"Happy birthday…" Scarlett handed him her gift.

"Wow, Scarlett, what did you get me?" Gilbert asked curiously.

Scarlett gestured toward the package. "Open it and see."

Gilbert unwrapped it and found a wishing bottle. He couldn't help but laugh. "Scarlett, you're not asking me to make wishes to a bottle, are you?"

"Exactly!" Scarlett said as if it were obvious. "The great Scarlett goddess can grant you three wishes. You can make them now."

"Hm…" Gilbert rubbed his chin in thought. "Great Scarlett goddess, I want to take the club to the moon."

"What club?" Scarlett looked confused, then immediately rejected it. "The Scarlett goddess can't do that. You'll have to talk to NASA."

Hearing her response, the people around them chuckled.

Clearly, Gilbert and Scarlett shared a very close bond. Rumor had it that Gilbert had once made it clear that no one was allowed to mess with Scarlett Johansson.

So, despite Scarlett's growing beauty and blossoming into a stunning woman, the notorious Hollywood playboys didn't dare make a move on her.

The precedent had been set—even Gilbert's own sister was strictly off-limits.

Aside from Scarlett's gift, Gilbert received countless presents that day, so many that he didn't have time to open them all.

But Scarlett and Anne Hathaway found it entertaining, and the two girls ended up staring each other down as they went into the gift room to unwrap everything.

Meanwhile, Gilbert stayed outside, socializing and making small talk with the guests.

It would have been rude not to exchange a few words with people who had come to honor him.

As expected, the night involved standard pleasantries—greetings, birthday wishes, a round of the birthday song, cake-cutting, and finally, the party wrapped up.

Gilbert, ever thoughtful, knew that the reporters outside were still waiting and likely hungry, so he had food, water, and cake sent out to them.

Of course, such small gestures wouldn't buy over the journalists, but they did improve their impression of him.

No wonder he was a top Hollywood director—his people skills were impeccable.

With his 30th birthday behind him, Gilbert now shifted his focus to The Lord of the Rings premiere.

The last thing he needed was to go from great joy to great sorrow.

At the end of the month, it was time for another review. The May Day holiday had arrived. It had been exhausting, and a bit rushed...

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