Chapter 257: A Massive Project

Chapter 257: A Massive Project

The plane touched down on the runway and gradually landed in Wellington. After leaving Australia, Duke and his team flew directly to New Zealand.

They had stayed in Australia for a total of four days. Duke mainly visited the Fox Studios located on the outskirts of Sydney, toured the city to scout for potential filming locations for The Matrix, and on the final day, he had discussions with the Australian authorities. The officials promised that if the film were shot entirely in Australia, they would offer the largest tax rebate currently available—up to 14.5%—and assured that Sydney's municipal government would fully cooperate with the production team.

Of course, there was a condition: the crew should hire as many Australians as possible, and locally manufactured equipment should be prioritized.

The tax incentives offered by the Australian government, combined with the human environment that closely resembles North America, are significant reasons why Australia has become a major overseas filming destination for Hollywood.

If The Matrix were shot entirely in Australia, the tax rebates and relatively low labor costs alone could save the production team at least $5 million.

Furthermore, considering Duke's frequent trips to New Zealand in the next two years, the geographic convenience ultimately led him to decide that The Matrix would be filmed in Sydney by the time they left the city.

After leaving the airport and taking a brief rest at their hotel, Duke and Charles Roven took a car provided by the hotel to their first destination in New Zealand: Weta Digital Studio.

This company, which specializes in visual effects for films, was established in 1993 by Richard Taylor, Jamie Selkirk, and New Zealand director Peter Jackson. Unlike Hollywood's three major special effects studios, Weta Digital Studio currently lacks any noteworthy projects. It's more like an advanced special effects workshop than a proper studio.

Duke reached out to them for the film adaptation of Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Initially, Duke had considered Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) from Lucasfilm and even consulted them briefly. Undoubtedly, at this stage, ILM surpasses Weta Digital Studio in terms of technology, talent, and equipment. However, one significant drawback cannot be ignored: the exorbitant labor costs in Northern California, which would dramatically inflate the production costs for special effects.

The biggest advantage of using Weta Digital Studio is the relatively lower costs.

Duke, after all, is not purely a director like James Cameron. In a sense, he is also a businessman. Even if the trilogy's budget ends up being higher than originally planned, cost control is still a necessary consideration.

Moreover, Weta Digital Studio is located in Wellington, making communication much simpler and more convenient.

"Hello, Director Rosenberg."

In the modestly furnished meeting room at Weta Digital Studio, which was even more basic than Duke's own studio, Richard Taylor, the company's president, tightly shook Duke's hand as if grasping the hope of the future. "It's an honor to meet a legendary Hollywood director like you."

Legendary? That term is better reserved for someone like Tolkien, who's already passed away.

Suppressing a chuckle, Duke shook his hand firmly as well. "You're too kind. Please, call me Duke."

He turned to introduce Charles Roven. "This is Charles Roven, my long-time producing partner."

After exchanging pleasantries, they got straight to the point.

"Richard, Charles and I came here primarily to take a closer look at Weta Digital Studio, the film studios in Wellington, and some outdoor locations in New Zealand. I've reviewed the special effects work your team has done for several films—you have a lot of potential."

"Weta Digital Studio is home to a team of dreamers!" Richard Taylor interjected at just the right moment.

"That's why," Duke smiled, "I'm considering outsourcing the trilogy's special effects to you. You're one of my key options."

Though surprised by the young director's ambition to adapt the fantasy trilogy into films, Richard Taylor maintained his composure. Additionally, during preliminary discussions, Weta Digital Studio had signed a confidentiality agreement, so the news was known only to a few senior managers and top designers within the company.

Richard Taylor was well aware that this was Weta Digital Studio's golden opportunity to step into Hollywood. Sitting before him was one of Hollywood's top-tier directors.

Following this, Richard Taylor not only guided Duke and Charles Roven on a tour of Weta Digital Studio but also spent nearly a week accompanying them around various locations on New Zealand's North and South Islands. They also met with New Zealand's government officials.

When the New Zealand government learned that a film project exceeding $300 million in total investment might settle in their country, they quickly promised to provide the maximum incentives within their jurisdiction.

It's widely understood, both within and outside the industry, that movies are not merely movies.

Take Peter Jackson, for example. Why did he choose to film in New Zealand? While the country boasts abundant untouched natural landscapes, is it truly irreplaceable?

The answer is certainly no. One major factor was his patriotism. The subsequent release of The Lord of the Rings trilogy demonstrated the numerous benefits it brought to New Zealand.

Mainstream films are inevitably influenced by political, cultural, and regional realities.

For Duke, it was clear this series would benefit the filming location enormously. He had even briefly considered shooting in a certain country, but was that feasible?

Ultimately, he chose New Zealand. First, because this was a film he had loved deeply—he had read the original work, behind-the-scenes stories, and various materials extensively in the past. Not choosing New Zealand would be absurd. Second, the crew's extended stay would benefit from the conveniences offered by another English-speaking country.

Additionally, the New Zealand government offered even greater tax rebates and full support than Australia.

Meanwhile, negotiations with Hong Kong over pricing remained stalled. Duke wasn't in a hurry to leave New Zealand and, alongside Charles Roven and their team, gradually mapped out the preliminary planning during their stay.

This was an extraordinarily complex and massive project. Charles Roven's team would have an enormous amount of preparatory work ahead of them.

For example, they needed to negotiate with the New Zealand government to turn verbal tax rebate promises into legally binding agreements. Politicians' promises, after all, are often no more than hot air.

They also needed to locate suitable sites to construct Hobbiton, find valleys for filming the Battle of Helm's Deep, and determine which ski resorts could be used for the snowy mountain trek scenes.

Additionally, they would need to find craftsmen to produce handmade weapons. According to Duke's rough estimate, they would eventually require at least 1,000 sets of armor and 5,000 weapons.

Moreover, they had to coordinate with manufacturers for living essentials to prepare for the crew's stay in New Zealand and create props for the different races depicted in the film.

They needed to import large quantities of hair and yak wool for making wigs and the fur on Orc costumes.

They had to find jewelry makers capable of crafting rings and necklaces for various characters once designs were finalized.

Finally, they had to liaise with professional equestrian centers in New Zealand to train warhorses for filming, a process that would take considerable time.

In short, the preparation phase would last from now until mid-1999—over two years. Without meticulous planning, creating a successful epic film would be a pipe dream.

In addition to Charles Roven, many members of Duke's original team, such as art director Hannah Selina, would shift focus from The Matrix to The Lord of the Rings.

As for Duke himself, he planned to visit New Zealand every week or two, as a director's involvement in pre-production is indispensable.

During this time, news arrived regarding the Oscars. As expected, The English Patient dominated the 69th Academy Awards, while Chicago won only a few technical awards. Even Naomi Watts and Tom Cruise missed out on acting awards, which also came as no surprise.

Duke wasn't bothered. This outcome was entirely predictable, given that Duke's studio had invested minimal resources into an Oscar campaign, focusing only on securing nominations.

By April 1997, after spending 15 days in New Zealand, Duke and Charles Roven had finally drafted a preliminary work plan. Following multiple visits to Weta Digital Studio and several discussions with its other co-founders, they provisionally signed a special effects outsourcing agreement.

Duke also met Peter Jackson, who had returned to New Zealand specifically from Hollywood. A passionate Lord of the Rings fan, Jackson even tentatively asked Duke if he could take over the project as director, offering to work for a minimal fee.

Duke declined but invited Jackson to join the production team. Jackson also declined, as he was in discussions with Universal Pictures about a King Kong remake. Being a director versus assisting another director was not a difficult choice.

Duke, as a long-time Lord of the Rings fan, knew that Peter Jackson's initial plans for The Lord of the Rings had faced setbacks. Jackson had then approached Universal, and the King Kong project had almost moved forward in the 1990s. It was only after the rights issues surrounding The Lord of the Rings were resolved that King Kong was postponed to the next decade.

At the same time, good news came from North America. Duke's studio reached an agreement with Warner Bros.' newly established home media division, selling the North American video and DVD rights for Chicago for $8 million, along with a 5% share of sales and rental revenues.

Even though overseas revenues would take time to arrive, Chicago alone generated substantial profits for Duke and his studio in North America.

By mid-April, Duke left New Zealand and prepared for his trip to Hong Kong.

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