Chapter 439: The Forbes Billionaire List

As expected, none of the major awards at the Oscars included The Fellowship of the Rings. The film only won three technical awards: Best Makeup, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects, clearly consolation prizes. But Duke didn't mind. Even if the academy truly valued the series, they would save the awards for the final chapter.

Although he attended the awards ceremony, Duke, like his film, was only there to run alongside everyone else.

This was destined to be an Oscars ceremony full of controversy, perhaps the most contentious one in the past decade—Shakespeare in Love didn't have Saving Private Ryan as a competitor, so the controversy was smaller. Although Ron Howard and A Beautiful Mind took Best Director and Best Picture without much dispute, the debate over the lead actors wouldn't cease.

Even ten years earlier, Denzel Washington and Halle Berry's Best Actor and Actress awards were controversial, certainly ranking among the worst Oscar decisions.

Compared to their competition—Sean Penn, Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Judi Dench, and Nicole Kidman—the roles and performances were unconvincing, especially the latter, who were noticeably inferior.

Their wins had little to do with the film and everything to do with post-9/11 politics—the mainstream society needed unity with Black people!

But no one, including Duke, found this surprising. That was the Oscars. Films and roles weren't the only criteria for winning, not even the most important ones.

Political correctness had deeply influenced the Oscars, with skin color determining the winners for Best Actor and Actress.

"I'm so bitter!"

At a Vanity Fair party, Nicole Kidman looked at Halle Berry, who was surrounded by people, carefree and elated, and said to Duke. "If I had lost to Judi Dench or Renee Zellweger, I wouldn't have said anything, but losing to her…"

"Nothing you can do, darling."

Even Tom Cruise could see it clearly. "Who told you that you're not Black?"

"Damn politics!" Nicole Kidman muttered under her breath. "Damn skin color!"

Then, she lowered her voice even more, only for the three of them to hear, "Damn that Black bitch!"

"Hey, Mary," Duke reminded the fiery woman. "Such words are inappropriate for the occasion."

"I'm just frustrated!"

If there had been no possibility of touching it, it would have been fine, but the Oscar was right there, and for some inexplicable reason, she lost it. Nicole Kidman couldn't help but feel unbalanced. "Seeing Halle Berry looking so smug…"

Her teeth were practically clenched.

After working together over the years, Duke had a decent relationship with the Cruise couple. They rarely hid their emotions in front of him.

Of course, their collaboration had been very beneficial, and they were trying to draw closer in this way.

Duke knew just how shrewd Nicole Kidman was. He could tell she was partly frustrated. He wasn't too concerned about their relationship, though. What intrigued him most was that, up to this point, they still hadn't shown any signs of wanting a divorce!

Like the increasingly blurred memories, Nicole Kidman was starring in movie after movie, but unlike before, the biggest investors in her recent works, like Moulin Rouge and The Hours, were all from Tom Cruise…

"This Oscars has left a deep impression on me,"

Tom Cruise, who had mostly been silent until now, suddenly spoke. "It's the most authoritative award in Hollywood, no doubt, but too many factors influence it…"

He suddenly patted Duke on the arm. "Just like the two of us, those old men's biases against us are so ingrained. No matter what we do, they always ignore it."

"So, Mary, stop complaining. Duke, I'm even more unbalanced than you. Thirteen nominations and only three consolation technical awards—who do I go complain to?"

Despite his words, Duke remained in high spirits. If he believed the film and the roles were excellent, then deserving a pile of little gold men was naïve.

After chatting with the Cruises about the sequel to Mission: Impossible, a tall figure walked over.

"Hey, Nicole. Hey, Tom."

She greeted the Cruises first and then turned to Duke with a polite smile, which then shifted into a familiar one. "Can we talk for a bit, Duke?"

"Of course."

The person who came over was Charlize Theron. After receiving Duke's nod, she linked arms with him and led him out to the large terrace of the banquet hall, away from the crowd. They sat at a table far from everyone, and she ordered two sodas.

"It's been a long time since you came to see me."

Putting down her cup, Charlize Theron looked at Duke. "Have you already forgotten me?"

"Darling, don't joke like that." Duke gently swirled the cup in his hand, subtly reminding her, "I already have a girlfriend."

Charlize tilted her head and said playfully, "Why not me?"

"We got along well over the years, Sally." Duke frowned slightly but still said, "I remember I told you that if I were to pick a girlfriend, the conditions are…"

"So, you picked Ivanka Trump?"

Actually, Charlize had already known this. While she had an interest in being Duke's girlfriend, she had already gained fame and had no intention of quitting Hollywood to be someone's girlfriend.

"Sally, let's talk about business."

Duke was very clear that Charlize had come to him not just about personal matters.

Charlize knew Duke's way of doing things and didn't beat around the bush. She said directly, "I received an invitation for a very special role, and it requires a lot from me. I'm not sure whether I should accept it, so I wanted your opinion."

"What role?" Duke asked curiously.

"Have you heard of Aileen Wuornos?"

Seeing Duke look thoughtful, Charlize explained, "She's a female serial killer. She's killed six men, one of whom was a police officer…"

Upon hearing this and seeing Charlize Theron sitting in front of him, Duke began to recall the case. "I remember reading about her in the newspapers."

"Someone wants to adapt her story into a movie?" Duke asked.

"Yes…" Charlize nodded seriously. "And they've invited me to star, which is why I'm conflicted."

She paused and took a small sip of water. "I've talked to the project's head, and to play this role, I need to gain at least thirty pounds and shave off my eyebrows…"

Appearance is every woman's second life, and Charlize seemed very hesitant.

Duke rarely interfered in others' private matters. Even though Charlize Theron had kept a long-term relationship with him, he wouldn't impose his views on her.

"Sally, you haven't rejected this role outright, but you're hesitating, right?"

"That's right."

Hearing Charlize's answer, Duke added, "Why haven't you rejected it? What could this role bring you?"

"Change, change my 'decorative' image," Charlize said, turning her head toward the banquet hall, where Halle Berry was. "It'll bring honor and recognition."

Duke didn't say anything more, leaving her with one final piece of advice. "Darling, whether it's worth it or not is for you to measure. All I can tell you is that your chances of winning an Oscar for Best Actress the normal way are very slim."

In fact, Charlize Theron and he were quite similar in this regard. Both had become famous in commercial productions, both were discriminated against by the Academy. Without special circumstances, winning an Oscar was difficult.

Duke was also aware that leveraging the advantage accumulated through The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the goodwill from the Christopher Rockenfort incident, two years from now would be his best opportunity. Given his character and filmmaking style, he wouldn't make movies just for the sake of winning awards. The Oscars would only become more politicized and niche in the future, and his chances of intersecting with them would grow slimmer.

The Oscars ceremony ended completely. Duke ignored the public criticism of the event and the voices speaking up for him. He focused all his energy on the post-production of The Return of the King and the early promotions for The Two Towers.

As the awards season came to a close, the media began their year-end reviews of Hollywood, with Duke-related news easily dominating the entertainment headlines.

In The Hollywood Reporter's 2001 North American Box Office Rankings, The Fellowship of the Rings, which had just left theaters, earned $473.15 million, easily taking the top spot, and with $1.132 billion globally, it clinched the worldwide box office crown.

Second place was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Although it had yet to leave theaters in North America, its $328.95 million was enough to secure second place. Globally, it was in second place with $892.33 million.

Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter also released its Most Anticipated Films of 2002 list, with The Two Towers and Reloaded taking the top two spots!

At the same time, Vanity Fair revealed the Top Ten Hollywood Gossip and Scandals for 2001, with Duke making his first appearance on the list. As expected, his relationship with Ivanka Trump was one that would undoubtedly attract a lot of attention due to her unusual background.

These, coupled with Warner Bros.' massive promotional efforts, made The Two Towers even more eye-catching.

Moreover, aside from all the entertainment industry rankings, Duke also made his first entry into the Forbes Billionaire List!

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