Made In Hollywood

"Hello, Clark, have a seat."

Pointing to a chair inside the tent, Duke turned his eyes back to the group of more than ten actors in front of him after Captain Clark Lewis from the Marine Corps sat down. These actors were set to play the most significant military roles from both sides in *Saving Private Ryan*.

Duke's gaze swept over each of them one by one. Apart from Tom Hanks, who was playing Captain Miller, the other actors were completely different from those he had originally imagined. If you didn't count Leonardo DiCaprio, there wasn't anyone here with a big name.

However, Duke didn't care much about that. These actors had emerged from two rounds of auditions, proving they had the basic skills required. What they lacked was the all-important opportunity. This movie could very well change the destiny of some of them.

The negotiations with Tom Hanks had concluded faster than Duke expected. Charles Roven and Robin Grande had initial contact with Ido Martin that went extremely poorly. They were firm on the $20 million base salary, causing Duke to consider giving up on Tom Hanks. He had even thought of a backup actor—Liam Neeson, who had starred in *Schindler's List*.

Somehow, the word got to Ido Martin. Clearly a smart agent, Martin seemed to guess why Duke was willing to move on, and after consulting with Tom Hanks, they switched to a 1+2 payment structure.

The reduced base salary, now halved, was within Duke's expectations, so there was no reason to object. However, the production company had some issues, and after a few days of tug-of-war negotiations, everyone made compromises. Tom Hanks' salary was finalized at $12 million with 15% of the film's profits.

Any actor or director with enough capital will, within reasonable and legal limits, try to secure the best possible deal. Tom Hanks signing this contract also had a lot to do with Duke, as his previous films had all generated huge profits. Raising the profit share wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Aside from Tom Hanks, all the other actors' individual salaries were kept below $1 million.

"Starting today, you must quickly become well-trained soldiers."

Duke called this meeting to emphasize that point. He introduced Captain Clark Lewis from the Marine Corps, saying, "He will be conducting military training for you over the next twenty days. During this time, you must forget your identities as actors and address each other by your character names. You'll also learn military knowledge."

The actors looked at one another. Seeing that the biggest star, Tom Hanks, had no objections, they all nodded seriously.

"You'll need to learn how to use WWII weapons, basic close combat tactics, individual soldier tactics, and the code words and hand signals used by the military at that time," Duke continued.

Military training wasn't just talk. Over the next twenty days, including Tom Hanks, they would temporarily live in tents, march daily, and primarily eat military rations.

To film a classic war movie with a strong documentary style rather than just a popcorn flick, every member of the crew, from the director to the actors, would need to put in a lot of effort. It wouldn't be as relatively easy as filming *Independence Day*.

When the meeting ended and the actors were leaving, Duke called Leonardo DiCaprio over, pointing to his long, golden-brown hair. "Leo, cut it soon!"

Duke was no longer the same person who had been unsure in front of Keanu Reeves. The equally young Leonardo quickly nodded, "I promise, by the time training starts tomorrow, it'll be gone."

As he turned to leave, he muttered to himself, "I heard there's a French beauty with the crew next door. I was planning to ask her out..."

After Leonardo left, only Duke and Tom Hanks remained in the tent. They greeted each other briefly before heading outside toward an old Jeep. The crew's publicist and cameraman were already waiting.

Yes, Duke had come over to take a photo with Tom Hanks. This wasn't for memories, but for the film's early promotion.

As Duke kept busy, the preliminary promotion for *Saving Private Ryan* also proceeded in an orderly fashion. With investments from Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Walt Disney, even though Disney hadn't yet become the media giant it would later be, the coordinated promotional resources of all three companies helped create quite a buzz for the film.

"Saving Private Ryan—Duke Rosenberg's war epic, the most realistic portrayal of the Normandy landings in history..."

"After blowing up North America, explosion-maniac Duke Rosenberg now sets his sights on Europe!"

Media outlets from all three companies hyped the film, especially after the photo of Duke and Hanks was published, further increasing the promotion's intensity.

"Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks joins forces with Duke Rosenberg to create an epic war film."

"Duke Rosenberg calls Tom Hanks the actor he admires and respects the most. *Saving Private Ryan* will be an epic collaboration."

"Tom Hanks, in an interview, claimed to be a loyal fan of Duke Rosenberg and had always wanted to work with him on an adrenaline-fueled movie. *Saving Private Ryan* fulfilled that dream."

According to the news reports, Duke and Tom Hanks were kindred spirits. Of course, this was purely for promotional purposes. In reality, their relationship wasn't bad but wasn't particularly close either—just a straightforward working relationship.

After *Independence Day*, like Steven Spielberg, Duke had gradually built his brand as a director and gained a large fan base. Although the specific plot of the film hadn't been revealed yet, the name *Saving Private Ryan* had left an impression on potential viewers. The production and distribution companies had smartly focused their marketing, ignoring the "saving" part and promoting it as an action-packed war film instead.

"In all of Hollywood, is there any director who can claim to shoot explosions better than Duke?"

On an emerging movie website, this comment from a fan reflected the general sentiment about Duke. Using explosions as a key part of the early promotion would certainly increase the film's impact.

Moreover, the campaign capitalized on another big selling point: Tom Hanks' box office appeal, which at the time was far superior to another famous Tom.

While some were singing Duke's praises, others were critical. Duke's meteoric rise in recent years had earned him great profits, but in doing so, he had certainly stepped on a few toes. Those whose interests had been hurt by Duke weren't just going to sit by and watch him succeed.

In particular, professional film critics formed a group that, if one film or one person could unite them in opposition, it would undoubtedly be *Independence Day* and Duke.

From the Independence Day holiday until now, the harsher the critics attacked Duke and *Independence Day*, the more the film's global box office skyrocketed. They had used every possible derogatory term, even resorting to personal attacks, but nothing could stop Duke's progress. They watched helplessly as he broke one North American box office record after another, firmly establishing himself as one of the top commercial directors, all while mockingly revealing their inability to influence the summer market!

For every person who liked Duke's movies, there seemed to be an equally angry critic. Even after losing the war of words, even after Duke stopped engaging with them, critics still gritted their teeth and called *Independence Day* one of the worst films ever made.

After all, this wasn't just a clash of egos but also a battle of interests.

North American professional critics had been waiting for their chance to strike back. As soon as the promotion for *Saving Private Ryan* began, critics were quick to tear it down in their columns.

"Duke Rosenberg hasn't caused enough damage in North America; now he's off to wreak havoc in Europe. He's tackling the Normandy landings? That's like a disaster bigger than Nazi Germany breaching the Maginot Line! We can already imagine it: when the Allied landings are bogged down, spaceships suddenly descend from the sky and attack the German coastal defenses, turning the entire Normandy beach into a wasteland with massive explosions!"

Not only was Duke targeted, but even Tom Hanks was caught in the crossfire.

"As shown in his past few works, Duke Rosenberg has a special talent for dragging down even the most talented actors to his level. When this film releases next year, Tom Hanks will be the most pitiful actor. Hanks fans, just think about the tricks Duke Rosenberg always pulls!"

"Maybe you'll see Hanks wearing a tilted helmet, chewing on a cigar, playing a non-typical cocky version of his character. Maybe he'll single-handedly drive a landing craft ashore, race a Sherman tank through explosions into Berlin, and then tie Hitler to the Reichstag, blowing him up with the biggest explosion imaginable!"

"Oh God, it's going to be an unimaginable disaster!"

Sitting across from Duke, Zack Snyder put down the newspaper, giving Duke a sympathetic look. Duke ignored his gaze and quietly sipped his drink.

They were in a high-end, relatively quiet bar in Dublin, right next to their hotel. After returning from the set, Duke sometimes came here with a few members of the team to relax.

"What are you looking at, Duke?"

Zack had long noticed Duke occasionally glancing toward a corner of the bar. He turned to look and saw a woman—an extremely beautiful and very famous woman in Europe..

.....

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