Made In Hollywood

"Considering the film's subject matter and promotional needs, there are four relatively suitable release periods," Charles Roven said one by one as Duke nodded. "They are early May next year for Germany's surrender day, late May for Memorial Day, early June for D-Day, and July for Independence Day."

It was already October now, and even though Duke was directing a relatively experienced team with good synergy, he felt that releasing the film by early May would be a bit tight. Memorial Day at the end of May was actually the best time for a North American release, but the film's production was extremely complicated. If anything unexpected happened, a delay could be inevitable.

After thinking it over briefly, Duke said, "Charles, for now, let's not announce a specific release date. Time is tight, and we must see how the crew's actual progress goes."

"That's fine for now," Charles Roven nodded but added, "But we can't delay too long."

"By the Super Bowl next year, I'll definitely give you a confirmed completion date."

For his last two films, the Super Bowl halftime commercials had played a crucial role in promotions. Naturally, the studio's promotion plan for this one also included Super Bowl ads.

Setting aside the North American release date for the time being, the conversation gradually shifted to the casting.

"This is an ensemble film, so I need a large number of relatively skilled actors," Duke said to the assistant director in charge of casting and an executive producer. "Zack and Sophia have already finished writing the character scripts. You need to hold a wide-range audition as soon as possible."

Duke wasn't too concerned about most of the roles, but he had to personally approve the choices for the rescue team and James Ryan.

Compared to "Independence Day," which was pure popcorn entertainment, "Saving Private Ryan" required a much higher level of acting skill. Additionally, the main actors needed military training during the pre-production phase, so the casting needed to be finalized quickly.

"I have two candidates in mind. Send invitations to them as soon as possible," Duke proposed for two key roles in the film. "Invite Tom Hanks for the role of Captain John Miller and Leonardo DiCaprio for the role of James Ryan."

There was no need to elaborate on Hanks—*Forrest Gump* was still in theaters in North America, and he was at the height of his fame, even being considered by many critics as a favorite for next year's Oscar for Best Actor. As for DiCaprio, he wasn't an unknown actor either. Not only had he started as a child star, but in 1993 he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for *What's Eating Gilbert Grape*.

No one objected to Duke's suggestion, but Robin Grand gave a reminder.

"Duke, there might be a bit of an issue with Tom Hanks," she said. "He's represented by CAA."

Hearing the name of this familiar agency, Duke couldn't help but frown slightly. However, considering that CAA controlled about half of the actor market in Hollywood, it wasn't surprising that Hanks was one of their clients.

"Send the audition invitation," Duke thought for a moment before saying, "And also send Hanks a full script. If he declines, we'll move on."

This was Hollywood—no one was irreplaceable. Even though Captain Miller had left a deep impression on him in the past, Duke wasn't foolish enough to insist on only choosing Tom Hanks.

If Hanks accepted the invitation, that would be ideal. But if he didn't, there were plenty of other actors in Hollywood.

Every successful director had a strong and well-coordinated team behind them, and Duke was no exception. After working together for a long time, his team had developed a strong sense of cooperation. Although there were occasional conflicts, there were no major issues, and they understood his intentions well. This helped the pre-production work proceed more smoothly.

The crew would soon move to Ireland, and they were only doing some basic prep work in Los Angeles. Everything was progressing in an orderly manner.

While preparing for *Saving Private Ryan,* Duke also received some good news: his profit shares had arrived.

Perhaps believing that the profit shares given out during the filming of *Independence Day* had a motivating effect, or perhaps Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox wanted to maintain ties with such a successful commercial director, a large sum of money was deposited into the Duke Studio account in mid-October.

Warner Bros. sent over the final overseas profit share from *The Rock*, totaling just over $7.1 million. This brought Duke Studio's earnings from its $10 million investment in *The Rock* to over $27.1 million, with a gross profit of more than $17 million. This investment return ratio was top-tier even by Hollywood standards.

Duke had long since paid off the $10 million loan from his mother, though the $2.71 million interest had yet to be settled. Nancy, along with the lawyers and accountants, would also take a 10% cut of $710,000. With this, Duke Studio's net earnings from *The Rock* approached $12 million, and combined with the director's fees Duke had received, it was enough to cover the $8 million needed for the rights to a certain epic novel.

A few days later, 20th Century Fox paid out the first share of the North American box office profits from *Independence Day.* The profit share was based on a box office total of $300 million, of which Duke was entitled to 20%, or $60 million. However, with some time still remaining before the contractual payout deadline, Fox had only paid half of that—$30 million.

This was a huge share of the profits. If not for 20th Century Fox wanting a long-term working relationship, they likely would have delayed this payment until the last possible moment.

The rest of the North American and overseas box office shares would take longer to come. By Duke's estimate, even by this time next year, *Independence Day* profit shares might not be fully paid out.

Additionally, a portion of his base salary for *Saving Private Ryan*—$3.5 million—had also been credited to his account.

Duke had truly entered the ranks of millionaires, and he was also ready for some major expenditures.

One of these was the Malibu beachside estate. Nancy's assistant had negotiated the price down to $8.75 million. After consulting with his lawyers, accountants, and other professionals, Duke decided to purchase the property.

Once the funds were in place, the transfer contract and other formalities wouldn't be an issue. As for renovations, Duke handed that task over to Nancy Josephson, with Duke only reviewing the final design.

Aside from setting aside money for daily expenses and running Duke Studio, Duke invested most of the remaining funds in Apple stock, even under the skeptical gaze of his stockbroker. He also bought a small amount of Microsoft stock, all of which would remain untouched for a long time.

*Saving Private Ryan's* pre-production work was progressing smoothly. After a brief period of preparation, Duke led the crew to Ireland, to an outdoor studio near Dublin that would serve as the film's main base. The rest of the preparatory work would continue there.

While Duke was flying to Europe, many Hollywood actors were receiving audition invitations. Some who hadn't been invited but had heard about the roles were having their agents and publicists actively lobby for an audition opportunity.

"This role doesn't have much screen time," Leonardo DiCaprio said, closing the script as he looked at his agent. "According to the script, my character doesn't appear until the final part of the film."

His agent didn't agree with his assessment. This was an invitation from Duke Rosenberg, and there were plenty of young actors in Hollywood who would love to receive an invitation from him!

"This role is very important," the agent said patiently. "Leo, I've seen the full script at the agency. After the lead, this is the most substantial and crucial role in the film. The movie is called *Saving Private Ryan*, and the character you're playing is Ryan!"

"The lead..." The young actor's imagination was running wild.

"The lead is a middle-aged officer," the agent shattered his fantasy. "There are rumors that Tom Hanks might be cast in that role. How often do you get a chance to act alongside Hanks?"

Seeing Leonardo DiCaprio's interest, the agent continued to persuade him, "You have to understand, Leo. The film's director is Duke Rosenberg. Do you know how many actors he's helped make famous? His films have a global influence! Let me put it this way: the number of young actors hoping to audition for *Saving Private Ryan* could line up from Beverly Hills to Hollywood!"

Anyone entering this industry dreams of fame, and the agent understood that all too well. From his perspective, even if the casting director asked the actors to bow and stick their butts out, there would still be no shortage of audition candidates.

"Leo, you've been in this industry for a while and should know by now," the agent pressed on. "If you want to become a top star, you have to break into mainstream cinema. Those dumb roles may have earned you an Oscar nomination, but they haven't done much for your career. What you need now is a mainstream film with massive influence and box office potential!"

The young Leonardo DiCaprio fell silent, lost in thought. Although he was only twenty, he had been a child star, so he had a relatively deep understanding of the industry.

"A Duke Rosenberg film is practically a guarantee of box office success, and you're one of only two people he personally invited to audition."

"Get me a plane ticket to Dublin as soon as possible!"

Hearing that, the agent smiled. Leonardo curiously asked,, "Who is the second person that Duke Rosenberg invited?"

"Tom Hanks, he's not your competition."

At just twenty years old, Leonardo DiCaprio was preparing for his trip to Ireland, while nearly forty-year-old Tom Hanks was still hesitating. He really liked the script and the role. Although it was an ensemble cast, Captain Miller offered ample opportunities to showcase his acting skills. Most importantly, he saw a deep sense of humanity in both the script and the character, which was precisely the kind of theme the Academy voters cherished.

At present, both the film studio and his agency were engaging in public relations efforts. Based on the feedback, it seemed likely he would be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in *Forrest Gump*, though winning it might be challenging. After all, winning the Best Actor statuette twice in a row was incredibly difficult.

However, the role of Captain Miller aligned perfectly with the Academy's taste. If he delivered a strong performance, he had a very good chance of being nominated again. Coupled with the possibility that he might not win for *Forrest Gump* this year, this role could very well lead him to his second Best Actor award.

Thinking of this, Tom Hanks looked across the room at his agent, who was from CAA, Enno Martin.

...

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