Made In Hollywood

"Hey, Duke, you're as slow as a snail."

Holding ski poles in both hands, Scarlett Johansson slid past Duke. After a clever sharp turn, she skillfully circled around him once. Ignoring the biting wind in her face, she shouted loudly, "Aren't you the one who calls himself a sports genius? Why haven't you improved after practicing all morning?"

Duke pressed his ski poles firmly into the thick snow, carefully maintaining his balance. He paid no attention to Scarlett Johansson's mocking words and continued moving forward at a slow but steady pace.

He did have some athletic talent, but he wasn't a genius when it came to skiing. At the moment, he could only manage a few glides on flat ground.

"You're too slow." Scarlett exhaled a puff of white air and circled around Duke again. She pointed her ski pole toward the crowded intermediate slope and said, "I'm going to check that out."

"Go ahead." Duke lifted his sunglasses and nodded, reminding her at the same time, "Don't go too fast on the way down, be careful."

"Got it."

Scarlett waved her hand, leaving Duke only a view of her down jacket–clad back.

This was Whistler Mountain Ski Resort in the Vancouver region of Canada. After finishing the filming of Iron Man, Duke didn't rush into post-production. He gave the whole crew, who had been busy for several months, a break—and gave himself one too. After consulting with Scarlett Johansson, they came to Canada for a winter vacation.

Canada's high latitude and forest-rich geography make it an excellent skiing destination. The long winter is the prime season for ski enthusiasts from all over to come and enjoy themselves. Whether experienced pros or families out for fun, everyone can find a place of their own here. Especially in British Columbia on the western side of the Rocky Mountains, the region's natural conditions allow for a snow season lasting up to half the year, with world-class ski resorts too numerous to count. In terms of skiing alone, this area could even put Switzerland to shame.

Whistler Mountain Ski Resort is located 80 miles north of Vancouver in the town of Whistler. Two interconnected peaks form this internationally renowned ski destination. Whistler has been named "North America's Number One Ski Resort" and "Best Ski Vacation Resort" by Snow Country magazine for four consecutive years thanks to these two peaks.

However, given Duke's current skill level, it was difficult for him to truly appreciate the marvels of this ski paradise. He came here more for Scarlett's sake. Since she wanted to ski, of course he wouldn't say no.

After practicing for a while longer without much improvement, Duke simply took off his skis and carried them into a nearby private VIP lounge they had booked. He sat down beneath a windproof fireplace on the veranda, gazing out at the snow-covered mountains and forests.

This ski resort was very large, with more than 100 ski trails, including professional courses, intermediate trails, and beginner slopes. It boasted the most ski trails in all of Canada. The snow season lasts from November through May, and if weather permits, can even be extended to August.

"Thank you."

He took the hot coffee offered by the server, held it in his hands, and continued to enjoy the view of Whistler Mountain. Some trails were covered in thick snow, some had drops nearly vertical, and others were as fine as champagne foam.

In the distance, tourists raced across the vast snowfields, letting the powdery snow blast against their backs. As Duke looked out over the snow-covered coniferous forests, he could take in all of Canada's vastness and grandeur. Although his skiing was mediocre, he still felt that the cold season could bring warmth-filled memories.

After sitting there for about half an hour, Scarlett Johansson came back with her skis in her arms. Her red down jacket still had some snowflakes stuck to it. Seeing this, Duke quickly got up and took her skis from her hands, asking with concern, "Did you fall?"

"I'm fine..." Scarlett casually flopped down next to the fire, grabbed Duke's coffee, and downed it in one gulp before saying, "On the way back I wasn't paying attention and got knocked over by someone."

That's how it goes when skiing in a crowd. Being skilled yourself doesn't guarantee you'll dodge sudden hits from beginners coming from the side or behind.

Duke called the server over to refill two cups of coffee, then sat beside Scarlett Johansson and asked, "When did you learn to ski? How come I never knew?"

"You forgot?" Scarlett took off her thick gloves and held the coffee cup with both hands, imitating Duke's manner. "There was a time you didn't want to talk to me, so I followed my godmother around Europe. Back then, my mood was really bad because of my parents' divorce. My godmother often took me to scenic places to cheer me up—France and Switzerland were a must. I learned to ski in the Alps."

"Looks like I missed quite a few key moments in your growth." Duke sighed lightly.

Scarlett deliberately pouted. Maybe it's just that all actors express their emotions more openly, but she naturally showed a touch of grievance. "At least you know now."

Duke reached out and gently ran his fingers through her golden hair. "I won't anymore."

Feeling Duke gently smoothing her golden curls, Scarlett narrowed her eyes slightly, like a Persian cat.

After a short rest, the two took the cable car up the mountain again. Scarlett clearly enjoyed skiing very much, and Duke accompanied her wholeheartedly. During that time, Scarlett also suggested going to the nearby Blackcomb Mountain. At the summit there were two glaciers that never melted, and tourists could rent snowmobiles to experience the thrill of glacial skiing.

They stayed on the mountain until mid-afternoon before returning to Whistler town. The town wasn't far from Vancouver—there were daily train services between the two—but like most tourists, they chose to stay in the town's hotels.

Duke and Scarlett checked into the Fairmont Chateau Hotel, the most iconic hotel in Whistler. Shaped like a castle, it offered hot springs, a golf course, and other facilities.

Although a lot of documents had been faxed from Los Angeles, Duke was dragged by Scarlett Johansson to soak in the hot spring first. After enjoying the high-end buffet dinner provided by the hotel, they finally returned to the suite's study, where Duke began dealing with his latest work emails and faxes.

"Still working during a vacation..." Scarlett Johansson sat bored across from Duke, grumbling under her breath, "Every night you..."

Duke looked up and turned to her. Scarlett immediately covered her mouth and muttered, "Okay, I'll shut up."

After speaking, she got up and went to the living room to make a cup of coffee for Duke, brought it back, and sat down again. Apparently truly bored, Scarlett's gaze fell on the faxed documents Duke was quickly skimming through.

Curiously, she asked, "Can I take a look?"

Duke glanced at her again and then gently nodded.

Scarlett took the documents, and her eyes scanned across them. Soon, a delighted smile pulled at the corners of her lips.

It was a box office report for Batman:Begins. This film had ended its overseas screening tour right after the New Year. The specific box office data had clearly just been finalized and faxed to Canada today. Although the figures were far less impressive compared to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Scarlett Johansson, being an insider in the industry, knew that this result was already quite an achievement.

After eight months of international screening, Batman:Begins had grossed a total of $329.87 million overseas.

Looking at this number, Scarlett recalled Batman:Begins North American box office, quickly calculated in her mind, and soon arrived at the global box office—$612.43 million!

"He did it again."

Scarlett looked at Duke but felt neither surprised nor amazed. Since she was ten years old, she had watched this man across from her achieve success after success, constantly setting new box office records. She had already grown used to it.

In her eyes, it would be odd only if Duke's films were met with market indifference.

Flipping past the box office brief, Scarlett Johansson continued to skim rapidly. This was a North American DVD sales summary for Batman:Begins.

After the New Year, both the standard and deluxe editions of Batman:Begins DVDs were released for sale in North America. Just over ten days had passed, and the total sales had already reached more than $115 million. This single item alone was generating staggering profits.

Scarlett also noticed a particular point in the report: sales on Amazon and eBay accounted for nearly one-third of the DVD sales of Batman:Begins…

She had also bought things from online stores before and knew how convenient such purchasing methods were.

"Duke…"

Seeing Duke's eyes leave the laptop and pick up the coffee cup, Scarlett couldn't help but ask curiously, "Did you increase investment in online merchandise sales?"

The current Scarlett Johansson, compared to the one in Duke's memory, was most different in her business acumen. Having grown up with Mrs. Leah, she had been greatly influenced by her.

Putting down the coffee cup, Duke gently rubbed his forehead and said, "That's right. Warner and Duke Studio have already established strategic partnerships with Amazon and eBay."

"The internet represents the future?" Scarlett furrowed her golden brows, clearly considering the matter. "I saw the DVD sales of Taken. Compared to Batman:Begins, the proportion from online sales was less than a quarter. The growth of online sales is way too fast."

"It'll be even faster in the future."

The rapid development of the internet brought not only increased DVD sales. Duke was well aware that in just a few years, the DVD industry once a major source of Hollywood revenue would sharply decline. Various HD streaming and on-demand services would deliver a heavy blow to the industry. In the future, films would never again see North American DVD sales hitting $100 million in the first week as easily as they did now.

After a week of vacation in Canada, Scarlett went to Europe to visit Mrs. Leah. Duke, on the other hand, returned to Los Angeles to begin post-production on Iron Man.