At the celebration banquet, Gilbert also ran into Peter Jackson, and the two chatted for a while.
"Preparations for King Kong are going smoothly. We should be able to start shooting next year," Peter said, bringing up his latest project.
King Kong was a remake—according to Jackson, a way to tell an old story with far better visuals.
He wasn't wrong. The original King Kong might have been considered a classic, but by now it was terribly outdated.
Without The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson's directing career would have been far less certain. King Kong had been stuck in development for years before finally getting the green light.
And truth be told, Gilbert had played a part in that.
After The Lord of the Rings wrapped, Gilbert still held the rights to The Hobbit. At the time, he'd recommended Jackson as the man to take it on.
That was no secret. All of Hollywood knew Jackson would direct The Hobbit series eventually, and naturally Universal Pictures was well aware.
Thanks to that, the King Kong project went through smoothly. Naomi Watts was already signed on as the female lead.
Gilbert made sure to tease Peter: "You'd better not make Naomi look bad on screen. She's been self-conscious about her figure lately."
Jackson laughed heartily. "Relax, I don't even need to try—she looks stunning on her own."
The banquet itself was just a small episode. Naturally, journalists swarmed in for interviews. But the press cared little for the party; what they really wanted to know about were The False and the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels.
Gilbert didn't dodge the questions. "Of course Pirates of the Caribbean will have sequels. Captain Jack Sparrow's story isn't ending anytime soon."
When the topic shifted to The False, he added: "Hanks and Cruise worked together beautifully. I believe this is a powerful story—audiences will love it."
Both Toms gave their own interviews too, praising one another, saying how exhilarating it was to act alongside the other.
Naturally, they couldn't exactly tell reporters they didn't get along. Not that they really disliked each other—sometimes it was just about status and ego. Among male stars, such rivalries rarely went beyond surface-level tension. Unlike actresses, who often fought with knives drawn.
By Christmas, The False successfully wrapped filming in Mexico.
Afterward, Gilbert returned to Los Angeles. He didn't immediately dive into post-production, choosing instead to spend Christmas at home.
Over the years, he had grown accustomed to Christmas as the most important holiday of the year. The Spring Festival from his homeland had gradually faded in importance.
This year's Christmas was much the same. Ivanka declined Gilbert's invitation, choosing instead to spend the holiday in New York with Donald.
Gilbert didn't push her. Forcing his assistant to work through the holidays would have been downright cruel.
Not that his home lacked company.
Aside from Charlize Theron—who wasn't particularly eager to have children—the rest of the women, Jennifer Connelly, Anne Hathaway, Scarlett, and the others, all looked on with envy, hoping they'd be next.
When Liv Tyler heard the news, she practically moved into the estate, refusing to leave. The night before Christmas Eve, she even clung to Gilbert alongside Scarlett, unwilling to miss any chance.
Still, on Christmas Eve itself, her father Steven Tyler called her home.
The Aerosmith frontman didn't seem to mind his daughter's choices. Maybe it was a rocker's warped perspective, but he didn't think following Gilbert without an official title was a bad deal.
After all, Gilbert's assets were vast. Sooner or later, if Liv bore him a child, she'd certainly inherit some portion of it.
In truth, Steven's thinking wasn't far from old feudal traditions in China. Yet in practice, it fit the Western world too. Society here was survival of the fittest—and with a man as powerful as Gilbert, no one dared call him wrong no matter what he did.
After a lavish Christmas dinner, the winter chill of Los Angeles wasn't so biting. Still, everyone gathered in the living room, chatting by the warmth of the fireplace.
With Liv Tyler gone, Gilbert's embrace was quickly claimed by the youngest of the group—Scarlett.
Cameron Diaz was round Naomi Watts, asking her advice and experience. Upstairs, little Elian, still too young to walk, had already been sent to bed.
Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, and Jennifer Connelly shared stories about the two Toms on set, their laughter ringing out now and then.
Gilbert held Scarlett in his arms and watched the scene unfold. Strangely, he felt a sense of harmony in all this chaos.
This Christmas was likely the most complete gathering of his women yet. After overcoming the initial awkwardness, everyone had grown familiar with one another.
Naomi Watts seemed prepared for it. When all the women came together, she naturally stepped into the role of the dignified head wife, keeping everything orderly so Gilbert wouldn't be troubled.
Scarlett, meanwhile, had nothing better to do and simply played with Gilbert's hair, tugging at it with idle amusement.
Gilbert swatted her little hand away, chuckling. "Scarlett, what have you been busy with lately?"
Tilting her head, she replied, "I've been running around with Sofia doing promos, getting ready for the Oscars. Oh, right—Sofia told me to remind you not to forget to vote for her."
"Of course," Gilbert agreed without hesitation. For his close friend's Oscar dream, he'd give his full support.
Scarlett's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Do you think Sofia really has a shot at a nomination?"
Gilbert thought it over. "Winning might be unlikely, but getting a nomination? That's very possible."
"That's perfect—just a nomination means she still has hope." Scarlett smiled, satisfied. Then, almost as an afterthought, she shifted to her own concerns: "By the way, when are you going to cast me in another movie?"
"Didn't Director Nolan approach you for a role?" Gilbert teased.
"You mean The Prestige?" Scarlett wrinkled her nose. "I read the script. Honestly, it didn't seem all that exciting."
Gilbert laughed. It was the first time he'd ever heard anyone call a Nolan script unexciting. He'd read The Prestige himself and thought it was worth supporting.
Even though Nolan hadn't landed the Batman series, that hadn't stopped him from pushing forward with his own projects.
Gilbert hadn't completely shut him out either. Nolan still collaborated closely with Melon Studios, so Gilbert had only claimed Inception for himself and left the rest in Nolan's hands.
According to Nolan's plans, The Prestige would begin filming in March or April of the following year, and he was doing everything he could to coax Scarlett into joining.
Scarlett, however, wasn't keen. Gilbert, seeing her reluctance, tried to reassure her: "Scarlett, I actually think this project is solid. You'd fit the role well."
"Really?" she asked, doubtful.
"Of course it's true. Do you think I'd lie to you?"
Gilbert paused, then added, "Actually, when you have some free time, you should read more Marvel comics—especially Iron Man."
Her eyes lit up. "Wait… are you saying I should play Pepper Potts?" Clearly, she had an interest in superheroes.
"Not at all," Gilbert corrected her with a smile. "I think Black Widow would suit you perfectly. I'll make sure Marvel Studios pushes for a standalone Black Widow movie."
Scarlett's smile widened with excitement. "Gilbert, you know I'll never say no to you—whatever you need, I'm yours."
Gilbert just shrugged. She always said the sweetest things… yet he still remembered who it was that liked to throw tantrums the most.
....
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