Peter Thiel was very dissatisfied with those old men in Washington. He was a technological libertarian who believed Washington placed too many restrictions on technology.
So he felt it was necessary to push up an elder who aligned with his own interests, and he also needed to look for like-minded allies.
Coincidentally, Gilbert's investment and attention in the technology field made Peter Thiel believe Gilbert was that fellow traveler, so he wanted to invite him to join.
However, Gilbert did not agree, only saying he would consider it.
Hollywood had always been inseparable from politics, especially for someone of his standing, where entanglements with politics ran even deeper.
Don't be fooled by Hollywood filmmakers constantly using movies to mock the elders in Washington; they all had their own political stance.
For example, Harrison Ford and George Clooney were supporters of the Donkey Party, publicly standing for the Donkey Party. In Hollywood, the majority were supporters of the Donkey Party.
Peter Thiel was not satisfied with the Donkey Party, and he was also not too satisfied with the Elephant Party currently in power, so he wanted to gain the support of Gilbert, a Hollywood director with strong influence.
Peter Thiel wanted to push someone onto the stage who fit his ideals, but this idea was anything but simple.
After Peter Thiel left, Gilbert fell into deep thought.
Undeniably, Peter Thiel's idea was very tempting, and his philosophy also seemed quite appealing. But in essence, Peter Thiel was an anarchist who believed too much regulation had led to the stagnation of technology.
Gilbert did not really want to get involved in such matters, so by saying he would consider it, he politely refused Peter Thiel.
However, on the other hand, if he could participate in it, changing the history of America and even the world, it would not be a life wasted.
At this thought, Gilbert could not help shaking his head.
Was he the protagonist of an entertainment novel, or the protagonist of a political thriller?
His mind tended to scatter, and from his conversation with Peter Thiel he immediately thought of a very popular American TV series. Back then, he had stayed up late watching this series and was deeply fascinated by the charisma of President Underwood in it.
Without a doubt, it was from House of Cards that Netflix began step by step to open the market, becoming a disruptor that unsettled the pattern of Hollywood.
Gilbert felt his thinking was very divergent; perhaps all people in creative industries were the same, suddenly jumping from one thing to another.
But nowadays video websites were still not very mature, the clarity and internet speed were still lacking, and it would probably take some time to lay out the groundwork.
Putting aside Peter Thiel's matter, Gilbert also went to the set of The Jackie Chan Adventures.
Although the second installment was scheduled to be released this summer, the filming of The Jackie Chan Adventures had not yet finished. The crew had just completed the location shooting and returned to Los Angeles to film some indoor studio scenes.
Gilbert chatted with Alfonso Cuarón, Tsui Hark, Jackie Chan and others, and also happened to watch the rough cut version of flim.
"The effect is not bad, very engaging," Gilbert said. "Especially a few of the large scenes are made realistic enough, the special effect settings are magnificent and dazzling, I think the audience will definitely like it."
Only then did Stephen Schmidt relax: "That's great, if you say it's good, then the movie must be good."
Jackie Chan laughed on the side: "I can say, in this movie I contributed the most stunt performances so far, it was really crazy."
Stephen Schmidt joked: "The craziest thing, I didn't let him do."
"Hahaha, if it were me, I wouldn't have let Jack do it either, too dangerous."
Gilbert was referring to a scene in the flim where the cargo plane cabin is opened, and Jackie Chan follows the falling airdrop crates to land from the sky into the desert in a stunt shot.
This shot was mainly completed with miniature models and green screen shooting, and the special effects studio Orange Studio had already accumulated rich experience.
Actually, according to the original idea, Jackie Chan really wanted to try it, but was stopped by Stephen Schmidt.
As a producer, the safety of actors was also within his scope of responsibility.
Besides, this shot was too crazy, with no precedent ever attempted in Hollywood; it was not suitable for live shooting!
Jackie Chan did not insist, after all, completing the film was the first duty of an actor, not to play with some thrilling and dangerous stunt filming, even though he really wanted to give it a try.
Gilbert was very optimistic about the prospects of this movie: "With the added effect of the previous installment, as long as the sequel maintains its reputation, I think a box office of seven to eight hundred million dollars is not a problem."
"Really?" Jackie Chan always trusted Gilbert's eye, but was the box office target too high?
"Of course," Gilbert had this confidence. "Don't underestimate your popularity, Jack, nowadays you are the hottest Chinese star."
Jackie Chan was naturally happy. If it really went as Gilbert said, Jackie Chan would once again reach a new peak in his Hollywood acting career.
After Jackie Chan left, Gilbert continued chatting with Stephen Schmidt: "I think this series still has great potential. For example, we can develop it into a game.
By using the form of a game to let fans or players experience this series of adventure stories, recreating the thrilling scenes from the big screen, it would surely be excellent."
Stephen Schmidt agreed: "Hearing you say that, I even want to play it myself. Let Warner's game production department take over? Or?"
"Let's see!" Gilbert stood up, walking toward the set, with Stephen Schmidt following behind him, the two talking as they went.
"If Warner doesn't work out, we can approach Sony. In terms of game production, several of Sony's studios are very strong."
Looking at the busy set, Gilbert added, "If the film fails, there's no need to even think about the game."
Stephen Schmidt was full of confidence: "I don't believe we have any chance of failing. Don't forget, you're the producer of this film."
"Stephen, why do I feel like you're more confident than I am?"
"That's only natural, Gilbert. We can't find a reason for failure."
Stephen Schmidt's words reflected what many others thought. Over the years, Gilbert had been too successful. He had always succeeded, continuously, becoming something of a legend.
So everyone around him had immense confidence in him, a blind trust.
That was a good thing—at least it guaranteed Gilbert absolute creative freedom. Warner Bros., who usually loved to interfere in filmmaking, never meddled in Gilbert's productions.
But it was also a bad thing. If one day he did fail, he would disappoint all those expectations.
To be honest, sometimes Gilbert felt a lot of pressure. Wanting to create something original often left him feeling constrained, so he tended to pick projects that had succeeded in his previous life.
"The False" was considered one of Gilbert's bold attempts, because while the film had been successful, it hadn't been in North America.
So Gilbert gave it a drastic makeover, placing it into the current North American market environment.
To be safe, he also roped in Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Charlize Theron, and others to take the risk with him.
In fact, even if the film lost money, it wouldn't matter. It wouldn't affect Gilbert's standing—film companies would still trust him.
But Gilbert only wanted to succeed forever, to be a born winner.
When it came to failure, Gilbert actually had the media to thank. Pirates of the Caribbean—such a successful original film—was labeled by some unscrupulous outlets as Gilbert's failure.
That wave of coverage made people who didn't follow box office numbers or industry developments actually believe Gilbert had failed.
So if Gilbert ever truly did fail, the media would celebrate even harder. But since the public was already conditioned, their reaction wouldn't be as extreme.
But could Gilbert really fail? To borrow the words of Los Angeles Business Daily's editor-in-chief, Sarah:
"Unless Satan himself descends, Gilbert cannot possibly fail."
Apart from shooting the film, Gilbert also cared about the progress of several Chinese trainees.
"Stephen, how are they doing on set?"
"Very well," Stephen Schmidt said with admiration. "They're diligent and hardworking—especially Guo, who's extremely talented. I believe if he stays in Hollywood, he'll have a promising career."
"Really?" Gilbert was surprised.
Stephen Schmidt was notoriously strict, so for him to offer praise showed Guo Fan was extraordinary.
Stephen Schmidt continued: "Guo is very attentive, very responsible. Every task given to him is completed flawlessly.
Although I don't know why you brought a few Chinese people here, in terms of attitude, they surpass the majority of Hollywood workers."
"That's only natural. Without ability, if their attitude was also lacking, then this trip to study in Hollywood would be meaningless." Gilbert smiled.
"Come on, let's go meet the trainees."
Stephen Schmidt led Gilbert to find the four trainees.
After working steadily on set for a few months, they already showed more maturity and less restlessness. Guo Fan's personal charisma had also completely won over the other three, who all regarded him as their leader.
"How have you been feeling after these months on set?"
Guo Fan wiped his sweat, accepted the water handed to him by Gilbert, thanked him, and then said, "It's been fulfilling. I've learned so many things you can't get from books."
The other three chimed in, each sharing their own impressions.
Without troublemakers and idle people, focusing their energy on work and learning had been a great benefit to the trainees.
After listening, Gilbert remarked, "Very good, you haven't let Minister Tian's expectations down. When you return, I hope you can continue to maintain this.
If, once you're back, you were given the opportunity, what kind of film would you want to make?"
Guo Fan thought for a moment and said, "I want to make a science fiction film…"
"Science fiction?" one of his companions shook his head. "I don't think that's realistic. Director Gilbert, I'd like to make a war film—just like your Saving Private Ryan."
The other two also shared the kinds of films they wanted to direct—whether art films, comedies, or action films—but all agreed that science fiction wasn't a good option.
But Gilbert didn't see it that way: "I know China has many outstanding science fiction writers. I've read quite a few works myself, like The Supernova Era and Seven Layers of Shell.
I also know of excellent sci-fi novelists like Liu Cixin and Wang Jinkang. Their works have been a huge inspiration to me.
I believe that if there are great sci-fi novels and writers, then why can't there also be great sci-fi films and directors?"
Gilbert's words gave the four trainees food for thought. But the problem was obvious: adapting novels into films was a completely different matter.
...
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