On Friday morning, Gilbert woke up and, still wearing his pajamas, walked into the living room of his suite.
Naomi Watts was already up and had ordered breakfast.
"Your tea…"
"Thanks." Gilbert took the cup, while Naomi continued sipping her coffee.
"Where's Illian? Not up yet?" Gilbert asked after glancing around and not seeing his son.
"He went shopping with Michelle," Naomi replied, spreading butter on a slice of bread, adding bacon and a fried egg, and then reporting, "The midnight box office numbers look pretty good — 12.54 million dollars, with an average occupancy rate of 85%."
Gilbert looked satisfied. "Not bad. That's about what I expected."
Tom Cruise's box office appeal was top-tier, and Gilbert's own draw wasn't weak either, so such results came as no surprise.
"How's the word of mouth?" Gilbert asked.
"Based on theater surveys and online feedback, most are positive," Naomi said. "The few negative ones, aside from some strange comments, mainly focus on criticizing Joel's actions."
The "strange comments" referred to Gilbert's haters or online trolls.
That was perfectly normal. Nothing and no one could be universally liked — where there are admirers, there will always be detractors.
Even U.S. dollars have critics; Gilbert certainly wasn't immune.
Gilbert wasn't surprised. In fact, controversy around the story could generate discussion, which in turn boosted publicity and indirectly helped the movie.
And he was right. Debates among fans about the story were indeed raging across the internet.
"Joel's actions were selfish. Sure, he saved Ellie, but he also destroyed humanity's last hope for survival."
"What is hope, exactly? Letting a child die for it?"
"Adults created this mess — why should a child be the one to fix it? I wouldn't agree to that."
"No, you're the selfish ones! Humanity was on the brink of extinction — would you rather let everyone be eaten by zombies?"
"After what happened with Sarah, Joel just couldn't bear to lose again. That's a father's instinct. You may not agree with him, but you should understand him."
Arguments like these filled movie forums everywhere. Fans debated passionately, each side making valid points.
These debates actually inspired more viewers and casual audiences to go see the film themselves — indirectly driving box office growth even further.
Gilbert's biggest fan, Roger Ebert, although in poor health and unable to attend the premiere, still watched the movie at a theater in Chicago.
Afterward, he immediately posted his review on his blog and social media accounts.
"In most zombie films, the focus is on the zombies, their gruesome appearance and the thrill of horror are what draw the audience's attention.
But The Last of Us is different. The zombies remain terrifying — swarming in packs, evolving into higher forms, but the focus has shifted. It's no longer about the zombies, but about humanity.
We see that even amidst a world overrun by the undead, humans continue to scheme, fight for power, and betray one another.
Their cruelty and selfishness can be a hundred times more terrifying than the zombies themselves.
Yet director Gilbert doesn't dwell solely on human evil — he also portrays humanity's capacity for kindness.
Joel's frozen heart is melted by Ellie; Sam and Henry's brotherly bond is deeply moving; Tommy and Maria's steadfast efforts to preserve order bring hope to mankind.
In the apocalypse, some choose corruption, others choose compassion, that's the diversity of human nature.
Of course, Joel's final decision is bound to be controversial.
I understand Joel's actions, and I also understand why director Gilbert wrote the story this way.
In today's fast-paced and morally eroding society, have we taken the time to be with our families, our partners, our children?
If not, I hope after watching this film, you'll go and spend time with them — enjoy a peaceful weekend together.
Afte
r all, even at the end of the world, we must remember how to love."
Roger Ebert's heartfelt review struck a chord, earning countless likes and shares. Many considered it one of the most insightful analyses of The Last of Us.
Meanwhile, Gilbert's long-time critic, Kenneth Turan, continued his attacks in The Washington Post, once again targeting Joel's choice as the basis of his criticism.
Kenneth Turan believed that Joel was a reflection of Gilbert's inner self and went as far as labeling Gilbert as having "anti-human tendencies."
But after so many years, everyone had gotten used to it—Kenneth Turan thrived on negative publicity. Ordinary people wouldn't have the mental endurance to handle that level of toxic attention, but for him, it was his way of making a living.
What's strange is that even though Gilbert had long become one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood, certain media outlets still persisted in smearing him, slapping all kinds of labels on him.
The most absurd example came from a cable television network. On its flagship program Today's World, the host, Wilson, accused Gilbert of being a spy bought off by an Eastern intelligence agency simply because he doubted Gilbert's political stance.
How does that saying go? "A thief always suspects another of stealing." Because they themselves had done such things, they assumed others had too and just like that, Gilbert was branded a "spy."
But Gilbert wasn't without the means to fight back. When the cable network called him a spy, Disney's ABC network retaliated by calling that cable network a "certain kind of media," comparing it to a notorious historical figure.
The cable network quickly defended itself, claiming it wasn't that kind of media nor like that historical figure. ABC immediately fired back: "If you're not that kind of media, then why are you persecuting Gilbert?"
And oddly enough, Gilbert's identity turned out to be incredibly useful. As a "Squidmen," any negative news involving him that could be framed as "persecution" instantly lost its traction and stopped spreading.
That's what you'd call fighting magic with magic—your identity is invincible, mine is invincible too. No one can break through the other's defense.
The cable network itself was also backed by Squidmen. As everyone knew, the Squidmen were divided into two factions: one radical and one moderate. The radical faction, known for its aggressive stance and control over vast social resources, was the stronger of the two.
The moderate faction, on the other hand, was represented by none other than Gilbert.
The cable network was backed by the radicals, and in order to break through Gilbert's "shield," they even proposed stripping him of his Squidmen status—officially removing his title and disowning him from the lineage.
Rumor had it that the batch of radical Squidmen who died in New York years ago had been taken out by Gilbert himself, so the proposal to expel him seemed only natural.
However, that idea died before it could even be implemented, because the radicals suddenly realized that Gilbert's presence had made the moderates far more assertive.
Their assertiveness wasn't the same as the radicals'. The moderates clearly intended to wrestle away control of the Squidmen's discourse power from the radicals.
In the media field—where the Squidmen held the strongest influence—Gilbert's years of planning had given the moderates a foothold. Though still weaker overall, they were far from powerless.
Now, things had reached a standoff: if the radicals dared to move against Gilbert, the moderates were ready to tear up the peace completely.
As several of the moderate faction's top figures put it
"If we can't even protect Gilbert, then what's the point of our existence?"
.....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (Completed)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler (30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu