Every time Gilbert came to China, he received a warm welcome.
Young Chinese people a decade or more later might not imagine that at this time, due to some newspapers and magazine media brainwashing, many held a filtered view of foreign countries.
Not to mention a world-renowned director like Gilbert, who was often used by some public intellectuals as a symbolic figure to criticize various domestic industries.
The most common rhetoric was: if a film genius like Gilbert were born in China, he would never be able to rise to prominence as he has now.
There is some truth to this, but when public intellectuals promote this idea, they often ignore Gilbert's family background and network.
His talent is undoubtedly important, but without the Ladrani family having established a foothold in Hollywood, without Gilbert's father's connections, Gilbert's rise would not have been so smooth.
However, that doesn't matter. The film industry has never been something determined solely by film itself. In the future, Hollywood will experience varying degrees of decline.
Yet for Chinese filmmakers to fill the market gap left by Hollywood's global downturn, it seems far from easy.
While scouting locations in Shanghai, Gilbert also accepted interviews from local Chinese media. To avoid politically sensitive questions, the questions were all carefully screened.
During the interview, Gilbert mentioned Shanghai's development: "This is an international, vibrant, modern metropolis, which is one of the reasons I chose Shanghai for the exterior locations."
He also spoke about the Disney park under construction.
After Warner withdrew, the project became fully Disney-owned. Funding wasn't a major concern, as the four major banks were willing to provide loans.
Shanghai's side also intended to make the Disney park a showcase for external cooperation.
Gilbert did not analyze the Disney park from a business perspective or what changes it would bring locally; that was not his field. He focused more on the cultural and entertainment significance.
"I believe Disney parks are an excellent example of East-West cultural exchange and cooperation.
The park not only features Disney classics like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, but also includes Mulan from China and Po from Kung Fu Panda.
I think a long holiday is perfect for parents to bring their children to enjoy the park, watch exciting shows, and buy some souvenirs."
In reality, even once the Disney park opens, the cost remains high for most Chinese families. Fortunately, it would be a while before opening, the economy is developing, and there would always be visitors.
Another topic was Guo Fan, whom Gilbert highly praised.
"Guo is a very hardworking person. He's learned a lot and improved greatly. Management is very satisfied with him, and he has now been entrusted with more important responsibilities."
The news of Guo Fan directing a Hollywood film was no secret; domestic entertainment headlines had covered it multiple times. If a trending topic appeared on Weibo, Guo Fan would likely dominate for several days.
But that's how things are nowadays. When domestic peers praise someone, it's called showing off and may draw criticism. When foreigners praise, it's genuinely impressive and indicates recognition.
This was both pressure and motivation for Guo Fan.
He would return in the future. Guo Fan had already told Gilbert that he would come back at the right time.
Gilbert advised him not to return like Bai Ge Wu, defeated and embarrassed. It would be better to return full of honor, which would face far less resistance.
The cast of Inception had already been revealed, and attention had focused on Hong Kong actor Tony Leung joining the film.
Gilbert also explained his choice of Tony Leung: "It was Jack Cheng's suggestion. At first, I wanted Mr. Zun Long, but he declined the invitation. After watching a few of Tony Leung's films, I thought he was excellent, so the crew finalized him."
"So will Tony Leung have a lot of screen time in this film?"
It was understandable for reporters to ask, as in recent years, very few Chinese actors have secured significant roles in Hollywood. Counting them, there were only a handful: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Li Shuchang, and Li Bingbing.
The others either acted in minor films or only had brief appearances. Worse, many of the roles featuring Chinese actors were for China-specific versions.
What does that mean?
The versions released in North America and elsewhere did not include these actors' scenes; only the Chinese release featured them.
You could say they participated in a Hollywood blockbuster, which is true. But the role is barely more than an extra, and boasting about it would be somewhat self-deceptive.
Hence the reporter's question carried the subtext: would Gilbert create a China-exclusive version…
Gilbert replied, "Mr. Tony Leung has significant screen time in the film."
After a moment, Gilbert added, "In the film, he will play Leonardo's employer and will be acting alongside Leonardo throughout."
This statement alone proves that Tony Leung is not just there for show.
To be honest, if Gilbert had wanted just a Chinese celebrity to appear briefly, there was no need to pick Tony Leung. Tony Leung is an actor, not a star; his fame isn't at the level where he could just make a cameo appearance.
However, this left some bigger-name stars feeling a bit frustrated: their fame exceeds Tony Leung's, yet he got to act in a Hollywood film.
Even the most famous among them might only get a cameo, and sometimes even just in a China-exclusive version.
But life is like that. Just as no one could have predicted that Shu Chang would suddenly slack off after returning from Hollywood.
After finishing the location scouting in Shanghai, Gilbert flew to Paris.
The VFX engineers and assistant cinematographers had already arrived in Paris, taking roughly 250,000 photos.
These photos were used to construct a digital model of Paris streets, which would then be combined with live-action footage and special effects to achieve the effect of the city turning upside down.
Additionally, a stunning scene involved a café on the streets of Paris exploding.
The visual effect of this shot was equally impressive. The film's VFX supervisor, Chris Corbode, suggested shooting with a green screen and adding computer effects later.
But Gilbert rejected this plan; he had to maintain his image as a fanatical advocate of live-action shooting.
The first challenge for the crew, however, was how to get the Paris city government to approve filming an explosion in the city center.
It should be noted that French filmmakers have always had strong opinions about Gilbert. Every time Gilbert's films were released in France, they would urge the French public to boycott them.
Yet the loyal French people, even before Gilbert arrived in Paris, expressed support for his films with their wallets.
The French people: "Loyal! Devoted! To the great Gilbert, Your Excellency."
This time, Gilbert was again planning destruction in central Paris. The French filmmakers were furious, lobbying the city government to deny the crew a filming permit.
The Paris city government didn't respond much, but Berlin, Rome, London, and even Madrid extended olive branches to the crew.
Rome, in particular, not only offered favorable terms but said Gilbert could film freely—even explosions were not an issue.
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