"Wow, that mecha looks amazing. It's really spectacular."
"Bauer, what are you watching?"
Lisa, showing off her smooth, fair legs, wore only a white shirt that faintly revealed her sexy underwear. She carried out two bowls of oatmeal from the kitchen, which would serve as their dinner.
"Lisa, you have no idea." Bauer stared excitedly at the television, where a series of upcoming movie trailers were playing. "I just saw the trailer for Iron Man. It's so cool!"
"Iron Man? The one produced by Gilbert?"
"Yeah, that's the one. I've decided—we're going to the theater this summer to watch it." Bauer said with excitement.
"But," Lisa disagreed, "aren't we going to watch The Last of Us, the one Gilbert directed himself?"
"Well… that's true." Bauer hesitated for a moment and then said, "Then let's watch both movies. That way, we won't miss anything."
Watching two movies in a single summer wasn't cheap, since movie nights usually came with extra spending. Popcorn and soda were the basics, and sometimes you'd see some cool merchandise that you just had to buy.
The Iron Man trailer had successfully aired during the Super Bowl halftime commercial break. The transformation scene of the sleek battle armor instantly captured the attention of countless viewers.
It wasn't just comic book fans—ordinary audiences who had never read a comic were also drawn in, because it simply looked incredibly cool.
In contrast, the discussion around Gilbert's The Last of Us wasn't nearly as intense. As terrifying as zombies were, they still couldn't compete with the visual spectacle of an armored transformation.
Iron Man wasn't the only movie whose trailer got people excited. Sky Dance Studios' production, directed by Michael Bay and starring Andrew Garfield, Megan Fox, and Josh Hartnett—Transformers—was even more impressive.
It could be said that Transformers exploded online, stirring up a massive wave of attention.
With the rapid growth of online video platforms, many commercials and movie trailers aired during the Super Bowl would quickly be uploaded to streaming sites.
Transformers was no exception. In its thirty-second teaser, the film didn't just feature the usual elements of fast cars and beautiful women; the appearance of robotic lifeforms like Optimus Prime and Megatron instantly sent fans into a frenzy.
"David, great news! Our Super Bowl trailer has gone viral online!" Martin Bob burst into David Ellison's office, his face full of excitement.
But David Ellison remained calm or perhaps he had already gone through the excitement earlier.
"Relax, Martin. So what if our views are two hundred thousand higher than Iron Man's and one point one million higher than The Last of Us?"
Though David spoke of staying calm, the smile tugging at the corners of his lips betrayed him.
Heaven help him—finally, luck was on their side. The trailer's overwhelming popularity was beyond his expectations. More importantly, it had surpassed his longtime rival Gilbert's movie. Tonight definitely called for a celebration.
However, David didn't let the success make him careless. "Make sure MGM and United Artists are fully in sync. Marketing has to be airtight."
Mel Gibson had also arrived. After a quick touch-up, he carried the air of a mature, confident man.
Recently, he had been appearing frequently in public, staying very active as part of his plan to return to Hollywood.
Upon hearing the good news, Mel Gibson suggested, "David, what if we move up the release date to the same period as The Last of Us?"
Before David could respond, Martin Bob immediately objected. "Not a good idea. Once a release date is set, all our promotion and marketing are built around it. Changing it abruptly could throw everything off."
He turned to David and added, "Instead, I think we should invite Gilbert to attend the Transformers premiere."
David's eyes lit up. "Good idea. I went to the Batman Begins premiere last year—it's only fair that it's his turn this time."
After a brief discussion among the three, they made their decision.
The massive attention surrounding Transformers was no secret. When the trailer went viral online, internet media outlets were quick to report it.
Soon after, newspapers and entertainment magazines joined in, comparing Transformers with other films. The one who suffered the most from these comparisons was Gilbert—his The Last of Us was mercilessly put side by side with it.
The Washington Post even went so far as to say that it was fortunate David Ellison hadn't scheduled Transformers to release in the same window as The Last of Us; otherwise, The Last of Us would have been completely crushed.
Faced with such remarks, neither Gilbert nor Tom Cruise personally stepped forward to respond.
However, Disney and Warner-affiliated media outlets naturally wouldn't allow anyone to slander Gilbert. They immediately came out to defend him, listing his numerous past achievements.
On the other hand, the anti-Gilbert media had their own counterarguments. They said that past success was just that—past. While no one could deny that Gilbert had achieved a great deal, what really mattered was the present and the future. Time, after all, moves forward.
Some media outlets, clearly on David Ellison's payroll, even claimed that Ellison represented the future of Hollywood, while Gilbert was part of the old guard—a relic of the past.
The uproar was so intense that anyone unaware of the situation might have thought Gilbert had already passed away.
Yet despite the heated debates in the media, none of it affected Gilbert's work rhythm. He continued with his projects as methodically as ever.
Iron Man was set to enter its next promotional phase in March. Following the Oscars, the film would hold multiple preview screenings.
After that, limited public test screenings would begin fifteen days before its official release to thoroughly gauge its market reach and audience reception.
Although Robin Wilder of Touchstone Pictures was very optimistic about the movie, Marvel Studios chose a conservative release strategy for its first film, which wasn't a problem.
Gilbert didn't object either. It was all part of the normal process, and there was nothing to worry about.
As for The Last of Us, although it was an original film, the combination of Gilbert and Tom Cruise's names carried such weight that there was no need for overly complex marketing—everything could proceed steadily.
Since the advent of digital technology and the rise of the Internet, Hollywood companies had expanded their servers to store digital copies of films.
Of course, the old film reel copies from the major studio era still existed, but with the progress of digital filmmaking, celluloid reels were inevitably on their way out.
After post-production was completed, digital copies of The Last of Us, Iron Man, and Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest were uploaded to the servers of Warner Bros. and Disney.
Naturally, films with more complex visual effects—like Iron Man—had multiple uploaded versions, as the differences between those with and without effects were significant.
Server security had always been a top priority for Hollywood studios, but with the rapid advancement of online video transmission, occasional leaks were becoming increasingly unavoidable.
After finishing a meeting with Disney and Warner executives, Gilbert was on his way home when he received some shocking news.
"The Transformers master copy has been leaked!"
Gilbert was stunned. "The film source leaked? How did that happen?"
"It's hard to explain over the phone. You'd better come right away!"
Baffled, Gilbert immediately ordered the driver to turn the car around.
It was clear that Hollywood was about to face a major storm.
....
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