"Cheers!"
In the banquet hall of the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel, Duke and the members of the crew raised their glasses once again. Many others around them joined in the toast. The Gravity crew was undoubtedly one of the stars of the party.
The other star, of course, was the team from Weinstein Company.
Among the four most prestigious awards, Gravity took home Best Director and Best Actress, while The King's Speech won Best Picture and Best Actor. This was, without a doubt, a very successful pork-barreling operation.
"To our Best Director!"
At the table where Duke and the others were seated, Sofia Coppola, who had come over to join the fun, raised her glass high and gestured toward Scarlett Johansson, saying loudly, "And to our Best Actress!"
"Cheers!"
Amid the chorus of voices, Duke had no choice but to down the champagne in his glass along with everyone else.
His alcohol tolerance was limited. He had already had several drinks earlier, and now with this glass of champagne in his stomach, his gut seemed ready to revolt. He quickly sat down and sipped some water, but those around him had no intention of letting him off the hook. Fortunately, Harvey Weinstein came over, and Duke used the opportunity to escape Sofia Coppola and the others' clutches.
"Congratulations, Harvey."
The two of them went over to a nearby rest table. Duke gave the plump Jewish man a slight smile. "Weinstein Company took home Best Picture once again."
"Hey, Duke,"
Harvey Weinstein responded with a grin, "We're both winners, aren't we?"
With the conclusion of the Oscar ceremony, the temporary alliance of interests they had formed also officially ended.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Harvey Weinstein suddenly asked tentatively, "There are voices within the Academy saying your future production direction will lean toward the Academy style?"
From this year's Oscars, he had already seen the strength of the other party. If Duke really took an interest in the Oscars and began focusing on them every year, then Weinstein Company, which operated around Oscar campaigning as its core, would inevitably be greatly affected.
In terms of connections and relationships, Weinstein Company might have a slight edge, but when it came to the most crucial element for Oscar campaigns funding he and his brother could not possibly match the other side.
Duke could roughly guess what Harvey Weinstein was thinking. He had also heard similar rumors.
"Do you think that's possible, Harvey?" he said bluntly. "This year's Oscars were just an exception."
Just like he said if it hadn't been for Natalie Portman, he wouldn't have joined this year's Oscar game at all.
The sagging flesh on Harvey Weinstein's face showed signs of relaxation. "True enough, I also think those old fogies in the Academy are being overly wishful."
Duke just smiled but didn't say anything.
"Based on my estimation…" Harvey Weinstein continued, "You still have The Avengers and the next Batman installment lined up. You won't have time to bother with the Oscars again."
"Don't worry, Harvey."
In this regard, Duke was still quite trustworthy. "I won't be joining you in the fight for Oscar trophies."
In fact, even without his participation, the Weinstein brothers would no longer find it as easy as before to dominate the Oscars.
Society was changing after all. Though the Academy had made various reform gestures on the surface, it had actually become more conservative. The Oscar assembly-line productions of the Weinstein brothers would eventually be rejected as well.
After Harvey Weinstein left, Sofia Coppola came over.
"Any special feelings?" she sat down across from Duke and asked with a faint nasal tone, "My Best Director."
Duke looked at her and replied with a question, "What kind of special feelings do you think I should have?"
Sofia shrugged. "You're still the same. If those people who are desperate for an Oscar knew, they wouldn't be able to stand it."
"Not necessarily," Duke turned to look at Leonardo, who was drinking with Scarlett. "Leo seems pretty normal."
"Him?" Sofia raised her eyebrows. "He's used to it."
At that, the two of them couldn't help but laugh together.
When it came to losing at the Oscars, Leonardo really was easygoing. He didn't mind friends joking about it. Just moments ago, he had even self-deprecatingly said he wouldn't win anything before turning fifty.
The Oscar night party was still in full swing and would typically last all night. However, Duke didn't stay too long. He left Beverly Hills before midnight and returned to his home in Malibu.
Although the Oscar ceremony was over, the moment for the media had far from ended. From the moment the awards show ended, all kinds of analysis, reports, and outcries began surging like tidal waves, reaching their peak by the next day.
This was an annual ritual for the media. Even if the previously predicted favorites swept the awards, the media would still have something to say. They would still speak up for those who lost or for the overlooked films because only in doing so could they attract public attention.
In truth, few media outlets actually cared why a winner won or why a loser lost. What they really wanted was attention.
Just like the 1995 Oscars, Forrest Gump won big and was widely seen as a deserving winner. Anyone with a normal mind knew that was the proper Oscar and Hollywood outcome. Yet the media still spoke up for another film. Did they really believe in that film?
They only did it to grab eyeballs.
After the 83rd Academy Awards ended, voices speaking up for David Fincher became the media's main theme. Unfortunately, industry insiders all knew that David Fincher's style was not something the Academy favored. Add to that his lack of enthusiasm for publicity, and winning Best Director was basically a pipe dream.
No matter how many voices there were, they couldn't change the fact that the Academy didn't like David Fincher nor could they change the fact that it would still be incredibly difficult for him to win in the future.
"Just like what the Academy advocates…"
On the beach in Malibu, Duke sat on the pier of a small dock, baiting his hook as he said, "Public relations is the embodiment of so-called free competitive will. If you don't even express the intention to compete for the Oscars, those old men won't choose you."
"You seem to have quite a bit of insight?"
Scarlett lifted her fishing rod, glanced at the hook, then tossed it back into the sea. "Might as well start a PR company dedicated to awards season."
"Darling," Duke cast his line into the sea, "if you're willing to be the CEO, I'll invest in such a company."
"Me?" Scarlett pointed at herself, then quickly shook her head. "Last awards season, I nearly went crazy attending all those events one after another. If I had to do that every year, I'd definitely lose my mind!"
Announcements, parties, clip screenings… those routine activities during awards season were indeed exhausting.
The sea breeze blew gently. February in Los Angeles wasn't exactly hot. Scarlett shifted slightly, leaning a little closer to Duke, resting against him as she stared at the shimmering sea, seemingly lost in thought.
"What are you thinking about?" Duke asked her.
"Nothing," Scarlett snapped out of it and said, "Godmother went back to New York again. She won't stay here with us a bit longer."
Duke gently patted Scarlett on the back. "Mom can't let go of St. Fia."
Scarlett nodded slightly.
Although the advertising company had been affected by the financial crisis, it quickly shook off the downturn. Over the past year, business had surged again, returning to its former peak. Just like a few years ago, Lady Leah had become busy again.
Duke had also come to understand that his mother would never be able to settle down. For many busy people, once they stop working, all sorts of unexpected issues arise. Now that his mother no longer handled everything herself and managed St. Fia with the help of several professional managers, it might not be a bad thing after all.
Just like him if he were to retire now, he could easily live out the rest of his life in comfort. But Duke had never planned for that. Being idle every day would definitely drive him crazy.
Some people in this world might enjoy a leisurely lifestyle, but that doesn't mean it's suitable for everyone especially not for him.
So, Duke wouldn't stop. He would continue moving forward with determination.
Although the Oscars were becoming more and more niche, no one could deny their influence especially films that won major awards, which always managed to rake in huge profits at the box office. Otherwise, Weinstein Company wouldn't spend such enormous efforts on PR every year. Someone like Harvey Weinstein pursued commercial profits far more than art.
Or perhaps it's more accurate to say the Weinstein brothers never had any artistic pursuit at all.
With eight Oscars under its belt, including Best Director and Best Actress, Gravity naturally reaped the rewards of the Oscar effect.
The day after the awards ceremony, the number of theaters showing the film in North America expanded from over 800 to nearly 2,000. The previously declining box office saw a strong reversal. In just one week, the daily gross soared from the original $500,000 to $2 million. During the seven days when the Oscar effect was strongest, the film grossed more than $17 million in North America, pushing its domestic total past $350 million.
However, the Oscar effect had slightly less impact overseas, and the international box office did not see explosive growth.
As of the end of February, Gravity's North American box office had reached $356.21 million, and its global box office had surpassed the $800 million mark, totaling $811.24 million.
The Oscar effect had helped Gravity unleash its final potential. Although the film would continue screening in North America and overseas for a long time, the pace of revenue growth had significantly slowed, and future increases would depend on slow accumulation over time.
With a short break underway, Duke had also shifted more of his energy to things outside of film.
.....
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