Days passed, and as "Hook" neared its wrap, Gilbert finally finished his screenplay.
Actually, he'd completed the script much earlier, as the story itself was quite simple. The reason it took so long was that Gilbert needed to understand the filmmaking process in 1990s Hollywood and then figure out how to turn his script into a movie. After all, his past experience as an online film director wouldn't apply in this era. In his previous life, digital cameras were already common, but in this era, it was all about film cameras. While the cameraman carried the camera, a director who didn't understand these basics wasn't a competent director.
From this perspective, joining Spielberg's crew to learn was the right move. After all, when you talk about top Hollywood directors of the 80s and 90s, Steven Spielberg's name is definitely on the list. In Hollywood, hearing his name is like "King of Holywood" .
With the script finished and a solid understanding of how a Hollywood crew operated in this era, Gilbert finally had enough confidence to take his first step.
After writing the script, Gilbert immediately handed it over to Gwyneth Paltrow, who had been following the project closely.
"It's finally done," Gwyneth Paltrow said, looking pleased with the script in her hand. She grabbed it and ran out, saying, "I'm going to see Godfather; wait for my good news."
With the script handed over, Gilbert could only hope this American girl would come through for him. Otherwise, he'd be left to patiently wait and seek other opportunities.
In the director's lounge, Steven Spielberg was drinking coffee, feeling very relaxed. Recently, Julia "Big Mouth" Roberts had finally stopped her habits and was behaving more normally, no longer arguing with him. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that Julia Roberts had already filmed so many scenes, Spielberg would have wanted to replace the lead actress. In all his years in the industry, this was the first time he'd encountered such an awkward situation.
Now things were much better. Julia Roberts had sincerely apologized, and Spielberg, taking the easy way out, graciously accepted her apology and moved on. As he was thinking about post-production after filming wrapped, he heard Gwyneth Paltrow's voice from afar.
"Godfather..."
Compared to Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow was undoubtedly more favored by Spielberg, being his goddaughter. Spielberg and the Paltrow family had always had a good relationship, and the production team had no objections when he used his personal connections to get his goddaughter into the crew. Such things are common in Hollywood; connections and background are very useful there, and it's even better if you're Jewish.
"What is it, little Gwennie?" Spielberg smiled warmly, looking at Gwyneth Paltrow as she rushed in, and asked softly.
Gwyneth Paltrow preferred to be called "Gwen," finding it more unique and cool. Of course, only Gilbert didn't call her that. That's why Gwyneth Paltrow found Gilbert to be very mischievous, with a bit of a roguish charm.
Gwyneth Paltrow handed the script to Spielberg. "Godfather, take a look at this."
"What is this, a script?" Spielberg put down his coffee and took the script.
The title "The Shallows" was written on the cover of the script. Spielberg raised an eyebrow. Interesting, who wrote this, imitating "Jaws"?
Gwyneth Paltrow then introduced, "This is a script Gilbert wrote. I think it's good, so I brought it for you to see."
Spielberg didn't open the script to read the content. Instead, he looked at Gwyneth Paltrow with a knowing smile and asked, "You brought me the script. Did he promise you something?"
"Godfather, you truly have sharp insight, just as Gilbert said," Gwyneth Paltrow flattered him a little, then added, "Yes, but it wasn't his request; it was mine. I told him that if I could recommend this script to you, he'd have to promise me the lead actress role."
"He agreed?"
"He didn't object, at least..."
Spielberg had quite a strong impression of the young son from the Landrini family. He had initially thought Gilbert was just another rich Hollywood kid coasting by, but to his surprise, Gilbert worked diligently and responsibly on set. Everything he was assigned, he did well without any mistakes. Even the crew's producer praised Gilbert, saying it was rare to find such a dedicated and down-to-earth young person in the often-fickle Hollywood.
Spielberg and Gilbert's father, old Gilbert, had some acquaintance years ago, but that was all. Old Gilbert had asked him to let Gilbert join the crew, and he had helped, which he considered repaying a favor. After training with his crew, Gilbert would at least have a résumé. As long as he wasn't overly ambitious and worked hard, Gilbert wouldn't have to worry about finding work in the future.
But he never expected Gilbert to pull something like this...
Spielberg subconsciously thought it was a trick Gilbert was playing, misleading his goddaughter to approach him and secure investment. Instantly, Gilbert's previously decent image in Spielberg's mind shifted to one of a restless, glib, opportunistic individual.
However, since his goddaughter had brought him the script, Spielberg decided to read it first. What kind of good script could a twenty-something write?
As soon as Spielberg opened the first page of the script, he was captivated.
"Did Gilbert write this?" Spielberg asked, pointing to the sketch on the first page of the script, showing it to Gwyneth Paltrow.
Gwyneth Paltrow nodded. "Yes, I watched him write it. There are other storyboard sketches later on."
Why was Spielberg so surprised by this sketch? Because Gilbert had used the sketch to illustrate his vision for how the film should be shot. Simply put, it involved creating a shark's point of view, showing the female protagonist's escape from the shark's perspective. While this filmmaking technique was overused in the 21st century, it was a highly innovative approach in the 1990s.
Spielberg, as a top Hollywood director, was no amateur. He immediately recognized the excellence of such a shooting technique. When filming thrillers or horror movies, such a perspective and such shots would undoubtedly greatly increase immersion and excitement. He couldn't say for sure if it would be a success, but Gilbert's ability to propose this idea proved that he wasn't just talking big but had prepared diligently.
Spielberg quickly flipped to the back and indeed found several storyboard sketches. Through these sketches, he could already imagine the movie scenes.
"Little Gwennie, go call Gilbert over. I want to talk to him," Spielberg instructed.
Gwyneth Paltrow's face lit up. Spielberg wanting to see Gilbert meant there was a chance, so she quickly jogged out to call him in. Before he went in, Gwyneth Paltrow cautioned Gilbert, "Don't brag in front of Godfather; he hates big talkers the most. Just be yourself and say what you mean."
"I know," Gilbert nodded, took a deep breath, and then went in.
Gilbert knew clearly that whether he got the directing opportunity depended on this moment.
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