"Congratulations, Vin."
Walking into the restaurant arm in arm with Jessica Alba, Christopher Rokenkort approached the table where Vin Diesel was seated and bumped fists with him. "The opening day of Fast and Furious almost surpassed Duke Rosenberg's The Fellowship of the Ring."
"Just missed it by a bit!"
The muscular bald man grumbled, his deep voice filled with frustration. "It's really frustrating!"
"It's already impressive. Don't forget, your investment was only $38 million, compared to The Fellowship of the Ring."
Christopher Rokenkort spoke skillfully, deliberately ignoring the fact that The Fellowship of the Ring was in its third weekend while Fast and Furious was in its first.
Thinking about Fast and Furious's $15.21 million opening Friday, which was less than $500,000 short of The Fellowship of the Ring's $15.65 million, Vin Diesel couldn't help but reveal a slight smile of satisfaction.
"Excuse me..."
Jessica Alba, who had just sat down, immediately stood up again. "I need to use the restroom."
She hurriedly walked toward the restroom as if she couldn't wait.
Christopher Rokenkort glanced at Jessica Alba's departing figure. Over the past couple of days, she seemed to be visiting the restroom more frequently, but his mind was preoccupied with calculations, so he didn't pay much attention.
Today, his target was Vin Diesel.
When Jessica Alba returned, the three of them ordered some food and began chatting casually. Christopher Rokenkort subtly steered the conversation toward films and investments.
"Vin, are you interested in collaborating on something big?"
Setting down his knife and fork, Christopher Rokenkort said at just the right moment, "A major investment and production!"
"What do you mean..." Vin Diesel didn't quite understand.
Christopher Rokenkort picked up his napkin, wiped his mouth, and motioned to Jessica Alba, who immediately retrieved a project proposal from his briefcase and handed it to Vin Diesel.
After taking it and opening it, Vin Diesel began to read, while Christopher Rokenkort added, "This is a script and project plan I've meticulously prepared. The estimated investment is $160 million! It will be an epic war masterpiece. Vin, I've heard from Jessica that you're well-versed in films, so you should know that after Gladiator and The Fellowship of the Ring, the golden age of epics has arrived."
Vin Diesel nodded. This was an industry consensus; many companies were preparing large-scale war epics set in both modern and historical times.
"Which is why this is an opportunity!" Christopher Rokenkort's voice was soft but firm. "A great investment opportunity. I believe a film centered around the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's final glory will have immense appeal."
After briefly flipping through the proposal, Vin Diesel seriously read the script at the back. After a while, he looked up and asked, "Chris, you're suggesting..."
"That we invest together!"
Christopher Rokenkort spoke with sincerity, seemingly without any reservations. "We've known each other for a long time. As you know, although I hold a count's title and inherited a fortune, I've spent the past few years investing in small productions. While I've made quite a bit, my net worth is only a few tens of millions of dollars. Such a massive investment is beyond my means alone."
This heartfelt admission made Vin Diesel warm up to him even more.
According to Hollywood insiders, Rokenkort indeed had some wealth but wasn't a mega-rich figure like Duke Rosenberg.
"Actually, Chris has secured quite a bit of investment."
Jessica Alba looked at her boyfriend with a sweet expression and enthusiastically said, "I plan to invest $1.5 million. Mickey Rourke is putting in $3 million, Demi Moore is investing $5 million, Joaquin Phoenix $2 million, and Kate Beckinsale and Ben Affleck are planning to use their Pearl Harbor earnings..."
In under a minute, Jessica Alba listed a string of names, with the total investment nearing $20 million.
Christopher Rokenkort's face remained confident. Since he let Jessica Alba disclose this, he obviously wasn't afraid of Vin Diesel verifying the information.
Hearing these numbers and names, Vin Diesel was tempted. There were plenty of rumors in the industry about Christopher Rokenkort's extensive connections and ability to navigate the circles of stars and celebrities. Now it seemed he indeed had some skills.
However, investing required caution. Epics involved significant costs and, while popular, they weren't immune to failures like Enemy at the Gates. Especially for epics, without a suitable director, investment was best avoided.
He tested the waters by asking, "Chris, who do you plan to invite as the director?"
"Duke Rosenberg!" Christopher Rokenkort responded without hesitation. "He's the perfect choice."
Vin Diesel frowned slightly.
Sensing his hesitation, Christopher Rokenkort reassured him, "Michael Ovitz indeed has issues with Duke, but you wouldn't be starring in his film—just investing."
"Has Duke agreed to direct?"
Despite his competitive streak with The Fellowship of the Ring, Vin Diesel wasn't arrogant enough to overlook Duke Rosenberg's prowess with large-scale productions. He knew Duke was a guarantee of success for major productions.
"My proposal and script have already been sent to Duke through Nancy Josephson," Christopher Rokenkort said confidently. "ICM rated the project's market potential as A+, and Duke Rosenberg spoke highly of it."
Vin Diesel was intrigued. Passing up the chance to invest in a Duke Rosenberg project would indeed be foolish.
Such opportunities were rare.
But he remained cautious. After all, investing meant committing a seven-figure sum.
"Chris, I need to think about it," Vin Diesel said, not agreeing immediately. "I'll get back to you soon."
Christopher Rokenkort didn't press him and instead shifted the topic to Hollywood gossip.
"A tabloid published photos of Duke Rosenberg and Ivanka Trump sitting together in Central Park. They seemed to be on a date."
"Is he finally settling down and considering a serious relationship?"
As evening approached, Jessica Alba and Christopher Rokenkort left the proposal behind and departed first. Vin Diesel, however, stayed behind and pulled out his phone.
He called a well-connected friend in the industry and waited for some time at the restaurant. When the friend called back, he provided a clear response.
"Nancy Josephson did receive a Napoleon project. ICM rated it highly, and supposedly Duke just returned from New York. Nancy met with him right after, and while no one knows what they discussed, the feedback from ICM suggests Nancy was in a very good mood..."
"Also, those people you mentioned, upon hearing that Duke might direct, are indeed planning to invest. Some have even transferred funds to avoid missing the opportunity."
This person seemed very interested. "Vin, Duke's films have incredibly high ROI. This is a rare chance. Can you include me?"
After ending the call, Vin Diesel began to consider. Opportunities to invest in Duke Rosenberg's projects were truly rare.
Not far from the restaurant, Duke and Tina Fey sat in the Duke Studios office, waiting to interview candidates and discussing the same project.
During their last meeting, Christopher Rokenkort hadn't left a great impression on Duke. While his warm and straightforward demeanor might win over many people, it triggered Duke's natural wariness, prompting him to warn Naomi Watts to be cautious of him.
But this proposal puzzled Duke. Nancy Josephson told him the plan was crafted by Christopher Rokenkort. Anyone capable of producing such an excellent project plan, even if not as skilled as Charles Roven or Robin Grande, wouldn't be far behind.
Moreover, given Rokenkort's networking skills and widespread connections, he wasn't a Hollywood newcomer. Unlike Duke's early days, he wouldn't face constant rejection.
A light knock interrupted Duke's thoughts as a secretary entered. "Mr. Wallace Lee is here."
Tina Fey nodded. "Show him in."
This was an interview for an assistant director position. The candidate had a decent résumé. Although he hadn't worked on large commercial productions, he had climbed from assistant roles to assistant director in the independent film scene.
The man entered and answered Tina Fey's detailed questions about various aspects of filmmaking, from crew management to production planning. Duke also asked a few questions about his filmmaking philosophy, as he wouldn't work with an assistant director whose vision clashed with his own.
At the end, Tina Fey said, "Mr. Lee, we'll notify you soon."
After the interview, Duke exchanged a few words of polite conversation with Wallace Lee and returned to his work. He still needed to meet with Warner Bros. representatives to discuss strategies for countering the pressure The Fellowship of the Ring was facing from Fast and Furious's strong opening.
...
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