"Oh yeah! That damn black bastard finally admitted defeat!"
Scarlett raised her little fists triumphantly, as if expecting praise from Gilbert.
"Scarlett, watch your words," Gilbert said with a chuckle. "It's fine to talk like that at home, but if someone outside heard you shouting that, the whole world would explode."
Charlize Theron, holding a plate of blueberries, picked a few and fed them to Gilbert with a teasing smile. "Well, looks like Spike Lee finally hit a brick wall. Hahaha."
This time, during the argument with Spike Lee, Scarlett and Charlize Theron had been the main combatants. The two women teamed up and completely crushed Spike Lee.
Gilbert chewed the blueberries and found them surprisingly good, so he ate a few more.
"That director has gotten used to doing whatever he wants in Hollywood because of his skin color. He's really lost sight of where he stands."
After losing the debate on artistic merit, Spike Lee tried to play his final card—race. But before he could even use that trick, he was forced to swallow it back. In the end, he had no choice but to issue an embarrassed apology for his inappropriate remarks.
Throwing around the race card only works depending on who you're dealing with. For most Hollywood directors and stars, it's an effective move—they're afraid of being labeled. But Gilbert isn't most people.
Both Warner Bros. and Disney issued warnings to the black community in Hollywood, and the leaders of several major black organizations quickly told Spike Lee to keep his mouth shut.
Still, from one perspective, Gilbert actually ought to thank Spike Lee. Because of this whole dispute, no one was talking anymore about how his films had been "stuck" at six or seven hundred million in box office for years.
Of course, the real reason the whole matter died down was that the criticism simply didn't hold water.
As Martin Scorsese said while publicly defending Gilbert in an interview, "If you're bringing in six or seven hundred million at the box office every year, Warner Bros. and Disney would be over the moon.
If that's what a career slump looks like for Gilbert, then I guess I've never had a peak."
Everyone knew that old Marty's films never did particularly well at the box office. His new project The Departed had only been greenlit at Warner Bros. thanks to Gilbert's support.
Recently, Marty had even been visiting Gilbert's father for coffee and conversation—shameless, perhaps, but the truth was that his movies didn't make money, and he still needed Gilbert's help to land future projects.
So his public support for Gilbert didn't seem out of place at all.
Meanwhile, James Cameron, who was busy with Avatar, heard about the whole situation. The famously hot-tempered ex-truck driver immediately said, "If Gilbert is in a slump, then the rest of us must be at the bottom of the ocean—no, in hell."
Back when The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King almost surpassed Titanic, Cameron had been watching closely. Even now, Titanic still held the top spot, but second, third, and fourth place were all films directed by Gilbert.
Cameron rarely had kind words for other directors, but he always spoke of Gilbert with genuine respect.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas also voiced their support, saying that some people in the media and online were ignoring the facts—no matter how you looked at it, Gilbert was not on the decline.
A reporter once asked Spielberg, "If Gilbert's not struggling in the film industry, then why did he decide to direct a TV series?"
Spielberg gave the reporter a look that could only be described as one of pity for an idiot before replying, "Tom Hanks and I made Band of Brothers, and we're even planning another series. I fail to see what's wrong with doing television."
Apparently, the media had assumed Gilbert had turned to TV because he couldn't handle making movies anymore. But that wasn't surprising—media outlets always jumped to conclusions and spun wild stories. Otherwise, how could they show off the "art" of journalism?
Of course, not every media outlet played the villain this time—it's just that the ones who did had more sensational headlines and got more clicks.
As for all the talk about "decline" and "slumps," Gilbert had grown used to it. It was something that popped up every now and then, and he never took it seriously.
Before the controversy had even completely died down, Gilbert received an invitation from David Ellison to attend the Transformers celebration party.
"David Ellison is kind of funny," Charlize Theron commented when she saw the invitation. "He's like a kid who's done something right and can't wait to get his father's praise."
"Hahaha, that's a pretty accurate description," Gilbert laughed. "So? You want to come with me?"
Charlize thought for a moment. She didn't have anything big lined up lately, so she agreed. "Alright, I'll go with you—just to make sure no one picks on you."
"Thanks a lot!" Gilbert said jokingly.
"You're welcome," Charlize replied with a grin. "Actually, it's good timing. I heard George Miller's health is improving. Looks like I'll be heading out later this year to shoot Fury Road."
"Who's the male lead? Have they decided yet?"
"Not yet," she said. "They're still discussing it."
Gilbert thought for a moment and said, "Given your status, you'll need a male actor powerful enough to match you. There aren't many options — just one, really."
"Tom Cruise?" Charlize Theron asked.
"Exactly," Gilbert nodded slightly. "You can recommend him to Director Miller, he's a perfect fit."
At that time, Tom Hardy was still a minor actor, and the producers wouldn't have considered him.
Charlize Theron found Gilbert's reasoning convincing and replied, "OK, I'll talk to Director Miller about it when the time comes."
Cameron Diaz was preparing to film National Treasure 2 and had also accepted a role in the romantic comedy What Happens in Vegas.
Although she had transitioned into producing, Cameron Diaz still acted whenever she found a script she liked.
Naomi Watts took on an art film and a comedy. After King Kong, she had returned to Hollywood's A-list, but with her age, she was no longer considered for decorative roles in major blockbusters.
Given her current standing, acting was more of a passion project, while most of her time was spent as a family caretaker.
Jennifer Connelly took on The Day the Earth Stood Still with Keanu Reeves. The film was a remake of a classic from the 1960s, but Gilbert remembered that it didn't perform very well.
Anne Hathaway, meanwhile, collaborated with Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt on The Devil Wears Prada, which was set to release on June 30.
In addition, she was preparing to film Becoming Jane and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
In the first Chronicles of Narnia film, Anne Hathaway's performance had been well received. This time, her role expanded — promoted from the second female lead to the main heroine.
Of course, Gilbert had played no small part in making that happen.
Scarlett's situation was simpler — she continued training for her role in Gilbert's Edge Walker. Besides that, she also appeared in Captain America.
According to the story, Black Widow had once fought alongside Captain America — a fellow veteran who had lived for decades while maintaining her youth.
Captain America would also introduce Hawkeye, gradually filling out the interconnected characters.
However, everything ultimately depended on whether Iron Man, set to release this year, would succeed. If it didn't, all of it would have been in vain.
Over the years, these women had grown alongside Gilbert each achieving the fame, power, or fulfillment they sought.
Whether through intertwined interests or emotional bonds, they had long been inseparable from him.
....
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