Throughout March and April, the list incident kept public opinion buzzing for a long time.
The onlookers kept eating their popcorn nonstop. Such explosive events were even more exciting than Clinton's sex scandals or Hollywood celebrity gossip.
People were disgusted on one hand, yet still joined the discussions on the other.
In fact, Clinton was pretty wild too. Although he wasn't on the list this time, he and his wife hadn't exactly been innocent either. The Blue faction was very panicked, because many of them had done similar things.
Some people on the Red faction were also panicking, because they had done it too. In short, everyone had done it—Shaq might have done it as well.
That was exactly why Gilbert had Craig Evans find a hacker to do it. It had to be done by a hacker; otherwise, it would be bad if everyone pointed the finger directly at him.
Of course, even so, the Rockefeller family and the Morgan family still pinned the blame for the leaked list squarely on Gilbert.
However, both families were now badly weakened. Seeing that the list had nothing to do with them, the others chose to calm things down and stay out of it.
Otherwise, why would it be called the art of political compromise and the weakness of capitalists? As long as it doesn't involve their own vital interests, when trouble arises, they push it away if they can and hide if they can.
This actually made things easier for Gilbert. He struck back at hostile forces while avoiding escalation, preventing further intensification of the conflict.
During this period, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 3D edition achieved a strong box-office run. By the first weekend of May, the film had grossed 183 million dollars in North America and 543 million dollars worldwide.
This remastered cash-grab was a major success and also served as a warm-up for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, directed by Peter Jackson.
After seeing the excellent 3D effects of The Fellowship of the Ring, audiences grew even more excited about the 3D effects of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Since Avatar, almost every Hollywood studio had planned to produce a 3D film. However, many 3D productions were crude, and after being disappointed repeatedly, audiences began to grow skeptical of the very concept of 3D.
Some media outlets published articles claiming that Avatar was merely an exception, and that the era of 3D films was still far from arriving.
But this 3D remastered version of The Fellowship of the Ring delivered outstanding results, proving that it wasn't that the 3D era hadn't arrived—it was that film companies hadn't put in enough effort.
If even a remastered film could be this impressive, then a brand-new 3D production like The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey surely wouldn't disappoint.
On May 5, 2011, the premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was held at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.
As the film's producer, Gilbert naturally showed up to support it.
In front of the media, Gilbert lavishly praised Peter Jackson.
"We are all loyal fans of The Lord of the Rings series. Peter is amazing—he completed the adaptation with great faithfulness to the original work.
I've seen the film. It's stunning, the 3D effects are excellent, and it's absolutely worth seeing in theaters."
Peter Jackson naturally responded as well, saying, "Thanks to Director Gilbert. It was under his wise leadership that we were able to complete this film.
I also want to thank the entire crew for their dedication. Now, ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this visual feast!"
The premiere was undoubtedly a huge success. The Lord of the Rings trilogy created by Gilbert was already brilliant enough, and over the years it had accumulated a massive fan base.
Coupled with the technological advancements of the past decade, the film could present even richer visuals and effects, all of which strongly attracted audiences.
Orlando Bloom's elf prince was still as handsome as ever. Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins carried the familiar feeling of the previous films, though noticeably younger.
There was also the stunning Nicole Kidman returning as Queen Galadriel, as well as Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Christopher Lee as Saruman.
Each of the dwarf characters had distinct traits, especially Richard Armitage, who played the dwarf prince Thorin.
In real life, he stands at 1.89 meters tall. When the crew first approached him to play a dwarf, he thought they were joking.
"Peter sent me an invitation and said he wanted me to play a dwarf prince."
Richard Armitage showed a surprised expression. "I thought he was joking, so I didn't reply. Later, Peter personally came to talk to me, and that's how this collaboration came about."
Peter Jackson commented, "Richard Armitage has the bold, rugged temperament of a dwarf, along with a rare brooding side. Director Gilbert and I both felt he was very suitable for this role."
Orlando Bloom also talked about his feelings on reprising the role of the elf prince: "I've worked with Director Gilbert many times. Our first collaboration was on The Fellowship of the Ring.
He asked me if I wanted to play Legolas again, and I agreed without thinking too much."
Nicole Kidman also shared her feelings. Her Queen Galadriel had become a universally acknowledged queen among both film and book fans—any replacement would simply not be accepted.
"When Gilbert told me I had another chance to play Queen Galadriel, I was extremely excited," Nicole Kidman said.
I still remember how thrilled I was when I first saw the Lord of the Rings script. Tom encouraged me to take the role.
I was very fortunate to have accepted it back then. It has become one of the defining roles of my career."
Ian McKellen said, "I still remember the Oscars ceremony, when Gilbert suddenly asked me if I wanted to join The Lord of the Rings series. I hesitated at the time, after all, adapting such an epic work was incredibly difficult.
But now I'm very glad I didn't refuse. Seeing how much children love my character makes me extremely, extremely happy."
Due to health reasons, Christopher Lee, who played Saruman, and Ian Holm, who played the older Bilbo Baggins, were unable to attend the premiere in person.
However, both expressed their blessings for the film through recorded video messages.
Since Gilbert reignited the epic-film trend, Hollywood had produced quite a few epic movies over the past decade, but very few achieved real success.
This time, it would all depend on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to see whether it could once again drive the epic-film trend.
On the night of the premiere, media reviews also poured in.
Empire Magazine commented: "Although the film is somewhat lighter compared to the original work, it still remains highly faithful, and Martin Freeman's portrayal of Bilbo shows significant potential. In short, there are still many valuable elements in this film."
The San Francisco Chronicle said: "Compared to the previous work, this film has a lighter overall tone and incorporates nearly a decade of advances in digital effects, enough to satisfy fans of the original work."
A well-known IMDB critic, a popular reviewer with millions of followers, and a critic named Peter who had collaborated with Peter Jackson gave a lengthy review:
"Friendly reminder: the following contains some spoilers, so choose carefully whether to read. If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, just go to the theater.
But if you are an ordinary viewer, perhaps my review will help you.
The 3D production of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey delivers an extraordinary sense of fantasy to the audience.
In the scenes set in the elven kingdom of Rivendell, the original Lord of the Rings series already made viewers wish they could live in this poetic and picturesque elven world.
This film, however, makes Rivendell's stunning landscapes even more magnificent through 3D technology, combined with the director's superb scene orchestration, leaving audiences captivated.
Action sequences, such as the scene where wargs chase the cart-riding dwarves, include several shots that make the audience feel as if the wargs are charging right at them.
High-angle aerial shots or lateral tracking shots, such as those at the start in the dwarf kingdom, also feel more intense when enhanced by 3D.
In summary, this is the best 3D film since Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, well worth watching."
Unlike traditional critics rooted in television and newspaper media, internet-based popular reviewers displayed a more approachable, audience-friendly attitude.
Many popular reviewers do not waste much time on so-called independent or arthouse films; commercial films are where they shine.
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