KOCF Ch 11. Naomi Watts (Patreon)

Hollywood: King of the Commercial Films

Ch 11. Naomi Watts

The explosion not only caused significant damage, but it also incurred a cost of more than 300,000 U.S. dollars. Sofia Coppola might have been scared. She contacted Duke the next day and lied about being sick, saying she needed a few days off.

In all honesty, Duke is somewhat dissatisfied with the result of this shoot. The explosion visuals they created and documented are truly underwhelming when compared to the bomber he used to be.

While Lucasfilm has signed the pyrotechnics and photography team, they are not regarded as a leading player in this particular domain.

Nonetheless, Duke is not in a position to ask for additional things. Ultimately, there are only a handful of top professionals in this field in Hollywood.

Following the predetermined shooting schedule, the crew transitioned to shooting with models upon returning to the set. As a case in point, Duke chose to forego the impractical and costly shots inside a bus lacking any external scenery, and instead embraced model shooting using a lifelike model produced by Industrial Light and Magic. The impact on the shooting effect will be negligible.

Ultimately, the majority of the models ended up exploding for camera shots.

The explosion at Universal Studios’ outdoor studio resulted in the destruction of a 50 meter model of a Pacific Courier Freight and a bus model of a similar scale.

[PIC]

The crew is currently experiencing the most successful period since filming began. Duke successfully finished the shooting task that was scheduled for two weeks, even completing it within the first week of November.

This is not just about the crew becoming more mature over time, but also about his tendency to always approach planning from the most challenging perspective.

As the true leader of the crew, Robin Grand has managed to remain almost entirely hidden since the crew’s inception.

Similar to other exceptional production managers, he has essentially handed over control of the set to Duke, merely observing everything is happening.

Duke is fully aware that Robin Grand has already seen all of the film shots he took, and not just once, but has refrained from providing any comments until now.

This demonstrates his general satisfaction with the film shots he has captured, and Assistant Director Kone has also become more subdued, potentially as a result of Robin’s discreet warning.

Despite being subtle, it cannot escape the observant individual. Robin Grande is looking after him.

What was the reason behind the actions of the other party? According to Duke, it must be the connection between George Lucas. His thoughts are solely consumed with the task of creating this movie, without considering it from a more profound perspective.

However, in Hollywood, not everything will be a walk in the park.

“Here’s the plan for shooting this afternoon.”

On the set, Sofia Coppola, who had returned to the crew, placed a neatly organized schedule on the table in front of Duke. She looked at him and said, “But Keanu hasn’t arrived yet. Don’t you think it’s time for another shot?”

“He is running over twenty minutes behind schedule.”

Every scene in the afternoon was connected to Keanu Reeves. Uma Thurman and Dennis Hopper, both wearing makeup, were already waiting in the studio’s rest area.

Just as Duke was about to switch up the shooting plan, he heard a sound from the studio entrance. Whistling a cheerful tune, Keanu Reeves walked in with an unsteady gait. As a staff member approached, reminding him to put on makeup, Keanu swiftly pushed him aside, causing him to stumble and fall.

“Hey, kid!” Keanu Reeves had a high and hoarse voice as he said, “Don’t bother!”

Tossing the schedule slip aside, Duke marched over to Keanu Reeves. Before he even reached him, he caught a faint whiff of a familiar scent - a combination of smoke and alcohol.

Even though he never experienced it firsthand, he was familiar with the scent during his high school and university years. When considering the unconventional life of Keanu Reeves in the early 1990s, the answer becomes quite clear.

“You’re late, Mr. Reeves!”

Duke reached out and helped the shocked staff up.

“Just a couple minutes!” With an enthusiastic wave of his hand, Keanu Reeves exclaimed, “Just give me a few minutes!”

“Find a spot for him to get sober.”

Duke alerted the assistant, who was following Keanu Reeves, but Reeves shoved him away.

“I wanna film!”

Keanu Reeves, all pumped up, was clearly a bit confused, his voice going up, “I wanna film, you get me? I want to film!”

He sort of tripped towards Duke. Just as he was about to get close, he started swaying back and forth, and then he smacked right into the ‘wall’. The set wall got knocked down right away, and he got tripped and fell.

In a rush to get up, he hastily grabbed hold of a rope securely fastened within the false wall and strained to yank it with all his might. As a result, he directly pulled the false wall that was over twenty feet long.

It’s normal for stars to have Smoke and Drink and do drugs. It’s not uncommon for Keanu Reeves to do it as many do in Hollywood, but hardly anyone actually does that and goes wild on set!

Observing Keanu Reeves behaving like an intoxicated person, shouting with excitement, Duke cast a cold look at him. He then turned to Sophia, who stood behind him, and instructed her to call Keanu’s agent and request security guards to intervene and remove him.

“Please, I beg you,”

While Keanu Reeves indulged in drugs, his assistant remained clean. If the news catches wind of this, how will it impact the studios?

Duke turned and made his way to his resting spot. The set was ruined. This afternoon’s filming would definitely be a waste. He took a good look at the actors, like Uma Thurman and Dennis Hopper. These guys didn’t have to watch the show, they already kinda know Keanu.

As Keanu threw a fit, the whole crew watched in disbelief while the assistant skillfully soothed him. Despite the additional workload, they found this to be one of the most enjoyable activities. After that, Reeves sat down, his high from Drinks and Drug gradually calming down and realised what he had done.

Sofia asked people to inquire, listening intently to their responses as she quickly pieced together the general situation.

“He went to a bar with Johnny Depp before he showed up.” She told Duke, who was sitting across from her.

“The bar is popular among young Hollywood actors, and it seems that Keanu Reeves, Johnny Depp, and River Phoenix are a famous trio known for their drug addiction in Hollywood.”

“They can do drugs all day, it’s not my problem!”

Duke’s tone turned cold as he lightly tapped the armrest of the chair, expressing his annoyance, “He has completely ruined my shooting plan for the entire afternoon today!”

Robin Grand, who was absent from the set today, hurriedly arrived first, followed shortly by Keanu Reeves’ agent.

Duke and Robin were seated together in the office. With a cold towel on his face, Keanu Reeves seemed somewhat awake, while his agent appeared to be suffering from a headache.

“I’m very sorry.” The agent has said this several times.

“Mr. Reeves not only disrupted my filming plan.” Duke spoke in a monotone, indicating that the event had already occurred and finding a solution was the top priority. “Mr. Reeves has already taken down the set that was put up for today’s shoot, and it has been damaged to different extents. These damages will take to repair, which will delay the shooting and waste precious time of the crew.”

“I’m sorry.” The agent continued.

“I really hope Mr. Reeves says this sentence.”

Duke looked at Keanu Reeves who had regained consciousness. “He’s the one who needs to apologize the most!”

“You...,” Keanu Reeves abruptly lifted his head and gave Duke a fierce stare.

Duke stared at him more intensely, showing no sign of backing down. Keanu Reeves may be a good man in the future, but he is still an insufferable bastard now.

The agent whispered a few words in Reeves’s ear. Keanu slowly bowed his head and apologized to Duke. ”I’m Sorry, Duke.”

Duke nodded in agreement, accepting his apology. He didn’t intend to show any reluctance. Both parties would continue their collaboration. It would be no good for the movie if both refused to back down.

Later on, Duke dipped out of the office, and he couldn’t care less about what Robin Grande could blackmail from the other party.

Everyone was affected by this incident because the film shooting took longer than expected. Despite Keanu Reeves’ apology, the relationship between the two remained tense, but Duke was unconcerned about it.

From the very start of production, he maintained a distance from all the actors. Besides work, he preferred to keep his interaction with them to a minimum.

One week later, the crew wrapped up the filming of the subway scene and concluded the shooting of the movie.

Dennis Hopper was the first lead actor to depart from the cast. Robin Grande, a genuinely kind individual, organized a farewell party at a bar that was sponsored by Universal Studios.

“Dennis, you did an excellent job!”

As he raised the glass and clinked it with Dennis Hopper, Duke savored the bubbly champagne. He then spoke, “I look forward to working together again someday.”

“I hope so,” Dennis Hopper raised his glass of wine to his lips.

One of the basic survival skills in Hollywood is being able to discern what people say.

Duke escaped the chaotic crowd and sought solace in the quiet bar. He ordered another glass of champagne, perched on a high chair, and savored each sip.

Amidst the lively carnival atmosphere, he couldn’t shake off the overwhelming pressure that weighed on him, preventing him from fully immersing himself in the festivities.

“Don’t you enjoy a lively vibe?” Suddenly, a distinctly Australian voice, spoken by a woman, could be heard nearby.

Duke shook his head. He also engaged in parties during high school and college and didn’t shy away from that environment.

“Do you not enjoy being around others?” the voice continued, “Or do you want to maintain the director’s authority?”

“Miss Watts, how much authority do you think I have on the crew?”

Duke turned his head and glanced at the petite girl who had just taken a seat beside him. The other party’s golden curly hair cascaded gracefully over her shoulders, complementing her ivory gown. Only two small front teeth peeked out from beneath her lips.

With a direct smile, Naomi Watts exuded warmth and charisma. In both Japan and Australia, she has tirelessly immersed herself in the work circles, building a strong foundation over the years.

She’s definitely not a rookie.

It is evident to her that the crew’s presence is motivated by the work contract rather than the reputation of the young director.

“You can call me Naomi,” she said with a warm smile.

She introduced herself to Duke, “I’m Naomi Watts, from Australia.”

Duke introduced himself with a handshake, saying, “Duke Rosenberg, born and bred in LA.”

[A/N]

[It seems most people don't like this story or feel it is full of info dumps and it's dry rather  than having interesting scenes. I apologize for that, It is very hard to make this story readable and make people and add drama to it. If most people find it uninteresting, I am likely to drop this work as I started it as a side project. And Each chapter takes me 2 to 3 hours of hard work to rework. We will see about the future.]

**---**

[~1900 Words]