The long line stretched from the east side of Nokia Plaza to the west, packed with countless people, forming a unique scene. Despite this, more people continued to join the line, willingly waiting for hours because the release of The Two Towers DVD was imminent. This was the film that had once captivated audiences across America, and now they could finally purchase it for their collections.
Amid the crowd, Kunitz stood on his tiptoes to look ahead. He had arrived at Nokia Plaza at 3 a.m., hoping to make it into the top ten in line. However, he didn't even make the top hundred, as many people had already gathered, some even bringing tents to wait overnight.
"This is Duke's film..."
Behind him, Jones, who had come along, kept muttering, "We should have come here to line up yesterday evening. I can't wait any longer."
"It's just over a hundred people," Kunitz said calmly, his age making him more composed. "It'll be our turn soon enough."
He then asked Jones, "Should we get the standard edition or the deluxe edition?"
Jones didn't hesitate. "Of course, the deluxe edition. Don't forget, the deluxe edition includes special clips from The Return of the King. That movie doesn't release until May, and now it's only February. I can't wait that long."
"Neither can I," Kunitz admitted. He was eager to see what kind of conclusion Duke would deliver after such an amazing first two installments.
At 8:30 sharp, the music store at Nokia Plaza opened its doors. After waiting for about twenty minutes, Jones and Kunitz were part of the third group allowed inside. Like everyone else who entered the store, they ignored all other merchandise and rushed straight to the The Two Towers DVD section. Each grabbed a deluxe edition priced at $39.9 from the shelves.
After paying, they left the store. Kunitz glanced back at the growing line. Even though the store had opened, the queue hadn't shortened; instead, it stretched even longer.
This was the first day of The Two Towers DVD release, and it seemed poised to set another astronomical sales record.
With this thought in mind, Jones and Kunitz got into their car and rushed home, eager to see the clips from The Return of the King.
Their black Chevrolet sped away from Nokia Plaza, stopping only ten minutes later on Brencote Street. Instead of heading home, Kunitz decided to join Jones at his house since it was closer. This way, they could watch the content they'd been anticipating even sooner.
They turned on the TV, inserted the DVD, and skipped ahead quickly. Finally, The Return of the King revealed itself.
A majestic white city built against the mountains appeared on screen. Even though it had briefly shown up in the first installment, Jones and Kunitz still widened their eyes in astonishment. Minas Tirith looked exactly as it should.
The next moment, their jaws dropped. It was a sweeping view of the battlefield. Cavalry, arrayed in wedge formation, charged toward an endless horde of orcs.
The cavalry charge in Helm's Deep had already been overwhelming, but it paled in comparison to what they were seeing now.
The camera swept through the orc formations, revealing half-orcs, trolls, and even massive oliphants—a monstrous assembly that made them worry: Could humanity win? Could the White City hold? How much courage would humanity need to face such a calamity?
Then came another battle scene: the human army assembled before the Black Gate. As the gate opened, Mordor's forces surged out, encircling humanity entirely...
"We're doomed. We're doomed..." Jones murmured, "I'm going to die! Just thinking about how I have to wait three more months for this movie makes me feel like life isn't worth living."
As he spoke, Jones prepared to replay the scene, but Kunitz stopped him. "Don't watch it again. If I do, I'll end up like you. God, I've never wished for time to pass faster than I do now."
The two sat on the couch, at a loss for words. Despite the video clips being only three minutes long, they were so breathtaking that words couldn't describe them.
After about five minutes, Jones suddenly clenched his teeth. "Such an amazing film, and the Oscars only gave it seven nominations? That's outrageous!"
"What's worse," Kunitz added angrily, "is that out of the seven nominations for The Two Towers, it'll probably only win one or two consolation prizes. The Academy has always discriminated against Duke!"
"Kunitz..." Jones seemed to have an idea. "If Duke walks away empty-handed at this year's Oscars, I think we should do something for him. He's given us so many amazing films, always putting our needs first when making them. I think we..."
"Yes, exactly!" Kunitz' eyes lit up. "We may not have a voice in the media, but we can rally people online to support Duke."
"If the Oscars still refuse to recognize Duke after The Return of the King, we should call for protests and tear down the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences! They owe Duke!"
"They owe me?" Duke chuckled. "They don't owe anyone."
Standing up, he paced the terrace and looked at the dark night sky. "At least the Academy's old men don't think they owe anyone."
"This year's Oscars..." Ivanka began.
Duke shrugged. "We'll still just be along for the ride."
Although The Two Towers had received seven nominations at last week's 2003 Oscars luncheon, including Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Director, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects, it was destined to only win technical awards.
"So, we'll have to wait until next year?"
The sea breeze picked up. Ivanka stood up and draped Duke's coat over his shoulders.
"Next year is our best chance," Duke tightened his coat. "After next year, it'll be much harder to win Best Director."
His production style was inherently at odds with what the Academy preferred, often facing discrimination.
Footsteps echoed from outside the terrace. Tina Fey entered with a document in hand and handed it to Duke. "Warner Bros just faxed this over. The first-week DVD sales numbers are out."
Ivanka's interest was piqued. "What's the total?"
"Another record-breaker!" Tina Fey said with a smile.
Duke opened the document. The Two Towers DVD had sold 6.1 million standard editions at $19.9 each and over 1.1 million deluxe editions at $39.9 each in North America during its first week. Total North American revenue had reached $147.22 million, easily surpassing the $132.5 million first-week sales of The Fellowship of the Ring.
"Is the film about to go offline?"
Even as an outsider, Ivanka knew that since the DVD had been released, The Two Towers must be in its final days in theaters.
In fact, the film's momentum had mostly dissipated. In North America, it was still being shown in about 400 theaters across major cities, but this was largely for the sake of the Oscar nominations.
Now that the nomination list was out, there was no longer a need to keep it in theaters.
What Duke didn't expect, however, was that the film would remain in theaters until just before the Oscars ceremony. The reason was simple: many fans, stirred by the nostalgia of the DVD, realized that the special effects and grand scenes felt completely different on a big screen compared to a TV. A significant number of them chose to return to the theaters to once again experience the epic impact.
Moreover, even the most biased individuals had to admit that neither The Fellowship of the Ring nor The Two Towers was merely a fast-consumption popcorn movie.
A week before the Oscars ceremony, The Two Towers officially exited North American theaters, with its box office earnings stopping at $521.32 million. It became the second film in North American history to surpass $500 million in box office revenue.
In the overseas markets, apart from a few small countries that had purchased exclusive screening rights, The Two Towers had largely gone offline as well. Its global box office totaled $1.31288 billion, successfully surpassing The Fellowship of the Ring and claiming the title of the second-highest-grossing film worldwide.
The Two Towers achieved immense commercial success, but at the subsequent Oscars ceremony, it once again became one of the night's losers. Even with Chicago no longer a strong competitor, the film only won two consolation technical awards: Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.
However, Duke didn't mind too much, as it was only the second installment in the trilogy.
"I told you that you wouldn't win."
As Duke exited the Kodak Theatre, he encountered Roger Ebert. To be precise, it seemed that Ebert had deliberately waited for him near the exit. This most famous film critic in America, though speaking in a low voice, did not hide his antagonistic attitude.
"Not this year, and not next year either," Ebert said.
Duke merely smiled lightly. "Let's wait and see the results next year."
Watching Duke walk away unconcerned, Roger Ebert ignored the glances from others nearby, stepped out of the Kodak Theatre, and pulled out his phone to make a few calls. He then headed toward a café in the Highland Center.
The café wasn't far, and after a short ten-minute walk, Roger Ebert pushed the door open. His gaze swept the room briefly before spotting a group of other renowned film critics sitting together. He quickly walked over to join them.
"We've won again."
As a film critic for The Hollywood Reporter, Todd McCarthy was in a great mood. Ever since someone had disrupted their field, he had been waiting for this day.
"We can't let our guard down," David Denby said cautiously. "Don't forget, next year is the key. If he succeeds next year, everything we've done over the past two years will become a joke."
"He won't succeed!" Roger Ebert declared firmly. "Our influence on commercial films may be dwindling, but this is awards season—it's our last stronghold!"
The group subtly regarded Ebert as their leader, and he continued confidently, "The Oscars may be over, but our work isn't done yet. We can start reminding the Academy ahead of time about what kind of choices to make next year!"
.....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (20 chpaters)
MV Director (30 chapters)....
Douluo Dalu:Breaking Clan(30 chapters)
Made In Hollywood (50 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu