Although the outside world had doubts about whether Gilbert could succeed in directing a musical film, many actors still wanted to collaborate with him.
Julia Roberts' agent put it quite logically: "The decline of musicals is an undeniable fact. Eventually, Gilbert will return to mainstream commercial films.
For a director like him, an occasional misstep doesn't mean much—it won't affect his status.
For his next project, there will still be countless film companies eager to fund him."
This was the truth, so Julia Roberts wanted to compete for the role of Roxie in Chicago, and she didn't forget to stir up some buzz about her past working relationship with Gilbert on Hook.
It wasn't just Julia Roberts—Madonna Ciccone also stated that if Gilbert chose her to play Velma, she was willing to publicly give Gilbert that...
Additionally, Goldie Hawn, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, and Meg Ryan were all rumored to be involved in Chicago.
But all these speculations and rumors vanished once the official cast of Chicago was announced.
However, what puzzled many famous actresses was that Naomi Watts getting a role was understandable—after all, she was the leading lady of Melon Manor.
But who was this Catherine Zeta-Jones? How did she manage to land a role as well?
Everyone quickly found out who Catherine was because she starred as the female lead in The Mask of Zorro, which soon debuted in the summer season. It earned $28.5 million in its opening weekend—a decent performance.
Catherine's performance in the film was highly praised. Sometimes, she exuded a fiery and untamed beauty, while at other times, she carried the elegance of a classic British lady, fully showcasing her star potential.
However, the film's male lead, Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, faced heavy criticism.
The image of Zorro was almost universally recognized, and multiple versions of the film had already been made. Suddenly casting a Latino actor in the role left audiences struggling to accept the change.
Perhaps because of this, The Mask of Zorro quickly saw a steep box office decline. Its second-week earnings dropped to $19.46 million, and predictions suggested that its North American box office wouldn't surpass $100 million.
Although its earnings weren't spectacular, the film's release gave Catherine some recognition in Hollywood.
Now, with her starring in Gilbert's film as well, she seemed to be a rising Hollywood star.
Before Chicago went into full production, after arranging dance training for the cast, Gilbert sat down for an interview with Vanity Fair at Warner Bros. Studios.
During the interview, he talked about his eight years in Hollywood and his journey to success.
"I love movies. I'm obsessed with this art form. Whenever I have ideas in my mind, I can't wait to share them with the audience.
I've put in a lot of effort to grow from a newcomer to where I am today.
In 1991, I was an assistant director on Hook, driving my father's second-hand car and too broke to pay off my student loans.
And now, my films have grossed over $3 billion worldwide.
I think that's enough proof that I was born to be in the film industry."
As the conversation continued, the topic shifted to why he chose to direct Chicago.
"Every director reaches a crossroads in their career where they need to try something different. That's why I made The Sixth Sense, and now I plan to shoot Chicago—to explore new genres.
I've always feared repeating myself. I want to break through limitations, refusing to be confined by a single type of film, and bring more and better movies to the audience."
When asked about his future plans, Gilbert didn't hold back and, for the first time, publicly revealed details about The Lord of the Rings project.
"We've been preparing a massive trilogy in China. So far, we've invested $200 million. After Chicago is finished, I'll be stationed in China to complete the trilogy."
"The Lord of the Rings?" the interviewer asked.
"Yes, The Lord of the Rings," Gilbert confirmed.
This Vanity Fair interview attracted a lot of attention from film fans.
They noticed that Gilbert always answered with composure and confidence, as if nothing could ever trouble him.
And the stories he shared resonated deeply with them.
If one were to describe it in the language of fangirls, it would be something like: "He works so hard; I feel so bad for him." Gilbert's fans had this kind of attitude toward him.
However, the most discussed topics in the interview were Chicago and the mysterious Lord of the Rings project.
Chicago was one thing—aside from those blindly confident in Gilbert, almost no one believed that this musical film would be a success.
Even Gilbert's loyal supporter, Roger Ebert, expressed doubts on his show.
"I love musicals and miss their golden age, but I don't think Gilbert making one is a good idea.
It feels like a side project for fun—after this, he'll go back to making regular films."
Most of Gilbert's fans shared this sentiment, believing that Chicago was just a temporary experiment for him.
But The Lord of the Rings was a different story. When the news first broke that Gilbert planned to adapt The Lord of the Rings for the big screen, book fans protested for a long time.
Then, the project went silent. Rumors said that negotiations with New Zealand weren't going well, so people assumed it had been shelved.
But unexpectedly, the film had been in preparation for nearly a year, and the shooting location was in China.
This reignited protests from book fans, who once again voiced strong opposition.
Unfortunately, protests were meaningless. With so much money already invested, would they really abandon the project just because of complaints from book fans?
Not to mention Gilbert himself—neither Warner Bros. nor Disney would allow it. Because, through The Lord of the Rings, both companies had reached successful negotiations with China.
Warner Bros. World and Disneyland were set to open in Beijing and Shanghai, among other cities.
Of course, these things wouldn't happen overnight—it might take another seven to ten years, or even longer.
The executives at Warner Bros. and Disney weren't fools. Although some critics with Chinese heritage would sometimes claim that China's economy would collapse within ten years, or push the "China threat" narrative,
That was just nonsense for deceiving gullible people. The real decision-makers understood that China's rapid economic growth and its imminent entry into the WTO represented a massive opportunity.
No amount of external speculation or doubt could shake Gilbert's resolve.
After a refreshing break, he quickly threw himself into preparing Chicago.
The production team first signed a contract with a Broadway team, with John Meyer from Broadway responsible for the film's choreography and dance training for the actors.
Additionally, producer Charles Roven brought in composers Josh Kendall and Ebb to create the film's music and original songs.
Despite the title Chicago, Gilbert clearly had no intention of filming in the actual city. Most scenes would be shot on Warner Bros.' studio sets.
Chicago was undoubtedly Broadway's most successful musical—there was no competition. Since its premiere in 1975, it had been performed thousands of times and remained a timeless classic.
However, the story's origins were even older. Back in 1924, a reporter from the Chicago Tribune was inspired by two real-life female murder cases to create the foundation for Chicago.
In both cases, the women accused of murder were ultimately acquitted, and many films later drew inspiration from these events.
But what truly propelled Chicago to fame was legendary Hollywood choreographer Bob Fosse.
He innovatively infused the musical with sharp social critique, making it not only timely but also thought-provoking.
Gilbert had once read a review claiming that compared to Chicago, La La Land was nothing more than a half-finished product.
Intrigued, he watched La La Land first, then Chicago.
Afterward, Gilbert thought that critic was absolutely right.
"Chicago's storytelling is highly original—it's a musical infused with crime elements," he explained to the cast during a rehearsal break.
"I saw the full Broadway performance, and it was incredible.
Most musicals are lighthearted romances, but this one blends in crime, creating an unexpected impact."
"So, at its core, Chicago is actually a crime film?" Tom Cruise asked.
Gilbert smiled and nodded. "Tom, you could interpret it that way, and that would be fine."
Catherine had never performed in Chicago on stage, but she had seen it.
"It was eye-opening," she said. "I never knew a musical could be presented this way."
Gilbert then commented, "Your long hair looks nice. I think you should keep it."
Catherine disagreed. "No, I'll cut it off. If my long hair covers my face, no one will see that I'm actually dancing in the film. That would waste all my hard work."
"Fair enough." Gilbert didn't insist.
In the original film, Catherine had short hair and delivered an outstanding performance—she even won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
For Gilbert, this was a low-risk project. The budget covered lead actors' salaries, his own fee, crew expenses, and set construction.
With a $20 million budget, Chicago had more than enough funding.
However, as a director, Chicago demanded precise control over pacing and narrative.