After discussing the movie, Ethan and Leonardo talked about the environmental documentary.
"How do you plan to shoot it?" Ethan asked.
"I'm going to interview some experts and scientists, as well as CIA investigators and some politicians committed to environmental protection," Leonardo said. Being a well-known star across the United States, he had a lot of influence, and many people would be willing to accept his interviews just for his sake.
"Alright, sounds professional."
"Of course!" Leonardo crossed his legs. "The whole documentary is very professional. I plan to interview some household names, like Hawking."
"Hawking?" Ethan twitched his lips, never expecting to be connected to this famous scientist, who suffered from ALS yet still retained his male physiological functions.
Seeing Ethan remain silent, Leonardo asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just a little surprised."
"Haha, what's there to be surprised about? There are plenty more scientists waiting to be interviewed!"
After that, the two went to the shooting range in the estate and spent some time practicing with firearms.
Ethan now had a gun license, and under Tom's guidance, his shooting skills had improved significantly. Combined with his sharp eyesight, he wasn't a perfect marksman, but he could hit the target ninety-five times out of a hundred.
After witnessing Ethan's shooting skills, Leonardo nodded. "Impressive. Maybe we should invite you to one of our events in the future."
"What kind of events?" Ethan frowned.
"Hunting events," Leonardo explained. "In some places, certain animal populations grow out of control, disrupting the local ecosystem. So, we organize hunting events to help the locals. Of course, we also take the opportunity to compete in marksmanship."
"I see." Ethan nodded. "Sounds fun. Remember to call me next time."
"Will do."
That night, after leaving Leonardo's estate, Ethan returned to an apartment near the Juno set.
Anne Hathaway was lying on the bed reading a magazine.
Seeing Ethan return, she got up to help him hang his coat. "How was it? Did Leonardo confirm?"
"He did. He agreed to join."
"That's great. So, who's left?"
"The other actors are easy to handle. The most important one is Heath Ledger," Ethan said, loosening his tie. "He's currently filming Candy in Australia and says he can't get away."
"What will you do? Choose another actor?"
"I also asked Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but he has another film, The Lookout, scheduled for the second half of the year."
"So, what are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to Australia to convince Heath Ledger," Ethan paused for a moment and then said, "Maybe there's a way.
The filming of Juno was progressing steadily. Within half a month after his conversation with Leonardo, Ethan had nearly finished shooting the entire movie.
Even he hadn't expected the film to move along so quickly.
But that was mainly thanks to Ellen Page.
She had a firm grasp of the protagonist's personality and played the role effortlessly.
Additionally, with a slightly higher budget compared to the original version, they didn't have to be so restrained with locations, which naturally sped up the filming process.
After wrapping up Juno, Ethan took Carl and flew to Australia.
Outside the Candy set, they met Heath Ledger.
"Hello, Ethan." Heath Ledger was a young man with a sunny appearance. Although his hairline seemed a bit high, he had a very friendly demeanor.
"Hello, Ledger." Ethan greeted him before the two sat on a bench near the set, chatting like old friends.
Carl sat in the car, bored, flipping through a newly bought newspaper.
"I didn't expect you to come personally," Heath Ledger said, surprised. He had thought that after turning down Inception, that would be the end of it. He hadn't expected Ethan to travel all the way from the U.S. to find him.
This level of persistence touched Heath Ledger.
"Of course. You're one of my key actors," Ethan said with a smile. "Can you tell me your concerns?"
"Uh… mainly the schedule," Heath Ledger explained. "This film will take me until summer, and then I have another movie, I'm Not There, which will keep me busy until the end of the year… It's really unfortunate."
"Is that so? Sounds like a packed schedule." Ethan handed him a script. "But take a look at the role and the story summary—maybe you'll change your mind."
Heath Ledger knew a simple excuse wouldn't make Ethan leave, so he nodded, took the script, and started reading.
And he read for twenty minutes.
"This is an interesting story," Heath Ledger said as he set the script down. His first words were full of admiration. "I think this story is very creative. Stealing secrets from dreams—it's really cool."
"Exactly. It's very cool and very unique," Ethan said with a smile. "Plus, this film will be one of the rare sci-fi movies in recent years, and seventy percent of the effects will be done with practical sets. You won't have to stand in front of a green screen pretending—everything will be filmed in real environments with simulated effects."
"That sounds amazing." Heath Ledger grinned. "I hate shooting CGI-heavy films. That's why I usually don't take those roles."
"So, are you interested?"
Heath Ledger hesitated for a moment. "To be honest, Ethan, I'm really interested… but the schedule—"
"Don't worry about scheduling. My film won't start until at least the end of the year, so you won't have any conflicts," Ethan assured him. He had only recently found the right props team, and based on his requirements, it would take several months to build those large-scale set pieces.
"Alright." Heath Ledger was still uncertain.
"And this movie has a high budget—an estimated $150 million," Ethan added another temptation. "If you join, trust me, your pay will be higher than for any of your other films.
The budget was high, but Ethan certainly wouldn't be paying out of pocket.
He planned to bring in MGM and a few other investment companies to share the costs. Additionally, this movie could attract many sponsors.
After all, in commercial blockbusters like this, the cars and clothing featured get massive exposure, and brands are usually willing to pay for that.
Hearing about the paycheck, Heath Ledger nodded. He still had some desire for money, but his desire to play a great role surpassed his interest in money.
However, Ethan caught a subtle trace of hesitation in his expression. Noticing this, he immediately said, "But I think the most valuable part of doing this movie isn't any of that. Do you know what it is?"
"What?" Heath Ledger asked curiously.
"It's about understanding and relieving yourself," Ethan spread his hands. "I'm bringing in dream researchers and psychologists. If you struggle mentally—maybe getting stuck in a role, or dealing with stress—these experts might have some answers for you."
"Really?" That struck a nerve with Heath. He had been taking psychiatric medication recently but hadn't found real relief from his condition.
"Absolutely."
"Then… let's do it." Heath shook Ethan's hand with a smile.
After Heath returned to the set, Ethan got back in the car.
"That guy sure is indecisive," Carl shrugged, sharing his thoughts.
"You're not wrong." Ethan watched Heath's back. "He's a bit hesitant, and that's probably why his acting is so nuanced. But I bet it also causes him a lot of trouble."
"Now that it's settled, where to next?"
"Now? A nice vacation retreat, of course."
Ethan hadn't come to Australia just for Heath Ledger. A while back, he had taken several women on a world tour, but some had missed out.
Since Kayden and Cindy were free, he had invited them to Australia for a relaxing weekend.
A week later, Ethan appeared at the Los Angeles offices of Digital Domain.
"This place…" Scott Ross, the founder of Digital Domain, led him on a tour of the building.
"Look here. Everyone in this room is a VFX expert, specializing in different areas to ensure perfect special effects. The Day After Tomorrow was their masterpiece—those realistic scenes were crafted by these very people."
Scott Ross praised his company's strengths while glancing around the vast 3,000-square-foot office.
Ethan observed the VFX artists working inside. He keenly noticed that their pace was slow and their attitude relaxed, as if there wasn't much work.
"What projects are you currently working on?"
"My Super Ex-Girlfriend," "Zoom," "Flags of Our Fathers," and a few others," Scott named some movies, none of which were major VFX blockbusters. Compared to Weta Digital and Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain lagged far behind.
Ethan nodded, forming an initial impression of the company's situation.
A few moments later, they entered an office where Scott Ross poured a glass of water for Ethan and his assistant.
"Now that you've seen the company, what do you think?" Scott Ross eagerly asked for Ethan's opinion.
He was already overwhelmed with the company's struggles and had been considering passing it on to someone else.
But Digital Domain's equipment and staff were a heavy burden. Plus, Hollywood had few investors interested in VFX companies.
Most studios preferred working with well-established VFX teams, so Scott Ross struggled to find a suitable buyer.
After all, this was the company he had personally built, and he didn't want to hand it over to someone unreliable.
Ethan Li Norton, however, seemed like a good candidate. He was young, passionate about VFX, and already successful.
With the profits from Fifty Shades of Grey, buying Digital Domain wouldn't be a problem for him.
Scott Ross even thought that, under Ethan's leadership, the company might land big-budget projects and revive its reputation.
So, his attitude toward Ethan was extremely welcoming—practically begging for a buyout.
However, Ethan wasn't impressed with Digital Domain. He bluntly said, "I think this company has very little potential."
"Why?" Scott Ross frowned, disagreeing. "We have a strong technical foundation in the industry. Few companies can match our expertise."
"But a VFX company isn't a film studio, is it?" Ethan spread his hands. "Film studios are diverse—some focus on niche films and still thrive. But for VFX companies, there's only one path: providing effects for films and TV shows, especially blockbusters."
"But how many major blockbusters are made each year? How many can sustain a business with hundreds of employees?" Ethan shook his head. "Very few. That's why the VFX industry follows a 'winner-takes-all' model. If Digital Domain sticks to its old strategies, it will soon be pushed out of the market."
Scott Ross fell silent. He had long realized that continuing like this was just slow suicide.
Every year, Digital Domain's VFX workload was shrinking. So far this year, they had only received three projects. At best, they could break even, but profits were out of the question.
In another two years, they might even have to take out loans just to make payroll.
This was exactly why Scott Ross wanted to bow out.
"So what do you think we should do?" Scott Ross's tone softened, proactively asking for Ethan's advice.
"To turn things around, the first step is to shift your research focus," Ethan tapped his knee. "I looked into it—Digital Domain's technology is still stuck three years behind. Your so-called breakthroughs are just in particle effects. But that's the wrong direction. Because the future of film trends means these kinds of effects will become secondary."
"Then what will be the main focus of VFX?" Scott Ross asked curiously.
Ethan didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled. "I'll reveal that after I officially take over the company, won't I?"
"Alright." Scott Ross understood that this was Ethan's way of negotiating leverage—there was no way he would reveal his plans upfront.
But he also confirmed that Ethan genuinely intended to turn the company around, not just buy it for fun.
And that was the most important thing to Scott Ross.
So, he quickly moved into formal discussions about selling his shares.
A week later, Norton Eye announced the acquisition of 32% of Digital Domain for $50 million, making Ethan the largest shareholder.
At the same time, Ethan would take over as Digital Domain's new CEO, leading its transformation. He also assigned Inception to be handled by Digital Domain.
Inception?
When Hollywood media reported this, everyone was puzzled.
This was completely different from Ethan's past films.
And it was a sci-fi film—could Ethan, who had no experience in the genre, handle such complex VFX?
While people were questioning this, another piece of news suddenly broke.
Leonardo DiCaprio would be starring in Inception.
Heath Ledger would also play an important supporting role.
These two announcements shocked everyone.
...
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)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu.