Ethan had not contacted Anne Hathaway or Avril in recent days.
It wasn't just because seeking them out now would only make them angrier—more importantly, the filming of Valkyrie had already begun.
And while Ethan was on set, Carl also brought back some news.
The negotiations with Marvel over licensing rights had not yielded any favorable results.
Most of Marvel's well-known characters had already been purchased by other film studios.
For instance, 20th Century Fox owned the entire X-Men franchise; Universal had the rights to The Hulk; Lionsgate held Captain America, Black Panther, Black Widow, Deadpool, Iron Fist, and Ant-Man; while Sony controlled Spider-Man.
As a result, Marvel had no plans to sell any more of their superheroes.
Furthermore, since 2005, Marvel had realized the importance of intellectual property. They decided to produce their own films and mortgaged their IP to Merrill Lynch in exchange for financing.
Their first test project was Iron Man.
After a long casting process, the role had finally gone to Downey.
He had already joined the production, and by next year, audiences would likely see this Iron Man soaring through the skies.
When Marvel learned that Ethan was interested in superheroes, they were also eager to collaborate.
Carl used this opportunity to negotiate some business partnerships between the companies.
Perhaps once Iron Man became a box-office hit, Marvel would invite Ethan to direct another superhero film.
Of course, if Iron Man flopped, they would face a serious debt crisis.
But Ethan knew that this film was destined to take off and save Marvel from financial ruin.
Thinking it over, he considered investing in Marvel's stock ahead of time.
Once the movie became a massive hit, the stock would inevitably surge—after all, Marvel's shares were currently at rock bottom.
He entrusted this task to Lauren Ortiz of Umbrella Corporation, the business consulting and accounting firm he had acquired earlier.
Umbrella Corporation had been expanding rapidly and had already made a name for itself across New York. Many multinational corporations now sought their services for tax avoidance strategies, and numerous businesses relied on their accounting expertise.
Recently, Lauren Ortiz had even relocated to a larger office space within the same building as Norton's Eye.
Aside from these business matters, the filming of Valkyrie was progressing smoothly.
Perhaps because they were no longer in Germany, the crew hadn't encountered any of the previous absurd incidents.
Meanwhile, as the summer blockbuster season approached, the second official trailer for Inception was freshly released.
This time, the trailer was mostly a compilation of key plot scenes—rotating hallways, exploding banks, and Paris collapsing.
As soon as these images appeared on screens, they immediately sparked a new wave of heated discussions!
On IMDb, the largest movie website in the U.S., there were countless threads about Inception.
Rhythm Blue Lin: Honestly, when I saw this trailer, I was blown away! It exceeded my expectations! I initially thought it was just a story about exploring dreams, but I never expected it to be about a meticulously planned heist? Whoa, stealing dreams—this is insanely cool!
The Godfather is the Best: I'm really interested in that rotating hallway. How do the actors maintain their balance and deliver their performances in such an environment?
John Crayon: Heath Ledger looks so handsome! And my favorite Leonardo DiCaprio—this is a powerhouse combination!
Unlucky Jesse: This is Ethan's first major production. Honestly, I'm looking forward to it! I can't wait to see how amazing this movie will be.
Medieval Dog: With so many stars, if Ethan messes this up, it'll become one of Hollywood's biggest jokes. The chances are high since he's never directed a movie with such a large ensemble cast before. He seems better suited to films without big-name actors.
Glasses-Wearing Mirren: Are you kidding? Ethan has excelled in every genre—horror, musicals, westerns, family comedies. Inception is bound to exceed expectations!
Similar discussions flooded the internet, and even the media questioned whether Ethan could handle a film of this scale and budget.
However, when journalists interviewed the cast, they received unanimous praise.
Ellen Page confidently stated, "I think the director is incredibly talented. Whether it's his imagination or his execution, he has helped me a lot on set. He respects me, and I trust him completely."
Robert Downey Jr. said, "I believe the director is a genius. Ethan's attention to detail with the camera is the most meticulous I've ever seen. He won't overlook a single imperfection. So, I think the visuals will be spectacular, and moviegoers will thoroughly enjoy it. And of course, the story is amazing. All I can say is—go watch it. It'll redefine how you see dreams."
Heath Ledger remarked, "I can't say this is a movie that everyone will love, but I guarantee it will be worth your ticket price. It's incredibly captivating. Though the shoot was tough, I thoroughly enjoyed it."
Leonardo DiCaprio stated, "I think this film is Oscar-worthy. Yes, you heard me right. This is one of the most unique films I've ever worked on."
With the unanimous praise from the cast, the audience's anticipation for this film skyrocketed. Correspondingly, the theaters temporarily increased the screenings of Inception.
This would be the biggest spectacle Ethan had ever experienced since his debut. For this film, he had even invited many well-known directors and actors in the industry. He planned to hold a premiere event the day before the film's release, using a promotional strategy that, though overused in later years, remained highly effective.
For two whole months after the trailer was released, Ethan was completely focused on filming Valkyrie.
From time to time, he would also spend time with Jessica and Anne Hathaway.
Although Anne Hathaway still wasn't giving him a good attitude, at least, considering her growing belly, she tacitly accepted Ethan's care. However, the two of them never mentioned Avril in their interactions.
As for Jessica, she had completely turned into a silly, clueless pregnant woman. Her biggest hobby every day was finding different kinds of music for prenatal education. Ethan even found her Chinese massage therapists and nutritionists to help her relax and ensure a healthy pregnancy.
"Ethan, I've told you before, I don't need all this," Jessica had said more than once, but she always caved under Ethan's indulgent gaze.
And once she accepted it, she realized that these pregnancy care methods did make her feel a lot more comfortable.
Even the baby in her belly stopped moving around as much.
Naturally, Anne Hathaway's arrangements were just as well-prepared. Unlike Jessica, she didn't refuse anything.
However, neither of these two women had appeared in Hollywood recently, which made many reporters curious about their whereabouts. To prevent them from being disturbed, Ethan even hired more security services.
But that was all he could do. Pregnancy was impossible to keep a secret, and sooner or later, journalists would find out.
So in June, the news of Jessica's pregnancy spread throughout Hollywood.
The only thing reporters couldn't figure out was who the father of her child was since they had no chance to get close enough to ask.
On the other hand, Avril was still working on her new album. After asking Ethan a few times without getting an answer, she chose to avoid him and went to another city.
She didn't tell Ethan where she was, nor did she reply to his messages.
Ethan knew she needed more time to think, so he didn't push too hard.
Because of this, he ended up spending more time with Scarlett, making her joke that he had "changed."
"You only ever come to me during awards season," Scarlett said after another round of passion. She propped her chin on her hand, her bare body lying on the bed, gazing at Ethan with a teasing smile.
Ethan looked at the full, snow-white curves pressed against the sheets and couldn't resist touching her.
"We've traveled together before."
"Yeah, but that was a long time ago. So, which woman hurt you this time?" Scarlett smiled as she traced circles on Ethan's chest with her fingertip.
"You figured it out again?" Ethan teased.
"Of course. You're a director now. So many women are throwing themselves at you like moths to a flame. What am I to you?" Scarlett twirled a strand of her golden hair around her finger, her every expression filled with charm.
"Then what would it take for you to forgive me?" Ethan didn't spell it out but asked her in a playful tone.
"Make a movie for me—tailor-made." Scarlett turned over and looked at him with her chin slightly raised.
"So that's what you're after," Ethan leaned in, inhaling the citrusy scent from her neck.
"That's right, Mr. Director. As long as you make a film just for me, I'll let you do whatever you want. Have as many women as you like… Do you agree?" Scarlett's eyes locked onto Ethan's.
"Sure, no problem. I've already got the title and storyline in mind."
"What? That fast? Impossible," Scarlett narrowed her eyes. "You're bluffing."
"When have I ever lied to you? Want to bet?" Ethan suddenly recalled that it had been a long time since he and Scarlett had made a bet.
"Alright, let's bet," Scarlett nodded, then whispered, "What are we betting?"
"How about… control for tonight?"
"Not exciting enough." Scarlett bit her lip, licked it lightly, and said, "Let's bet on whether we do it on the rooftop tonight…"
"Are you serious?" Ethan was surprised.
"Of course. If you win, I'll even call you… Daddy."
Ethan smirked. "You said it. You won't back out, because the movie is called Lucy."
"Lucy?" Scarlett raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued.
"That's right. The movie is about…" Ethan gave Scarlett a brief rundown of the plot, and soon, she fell silent.
"This is amazing. I'm already looking forward to playing this role. I don't know why, but I feel like I'll nail it," Scarlett said confidently.
"Of course…" Ethan smiled. "Because it was always meant for you."
Although Ethan had finalized Lucy with Scarlett, it wasn't something he could shoot right away, as the film relied heavily on visual effects.
Ethan took some time out of his filming schedule to visit Digital Domain and discuss the key visual effects required for Lucy with the team.
Once they overcame these technical challenges, the official production could begin.
Meanwhile, time marched forward to June 21st.
This was the premiere date of Inception, another opportunity for Ethan to showcase his marketing strategy.
Besides the entire film crew, Ethan had also invited Spielberg, Morgan Freeman, Nolan, and even Cameron.
"James, how's your movie coming along?" Ethan asked as he walked into the theater with Cameron.
"It's going well, but I didn't expect so many technical problems to pop up. For example, facial motion capture delays and the grid effect in dynamic visual effects are really hard to eliminate. These are the biggest hurdles we're facing right now," Cameron casually mentioned, diving into professional jargon that left Morgan Freeman confused.
Ethan, however, could keep up with Cameron's technical talk—after all, he had his own visual effects company now.
After their chat, Cameron took his seat, and Ethan turned to Morgan Freeman. "Sir, please keep a slot open for me in your schedule. I have a film that needs an important role, and I think you'd be perfect for it."
"Really? That's wonderful," Morgan Freeman gladly agreed. "Just let me know in advance, and I'll reserve the time for you."
He had high hopes for Ethan's future in filmmaking.
Hollywood had already reached a consensus—if Inception was a success, Ethan would undoubtedly become one of the industry's top directors, much like Spielberg.
This wasn't an exaggeration. While Hollywood had many high-grossing directors, most specialized in specific genres.
Only a few, like Spielberg, could consistently produce quality films across various genres while earning mainstream recognition.
Nolan was one. Now, Ethan was another.
For actors, collaborating with an up-and-coming director like him was an opportunity they wouldn't want to miss—unless their schedules didn't allow it.
With the scheduling confirmed, the premiere officially began.
As the director, Ethan first appeared on screen to thank everyone for attending. Then, he took his seat in the front row, waiting for the film to start.
Meanwhile, some photographers had positioned themselves on the side with cameras, ready to capture audience reactions.
Yes, this was Ethan's promotional strategy—using the reactions of industry professionals as marketing material.
Of course, he wouldn't use exaggerated clickbait titles, nor would he instruct attendees to fake their reactions—that would be too lowbrow. He only needed to capture their genuine emotional responses.
That would be enough.
Soon, the lights dimmed, the screen lit up.
Inception was being shown to the world for the first time.
.....
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