The super-show being cancelled brought about the greatest reaction: outside the Wellington film set, the number of reporters and paparazzi dramatically increased. Not just the supermodels from Victoria's Secret, but all the main members of the crew became the focus of the media. Whenever any of them appeared on the streets of Wellington, they were immediately surrounded by a large crowd of reporters.
Especially Duke, who became the primary target of paparazzi chases and blockades, to the point that it affected the normal commute. He had to temporarily hire two New Zealand bodyguards to deal with these people, equipped with waterproof, fireproof, and anti-reporter measures.
Before filming resumed, Duke needed to confirm the actor for the role of Arwen, one of the Victoria's Secret angels.
All officially contracted angels participated in the audition, and the final photos and videotapes were sent to Duke.
"Heidi Klum is too old," said Zack Snyder, who was reviewing the audition videos in the editing room while handling the photos. "She ages too quickly. Makeup can cover it, but some details will be tricky. I don't think she's suitable."
"And you, Anna, what's your opinion?" Duke asked his other assistant.
Anna Prinz picked up Heidi Klum's photo, pointing at her appearance. "The character of Arwen doesn't require acting skills but needs a personal temperament that fits the role. I agree with Zack's opinion, Heidi Klum should be eliminated."
Having worked with Duke for several years, they understood his style, so they were always straightforward with their suggestions.
After the auditions, there were only three remaining candidates. Duke didn't want to use the actress with the long face and was worried his aesthetic might cloud his judgment. So, he specifically brought in Zack Snyder and Anna Prinz to get their combined opinions.
"Let's eliminate Heidi Klum," Duke agreed with both of them. "Next."
"The next one is Giselle Bündchen," Anna Prinz said directly. "Her height, body shape, and temperament are fine, but her facial lines are too harsh. She might work on the runway, but she won't look good on camera."
"I agree with Anna's opinion," Zack Snyder simply added.
Duke flipped through the photos and found the final candidate, the photo of Alessandra Ambrosio. "Then it's her."
"I think she's the most suitable," Anna said first.
Zack Snyder nodded in agreement.
Duke lightly tapped his fingers on the table and turned to his female assistant. "Tina, please notify Victoria's Secret and Alessandra Ambrosio."
After confirming the role of Arwen, the crew resumed filming. Duke split the crew into three teams: Zack Snyder and Ben Watts would handle some of the exterior shots in Lohan country, Anna Prinz would lead the Victoria's Secret models, excluding Ambrosio, to film some scenes about elves.
Duke stayed in the studio to continue filming the main scenes.
Because Ian McKellen went to the X-Men set to play Magneto, Duke temporarily stopped filming for the Guardians of the Ring and turned to shoot some scenes between the team members.
However, before that, Duke first needed to complete Donald Trump's cameo filming since he couldn't stay in Wellington for long.
In the studio, as the set was just completed, John Schwartzman was still directing assistants to set up the camera, and Duke called Donald Trump over to the main camera position.
"Donald, at the final cut, I will give you about a three-second close-up."
It was just a simple cameo, and Duke didn't give him a script. The scene was easy—he just had to speak a line. "It won't be hard for you..."
"Is it a close-up of my face?" Donald Trump ignored the rest of Duke's words.
"Yes, Donald. You must have heard of my reputation in the film industry," Duke said as he walked to the prop house and took the oil lamp hanging on the door, handing it to Donald Trump, who had followed him. "I promise, it will be a close-up of your face from the chest up."
Hearing Duke's words, Donald Trump chuckled. Show business is not just about showmanship; you need the resources to back it up and create a buzz. If the film does well and he gets a close-up, even if he doesn't flaunt it, the media will flock to him.
He's not just an ordinary actor but a billionaire!
There are many billionaires with wealth greater than his, but few can master the art of publicity like he can.
"Over here."
Walking back to the main camera, Duke briefly explained Trump's scene. "Donald, you will stand here, barely seeing a shadow approaching from the darkness. You'll raise the oil lamp to get a better look, then ask, 'Who is it?'"
Donald Trump walked forward with the oil lamp, and a prop assistant lit it for him. He stood beside Duke and looked at the camera, asking, "Is it really that simple?"
"Yes, it's that simple."
Seeing the crew's preparations were nearly done, Duke turned to leave but reminded, "Try to hold the lamp higher so your face is lit."
"I understand!"
When it comes to showing his face, Donald Trump was full of energy. "Don't worry, Duke. This isn't my first time."
After confirming the crew was ready, Duke asked Ivanka Trump, and after getting confirmation, he signaled the stage manager to start.
"Scene 56, take one, starting now!"
As a frequent TV show guest, Donald Trump had good camera presence. With Duke having already demonstrated, Trump just had to turn Duke's stiff demonstration into his own performance.
On camera, Donald Trump took a step forward, raising the old-fashioned oil lamp as high as possible, as if trying to illuminate more of the area.
He loudly asked, "Who's there!"
"Cut!" Duke shouted, looking at John Schwartzman. After he nodded, Duke said, "That's good. Donald, you can go take off your makeup now."
"Hey, Duke!" Donald Trump seemed unsatisfied and loudly asked, "I flew halfway across the world to New Zealand, and waited here for two days. Makeup alone took two hours, and now I'm only shooting for a few seconds?"
Duke ignored Donald Trump's complaints and turned to Ivanka Trump. "Go handle him."
Ivanka rolled her eyes in exasperation and walked toward her father, eventually pulling him out of the set.
Though it was all mutual exploitation—from the super-show to the cameo—Duke would certainly keep his promise and give Donald Trump a clear, close-up shot. However, what he didn't tell him was that this close-up would later be edited into a scene with the Ringwraiths, where his character would ultimately meet his end by a sword strike from one of them.
Afterward, Duke instructed the crew to move to the next scene.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy would use a lot of compositing, with green or blue screens often employed in small sets. This was especially true for scenes shot in the studio, where any area not covered by the set was hidden by a green screen.
Several tall black warhorses were led into the studio, and three stunt performers were completely covered in black robes, with their faces deeply hidden under their hoods. Along with them came the fighters from the animal protection organization, two members of which had never left the set.
Whenever animals appeared in scenes, they were more punctual than any crew member. The two representatives entered the studio just as Ivanka Trump and several security staff members surrounded them with even more caution than when protecting the media.
It wasn't that the crew had ever mistreated or overused the animal actors, but the fact that these animal performers were all worth a significant amount, and Duke wouldn't allow any mishap to happen to them.
Filming resumed quickly. No dialogue or close-up acting was required. The three stunt performers portraying Ringwraiths mounted their horses and galloped in a triangular formation in front of the green screen. When they reached the spot where Donald Trump had filmed earlier, the lead Ringwraith drew a long sword from his waist and swung it at the height set according to Donald Trump's measurements.
In accordance with Trump's strong request to have a scene remembered, Duke specially chose this role for him, so that the New York tycoon would be decapitated, attracting attention from the audience.
The filming went smoothly. After just two takes, the shots of the galloping horses were finished.
Donald Trump had already left the set, but his daughter was still there. Ivanka Trump had been with the crew for two months, enough time to understand some of the camera setups.
"If Dad bothers you later," she whispered to Duke from behind, "I won't help you solve it."
Duke laughed and shook his head. "No worries, I believe Donald isn't that petty."
He turned around and asked, "Aren't you going back to New York with your dad soon?"
"Mm..." Ivanka nodded slightly, then said, "I'm finishing my handover with Tina and will leave with Dad the day after tomorrow."
"You did well," Duke said, overall quite pleased with her work.
Ivanka Trump was smart, and more importantly, she was very diligent. People who work hard tend to win others' goodwill.
"According to the filming schedule, you'll be in New Zealand for a while," Ivanka thought for a moment and asked, "Can I visit again during the next holiday?"
"You're always welcome."