No matter East or West, the most important thing in showbiz is always buzz.
After finishing the morning shoot, Gilbert gave instructions:
"I'll head back for about three days. In those three days, shoot some B‑roll with supporting actors or do some location shots. Have the leads come back with me. Once I've returned, I'll review the footage."
Annie Burton nodded, acknowledging she understood.
Cameron Diaz, the film's producer, was also on set and would be heading back with Gilbert.
On the flight, Cameron Diaz nervously asked, "Once we're back, the media will definitely ask some spiteful questions. What should we do then?"
"What should we do?" Gilbert replied, completely unbothered. "The media are a pack of mangy dogs. If you ignore them, they bark to get attention. If you give them attention, they bark louder. All you need is to throw them a bone it'll distract them, and they'll stop barking at other things."
"Really?" Cameron Diaz asked curiously. "What bone did you plan to throw them?"
"Naomi's pregnant how about that?" Gilbert said with a mysterious smile.
"What? You're going public with Naomi's pregnancy?" Cameron Diaz was surprised.
Gilbert shrugged. "Not me Naomi wants to announce it herself."
"Alright then!" Cameron Diaz said, already seeing that this news would totally eclipse any talk of a 'Waterloo.' After all, a pregnancy is tangible news much more than vague talk of failure.
Sure enough, after much discussion, Naomi Watts and Gilbert agreed to announce her pregnancy, and he consented.
Naomi had reasons: although neither of them said it openly, she'd been with Gilbert nearly ten years without a child, people had started wondering. The news would also help share the media pressure and distract attention. Most importantly, Naomi no longer wanted to hide it was time to share her joy with the world.
Back in Los Angeles, Gilbert saw Naomi's bump had grown noticeably.
"Is it moving now?" Gilbert pressed his ear to her belly, listening for baby movements.
Naomi covered her mouth, laughing: "More or less. I can feel a few kicks."
Gilbert beamed and spoke to the baby: "You hear me? Be good and obedient no mischief!"
Cameron Diaz rolled her eyes beside them: "Kids can't understand that. You're just chatting to yourself."
"I'm happy to," Gilbert said with a grin. He took Naomi's hand and they headed to the premiere.
At the premiere location, the atmosphere was an ocean of little wizard joy.
With two years of promotion and the success of the first film, the Wizard franchise had become one of the most influential IPs globally. Kids adored it, and adults were hooked too.
When the Gryffindor trio walked down the red carpet, the cheers from fans on both sides nearly shook all of Los Angeles.
The young stars had definitely grown into their roles over the past two years. Especially Haley and Emma Watson one a genius who debuted in Forrest Gump and The Sixth Sense, the other adorable in a cute loli style.
The original author, J.K. Rowling, also appeared. Her cheers weren't as loud as the actors', but still significant. Yet she wasn't the main star of the premiere.
After the cast's appearances, it was time for the guest segment.
Reporters had been tipped off that Gilbert would definitely attend today's premiere, and everyone was anxiously awaiting a chance to question him directly.
When Gilbert appeared at the start of the red carpet, all spotlights converged on him.
Although the young wizards were certainly attractive, what the media reporters wanted even more now was to know: what did Gilbert think about the public saying his career was in decline?
But before the reporters could make a move, security guards stopped them, preventing crowding on the red carpet.
Then Gilbert stepped out of the car holding Naomi Watts, who was dressed in maternity wear, and together they walked onto the red carpet.
"That's…" one reporter was stunned. "Naomi Watts is pregnant?"
"Naomi Watts is pregnant oh my God, that's huge news!"
The reporters became even more frantic, trying to break through the security line to rush onto the red carpet for photos and to ask questions related to the news.
Unfortunately, they couldn't break through the human wall of security and were blocked from stepping onto the carpet.
Gilbert was very concerned about Naomi Watts's safety. On such an occasion, he naturally had to protect her well and wouldn't let even the smallest mishap occur.
Naomi Watts, on the other hand, was in a great mood. This was the first time she had appeared before the media with her baby bump making her pregnancy public.
The joy of sharing this news triggered a dopamine rush, and her sweetness quickly spread through every part of her body.
It wasn't just the reporters on both sides of the carpet who were going wild. Many fans and moviegoers were equally ecstatic. A lot of the Harry Potter fans also happened to be fans of Gilbert's films and naturally knew who Naomi Watts was.
They knew Naomi Watts had been with Gilbert for a long time. Though she had won a Best Actress award, people had always associated her with Gilbert in that kind of relationship.
Now the two of them were having a child and appearing together publicly this proved their relationship had taken a step further.
Considering the fact that Gilbert had other women as well, people figured this would probably cause some trouble down the road.
But what most people didn't expect was that although the atmosphere among the ladies of Melon Manor wasn't exactly harmonious, it also wasn't as tense and confrontational as the outside world imagined.
Finally, they reached the end of the red carpet. The host didn't give reporters a chance to interview, but still, one reporter couldn't resist shouting out a question.
"Director Gilbert, by appearing publicly with Naomi Watts, are you confirming that your first child is about to be born? Are you planning to marry Miss Naomi Watts?"
Once one reporter took the lead, the others quickly followed suit, joining in the rush of questions, and the scene instantly became chaotic.
"Please calm down, everyone. If this continues, Director Gilbert and Miss Watts will not be answering any questions."
The host managed to calm the reporters down with great effort before turning to Gilbert and Naomi Watts and asking, "Is this a recent piece of happy news?"
Gilbert and Naomi Watts openly confirmed: "Yes, our first child is about to be born. Naomi and I are both very happy.
We talked it over and decided to use this joyous day to make the announcement to everyone."
Yes, she was pregnant, and it was officially announced. When it's said personally by those involved, the impact is simply explosive.
At this moment, no one cared whether Flipped was a failure or not. No one was interested in whether Gilbert was experiencing a career low as a director.
Everyone only cared about one thing Naomi Watts was pregnant, and the child belonged to Gilbert. That alone was bombshell enough.
....
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