The news that Peter Jackson would be directing The Hobbit spread quickly, and fans reacted strongly—especially the Lord of the Rings fans.
Many Lord of the Rings movie fans were also book fans. Back when Gilbert was preparing The Lord of the Rings films, those passionate readers, provoked by certain individuals, had furiously protested the very idea of adapting The Lord of the Rings into movies.
Now, whether they were book fans who had become movie fans or simply film fans, none of them were satisfied with Peter Jackson as the choice.
In their eyes, the Lord of the Rings story couldn't possibly succeed without Gilbert. Therefore, fans were all hoping he would return to take charge of the series once again.
It wasn't just the fans—executives at both Warner Bros. and Disney also couldn't help but question whether Peter Jackson could handle the task.
That was understandable. After all, Jackson hadn't truly proven himself yet. His only major film as a director was a remake of King Kong, scheduled for release that December.
As for why it wasn't a summer release, perhaps the distributors felt that even with Naomi Watts starring, the film wasn't entirely safe.
Of course, if it had been Naomi Watts before she had a child, the distributors might not have had that concern.
Having children inevitably breaks part of the public's fantasy of a "screen goddess," so her popularity had naturally declined somewhat.
Fortunately, Naomi Watts had anticipated this and wasn't too disheartened by it.
To ease Warner Bros. and Disney's concerns, Gilbert personally brought Peter Jackson to meet and communicate with the top executives of both companies.
Peter Jackson came well prepared. Facing the executives' skepticism, he gave detailed and thoughtful responses.
Although he couldn't completely eliminate everyone's doubts, he at least proved that Gilbert hadn't chosen the wrong person.
After Peter Jackson left, Gilbert chatted with Doug Walter and Robert Iger.
Doug Walter asked, "Gilbert, are you sure Peter is the right person for this job?"
"You still don't trust my judgment?" Gilbert replied confidently. "I handpicked this guy myself."
"It's not that I don't trust your judgment," Doug explained. "It's just that I know how incredibly difficult this series is to adapt. It's not something an ordinary person can pull off."
His implication was clear—the project was too challenging, and only Gilbert himself could guarantee success.
Doug Walter continued, "And we also have to think about the fans' reaction. Once they find out there's a new director, won't they have doubts about the project?"
Robert Iger nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Fan enthusiasm can be unpredictable. Just think about last time—if you hadn't made The Lord of the Rings such a success, who knows how badly they would've cursed us."
Both CEOs made valid points, but Gilbert's decision was already made.
He said, "I understand your concerns, but he's the most suitable person for the job. To be honest, if I hadn't made The Lord of the Rings, the only other person who could've done it and succeeded would be Peter Jackson."
Though they still had reservations, since Gilbert was firm, they couldn't object further.
Later, Doug Walter spoke privately to Robert Iger. "We can wait and see for now. Doesn't Peter Jackson have a movie coming out soon?"
"You mean we'll see how King Kong performs?" Robert Iger asked.
"Exactly," Doug said with a smile. "If King Kong doesn't meet expectations, we can ask Gilbert to take over The Hobbit himself."
Robert Iger agreed with the plan. On this issue, Disney and Warner Bros. were perfectly aligned.
To be honest, neither of them had really wanted to hand Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest to Stephen Sommers.
But Gilbert's schedule was packed, and he insisted on overseeing it, so in the end, they had no choice but to let Sommers direct—on the condition that Gilbert serve as the producer.
After discussing that matter, Doug Walter cautiously probed further: "I heard you guys have secured the distribution rights for the Marvel movies? How about letting Warner handle the overseas distribution?"
Doug Walter knew that Gilbert was paying close attention to the Iron Man project. Although he was officially listed as a producer, he was practically doing both the producer's and director's jobs.
Jon Favreau, to put it bluntly, was just a tool—a stand-in. In the end, the film would turn out exactly the way Gilbert wanted it to.
And besides, it was just distribution. No matter what, a distributor rarely loses money. If it made a profit and pleased Gilbert at the same time, why not?
Of course, Robert Iger could see right through Doug Walter's calculations. He politely declined, saying, "Doug, being too greedy isn't good. You should learn to be content."
Robert Iger clearly had no intention of sharing the distribution rights with Warner Bros.
The attempt failed, but Doug Walter didn't dwell on it.
After all, it was only distribution. Warner Bros. already owned all of DC, which still looked far better than Disney on paper.
If Doug Walter had known the immense commercial success Marvel Studios would later achieve, who knows whether he might have regretted his decision.
On the other side, Gilbert also spoke to Peter Jackson about the concerns from Warner Bros. and Disney.
However, he added, "Peter, as long as King Kong succeeds, the project will be handed over to you. I hope you give it your all."
Peter Jackson immediately felt a heavy pressure. "Gilbert, the movie's outcome isn't something I can control. I'm just a director without many achievements. Universal Pictures won't give me much say in the production."
"Don't worry, Peter," Gilbert said. "Naomi talked to me about this film, and I think earning five hundred million dollars at the global box office shouldn't be a problem."
For a commercial film, a $500 million gross was considered a solid result. Gilbert's own film Batman Begins, released earlier this year, had earned $556.8 million worldwide.
That box office figure was already enough for Batman Begins to recover its production costs, so five hundred million was seen as a reasonable benchmark.
Peter Jackson was almost bewildered—why did Gilbert, the director, sound more confident than he was himself?
That very night, Peter Jackson, who was usually able to eat and sleep without worry, found himself unable to sleep.
He was terrified of the overwhelming pressure. If he ruined The Hobbit, it would mean the complete failure of his directing career, and that fear weighed heavily on him.
Now Peter Jackson could finally imagine the enormous pressure Gilbert must have faced when he decided to film The Lord of the Rings trilogy. That kind of weight could truly crush a person.
While Peter Jackson was feeling the strain, Melon Studio had also begun to bustle with activity.
The studio was lively today. Numerous girls aged eleven to fifteen, accompanied by agents or parents, were nervously preparing for auditions.
Although the entire project was still under wraps and no one knew the exact story, the chance to play the daughter of Tom Cruise was not something that came every day.
Moreover, the director of the film was Gilbert—the world-renowned director Gilbert.
Just look at the stars his films had made famous: Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron, the Harry Potter trio, Anne Hathaway, Orlando Bloom—each a household name across Hollywood.
So even if the young actresses themselves didn't realize how big this opportunity was, their parents or agents certainly did.
.....
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