any bigwigs in Hollywood lead quite twisted private lives. Leonardo DiCaprio once told Gilbert Jr. about a nude party he attended where he saw many famous actresses. Threesomes and foursomes were considered normal, but some activities involved animals, which left Leo utterly flabbergasted. Rumor had it that a certain "Longus" was very popular, and many actresses wanted to have a "relationship" with it. "Longus" is Latin for "long." The most shocking part? Longus wasn't a person, but a donkey. Specially trained and artificially groomed, it was reportedly quite skilled in certain "actions."
Leo recounted this story to Gilbert Jr., vividly describing the scene. Gilbert Jr. would usually ask him, "So, did you... with that donkey?" Leo would immediately react, "How could I? I'm only interested in women, and beautiful women at that!" After this, both Leo and Gilbert Jr. would burst into laughter, then join forces in criticizing Hollywood's twisted individuals.
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Compared to that, things like alcoholism, drug abuse, and pool parties with leggy blonde models were considered normal in Hollywood. If you applied the standards of a "normal" person from their past lives, then Hollywood had no normal people at all. Life under the Hollywood spotlight, while intoxicating, also came with immense pressure. To escape their worries and stress, these directors and stars would seek out thrills, gradually becoming more and more abnormal.
In contrast, Mel Gibson's alleged kinks for photography and abuse were relatively normal. However, if he had just behaved and played by the rules, people would have likely stuck to conventional methods and kept their distance. But Mel Gibson brazenly crossed Gilbert Jr.'s line, and for that, Gilbert Jr. couldn't be blamed for retaliating.
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Sophie Marceau was crucial; her last-minute defection essentially saved Gilbert Jr.'s career. Whether out of gratitude or to establish Sophie Marceau as a model of loyalty, Gilbert Jr. had to protect her. Imagine if he couldn't even protect Sophie Marceau, allowing her to be bullied—who would dare to help Gilbert Jr. in a crisis again? If everyone knew you couldn't protect people or offer rewards, naturally no one would risk helping you.
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Upon receiving the assignment, Craig Evans immediately began his investigation, using every means necessary: tracking, filming, wiretapping. Unlike James Bond's high-tech gadgets, Craig Evans relied primarily on his own experience and skills to complete these tasks. As a former elite FBI agent, he was perfectly suited for this kind of work.
Gilbert Jr. also cooperated fully. Once Sophie Marceau had recovered sufficiently, he arranged for her to make a public appearance. Sheena Boone helped Sophie Marceau rent a new house, and then Gilbert Jr. conspicuously stayed there with Sophie Marceau for a few days. This entire process was reported by the tabloids, who once again sensationalized Gilbert Jr.'s new rumored girlfriend—a French beauty, no less. Only Gilbert Jr. seemed to get this kind of attention; other directors could date eighteen girlfriends and the media wouldn't care. The media cared because the fans cared.
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Seeing Gilbert Jr. and Sophie Marceau paired up in the tabloids, many female fans who adored Gilbert Jr. for his looks were quite unhappy.
"What makes that Frenchwoman better than me? Just longer legs and a more refined face?"
"Exactly, exactly..."
"Oh my god, how happy would I be to sleep with Director Gilbert Jr.!"
"Pfft, btch, only I can sleep with Gilbert Jr."
"No, me!"
Well, it's hard to understand what these female fans are thinking. Perhaps it's because there are so many female fans for handsome actors in Hollywood that Gilbert Jr.'s fan base seems smaller by comparison. Because it's smaller, it creates an illusion that Gilbert Jr. belongs to them. Gilbert Jr. was starting to get the feeling of those popular idols from his past life. It's a shame the internet isn't more developed yet; otherwise, Gilbert Jr.'s fan club would rally online, creating an even bigger sensation.
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But that wasn't the main point. The reason for doing this so publicly was primarily for Gilbert Jr. to "strike the mountain to shake the tiger"—to give Mel Gibson a warning, and to see his reaction. Just as Gilbert Jr. expected, because he was unsure how much Sophie Marceau had revealed, Mel Gibson indeed didn't dare to act rashly and didn't release those photos. If the photos were published, there would clearly be no turning back, and if Sophie Marceau decided to go all out and sue Mel Gibson directly, it would be disastrous. Plus, releasing photos wasn't as easy back then without the convenience of the internet.
Gilbert Jr. had analyzed this outcome for Sophie Marceau beforehand. Seeing things unfold as predicted, Sophie Marceau was utterly impressed by Gilbert Jr.
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On May 24th, "Braveheart" officially premiered across the United States. The day before, the film held its premiere at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, and as the leading actress, Sophie Marceau naturally had to attend. According to the original plan, Sophie Marceau was supposed to attend with Mel Gibson. But for some reason, Gilbert Jr. ended up accompanying her. Mel Gibson, of course, wouldn't dare to openly discuss such private matters.
The fans and media reporters thought Sophie Marceau's charm was truly captivating, pulling even Gilbert Jr. to support "Braveheart." Those insiders who knew about the animosity between Gilbert Jr. and Mel Gibson were also confused, wondering if Gilbert Jr. intended to reconcile with Mel Gibson! Mel Gibson's trusted assistant and close friends knew a little of the situation.
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One friend suggested, "Mel, we don't know how much Gilbert Jr. knows. Why don't we find an opportunity to ask him?"
"Right," the assistant agreed, "Test him, see his reaction."
Mel Gibson looked at Gilbert Jr., who was having a superficial conversation with Martin Bob, and agreed, "I'll go over in a bit. You guys find a chance to get Sophie Marceau back."
"Okay..."
Mel Gibson was still limping slightly; his leg hadn't fully recovered since his fall. He publicly claimed that he injured his leg during filming, using this to garner sympathy from fans. Since Mel Gibson had been injured for the film, fans naturally had to show their support. He still commanded some influence in Hollywood after all these years.
Everyone split up. If Sophie Marceau could be controlled again, a large part of this crisis would be resolved. Gilbert Jr. wouldn't have a hostage, and they wouldn't have to be so cautious.
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Meanwhile, after a brief walk down the red carpet and interviews, Gilbert Jr. even had a few good words to say about "Braveheart." In his eyes, Mel Gibson was already a dead man, so saying a few nice things wouldn't hurt. Besides, if "Braveheart" became a box office hit just because of his two good words, Gilbert Jr. wouldn't need to be a director; he could just become a fortune teller. In Western terms, only God's blessing could achieve such a feat, meaning he would be God.
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Upon entering, Gilbert Jr. also saw Martin Bob. Martin Bob was quite surprised, never expecting Gilbert Jr. to attend a film premiere for a woman. He was one of the few who knew about the conflict between Mel Gibson and Gilbert Jr. While speculating, Martin Bob approached to greet him, "Thank you, Director Gilbert Jr., for coming to support us."
"Martin," Gilbert Jr. said, in a tone that suggested he didn't want to talk much, "I'm only here for Sophie."
Martin Bob looked at Sophie Marceau and said, "It seems our Sophie is truly charming. CAA is very optimistic about her and plans to arrange several major projects to further her experience."
"Is that so?" Gilbert Jr. replied nonchalantly, "That's great. It will make Sophie's path in Hollywood smoother."
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One was an old fox, the other a young fox, both trying to probe each other's intentions through their words. After a verbal exchange, Gilbert Jr. could confirm that Martin Bob likely didn't know what Mel Gibson had done; otherwise, he wouldn't be so calm, even appearing a bit foolish. Of course, having followed Michael Ovitz for so long, Martin Bob was somewhat aware of the rules within Hollywood circles and wouldn't be as arrogant as Mel Gibson, disregarding all rules.
"Braveheart" was co-financed and distributed by Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox, and it was also a project packaged by CAA. At the premiere, although the president of 20th Century Fox didn't attend, their Head of Distribution, Tim Solomon, was present. Seeing Gilbert Jr. attending to show support, Tim Solomon thought Gilbert Jr. was doing it for 20th Century Fox, and so he happily went over to speak with Gilbert Jr.
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However, one sentence from Gilbert Jr. completely bewildered Tim Solomon: "Tim, if I wanted to take action against someone and it affected this movie, what would Fox's opinion be?"
Tim Solomon paused, then quickly asked, "Who? Mel?"
Gilbert Jr. didn't answer, but from his eyes, Tim Solomon understood everything. What he couldn't figure out was what Mel Gibson had done to provoke Gilbert Jr. to take such action against him.
"Is there any room for reconciliation?" Tim Solomon asked again.
"He broke the rules, and I heard his father is an anti-Semite," Gilbert Jr. said only this, and Tim Solomon understood. He was also of Jewish descent, and when faced with such matters, Jewish people were always very united.
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During the premiere, Tim Solomon was deep in thought, pondering Gilbert Jr.'s words. As soon as the film ended, he didn't linger, rushing back to the company to report.
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Sean Connery also attended the premiere that day. He was the film's co-star and was vying for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He also saw Gilbert Jr. and immediately felt the urge to react, to deliver a crushing blow. But unfortunately, this was a public event. If he were to furiously punch Gilbert Jr. in front of so many media reporters and fans, it wouldn't look good. Moreover, Martin Bob had been trying to persuade Sean Connery to hold back, using the very sensible line: "You're an old man; you might not be able to beat Gilbert Jr. He's strong and robust."
This was true; he wasn't really 007, and his action scenes were all done by stunt doubles. He might not actually be able to beat Gilbert Jr. Besides, an old man known as the most elegant and gentlemanly suddenly assaulting someone—wouldn't that destroy his image? Since he couldn't provoke him, Sean Connery simply avoided him, trying his best not to meet Gilbert Jr. Fortunately, Gilbert Jr.'s purpose wasn't him, which relieved Sean Connery. Although he was angry and bad-tempered, after suffering several silent losses, Sean Connery had become much more compliant.
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Meanwhile, Mel Gibson found an opportunity to speak with Gilbert Jr. in the lounge: "Sophie, can you let me talk to Gilbert Jr. for a moment?"
Sophie Marceau looked at Gilbert Jr. with pleading eyes; she dared not leave Gilbert Jr.'s side at that moment. Gilbert Jr. gave Sophie Marceau a reassuring look, then said to Mel Gibson, "You and I both know what you did, you just didn't succeed."
Seeing no chance to get Sophie Marceau alone, Mel Gibson's gaze turned cold: "What do you want to do? You know if I go down, a lot of people will go down with me."
"Are you saying Paramount and 20th Century Fox would be affected?" Gilbert Jr. suddenly smiled, "You don't seriously think that even without this, you'd achieve anything significant in the summer box office? Or get any Oscar recognition? Stop dreaming, Mel, even without this, you'd be out of Hollywood sooner or later."
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With that, Gilbert Jr. instructed Sophie Marceau to guard the lounge door, preventing anyone from entering. His assistant, Anna Singer, also joined her at the door. Six bodyguards, former Marine soldiers introduced by the Pentagon, appeared silently from somewhere, guarding the lounge. Gilbert Jr. introduced them: "These are retired Marines, introduced by the Pentagon. They're good, they've killed people." Seeing the formidable six bodyguards, Mel Gibson couldn't even attempt force.
Gilbert Jr. leaned closer to Mel Gibson's ear and whispered in a voice only they could hear, "Sophie tells me you're not very good. It's a bit shameful, not being able to satisfy a woman, having to resort to other means to vent."
Mel Gibson, with his explosive temper, immediately wanted to make a move, but seeing the towering six bodyguards, he didn't dare.
"Don't forget, the photos are still in my hands," Mel Gibson threatened.
"Are they?" Gilbert Jr. said indifferently, "What photos? Hers? It's fine, release them whenever you want, my photos aren't there. But I'll warn you, if she's ruined, I'll make sure you go down with her."
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"What do you want to do?" Mel Gibson's tone was already very cold, his visible anger indicating his extreme fury.
"I can't promise what I'll do. How about we negotiate?"
"How do we negotiate?"
"You hand over the photos, and I can let that matter go. We both take a step back and return to how things were."
"Hmph," Mel Gibson clearly didn't believe him, "It's already come to this. It seems you know everything and have leverage over me. Do you really think there's still a possibility of negotiation?"
"Then there's no possibility. A pity," Gilbert Jr.'s face showed no regret. "Then I wish you good luck, Mr. Gibson."
With that, Gilbert Jr. and his people left, leaving Mel Gibson alone. His assistant and a few friends quickly found Mel Gibson, disappointed that they hadn't found an opportunity to regain control of Sophie Marceau.
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"What now, Mel?" a friend asked.
"Are there any scandals about Gilbert Jr.?"
"No, I haven't heard of any. Just three rumored girlfriends, but that's no big deal at all."
The friends' chatter made Mel Gibson's head ache. He angrily flung his hand away and didn't even attend the media interviews after the premiere, excusing himself due to feeling unwell. At this point, the film was no longer Mel Gibson's concern; he was worried about his future and fate in Hollywood.
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Beneath the surface of the premiere, undercurrents were stirring. Some astute and sensitive individuals sensed that a storm was brewing.
After the premiere, "Braveheart" officially opened, but the film's box office performance was not as expected; in fact, it could be described as dismal. In its opening weekend, "Braveheart" only managed to pull in $12.908 million, falling short of "Die Hard with a Vengeance's" $33.254 million and "The Rock's" $24.403 million, landing it in third place for the weekly box office.