Made in Hollywood

Leaving the marina area, Duke drove his sports car to Beverly Hills. This Maserati sports car he had just purchased some time ago. The sports car did not meet his aesthetics and needs, but according to Pani? Kelly's plan, he and Catherine Zeta-Jones would remain relatively high-profile throughout Chicago's promotional period.

For the huge investment of 25 million US dollars, in order to ensure that the commercial performance of "Chicago" is not too bad, Duke, like "Independence Day", once again stood up as one of the propaganda points.

Zeta Jones, who was on the co-pilot, was still thinking about the yacht, "When I just came out, I heard that Cruise signed an agreement with Sansk. Don't you plan to talk to the Princess Company in person?"

"Don't worry, dear." Duke stepped on the brakes and the car stopped at the red light. "Even if the contract is signed now, it will take a long time for the yacht to arrive."

He didn't plan to talk in person, but wanted to let someone from Tina Fey or Nancy Josephson come in contact with the other party later.

Duke is not one of those big-handed and unrestrained Hollywood stars. He comes from a standard business family and will not sacrifice actual interests for the so-called face.

The car was restarted, Zeta Jones looked at the time and said, "The auction is going to be in the evening, let's go to dinner first?"

"Yes." Duke had no objection.

There was a big auction in Beverly Hills in the evening, aimed at Hollywood celebrities, and a red carpet was specially set up in front of the Hilton Hotel. This occasion was the focus of the entertainment media, according to Panney Kelly , Duke and Zeta Jones should be there too, at least by showing up on the red carpet or buying a lot.

Maserati enters the confines of Beverly Hills. Duke went directly to Mr. Zhou's restaurant. Like Planet Hollywood, this is a frequent haunt of Hollywood stars. There is no shortage of paparazzi and entertainment reporters. He and Zeta Jones parked the car and entered the door a short distance away. more than ten times.

Build momentum for the movie. It is a tedious and systematic work, and it is also a necessary work. If there is no promotion or the promotion period is too short, the possibility of wanting to sell is infinitely low.

Mr. Zhou's restaurant can be large and popular with Westerners. It is conceivable that its dishes, from material selection to cooking to meal sharing, are actually just Western-style Chinese food with a little oriental style. Not to mention the current era, even if it is another 20 years in the past, it will be difficult to expand in this country without Westernized foreign catering.

In fact, this is also a common practice in the East and the West, whether it is Chinese or Western food. Except for a very small number of people, how could the situation that the original food flowed into the other country, and the vast majority of people thought it was a delicacy after eating it?

As always, Duke and Zeta Jones had little dinner. Soon he walked out of Mr. Zhou's restaurant, and again in the flash of the paparazzi. Drive towards the Hilton Hotel.

The two did not go to the red carpet in front of the hotel's main entrance. The current outfits were completely unsuitable for that occasion. Instead, they entered the hotel from the side door and came to the pre-booked room on the 11th floor. Putting on the dress Tina Fei had sent in the morning, she went downstairs to the front of the hotel and walked onto the red carpet of the auction.

There were quite a few stars attending this auction, which can only be seen from the huge number of hundreds of journalists and paparazzi on both sides of the red carpet. Duke held Catherine Zeta Jones on his arm and walked across the red carpet in the flashing lights. He was interviewed by several reporters, and he avoided answering questions about their relationship with each other. He kept mentioning the collaborative work "Chicago", and tried his best to promote the new film.

"These guys are hard to deal with."

Entering the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, Duke let out a long sigh, "I'll go crazy if this happens a few more times."

Zeta Jones' face immediately showed some complaints, "Is it unbearable to be with me?"

"How could that be, dear." Duke took her to the auction room. "You know how much I like you."

"Yeah, I know." Zeta Jones followed Duke's footsteps, holding his hand a little harder, "You love me as much as I love you, right? "

Duke smiled noncommittally and walked into the auction room with her.

The auction was held in the form of a dinner party. Dozens of tables were scattered in the spacious banquet hall. When Duke walked along the wide passage between the tables, he suddenly found a familiar person, and he simply asked walked over.

"Hi, Leo."

He turned to the front of the other party and took the initiative to say hello, "When did you return to Los Angeles?"

"Hello, Duke."

Leonardo DiCaprio immediately stood up to say hello when he saw Duke, Duke introduced him and Catherine Zeta Jones, Leonardo couldn't help but wink at him and leaned over whispered, "Another one?"

"Where's your girlfriend?" Duke changed the subject directly, "Did you come by yourself?"

"With others, but not a woman." Leonardo's voice just fell, and a middle-aged Jewish man came from behind Duke's side, "Duke, I didn't expect to meet you here."

"Hello, Ino."

The person who greeted him was Eno Martin, one of the CAA giants. Duke saw him and became interested. He pointed to the two empty seats at the table, "Is there anyone here?"

"It's up to the organizer." Leonardo shrugged.

Zeta Jones immediately beckoned to call for the staff, and after a simple coordination, she and Duke changed seats and sat here.

"Leo has terminated his contract with William Morris."

After sitting down, Eno Martin took the initiative to say, "Now he has signed with me."

"Congratulations, Ino, for signing a top actor at the Berlin Film Festival." Duke turned his head, "Do I need to congratulate you on signing with CAA?"

"Duke, you know." Leonardo said with a smile, "I'm on your side."

Eno Martin also laughed, "We are all on one side, aren't we?"

Common interests and common enemies also contributed to their temporary front alliance.

While waiting for the auction to start, Duke asked about Leonardo's new job, "Have you been to Baja California recently? How's the progress there? When will you join the crew?"

"The progress is very slow." Leonardo folded his arms and seemed helpless. "I just went there half a month ago and talked to director Cameron and the producer. The specific start time of the film has not yet been set."

"It hasn't been decided yet?" Duke asked curiously, "It's almost two years of preparation?"

"do not you know?"

Eno Martin, who spoke this time, said, "It's circulating in the circle now. Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount Pictures have invested more than $100 million in Cameron's projects, but he still chases after him. With Fox asking for an increase in investment, Fox has just invested heavily in a sequel to "Speed ​​of Life", and the funding seems to be very difficult, and Paramount Pictures doesn't trust Cameron anymore."

Duke nodded, "So that's how it is."

Twentieth Century Fox's Funding Difficulties? They haven't paid him his share of Saving Private Ryan, and the contract deadline is the end of June. Seems like there is a chance to intervene?

It has been two years since the film was prepared. In this case, the investment recovery period is much shorter than before. The most important thing is that he now has enough funds on hand, and the funds are temporarily in Fox's hands.

Now is not the time to consider these questions, the thought flashed through Duke's mind. Back to the auction.

The auction, which began soon after, focused on art and luxury-brand jewelry, clearly targeting Hollywood's wealthy and arty stars. It is also the most easily hyped famous painting.

"$500,000!"

"$700,000!"

"$1.5 million!"

This is an oil painting that Duke has never even heard of the author, after the efforts of the organizer. Was acquired by new upstart Will Smith for $1.5 million.

The next few famous paintings were sold at high prices, but Duke and Eno Martin had no intention of selling them.

The background of the two people determines that they can see places that many Hollywood people can't see, such as behind the art auction. Especially behind those so-called famous paintings.

Auction houses, collectors, and some companies have joined forces to hype the market, hyping up the works of some painters with little real value, attracting the newly rising upstarts to enter the industry, and then harvesting the wool...

And the Hollywood stars who have a lot of money stupid and like to use foreign objects to improve their style are their favorite clients. Once they get caught in the hobby of collecting famous paintings, it is more terrifying than getting addicted to gambling. When they are defeated, when they want to realize the famous paintings in their hands and find a pick-up man, they will find out how valuable these paintings are actually.

Of course, Western collectors and auction houses most like to pit, or the rich in newly emerging countries.

Duke heard from his mother that in the 1980s, when the land price in Tokyo could buy the entire United States, Japanese companies continued to buy a large number of art works that were hyped in Europe and the United States at high prices in European and American auction houses. After the economic bubble burst, Japan People always want to sell these things, and very few of them can be realized.

In fact, just like the Japanese mentality, most Hollywood stars get up from the bottom. When they get rich, they often get carried away, and they especially like to pretend to be something. The consequence of pretending too much is to be slaughtered as a fat sheep.

There are also high-priced jewelry of luxury brands. They are often co-stars and celebrities, and the tricks are no less than the shameful things in Hollywood.

But for this kind of thing, one is willing to fight and the other is willing to suffer, and others can't say anything.

The auction was over, and when they walked out of the auction room, Duke and Zeta Jones did not intend to leave. They took the elevator to the upstairs room. It was not the first time between the two. This temporary relationship sometimes Have a more in-depth exchange.

Zeta Jones hasn't gotten out of shape yet, it's the most beautiful and sexy time, and she always changes her tricks to please Duke, and sometimes uses some incredible means and postures, showing good dancing skills, many It's time to be addicted.

After relaxing, he thought about the auction and decided to give it a try. (To be continued ~^~)