"This is the most explosive day in America since 2001. NBC Television is broadcasting live from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The second quarter has just ended, but this Super Bowl is already destined to be recorded in history..."
In the Duke Manor's living room, Duke sat in front of the TV, patiently waiting. Tina Fey approached holding a pot of red tea. "Is the halftime show about to begin?"
"It's about to start." Duke took the tea she handed him. "Thank you."
Tina Fey sat down on the single sofa next to him. She wasn't interested in the game itself. "I heard Britney Spears will perform at halftime."
"Do you like her?" Duke asked, a little surprised.
Having seen the behind-the-scenes side of countless big stars while being by his side, Tina Fey couldn't possibly like a pop idol.
"Don't you know?" Tina Fey thought for a moment, confirming that she hadn't told Duke yet, and then said, "Britney is considered the next Madonna. She's the hottest young singer right now, and both Nancy and CAA's Ino Martin are trying to recruit her."
Duke nodded. There was no doubt about Britney's value; she was at her peak now and was undoubtedly a hot property for talent agencies.
However, with Britney's poor emotional intelligence, who knows which agency she would ultimately choose?
On the TV screen, the halftime commercials hadn't started yet, and the sports commentator continued talking, "In the first half, the Ravens' defense completely dominated. The Giants only managed to advance a pitiful 71 yards, with 5 turnovers and 4 sacks! What's unbelievable is that both teams' offenses had moments of brilliance, completing 3 touchdowns in just 36 seconds, breaking the record for the most touchdowns completed in the shortest time..."
Also sitting in front of a TV, Norman Shiller, however, was gulping down beer, quietly waiting for the Hollywood movie preview ads during the Super Bowl.
While waiting, Shiller furrowed his brow.
He liked Duke Rosenberg's films, especially the Matrix series. In recent years, he had been eagerly awaiting the sequel but could only wait, as the director who created the sci-fi classics was off making the Lord of the Rings trilogy in New Zealand.
The Lord of the Rings was something many directors wouldn't dare touch!
As Shiller pondered, the ad break finally arrived. First came a series of product commercials, then it was Hollywood time. Movies such as Pearl Harbor, Shrek, Tomb Raider, and Fast and Furious appeared, even including short teasers for the Christmas releases Monsters, Inc. and A Beautiful Mind.
Was the Lord of the Rings not planning to advertise during the Super Bowl? Shiller furrowed his brow even tighter.
The release date for The Fellowship of the Ring had already been announced, set for Memorial Day weekend, and Duke's movies were not only pioneers in creating Super Bowl commercial spots but also never missed this prime time slot during the following years. His fans had grown accustomed to waiting for the first teaser during the halftime break.
After waiting until the end of the Hollywood ad block, Shiller finally saw the scene he was waiting for. Amid raging flames, a massive, ominously evil metallic glove wore a golden ring, inscribed with symbols he couldn't understand.
A captivating female voice echoed, "The One Ring, master of all the rings!"
After several shots showcasing the ring, the screen grew darker, with countless armies advancing toward a volcano. These were two well-equipped armies, and even without having read the original work, Shiller could easily recognize them as humans and elves!
Then, the camera moved forward, showing a larger army charging across the mountainside, getting closer and closer. Close-ups appeared—ugly, evil, and dirty...
They were Orcs! Their mouths wide open, showing sharp teeth, rushing toward the alliance's formation, seemingly intent on devouring everyone!
However, what awaited them was a torrent of arrows!
"My God, their armor and weapons are amazing!"
The camera zoomed in on the elven army, and Shiller's eyes went wide. A large group of elven warriors bent their bows and fired long arrows, causing orcs to fall to the ground, shot through.
The camera slowly zoomed out again, turning into a panoramic shot. The battlefield stretched endlessly, with countless soldiers fighting fiercely in every corner...
"Oh, my! Oh, my..."
Shiller didn't know what to say anymore. A film enthusiast for over ten years, he had watched countless films, many involving wars, and epic films like Gladiator from last summer. After watching the opening battle scene of that movie, he thought it was already intense and grand. But compared to the Orcs fighting the human and elven alliance in this trailer, Gladiator seemed weak!
In terms of battlefield scenes, intensity, and grand panoramic displays, The Fellowship of the Ring's teaser easily outshone Gladiator by miles!
What an epic, monumental scene!
But this was only a 30-second teaser. Just as Shiller's emotions had been stirred, the teaser was already coming to an end.
It was the same golden ring, which seemed to have a life of its own, diving into the riverbed. The magnetic female voice echoed again.
"Some things that should not be forgotten turned to dust, history became legend, legend turned to myth, and the One Ring has been waiting quietly..."
Then, the film's release date appeared.
"The One Ring has been waiting quietly..." Shiller murmured. "Yes, the Ring has been waiting, waiting for the right director to transform it into an excellent film!"
He sat still for a while before turning off the TV. "I will start waiting too!"
At that moment, Norman Shiller, like so many others who had seen the trailer, temporarily set aside his obsession with The Matrix and decided to wait for a fantasy epic called The Fellowship of the Ring to be released!
Duke's supporters were waiting for the teaser, and so were his detractors.
As an avid fan of the books, Brad Miller, who had been protesting since the Lord of the Rings trilogy began filming, was sitting in front of the TV early. He didn't even care that his New York Giants were being crushed by the Ravens. All he wanted was to see what the director, famous for explosions and earth-destroying films, would make of his beloved Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings, war, humans, elves, orcs... appeared one after another on the TV screen. In just thirty seconds, Brad Miller went from disdain to wide-eyed astonishment. He had imagined the final battle between the humans and elves countless times in his mind, but the visual presentation on the screen was a thousand times more real, magnificent, and grand than he had ever dreamed!
Brad Miller's eyes became red. Only hardcore Lord of the Rings fans could understand the emotion he felt at that moment—the excitement, the exhilaration of seeing a dream come true!
With his rich experience, he quickly regained his composure. After the teaser ended, he calmly thought of all the literary works Hollywood had ruined. But deep inside, he longed for Memorial Day weekend to arrive quickly. He wanted to see what the Lord of the Rings movie would be like.
Would it be as spectacular, magical, and epic as the teaser, or would it end up a disastrous mess?
At the Artists Management Company office building on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Michael Ovitz didn't take the day off for the Super Bowl. Though he had successfully recruited several clients from CAA, ICM, and William Morris, compared to these large agencies, his company was still new, and every moment was extremely valuable.
Of course, as a company specializing in Hollywood business, Michael Ovitz also watched the Super Bowl halftime ads. His company had two films slated for release during the summer block, and while there was no direct competition that weekend, every large production during the summer season would be in competition.
To win the summer block, not only did you have to be good yourself, but knowing your competitors was just as crucial.
As far as the summer block was concerned, Fast & Furious was a small production, and Michael Ovitz didn't plan to invest much in it. His company's focus was on Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor.
The post-production of this war epic hadn't been completed yet, but after seeing the trailer made by Michael Bay himself, Ovitz was very satisfied, noting that the trailer was definitely explosive and suited the summer viewing atmosphere. Especially the bomb-spiral shot imitating from Armageddon, which seemed poised to surpass Duke Rosenberg's momentum.
After watching the Pearl Harbor trailer, Ovitz felt much better. However, when he saw the Lord of the Rings trailer, his mood dropped to rock bottom...
What an incredible war scene!
Michael Ovitz had read the original, and the battle between the human and elven alliance beneath the fiery volcano was only lightly described by Tolkien. But the teaser's visuals nearly made his soul tremble!
As a senior industry insider, Ovitz clearly remembered that never in Hollywood history had there been such a grand and complex cold weapon battle!
Duke Rosenberg was truly Duke Rosenberg.
He could only sigh in awe.
....
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