Director in Hollywood

Back in Wellington, under Peter Jackson's eager gaze, Gilbert directly turned him down.

"I'm sorry, Peter, I really love The Lord of the Rings novels. This film series will be directed by me personally, so unfortunately..." Gilbert said.

Peter Jackson's round face immediately dropped, but he forced a smile. "It's fine. If this project is handed to you, it will be more successful than I could ever make it.

If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

Actually, there was one thing. Gilbert immediately said, "Peter, I want to discuss something with the New Zealand and Wellington city governments.

I hope they can allocate some land for me to build a Hobbiton village."

"Do you mean the Shire?" Peter Jackson's eyes lit up.

"Yes, exactly," Gilbert nodded. "I plan to build a beautiful Shire, along with several Minas Tirith scenes."

"Are you planning to shoot it in New Zealand?" Peter Jackson was even more delighted, as it aligned perfectly with his own ideas.

"Of course," Gilbert said. "New Zealand has everything—volcanoes, grasslands, mountains, plains, marshes, lakes, rivers, coastlines...

You won't find a better location anywhere else. All the major scenes from The Lord of the Rings can be shot here."

"Wonderful," Peter Jackson clapped his hands. "Leave it to me. I'll talk to the Wellington city government and the New Zealand Tourism Authority; they will definitely support you."

"Thank you, Peter, I owe you one..." This was a form of compensation for taking the The Lord of the Rings project away from Peter Jackson.

In truth, Gilbert did need a local connector to help facilitate things.

Peter Jackson was from New Zealand, had influence there, and also had experience in Hollywood—he was perfect for the job.

After settling things with Peter, Gilbert said goodbye to the big man and returned to his hotel room to rest.

After showing off to Charlize Theron, Cameron Diaz, who had worked herself up into a flirtatious mood, immediately pounced on Gilbert when he returned.

They had a passionate night, and if video chatting had been more advanced, Cameron Diaz would have considered starting a live video to show Charlize Theron.

After the battle ended, they lay in bed, and Cameron Diaz enjoyed drawing circles on Gilbert's strong chest muscles.

"So, who did you meet earlier?" Cameron Diaz asked.

"A director from New Zealand, named Peter Jackson." Gilbert didn't smoke, so there was no post-coital cigarette for him.

"Peter Jackson? Is he famous?" Cameron Diaz asked, confused.

"Famous in New Zealand, though he hasn't made much of a name for himself in Hollywood."

"What did he want from you?"

"He wanted to take over the direction of The Lord of the Rings, but I turned him down."

"Why would a small director want to steal a project from you?" Cameron Diaz's blonde hair spread across Gilbert's chest. "Don't give it to him, just to make him mad."

"Always with that attitude. You can't be like this outside; you're a famous star now. Be a bit more mature," Gilbert said, patting Cameron Diaz's thigh. "How's your course going lately?"

"It's going well. I've taken lots of notes, attended many classes. I'll soon be a great manager," Cameron Diaz boasted about her progress.

"Good job. If you ever don't want to act anymore, you can help me manage the studio, be a producer or something," Gilbert encouraged her.

"Of course, I don't want to be just a pretty face, living off you. I want to make a contribution," Cameron Diaz said proudly.

She also had her own plans. In terms of looks, she wasn't as stunning as Naomi Watts or Charlize Theron. In terms of serving men, she wasn't as skilled as the Akira family.

Right now, she could still attract Gilbert with her sexy body, but men always prefer younger and more beautiful women.

In Hollywood, there was no shortage of more beautiful women.

She didn't know how many women dreamed of getting into Gilbert's bed for a chance. Slowly, she might lose her advantage and be forgotten.

At this point, Cameron Diaz had two choices: leave Gilbert and start a new life, or stay by his side and eventually be forgotten.

But neither option was what she wanted. She chose the third route: to become a woman who could help Gilbert with his career.

From her early days in modeling to entering Hollywood, Cameron Diaz had been with Gilbert. Without him, she would be like a fish out of water, lost and soon to fade away.

If she could transform and help Gilbert manage his career, even when her beauty faded, Gilbert would still value her.

This was Cameron Diaz's long-held observation about successful women. Gilbert supported her too, encouraging her to enroll in an MBA program. When she wasn't acting, she could take classes.

If she wanted to become a career-driven woman, she at least needed to understand some professional knowledge.

Of course, this was her future path. At the moment, Cameron Diaz had no intention of retiring.

She still had one wish. After fantasizing about her bright future, Cameron Diaz straddled Gilbert and, with a seductive look, whispered, "Darling, let's do it again..."

And so, the intense battle began again.

However, only Cameron Diaz was bearing the brunt of it. Facing Gilbert's all-out attack, she couldn't keep up and was unable to get out of bed the next day, so she spent the day resting in the hotel.

But soon, she wouldn't have to worry about not being able to handle it. Noriko Sakai and two beautiful Japanese women were on their way.

After touring Wellington, Gilbert, with Noriko Sakai, went to Queenstown for some sightseeing.

Queenstown was a beautiful town surrounded by the Southern Alps, a picturesque city by the mountains and water.

Queenstown was full of sightseeing spots, with blue skies and bright sunshine in summer, vibrant red and golden leaves in autumn, crisp and clear weather in winter, and snow-covered mountains. Spring brought blooming flowers.

The town had four distinct seasons, each with its own unique charm.

The nearby Lake Wakatipu was a deep, dark blue highland lake.

The majestic mountains, dotted with snow-capped green-brown peaks, were the perfect backdrop. From Queenstown to the mountaintop, the lush green colors spread across the landscape.

The town was named Queenstown because the early colonizers thought the scenery was so beautiful it belonged to the Queen.

Visiting here indeed gave one a sense of relaxation and refreshment.

"Hey, Gilbert, can you hurry up?" Cameron Diaz rode past Gilbert on her horse, calling back to urge him.

"I can't help it, this horse refuses to move," Gilbert said helplessly. After trying for a while, the horse wouldn't budge, making him feel embarrassed.

He had just boasted about not needing a riding coach, and now the horse was making a fool of him.

"Hahaha," Cameron Diaz's laughter echoed from a distance. "The horse hates you, Gilbert."

To save face, Gilbert gave the horse a few taps on the rear, only for the horse to jump high, nearly throwing him off.

This frightened both Gilbert and the riding coach. If Gilbert had gotten hurt here, the riding school would be in trouble.

Fortunately, a coach quickly acted to calm the horse and helped Gilbert down.

After the danger passed, Gilbert, still shaken, quickly dismounted and returned to the rest area, vowing never to ride a horse again without a coach.

Cameron Diaz didn't have such concerns and enjoyed her ride immensely.

Gilbert called out, "Michelle, be careful!"

"Got it, I'll just ride a few laps," Cameron Diaz shouted, riding her horse out into the wild.

Gilbert signaled a few coaches to follow and ensure her safety.

He sat in the rest area, enjoying some local delicacies and a rich cup of coffee.

He was thinking that when they returned to Wellington, he would discuss with Kane Wexman about contacting riding schools to breed horses.

For The Lord of the Rings, a large number of horses would be needed, so preparations had to be made early.

At this time, Kane, through Peter Jackson's connection, was negotiating with the Wellington city government and the New Zealand Tourism Authority.

The prospect of a major Hollywood director bringing a project to New Zealand excited the New Zealand authorities.

Although New Zealand was a developed country, its economy was largely based on agriculture and livestock, exporting meat, wool, dairy products, and more.

The authorities had long recognized the value of using the country's natural beauty to attract tourists, but the results had been average.

However, when a film came to shoot, it was a different story. A successful, influential film could have an immeasurable promotional effect.

In the discussions, Peter Jackson painted a bright future, which thrilled the New Zealand authorities.

After arriving in New Zealand, Kane found their enthusiasm overwhelming.

When he later called Gilbert, he learned that Gilbert had already been in touch with Peter Jackson, who had helped facilitate the process, making everything run smoothly.

To ensure the project could be realized in New Zealand, the authorities promised many favorable conditions—land, people, everything would be provided.

To support the creation of a Hobbiton village for The Lord of the Rings, the Wellington city government even approved a proposal to build a road to assist the film crew.

Furthermore, the New Zealand authorities promised to open all scenic spots to the film crew for free.

With these favorable terms, shooting in New Zealand would save much more than filming in North America. Kane now understood why Gilbert had chosen New Zealand.

After several rounds of negotiations, Kane signed a preliminary agreement on behalf of the crew.

Over the next few years, he would shuttle between North America and New Zealand, preparing for the massive The Lord of the Rings project.

As for Gilbert's new film The Matrix, it seemed that Charles Rowen would have to take charge of it.

The scale and complexity of The Lord of the Rings project, coupled with the decision to shoot all three films at once, required meticulous pre-production planning. Without it, the films could not even begin.

Gilbert and Kane discussed this many times and both agreed that, even with preparations, shooting The Lord of the Rings couldn't begin until 1999 at the earliest.

This way, Gilbert could still take time to shoot two other films while keeping an eye on The Lord of the Rings's progress.

However, juggling multiple projects at once would greatly increase his workload, adding significant pressure.

That said, every project was inherently full of pressure. Since Gilbert entered the film industry, the scale of his projects had grown larger, but the pressure hadn't overwhelmed him.

At least he had the original as a reference, so he knew exactly what he wanted the film to be like.

If it had been an ordinary director, they would have been crushed by the immense pressure long before reaching the success of making the film.

For Gilbert, there was pressure, but more importantly, there was motivation.