A massive project like The Lord of the Rings requires an enormous amount of effort, with its complexity almost equivalent to 1.5 times that of Titanic.
Gilbert adopted the approach of shooting all three films back-to-back. This strategy was risky because it required a massive upfront investment in manpower, resources, and finances.
If the first film were to flop at the box office, there would be no buffer to mitigate the losses.
Even for Gilbert, failure on The Lord of the Rings would impact his standing in the industry to some extent, and he would likely need time to recover.
This is why, at the start, Warner Bros. executive Doug Walter suggested filming and releasing one installment first to gauge the market response.
However, Gilbert rejected this proposal. Given the complexity of the project, he needed to ensure that the entire trilogy could be completed in one go.
A one- or two-year gap between films would introduce too many variables, making the later production phases more difficult.
Besides, history had already proven that if the films were made properly, the market would accept them, and fans would genuinely love them.
Therefore, Gilbert had no concerns about market feedback—his only focus was doing his job right.
Although he had been busy filming The Matrix and Chicago while The Lord of the Rings was still in pre-production, he never neglected preparations for this ambitious project.
In Hollywood, directors may have producers assisting them—sometimes producers even wield more authority—but that doesn't mean directors can completely detach themselves from pre-production.
On the contrary, pre-production is often more crucial than the filming process itself.
Only by thoroughly preparing in advance can filmmakers anticipate and resolve potential issues during shooting.
Thus, even while occupied with other projects, Gilbert traveled back and forth between North America and China every month to oversee The Lord of the Rings preparations.
Despite his extraordinary abilities and boundless energy, he was still exhausted.
Fortunately, with his other projects wrapped up and an Academy Award for Best Director under his belt, Gilbert could now fully dedicate himself to The Lord of the Rings.
For the summer of 1999, something unusual happened—there was no new Gilbert film in theaters. This left his fans slightly disappointed.
Watching a Gilbert film had become a summer tradition for his audience.
Just like his social media tagline said, "A date with the fans every summer."
But this year, he was absent.
His fans knew the reason: their favorite director was busy working on a major project—The Lord of the Rings.
Those unfamiliar with the story rushed to read the original novels, while those who knew the books worried about whether Gilbert could successfully adapt such an epic masterpiece.
As for the book's dedicated fans, they protested the adaptation, as expected—but their objections weren't going to change Gilbert's determination.
However, it was impossible for them to see the film anytime soon.
Not a single scene had been filmed yet, meaning they would have to wait until the following year or even the year after that.
This left fans eager with anticipation.
Rumors spread that Gilbert had traveled to China to scout locations, sparking curiosity about what kind of landscapes he had chosen.
To most North American audiences, China was a mythical land—many knew little about this mysterious country.
Gilbert's decision to film there suggested there must be a special reason, piquing further interest.
Originally, he had intended to shoot in New Zealand, but due to some political maneuvering in Washington, New Zealand's government didn't want to offend the U.S. authorities and ended up making things difficult for The Lord of the Rings.
As a result, despite nearing a final agreement, the deal fell apart, and Gilbert had no choice but to defy expectations and relocate the production to China.
The official narrative sounded appealing: a Hollywood blockbuster being filmed in China, promoting Western culture abroad.
And since the film was an adaptation of a purely Western literary classic, there wasn't much backlash—few people even noticed the subtle moves Gilbert was making behind the scenes.
For instance, he quietly transported a large quantity of slightly outdated but still mainstream Hollywood filming equipment to China. Once there, these pieces of equipment were unlikely to return.
The Lord of the Rings project would involve thousands of people from start to finish. With so many people working in a foreign country, various issues would inevitably arise, requiring local coordination and assistance.
Perhaps, through this project, the local film industry could be exposed to Hollywood's advanced industrial production processes earlier than expected, which might influence its own development.
Gilbert believed that at the very least, this project could provide some help and inspiration for Chinese filmmakers.
Of course, due to his position, Gilbert could not personally guide them step by step. How much they could learn would depend on their intelligence and adaptability.
In fact, after tensions with Washington eased, the New Zealand authorities regretted their earlier decision and attempted to invite the production team back. However, it was too late.
By that time, large-scale construction had already begun in various locations across China, with multiple sets and filming bases being built.
With money being spent like water, there was no longer any possibility of returning to New Zealand.
The New Zealand authorities felt a bit regretful, but with a self-consoling mindset, they reassured themselves that it was just a movie.
Clearly, they had not fully realized that The Lord of the Rings was not an ordinary film—it was an adaptation of a novel with immense global influence.
Or perhaps they had realized it, but the mistake was irreversible, so they pretended not to care.
There were no surprises in Hollywood. Even Gilbert's partners, Warner Bros. and Disney, remained skeptical about the Lord of the Rings project.
If not for Gilbert's proven track record—especially considering even a musical like Chicago had become a major success—Warner Bros. and Disney might have already voiced their doubts.
As for the studios that were not working with Gilbert, they were outright dismissive, believing that this project had no chance of succeeding.
However, whether it would succeed or not remained to be seen. So far, everything was progressing smoothly.
After returning to North America from South Africa, Gilbert immediately began the audition process for the cast, sending invitations to actors from the original Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Gilbert had spoken with Ian McKellen about the project very early on, and Ian had expressed great interest in The Lord of the Rings.
Since it was also an opportunity to collaborate with Gilbert again, he readily agreed to play the role of Gandalf.
Ian McKellen was one of only three actors in the cast who did not need to audition. The other two were Nicole Kidman, who would play Galadriel, and Christopher Lee, who would portray the white-robed wizard Saruman.
For the remaining roles, Gilbert insisted on selecting actors through auditions.
Thus, a grand casting process was launched at Melon Studios. Countless talent agencies, like sharks drawn to the scent of blood, mobilized their clients, all hoping to secure a role in this major production.
It was true that The Lord of the Rings was not widely favored in Hollywood, but the person directing the film was Gilbert.
Up to this point, Gilbert had never had a failure. Who could guarantee that he wouldn't succeed again? For actors, this was a rare opportunity.
Of course, some still hesitated.
Orlando Bloom, a British actor, had just graduated from drama school that year and, encouraged by friends, had come to Hollywood to pursue his career.
He was surprised when a casting invitation personally sent by Gilbert landed in his hands. He had no idea why such a renowned Hollywood director had taken notice of him.
"Oh my god, Jonah, this is an incredible opportunity! Gilbert himself has invited you to audition!" his friend said enviously.
Jonah was Orlando Bloom's nickname, used only by those close to him.
His friend continued, "You have to accept this! If Gilbert personally reached out, it means you have a strong chance of landing the role."
Orlando Bloom hesitated. "But my agent says this project isn't promising. Many industry professionals don't have high hopes for it."
His friend looked at him as if he were from another century. "Do you not know Gilbert's reputation?"
"Of course, I do. In fact, I love The Matrix."
"Then why are you hesitating? This is Gilbert we're talking about—he has never failed. Those so-called industry professionals have been doubting him for years, but have they ever seen him fail?"
His friend spoke with such passion that it seemed as if rejecting the invitation would be an unforgivable sin.
Orlando Bloom was still unsure. "My agent wants me to take another role. I don't know what to do."
"Jonah," his friend patted him on the shoulder and asked, "Do you want to become a star?"
"Of course I do," Orlando Bloom replied firmly.
"Then accept Gilbert's invitation." His friend encouraged him. "Look at all the big names: Keanu Reeves, Matt Damon, Naomi Watts, Charlize Theron… Nearly all of them rose to fame by starring in Gilbert's films.
"If you want to achieve the same level of success, you can't miss out on Gilbert's project. Otherwise, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
His friend's persuasion finally convinced Orlando Bloom. "Alright, I'll accept the audition."
"Good," his friend nodded approvingly, then added, "As for your short-sighted agent, you should fire him and find someone better.
"I heard you're signed with International Creative Management. Switch to Creative Artists Agency instead—that's Gilbert's agency."
Gilbert had no idea about this behind-the-scenes struggle. He simply saw Orlando Bloom as his ideal choice for the Elven prince, Legolas.
However, the Legolas auditions were scheduled for later. First up were the auditions for the four hobbits, especially Frodo Baggins.
Gilbert's first choice, Elijah Wood, arrived for his audition as expected, and Gilbert watched his performance closely.
At just eighteen years old, Elijah Wood was already a well-established child star, having appeared in The Good Son and Ang Lee's The Ice Storm.
Last year, he had worked alongside Naomi Watts in Deep Impact, delivering a solid performance.
Elijah was an actor with a strong sense of individuality. He liked to challenge himself with different roles and took this audition very seriously, delivering an excellent performance.
After watching him, Gilbert was highly satisfied. He turned to the casting director and producers for their opinions.
Assistant director Annie commented, "Elijah's performance felt very natural. His years of experience prove his talent. I think he's a great fit."
Producer Charles Roven agreed. "I think he's the best choice. There's no need to keep auditioning."
Despite their confidence, Gilbert still decided to test a dozen other actors to see if there was anyone better suited. However, the results confirmed that Elijah was the right choice.
If he had been cast in the role in the previous timeline, it meant he was already the best fit.
Thus, the role of Frodo Baggins was settled—Elijah Wood would play him.
After the audition, Elijah Wood waited anxiously for news. He understood how important this opportunity was, having read the original novel and knowing that Frodo was a crucial character.
"Dad, have they called yet?" Elijah asked his father.
It was already the third day, and the production team should have made a decision by now, but there was still no word.
His father stayed by the phone, but it remained silent. So, he shook his head. "No, Elijah."
Seeing his son's nervous expression, he reassured him, "Don't worry. You did great in the audition. I believe you'll get the role."
However, his father's words did little to ease Elijah's nerves. Instead, he grew even more anxious, replaying the audition in his mind and dwelling on any mistakes he might have made.
He worried that his performance hadn't been perfect, causing the delay in the decision.
In reality, he was overthinking it. The reason the production team had not contacted anyone yet was simply that Gilbert wanted to finalize the entire cast before notifying the selected actors.
Nonetheless, this delay left many hopeful actors on edge, fearing they had lost their chance.
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