"He is the most successful commercial director in Hollywood history, one of the most attention-grabbing directors of the 20th century. Every film he creates sets a new personal box office record and establishes new benchmarks for future movies. In just over a decade of filmmaking, his works have earned more than $7.5 billion in total box office revenue. He is persistent, hardworking, and determined, hailed by North American media as the representative of the American Dream—he is Duke Rosenberg!"
Standing backstage, Duke listened to the voiceover accompanying the music in the front hall, patiently waiting. The occasional applause clearly told him that, apart from the host Yang Lan, there were many other people in the audience.
"Last week, the 8th Shanghai International Film Festival opened. At this film festival, the arrival of Hollywood's famous director Duke Rosenberg became one of the biggest highlights of the event."
Another round of applause rang out. Seeing the director's signal, Duke walked onto the stage, waved to the audience, and smiled slightly as he sat across from Yang Lan.
For Duke, who had appeared on the cover of Time Magazine multiple times, this was just a small affair.
He wore his usual dark casual suit, exuding a natural and easygoing demeanor. His short, tidy hair and youthful energy made him appear as if he were still in his thirties—a mature, stable, and charismatic age.
Yang Lan shook hands with Duke and said, "We can communicate in Chinese, right?"
"As long as you don't speak in local dialects," Duke replied in fluent Mandarin, even better than many people from Shanghai, "and no idioms."
Upon hearing this, the audience let out a series of admiring gasps.
"I've spent a long time in the United States, and for many linguistic geniuses in the West, Chinese is like a nightmare." Yang Lan was clearly controlling the interview's pace. "How long did it take you to reach this level?"
"About three years," Duke thought for a moment. "It took about that long. I do have some talent for it."
"So, are you a language genius?" Yang Lan asked.
Duke shook his head. "No, I only know English and Chinese. I've tried to learn other languages, but made no progress. For example, French—I only know a few basic words. Maybe it's fate, but I found Chinese easy to learn."
Then, just as he did in France and other countries during promotions, Duke began to talk about his interest in Chinese culture.
"Since you're interested in Chinese culture, have you watched Chinese films?"
Hearing the question, Duke gently responded, "I've seen some, but not many. For example, Jackie Chan's action comedies and Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
Yang Lan asked again, "What do you think is the biggest difference between Chinese films and Hollywood films?"
"The industrial foundation!"
This answer clearly exceeded everyone's expectations. The audience even gasped in surprise.
Yang Lan, curious, asked, "Isn't it something else?"
Of course, there were other factors, but they involved cultural, political, and economic issues, and Duke didn't want to get too far into them. He said, "Personally, I think it's the industrial foundation. Or you could say it's the technology."
Before she could ask again, Duke continued, "Before the 1990s, Hollywood films weren't as prosperous as they are now. European films still had the strength to compete with Hollywood, but this all changed starting in the early 1990s. If you look carefully, over the past decade, the most successful Hollywood films globally have relied heavily on technology."
"Does Chinese cinema need to focus on developing technology next?"
"Film is the result of many combined factors, and technology is only one aspect." Duke paused for a moment. "Every director has their own style. For me, only with sufficiently advanced film technology can I turn the images in my mind into reality. That's why some people consider me a director focused on technology."
At this point, Yang Lan suddenly realized that Duke had unwittingly taken control of the conversation, which was a taboo in interview-type shows. She quickly switched the topic. "In your films, exceptional special effects always create jaw-dropping, exhilarating visual effects. Currently, four out of the top ten highest-grossing films of all time were made by you. What do you think has contributed to your success?"
"Dreams, persistence, and effort." Duke paused, then added, "And the constantly developing cinema industry. For example, ten years ago, if a film premiered in 3,000 theaters in North America, it was considered a huge achievement. But now, it's not difficult to get into 4,000 theaters. The development of theater chains and the increase in the number of screens are among the basic conditions for a film's box office growth."
This was an easy concept to understand, and both Yang Lan and the people in the audience nodded in agreement.
Duke continued, "Although TV, the internet, and DVDs are all developing rapidly, the cinema-going experience will remain irreplaceable for a long time. Movies like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, when viewed on the big screen, offer a completely different experience than when watched on a smaller screen."
Yang Lan quickly reacted and immediately asked, "Is this why you focus on making special-effects films?"
Duke shrugged and didn't deny it. "That's one of the reasons. Now that the audience has more ways to view films, why must they go to the theater? You must showcase things that cannot be seen on smaller screens."
Yang Lan, clearly well-prepared for the interview, asked, "In your opinion, if a film does well at the box office, does the use of film technology play a significant role in that success?"
"I first used large-scale CGI in Independence Day. The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings trilogy also used a lot of high-tech." Duke didn't avoid the audience but directly answered, "I believe the audience doesn't care about how a film is made. They want an experience. They enjoy films that can take them on a journey, films like The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings trilogy are just that kind of movie."
Upon hearing this, the people in the audience nodded unconsciously. Duke had done plenty of research and found that the average viewer doesn't care about the production details—they just want simple enjoyment.
Noticing that Duke had again taken control of the conversation, Yang Lan switched topics once more. "Your film Taken has received excellent feedback. I have the latest box office statistics here. Since its release last Thursday, the film has earned 28.65 million yuan in China."
She looked at Duke and asked, "What are your thoughts?"
"I'm happy that the audience likes my film."
The number might not seem huge, but in 2004, films earning over 100 million yuan in a year were rare, so 28.65 million RMB was already quite impressive.
"This film premiered simultaneously in both China and the U.S.," Yang Lan continued. "Has the North American box office been calculated?"
Seeing Duke nod lightly, she asked, "Can you share the figures with us?"
"Of course," Duke recalled the data he received at noon and said, "In North America, it made 51.25 million dollars over the weekend."
"Box office champion?"
"Box office champion."
Taken was not considered a big-budget blockbuster, but its opening weekend gross of 51.25 million dollars satisfied both Duke and Warner Bros.
"Congratulations." Yang Lan said with a radiant smile. "Another film of yours is about to become a box office hit."
"Thank you." Duke graciously accepted.
If Taken hoped to perform as well as The Lord of the Rings, that was absolutely impossible. But given its opening weekend performance, achieving profitability was certainly not difficult.
"Since entering Hollywood, you've made so many films," Yang Lan shifted the topic to box office performance, "and since the new century, the cost of filmmaking has been rising, and there's a lot of market pressure. Do you ever feel nervous before a film is released?"
"Of course, I get nervous. Sometimes I even lose sleep from anxiety," Duke pointed to his forehead. "Various thoughts run through my mind, including the consequences of failure, and only when I see the box office numbers can I finally relax."
Yang Lan shifted the topic to pressure. "Your films have extremely high expectations globally, and that's no exception in China. What kind of pressure does that create for you?"
"Pressure is something every director has to bear. Often, pressure becomes the driving force for progress." Duke's fingers slowly tapped on the armrest of his chair. "There are different ways to view attention. Although it's a lot of pressure, it's also a great opportunity. I've also made small-budget films, and the biggest challenge with low-budget films is how to attract an audience. The advantage of making blockbusters is that you know they will have the opportunity to be seen by global audiences. As a filmmaker, that's the best opportunity."
The interview was drawing to a close, and after a few more questions, Yang Lan opened the floor to the audience.
A man in his thirties stood up first and asked, "Director Rosenberg, I've been a fan of yours since the 90s."
"Thank you, it's my honor."
Duke gestured for him to continue. The man went on, "You've made films almost every year. How do you maintain such a strong creative energy?"
After thinking for a few seconds, Duke said, "I enjoy the filmmaking process, especially when I'm collaborating with a team of creative people. The creative sparks flying around the room—it's an incredibly exciting thing."
"For example, when filming The Lord of the Rings, we had to create a new world and design entirely new creatures. I absolutely loved that process. If you're doing something you love, it doesn't feel like work. If you're interested in what you're doing, you never have to work a day in your life. So, my plan is to never work. Filmmaking is my greatest passion."
Next, a female audience member asked a question related to passion. "Why is filmmaking your greatest passion?"
"I believe the greatest power of film is that it can give the audience experiences they've never had before—whether they exist in reality or are just fantasies. Film is an excellent way to show people things they've never imagined or seen."
Half an hour later, the interview came to an end. Duke's trip to China was nearing its close.