Going to the movies was something Bingbing Li and Shuchang had experienced before.
But what they hadn't experienced was attending a movie premiere especially one on such a grand scale.
They had never heard of any domestic film director's release drawing such a turnout. Seeing it now with their own eyes, it truly lived up to the reputation of Hollywood.
However, Jackie Chan had told them that even in Hollywood, there were only a few who could pull this off Gilbert was one of the best among them.
In fact, the debate over who the best director in Hollywood was remained unsettled.
But one thing was certain Gilbert's name was definitely on that list, and very high up.
After finding their seats, Bingbing and Shuchang looked around the premiere theater was packed with a sea of heads, shoulder to shoulder.
"So many people?" Shuchang whispered.
"Of course. I've already recognized several celebrities I even saw Jack." Bingbing Li didn't know Leonardo DiCaprio's name, but she had seen Titanic.
In this kind of setting, the two of them were no different from the regular fans sitting in the back.
Here, everyone was a star, or a major figure in Hollywood they were like invisible people.
In fact, just being able to attend this premiere was incredibly lucky. Many second- and third-tier Hollywood stars couldn't even get in because seats were limited.
Bingbing Li barely had time to feel small before the second part of the premiere screening began.
Noel didn't go to Los Angeles for the premiere of Return of the King. He was in New York, where he had managed to get a ticket for the advanced screening.
Since Thursday was a workday, he arrived at the theater a bit later than planned.
By the time Noel entered the theater one that could seat over 400 people it was packed wall to wall. Noel felt the attendance rate for the early screening must've hit ninety percent.
But after searching for a while, he finally spotted one empty seat in a corner.
"This show's packed," Noel thought.
Which made sense. Tickets for the early screening had sold out a week ago, and this was a cinema in the busiest part of New York not one of those suburban ones.
So a full house was expected. Some fans were even asking for standing room tickets!
Ever since the Lord of the Rings series exploded in popularity, the market had seen a surge of so-called epic films.
Noel had seen a few, but honestly, none of them could compare to the Lord of the Rings series.
When it came to epic films, nothing beat Lord of the Rings.
Actually, it wasn't quite fair to compare other movies to Lord of the Rings. That trilogy belonged in cinematic history. The problem with all the copycat epics was they didn't even get the basics of storytelling right.
Movies are about telling a story no question about that.
Unlike Noel, Doug and Zoey were lucky enough to get into the Return of the King premiere in Los Angeles. They had left their kid with the child's maternal grandmother and come to watch the premiere together.
Doug and Zoey had been following Gilbert's films since The Shallows. In the blink of an eye, over ten years had passed, and the young couple were now parents.
But what hadn't changed was their shared love for Gilbert's movies.
After finding their seats, Zoey could hardly contain her excitement. Clinging to Doug's arm, she said, "I can't wait to see what kind of scenes this movie has. I'm so looking forward to it."
"Shh," Doug gestured for silence. "The movie's starting…"
With the premiere and 2,200 early screenings across the U.S., every theater was packed yet no one spoke. The silence was almost eerie.
In this pin-drop-quiet atmosphere, the much-anticipated Return of the King officially began.
The film opened with logos: Disney, Warner Bros., Melon Studio, and a few smaller investors. All were familiar; audiences had seen them many times.
Return of the King didn't open with a grand scene, but took a slow and steady approach.
It started right at Isengard, destroyed by the Ents in The Two Towers, where Gandalf the White confronted Saruman.
In the original novel, Saruman was killed by Wormtongue, a favorite of King Théoden, after being banished, and Wormtongue was then shot through the heart by Legolas.
In both Eastern and Western cultures, traitors are typically despised, so Gilbert gave Saruman this fitting end.
Christopher Lee, who played Saruman, smiled knowingly. He felt incredibly lucky to be part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Now that filming for Lord of the Rings was over, he planned to shift his focus to the Harry Potter series, where he played Dumbledore.
In the first few dozen minutes of the film, there was little action mostly long stretches of dialogue but no one found it boring. In fact, everyone watched with rapt attention.
Then, at the 41-minute mark, the pace suddenly picked up.
A beam of evil light shot into the sky. Frodo collapsed. The closer he got to the Eye of Sauron, the more he was corrupted.
At this moment, the Black Gate opened, and hordes of orcs marched out in unison, advancing toward Gondor.
Gandalf gazed toward Mount Doom in the distance and said, "This will be the battle that decides the fate of Middle-earth…"
To whet the audience's appetite, the film first showed the orc army launching a nighttime raid by boat on Gondor's forward outpost. Though the human defenders were prepared, the orcs vastly outnumbered them.
After resisting through the night, the defenders were overwhelmed and retreated to Minas Tirith.
The orc army pursued the survivors closely and charged toward Minas Tirith Middle-earth's largest human city, and its final stronghold.
With the orc army drawing near, Gandalf sent the little hobbit to light the beacons and call for reinforcements.
The beacons were reignited, and with them, hope.
Accompanied by stirring music, the beacons were lit from Minas Tirith across mountains and peaks, stirring the audience's emotions to a crescendo.
In New York, Noel couldn't help but stand up while watching the film and he wasn't the only one. Almost all the audience members stood up.
It was just a simple scene of lighting the beacons, yet the heavy, epic feeling surged forth effortlessly.
In a cinema in Los Angeles, the little-known Hollywood director Oakley Dale watched this scene and sighed inwardly. His film simply could not compare to Gilbert's handling of a single, simple scene.
Oakley Dale had collaborated with Legendary Pictures, planning to shoot an epic film about the fall of Byzantium, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. They had provided a $110 million production budget and had even negotiated a distribution deal with Disney.
But the distribution deal was halted by Gilbert. After watching the completed film, Gilbert thought the story was sloppy and the scenes chaotic.
At the time, Oakley Dale had been unconvinced. But now, seeing the smooth plot transitions and emotional pacing of The Return of the King, he finally came to his senses.
The gap between him and Director Gilbert was wider than the difference of ten Michael Bays.
The beacons reached the Kingdom of Rohan, and Aragorn ran into the royal hall shouting, "The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!"
At this moment, the atmosphere froze. Faced with Aragorn's plea, King Théoden of Rohan appeared to be deep in thought.
Princess Éowyn, Legolas, Gimli, the Rohirrim, and the fans in the theater all waited for King Théoden's decision.
If it were directed by certain art house filmmakers or critics, King Théoden might refuse at this Movement to highlight the darkness and complexity of human nature.
But for The Return of the King, such a decision would clearly enrage the audience. Gilbert would never go that route.
"The Kingdom of Rohan will answer the call. Order the army to muster." King Théoden's decision triggered the first wave of cheers in the premiere hall, followed by applause.
Shu Chang clapped while exclaiming excitedly, "So good! So thrilling!"
"Indeed, he's truly brilliant. This is a great movie," Li Bingbing praised in awe.
Li Bingbing hadn't seen the Lord of the Rings series before, but after being cast as the Little Serpent, she watched Gilbert's past works.
And then she realized how great a series she had previously missed.
This time, the movie-watching experience felt entirely different.
The call to arms sounded. The riders of Rohan began gathering, filing out in an orderly flow.
Unlike the earlier desperate rush of the orc army, now, with the majestic, stirring march music, the riders of Rohan brought a sense of hope.
King Théoden looked at the assembled cavalry with heavy eyes.
He knew that many would not return from this ride.
But as his inner monologue revealed, this battle would determine the fate of humanity and Middle-earth.
"The hour of reckoning has come. Riders of Théoden, remember your oath. For the king and for Rohan ride forth!"
The massive force set out. The people of Rohan lined the roads to send them off. Husbands said goodbye to wives, sons to parents, fathers to children.
This was humanity's doomsday and also its hope.
King Théoden personally led the charge, knowing only he could rally the soldiers' fighting spirit at this moment.
From the moment the beacons were lit to the riders' departure, the audience's emotions had remained at a peak without ever dipping.
Meanwhile, on the front lines, the main force had retreated to Minas Tirith. Faramir reported to Gandalf and Pippin that he had seen Frodo and Sam, and they were heading toward Mount Doom.
In the theatrical cut, Gilbert had shortened the Frodo, Sam, and Gollum storyline as much as possible, giving more screen time to the human-versus-orc war.
But some key scenes couldn't be skipped. Frodo, Sam, and Gollum were still trudging toward Mount Doom.
A vast army of orcs had surrounded Minas Tirith. The city's defenders asked Gandalf, "Will Rohan's reinforcements come? What about King Théoden's cavalry?"
To this, Gandalf replied, "Courage is now your strongest line of defense."
At this time, the Steward of Gondor sent troops to reclaim the outpost.
Obeying orders, the soldiers launched a suicidal charge against the orc horde and were entirely wiped out.
The defenders and civilians on the city walls witnessed the tragic scene and felt as if they were seeing their own fate. Despair gripped them.
But despair is often followed by hope. In a valley, King Théoden had assembled his cavalry.
However, Aragorn felt that Rohan's cavalry alone wouldn't be enough. He, Legolas, and Gimli left the camp to seek additional reinforcements.
Here, the movie differed from the original novel. In the book, Aragorn summoned the southern army of Gondor. But in the film, Aragorn sought the undying ghost army.
The great war of hope and despair was about to begin.
.....
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