### Chapter 227: What Great News!

The filming of the Battle of Minas Tirith took about two weeks, almost as long as fighting a real war. Richard had been swinging his sword daily, and his arms had grown noticeably stronger.

After wrapping up the Battle of Minas Tirith, there was one last major battle: the Battle of Mordor. Aragorn, in an effort to divert Sauron's attention and give Frodo a better chance to reach Mount Doom, led the united forces of men in an assault on the Orc stronghold.

This scene was even more grandiose, and the crew was still preparing for it. The actors had a few days of rest.

Richard decided not to return to the U.S. The two-day round trip wasn’t worth it, so he stayed at the estate in Wellington, resting at the Point Jenning estate.

One sunny morning, as Richard was strolling through the estate’s lawns with Liv Tyler, his phone rang. It was a message from Coppsen Productions—a piece of good news.

On January 18th, the 17th Sundance Film Festival was held in Park City, Utah. Coppsen Productions and director John Cameron attended with their film Rock 'n' Barbie. This year, over 8,000 films from around the world were submitted for review. After several rounds of selection, only the best 200 films were screened during the festival, with Rock 'n' Barbie being one of them.

On January 22nd, Rock 'n' Barbie premiered at the festival, receiving many positive reviews and several key nominations, including the Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award (Drama), Director's Award (Drama), and Cinematography Award, making it one of the festival's hot topics.

"Not bad, that's really good news!" Richard said with a smile.

"What’s the good news?" Liv Tyler asked, leaning on his shoulder.

"The film might win some awards," Richard explained briefly. "Initially, we were just testing the waters with this film, using it as a way for the new company to get its departments to work together. I didn't expect it to do so well."

"Congratulations, you seem to excel at everything you do," Liv Tyler said with a smile.

"It’s not my doing. I only checked in on the project a few times. Coppsen Productions handled the rest, and they did a great job. If I deserve any credit, it’s for choosing the right partner," Richard replied with a grin.

Liv Tyler laughed, "Do you plan to become a producer in the future?"

"Yes, before I entered the film industry, I thought being a movie star was cool. But after becoming an actor, I realized that being a producer and owning a film company is even cooler. I want to be the coolest person."

Richard took her hand and kissed it.

Liv Tyler smiled, hugging his arm. "You’re definitely going to be a big deal in the future."

"Alright, I’ll work hard to make that happen," Richard said with a smile.

"Richard, Miss Tyler, breakfast is ready," Anna Basola, his assistant, called from the doorway.

"Coming!"

After breakfast, Richard trained in the estate and then went to the studio with Liv Tyler for rehearsals in the afternoon.

---

Two days later, Richard received another call from Coppsen Productions.

Rock 'n' Barbie had won two awards at the 17th Sundance Film Festival: the Audience Award (Drama) and the Director's Award (Drama), the most important awards after the Grand Jury Prize.

"Haha, Arnold, that's great news! What's the plan now? Are we going to release it directly or look for a distribution partner?" Richard asked.

"Several distributors have contacted us, wanting to acquire the distribution rights. I wanted to get your opinion—should we sell the rights outright or go for a minimum guarantee with a profit-sharing deal?

Right now, four companies have made offers for an outright purchase, with the highest bid for North American distribution rights being $2.8 million. For a minimum guarantee with profit-sharing, we could get up to 50% of the box office revenue in North America," Coppsen Productions asked.

As a new film company without an established distribution network, New Century Films had two options: sell the distribution rights outright or go for a minimum guarantee with profit-sharing. Selling the rights means handing over distribution to another company—whether the film makes a profit or not is no longer their concern, which is somewhat like gambling.

For example, during the production of Titanic, director James Cameron repeatedly asked for more funding. Fox, worried they wouldn’t recoup their investment, sold the overseas rights for $100 million, only to regret it deeply later when the film became a massive hit.

The current bid for Rock 'n' Barbie's North American distribution rights was $2.8 million. If the film could fetch $4-5 million in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, the company would make a small profit.

Selling the rights outright is a one-time deal—quick returns but limited profits, making it ideal for small film companies.

On the other hand, profit-sharing involves splitting revenue among the producer, distributor, and theater chains. Established distributors, like the major studios and large independent film companies, only share profits with theaters.

Before 2000, production companies were more powerful, often securing over 60% of the box office revenue, and sometimes up to 90% in the first week, like Warner Bros. and Disney.

However, after many theater chains went bankrupt in the early 2000s, these draconian terms were gradually abandoned.

Today, production companies receive less than 60% of the box office revenue. As the film's run progresses, this share decreases—from around 60% in the first week to about 30% by the fourth week.

Profit-sharing has its pros and cons. If the film is a hit, the production company makes money. If the film flops, they lose money, and it takes longer to recoup their investment.

Richard carefully considered both distribution options but was unsure which would be the better choice. "Arnold, you, Jane, and Frank are the experts in this area. I'll leave it to you to decide."

"Haha, we're planning to take the film to the Berlin International Film Festival and see what offers we get from European distributors before making a decision," Coppsen Productions replied.

The Berlin International Film Festival, held every February, is one of the three major art film festivals in the world, alongside the Venice Film Festival in Italy and the Cannes Film Festival in France.

Rock 'n' Barbie was partly filmed in Germany, making it a German-American co-production, so participating in the Berlin Film Festival seemed promising.

After chatting with Coppsen Productions, Richard hung up and called director John Cameron to congratulate him on winning the Director's Award. He also called Gwyneth to congratulate her, as she had done much more work on the film than he had.

With the calls done, it was time to start filming again. With the help of the crew, Richard donned his elaborate leather armor. His long hair and beard were neatly trimmed, making him look more polished than his previously rugged appearance.

"It's not easy—this is the first time Aragorn has been so well-groomed," Richard said, looking in the mirror.

"Richard, Aragorn is a king; he’s more focused on his inner qualities. If he were just a pretty boy, the audience would only notice his looks and miss his deep character and noble spirit," the art director joked.

"That makes a lot of sense, but I bet once the movie is released, the audience will love Orlando and Liv more. Every time they appear on screen, the lighting is so perfect that it almost blinds me during our scenes together," Richard remarked.

"Haha, if you liked being an elf so much, why didn't you audition for the role of the elf prince?" the art director laughed.

"Who said I didn’t? When I first auditioned, I tried out for Legolas, but the director said I was too muscular, and my facial features were too rugged—not delicate enough. So they had me try out for Aragorn instead. That's how I ended up as the scruffy Aragorn," Richard explained.

"Well, you got the better deal—Aragorn is the main character."

"Haha, you’re right!" Richard laughed, finishing his armor adjustments. He picked up the Sword of Kings and strode confidently onto the set.

Richard had two versions of the Sword of Kings: one was a real, hand-forged steel sword used for close-up shots, and the other was an aluminum sword used in fight scenes to prevent injuries.

"Mr. Brad, your horse!" The horse handler brought over his mount.

"Thank you, Liam!" Richard smiled, patting the horse’s mane as he mounted it. He rode into the center of the set.

The final great battle—the ultimate clash between good and evil—was about to begin. The scene was massive, with over three thousand extras on set, all lined up under the assistant director’s orders.

"Richard, you have a speech coming up—practice it first!" shouted director Jackson.

"Got it!"

Richard rode his horse to the front of the formation, looking out at the thousands of extras. He began his speech, and the once noisy set gradually quieted down as everyone watched his performance.

As he practiced, Richard adjusted to the atmosphere of the set. Though he had rehearsed for several days at the Broadway Theatre, the environment here was different, and sitting on a horse required him to modify his delivery.

Under the guidance of the art director and the director, Richard's speech grew more passionate. Each time he finished, the set erupted in cheers.

By around 2 p.m., the set was finally ready. Gandalf, the elf prince, the dwarf, the hobbits, the prince of Gondor, the princess of Rohan—everyone was present.

"Scene 547, Take 1, Action!"

The clapperboard was snapped, and filming officially began.

"Steady! Steady!" Richard shouted as he rode his horse across the front line.

The orc army poured out from the Black Gate, a massive horde that far outnumbered the human forces. Many soldiers were terrified, unable to resist retreating.

Richard held the Sword of Kings high as he rode to the front of the army. "People of Gondor and Rohan! My brothers!" Richard shouted as he rode along the front line. "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.

A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship—but it is not this day!"

Richard's voice was hoarse from hours of practice, tasting blood in his throat, yet his voice remained powerful and charged with emotion.

"An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down—but it is not this day! This day we fight!"

His horse began to gallop faster as he raised his voice again. "By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!"

Richard shouted, pulling on the reins. The horse suddenly reared, standing tall on its hind legs.

It was a scene straight out of a Napoleon painting—Richard sat tall, his sword held high, and his red cape billowing in the wind.

"Fantastic, absolutely fantastic!" Behind the monitor, director Jackson and the cinematographer applauded with excitement.

During rehearsals, Richard had tried this move several times, but the horse had never reared up fully. Considering the risk, they hadn’t pushed it.

But during the actual shoot, Richard’s pull on the reins caused the horse to rear perfectly without any mishaps.

The red cape, catching the wind at just the right moment, was the perfect finishing touch, making the scene look majestic and incredibly cool.

Clang, clang, clang! As Richard and his horse reared up, the soldiers in the formation drew their swords, the sound of blades filling the air. The scene was awe-inspiring.

Richard faced the orcs with the Sword of Kings in hand, fearless.

"Cut!"

"That's a wrap for this take!"

After this scene, the crew took a two-hour break before resuming filming the second battle scene. Aragorn, sword in hand, led the human forces fearlessly into the orc horde.

"Charge!"

Richard gripped his sword with both hands, slashing through the enemy ranks. After months of filming, his swordsmanship had improved to the point where he was nearly as skilled as the sword trainer.

He toppled one enemy after another, but with the thick leather armor he wore in the heat of New Zealand’s summer, Richard and the extras struggled to stay hydrated and cool. Some of the extras fainted from the heat rather than being "killed" in the battle.

This scene was full of action and special effects, so it took over a week to film. Everyone endured a tough week, but it was worth it—this was the last major battle scene of the entire series.

It was also Richard's penultimate scene. His final scene would be Aragorn's coronation at the top of the White Tower, where he would be united with Princess Arwen—a perfect ending.

By late February, Richard had finished filming Aragorn's scenes and returned to Los Angeles.

However, his work on The Lord of the Rings wasn’t entirely over. In post-production, the team would review all the footage, and there would likely be reshoots.

Just like in the second film, where over thirty scenes were reshot during post-production to improve them, director Jackson was known for his perfectionism.

Richard didn’t mind; having a share in the film’s profits, he wanted the movie to be as high-quality as possible, which would lead to higher box office returns.

(End of Chapter)