Without the involvement of the Pentagon, the film wouldn’t exactly be impossible to make, but it would definitely cause a lot more trouble. Even though Transformers is positioned as "science fiction," the depiction of the U.S. military must still strive to maintain realism, and the Pentagon itself also hopes the film will provide positive feedback about their soldiers and technology. This mutually beneficial cooperative relationship can bring very significant results to the filming process how could Duke possibly refuse? Moreover, this can also increase the appeal of the film. Not to mention the famous F-22 Raptor, even the lesser-known CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, a new piece of equipment soon to be outfitted by the U.S. military, is like a hybrid between a helicopter and a conventional airplane. It can rotate 90 degrees and has an airspeed of up to 500 miles per hour. Even the U.S. Air Force only owns three such aircraft. Then there’s the professional guidance. The Pentagon will dispatch a professional team led by Air Force Colonel Daniel Fries, composed of personnel who have participated in the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. Starting in September, they will be stationed with the crew, not only coordinating communication between both parties but also assisting in preparing the filming of bombing and aerial combat scenes. The crew’s preparations have just begun, but the promotional work has already taken the lead. Hasbro and Warner Bros. have jointly established an official website for the Transformers live-action movie, and after a certain scale of promotion, launched an "Optimus Prime Dialogue Contest" on the site, inviting fans to write lines for Optimus Prime in the film. The winning dialogue will be featured in the final movie. In addition, related comics and video games will begin production once the character designs are finalized, and they will be released ahead of the movie to warm up the market. Of course, promoting the film through major events is a common strategy in Hollywood. In July, North America hosts a major event related to anime, games, and movies—San Diego Comic-Con in California. This event holds high status in North America and is the largest in the Western Hemisphere and second-largest in the world after France’s Angoulême International Comics Festival. The latter is solely a comic book convention, while San Diego Comic-Con spans across anime, movies, TV series, and games, a diversified event that is packed every year. Every influential convention provides exhibition spaces for major companies to introduce new works directly to fans, and San Diego Comic-Con is no exception. Warner Bros.’ exhibition booth is located at the very center of the San Diego Convention Center. It features not only characters like Superman and Batman but also newly joined characters under Warner’s distribution umbrella such as Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Captain America. In addition, Warner has specially set up separate areas for Transformers Despite fans constantly shouting in front of the booth, Duke didn’t have much he could actually present he simply had Hannah Serena come on stage to introduce some of the scene designs and character concept art. As expected, once the Transformers concept art was revealed, many people in the crowd began murmuring. This was perfectly normal—ask a hundred people and you’ll get a hundred different versions of Optimus Prime and Megatron. In any case, Duke was the director of Transformers. After Hannah Serena’s introduction, he too stepped up on stage to say a few words. He waved at the crowd below. Even though he was a director, directors in this era also attract a large number of fans. Duke’s fans were so enthusiastic that the media had even coined the term "Duke Blowers" for them. A chaotic chorus of shouting erupted from below. Once the noise quieted down a bit, Duke picked up the microphone and continued, "A lot of people have been asking me why, after The Dark Knight, I chose to direct a movie based on childish toys." Upon hearing that, the crowd of over a thousand gradually fell silent, with only the constant sound of camera shutters clicking from the journalists. Duke knew he wasn’t cut out for stand-up comedy, so he spoke directly. "I’ve always been a hardcore Transformers fan... and I don’t just say that to pander to other fans. Think about my age—when Transformers first came out, I was just a toy-obsessed kid..." This statement was half true, half false, but it was highly persuasive. When Transformers "I also read the comic books, collected toys and models, because I’ve been deeply fascinated by the stories that came out of Transformers." When it was time to act, Duke’s acting wasn’t half-bad. "Everything related to Transformers could end up in my personal collection. And I’ve always firmly believed that Hasbro would one day authorize it to be made into a blockbuster summer movie. Now I’m lucky enough to be the director of Transformers." A round of enthusiastic applause broke out below. Once the applause died down a bit, Duke continued, "Transformers has a very rich and long history, which is the driving force behind our production of this film. Without a doubt, everyone in the crew and I share the same thought we’re deeply attracted to this story. So, we quickly established the basic framework of the film, aiming to create a piece that emphasizes humanity. Then we sought out the best actors, doing our best to make full use of this cultural asset related to robots." Finally, Duke bowed slightly to the crowd and said, "My crew and I will do everything we can to bring you an exciting Transformers live-action movie next June." After speaking, he turned and walked off the stage, heading straight to the quieter backstage area. The release date for Transformers was set for next year’s summer season in June. On one hand, Duke needed more time to complete the post-production special effects; on the other hand, it was to avoid internal competition, as Warner Bros. and Marvel Studios had already scheduled Captain America to premiere in early May. Orıginal content can be found at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⚫𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⚫𝔫𝔢𝔱 In fact, San Diego Comic-Con is probably the most generous when it comes to showcasing films. In addition to commercial blockbusters, the organizers also include booths for independent films at the convention, giving space to small film companies and independent producers, many of whom are newcomers to the industry. Before leaving that afternoon, Duke walked around the film exhibition area under the flash of reporters’ cameras, and in the booth of Anchor Bay Entertainment, known for producing low-budget horror films, he saw the name of a movie that left an impression on him. Shaking off the reporters and some overzealous fans, Duke, with the help of two bodyguards, squeezed into the Anchor Bay Entertainment booth, where someone immediately came forward to receive him. "Hello, Director Rosenberg." As an industry insider, the other party clearly knew Duke was more than just a director. He introduced himself, "I’m John Chambers from the Business Department of Anchor Bay Entertainment." "Hello," Duke shook his hand lightly, then walked over to where clip segments were being shown. Pointing at the display screen in the far left corner, he asked, "Is that a film produced by your company?" "Not exactly, but the film rights are held by Anchor Bay Entertainment." Seeing that Duke asked about the film that had been completely overlooked, John Chambers said, "That’s a small production we bought at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It has a very unique concept..." Duke raised his hand to stop him from continuing, "I assume no companies or theaters are willing to distribute it?" John Chambers gave a polite smile. Walking over to the LCD screen, Duke watched the playing clip for a while. It was a scene where a group of people sat in a room, letting one person speak at length. Once he was sure, he asked again, "The production cost of this film couldn’t have exceeded two hundred thousand dollars, right?" John Chambers still only smiled without answering, but in his mind, the value of this film had just jumped several levels. Any film that could interest Duke Rosenberg must have something special about it! That was John Chambers’ thought. Retracting his gaze, Duke walked back to Chambers and said, "One hundred thousand dollars. Transfer the rights to me." "Director Rosenberg..." John Chambers showed a slightly troubled expression, "Your offer is too low. Even if the film only hits the DVD market, it could bring in more than a hundred thousand dollars." "A film ?" Duke shook his head. "I’ve read its novel. I was just curious how such an absurd novel could be turned into an even more absurd movie, so I had some interest." Even if he bought it, Duke wouldn’t push such a film to theaters—it would almost certainly be a money-losing business. The audience for this type of sci-fi film was far too small. The DVD and online streaming markets were almost the only options, and at best, it might attract a small group of cult fans and generate a bit of revenue. But that was all there was to it. If the other party refused to sell, he wouldn’t waste more words. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shown up in person after being interested—he would’ve sent someone else. But Duke saying he wasn’t that interested, John Chambers didn’t believe for a second. To become a company’s business director, one certainly couldn’t be a fool. Over the past few years, even setting aside those he personally directed, nearly every film Duke showed interest in became a big hit. John Chambers quietly made a hand signal to the female assistant on his left, instructing her to notify the company’s Vice President of Film Operations in another area to hurry over. The appearance of a Warner Bros. and Time Warner board member in Anchor Bay Entertainment’s booth wasn’t a small matter to begin with. Duke’s presence had drawn a lot of attention. He might not have truly noticed himself, but in the eyes of others, when it came to films especially commercial films his vision was absolutely exceptional. David Ellison was also at the Comic-Con, currently negotiating with someone in the neighboring booth of Illumination Entertainment. The news practically grew wings and flew into his ears. Though he didn’t like Duke, David Ellison deeply respected Duke’s grasp of the film market. Upon hearing the news, he arrived at that booth nearly at the same time as the Vice President of Anchor Bay Entertainment.