July 6th, a day with clear skies.
Although it was midsummer, the breeze from the Pacific Ocean carried away the heat, bringing fresh air that was beneficial to one's well-being.
Stretching along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Los Angeles was the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, and today, the place was bustling with excitement.
A large number of entertainment media outlets and movie fans had gathered here, awaiting an important moment.
Because today, Gilbert's name would be engraved on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making him an official member of the Hollywood Hall of Fame.
In truth, with Gilbert's achievements, he had long been qualified to have his star and signature on the Walk of Fame. However, for various reasons, his induction had been delayed.
This time, aligning with the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Gilbert would first leave his mark on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 2 p.m. before heading to the Chinese Theatre for the premiere.
ABC Television was broadcasting the entire star-unveiling ceremony live, and the scene was packed with people, crowding around the Walk of Fame.
However, there was a slightly discordant note—some Lord of the Rings book fans had arrived holding protest signs. Since they were blocked by the crowd of movie fans, they could only shout their slogans from the periphery.
Gilbert didn't quite understand these people. Their protests were pointless. The film was already premiering—how could they possibly make the studio back down now?
But in their minds, if they could ensure the movie's box office failure, they could "save" their beloved literary masterpiece and keep The Lord of the Rings out of Hollywood's grasp.
It was a strange logic. Instead of judging the film's quality, these book fans were actively hoping for the adaptation's failure, thinking it would somehow preserve the novel.
What they failed to realize was that success would actually be the thing that saved The Lord of the Rings. Their interference would only harm it.
Of course, perspectives differed, and so did opinions.
But today, they were not the main focus. Even the trouble-seeking media paid little attention to them—everyone was waiting for a certain man to appear at the far end of the Walk of Fame.
Someone suddenly shouted, "He's here! He's here!"
The crowd looked toward the end of the Walk of Fame, where a Rolls-Royce had just pulled up.
A tall, well-built man stepped out of the car, dressed in a black suit. It was none other than the director they adored—Gilbert.
The ceremony host and the representatives from the Hollywood Historic Trust stepped forward to greet him with a handshake before inviting him to stand before his star.
At this moment, the star was still covered, waiting for the unveiling ceremony to take place.
The host began to introduce the event:
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Today, we are hosting a star-unveiling ceremony for the renowned director Gilbert Landry. At long last, he will forever leave his name and mark on the Hollywood Walk of Fame."
A wave of applause erupted, accompanied by cheers and even excited screams, though the protests from Lord of the Rings book fans in the background continued.
Once the applause died down, the host continued:
"Director Gilbert's contributions to the globalization of Hollywood films are undeniable.
To this day, he has become a true symbol of Hollywood itself.
Speed, The Rock, Saving Private Ryan, The Matrix, Chicago—these are just a few of his iconic works.
To date, Gilbert's films have grossed over six billion dollars worldwide. He has won multiple Academy Awards and even taken home an Oscar for Best Director.
Fans across the globe love his movies, admire his boundless imagination, and eagerly anticipate each new project he brings.
And today, Gilbert marks this occasion by unveiling his star alongside the release of his latest work, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring."
As soon as this was said, the crowd's excitement reached its peak. They had waited far too long for this film.
Last summer had felt incomplete without a Gilbert film in theaters. Now that he was finally making a summer comeback, his fans could barely contain their anticipation.
Naturally, the Lord of the Rings book fans at the periphery continued their protests.
But their objections were completely ignored. Without a direct conflict of interest, other film studios had no reason to support them.
Thus, the protests remained purely a symbolic effort by the Lord of the Rings fan association itself. Even they were likely confused about what exactly they were protesting—since it had no effect whatsoever.
Under the watchful eyes of thousands of fans and countless cameras, Gilbert and the representative from the Hollywood Historic Trust completed the star-unveiling ceremony, officially cementing his place on the Walk of Fame.
Frankly, given Gilbert's status, him accepting a star on the Walk of Fame was more of a favor to the Walk itself. He could have completely ignored the honor if he wanted to.
However, for the sake of the film's promotion, he had chosen to participate.
Gilbert took a moment to examine his star.
Made of terrazzo, the star retained its classic five-pointed shape and was pink in color.
It was embedded in a dark gray square, its edges framed with bronze.
His name was engraved in bronze on the pink star, with a film camera symbol beneath it—representing his contributions to the motion picture industry.
Of course, the Hollywood Walk of Fame wasn't exclusive to the film industry. Television personalities, musicians, radio figures, and live theater professionals could all receive stars as well.
With the star-unveiling ceremony completed, Gilbert set off for the Chinese Theatre, where another event awaited him—leaving his handprints and footprints.
Many people mistakenly believed that the Hollywood Walk of Fame was where stars left their handprints and footprints, but that wasn't the case.
The Walk of Fame was purely for star dedications, while the Chinese Theatre was where the handprint and footprint ceremonies took place.
And compared to the Walk of Fame, the tradition of leaving handprints at the Chinese Theatre had a much longer history.
The Chinese Theatre was founded in 1927 by Sid Grauman and had since become a Hollywood landmark, hosting several Academy Award ceremonies.
Whenever a major summer blockbuster premiered, it was often held at the Chinese Theatre if possible.
The tradition of leaving handprints and footprints had started by accident.
At the time, silent film star Norma Talmadge had inadvertently stepped into wet cement, leaving a footprint.
Seeing an opportunity, Grauman decided to turn this into a promotional event, inviting stars—including Norma Talmadge herself—to intentionally leave their marks.
The practice caught the attention of the film industry and became a signature tradition of the Chinese Theatre.
To this day, everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Sylvester Stallone had left their handprints and footprints here.
However, compared to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, this practice was more of a promotional activity for the theater itself rather than an official industry honor.
That said, it was still a tradition, and today, Gilbert was about to take part in it.
This distinction can be seen clearly when looking at Chinese actors. So far, only two have had the honor of leaving their names on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: Anna May Wong, a pioneering Chinese-American actress, and the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee.
Jackie Chan and Jet Li stand a good chance of getting their own stars, but for other Chinese actors, the possibility remains slim.
Currently, there are few Chinese figures with handprints and footprints at the Chinese Theatre, but Gilbert had some knowledge of the situation. He knew that later, certain celebrities such as Yan Zi, Huang Xiaoming, Feng Dapao, and Gao Xixi would leave their imprints there.
It wasn't that Gilbert looked down on them—rather, he felt that their inclusion lowered the value of the tradition.
This wasn't about their individual worth, but rather about whether their contributions to the entertainment industry were significant enough to warrant being placed alongside Hollywood's most iconic names.
Of course, they weren't exactly placed alongside the legends—their imprints were at the side entrance of an affiliated theater, while Gilbert's were at the front entrance of the main Chinese Theatre.
This distinction in placement reflected the difference in status and recognition.
Arriving at the Chinese Theatre, everything was already prepared—a fresh slab of cement, ready for Gilbert to press his hands and feet into.
The entire process was broadcast live. After another round of speeches similar to the Walk of Fame ceremony, Gilbert left his handprints and footprints, officially making his mark at two of Hollywood's most famous landmarks.
Even without such honors, Gilbert's name was already destined to be written into Hollywood history.
However, by leaving these imprints behind, it reduced the chances of future detractors questioning his legacy.
Moreover, the live broadcast had been watched by countless North American viewers, reinforcing their awareness of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and serving as an excellent promotional opportunity.
With the ceremonies completed, the official premiere of The Lord of the Rings began.
At this moment, Hollywood's Chinese Theatre was packed with fans—more than ten thousand had gathered.
One after another, famous stars, industry professionals, and well-known directors walked the red carpet.
The fans counted excitedly, recognizing dozens of big names, a testament to the grand scale of the premiere's guest list.
After the day's events at the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre, the excitement of the fans had been fully ignited. The noise of the crowd resembled the atmosphere of a Michael Jackson concert.
Yet, in reality, they were here for only one reason—to welcome their undisputed King of the Summer Box Office: Gilbert.
Inevitably, alongside the roaring cheers, over a thousand Lord of the Rings book purists were still holding signs and chanting in protest.
These protesters had initially occupied parts of the red carpet but were quickly pushed back by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's riot police using shields and batons.
Gilbert had a good relationship with the sheriff's department and had been a generous sponsor over the years. The officers were more than happy to help out with a small favor like this.
However, this did not deter the die-hard book fans, who remained steadfast in their protest.
Amidst the mixed sounds of cheering and protesting, the sun finally dipped below the horizon.
As darkness fell, the entire cast and crew of The Lord of the Rings stepped onto the red carpet.
And so, in an atmosphere that was far from relaxed or welcoming, the massive ship that was The Lord of the Rings set sail.
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