King of Hollywood

Chapter 359: Chapter 83 This is Called a Grand Gesture

Rosarito’s beaches, although not as picturesque as some of the world-renowned beaches, still make for a decent vacation spot, attracting quite a number of tourists each year. Most of them are Americans, with a minority being Mexicans and citizens from other countries.

But a few months ago, tourists visiting here couldn’t help but investigate what was happening on a nearby stretch of beach. Those from the United States had rented a large swath of the beach to construct buildings. However, these buildings were so rudimentary that they were clearly unsuitable for habitation, looking more like movie sets. They even dug a large hole in the shallow waters and began building a large ship! Yes, a massive cruise ship, which was exceedingly odd.

The locals were particularly amazed—they had watched as it transformed from a skeleton into a large vessel. Though it later became apparent that it wasn’t a sea-worthy ship, standing next to it and looking up was still a shocking experience. Those recruited temporarily for the construction took particular pride in bragging about it. After all, having a hand in the creation of such a massive object was something to boast about, even if one’s contribution was merely hammering a few nails or moving things around.

Many wanted to find out what exactly these Americans were up to, but the officials involved always skirted the topic. The local government didn’t intervene either, merely mentioning that their documents were in order and wouldn’t interfere with local tourism endeavors. Indeed, the project didn’t cause disruptions; instead, it attracted more visitors, who came specifically to see this oddly docked massive ship.

As more people arrived, it became difficult to keep things under wraps. It wasn’t long until a few American tourists recognized James Cameron, and when the news traveled back to the United States, entertainment reporters swarmed in. They knew this money-burning director was definitely filming his new movie, and while Cameron might enjoy splurging and wasn’t prolific, each of his works held significant commercial value, naturally attracting news coverage.

However, Cameron wasn’t cooperative with the reporters. He didn’t kick them out, but regardless of how they inquired, he remained tight-lipped, only implying that all would be revealed in time. But how long would this “in time” be? Nobody knew. The frustrated reporters had no choice but to leave some of their number behind to try all tactics to tease out information.

There’s always someone who can’t keep a secret, and the reporters who remained were sharp enough to extract bits and pieces of useful information from the staff. After much effort, they finally pieced together the truth: Cameron’s new work was likely a movie about an early 20th-century maritime disaster.

“Indeed, the photos show the ship model is definitely early 20th-century style. We all know of a world-shocking maritime disaster from the early 20th century which still impacts us today, like distress signals and the number of lifeboats on ships. But if James Cameron really intends to remake that disaster, it could be a disaster for investors. Not to mention there are already too many movies about the Titanic, and, given his personal style, he might not be the right fit to make such a film. It’s puzzling who would finance such a large model,” a commentator wrote.

When photos from the scene spread back in the United States, many speculated it might be the Titanic, given the model’s style and the Titanic’s fame as the most notable maritime disaster of the early 20th century. With Cameron’s flair, how could he not choose something eye-catching? However, although many speculated, few concurred. First, the 1:1 model wasn’t complete yet, and from the photos, it was unclear if it was indeed the Titanic; second, as the commentator noted, there were already numerous films on the Titanic, and it didn’t align with Cameron’s usual style.