Chapter 191: The Pink Fairy's Small Success

The female journalist had indeed guessed what Martin meant.

He purposely left things unclear in order to keep a retreat path for himself.

While he knew that Waxwork performed decently at the box office in the original timeline, he was unfamiliar with Dracula 2000. His memory didn't seem to contain any information about the film, most likely because it was a flop, though it could also be due to the fact that this film wasn't Martin's style, so he hadn't paid much attention to it.

"Jeff, when we get back, check who is behind Dracula 2000. I suspect this scheduling clash might have been planned," Martin instructed.

Jeff Raymond nodded seriously. "Understood!"

Before entering the banquet hall, Martin was stopped by the host for a brief chat.

"Martin, how did you meet Paris? Why did you write a script for her?"

"Haha, my friendship with Paris began at a charity auction... As for why I wrote a script for her, maybe it's because she's good at convincing people, and I owe her a favor..." Martin replied with a smile.

As they entered the hall.

"Martin, you've finally arrived," Paris chirped, almost flying into his arms, wrapping herself around him. She nibbled his ear and said, "I've missed you so much. By the way, have you seen the final cut of Waxwork? What do you think?"

Martin patted her slim, soft waist and chuckled, "You're like a sloth, get off me. I've seen the final cut, no issues. It's edited according to my storyboard."

"So, what do you think the box office will be?" Paris asked eagerly.

Paris obediently got off him but still hooked her arm around his, ignoring the curious stares from others, as if staking her claim.

Martin thought for a moment. The film's box office in the original timeline wasn't bad: $64 million in North America, $123 million worldwide, with a production cost of $30 million.

It wasn't a huge profit, but a small gain.

However, this time, with Martin's screenplay and music, plus the fact that the production cost remained at $30 million but with only $23 million spent on the film itself (thanks to Paris, a newcomer in Hollywood, getting minimal pay), the marketing budget had been increased by $7 million.

With this, the box office should be higher.

"I think global box office could surpass $200 million, and for North America... $80 million!" he roughly estimated.

Paris's eyes lit up immediately.

"Wow, so my first movie could break $100 million globally?! That's amazing!"

Paris didn't care much about how much the film earned, she was just focused on building her own fame.

In fact, Martin had overlooked something: Paris Hilton's own fame. As the granddaughter of the Hilton family, her first major film would inevitably attract attention from various corners.

With Martin's support, they mingled with the guests at the event.

When they ran into familiar faces, they stopped to chat.

"Martin, it's been so long! You're really all grown up now, becoming such an important figure, haha!" Bruce Willis greeted with a laugh.

Since The Sixth Sense, the two hadn't crossed paths much. Bruce had been exploring new roles, playing a humorous killer in the comedy film The Whole Nine Yards released this May, and even guest-starring in Friends with a considerable amount of screen time.

"You've got to grow up eventually. I'm done with playing kids," Martin laughed, then complimented Bruce's new film. "Bruce, The Whole Nine Yards was really funny, didn't expect you to have a comedy talent!"

"Come on, I got my start in comedy!" Bruce laughed in return.

At 9 p.m., the banquet ended, and the movie began.

Martin and Paris sat in the first row.

The opening scene featured a group of young people on a road trip, with the atmosphere nicely crafted by the director, giving off a youthful vibe.

Martin noticed something interesting.

One of the supporting actresses, Eliza Cuthbert, played the role of the main character in the original timeline. It was rumored that she had slept with seven people to secure the role, and had been ridiculed by Paris on set, almost leading to a physical confrontation.

Now, Eliza was playing the role Paris had originally portrayed—yes, the character who danced provocatively in front of her boyfriend, only to be killed by the murderer while wearing lingerie.

Paris whispered into Martin's ear, "This girl's name is Eliza Cuthbert. She's been very respectful to me on set, and I'd consider her for smaller roles in the future."

They'd actually become friends in this timeline?!

Martin couldn't help but smile, finding it amusing.

As the movie progressed, the tension in the cinema grew. The quality of the film wasn't bad, and Martin's music enhanced the atmosphere, making the fear factor much stronger than in the original timeline.

The strong sense of immersion made the audience's heart race with the plot.

Eliza Cuthbert, sitting in the third row, was mostly distracted by watching Martin and Paris whispering in the first row.

"Paris, that bitch, has been monopolizing Martin since he showed up. I have no chance of getting close to him!" she thought bitterly.

She was proud of her beauty and came from a child star background in Canada, but when she arrived in Hollywood, she quickly realized her fame meant nothing. Lacking connections, she had to give up a lot just to secure a small supporting role.

For instance, sleeping with the casting director and producer of the film.

The thought of the producer's gross, overweight body made her feel disgusted.

She needed a powerful connection, someone like Nicole Kidman found in Tom Cruise, and Martin was her target.

However, Paris's clinginess toward Martin surprised her. She couldn't even get a chance to speak with him.

"Damn, I wonder if Paris has already slept with Martin. How could she do that? He's so young!" Eliza thought, frustrated.

After the movie ended, the audience erupted into applause.

To Martin's surprise, Paris, though still a bit green, displayed some real acting talent. She didn't look like a complete amateur.

Paris whispered in his ear, "I did pretty well, right? I took six months of acting lessons and had a coach on set."

"Very good, you worked hard. Well done!" Martin complimented her, almost like he was praising a child.

Paris clearly enjoyed the praise, her eyes narrowing in delight.

Next came the thank-you speech from the cast and a Q&A with reporters. As the screenwriter and composer, Martin was asked the most questions.

"Martin, I heard this film was specially written for Paris. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Why did you do that for Paris?"

"We're friends."

"Paris, are you and Martin friends?"

"No, we're best friends!"

The reporters' questions were mostly focused on the two of them.

Eliza Cuthbert, feeling sidelined, watched with envy.

If only she could get that kind of attention... If only Martin would write a script just for her…

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧