Chapter 155: Speaking Nonsense Seriously

[Chapter 155: Speaking Nonsense Seriously]

On July 10, the first-week box office results for the film officially came out. Although George Norse's article stirred up a wave of public skepticism, the film's reputation remained largely unscathed, with over seventy percent of critics offering positive reviews. As a result, the pressure remained high, and the film raked in over twenty-seven million dollars during its opening three days. Columbia Pictures had mixed feelings about this figure.

On the bright side, weekday sales during the summer box office often accounted for thirty to forty percent of the weekly total, so there was still a chance to reach the forty-million-dollar mark over the first week. Despite the opening, just hitting that forty-million mark would give Columbia executives some peace of mind after weeks of worrying about box office numbers. If the film reached forty million during its first week, it could potentially surpass two hundred million overall.

However, Columbia was anxious because of the situation of Ghostbusters II, concerned it might similarly experience a week-to-week drop of over fifty percent. Although they didn't expect the box office to follow a wild roller coaster trend anymore, it was understandable for Columbia to worry; making a movie felt a lot like gambling -- nobody knew what would happen next.

Thus, when the stir from George Norse's article began, Columbia quickly summoned all its executives to discuss strategies. The fallout from such situations was unpredictable; maybe people would read it, chuckle, and quickly forget. But Columbia noticed there seemed to be a lot of voices out there that didn't want the article's sentiments to be easily overlooked. In just a few days, several media outlets began to amplify the issue.

They absolutely wouldn't allow their originally promising film to be affected by this wave of skepticism. Moreover, Columbia had already confirmed Eric's suggestion for "topic marketing," aiming to use product placements and clips from Eric's TV show to boost the second-week box office. But for this plan to succeed, they needed to clear up the current wave of doubts; otherwise, the topic marketing might backfire, amplifying issues instead of resolving them.

As the executives wracked their brains over how to dispel the rumors, a small box of videotapes that Eric brought into the meeting room opened everyone's eyes. After playing a few tapes, they quickly devised their strategy.

...

In an office building of CBS in Los Angeles, Eric was making the final preparations with a host named Sophia Temple for a show called It's Showtime. If they wanted to clear up doubts swiftly, what could be more convincing than playing footage from the set live in front of millions of viewers on a talk show?

When a senior executive suggested this, Eric immediately thought of the famous Oprah Winfrey Show because it was just too iconic. Unfortunately, that idea was dismissed quickly since the show ran from September each year to May the next, and they happened to be in the off-season. Even if the Oprah show weren't in its off-season, arranging for a slot in just a few days seemed improbable.

As a second choice, Columbia quickly arranged for another show It's Showtime, clearly borrowing from the format of other talk shows, but Eric had never heard of it in his previous life.

Sophia Temple was an elegant white woman, wearing a smart burgundy business suit, with dark hair and blue eyes, and a delicate nose. Eric thought she bore some resemblance to Courteney Cox, just with a more studious air about her.

After chatting, Eric understood why this talk show remained largely unnoticed; it probably wouldn't exist much longer. Sophia's personality was quite reserved; her polished speech suggested she came from a wealthy family and had received an elite education. Although she was talented, she tended to be conservative. Therefore, Eric felt she was better suited for a serious talk program, interviewing business leaders, scientists, or government officials, rather than an interactive talk show.

In contrast, Oprah came from humble beginnings and resorted to various stunts to promote her show, sharing personal stories like childhood trauma or expressing deep emotions on-air. Eric was certain that the reserved Sophia would not be able to pull off such antics.

"Ms. Temple, Mr. Williams, everything is ready for the recording; you can start now," a staff member announced as he entered the green room where Eric and Sophia were finalizing details.

...

Eric and Sophia left the green room together, heading to the studio.

"When people think of directors, they often picture those bearded, wild-haired, eccentric old men. As of last year, however, a new face emerged in Hollywood. Not only is he young and handsome, but he's also outrageously talented. It surprised many that this young man consistently delivered jaw-dropping box office successes with his films. I'm sure you all know who he is, so let's welcome today's guest, Eric Williams."

After a well-rehearsed intro, Sophia motioned for Eric to bring in the small box as the audience cheered. The show's crew had suggested bringing the box full of videotapes directly onto the set, but Eric declined. Since the purpose of this appearance was to clarify the rumors, leaving a deeper impression on the audience was essential.

With the audience's cheers echoing, Eric waved to the cameras and took a seat next to Sophia.

"Eric, is this your gift for everyone? Should I help you hand it out?" Sophia asked, pointing at the box with a smile.

Before Eric could respond, the audience erupted again, with several girls unable to contain their excitement, standing up to get a look at the box's contents.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Eric raised his hands to calm the crowd before explaining, "Sorry, everyone. I came here in such a rush that I didn't prepare any gifts. These are just some videotapes. As for the content, I'll keep that a surprise for now."

Although many in the audience sighed in disappointment, they settled down.

Next, Sophia and Eric began the standard talk show process, easing into the conversation. Most questions had been pre-discussed, and Sophia was indeed as reserved as Eric had anticipated. On the occasions she asked a few spontaneous questions, Eric found them easy to handle.

After chatting about Eric's past for over ten minutes, they shifted the conversation to the interview's focal point.

"Eric, many people say your latest film diverges significantly from your earlier works. What do you think about these opinions?"

Eric fixed his gaze on Sophia's attractive face and began to speak earnestly, "Honestly, the success of my earlier films involved a lot of luck. At that time, my father suddenly passed away, and I had to drop out of school to work in a small restaurant, which was definitely not the life I wanted. I've always had a fascination with movies, which led to the creation of my first film project; the idea for Home Alone movie came from a casual chat with Stu, I mean, Stuart Ronkel. One night, while he was visiting, I was working on a shoot, and he asked if he could make a movie too. That conversation was the catalyst for my screenplay. So, this latest film was truly the one I wanted to make from the heart. I had the notion for it long before the actual filming began and even invited Tom Hanks to join before we started shooting."

"Oh, so you're saying your earlier films were just test runs? If many Hollywood directors heard this, they'd be heartbroken," Sophia teased, prompting laughter from the audience. If Eric had easily churned out blockbusters, a lot of struggling directors would be frustrated.

Eric quickly laughed it off, "Of course not! I put a lot of effort into each of my films. I believe it's essential to do your best, even if you're not particularly fond of something."

Sophia nodded thoughtfully. "Eric, even though you're still young, with your accomplishments, it shouldn't be too hard for you to avoid constraints when making films. Does this mean your future films will follow a similar style?"

"Not at all. I enjoy trying new things, so my future films will definitely be diverse. I don't want to be pigeonholed as just one type of director at such a young age."

"However, I've recently heard a viewpoint suggesting that even the best filmmakers tend to have recurring elements in their works. Some newspapers are suggesting that your new film shows no similarities to your previous ones, almost as if two different people directed them," Sophia pressed, bringing up a sharper topic.

The audience immediately hushed, many of them having already guessed why Eric was on the show and were curious to hear how he would defend himself.

*****

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