Chapter 472: Opening Weekend

[Chapter 472: Opening Weekend]

Kathryn heard Eric's words and glanced at him, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, though she remained silent. Inside, she thought of how she had caught him once again in a moment that fit his youthful disposition; after all, he was just a kid in his early twenties.

Perhaps Kathryn didn't even realize that whenever she interacted with Eric, she habitually focused on his actions and words that reflected his age. Maybe it was just a way to remind herself of something, who knew?

After Eric finished speaking, he didn't say anything more, and the two of them quietly turned their attention to the big screen.

At that moment, the film reached about the twenty-minute mark, and the first tornado was about to hit, with two teams racing toward the tornado's location.

Having been influenced (or perhaps poisoned) by so many European film masters, Kathryn wasn't that interested in this typical commercial film. Of course, living in Hollywood, she didn't despise commercial films as deeply as European art film directors. Instead, she subconsciously focused most of her attention on the blonde woman in a white tank top with striking eyes in the film.

The performance during the interaction between the female lead and the male protagonist's new girlfriend was outstanding. Though she deliberately dressed simply for the character of a meteorologist, the woman's beauty still shone through.

Glancing at Eric in the dim light, she knew that this character, Joanna Pacula, was still very much his woman.

What a greedy little rascal.

Feeling her gaze, Eric looked over, and Kathryn quickly turned her head back to the screen. Soon, the main character's convoy encountered the first tornado. Watching the screen as the tornado fiercely lifted trucks and tractors one by one, Kathryn finally felt a jolt of astonishment. As a film director, she knew that no company had ever created tornado effects this realistic before.

The audience around them murmured in low astonishment as the first tornado appeared. Following it, the film's pace quickened, with hurricane effect scenes popping up every ten minutes, mesmerizing the viewers with thrilling visuals that drew gasps from the crowd.

Due to Twister debuting a few years ahead of its time, previously, only Terminator 2 -- the film that had implemented liquid metal robot effects -- created a similar sensation. Audiences had yet to experience a massive impact from CG-heavy blockbusters like Jurassic Park, which explained the overwhelming reaction of the theater's attendees.

As the movie concluded with grand symphonic music, before the lights even turned on, applause erupted throughout the cinema.

...

Walking out of the theater amidst the crowd, they slowly made their way to the parking lot when Kathryn finally spoke, "The film's score was lovely."

"I have a sample of the soundtrack ready for you. I'll send you a copy later," Eric replied.

"Thank you," Kathryn said, not refusing. After a moment, she added, "The lead actress was also stunning."

"Ah, I can't send you that," Eric joked.

Kathryn chuckled lightly, and the two walked over to the car. Eric gallantly opened the door for her. As she got in, he leaned against the car door with a smile and asked, "Are you sure you won't let me give you a ride home?"

Kathryn shot him a glare without answering, buckling her seatbelt.

"How about this: you can drive me home instead. I wouldn't mind," Eric continued with a playful grin.

Kathryn secured her seatbelt, turned to give Eric a look that urged him to back off, and then slammed the car door shut. With the sound of the engine starting, her white BMW pulled onto the road, initially moving slowly before suddenly accelerating, as if she felt that waiting even a moment longer might result in some monstrous beast catching her.

Watching her car disappear into the traffic, Eric shrugged and muttered to himself, smiling as he walked over to his own car.

...

Driving back to her home in Coldwater Canyon, Beverly Hills, Kathryn felt her previously racing heart slow down a bit. After parking and stepping inside, she heard the sound of the door, and a fuzzy little creature came running over, meowing as it likely felt famished.

Kathryn fetched some cat food and poured it into the little one's bowl before wearily collapsing onto the living room sofa.

After some time had passed, the slightly oversized yellow kitten, having had its fill, trotted over and lightly leaped onto the couch, snuggling up next to her.

Kathryn scooped up the little one and placed it on her lap, saying, "Paws, do you think I'm a boring woman too?"

The cozy little critter simply curled its furry body into a ball, finding a more comfortable position, narrowing its eyes, completely ignoring its owner's query.

Looking at the lounging furball, Kathryn gently tugged on the kitten's large ears, letting out a barely audible sigh into the air.

...

After a lengthy promotional blitz, the moment for Twister's release finally arrived. This was the first major film released by Firefly Films since they acquired Disney. Other Hollywood studios had set their sights on this film, and although Twister had built a solid reputation through a series of previews, until it officially launched on a large scale, no one could know the box office potential of a film. After all, there were examples where films had received rave reviews during previews, only to crash at the box office.

On the evening of June 4th, Twister held an extravagant premiere at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood and was officially released in over 2,600 theaters across North America.

"...an astonishing visual effects movie that, after two years of hiding, Eric Williams has gifted us with a magnificent feast for the eyes."

"...a well-paced plot, astounding CG effects, and magnificent orchestral music -- this young Hollywood tycoon has surprised us once again."

"...Having watched this film, I have one concern; perhaps our big screens will be dominated by such realistic CG effects and lose the essence of cinema as a storyteller. Special effect companies such as Digital Domain might just usher Hollywood into a whole new era."

"..."

On June 5th, after the midnight showing, a wave of reviews flooded various media platforms. Most print outlets rated Twister very highly, with countless reviews praising it. While there were inevitably some extremely conservative critics who routinely voiced their criticisms, these opinions hardly affected the prevailing trend.

...

With everyone waiting in anticipation, on June 6th, the first-day box office for Twister was reported. Although Firefly Films did not disclose specific figures to the public, Hollywood studios and entertainment media that were closely monitoring the situation quickly obtained detailed numbers through their channels.

The first day yielded $14.5 million.

Upon seeing this number, many felt an indescribable numbness, sensing a mixture of surprise and inevitability.

According to traditional box office patterns, after Friday, Saturday would see an uptick, followed by a slight decline over the weekend. The projected box office after the first weekend for Twister was expected to be around $45 million, with weekday summer box offices typically averaging about half of the weekend's figures. Following this pattern, Twister's first-week box office could potentially reach around $70 million, covering costs.

In the office of Columbia Pictures' CEO, Peter Guber felt an unsettling sensation wash over him upon seeing the box office data in hand. Given Twister's current reception, he knew that without a doubt, the box office wouldn't drop significantly next week, likely remaining in the $40 million to $50 million range. With North American summer box office totals averaging around $100 million per week, Running Out of Time: The Prequel would have to compete for the remaining $50 million with at least ten other films.

Having already gone through preliminaries, many critics and audience members expressed varying degrees of dissatisfaction with Running Out of Time: The Prequel. They believed this prequel had entirely abandoned the film style Eric created in the first installment, turning into a mediocre action film. Although the action sequences were undeniably spectacular and the set pieces lavish, faced with Twister's realistic CG effects, these elements seemed lacking in competitive edge.

Moreover, just a week after Running Out of Time: The Prequel's release, Warner Bros.' Batman Returns would hit theaters, making Peter Guber shiver at the thought of these two blockbusters battling it out.

Columbia had originally signed a three-film deal with Tom Cruise's production company, but it seemed that this collaboration would need reconsideration. Peter couldn't help but think of the film being produced, Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Having navigated Hollywood for decades, he recognized that even if he couldn't produce a good movie, his eye for talent in film was unquestionable. A film with a fresh story and novel shooting concepts was virtually guaranteed success unless something went gravely awry.

Peter Guber quickly made up his mind; to remain in his position, he would need to solidify his partnership with Firefly Films. After making his decision, Peter picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Eric's number.

"Hi, Eric, it's Peter Guber... Oh, it's nothing, really. I just wanted to extend my congratulations..."

...

Amidst the summer moviegoers' excitement, the first-week box office results for Twister finally came in. Over seven days, the film garnered more than $65 million. Adding to the previous week's limited showings, the total box office just surpassed the $70 million mark.

Many who had originally hoped for a dip in Twister's box office now found their last shred of hope fading. Those wanting to collaborate with Firefly suppressed their disappointment and picked up their phones to call Eric again, just as they had when the first day's numbers were released, leading to another barrage of phone calls for Eric.

"Of course, Chris, feel free to take the lead on this matter; it could be $2 million a year if that's what it takes... Haha, I didn't mean to imply I have money to burn; I just believe you won't let me be at a loss... Well, of course... Honestly, I enjoy hearing those envious voices calling to congratulate me... Alright, enough chit-chat; I'm busy. If you'd like, you can fly over for tonight's celebration party for Twister; it should be quite lively... I'll hang up now," Eric said, hanging up the phone and casually handing it to his assistant behind him.

Typically, after completing a film, directors in Hollywood would take a vacation to rest and reflect on the success or failures of their film's release. However, even though Twister nearly broke the record for first-week box office receipts in Hollywood, Eric had little time to enjoy the accolades.

Far away in New York, Chris had just called to discuss the donation amount for the World Wide Web Fund and informed him that the framework for Internet Explorer had been set up. Alongside Tim Berners-Lee, the company's consultant, Chris had not only recruited dozens of software engineers but also secured a senior manager from Oracle to lead Internet Explorer. To facilitate interaction with the World Wide Web Consortium, the headquarters for Internet Explorer was temporarily established in Cambridge, Massachusetts, home of MIT, with the beta version of IE expected to launch by year's end.

In addition to Internet Explorer, the two other companies were also preparing steadily. According to Eric's plan, these two companies would only be officially launched after the IE beta version went live, so Chris's main focus remained on Internet Explorer.

...

An amplified voice called out from the open space in front of him, awakening Eric from his thoughts.

This was a plaza inside Firefly Studios, and the colossal object in the center started moving slowly after the shout moments ago.

It advanced, crouched, bit, and roared...

As the T-Rex model, which had taken months of effort from several Digital Domain's special effects artists, successfully completed various tests, everyone sighed in relief and cheered.

"How is it, Eric?" Stan Winston approached, brimming with enthusiasm, his tone mixed with a bit of pride. While he knew that the center for Digital Domain development was in CG effects, after all these years working on model effects, Stan felt immense excitement and pride watching another model come to life under his team's efforts.

"It's fantastic," Eric praised without hesitation. "I believe this big guy will astonish everyone next year."

"Of course, it won't be much worse than the tornado in Twister," Stan said confidently before adding, "Now, let's take a look at the Velociraptor model."

Under Stan Winston's careful supervision, the T-Rex model was cautiously moved back to the warehouse, and several smaller Velociraptor models were quickly brought out by the crew.

*****

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