**Chapter 87: The Gathering of the Giants**

In the following days, just as Wayne had predicted, no gangsters came looking for trouble, and no police came to investigate. In short, everything was calm, and the filming proceeded as usual.

Meanwhile, the final cut of *Gifted* was officially completed on the evening of December 4th, thanks to Gus's overtime efforts.

"Phew, finally done!" Gus took a deep drag, inhaling the remaining half of his cigarette into a scattered pile of ash. He grumbled, "If the next production schedule is this tight, don't call me again, no matter how much money you offer."

Susan merely smiled upon hearing this, but she didn't take it seriously. No more money? What a joke. Who in Hollywood would turn down money?

"Alright, Gus, have something to eat and rest a bit. I'll notify Sarah to come over, and we'll review it together."

Gus muttered something indistinctly—probably complaining about "too much overtime" or "no human rights." Then he took the sumptuous dinner offered by Susan's assistant and began eating voraciously, without any concern for his image.

If you want the horse to run, you have to let the horse eat well.

So, although Susan had kept Gus confined in the editing and dubbing rooms for the past few days, she had tried to meet his needs in other ways.

Not just with food—if Gus had certain desires, she wouldn't hesitate to order her assistant to spend $10,000 to hire two pretty escorts from San Fernando Valley to satisfy him.

Thus, while Gus complained verbally, he didn't harbor much resentment toward Susan or Hemera Pictures.

A few minutes later, Sarah, who had also been working overtime to prepare for the viewing session the next day, arrived at the editing room and began reviewing the final cut with Susan.

It's undeniable that the final cut was significantly better than the rough cut. After watching it, Sarah felt much more confident about the formal viewing session the next day.

The next morning at 9 o'clock, an energized Sarah walked into the screening room with Susan and Gus.

By then, the screening room, which was over 100 square meters, was almost packed.

All the major production companies, including the Big Seven, had sent at least one senior executive and two veteran acquisition experts to attend. Representing Warner Bros. was Vice President Charlie Williams, accompanied by Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Wilson, indicating that missing out on the blockbuster *Happy Death Day* hadn't affected their positions.

Meanwhile, Harvey Weinstein himself represented Miramax. When he saw Sarah, he eagerly walked up, lowered his stance, and shook her hand.

"Haha, Ms. Hemera, the last time we met was at the *From Dusk Till Dawn* celebration party, right? Four years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you're as radiant as ever! I heard someone bad-mouthed me at the last *Happy Death Day* screening session, calling me Harvey Weinstein a coward? Haha, to be honest, they weren't wrong. But if I come across another masterpiece like *Happy Death Day*, I'll do whatever it takes to buy it, even if it means selling everything I own. We could even negotiate the terms of the deal."

After saying a bunch of empty words, Harvey finally got to the point.

Of course, with so many people present, he couldn't elaborate further, as this was his competitive strategy when funding was tight.

Sarah noticed this but remained calm and composed, maintaining a polite smile. After a brief exchange, she moved on to deal with representatives from other distribution companies.

Notably, this time, DreamWorks' representative was none other than Steven Spielberg, one of the three founders of DreamWorks, who is as famous as James Cameron.

Frankly, not only Sarah, but everyone present was also visibly surprised to see Steven Spielberg in attendance.

In the corner, Naomi, Annie, Megan, who came with Mike, and Liu Tianxian, along with Zhang Ziyi—who had no connection to the film but came purely to catch some attention—all looked shocked.

After Mike introduced the other guests present, they learned that the Big Seven had also sent a vice president.

"I never thought Hollywood's Big Seven would take Hemera Pictures this seriously," Zhang Ziyi muttered under her breath.

Megan nodded in agreement. While shocked, she also gained a deeper understanding of Hemera Pictures' influence.

Indeed, in terms of scale, Hemera Pictures ranks in the lower-middle among mid-sized production companies in Hollywood.

However, the consecutive blockbusters of *Admission* and *Happy Death Day* have drawn significant attention, including from the Big Seven.

Especially with *Happy Death Day*, where DreamWorks alone earned nearly $100 million in gross revenue from the box office. When you add in DVD sales and TV rights, the profits are enough to make the Big Seven green with envy!

So, unless a movie produced by Hemera Pictures fails, this level of attention will continue.

"By the way, Sister Ziyi, isn't your film *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* premiering today?"

"Yeah, but the premiere is in the afternoon. I'll head over after this screening," Zhang Ziyi replied absentmindedly.

Initially, she came here intending to expand her network, but now it seemed the atmosphere was too high-end. Approaching anyone rashly might backfire.

Reluctantly, she continued chatting quietly with Liu Tianxian and Megan.

It wasn't until half an hour later that the screening session officially began.

As the lights in the screening room dimmed, everyone sat upright, their eyes fixed on the large screen ahead.

People like Wilson, who came as film acquisition experts, had already picked up their pens and notebooks, ready to start their evaluations.

"Hey, Betty, time to get up. I've made a special breakfast for you."

"Lawrence, I've been up for a while, okay! I'm wearing the new clothes you bought me. Damn, they're ugly. I look like a comic book character…"

Like the original, the movie begins with a conversation between Lawrence and Betty through a closed door.

Betty's reluctance wasn't because Lawrence woke her up or because the new clothes didn't suit her taste. It was because she didn't want to go to school.

From a very young age, she realized she was much smarter than her peers, especially in math, where she had already self-studied up to high school level.

This made her unwilling to go to school and learn 2+2 and 3+3 with a bunch of first graders.

But one sentence from Lawrence left her speechless.

(End of Chapter)