Chapter 227: Bloodbath at the Box Office

Early on Monday morning, the sound of high heels clacking echoed through the hallways of CAA. Jessica Chastain approached a meeting room, gently knocked on the door, and upon hearing an invitation to enter, she pushed the door open and walked in.

"Do you need me?" she asked, seeing her agent Mike seated in a high-backed chair. "Couldn't this be discussed over the phone?"

"Have a seat, Jessica," Mike stood up and handed Jessica Chastain a glass of water. "How did the audition go yesterday?"

Jessica Chastain casually pulled up a chair and took the water glass from Mike, thanking him and placing it on the table in front of her. Shaking her head, she said, "It didn't go very smoothly. I'm also not sure about the makeup test."

Mike sat back down and said, "I'll figure something out for the audition. Jessica, why didn't you put more effort into securing a role in 'Sin City'? I had submitted your application."

"I..." Jessica Chastain's gaze fell, "I did attend the audition but got eliminated in the first round."

"Why didn't you call Murphy?" Mike seemed irritated at the mention of the film. "Given your relationship with Murphy, getting one of the female roles shouldn't have been a problem!"

"Not a problem? Mike, you're oversimplifying things!" Jessica Chastain's voice rose slightly. "Do you understand what kind of person Murphy Stanton is? I was just his assistant for a very short time, hardly even a friend. He thinks I don't fit the image, and with his pragmatic style, would a phone call even make a difference?"

Not to mention, based on her understanding, even if she slept with him, it would be useless if he considered her unsuitable.

Moreover, she really didn't want to make that call.

She had seen with her own eyes how Murphy Stanton rose from a thug in the slums to become a director. For someone like her, a talented graduate of the Juilliard School, to beg a thug who had no formal education – it was hard enough to do once, but doing it a second time would pierce the little pride she had left.

"I have a lunch appointment," Jessica Chastain stood up, not wanting to linger on this topic. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going."

"Wait, Jessica!" Mike suddenly called out to her.

Jessica Chastain looked at Mike, who seemed hesitant.

After a while, Mike finally asked, "Jessica, you've been Murphy's assistant and know he used to live in the slums. How could a poor kid from the slums suddenly have so much money to make a movie? Could the reward from the LAPD and selling TV rights really be that lucrative?"

Hearing this, Jessica Chastain immediately felt something was off and became cautious, but being an actress, her face remained unchanged. She casually replied, "For the specifics, you should ask the Los Angeles County Police Department and his friend Carla Fess. I was only his assistant for a short time; how could I possibly know these things?"

Mike frowned slightly. If he could get information from other sources, he wouldn't have approached Jessica Chastain.

Recently, he had closely studied Murphy Stanton's rise to success and found several aspects highly questionable. These were like mysteries, always without clear answers. For example, it was known that Murphy Stanton received a substantial reward from the LAPD, but they refused to reveal more details.

If he could find answers, it might become a useful tool for him, possibly...

Mike's eyes narrowed as he thought, perhaps he could acquire a top director as a client.

"I'm leaving, goodbye."

Turning around, Jessica Chastain walked toward the door, a hint of confusion appearing on her calm face.

After Jessica Chastain left, Mike sat and pondered for a while, then left the resting room and walked along the long corridor to his office. Like all the other agents on this floor, he didn't have a private office and shared one with three other agents.

Opening the door, Mike entered the office and sat down at his desk, trying to focus on the matter at hand. However, the chatter of his colleagues made it impossible for him to concentrate.

"Bill Rossis has succeeded again."

"Yeah, Murphy Stanton is on his way to becoming a second-tier director."

"If I had a client like that, I'd treat them like a treasure."

"Hey, if Murphy Stanton's next movie is a big hit, grossing over $200 million in North America, and he becomes a first-tier director, do you think Bill Rossis will be invited to join the company's board of directors as a partner?"

This comment silenced the others for a moment. Becoming a partner would mean joining the top ranks of the company, the goal of all these junior agents.

"We should maintain a good relationship with Bill," someone suggested. "We could also get our clients into Murphy Stanton's new projects. Who knows, maybe they'll strike it big like Jessica Alba did."

The others nodded in agreement. "Just being in a movie like 'Sin City' is enough. Such opening weekend box office numbers are bound to attract media attention."

"Mike, you're on good terms with Bill," one person brought the conversation back to Mike. "Help us out when we try to place our clients."

"No problem," Mike forced a smile.

While his colleagues continued to discuss Murphy Stanton, Bill Rossis, and "Sin City", Mike couldn't concentrate and was visibly upset. After sitting for another ten minutes, he got up and left the office.

Entering the elevator, he saw it was coming down from above. Hurrying inside, he found Bill Rossis already there.

"Going out?" Mike asked casually.

"Yes," Bill Rossis nodded. "With 'Sin City' winning the weekend box office, 'Vanity Fair' has decided to do individual interviews with Murphy and James Franco in the afternoon. I need to go over there early to finalize the questions."

"That's great news, congratulations! An interview with 'Vanity Fair' will boost Murphy's fame even more," Mike responded with a smile.

Bill Rossis, obviously in a good mood, laughed heartily.

After leaving the Death Star Building, they waved goodbye. Mike decided to sit quietly in a nearby café. On the way, he passed a newsstand and noticed the "Premiere" magazine. Remembering Bill Rossis's words, he bought a copy and went into the café.

Finding a quiet spot, he ordered coffee and started reading the magazine, whose cover featured a special poster of "Sin City".

The striking red headline on the black-and-white cover read: "Sin City Bloodbath at the Box Office!"

Flipping through the pages, Mike quickly found the latest box office report.

"Directed by Murphy Stanton, a young director known for creating miracles with small budgets in films like 'Saw' and 'Planet Terror', 'Sin City' stormed into this week. Released in 2,850 North American theaters, the film, with its R-rating implying numerous teens would be barred from viewing, earned over $36.8 million in its opening weekend, topping the North American box office charts. Murphy Stanton, sometimes called a 'mad director', has successfully fulfilled his revenue promises to Miramax."

"'Sin City', adapted from Frank Miller's comic of the same name, saw Murphy Stanton select three stories from seven shorts to form the backbone of the film. Unlike Warner's 'Batman' series or 20th Century Fox's 'X-Men', 'Sin City' doesn't have the clichéd superheroes common in most comic book adaptations. Instead, Murphy Stanton's vision of darkness, blood, violence, and anti-hero elements makes it more of a crime or gangster film."

"Murphy Stanton, a devout fan of the 'Sin City' comics, stuck to a policy of absolute fidelity to the source material and storytelling. He invited the eccentric comic artist Frank Miller to join the directing team, significantly strengthening the project."

"Murphy Stanton not only wrote and directed but also took the lead in post-production and final editing. Based on the comic, the film combines his distinct personal style. Like Murphy Stanton's previous three films, 'Sin City' carries a strong 'Murphy Stanton' label in terms of materials, narrative, story, and imagery. This is evident from the media's exaggerated, confused, and mixed reactions."

"The 'Chicago Sun-Times' lead film critic Roger Ebert enthusiastically gave the film two thumbs up, claiming this black-and-white film shot entirely against a green screen is epoch-making. On the other hand, prominent critic William Arnold, giving it an F, declared 'Sin City' complete trash. Despite the polarized opinions often stirring public curiosity and adding freshness and controversy to the film, its R-rating and relatively niche style mean breaking $100 million at the North American box office will be challenging."

"Second on the box office chart was the ill-fated 'Phone Booth Sniper', released by 20th Century Fox and earning $10.27 million last weekend…"

Closing the magazine, Mike looked out the window at the Death Star Building, aspiring to climb higher and have his own private office.

He took out his phone and made several calls, finally connecting to one number. As soon as the call was answered, he put on a cheerful expression. "Hi, Murphy, it's me, Mike. Ah, nothing much, just wanted to say congratulations. You've done a great job."

On the other end, Murphy sat in the photography studio rented by 'Vanity Fair', smiling and replying, "Thank you."

After a brief exchange, Murphy hung up. Not long after, Grace and Bill Rossis walked in, briefing him on some points to be mindful of during the interview.

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