Chapter 97: No Standing

After a $14.31 million opening weekend, "The Butterfly Effect" finished its first full week with a box office total of $21.69 million, easily claiming the top spot in North America for the week.

In the living room of his apartment, Simon Westeros studied the box office data report, his first thought on the future trends of the film's earnings.

Given the current media reception of "The Butterfly Effect," most people were pessimistic about its revenue trajectory, and Simon himself wasn't very optimistic either.

If the film's earnings dropped more than 50% in the second week, despite its strong start at $21.69 million, the total North American box office would likely only reach around $50 million.

A $50 million haul, while impressive compared to the film's production budget and the era's average, was definitely not good news for Simon.

Fox and Orion had agreed to the revenue-sharing contracts for "Final Destination" and "Pulp Fiction" largely because they had high hopes that Simon would continue his success after "Run Lola Run."

The initial box office for "The Butterfly Effect" relied heavily on the popularity of "Run Lola Run."

Now, if "The Butterfly Effect" continued to perform poorly and didn't live up to its opening week numbers, Hollywood would likely dismiss "Run Lola Run" as a fluke, and the prestige it lent to Simon could fade away after "The Butterfly Effect."

Going forward, even though the contracts for "Final Destination" and "Pulp Fiction" couldn't be reneged, Hollywood studios would be less inclined to consider the "Run Lola Run" factor when dealing with Simon's pitches for future projects with Daenerys Studios.

Moreover, Simon's disadvantage due to his young age, not even twenty, would likely be scrutinized more heavily again.

No longer interested in the box office performance of other movies, Simon tossed aside the report and listlessly watched the big screen across from him.

The classic black-and-white film "Casablanca" was playing—a movie highly ranked on IMDB's TOP-250 from the original timeline, which Simon had seen more than once. Recalling many details mentioned in "When Harry Met Sally," he had bought the videotape to revisit it.

Watching Ingrid Bergman's sparkling eyes on the screen, Simon suddenly thought of Janet and Neil's words before he left.

After hesitating for a moment, Simon picked up the phone and dialed a number, leaning back on the sofa.

After several rings, the call was picked up, and a kitten-like hum of impatience came through the speaker.

Hearing the woman's response, Simon smiled slightly and said softly, "Baby, it's me."

In the bedroom of a lavish Palisades mansion, Janet snuggled under the covers, the phone's cord stretched long from the nightstand into the bed.

Hearing Simon's voice, Janet perked up a bit, groping for a pillow next to her to clutch as if embracing someone, though she retorted nonchalantly, "Who's your baby? Call me Janet."

Simon complied smoothly, "Okay, Janet."

But Janet immediately expressed her dissatisfaction, "You really have no conviction."

Simon laughed, "I just wanted to call and say goodnight."

Janet wriggled in bed, hugging the pillow tighter, and asked, "What are you up to?"

"Watching a movie," Simon glanced at the big screen, "'Casablanca'."

"Because of 'When Harry Met Sally'?" Janet asked, not waiting for an answer before adding, "I've seen it before too. I don't really like the story, everyone's so cautious, it's not straightforward at all."

Simon, who had also grabbed a cushion for his knees, replied, "That's because you didn't understand it."

"Hmm?"

"Actually, 'Casablanca' is one of the most subtly crafted love stories in Hollywood history, and its ending is perfect."

"Hmm?"

With a smile, Simon explained, "The story should go like this. In the chaotic little town of Casablanca, Chief Renault is madly in love with Rick, the bar owner. To get Rick's attention, he pretends to be a playboy, constantly changing his companions. The arrival of Rick's ex-girlfriend, Ilsa, makes Renault feel a strong threat. However, Renault is very clever. Outwardly indifferent, he secretly maneuvers to not only successfully drive Ilsa away but also makes Rick realize his own feelings. In the end, they leave Casablanca together, hand in hand, wandering the world for life."

On the other end of the phone, Janet, recalling the movie's plot and batting her pretty eyes in surprise, suddenly squealed, "Ah, you little devil, Westeros, I'm never watching 'Casablanca' again."

As she playfully rolled on the bed, her laughter abruptly stopped when she suddenly realized

 something and quickly grabbed the thrown aside handset, "Hey, you little devil, are you still there?"

"I am."

Janet hesitated for a moment before asking weakly, "You... you haven't started taking an interest in men, have you?"

A metaphorical dark line crossed Simon's vision as he immediately responded, "No."

Janet, still a bit worried, "Really?"

"Of course, it's true," Simon reassured, eager to change the subject, "But, without you here, it's a bit messy. How about coming over to help clean up?"

Janet refused without hesitation, "No way, find a cleaning service."

"You know," Simon tried to steer the conversation back, "I don't like strangers in my home."

"But," Janet fluffed the pillow in her arms and shifted her position on the bed, "I use a cleaning service for the villa here too, right?"

Simon, who had not paid attention to such details before, replied, "Well, what I don't see, I pretend not to know."

"Hehe, then let Kate help you clean."

Simon, feeling a bit helpless, said, "Is that really what a good friend would do?"

"Otherwise, you solve it yourself," Janet pouted, but then added, "Not allowing strangers of your own kind on your territory, you really do sound like a lion."

Simon, planning to find time to clean up himself over the weekend, remembered something Janet often mentioned about lions, "I've been thinking about a lion-related idea recently," he said, rising to search his surroundings. Finding a stack of drawings, he flipped through them casually on his lap, "It's an animated film, called 'The Lion King,' based on the 'Prince's Revenge' story template. How about I make it and give it to you as a birthday gift? By the way, when is your birthday?"

Janet's voice softened, whispering, "I don't celebrate birthdays, thinking about my age makes me sad."

Simon spoke softly, "You should celebrate, you're eighteen every year. Come on, tell me when your eighteenth birthday is?"

Janet's tone softened further, quietly saying, "March 13th, it's already passed secretly this year. Oh, and I won't want the story if it's not good."

"You can see it first," Simon memorized the date, continuing, "How about tomorrow? Tomorrow evening I'm going to Madonna's for a party, come as my date, and we can discuss the story afterward."

"I won't, I'm not your girlfriend right now," Janet resisted a bit before asking, "What are you going to Madonna's for?"

"I want to invite Madonna and Sean Penn to star in 'Pulp Fiction,' as the opening characters Honey Bunny and Pumpkin."

"Hehe, inviting both of them," Janet scoffed, "I remember they starred together last year in 'Shanghai Surprise.' Reviews said the only good thing about that movie was that viewers could enjoy a theater all to themselves."

Hearing Janet say this, Simon couldn't help but laugh.

"Shanghai Surprise" was a film Madonna and Sean Penn had starred in the previous year with a production budget of $17 million, but it only made $2.31 million at the North American box office.

Before sending out the invitations, Simon had specifically watched "Shanghai Surprise" on videotape and found it tragically bad; Madonna had even won her first Razzie for Worst Actress earlier that year.

Nevertheless, Simon decided to give it a try.

He always believed that no actor was beyond redemption; it all depended on the role. Otherwise, Madonna wouldn't have won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for "Evita" later on.

After a minor incident on ABC's "Good Morning America" last month, when Simon completed the screenplay for "Pulp Fiction," he immediately thought of Madonna and her husband for the roles of Honey Bunny and Pumpkin.

Madonna's boldness and Sean Penn's fiery personality made them perfect to play a pair of lovebird robbers.

Most importantly, Madonna's film salary wasn't too high, and Sean Penn wasn't a top-tier actor at the moment. If it was just a cameo, this idea had a high feasibility.

Thinking this, Simon pressed, "So, are you going tomorrow or not?"

Janet refused again, "No. We've broken up, remember? And we're even preparing for a big lawsuit. It would be so embarrassing to be seen with you so soon."

"Alright," Simon conceded, "Then that's it, good night."

"Mmm, good night."