Chapter 128: Tit for Tat

"Fortunately, it was just a bit terrifying at the time."

Carey Mulligan was talking to Elizabeth Banks about the filming process. "The needles were fake, but the pig intestines were real..."

"Murphy is so ruthless!" Elizabeth Banks sympathized with her. Carey Mulligan shrugged, "That's what makes it effective."

She walked to her locker, ready to grab her backpack from the long soft bench. Elizabeth Banks followed and noticed the exposed "Premiere" title on the backpack. She asked, "Is this the latest issue?"

Carey Mulligan nodded and generously said, "If you want to read it, go ahead."

Elizabeth Banks didn't hesitate and took the "Premiere" magazine, flipping through it as she said, "You haven't read it yet, right? Let me check the box office rankings for you and see what kind of impressive numbers Murphy has achieved!"

"What film is so impressive?"

Like Carey Mulligan before, a sixteen-year-old girl couldn't control her emotions when excited. Hearing Elizabeth Banks once again link Murphy's name with success, Keira Knightley finally couldn't hold back and walked over, glaring at Carey, "You've been boasting about it for so long?"

Both Carey Mulligan and Elizabeth Banks turned to look at her.

Jessica Chastain also turned her head, full of curiosity. Carey Mulligan seemed to attract trouble wherever she went...

Keira Knightley didn't stop talking. She walked up to Carey, "Oh, I haven't congratulated you yet. Your boyfriend's film is out, huh?"

Her tone grew heavier, "I heard it's showing in thirty theaters!"

Turning around, Keira Knightley held up three fingers to her companions, "Did you know? Carey's boyfriend's new film is in thirty theaters!"

After speaking, she burst into laughter as if it was the funniest joke in the world, one hand clutching her waist.

The girls behind her laughed exaggeratedly too.

They had heard the previous conversation, and like Keira Knightley, found it shameless for Carey and Elizabeth to boast about a film showing in just thirty theaters.

The other people in the dressing room also laughed. Thirty theaters weren't anything worth boasting about.

Laughing exaggeratedly, Keira Knightley waved her three fingers at Carey, "Thirty theaters!"

Carey Mulligan was furious, her doll-like face showing her anger, but she held it in. She remembered what Murphy had said after the last incident: if you let an idiot provoke you, they will only feel more victorious.

Elizabeth Banks frowned deeply. Keira Knightley was really going too far.

Just as she was about to speak, Keira Knightley's sharp voice rang out again, "Can we know your impressive box office numbers? Did you make it to the top ten of the weekend box office chart?"

Her voice was fast and urgent. Carey wanted to say something but was interrupted again, "Don't tell me you made it. I saw the latest North American box office chart, and 'Saw' isn't in the top ten!"

Even if she wasn't clever, Carey Mulligan understood that Keira had been keeping tabs on Murphy and "Saw," waiting for an opportunity to mock them.

"Miss Knightley!" Unconsciously imitating Murphy's tone, Carey's words were cut short as Elizabeth Banks pulled her aside.

Elizabeth Banks nodded gently at Carey, grasping the open magazine, "Keira, don't go too far."

Her words were met with an upturned chin.

Elizabeth Banks, usually patient, had her limits. She glanced at the numbers in "Premiere" and said, "Miss Knightley, don't be so narrow-minded."

"Hmph..." Keira Knightley wasn't easily swayed. She had checked the weekend box office chart specifically to find an opportunity to retaliate when that little director showed up. Now that he wasn't here, saying it to Carey Mulligan would suffice, "I'd love to hear those impressive numbers and see how shocking they are..."

She raised her voice, wanting the whole dressing room to hear, "Shocking!"

Due to the earlier commotion, Carey Mulligan looked at Elizabeth Banks, who smiled and then turned to Keira Knightley, "You've acted in a few films yourself. You should understand these numbers."

She held up the "Premiere" magazine in front of Keira Knightley, "These are statistics from 'Premiere,' not my personal opinion. Over the weekend, 'Saw' grossed about $510,000 in thirty theaters across North America."

Keira Knightley's chin was still up, but Elizabeth Banks' face showed a hint of mockery, "That's approximately $17,000 per theater! Second highest per-theater average this weekend, only behind 'Legally Blonde!'"

Keira Knightley's chin unconsciously lowered, but her pride wouldn't let her back down easily, "Limited release? Does that prove anything?"

She looked back, seemingly trying to rally others to continue mocking, but except for a few loyal friends, the other people in the dressing room were staring at her. Especially the older ones, their gazes were a bit strange.

Indeed, limited releases didn't guarantee a film would be a blockbuster. Many films with impressive limited release numbers flopped upon wider release. But a limited release in thirty theaters did indicate some market response.

The people with the strange gazes weren't like Keira Knightley, inexperienced in the industry. Their experiences and knowledge far surpassed hers.

Moreover, Elizabeth Banks, usually a nice person, was now siding with Carey Mulligan, standing in direct opposition to Keira Knightley. There must be more to this.

Elizabeth Banks raised the "Premiere" magazine, "CinemaScore released a market survey report on 'Saw.' The overall audience rating is A!"

Keira Knightley quickly retorted, "It's not the highest A+."

Despite her words, her chin was lowering, and her confidence was waning.

"A isn't the highest, but how many horror films get an A from CinemaScore?" Elizabeth Banks didn't know either but added this to undermine her opponent, "Ed Mintz, the founder of CinemaScore, personally predicted that 'Saw' will gross at least $30 million in North America after wide release!"

"What?" Keira Knightley couldn't believe it.

Elizabeth Banks coldly said, "Don't tell me you don't know who Ed Mintz and CinemaScore are!"

Keira Knightley's lips tightened. She had been in the film industry for years; how could she not understand the significance of such predictions?

This was the most professional market forecast!

But... how could this be? Why would CinemaScore and Ed Mintz pay attention to such a small production?

Seeing Keira Knightley's disbelief, Carey took the magazine from Elizabeth Banks and tossed it to her, "See for yourself! And remember, Murphy's film had an $800,000 budget. You do the math on the return on investment."

After Carey's words, the dressing room fell silent. Even Keira Knightley's loyal friends shut their mouths, and others looked at her like she was a fool as she flipped through "Premiere."

She had checked the weekend box office chart but hadn't paid attention to other details. Now, seeing the detailed data in the professional "Premiere" magazine, her chin was completely lowered, and the impulsiveness of a sixteen-year-old was suppressed by these cold numbers.

Though rebellious, Keira Knightley wasn't brainless. Having entered Hollywood years ago, she understood the accuracy of CinemaScore and Ed Mintz's predictions.

Keira Knightley's face turned pale, her chest heaving. That hated person, the one who reminded her she was a stand-in, was really going to succeed?

Why was it like this? She wanted to go crazy but seeing the pride in Carey Mulligan and Elizabeth Banks' eyes, she held it in. Even if she went crazy, it couldn't be in front of these people; she couldn't let them laugh at her!

Though knowing the predictions weren't always 100% accurate, Keira Knightley couldn't say anything. She had already embarrassed herself once. She had followed "Saw" to find a way to retaliate, thinking not seeing it in the box office top ten was a good opportunity, but who knew...

Why was it always like this? Her teeth clenched, the one with dyslexia was her, the stand-in was her, and the one embarrassing herself was still her...

"Am I really that useless?" A thought popped into her mind.

Only then did Keira Knightley realize that beneath her proud exterior was deep-seated insecurity.

"It's almost time." Carey, not even looking at Keira Knightley, firmly followed Murphy's strategy, treating her like air. She called to Elizabeth Banks, "Liz, let's go."

She turned to Jessica Chastain, "Jess, come with us."

Jessica Chastain, having been stunned by Elizabeth Banks' words, followed, "Coming, Carey."

With a low sigh, Jessica knew she might have missed a great opportunity to build her resume. Paul Wilson, on the other hand, was likely to benefit greatly. The more impressive the box office numbers after the wide release, the more glory would shine on those involved in the project.

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