As night gradually faded, the sun of July finally climbed into the sky over the West Coast for the first time. The briefly quiet city of angels returned to its bustling state, and the fiercely competitive film industry began its silent battle once again. The weekend before the Independence Day holiday officially welcomed one of the summer's most heavyweight productions, *Independence Day*.
Although it had premiered in the midnight slot, that show was only for sci-fi action fans; for most regular moviegoers, Friday daytime marked the start of their viewing experience.
As the sun rose, the midnight box office tally also came to an end. The box office figures for the newly released film reached the corresponding companies in record time, and then made their way to many interested parties.
In the Fox Plaza in Century City, Thomas Rothman had just entered his office when Jon Landau, the executive producer of *Independence Day* representing Fox, walked in. The plump man was holding a report, and his bright smile squeezed his excess flesh together in a particularly amusing way.
"Thomas, good news!" He seemed eager to share his excitement.
"Go ahead, Jon."
From the fat man's face, Thomas Rothman had already guessed something. "Did the midnight screening box office exceed expectations?"
Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox had projected a midnight box office of $4.5 million, a figure usually only achievable by top-tier blockbusters in North America.
"Not just exceeding expectations!" Jon Landau slapped the report in his hand, trying hard to contain his excitement. "$7.75 million! Thomas, we broke the record! This is the best midnight box office in North American history!"
"What?" Thomas Rothman stood up, seemingly in disbelief. "A record?"
"Yes!" Jon Landau nodded emphatically. "Duke Rosenberg's work has achieved an incredible box office figure! $7.75 million, surpassing *Batman Returns*'s $7.54 million! This is the latest midnight box office record in North America!"
Hearing Jon Landau's confirmation, Thomas Rothman calmed down instead. After all, he was an experienced CEO of a major corporation. He gestured for Jon Landau, who was still standing, to sit down and walked around his desk a couple of times.
Generally, the first-day box office is about three times the midnight screening, which means *Independence Day* could reach $20 million on its opening day. What about the first-weekend box office?
The corners of Thomas Rothman's mouth curled upward, forming an almost imperceptible smile. Setting aside previous conflicts and collaborating with Duke Rosenberg again was undoubtedly the right move!
Duke Rosenberg always brought surprises!
"Jon, you call Duke immediately…"
Just as Jon Landau was about to stand up, Thomas Rothman suddenly raised his hand to stop him. "No, I'll call him myself!"
After saying that, he took the phone from the secretary's desk and directly dialed the number.
Since sunrise, Duke's phone had been ringing non-stop. The release of the midnight box office and its record-breaking performance had resulted in numerous congratulatory and networking calls.
High-level executives from Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, agent Nancy Josephson and her ICM agency, the lawyers and accountants serving him, the stars of several films he directed and their agents, and even public relations executives who somehow managed to get his number were all calling him.
Chasing after the successful is one of Hollywood's eternal themes. Though it was just a midnight success, it was evident that everyone was optimistic about *Independence Day*.
"No need to thank me, Thomas. I'm very satisfied with our collaboration. Does Fox's media need to increase advertising efforts? You think so too? That's great! Our consensus will always outweigh our disagreements! Celebration party? No rush on that; we can wait a bit…"
Under a beach umbrella at Santa Monica, Duke had just hung up the phone with Fox CEO Thomas Rothman when his phone rang again.
"Duke, well done!"
The caller was none other than George Lucas. After Duke modestly thanked him, Lucas continued, "Your progress far exceeds my expectations. Spielberg was not as outstanding as you in his early stages. Duke! You might be standing at the highest level of commercial directors, but keep a good mindset!"
"I understand, Uncle Lucas."
Although the success of these films was deeply tied to his years of accumulation and learning, Duke knew where these films came from and would not allow himself to be arrogant. "I know what to do."
"Congratulations, young man, on creating a new record."
After exchanging a few more words, they hung up. Duke put away his phone and looked across the small table where Scarlett Johansson was sitting in a child's beach chair, happily enjoying a bucket of ice cream.
"Why don't you go to the summer camp organized by the acting school?" Duke asked, turning his head.
"The school only invited a second-rate director's summer camp!" Scarlett pulled a tissue to wipe the cream off her mouth. "You're about to be Hollywood's best director. I think I can learn more by following you than going to a summer camp."
"Thank you, dear. I didn't expect you to have so much confidence in me."
Hearing Duke's casual reply, the little girl put down her ice cream, got out of the beach chair, went around to the back of the umbrella, grabbed a beer from the cooler, opened it with a strong pull, and presented it to Duke.
"Quite rare." Duke murmured as he took it.
He took a big swig, the cold sensation dispelling the summer heat. Duke let out a small burp in satisfaction and noticed Scarlett was still watching him.
"What's up, Scar?" Duke asked.
"Um…" Scarlett's eyes darted as she pointed at the beer can. "Can I have a taste?"
"Wait until you're sixteen!" Duke glared at her, and Scarlett pouted, muttering, "Cheapskate, I knew it would be like this. It's not like I've never had any before."
"What did you say?" Duke frowned.
"Nothing."
Scarlett turned away, swaying her upper body back to her beach chair, continuing to mumble, "Cheapskate, cheapskate…"
Hearing that incantation-like muttering, Duke almost laughed, pointing at Scarlett's cup. "Just one sip!"
"Okay…"
The little girl eagerly nodded. When Duke poured a small amount of beer into a cup, she raised it and drank it all in one go, looking up at Duke with big eyes. "Can I have another one?"
Duke would not be deceived by her act. He shook his head, and just then his phone rang again, choosing to ignore the seemingly pitiful little girl.
Duke was in a great mood, as the pressure from the massive investment had dissipated significantly with the record-breaking midnight box office results.
East of Santa Monica, in a mansion in Beverly Hills, regarded as one of the most luxurious residential areas in the world, the atmosphere was extremely oppressive. Several servants moved about quietly, afraid of provoking the rage of the old man sitting on the living room sofa.
The old man was none other than Sean Connery. Ever since he received a phone call, he had seemingly transformed into a ferocious beast ready to pounce.
$7.75 million!
A number that amazed and angered him!
Sean Connery had no doubt that once today's single-day box office figures were released, it would be a number that would infuriate him, even if he had taken some action last night!
*The Rock* was a huge box office success, and he was trapped in a quagmire, unable to make a strong counterattack. Now, he could not just stand by and watch that guy—who had once done something to him—continue to succeed. Those who crossed him must pay a price; that was the simplest truth.
But could a professional film critic really stop *Independence Day*?
Sean Connery's brows knitted tightly. Although he hadn't seen *Independence Day*, he had heard that after the midnight box office figures were released, both Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox held high-level meetings. It was reported that they would increase the promotional budget for *Independence Day* from the original $25 million to $35 million!
These film companies would never relent without profits, clearly showing that the market had given them immense confidence.
Indeed, a 93% audience approval rating for the midnight screening was worth such an investment!
Even if Sean Connery wished to see *Independence Day* suffer a total loss, he had to admit that the audience's acclaim was terrifying. If there were a conversion rate of audience reception to box office similar to *The Rock*, the final box office for this film would undoubtedly reach a horrifying figure.
If all his assumptions came true, Duke Rosenberg would be standing at the top of Hollywood's directors, becoming an object of pursuit for numerous companies, while someone like him, a fading star, would have nothing to counter him in the future. This was a deep grudge that must be avenged!
"This is just the midnight box office! Even if it hits $20 million on the first day, so what? High openings and low closings are not uncommon in films! You will not succeed!"
Sean Connery's sinister voice revealed his inner anger. He indeed had no evidence, but the misfortunes that had happened to him did not require proof!
"You absolutely will not succeed!"
He picked up the phone and dialed public relations expert Jack's number. The news that came through the line calmed Sean Connery's mood slightly. Following Jack's advice, he had the servants rush to bring today's newspapers,which contained freshly published film reviews. The three million dollars he had thrown out played a huge role!
The servant hurried to the manor gatehouse to get the newspaper. Sean Connery's thoughts turned to another aspect. He had sought help from CAA behind him, but CAA ignored him. The big-name agents of CAA were all busy competing for the position of Michael Ovitz who was about to leave. How could they have too much energy to take care of other things?
What's more, in Hollywood, which pursues successful people, he is already a has-been.
The servant brought a pile of newspapers and magazines. Sean Connery turned to the entertainment page and a hint of joy appeared in his eyes.
....
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"Is Duke Rosenberg a sadist?"
This was the eye-catching title that Sean Connery saw in Roger Ebert's film review column after flipping through the *Chicago Sun-Times*, and it inexplicably made him feel good.
"Last night at midnight, I watched *Independence Day* in the theater. I simply could not endure the noise and explosions, and had to leave early. This film far exceeds the limits of human endurance. The plot is mediocre, the climax is cheap, there are countless plot holes, and the logic is chaotic. I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely hate it…"
In a lengthy review, Roger Ebert not only denounced *Independence Day* to the extreme but also awarded it a thumbs-down—representative of a terrible film—giving it an extremely low score of 2 points!
After reading Roger Ebert's review, Sean Connery felt a lot better, even though he knew his $500,000 played a part in it, and he turned to read more newspapers.
"Duke Rosenberg is a standard devil; he can destroy the audience's most beautiful impressions of film. His works never care about your soul, only about your wallet. In *Independence Day*, humanity saved the Earth but couldn't save this terrible movie!"
David Denby from *The New Yorker* mocked *Independence Day* to the fullest, giving it a pitiful score of 1 point, while Todd McCarthy from *The Hollywood Reporter* was slightly kinder, awarding it 3.5 points!
"Most of the time, *Independence Day* tests the audience's patience with implausible dialogue and slick clichés. As punishment, everyone involved in this film, including director Duke Rosenberg, should do some community service!"
Similarly, other media critics did not let this film off the hook.
"Before watching Duke Rosenberg's movie, you must take motion sickness pills. *Independence Day* is filled with boring explosions and noise. For director Duke Rosenberg, not blowing up a major city center in the first act might even be considered restraint!"
Compared to this, Kenneth Turan from the *Los Angeles Times* was relatively polite, though his score of 5 points was still below passing.
"*Independence Day* is a small step for science fiction action films but a giant leap into the abyss of stupidity!"
— *Chicago Tribune*
"Who is the worst film of the summer? The answer is obvious—*Independence Day*!"
— *Village Voice*
"In *Independence Day*, director Duke Rosenberg turned all the actors into mindless robots. One thing you must praise Duke Rosenberg for is his ability to bring excellent actors down to his level!"
— *Rolling Stone*
"This film has bathroom breaks, and the urine you release is guaranteed to flow more smoothly than any dialogue in this over two-hour-long movie!"
— *USA Today*
"Hollywood has no shortage of directors who like to play with explosions, but no one is as completely obsessed with explosions as Duke Rosenberg. Other directors typically have eighty percent plot and twenty percent action explosion; *Independence Day* has twenty percent plot and eighty percent action explosions. You wouldn't miss anything even if you skip this movie!"
— *The New York Times*
"Noisy," "stupid," "evil," "unbearable," "hopeless garbage disposal machine"—North American film critics used various harsh terms for *Independence Day*.
Seeing these reviews, Sean Connery showed the brightest smile he had in the past year, while another person in Beverly Hills also smiled brightly.
"Excellent reviews."
In the garden, Tom Cruise put down the newspaper and looked at his publicist. "Lyle, keep in touch with that vampire. I want him to attack Duke Rosenberg regularly!"
"These are part of the agreement," the publicist nodded. "Roger Ebert's reputation for getting paid for his work is still reliable."
After a moment of thought, Lyle specifically reminded, "Tom, you're a front-line superstar. There's no need to get into a smear campaign with a behind-the-scenes director. It's not a good deal, and this time you have no direct competition. Speaking out casually will only bring negative impact."
"I understand."
Though Tom Cruise wanted to do something personally, he wasn't a fool. With someone to advise him, he could figure out what to do and what not to do.
He just wanted to see Duke Rosenberg fail but did not want to bring disaster upon himself.
With the critics collectively denouncing the film, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox could not ignore it. After Duke leisurely spent the morning, he headed to the Independence Day studio in Burbank, where a meeting was specially held by the studio and the distribution party.
"Wait here."
Duke brought Scarlett Johansson into his office and handed her two DC comics, reminding her, "Don't run around, or I'll send you home tonight."
"Are you discussing how to deal with those bad guys?" Scarlett looked at the comics as she asked Duke.
"You know quite a bit." Duke smiled.
"You're my brother, after all…" She wrinkled her nose and waved her little fists. "Duke, beat those bad guys!"
Nodding, Duke affectionately ruffled the little girl's golden hair, turned around, and left the office. He entered the adjacent meeting room, where many people were already seated. After the representatives from Warner Bros., Jeff Robinov, and Fox, Tim Fisher, arrived, a brief meeting quickly commenced.
"The audience's word of mouth, current attendance rates, and approximate box office numbers have all exceeded our expectations."
Without any lengthy preambles, the meeting got straight to the point. The head of production, Charles Roven, spoke first, "However, *Independence Day* has encountered significant trouble with its professional reputation; professional critics are almost universally attacking our film. According to current statistics, the overall rating from critics is only 3.8 points!"
Following Roven's words, the meeting room fell into a brief silence. The critics' reputation is indeed not the key factor in the success or failure of summer blockbuster films. Past professional reputations only serve as a promotional tool, but no one can deny that top critics, including Roger Ebert, can influence a segment of the audience, which could impact *Independence Day*'s future box office trajectory.
The negative reviews from several top critics may not seem significant, especially with other reviewers rallying to support the film, but now that all top critics are speaking out in unison, even Duke, who is usually dismissive of them, must pay attention.
"Based on the information we've received…"
Everyone present, representing their companies, formed a common interest group. Tim Fisher shared information directly, "Someone is working behind the scenes against *Independence Day*… or rather, against Duke."
Duke smiled faintly at him but felt no concern. The interests of both sides were tightly bound together; moving against him and *Independence Day* meant attacking the cake of Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox.
Tim Fisher and Jeff Robinov understood this as well and didn't linger on that topic. The key issue now was how to respond to minimize the negative voice brought by the critics.
"Our PR department should take action…"
"Warn those critics and, if necessary, revoke their complimentary tickets…"
Hearing the suggestions being made one after another, Duke remained silent. While he might lack the professional expertise of many present, when it comes to the understanding of low-reputation, high-box-office films, perhaps no one in this room could surpass him.
Once upon a time, *Independence Day* was a typical example of low professional reputation but high box office. In the years to come, such films would be more numerous. If this were ten years later, the negative evaluations from critics would be hardly worth worrying about. Even if they collectively spoke out, the online trolls could easily drown them out…
In this not-yet-fully-developed internet era, the critics' influence was definitely greater than in the future. But Duke had anticipated the possibility of the current situation when he suggested excluding critics from the screenings and had prepared accordingly. The methods he proposed for the future were not peculiar; however, at a time when the critics' voices still held weight, this was not something other directors would dare to do lightly.
"Critics' attacks may not be a bad thing."
In the meeting room's silence, Duke suddenly spoke, "Instead, it could be something we can use for publicity!"
Without waiting for others to respond, he turned to the side, "Charles, do we have statistics on audience demographics?"
"Yes, I have statistics from the midnight and morning shows." Charles Roven flipped through the documents in front of him and replied, "According to the statistics, the audience for *Independence Day* primarily consists of ages 15 to 35, with those aged 17 to 25 accounting for sixty-seven percent of the viewers!"
"In other words, the mainstream audience of *Independence Day* is those aged 17 to 25!" Duke glanced around and continued, "I wonder if everyone understands the mindset of this age group? I'm 24 this year, still within this phase, and I believe I have a decent understanding of the current youth."
Everyone looked over, and Duke didn't hold back, saying directly, "This is the most rebellious stage, where they don't trust any authority and are always questioning the critics' viewpoints. It's also a very curious stage, full of interest in new things, possessing an adventurous spirit to try everything, and often having the determination to implement it…"
"Actually, this is a group that critics find hard to influence!"
As his voice gradually lowered, Duke's words were exceptionally clear, "Movie critics criticize us with a professional eye! We can directly fight back in another way. Movie fans lack channels to make their voices heard. Why don't we let the voices of fans who like "Independence Day" appear in the mainstream media?"
.....
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