บท 494: Pandemonium
It was a collective explosion, a nationwide uproar, and all of America's entertainment news media were in a frenzy, with no exceptions.
If it were merely a case of one actor stealing a friend's script, seizing an opportunity to rise to stardom, it might be considered sensational, but its impact would still be limited. After all, "Thor" had yet to prove itself at the box office, and it was not on the same level as "Titanic" or "Avatar". Moreover, such intrigues in Hollywood were commonplace and hardly earth-shattering. Besides, let's be frank, this was just Chris Hemsworth and Renly Hall, not Brad Pitt and George Clooney.
But timing is everything.
Just twenty-four hours before TMZ's explosive report, the feud between Renly and Chris had escalated to new heights, with both sides vehemently sticking to their own versions, seemingly unwavering in their beliefs. This had incited a furious online war among netizens.
In general, when both parties involved firmly held their positions and there was no direct evidence to refute or substantiate either side's claims, the situation would reach a stalemate, even if it ended up in court. So, who was lying?
Online discussions had descended into a full-blown war, with some supporting Chris, some supporting Renly, and many more supporting Natalie; some siding with "Thor", some with "Fast 5". It had even sparked a direct confrontation between comic book fans and actor fans. The scene was chaotic, making it difficult to discern the origins of the factions.
Even for those just watching the spectacle unfold, this battle royale was like a soap opera, filled with ups and downs and continuous excitement.
Not only that, major media outlets eagerly joined the fray, fearing that the spectacle might lose momentum. They continued to stoke the flames, even without new updates, recycling the same news in different ways to keep the topic hot and ongoing.
The truth of the matter seemed to be fading into a maze.
If all went as expected, the truth would no longer matter, and neither would the lies. What truly mattered now was that Renly and Chris's friendship had officially ruptured, and it was beyond repair. With this development, the box office battle between "Thor" and "Fast 5" would be relentless, and whoever emerged victorious would be hailed, while the loser would be humiliated. This would undoubtedly draw more and more audiences to theaters to show their support for their favorite films and actors.
For the actors, it was a challenge, potentially a disaster or a rebirth. But for the film companies, it was a win-win situation. Both Paramount and Universal would benefit.
It was precisely at this critical juncture that TMZ broke the news.
Arriving early was not as good as arriving at the right time. Taking precise action at the right moment often yielded results beyond measure. Moreover, this wasn't about achieving just half the results; the effectiveness had multiplied many times over, making it difficult to estimate.
TMZ's revelation seemed to answer many questions:
Why did Chris call Renly but receive no reply? Or perhaps, why didn't Chris call at all? Why had they lost contact since moving houses? Why did Kenneth Branagh choose Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins after their feud but didn't continue the pattern by choosing Renly Hall?
Why did Renly respond to the media's questions with just three simple words? Why did Renly avoid mentioning Chris too much? Why did Chris initiate a challenge against "Fast 5" and obsess over the box office performance of "Thor" to such an extent?
Most importantly, why were Renly and Chris no longer friends?
Recalling Chris's previous interviews, it was truly thought-provoking, laden with hidden meanings, and showed that things were not always as they seemed.
In less than three hours, TMZ's article had been reposted more than 1,200 times, spreading to over 130 different countries and regions worldwide. Thanks to the summer blockbuster season, the high interest in "Thor", the previous news hype, and TMZ's timely revelation, it seemed to unveil the truth of the matter, causing a sensation among all media outlets!
"The true face of the new Thor is actually Loki?"
"The truth behind the friends' falling out: The thief cries 'stop the thief'!"
"Who is lying? Who is sensationalizing?"
"A plot twist in the summer blockbuster showdown!"
"Backstabbing, former friends turned enemies!"
"TMZ drops another bombshell: The former roommates' feud takes a twist!"
...
All major media outlets promptly reposted and referenced TMZ's news report, and even serious publications like The New York Times couldn't avoid it. In their entertainment section on the online edition, they provided extensive coverage and kept up with the latest developments in the story.
As for the showdown between Natalie and Renly? The media had evidently forgotten about that, being quickly drowned in the torrent of countless other news stories.
In the midst of it all, Us Weekly was like a refreshing stream, with the headline "The Art of Words: The Truth Has Long Been Revealed." They summarized the entire event, from its origins to its twists and turns, and specially pointed out:
In his first interview after the incident, Renly stated, "In fact, I didn't even know where I had put the script later, let alone helping Chris. But I genuinely feel happy for him; he achieved his goal in his own way. That's a good thing."
In this brief statement, Renly had already hinted that the script had disappeared, and Chris had achieved his "goal" in "his own way." Of course, there was Renly's later famous line, "good-for-him," which had now emerged, revealing the mockery and ridicule hidden in Renly's words.
Throughout the entire news event, Renly consistently maintained a distant attitude, clearly not wanting to comment too much and even refusing to get involved. As one of the parties involved, this behavior was truly intriguing. Finally, everything had come to light.
Renly refused to engage in malicious hype, instead wholeheartedly immersing himself in his work. He had been doing so in Seattle before, and now in New York, too. In recent times, Renly had been busy with the post-production dubbing for "The Fighter", fully dedicating himself to his work. Several media interviews had been conducted at the entrance of the recording studio.
Renly refused to kick a man when he was down, never hastily passing judgment on others' actions or gossiping without evidence. This held true for this incident, as well as for the stunt double controversy and even in the face of malicious speculations and attacks from internet users. He consistently displayed the true demeanor of a gentleman.
Us Weekly's news piece presented a different perspective, offering an extensive summary and expressing an official stance, unwaveringly supporting TMZ's claims with further evidence that confirmed the authenticity of the exposé. They approached it with a certainty that virtually sealed the case's development.
It was apparent that they held Renly in high esteem while indirectly taking a jab at Chris and Natalie. More importantly, they delivered a strong counterattack against the negative rumors and malicious criticisms circulating online during this period.
If TMZ had ignited the fuse, Us Weekly had directed the explosion straight into the fuel depot. This sensational news event was escalating further and heading into uncharted territory.
For those within the industry, reading this article carefully would reveal two names in the byline: Gavin Hunter and Elliot Cort.
Elliot, the paparazzo, had finally come to his senses after the passage of time. The oddities during their conversation were now transparent. Once that sense of frustration had dissipated, he had successfully secured two exclusive stories from Renly, leaving him elated beyond words!
Even the news media, who always considered themselves professionals and veterans, were thrown into chaos. With such an atmosphere, it was even worse for bystanders, amateurs, and casual onlookers who formed the majority of internet users. Especially on Yahoo's community forum, those who had previously defended Chris were now infuriated!
Chris, despite starring in "Thor", had yet to make his mark, and even his fans were a rarity. The internet users who had supported Chris had either disliked Renly or favored "Thor", nothing more. Now that they realized they had been deceived, their sense of disgrace had fully ignited their anger.
"Malice Behind the Mask of Kindness: Borrowing a Friend's Script, Using a Friend's Popularity, Then Kicking the Friend to Rise to Power. This Is the Reality of the Fame Game!"
Within just twelve hours, the post on Yahoo's community forum had skyrocketed to the top of the rankings. The anonymous author had compiled all the evidence, presenting a comprehensive account of the incident and concluding that it was entirely a self-promotion stunt by Chris. The outcome was unexpectedly an incendiary revelation of his true nature.
The post overflowed with boundless anger, offering an outlet for all emotions to be unleashed. At the end, the author expressed deep disappointment in Chris, condemning his refusal to step into a movie theater to watch "Thor" as an insult not just to the film but also to the character Thor and even the entire Marvel Comics universe!
The post's virality soared like a rocket, with the number of views skyrocketing to hundreds of thousands, even millions, in an instant. The reply rate reached an unprecedented one hundred and twenty thousand. The moderators hadn't even locked the thread before it had been flooded, leading to a brief outage on Yahoo's community forum.
But that wasn't the end of it. Internet users' anger appeared far from quelled. On IMDb, Chris's personal page and "Thor" were both paralyzed, clearly the work of hackers. Screenshots were soon posted on various websites, and the uproar continued to grow.
Morgan Fisher was in a panic, ICM was in a panic, and even Paramount was in a panic. What seemed like an insignificant incident was causing a catastrophic disaster. No one could have predicted that this publicity stunt would escalate to such a dire extent.
Chris Hemsworth was also in a panic; he felt like he was suffocating.
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