1630-1632

Chapter 1630: Stardom on the Horizon 

Two years ago, The Bourne Identity burst onto the scene with a cool, sharp, retro style that took both critics and audiences by storm. It scored a 68 on the media review index, grossed $120 million at the North American box office, and raked in a total of $214 million worldwide. Universal Pictures didn’t hesitate to greenlight a sequel. 

Who would've thought that Universal, a studio notorious for struggling with sequels, would pull off such a dramatic turnaround? 

The Bourne Supremacy scored even higher, earning a 73 on the review index—outshining the original and winning over even the harshest critics, laying a solid foundation for its box office success. 

Sure enough, The Bourne Supremacy made $52 million during its opening weekend, topping the North American box office and ending Spider-Man 2’s reign. 

To be fair, Matt Damon still doesn’t have the box office pull of Will Smith. The two aren’t on the same level in terms of industry clout. Even though The Bourne Supremacy had better reviews, its opening weekend earnings were still slightly behind I, Robot. 

But timing is everything. 

The Bourne Supremacy went up against Spider-Man 2 in its fourth week and still managed to snag the number-one spot. With Universal’s full-blown promotional push and the strong critic reviews, the film's long-term box office potential looks great. Surpassing the original seems inevitable. 

I, Robot, on the other hand, had the misfortune of going head-to-head with the still-exploding Spider-Man 2 in its third week—and lost badly. Its lukewarm reviews turned into a harsh reality. 

A 58% drop. 

That’s how much I, Robot’s box office plunged in its second weekend—nearly 60%. Not only was it unfit to be compared with the historic Spider-Man 2, but even compared to average $50 million openers, this kind of drop was a major letdown. It was, without a doubt, a total collapse. 

After two weeks, I, Robot barely cracked the $90 million mark. Sure, it’ll eventually pass $100 million domestically, and Will Smith can keep his “$100 Million Man” streak going, but everyone can see the truth behind the numbers. 

Industry insiders know—Will hit a wall this time. 

A $100 million domestic box office? Against Spider-Man 2, that’s not even enough to save face. 

Nobody is comparing these two movies side by side anymore. 

So I, Robot didn’t just lose its opening weekend; it kept getting crushed in the second and third weeks, and the gap only kept widening. It never stood a chance. 

Total defeat. 

Maybe the only small comfort for Will was that he wasn’t the only one getting slammed—Halle Berry was also taking fire. 

Poor Halle Berry. The media turned its full attention to her, and she became another easy target for criticism. 

Catwoman... a complete disaster, a catastrophe of epic proportions. People thought King Arthur was bad—no one expected Catwoman to be even worse! 

This summer's box office has been hit after hit, for better or worse. 

Catwoman scored a 27 on the media review index. 

The reviews were overwhelmingly negative—out of the first 35 critic reviews, only one was positive. The rest were brutal. 

And we’re not talking just bad reviews—they were savage. Critics tore the movie apart, declaring it hopeless. Even compared to King Arthur’s 46, Catwoman was more shocking. Yet no one had any sympathy. The critics were united in saying: 

“This movie shouldn’t even exist!” 

Absolutely terrible. 

Unwatchable. 

For the past few years, Spider-Man had been dominating the box office and bringing superhero movies into the mainstream. But Catwoman reminded everyone of how comic book movies were treated before Spider-Man—as niche entertainment, seen as kids’ stuff or fringe geek culture. In Mean Girls, which came out in March, comic book nerds were portrayed as outcasts in high school—ignored and picked on. 

And now, even the general public agrees with the critics. 

Catwoman opened to a dismal $16 million. With a $100 million production budget and massive marketing costs, Warner Bros. took a huge financial hit. 

The failure of Catwoman had far-reaching consequences. 

First, it directly affected Halle Berry’s career. She was so close to becoming a true A-list star, but this movie derailed her momentum and left a permanent mark of failure on her record. 

Just like what happened to George Clooney after Batman & Robin flopped. 

Second, it was a major blow to Warner Bros. They were hoping Catwoman would launch them into the comic book movie game. They held the rights to all DC properties and were in the perfect position to lead the charge—but instead, they crashed headfirst into a wall. 

The dual failure in both box office and critical reception brought back bad memories of Batman & Robin, and the studio board started to second-guess everything: 

Should we just shelve the entire DC Comics plan again? 

But this time, the situation is a bit different. 

For one, the Batman reboot was already underway. It was part of a larger plan to rebuild the DC movie universe. With the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Matrix series all wrapping up, Warner Bros. needed something new to drive their future. They couldn’t afford to lose sight of the big picture. 

And then there’s Spider-Man 2. 

Yes, Catwoman flopped. Yes, Spider-Man 2’s three-week streak at the top ended. But here’s the undeniable fact: 

Spider-Man 2 is still going strong and continues to dominate the market. Superhero culture is becoming a real trend. 

Need proof? 

In its fourth weekend, Spider-Man 2 pulled in a staggering $45 million—a drop of only 38% from the previous weekend. 

Stunning. 

Jaw-dropping. 

Since it premiered, Spider-Man 2 has been breaking records left and right. Its performance is so overwhelming, it’s making people numb. Compared to every other movie out there, it’s just on another level. 

Just look at I, Robot’s 58% second-week drop, and Spider-Man 2’s 38% drop in week four. 

The difference is night and day. 

Even in its fourth week, Spider-Man 2’s box office momentum is still going strong. Despite competition from The Bourne Supremacy and Catwoman, it’s held its ground with ease. Nothing has posed a real threat. Its dominance is beyond words. 

Catwoman was supposed to be a superhero movie, a direct challenge to Spider-Man 2—and it ended up in shambles. 

People are now saying that it’s because of Catwoman that they truly appreciate how great Spider-Man 2 is. 

Warner Bros.: … (speechless) 

Chapter 1631: Chasing History 

“Spider-Man 2.” “Spider-Man 2.” Still “Spider-Man 2.” 

The more intense and cutthroat the summer box office competition became in North America, the more it highlighted the rarity and dominance of Spider-Man 2’s performance. 

For Warner Bros., this was a bittersweet moment. 

On one hand, Catwoman was a complete disaster—utterly crushed by Spider-Man 2 on every level, to a laughable degree. The gap between them spanned a light-year. 

On the other hand, Spider-Man 2’s runaway success once again confirmed that the market potential for comic book superhero adaptations was far beyond anything anyone had imagined. 

Here’s the thing: If Warner Bros. could produce a film on the level of Spider-Man 2, they wouldn’t have to worry about their competitive edge after the Harry Potter series wrapped up. They owned the entire DC Comics catalog—an untapped goldmine just waiting for the right moment. 

Because of this, Jeff Robinov’s proposal gained serious traction within Warner Bros. and ultimately steered the studio’s direction for the next five years: 

Two key players: Christopher Nolan and Anson Wood. 

Right now, most of Warner Bros.' attention was on rebooting Batman. Could Christopher Nolan really deliver something fresh? 

Rumor had it that the higher-ups were feeling the pressure. With Catwoman’s flop still fresh, Batman now bore all their hopes. Even though they believed in Jeff Robinov’s judgment and had chosen to trust a relatively unknown Nolan, anxiety lingered. 

So, they turned to Anson. 

They extended a formal invitation for him to play Bruce Wayne in Batman—hoping to secure a “safety net.” 

They had so much blind faith in Anson that they believed just his presence would guarantee success. Even if the film turned out to be garbage, they thought the box office would explode and the DC Universe would take off. Anson was their silver bullet. 

They offered him a deal that was nearly impossible to turn down: 

• Warner Bros. would cover all breach-of-contract fees owed to Sony. 

• Anson would receive 25% of North American box office profits and 1% of international profits. 

• He would be granted executive producer authority—with creative control over the Spider-Man franchise’s direction and tone. 

In short: Anson would be the most powerful person on the project, even outranking the director, Christopher Nolan. 

And yet—he turned it down. 

For Anson, a promise is a promise. 

He’d already signed on for Spider-Man, and he felt a responsibility to the character of Peter Parker. Since it all began with him, he wanted to see it through to the end. 

He also believed he owed something to director Sam Raimi, co-star Kirsten Dunst, and everyone on the crew. They had all worked hard to build something special, and he wasn’t about to abandon them before finishing the trilogy properly. 

And then, Anson did something unexpected—he encouraged Warner Bros. to trust Christopher Nolan. 

He told them he’d watched Nolan’s three earlier films, including the micro-budget Following from his student days, and he believed in Nolan’s talent. He supported Jeff Robinov’s vision and insisted Warner Bros. was on the right path. 

Warner Bros. listened. 

Later, during Batman Begins’ production, Nolan encountered conflicts with producers. Typically, a young director like him wouldn’t stand a chance. But this time, the studio sided with Nolan—leaving the young filmmaker both shocked and grateful. 

It wasn’t until much later that Nolan learned: besides Robinov, Anson’s backing had been instrumental in earning the studio’s trust. 

Though the story was never officially confirmed by Anson or Warner Bros., Hollywood buzzed with the rumor. It spoke volumes about Anson’s growing influence. 

It also said something about Spider-Man 2’s enormous cultural impact—because everyone was watching history unfold. 

Even though The Bourne Supremacy broke Spider-Man 2’s three-week streak at number one, Anson’s film remained rock solid. 

The summer box office stayed chaotic: M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, Michael Mann’s Collateral with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, the B-movie blockbuster Alien vs. Predator, and Exorcist: The Beginning—all premiered one after another. 

The buzz never stopped. 

But amid all this noise, Spider-Man 2 held strong. Its opening month had been record-breaking, yet its legs remained steady—fueled by rave reviews and word-of-mouth. People kept coming. 

It was still the uncontested star of the season. 

And then, during the second week of August—history was made. 

No surprise twist. No sudden shock. Ever since its opening week, this moment felt inevitable. 

Still, when it finally happened, it unleashed a wave of disbelief across Hollywood. The whole industry erupted in celebration and awe: 

Spider-Man 2 became the third film in North American history to surpass $600 million... and then surpassed Titanic to claim the #1 spot of all time. 

BOOM. 

A new era. 

Back in 1997, Titanic had shattered records and dominated culture, finishing with $606.8 million at the North American box office. At the time, it was seen as an unrepeatable miracle—a perfect storm of timing, talent, and emotion. 

Analysts believed its success was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Replicating it seemed impossible. 

But the most fascinating thing about real life? 

Miracles keep happening. 

In 2002, Spider-Man came close—but fell just short of dethroning Titanic. 

In 2004, Spider-Man 2 returned stronger than ever, gathering unstoppable momentum. Week after week, it charged forward and eventually did what many thought impossible: 

It dethroned Titanic and became the highest-grossing film in North American history. 

A moment for the ages. History, made. 

Chapter 1632: Number One in Film History 

History has been made! 

Honestly, everyone in the North American market and across the entire film industry saw it coming. Ever since the premiere of Spider-Man 2, the film had shown unstoppable momentum. It was only a matter of time before it broke records. 

And yet, when the moment finally arrived, the excitement and euphoria still swept through like wildfire—everyone instantly switched to party mode. 

After months of anticipation and mounting hype, the day had finally come: 

Titanic’s all-time North American box office record, which had stood unchallenged for seven years, was officially broken. Spider-Man 2 was now the new box office champion in North American film history. 

Boom! Boom boom boom! 

The entire North American continent erupted in celebration. 

The Spider-Man 2 cast and crew were once again thrust into the spotlight, soaking in the thunderous applause and cheers like it was all a surreal mirage. 

Kristen Dunst exclaimed, “Wow, is this really happening? I still can’t believe it. I mean, it actually happened!” 

James Franco joked, “I know, I know—it’s all thanks to me. No need to thank me. I’m staying humble, just doing my thing.” 

Director Sam Raimi smiled, “No doubt, this is an honor. I’m just happy that people resonated with this story. For a kid who grew up obsessed with horror films, bringing his superhero dreams to the big screen and having it touch so many lives... that’s incredible.” 

Alfred Molina added, “It’s absolutely my honor. Just being a part of this film was a privilege. I feel like I’m on cloud nine—like a kid again. Let’s all thank Anson. It’s all because of him. Thank God we had Anson.” 

Sony-Columbia: Wait... was that shade? 

Willem Dafoe jumped in, “Hey! I demand recognition—I was in the second movie too! Okay, it was only for three seconds, but still! Anson, you owe me a very, very expensive dinner.” 

Laughter echoed all around. 

The joy was palpable—not just within the Spider-Man 2 team, but throughout Hollywood. 

To outsiders, it might seem like James Cameron would be furious that Titanic’s crown had been taken. After all, this is showbiz—cutthroat and unforgiving. But that’s not how it played out. 

Smart people understand: when a film breaks records, it shows that the market is expanding and the audience is growing. It benefits everyone. Besides, only the insecure worry about others outshining them. The confident welcome the challenge—because they believe they can rise even higher. 

Just like in sports, when someone breaks your world record, you don’t sulk—you train harder and aim to take it back. 

And film is no different. 

James Cameron was among the first to publicly congratulate Spider-Man 2—and even praised Anson’s performance. 

“I’d love to work with Anson someday,” Cameron said. 

His grace helped spark a Hollywood tradition: every time a new film broke the all-time box office record, the previous titleholder would officially congratulate the new champion—a gesture of passing the torch. 

Kate Winslet joined in, laughing. “Anson deserves this. I mean it—he really does. I haven’t seen Spider-Man 2 yet, but I swear I will this weekend. Hahaha.” 

In a phone interview, Kate sounded genuinely happy and even joked, “I’m not bitter at all. I mean, our movie’s still in theaters, after all.” 

(Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was still playing, and Kate and Anson clearly shared a warm friendship.) 

Of course, amid the celebration, all eyes turned to Anson himself. 

And yet, Anson remained surprisingly composed. “I don’t know... I still can’t process it. I think I need some time to let it all sink in. Once I’m back from the rabbit hole, I’ll let you know—but right now, wow... I think I just saw the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts.” 

He was smiling as he said it, but he wasn’t joking. 

Spider-Man 2 surpassing Titanic? 

That was absolutely insane. 

In the timeline Anson remembered, Titanic held the North American box office record until 2009—when James Cameron broke his own record with Avatar. But here? It happened five years earlier. In this alternate reality, nothing felt real anymore. 

It was like living inside a dream. 

And yet, this was just the beginning. Breaking Titanic’s record was only the first major milestone. In fact, it wasn’t even the most surprising thing. 

What everyone in Hollywood was asking now wasn’t whether Spider-Man 2 could break Titanic’s record—but just how far it could go. 

Michael Lynton, who had spent months carefully building momentum and fueling the hype, had managed to ride the wave perfectly. Instead of backfiring, his efforts became a powerful tailwind, propelling the film to even greater heights. 

Lynton: See? This was all part of my master plan. I told you all from the beginning—I believed in Anson, 100%. “Spider-Man 2” was destined to break records—records no one else could even dream of. Vision, people. It’s called vision. 

$610 million. $620 million. $630 million… 

Even after smashing through the industry’s glass ceiling, Spider-Man 2 kept climbing—slower now, but still moving with unwavering momentum. 

Finally, in the third week of September, another historic milestone was achieved: 

Spider-Man 2 surpassed $700 million in North American box office, setting a new all-time record. 

Seven. Hundred. Million. Dollars. 

So, what kind of level is that? 

Looking at the North American all-time box office chart: 

• #2: Titanic, just over $600 million 

• #3: Spider-Man (the first one), also in the $600 million range 

• #4: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, $487 million 

It’s a steep drop after that. 

At the time, only seven films in history had crossed the $400 million mark. Spider-Man 2 was the eighth—and it didn’t just cross $400 million; it soared past $700 million. 

The numbers speak for themselves. They're overwhelming. No praise could do them justice. 

Not long ago, people said a $600 million box office was nearly impossible to repeat. Now, Spider-Man 2 had entered a whole new league—out in front, alone at the top. 

And the most mind-blowing part? 

It still wasn’t done. 

For both Titanic and Spider-Man, reaching $600 million was a struggle—they barely made it over the line. 

But Spider-Man 2? 

It hit $700 million without breaking a sweat, and even kept climbing. 

Final number: $728 million. 

(End of Chapter)