1603-1605

Chapter 1603: Trendsetter 

Bustling and creating a stir— turbulent undercurrents. 

Sony Columbia, Warner Bros., William Morris... they all entered the fray, swept into this storm. However, this was just a small part of what was happening below the surface. The capital and powers within Hollywood's arena of fame and fortune were all stirring restlessly, no exception, because no one wanted to miss out on the buzz. 

The "Spider-Man 2" frenzy was disrupting the entire movie market. 

On one hand, movie companies like Paramount, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, etc., all couldn't wait to turn their attention to comic book superheroes. There were countless examples: "Green Lantern," "Fantastic Four," "Watchmen," "Daredevil," "Kick-Ass," "Superman Returns," and so on and so forth. 

Of course, Warner Bros.'s reboot of the "Batman" series had entered the final stage. "Catwoman" was also ready, set to be released in the fourth week of July. In this comic book adaptation frenzy, Warner Bros., with the DC comics adaptation rights, was quick to seize the opportunity. 

It's worth noting that, in this frenzy, Disney seemed to be quiet for the time being. 

What slightly surprised Anson, who knew the future trends, was that Disney currently seemed to have no particular interest in comic book adaptation superhero projects. "Iron Man" had indeed been put into development, but this was Paramount's project. 

Marvel Comics had been shopping around adaptation rights in Hollywood, but no one was interested. Even Sony Columbia, which made "Spider-Man," wasn't particularly interested. Warner Bros. was a cautionary tale; after buying all adaptation rights for DC comics, they had shelved them to collect dust, seeing absolutely no special value. Very few superheroes were deemed worth adapting for the big screen. 

If even DC was like that, let alone Marvel, whose market share had always lagged behind? 

Paramount finally greenlit "Iron Man" thanks to the "Spider-Man" frenzy, but up until now, progress was still laughably slow— 

No script. No director. No shooting schedule. No project plan. Only two producers were busy running around. 

Totally a makeshift operation. 

But what was certain was that things were changing. Paramount was spurred on by the "Spider-Man 2" box office explosion, and the entire production suddenly got busy. 

On the other hand, countless projects surged towards Anson like a tidal wave. 

In fact, this was to be expected; there was no need to be surprised. The truly surprising thing was elsewhere. After these projects filled Edgar Cook's office, they poured towards the William Morris office like snowflakes, refusing to miss even the slightest opportunity. 

So, the agents at William Morris were having the toughest time of their careers. 

"So, how can I get a word with Edgar?" 

"We're having a party this weekend, I came specifically to invite you. Oh, right, is Edgar there? I was going to invite him along too." 

"Hey, good morning! Didn't expect to run into you here! Wait, this is Edgar Cook, isn't it? Please allow me to introduce myself..." 

They never thought that they would have a day where they were just being used. Even though this was Hollywood, and this kind of thing was all too common, when they actually experienced it themselves, the feeling of bitterness and frustration surged just the same. 

However, this still wasn't all of it. 

If Anson becoming the hottest actor in Hollywood right now was to be expected – a direct, surface-level impact – then Disney's next moves showed Anson's deeper influence, truly becoming a trendsetter. 

Disney noticed the buzz around the "Spider-Man 2" premiere, especially when Anson sang "Sunflower." The entire cast and crew appeared in the crowd, singing and dancing. This suddenly reignited a craze for Golden Age musical movies. Combined with the popularity of "Mean Girls" released this spring, this gave Disney an idea: 

Why not bring back the musical movie wave? 

Although Disney had always used musical elements in animated movies, live-action movies hadn't been seen in the mainstream for a very long time. 

Of course, the era of musical movies had passed. Whether animated or live-action, Disney still needed to consider carefully. But it wasn't long before a project called "High School Musical" was quietly put into development at Disney. 

This was Anson's influence, penetrating every aspect of Hollywood. From popular trends to culture to art, without exception. 

Only now could one truly feel Anson's status in the industry— 

A symbol, a barometer, an inspiration. 

An idol. What's meant here isn't an idol singer, but someone who exists as a role model, someone who inspires admiration, worship, adoration, and longing. 

"I long to be Anson Wood." 

Going beyond the scope of film, music, and art, just like Marlon Brando, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Leonardo DiCaprio, among others. Their existence itself has become a symbol, far surpassing the value of an ordinary individual. 

Simply put, a god! 

No wonder all of Hollywood was making frequent moves. You could see countless conflicts and clashes, both open and hidden. The era was entering unprecedented turmoil. 

At the same time, no wonder all the media were eagerly waiting to see the show— 

On one hand, "The Birth of the First Superstar of the 21st Century." All the buzz and attention was focused on Anson. The celebratory party was underway. 

On the other hand, "Superstar VS Superstar—Anson Wood's First Real Test Appears." Because in the third week of July, Will Smith was set to appear. 

"I, Robot," a sci-fi masterpiece starring Will Smith, another heavyweight in this summer's box office. It ran neck-and-neck with Brad Pitt's "Troy," hailed as two equally brilliant talents. It had already sparked much discussion even before the summer box office opened, its buzz only second to "Spider-Man 2." 

Originally, "I, Robot" and "Spider-Man 2" were set to be released one week apart, meaning the third weekend for one would face the opening weekend for the other. There was almost no comparison. Considering Will Smith's market appeal, plus 20th Century Fox was very confident in the quality of this movie which cost $120 million to make, they launched an all-out advertising campaign. Its momentum was completely on par with "Spider-Man 2." The buzz was just that - buzz. 

However, things unfolded completely unexpectedly. The box office for "Spider-Man 2"'s premiere and second weekend was simply unbelievable. In its second week, it could still rake in $100 million over the weekend. This achievement completely stunned the market. So, things suddenly got interesting. 

"Third Weekend VS Opening Weekend." Not only was the matchup set, but with the slightest slip-up, the opening weekend box office could even be defeated! 

The gossips immediately got excited. The fires of gossip burned fiercely— 

Imagine this: Brad Pitt's "Troy" had just suffered a crushing defeat. Hollywood seemed ready to move on from the nineties superstars, officially entering the era where Anson Wood ruled Hollywood. If Will Smith's new movie's opening box office were to lose to Anson again, would this mean...? 

The new wave pushes the old wave forward, and the old wave dies on the beach? 

Chapter 1604: Challenging Above His Weight Class 

Will Smith, the darling of the summer box office. 

People are likely familiar with the history he's made – he was the first actor ever in the North American film market to have five consecutive films gross over a hundred million dollars domestically, earning him the moniker "King Smith." 

But fewer people notice another fact: since his explosive debut with "Bad Boys" in 1995, for a full decade, with the exceptions of 1998, 2000, and 2001, Will had a film released during the summer in the other seven years, and every single one of them topped the weekend box office. 

In other words, even in the cutthroat, hand-to-hand combat of the summer season, Will still possessed an incredible drawing power, consistently, year after year for a decade – 

This, is the stature of a superstar. 

Ultimately, this is related to the demographic makeup of North America, where a large proportion is Black, so this segment of the audience can never be ignored in the box office market. After Denzel Washington, Will Smith was the first and only one to truly stand at the very top of the pyramid. His drawing power was naturally extraordinary, and it continued to have a profound impact even two decades later. 

After the summer schedule was announced this year, although people anticipated a box office showdown between "Brad Pitt VS Anson Wood VS Will Smith," the staggered release dates created distance, with them competing from afar, making a direct confrontation unlikely. 

Then, a surprise appeared. 

A possibility suddenly emerged: a direct clash between Anson and Will, with Anson even having the potential to defeat Will. All the industry insiders went crazy. 

One faction believed that Will Smith was still the invincible, unstoppable Will Smith. "I, Robot" had already generated significant buzz early on, and from every angle, the film should easily ignite the box office. What's more, it was up against "Spider-Man 2," which was in its third week of release and had potentially exhausted its box office potential? 

"No, no, no, impossible! That's Will Smith! For God's sake, we're talking about a top superstar with the most box office appeal in Hollywood for a whole decade. How could he surrender so easily? Maybe, a direct confrontation with 'Spider-Man 2' would offer no chance; but facing an opponent in its third week of release, how could he possibly lose?" 

Another faction believed that the trends in the North American film market had quietly changed. Just look at the波澜 (commotion) created by "Spider-Man 2." All the predictions were wrong, foolish, and arrogant. Even though it was entering its third week, the film should still have energy, and the outcome wasn't as obvious as people thought. 

"Imagine if 'I, Robot' can't pull in seventy million dollars at the box office, losing to 'Spider-Man 2' doesn't seem so unexpected anymore. You should go out and do some random street interviews: Anson or Will? I believe Anson would win very easily. We need new faces." 

Of course, this was just the tip of the iceberg. 

Things weren't that simple; it wasn't black and white. Besides the clash between Anson and Will, the earlier start to the summer box office, the flop of "King Arthur," the rise of "Shrek 2," and so on – you could feel the turbulence in the 2004 North American film market from all angles. A topic like the clash of these top superstars just added fuel to the fire, pushing the heated discussion to a new level. 

All sorts of bustling discussions, various viewpoints from inside and outside the industry, dazzling and endless. 

But, just one possibility, and only one possibility was needed: the possibility that Will Smith might miss the top spot at the summer box office for the first time in a decade, and lose to an opponent in its third week of release? 

This alone was enough to send everyone in the industry into a frenzy. 

Heads exploding! 

If this happened, would it mean that Anson had officially surpassed Brad Pitt, Will Smith, and others, becoming the new king of Hollywood? And would it mean that the audience composition of the summer box office market had undergone earth-shattering changes? 

Although the changing of the guard and the preference for the new are eternal themes in the world of fame and fortune, becoming famous overnight and reaching the top are two different things. Every now and then, the darlings of the trend and the focus of attention change, but only a rare few truly reach the pinnacle of the pyramid. So, were they about to witness a historical moment? 

Everything was just like the explosive emergence of Leonardo DiCaprio at the end of 1997, dramatically and overwhelmingly overturning the entire Hollywood landscape in one fell swoop. 

In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. Just like the human body, it takes about seven years for all the cells to be completely renewed. From a biological perspective, every seven years, each person is a brand new version of themselves; and now, after seven years, was Hollywood also about to usher in a brand new image? 

A storm was brewing; the entire Hollywood, inside and out, was buzzing with excitement! 

Then, the news reached Will Smith, and at the premiere of "I, Robot," a reporter directly threw out the question. 

"Will, the entire market is discussing Anson Wood right now. He has hopes of taking over your position and dominating the North American box office. What do you think about this?" 

The question was roundabout and veiled; after all, this was a premiere, and no one wanted to be directly thrown out by 20th Century Fox's security team. But it must be said, when all the spotlights were focused on Will Smith, someone actually dared to directly raise this topic – 

A warrior! 

Absolutely a warrior! 

Obviously, no one wants to be replaced, defeated, eliminated, or forgotten, not even ordinary people, let alone a top superstar who has been at the center of the spotlight for a full decade. 

These topics were like a harsh slap across the face, reminding you that you are aging, outdated, no longer young, and your era has ended. 

Will Smith was no exception. 

But this was a premiere, Will's home turf. He had no reason to mess up his own premiere, and even less reason to bow his head in his own backyard. 

Will still showed the experience and maturity of someone who had been working in the industry for over ten years, flashing a big smile and skillfully cracking a joke, "Ha, looks like some people are already tired of seeing my face on the big screen. Tom, Brad, Johnny, and now Anson? Thank you, next." 

A playful remark, subtly sharp, yet not without humor. 

The underlying message was that Hollywood had always been trying to "eliminate" him, but the market disagreed, so he had survived wave after wave of competition, from Tom Cruise to Brad Pitt and then to Johnny Depp. He had withstood test after test, and facing Anson Wood was already familiar territory. 

The confidence and composure revealed in his words showcased the demeanor of this top superstar, truly worthy of being a superstar who had stood at the pinnacle for a decade – 

Anson Wood, wanting to challenge Will Smith above his weight class right now? 

It was too soon. 

However, after the red carpet, Will erupted in fury inside the Chinese Theatre, completely losing control. 

"Damn it. How dare he! Damn it, damn it, damn it! How dare he!" 

"This is my home turf, my premiere, my backyard. Who gave him the guts to challenge me here? To slap me in the face openly?" 

"Damn it!" 

"These fat-brained, foul-mouthed idiots! I'm going to [expletive] his [expletive], make him beg on his knees. How dare he embarrass me in front of everyone? I'm going to make his life a living hell. These idiots with water in their brains!" 

"Ahhhh, ahhhh!" 

"Damn it!" 

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! To hell with Anson Wood!" 

Chapter 1605: The Clash of Old and New 

"I, Robot," the premiere was underway. 

Inside Theatre, however, an alarm was raised. They entered red alert status. 

Will Smith's publicist and agent immediately cleared the area, ensuring no one saw what happened and ensuring the premiere proceeded smoothly. 

If there was any sign of trouble, they needed to control the situation immediately and minimize losses. Affecting the movie's box office was a small matter; affecting Will's image was the main thing. 

Will, steeped in anger and humiliation, didn't have time to notice any of this. His emotions swept across the scene like a raging tornado. 

"Who is Anson, and who am I? Does he even have the right to be compared to me?" 

"Damn it." 

"Anson—goddamn Wood! To hell with Anson Wood! To hell with his Peter Parker! These media are all going crazy, aren't they? Wanting to create sensations and hype so badly they've lost their minds! When my movies were sweeping the North American market, he was probably still running around in diapers at home!" 

"Damn it!" 

"Since when do guys who made a name for themselves relying on childish, stupid comic book superheroes ever deserve to be compared to me? Tell all this childish garbage to get lost. They should just go play in the sandbox next to a trash can, hiding in the dark shadows, looking at their ridiculous spandex getups." 

"A bunch of idiots. A bunch of damn fools." 

You didn't need to be a genius to see that Will Smith had lost control. This time he was truly angry. This was a humiliation, a degradation, a trampling. 

This was simply unbearable! 

He had to let this anger out, otherwise he could explode at any moment. Cursing and ranting, he finally completely lost his mind, not even knowing what he was saying himself. He just needed to explode, needed to release it. All his fury turned into roaring and shouting. 

"Ah!" 

"Ahhh!" 

Uncontrollable rage, flying into a thunderous rage. 

Will Smith had truly lost control. Like the Hulk, he turned into a machine of violence, destroying and venting everywhere. 

Not just because of Anson. More accurately, it was mainly because of comic book superhero adaptations and sequel movies. 

In Hollywood, there was also a hierarchy of discrimination between movies. In the early 21st century, original movies discriminated against adapted movies, and adapted movies discriminated against remakes. Level by level, the entire hierarchy was clear and distinct. Within adapted movies, there were also differences in ranking and hierarchy: 

Plays. Novels. Comics. Games. In descending order. 

Simply put, it could be understood as a stereotype about "artistic value." It was generally believed that the artistic value of plays was worth deep study and examination. Masters like William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams were cemented in history. 

Comics had always been a niche hobby. Even if the huge success of "Spider-Man" changed perceptions, people still generally believed this was just profit-driven. Just like art films looked down on popcorn films, comics still hadn't managed to change their perception and status within the industry. 

Finally, remakes discriminated against sequel movies. This wasn't particularly obvious in the nineties because there weren't many sequel movies, and they often had excellent quality. The exact turning point was already unclear, but without a doubt, "Star Wars Episode II" was definitely a memorable heavy blow. Criticism and complaints surrounding sequel movies gradually heated up and grew more intense over the next few years. 

Later on, there were more and more sequel movies, even evolving into a habit, but the quality of sequels became worse and worse. So much so that "sequel" became a label. A label representing poor quality, even widely criticized. This led to sequel movies becoming a major target within the industry. 

It's worth mentioning that after Will Smith's five consecutive movies grossed over $100 million, Tom Cruise also achieved this feat just one step later. However, Will's industry status was always slightly higher than Tom's. The key point was this— 

All five of Will's films were original movies. Tom's fifth was "Mission: Impossible 2," a sequel. 

Of course, Tom dismissed this, even expressing his disdain and dissatisfaction on different occasions because of it. But there was indeed a slight difference in the Hollywood industry's perception. Will gained the upper hand thanks to this detail, which earned him more say in his position as a producer. 

This had always been Will's pride and confidence, because he was the first and only actor in Hollywood history to achieve such a feat. 

These past two years, films grossing $100 million at the North American box office gradually increased. Achieving the feat of "five consecutive movies grossing over $100 million" seemed less difficult now. But in reality, later, no one else could achieve this goal with five consecutive non-sequel movies. Will had every right to be proud. 

And now, Anson Wood, who first burst onto the scene with a comic book adaptation and then cemented his status as a top superstar in the industry with a sequel, was actually trying to challenge, even replace, Will Smith? And, what's more, challenging Will's opening weekend with his third weekend box office? 

The humiliation was tenfold. 

No wonder Will blew up, completely losing control. Don't even talk about "losing to Anson." Even just putting them side by side for comparison was a humiliation. 

It's also no wonder Will's publicist and agent didn't try to intervene, immediately turning to control the situation and clean up the mess, letting Will vent all his anger. 

In fact, not just Will himself, his publicist and agent were also furious, because it was all so absurd it made them laugh in anger. But at the same time, after laughing, a little unease couldn't help but creep in— 

What if what they worried about really happened? That would be a real disaster. 

Although they believed in Will's box office appeal, although they believed in "I, Robot," how could it possibly fail to beat a third-week weekend box office? 

However, that hint of unease was always there: What if? 

A possibility, a seed, was quietly buried there. After exchanging glances, their smiles became strained. 

But 20th Century Fox and Will Smith didn't feel this hint of unease. On the contrary, they were full of confidence, standing tall. 

Don't lose face, even if you lose the fight! 

Think about it seriously, Will Smith had no reason to lose— 

Even "The Hollywood Reporter" admitted this. Analyzing from a professional perspective, over the past two years, Will's appeal had continued to show an upward trend. Unlike Tom Cruise, whose decline was beginning to show as he gradually turned into the rut of genre films, Will was in his prime. 

After five consecutive movies grossed over $100 million at the North American box office, Will starred in "Ali," beginning his Oscar push. Unfortunately, this movie's North American box office didn't reach $100 million, ending his winning streak. But after that, "Men in Black II" and "Bad Boys II" once again allowed Will's North American box office to easily break the $100 million threshold. 

As the market's only Black superstar right now, Will even had more script projects in his hands than Anson. After all, no one could compete with Will. 

Clearly, Will also realized that sequel movies weren't the path forward. After two consecutive sequel movies, Will began to take on a series of original projects, preparing to make a big splash in both box office and awards, truly pushing his career to a brand new peak. A height that even Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt couldn't reach. 

Ambitious. 

Everything was starting with "I, Robot."