1570-1572

*Chapter 1570: Supreme Dominance*

The first week of July 2004, the long Independence Day weekend, running from Friday through Monday – this is a period when movie box office numbers typically explode, so the box office reports were usually released in two phases.

On Monday, they'd announce the box office for the first three days of the weekend (Friday-Sunday).

On Tuesday, they'd announce the total for the full Independence Day long weekend.

Under intense scrutiny, the Monday data came out hot –

"Spider-Man 2" absolutely lived up to the hype.

On Sunday, after the explosive surge that had already put the movie's box office numbers on the doorstep of records, "Spider-Man 2," on its third day of release, actually saw a drop of only 10%.

Single-day box office: Forty-nine million dollars.

A record, without a doubt, a brand new record! It boosted the previous Sunday single-day box office record set by the first "Spider-Man" by a full 40%!

Incredible staying power!

Just moments before, people were remarking how Saturday's box office numbers "didn't seem that astonishing."

Then, "Spider-Man 2"'s Sunday numbers delivered another heavy blow.

However, all the excited chatter and confusion didn't last long. When the movie's opening weekend box office numbers finally appeared, all sounds were instantly silenced, plunging everyone into deep thought. The entire North American continent, and even the global film market, could feel the impact –

One hundred seventy-five million dollars.

During the 2004 summer blockbuster season's Independence Day holiday, "Spider-Man 2" swept through its first three days (Friday-Sunday), raking in a massive one hundred seventy-five million dollars.

A heavyweight punch, with a mushroom cloud rising into the sky.

The world watched!

A record, undoubtedly a record. From its debut at the midnight screenings on Friday, and even amidst the wave after wave of buzz created by the premiere, people had already predicted that "Spider-Man 2" was about to make history. But no one could be sure how high this record would climb.

It was like with "Shrek 2"; people hoped it would bring a surprise, and even if it didn't surpass the first "Spider-Man," it should at least get closer.

Sadly, it didn't. "Shrek 2"'s final North American opening weekend box office over three days was "only" one hundred eight million dollars.

Don't get me wrong, that was an extremely impressive result, making it only the second movie in North American history to cross the one hundred million mark on its opening weekend. But there was still that feeling of disappointment that it didn't push further. Precisely because the movie was such a huge hit, people always hoped for even more.

Now, it was the same with "Spider-Man 2." Everyone was debating where the movie's opening weekend box office would land.

One hundred thirty million dollars? Or could it unbelievably touch the one hundred fifty million dollar threshold?

The answer was revealed –

As all eyes focused intently on the numbers "one hundred seventy-five million," brains stopped working, completely losing all ability to react.

"Spider-Man 2" didn't just set a record and make history; it didn't just easily surpass "Shrek 2" and the first "Spider-Man." It climbed to an unbelievable, unimaginable height.

A simple data comparison was enough to clearly feel how massive this opening box office result was –

In the 2004 summer blockbuster season, up until now, the top three films by opening weekend box office were:

"Spider-Man 2," one hundred seventy-five million dollars; "Shrek 2," one hundred eight million dollars; "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," ninety-three million dollars.

The data was clear at a glance. "Spider-Man 2"'s opening box office was almost the combined total of "Shrek 2" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," almost!

So, it was no wonder that the entire Hollywood and even the global film market had their jaws dropped, eyes wide, and brains crashed.

In 2002, the first "Spider-Man" burst onto the scene, shocking the global film market with an opening box office of one hundred thirty million dollars, showing the dawn of a new era. All of Hollywood, inside and out, was ecstatic, with film companies big and small celebrating collectively, cheering on a major breakthrough for the industry.

In 2004, people were just celebrating that "Shrek 2" had finally taken the baton, becoming only the second film ever to cross one hundred million on its opening weekend. Hollywood had waited and waited, and the "$100 million opening" era finally seemed to be here. But no one expected "Spider-Man 2" to once again be at the forefront of the wave.

With an unbelievable momentum, with an unstoppable force, it completely shattered the understanding of all professionals. It wasn't just a simple record refresh; it raised the previous all-time opening weekend box office record by a full 34.6%! This was a stark contrast to the sticky, slow, back-and-forth progress before the first "Spider-Man" made history. Standing at this historical height, it showed people a world beyond imagination.

It's true, no comparison, no pain.

When the average opening weekend box office in Hollywood generally hovered around sixty million dollars, when a one hundred million dollar opening was still a dream everyone yearned for but felt unattainable, "Spider-Man 2" didn't just easily achieve that "dream"; it charged forward, aiming for an unimaginable new height.

Buzz.

In the air, only a hum remained. All rationality, all professionalism, all authority were shattered, turned to dust, vanishing without a trace in this storm. Nothing was left in their souls. One by one, they regressed to childhood, seemingly losing the ability to speak –

Turning into emotionless screaming machines.

"175,000,000!"

The front page of The New York Times, a rare occurrence, dedicated space to entertainment news. There was no explanation, no label, no keywords, not even a dollar sign. Just a string of numbers. It showed the intense impact of history being made in this way. Language had lost its value; the meaning represented by the numbers was self-evident.

And yet, the market understood perfectly. No explanation needed. Everyone could grasp it intuitively, deeply feeling the thrill of witnessing history.

After all, everyone knew about it; who hadn't heard this news?

"Breaking Records! No, Far More Than That, Opening a Brand New Era!"

"Crushing Everything! 'Spider-Man 2' Renders All Rules Meaningless."

"One Hundred Seventy-Five Million Dollars. 'Spider-Man 2' Sets an Unsurpassable Benchmark."

"'Spider-Man 2' Destroys All Understanding and Imagination, Stirring Up a Storm at the Turn of the Century."

"Leading the Way – 'Spider-Man 2' Creates a Record with No Precedent and No Certainty of When It Will Be Surpassed, Completely Overturning the Film Market."

"Record! Record! Record! 'Spider-Man 2' Explodes the Summer Blockbuster Season in Every Way."

"Waiting, Brewing, Exploding. The North American Film Market Finally Got Its 'Spider-Man 2.'"

"The Only Topic This Summer, 'Spider-Man 2'!"

Dominating headlines!

It wasn't just the North American media. Media across the global film and entertainment industries were all the same, without exception, unanimously giving "Spider-Man 2" their front page. It wasn't even something Sony Columbia had to push for; it just happened naturally.

The ripples of impact spread out, wave after wave, with no end in sight.

The Los Angeles Times, unwilling to be left behind, showed off its market savvy as a top authoritative media outlet, announcing the massive debut with a full four pages dedicated to it.

"Anson Wood! One of a Kind!"

Not the numbers, not even "Spider-Man 2." They chose a different angle to cut into the focus of this summer's global phenomenon, dramatically igniting the craze.

*Chapter 1571: A Perfect Storm*

"Anson Wood! One of a Kind!"

The "Los Angeles Times" took this stance, writing a lengthy profile singing Anson's praises, pushing him to an unprecedented height in one fell swoop.

Just as Leonardo DiCaprio burst onto the scene with "Titanic" back then, Anson's current momentum was absolutely equal to, if not surpassing, that.

In the article, the columnist stated that on the surface, the "Spider-Man 2" opening box office explosion was the result of Anson's rapid rise over the past six months, the atmosphere perfectly built up, making the record-breaking unsurprising. But looking at the true core, Anson had already built his own brand image. Even the "pretty face" label had become part of his brand; he stood at the forefront of fashion trends, leading cultural phenomena, and continuously overturning perceptions.

Music. Fashion. Producer. Painting. Creativity. Marketing and event strategies. Cross-industry collaborations.

And so on. Even Apple had partnered with Forest Pictures because of Anson. The "Sunflower" music video played in Times Square this time was the first test collaboration between the two parties.

Clearly, you didn't need to be a genius to see that this was just the first step in the collaboration between Apple and Forest Pictures.

If anyone was still foolishly thinking Anson was just a "pretty face" at this point, that would be the true foolishness.

Undoubtedly, Anson had reached a height no one before him had touched, perhaps even a height considered impossible. While everyone else marveled at "Spider-Man 2"'s record-breaking opening weekend box office, Anson might not care about that set of numbers at all, because he had a grander, more magnificent goal.

One stone stirred up a thousand waves!

Just like the "New York Times," the "Los Angeles Times" also proved its industry influence through concrete action.

In fact, the facts listed by the "Los Angeles Times" were all laid bare, visible to everyone. But after being organized and integrated through this column report, the public's thoughts were finally sorted out, and they realized the powerful influence Anson wielded, an influence even stronger than what they saw with their own eyes.

Influence, spreading universally.

For the general public, this was a shock; for industry insiders, this was also a shock, but the reasons were slightly different.

Some industry insiders believed that the "Los Angeles Times" was, with this article, speaking directly to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences –

If actors like Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and others deserved Oscar nominations, then Anson Wood deserved one too.

Even setting aside a nomination for the moment, the Academy should extend an olive branch, make the first move to show goodwill, hoping Anson would appear on the Oscar ceremony stage. Otherwise, the real joke would only be on the Academy, absolutely not on Anson.

The Academy: ...Playing dead.

Of course, not all Academy members, but that group of white-bearded, balding old scholars and stubborn traditionalists in Academy leadership.

The "Los Angeles Times"'s viewpoint was correct, because Academy members were directors, actors, producers, and industry professionals. Now the direction of Hollywood had completely changed, and Academy members were gradually changing their view of Anson. With the "pretty face" label shed, an Oscar nomination for Anson wasn't an impossible thing.

If the Academy waited until Anson received a nomination to extend an olive branch and issue an invitation, whether Anson would be willing to attend would be another matter entirely.

Academy leadership could continue to maintain their arrogance, believing Anson needed the Oscar statuette, believing that Anson should desire the Oscar more than they desired Anson. But looking at the current situation and circumstances, Anson's need for an Oscar was slowly decreasing. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before Anson no longer needed an Oscar statuette to prove his industry status.

At that time, were the Academy leaders truly prepared?

The "Los Angeles Times" was issuing a warning, attempting to remind that group of old folks in Academy leadership: In Hollywood, absolutely, absolutely do not burn your bridges.

Another group of industry insiders believed that while it was indeed a warning, the "Los Angeles Times"'s target wasn't the Academy, but Sony Columbia –

After the casting controversy last summer, the relationship between Sony Columbia and Anson had plummeted to freezing point. Everything happening before them now proved Sony Columbia's foolishness; they should do everything in their power to hold onto Anson. Before things got worse, they needed to mend the relationship.

Time was money. With every twenty-four hours that passed, Sony Columbia would fall further into a passive position, like sinking sand.

After all, Anson had already moved forward. Forest Pictures and Warner Bros. were working together to outline a bright future. Forest Pictures seemed to be planning something with Apple. And Sony Columbia's future was very likely to be buried by its own hand.

Sony Columbia: In a complete mess.

Within Sony Columbia, they had raised their expectations and benchmarks. All sorts of voices had been hyping up a $150 million opening weekend.

As a result, "Spider-Man 2" not only reached that benchmark but easily surpassed it.

Amy Pascal: Oh yeah!

Michael Lynton: (Cannot smile).

The direction of the Sony Columbia board leadership had quietly shifted. Although a board meeting hadn't been convened yet, Michael knew how things worked.

Now, Michael had no retreat. Having missed the critical point on Saturday, everything was irreversible. He could only grit his teeth and go all the way to the end.

Michael privately communicated separately with closely connected board members, repeatedly emphasizing that backing down now, in the face of Anson's momentum, would mean all their previous efforts were wasted. Sony Columbia might have to make painful concessions to satisfy Anson's appetite. Better to wait and see the box office drop in the second week.

If the second week's box office drop exceeded expectations and still performed excellently, then things wouldn't be worse than they were now. Since concessions had to be made anyway, the difference between more and less wasn't significant. But if the second week's box office drop was surprisingly large, a complete collapse, just like "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," they could instantly turn the situation around.

This line of reasoning finally managed to calm the board members down.

However, Michael had no time to breathe before the board members stirred up again, because the total box office for the Independence Day long weekend holiday was released.

Michael again spent tremendous effort calming the easily swayed board members, making countless promises, and betting everything he had. This barely managed to control the situation, but a crisis ("mountain rain about to fall, wind filling the tower") was looming precariously. Michael had used up all his credit.

Everything now depended on the box office drop in the second week.

Michael stared intensely at the Independence Day long weekend box office numbers, his breath caught in his chest, on the verge of exploding. He stood there for a long, long time.

The reason was simple: "Spider-Man 2" had again made history and set a new record, unequivocally creating a perfect storm and ending its opening run with an impeccable performance –

Monday, July 5th, the single-day box office was almost flat, dropping slightly by just 5%, showcasing the power of the Independence Day long weekend and excellent word-of-mouth, raking in $46.5 million.

Even though people had anticipated this scene, even hoped for it, seeing it happen triggered universal screams and cheers.

Indeed, worthy of Anson Wood.

*Chapter 1572: Holiday Frenzy*

Unbelievable!

It had been a very, very long time since the Independence Day long weekend box office record had seen any movement.

For one thing, the release date had to perfectly align with the long holiday weekend. Only one movie gets that slot a year, and it's not always a major blockbuster.

For another, summer blockbuster marketing and operations were starting earlier and earlier, generating more and more energy in May and June. The explosive power after July was gradually weakening. Even though the Independence Day long weekend was still an important period, its position within the summer season was slowly becoming less central.

Frankly, the historical opening box office records for the Independence Day long weekend were... well, they lacked competitiveness –

First place: "The Perfect Storm" in 2000, with sixty-two million dollars over the four-day long weekend.

Second place: "Batman" in 1989, with forty-nine million dollars over the four-day long weekend.

Just looking at these two numbers, you can see that the Independence Day holiday during the summer season does have some market power, but the market landscape was changing.

This year, "Spider-Man 2" burst onto the scene with overwhelming force. Its Friday single-day box office alone easily broke the Independence Day long weekend record set by "The Perfect Storm" four years prior, and it set a peak that nobody would be able to surpass for the next twenty years.

To be honest, nobody really cared about the Independence Day long weekend box office record specifically anymore, because "Spider-Man 2" had completely rewritten all the opening records.

The single-day record, the Saturday box office record, the Sunday box office record –

Everything. All of it. Every single one.

However, against this backdrop, even after all that, the entire North American continent was shocked again.

Because after exploding with massive box office numbers for three consecutive days, on the fourth day of the Independence Day long weekend, "Spider-Man 2" still showed unbelievable energy.

A 5% drop in single-day box office? Was that even serious?!

Under silent, breathless anticipation, the final box office numbers for "Spider-Man 2"'s opening weekend were finally released:

Weekend three days (Fri-Sun): One hundred seventy-five million.

Long weekend four days (Fri-Mon): Two hundred twenty-one point five million.

Scorched earth. Nothing left.

All sounds vanished. Not just surprise and shock; even gasps of admiration were swallowed down. Brains were just humming with the sheer impact.

Two hundred million?

Wait, what was that box office number again? Two hundred million?

In 2004, three hundred million dollars in North America was still the benchmark for being in the top five, or even top three, highest-grossing films of the year.

You don't need to look far back into history; the North American year-end box office chart for 2003 is a perfect example:

Only two films crossed the three hundred million dollar mark: "Finding Nemo" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."

And there were a total of five films that grossed over two hundred million dollars: "The Matrix Reloaded," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," "The Butterfly Effect," "Bruce Almighty," and "X2: X-Men United."

In other words, a total of seven films grossed over two hundred million dollars by the end of the year, including Anson's "The Butterfly Effect," which appeared at the end of the year and defied expectations.

Just seven films in a whole year.

But now, in just four days, "Spider-Man 2" had already swept past two hundred million dollars in box office.

The shock needed no words.

"Spider-Man 2" just had to stand there, and it naturally carved out its place, announcing that the North American film market had once again pushed open the door to a brand new world.

While the other three hundred films produced by the top film companies in the Hollywood hierarchy still struggled to reach heights that "Spider-Man 2" easily crossed in just four days – simply brushing past without taking a single cloud with it, charging full speed ahead, leaving everything else far behind – words themselves lost their color and weight.

Record, record, and more records.

The moment "Spider-Man 2" debuted, every record related to box office numbers was rewritten. The records for fastest to fifty million dollars, fastest to one hundred million dollars, and fastest to two hundred million dollars in North America all had "Spider-Man 2"'s name on them. It even made the records themselves seem less significant.

All eyes were on Sam Raimi and Anson Wood.

It was a rare sight; after just the opening weekend, major news outlets were already eagerly trying to arrange interviews, wanting to hear their thoughts.

Anson was still Anson. "Oh, let's just enjoy this moment, because we all know what the next step is after you reach the peak."

— Downhill.

That single response had the media in stitches.

It was true. "Spider-Man 2" had climbed an unbelievable peak, setting countless mind-boggling records. Not only were other films unable to reach it, but even "Spider-Man 3" would face immense challenges. The movie hadn't even been officially greenlit yet, and the pressure on its shoulders had already broken the scale.

In fact, you didn't even need to wait for "Spider-Man 3." The most practical and immediate question right in front of people was:

How would "Spider-Man 2"'s second weekend box office perform?

There was no precedent, no experience, no way to judge.

"Spider-Man 2"'s opening weekend performance was simply too astonishing. It had set a benchmark that felt impossibly far away. For the journey ahead, everything was unknown.

Of course, people weren't willing to think about those things just yet. They held onto the present moment, celebrating wildly, partying hard, and fully enjoying the first major wave of this summer. It wasn't just movie lovers; even casual bystanders joined in, basking in the brilliant, enjoyable heatwave.

Although it seemed unbelievable, the truth was, from the Tuesday premiere all the way to the end of the long holiday weekend on Monday, "Spider-Man 2" had kicked off a full week-long carnival this summer, breaking the constraints of the film market and inviting everyone to join in and fully enjoy the festive atmosphere.

And who could refuse a holiday carnival?

The North American weekend box office chart for the first week of July 2004 was released – the Independence Day long weekend chart was listed separately. And there was only one focus, making the rankings themselves lose meaning.

Champion: "Spider-Man 2," one hundred seventy-five million dollars.

Runner-up: "Fahrenheit 9/11," sixteen million dollars.

Third place: "White Chicks," eight million dollars.

After that, "DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story," "The Terminal," "The Notebook," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Shrek 2," "Garfield: The Movie," and "Two Brothers" filled the remaining spots in the top ten.

Wait, something wasn't right, was it?

Where was "The Day After Tomorrow"? Where was "Troy"? Where was "Around the World in 80 Days"? Where were the other big blockbusters released this summer? Where did they go?

These movies were only released a few weeks ago! And now they've all fallen out of the top ten?!

This... surely not?

Clearly, the answer lay with "Spider-Man 2."

One movie, "Spider-Man 2," didn't just take 71.4% of the North American box office market that week; its excellent word-of-mouth performance proved a point:

Not all big-budget popcorn movies are bad. Turns out, movies with budgets over one hundred million dollars can maintain their popcorn fun while also bringing more emotional resonance, no longer just a pile of visual effects, no longer just fooling audiences with poorly written characters and plots. Popcorn movies can be brilliant too.

Naturally, audiences abandoned those so-called blockbusters and swarmed towards "Spider-Man 2."

"Spider-Man 2" topping the North American weekend box office was never in doubt. But reaching the top with such absolute strength and dominance? That was a whole other story. It single-handedly pushed the holiday long weekend carnival atmosphere in the first week of July to its absolute peak.