1567-1569

*Chapter 1567: Footsteps of History*

One ultimate question: What level could "Spider-Man 2"'s opening box office reach?

Objectively speaking, it was difficult, hard to predict, because there were simply too many mixed factors.

Logically, "Spider-Man" had written history, becoming the first film in North American history to break a hundred million dollars in its opening weekend. Naturally, no one would underestimate the sequel. But the key point was, for the entire two years after that, no film had managed to reach such heights. Hollywood was ready to welcome a new era, but their burning passion had cooled down, leaving everyone stunned.

It wasn't until this summer that "Shrek 2" became only the second film to cross that threshold, and its opening weekend box office was just $108 million, barely making it. This forced experts to reconsider –

Perhaps the North American market wasn't entirely ready yet?

Two years ago, "Spider-Man"'s explosion could be said to have benefited from perfect timing, location, and people. The market was depressed due to 9/11, Hollywood studios were united and held high hopes; at the same time, "Spider-Man" was set in New York and, for the first time in a film, showed the intact Twin Towers, carrying the emotional weight of the general public across the entire North American continent without exception.

Because of all these reasons, "Spider-Man" was able to defy market rules and create a miracle.

Was there a possibility that the market had the potential but was still not fully ready, and "Shrek 2"'s breakthrough was the first signal aligning with the era's development, while "Spider-Man" was merely a beautiful accident?

Now, let's return to 2004.

"Shrek 2" barely crossed the threshold, so what about "Spider-Man 2"?

Against this backdrop, predicting the opening box office data for "Spider-Man 2" became especially difficult.

Although the prospects for sequel films were full of uncertainties, considering Anson's current momentum in Hollywood – not just the support Anson received during last summer's casting controversy, but also his rapid rise over the past six months, plus Sony Columbia's massive promotional push –

From all angles, people had reason to maintain high expectations for "Spider-Man 2"'s opening box office data.

So.

Predicted ranges fluctuated between $100 million and $135 million.

Perhaps some would say, "So cautious, so stingy? At least predict $200 million!" But reality wasn't that simple; the market wasn't ready.

Just as it took a full two years from "Spider-Man" to "Shrek 2" to cross the $100 million opening weekend mark in North America, Hollywood waited a full ten years to go from "Spider-Man"'s $100 million North American opening weekend to "The Avengers"' $200 million opening weekend, finally breaking through that ceiling in 2012.

Simply put, an opening weekend box office exceeding $100 million was already an achievement. Within this range, every additional five million or ten million dollars gained was incredibly difficult, a painstaking step. So, the professional predictions for "Spider-Man 2"'s opening box office were already very positive and very optimistic –

Resulting in gasps of surprise.

Undoubtedly, the entire industry was bullish on "Spider-Man 2."

Including Sony Columbia itself, whose official prediction for the opening box office was $130 million, aiming to replicate the first film's feat. Not only would it be the third film in history to achieve this, but it might also break the predecessor's record by a narrow margin.

Full of confidence!

Especially after the premiere and "Sunflower," expectations had climbed steadily. But after the midnight shows, professionals were completely stunned.

Originally, they thought their predictions for "Spider-Man 2"'s opening box office were positive enough, but now it seemed they had been too conservative.

Then, the entire North American continent held its breath, watching the box office trajectory of "Spider-Man 2" intently. No one wanted to miss this historical moment.

Not just media reporters, not just onlookers, but even big and small film companies across Hollywood had their eyes glued to it, involuntarily holding their breath.

On Friday, July 2nd, "Spider-Man 2" opened wide in 4,214 theaters across North America.

This release scale broke the record set by "Shrek 2" not long before, further pushing the highest number of North American theaters for a release, demonstrating Sony Columbia's confidence.

Everything was converging into astonishing energy, predicting that "Spider-Man 2" might be about to create history –

And this time, people were right. A historical moment was born.

Friday: $55 million, making history!

It easily surpassed the opening single-day record of $45 million set by "Spider-Man" two years prior, not just breaking the record but significantly raising it.

"Spider-Man," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Shrek 2," and other films were all left far behind, by more than one margin!

Wait, there was a statistical error; people had actually missed the midnight preview box office data.

In other words, if you added the midnight shows, "Spider-Man 2"'s opening single-day box office reached $72 million.

All of America: ...

A moment of silence.

Opening single day: Not forty million, not fifty million, but a full seventy million dollars, raising the existing historical record by 60% in one fell swoop.

This wasn't just a breakthrough; it was a complete subversion.

A simple comparison shows the level of shock. Right here in 2004, this summer, "Spider-Man 2"'s Friday single-day box office performance already far surpassed the opening weekend three-day totals for a string of films, including "Troy," "Van Helsing," "The Day After Tomorrow," "The Terminal," and "Fahrenheit 9/11."

To be more direct, only two films this summer, "Shrek 2" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," had opening weekend box office results that exceeded this single-day number.

Sweeping. Crushing. Destroying.

It wasn't a confrontation of the same magnitude at all. "Spider-Man 2" completely silenced all of Hollywood in just one day.

Pin-drop silence!

The world fell quiet, no noise, no distractions, nothing. Not even exclamations or surprise, just pure stupefaction.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Although they had anticipated that "Spider-Man 2" would certainly achieve great success, this performance completely defied market rules, scaring everyone silly.

Legend!

What is a legend? This is a legend. "Spider-Man 2" arrived with overwhelming force, making the entire Hollywood collective witness the birth of a legend.

Hold your breath!

You didn't even need to wait for the opening weekend box office numbers to come out. Industry insiders who still retained a bit of rationality knew that Hollywood had changed.

Last summer's "Pirates of the Caribbean," this summer's "Shrek 2," appeared out of nowhere with little expectation, astonishing everyone. But the "Spider-Man 2" before them, carrying countless hopes, shattered all expectations with its unbelievable performance and wrote a miracle.

These were two different things.

Expectations were already off the charts, and "Spider-Man 2" could still surpass them?

Monster!

Then, in the next second, countless eyes turned towards Warner Bros. and Sony Columbia, but with completely different gazes.

Jeff Robinov: Calm down. Calm down. No need to make a fuss. I don't want to say "I told you so," but... I told you so.

Michael Lynton: ...

*Chapter 1568: Fighting to the End*

Calm down.

Michael Lynton was trying desperately to calm himself. It was Saturday, a long holiday weekend for Independence Day, but he was at the office.

And he wasn't the only one. The conference room was packed, full of people looking like they'd just lost a loved one.

Normally, "Spider-Man 2" absolutely crushing the market would be great news. Sony Columbia should be celebrating! It was even good news for Hollywood as a whole; big and small film companies were all cheering and amazed. Eyes full of envy, jealousy, and maybe a little hate were fixed on Sony Columbia from all directions. After years of planning and work, Sony Columbia's strategy was finally paying off; their all-or-nothing gamble was finally delivering.

However, right now, their faces were etched with anxiety and confusion.

Everything was supposed to go according to plan. They had done everything they could to hype up the movie and push Anson to a height where anything less than an outrageous box office performance wouldn't be enough. They were using the strategy of "praising someone to death" to make Anson's supposed greed backfire, digging his own grave.

But now?

Who was digging the grave, and who was getting buried?

It was hard to tell anymore.

Seventy-two million? Wait, or was it seventy-three million?

It didn't matter. The exact number wasn't important anymore because everyone had been completely stunned by that figure. Whether it was a bit bigger or a bit smaller made no difference.

Early Saturday morning, all of Hollywood felt like it was shaking. Most of the people in the room right now had been woken up by calls, texts, or even personal visits from friends and family. A long Independence Day weekend morning had never been this noisy; the whole world felt like it was vibrating.

They had originally thought they'd at least have to wait until the long holiday weekend was over to see the final outcome, no matter what it was.

Now, it looked like they didn't even need to wait for the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday box office numbers. The possibility of "Spider-Man 2" shocking North America again was off the charts.

Just imagine: not just industry insiders, but even people with no interest in or knowledge of Hollywood were deeply feeling this wave of excitement. People who usually had no clue what their jobs involved were suddenly excitedly asking, "How about 'Spider-Man 2'?" That was the sign.

The alarm bells were ringing everywhere.

They couldn't care less about the holiday weekend anymore, because if they weren't careful, the end of the long weekend might also mean the end of their jobs. Then they'd have endless "vacation" time. If they didn't want to be completely unemployed, they had to figure something out, they had to respond.

The critical question was: what now?

In the conference room, everyone exchanged glances. It was dead silent. Everyone was worried about themselves. Normally, they'd be tripping over each other to speak, but now they wished they could sew their mouths shut and pretend to be mute, terrified that Michael might look their way and the next second ask them to propose a solution, leading to a public execution in front of everyone.

It was like being back in middle school, hungover from a party the night before, trying to hide at the back of the class, dreading being called on by the teacher.

However, Michael himself remained silent the whole time, his face expressionless, completely unreadable.

The air was frigid. It was the middle of summer, but it felt like falling into an ice cellar, the biting cold making goosebumps pop up everywhere.

Finally, someone broke the silence.

"Michael..."

Swish, swish, swish. All eyes converged: A hero!

"How about... we extend an olive branch to Anson now?"

Everyone gasped: A dragon slayer!

"My point is, everything can still be salvaged now. We just need to make Anson understand that we are a more suitable and correct partner than Amy. I believe Anson is a smart guy; he'll jump ship from Amy and choose us."

"The third and fourth films in the series will be made; we are willing to collaborate with Anson. This is Hollywood; there are only eternal interests, no eternal enemies. The truly smart ones are those who know how to make choices at a crossroads."

Everyone was utterly stunned: Striking at the root! Brilliant!

"Although we missed the optimal timing, before this weekend is over, we can still seize the opportunity to turn the situation around and regain the initiative."

Michael hadn't spoken the whole time, quietly waiting for the entire argument to be laid out. Only then did he turn his head to look, his calm expression truly unfathomable.

Michael said, "You mean..." He paused. "...I judged incorrectly?"

All breathing stopped.

"I shouldn't have targeted Anson? I shouldn't have provoked Anson? And it's not too late to go and humbly admit we were wrong now, right?"

No one in the conference room responded. No one even dared to look Michael in the eye. Their scalps were tingling.

Michael continued, "Let's be rational and objective. Let's say I go and apologize, admit my mistake, and with the utmost sincerity, invite Anson to betray Amy and join my side. In fact, I believe Anson and Amy aren't a 100% loyal alliance; we do have a chance."

"But you think, how much profit should we sacrifice? What's the price tag for this sincerity?"

"Twenty million dollars? Fifty million dollars? Or a hundred million dollars? Even if we manage to get Anson, but we completely lose control over the series and the most important profits, do you think the board will still need me?"

Dead silence.

Michael scanned the room, and everyone lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze.

A bunch of failures.

Of course, they could change strategy now, but Michael didn't think he could offer Anson a more convincing deal than Amy had. He'd just end up getting pulled into Amy's game, and regardless of whether he convinced Anson, he'd be the loser in the board's eyes.

He had no way back now.

Taking a deep breath, Michael didn't explode in anger or lose his temper. He slowly pulled his rationality back. There was no turning back once the arrow was shot. This game had to be played to the end.

Burning their bridges and going all-in was the only way they might find a sliver of hope.

"The opening weekend box office numbers... haven't come out yet, have they? We still have a chance."

"Furthermore, even when the opening numbers are out, we still need to see the drop in the second week's box office, and even the third week. To be accurate, the box office curve won't really stabilize until the third week. In other words, we still have two weeks until we'll know the outcome."

"Before that..."

Michael paused, his fingertips lightly tapping on the table, a sound that seemed to echo the ticking of seconds and minutes.

"We continue with the publicity. Celebrations, parties, going wild. Whatever they want, we give them."

"We will now celebrate as if the opening weekend box office is at the one hundred fifty million dollar level. You tell me, can Anson really get one hundred fifty million dollars in three days?"

Michael quietly looked around the conference room, a slight smile playing on his lips, but a hint of malice in his eyes –

Let's just see how far this behemoth can really go and what kind of waves it can stir up in Hollywood.

Everyone quietly exchanged glances again, unable to hide their astonishment. It was madness!

One hundred fifty million dollars? How is that even possible?!

So, Michael and Anson were preparing to go head-to-head, seeing it through to the bitter end, not backing down until they hit a brick wall.

But... was this a strategic choice, or was it Michael's pride and ego at play?

Refusing to admit defeat, refusing to back down to Anson, refusing to face the total mess in front of him?

Right now, were they trying for a desperate comeback, or were they just accelerating their fall?

*Chapter 1569: A Behemoth*

In the meeting room, all eyes were fixed on Michael Lynton's face, trying to find clues within that mask to guess his true thoughts:

Refusing to extend an olive branch to Anson – was this a rational judgment or an impulsive choice?

Michael's face, hidden in the shadows of the light, flickered between bright and dark, making it impossible to see clearly. This allowed an uncertain air to quietly spread through the meeting room.

In their view, the current problem wasn't about the numbers. Whether "Spider-Man 2"'s opening weekend could reach $150 million was still important, but not that important. Even if the box office numbers didn't reach that height, things probably wouldn't go 100% according to Michael's plan anymore –

All of Hollywood was currently bowing down to Anson.

Momentum had shifted to Anson's side.

Don't forget, the white balloon waterfall at the Rockefeller Center premiere had now swept mightily across the entire North American continent, extending all the way to the West Coast. Even if the record-breaking opening box office number for "Spider-Man 2" was slightly lower, the shock and awe wouldn't be significantly diminished.

If he continued to be stubborn, would things truly proceed according to Michael's plan?

How things would develop next, no one could predict, because the fact laid before them was clear:

Everything was slipping out of control.

Like sand through fingers, the tighter you squeezed, the faster it escaped.

In the midst of all the chaos and impact, the only thing that was 100% certain was that Anson was rising, and he was climbing a brand new peak.

From the establishment of Forest Pictures, the collaboration with Warner Bros., and the contract with Warner Records, and now "Spider-Man 2" turning into his one-man show – all signs proved that Anson was stirring up a storm in Hollywood, completely overturning people's perceptions and embarking on a new journey.

Unstoppable.

So, Michael Lynton's strategy still seemed to have a chance of winning, because in Hollywood, anything was possible. Michael was calculating on human nature; when people's expectations couldn't be met, the frenzy of adoration could turn into consuming darkness in just a matter of minutes.

But was this an objective, calm judgment? Or was it an impulse after arrogance and anger had taken over his brain?

Were they really not going to go with the flow?

In any era, those who go against the tide always face difficulty. Now, the surging heat of the entire Hollywood industry was gathering towards Anson, and they were the ones swimming upstream.

Looking up, hearts tightened. Everyone in the meeting room could see the smile on Michael's lips, a slight upward curve, but finding not the slightest hint of warmth, only bone-chilling coldness.

"Heh, Anson is making history. Let's see just how high he can reach."

"As the saying goes, the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Oh, I'm genuinely looking forward to it now."

Goosebumps, silent screams, a chilling feeling.

Just look at Sony Columbia; even they were caught in the shock and impact. How much more so for everyone else?

Eyes, gazes, focus, flooding towards "Spider-Man 2" in a overwhelming tide. Friday's single-day box office madness had stirred up giant waves globally –

Not just across North America.

Clearly, a wave was approaching, but unlike "Titanic" or the first "Spider-Man," this time people could see clearly that the storm was forming, growing larger, and in the eyes of millions, growing into a massive entity, a monster that could not be touched or approached.

However, people weren't afraid; instead, they were subtly exhilarated.

Saturday: $54 million, continuing to write history!

But... there was a slight concern.

Friday's explosion was truly too astonishing, too overwhelming, leading to a noticeable pullback on Saturday, with a single-day box office drop of 25%.

Friday's single-day box office broke history, leading by a large margin. Coming into Saturday, "Spider-Man 2" continued to make history, raising "Shrek 2"'s Saturday box office record of $45 million by a whole step. But clearly, the rate of increase had begun to fall, lacking Friday's explosive feeling.

See, this is what Michael was calculating on – the expectation gap.

Objectively speaking, "Spider-Man 2"'s Saturday single-day box office raised the record just set by "Shrek 2" by a full nine million dollars, an increase of 20%. This was still terrifying, especially considering Friday's complete blowout.

But reality wasn't like that. Because Friday's box office numbers were so shocking, seeing Saturday's numbers made people's nerves numb. A small portion of the audience even showed an expression of "is that all?" They were expecting "Spider-Man 2" to explode repeatedly. The explosion rate being lower than expected thus brought disappointment.

It was precisely this expectation gap that became Michael's opportunity to turn the tide of the battle.

However, this kind of talk was just a minor trick. It might work to fool the general public, but it was useless in Hollywood.

In the eyes of industry insiders, they all knew what that Saturday box office number meant: "Spider-Man 2" had once again broken market rules and written a miracle.

The simplest, most direct number was this: relying solely on Friday and Saturday's box office, "Spider-Man 2" had already raked in $126 million –

Almost equivalent to the historical opening box office record set by the first "Spider-Man."

Remember, the first "Spider-Man" still held the North American film history opening box office record; "Shrek 2" couldn't even touch it. But what was happening now was, "Spider-Man 2" had already neared that record in just two days, leaving "Shrek 2" far behind.

This, this was "Spider-Man 2"'s true power.

Calming down just a little, you could see that "Spider-Man 2"'s magnitude was completely different; in the history of the North American film market, it was an existence on another level entirely.

A behemoth!

A behemoth that everyone needed to look up to, everyone needed to follow, everyone needed to remember. A behemoth that broke all rules and overturned all concepts. A behemoth destined to be written into history.

In other words, no matter what Sunday's box office was, "Spider-Man 2" would create history, and it would be a brand new history that left all of Hollywood professionals' predictions far behind. It would, with a sweeping force, lead the North American film market into a new era, an era that everyone anticipated.

Exhilaration. Joy. Excitement.

No one could be an exception.

Expectation gaps, lower than expected, numb nerves – all that talk was absolute nonsense. Anyone with even a bit of thinking ability wouldn't believe Michael's rhetoric. Hollywood insiders had sharp eyes; they could naturally see Anson's value and were cheeringly waiting to witness history.

Precisely because of this, Warner Bros. quietly made a fortune. Jeff Robinov once again played an important role, making the entire Hollywood industry look at him with new eyes and respect.

However, at least on the surface, Sony Columbia was also jubilant, even abnormally excited. Press releases were sent out one after another, everyone from top to bottom overflowing with joy, completely abandoning the reserved demeanor of a top Hollywood company, joining this nationwide party with ecstatic fervor.

There was a feeling of having achieved vindication.

But at the same time, there was also a feeling of... petty triumph.

Things felt slightly strange.

Then, the box office figures for the three-day weekend were announced...