1551-1553

Chapter 1551: More Than Just Surprises 

Calm down. Calm down. 

Blair was trying with all her might to calm herself down. The dice had been cast now. Every step from here on out was outside their control. Anxiety and nervousness were useless; they wouldn't help at all. 

They should believe in Anson, they should believe in "Spider-Man 2." They should believe that all their hard work throughout the day would ultimately pay off. 

Do your best, and let fate decide. 

Yet, her heart was still pounding uncontrollably— 

Because there was still no movement from the Radio City Music Hall. 

The movie screening was over, the post-screening talk was over. By all accounts, the premiere should have concluded. The next thing would be to see the critics' and audience's reactions. They were waiting here, hoping to be among the first to see how people reacted. 

Catching little clues about the movie's buzz from the audience's expressions and actions. 

But the audience was slow to come out, which made them uncontrollably anxious. 

Finally, people started coming out, gradually, in twos and threes. It was completely different from what they had imagined, leaving them puzzled. 

However, the strange thing was that the audience members who were coming out didn't seem to notice the huge crowd waiting outside the Radio City Music Hall at all. Each one was immersed in their own world, their thoughts apparently still inside the Radio City Music Hall, not quite having returned to the real world yet. 

"What number did you get?" 

"Number two. The special activity for number two is this, a Spider-Man viewing guide." 

"Ahhh, ahhh, I know about that! The rumor was that Anson drew it himself. I was looking for it everywhere at the premiere booths today, but I didn't see it anywhere. I thought it was false information, but it turns out it was here!" 

"Really?" 

"Yes, yes, yes! It's true! Anson actually draws in his spare time. He was also involved in designing and drawing the bookmarks for 'The Butterfly Effect' last time." 

"Since you want it so much, I'll trade with you. What number did you get?" 

"Uh, I, I got number six. The special activity is..." 

"Ah! I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it! Give it to me! I'll trade with you right now!" 

"But I don't want to part with mine either!" 

Chattering excitedly, beaming with joy. Their faces were filled with exhilaration; some couldn't help but jump up and down, gesticulating wildly, their faces alight. 

Subconsciously, Blair and the others all looked over. Then they saw a girl holding a small plushie. It was a big dog, surprisingly, sleeping soundly on the ground. It was only palm-sized, but you could clearly see the snot bubble being blown and the Spider-Man plushie it was holding in its front paws. 

At first glance, they thought the surprise was the finger-sized Spider-Man plushie. 

Taking a second look, they realized the big dog's expression was actually somewhat similar to a dejected Peter Parker. 

This blew everyone away! 

Who would have thought that instead of releasing plushies of Spider-Man, Peter Parker, or Anson, the official "Spider-Man 2" merchandise would unexpectedly feature a big dog plushie seemingly unrelated to the movie? But it instantly captured the audience's hearts with its incredibly lifelike expression— 

They went collectively crazy. 

It's estimated that even Anson himself was completely baffled: ??? 

Ahh, ahhh! 

The screams, one after another, were completely uncontrollable. Crowds of people gathered around the owner of the big dog plushie, until more audience members started appearing. 

Finally, the mystery surrounding the "special activity" was slowly unveiled before the audience. 

Eight choices, eight possibilities, just like the dilemma Peter Parker faced. Different choices would lead each person down their own unique, unknown path in life. 

Activity number one: the prize was the upcoming "Spider-Man 2" movie soundtrack. 

A surprise, a definite surprise! No one expected the movie to release a soundtrack. And someone actually got their hands on it early? That was undeniably exciting. 

The real key was how the news of the upcoming soundtrack release was announced to the public in such an unexpected and fresh way, completely off the beaten path. 

Activity number two: just as rumored, a viewing guide personally hand-drawn by Anson, a collaboration with a comic book. 

Activity number three: a meet-and-greet/high-five session with cast members, led by James and Kirsten, and including director Sam. But Anson was notably absent. 

Activity number four: trading cards featuring all the characters from "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2," just like professional baseball or basketball player cards, harkening back to the retro trend of the eighties. 

Activity number five: a chance to take a photo with life-sized standees of the main movie characters. Yes, you read that right, cardboard standees, one-to-one scale with the character designs. 

Activity number six: just as mentioned before, a big dog plushie. 

Activity number seven: a small gift bag, including a family movie pass valid for three people, and coupons for popcorn, cola, and pizza. 

Activity number eight: Anson's high-five session. Anson, who was absent from activity number three, was waiting here separately, giving every audience member a high-five, and even a hug. 

After experiencing "The Butterfly Effect" and all the events of today's premiere, the audience had high expectations for the final special activity. But they never imagined it would so easily overturn those expectations, so easily spark widespread discussion and buzz. Their faces were filled with uncontrollable excitement and enthusiasm. 

When there are choices, there are naturally varying reactions, but the special activities also held big surprises. 

Initially, the crew members thought activities number five and six might be completely panned, that they were just bad luck draws. After all, the real actors were right there; who would want a photo with a cardboard standee? And a plushie? Even if it was cute, it was a dog, a dog that didn't even appear in the movie? 

However, unexpectedly, these two activities became incredibly popular. 

The standee photos? There was disappointment, sure, but along with the disappointment came a sort of humor. Plus, the audience could pose however they wanted, without worrying about time constraints, taking photos freely. People were happy, and satisfaction was unexpectedly high— 

Of course, the complaining and self-deprecating jokes were just as rampant. 

As for the big dog plushie, it unbelievably won the hearts of countless girls, even surpassing the popularity of the removable-mask Spider-Man plushies sold at the premiere booths. For some inexplicable reason, it became the number one must-have collectible from the movie premiere. 

Anson: ??? 

Actually, Anson's initial intention was to play a small prank, inspired by K-Pop idols twenty years in the future. 

Those passionate fans often anthropomorphize their favorite idols into animals – cats, dogs, penguins, gorillas, foxes, tigers, etc. They humanize the animals in reverse and then carry around cute animal plushies everywhere. 

Anson had never really understood the logic behind it: Is that... cute? 

Anyway, Anson got the idea and decided to prepare a little prank. His idea was to make a spider plushie, but that idea was rejected. The crew felt it would be hard to make a spider cute, and their final decision after discussion was a big dog. 

The result? 

Popularity exploded. 

Forget everyone else, even Anson himself was full of questions. 

A change, unintended and unexpected even by Anson himself, was happening: Anson was quietly shedding the labels of Peter Parker and Spider-Man, evolving into an iconic idol figure. 

The big dog plushie was just a small signal. People hadn't even consciously noticed this shift in sentiment; they were still subconsciously linking Anson and Spider-Man. 

But subconsciously, things were changing. 

Chapter 1552: Sleepless Night 

Everything that happened was far more than just a pleasant surprise. 

On the surface, all the buzz and discussion revolved entirely around the special events and the unexpected goodies. But, for the moment, nobody seemed to truly grasp the deeper meaning behind the spectacle. Beneath the layers of surprise after surprise, Anson's creativity and imagination were quietly becoming his new calling card. 

Sure, the image of Spider-Man is absolutely tied to Anson, but if you stop and think about it, Anson's profile has way more than just Spider-Man on it. 

There's the August 31st band, the Cannes Film Festival, "The Butterfly Effect" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," plus that treasure chest-like artistic creativity of his. 

Things like these are subtly changing perceptions. Putting everything else aside, even just looking back at the special events reveals some telling clues. 

Among all the activities, the one that got the most complaints was definitely Activity Number Seven: the movie ticket and snack combo. 

During the planning phase, a lot of people thought this one would be a massive hit. It wasn't just about getting something for free; the real point was that nobody can say no to a "free gift." At least based on market value, this gift was the most expensive item among all the special events. 

However, reality turned out to be completely unexpected, leaving both the general public and the media scratching their heads and complaining. On one hand, they could easily buy a movie ticket themselves – how much does a ticket cost anyway? On the other hand, it lacked any real novelty; this kind of promotion is nothing new in Hollywood. 

"You could tell right away this wasn't Anson's idea." 

Clearly, someone in the marketing team ended up with a lot of arrows in their back. 

You could see from this small detail alone that people's impression of Anson had long since moved past just seeing him as a pretty face. 

During the special events, items like the movie guide, character cards, and the big dog plushie – things full of creativity and artistic value – all had Anson's personal touch on them and were incredibly popular. 

And, of course, the activity where you could high-five, shake hands, or hug Anson was undoubtedly the real peak of the night, sparking countless envious looks and screams. 

But all the other activities were also really well-received. Even the photo op with a life-sized standee, which felt more like a "punishment," got a lot of praise – mixed in with plenty of teasing and jokes, of course. 

That was definitely a surprise. But what was truly astonishing was that everyone was talking about the big dog plushie. 

Seriously, the world of young people today is just baffling. 

Blair and the others just stared at each other, unable to believe their ears. They had sacrificed their chance to be among the first to watch the movie inside Radio City Music Hall for the grand scale of the premiere. While they knew they might miss out on the immediate excitement, they were willing to make that sacrifice for the bigger picture. 

But! 

Looking at it now, the sacrifice felt pretty big. 

They not only missed the rare chance to experience the movie with seven thousand other people in the hall, but they also missed the romantic surprises of the special activities. 

Wait, is it normal to feel like I just missed out on a million dollars right now? 

Watching the utterly dejected Karen, Blair's heart ached too. Those special event surprises were likely exclusive, one-of-a-kind items. If you missed them, you missed them. All they could do now was just wish they had them, probably never getting their hands on that specific batch of special gifts. 

But, you win some, you lose some, right? They couldn't be greedy. 

Blair gave Karen a hug. "Sacrificing the small self for the greater self. Sometimes, we have to give up some things to gain more." 

"We decided this a long time ago. We need to step up for Anson." 

Karen looked up, her face full of reluctance. "But..." 

Gloria jumped in, picking up the thread. "But the preciousness of these special activities proves our choice was the right one. Anson isn't just a pretty face; he deserves better, more. See, he always manages to bring surprises, things even we didn't anticipate, and now we're jealous too." 

"We missed the opportunity, but that means others got it. We've allowed more people to really get to know Anson and fall in love with him." 

"I believe nobody can resist Anson." 

Karen looked up at the sky, letting out a long breath. "If I got that big dog plushie, I couldn't resist Anson either. Only an idiot would." 

That little joke brought back smiles to everyone's faces, especially when they learned about the real theme and content "Spider-Man 2" explored— 

They looked at each other, their eyes wide with disbelief. 

Both in the movie and in real life, they and Peter Parker had somehow made the exact same choice: sacrificing the small self. 

Blair had even said the exact same words! 

Their smiles bloomed fully, genuinely. They finally felt a true connection with Anson, a sense of understanding. They had read Anson correctly, and they had responded to him through their actions. What could possibly be more touching than this moment? 

Six months of preparation, twelve hours of rushing around and hard work, the regret and loss of missing the main event tonight. 

Everything had value at this very moment. An indescribable feeling of happiness filled their chests; they felt like they could soar without wings. 

Elaine watched the excitement and exhilaration on her friends' faces and was the first to break the silence. "Tonight is just getting started! Let's party together!" 

"Party! Party, party, party!" 

Turning around, Elaine plunged into the unfamiliar crowd, smiling. "Tonight's movie was absolutely amazing, right?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I almost fell in love with Peter Parker!" 

"Almost? Oh, you can leave then." 

"Hey! I almost fell in love with Peter Parker, but I'm already in love with Anson Wood! His eyes, oh my God, my heart broke for him three times tonight." 

"Sorry, I'm just here for his hot body." 

"Hahaha!" 

A burst of laughter. Faces glowed with excitement, flushed with red, but the sparkle and thrill in their eyes didn't lie. 

Blair looked at his friends, spreading his hands. "Now it's time for us to go wild. Should we maybe have a little anticipation before we finally get into the theater?" 

As soon as he finished speaking, they also turned and merged into the crowd. 

Tonight, was sleepless. 

The "Spider-Man 2" premiere went on until late into the night. Even after the movie screening ended, the special events kept going strong, especially the Anson high-five session. 

It was a massive, continuous stream of people, finally ending reluctantly around midnight. 

Anson, dragging his exhausted body, didn't leave immediately. He paused briefly at the parking lot exit, waving goodbye to the audience, telling them they needed good rest after a tiring day. After some quick chats and goodbyes, Anson finally waved farewell. 

However, the hidden surprise was yet to come. 

About thirty minutes after Anson left, a coffee truck, a hot dog truck, and a sandwich and pizza truck started arriving at Radio City Music Hall one after another— 

They were all free. 

Anyone who wanted to could come and get free food and drinks, with no limits on quantity, until they ran out of stock. 

A quick question was all it took to find out this was a party gift from Anson. 

The night deepened; the clock had long since passed midnight, entering a brand new day. 

But the party around Radio City Music Hall never stopped. Over three thousand people gathered around, chatting and partying. There were even energy replenishment stations available. The bustling crowd celebrated in the streets all night long, dancing freely, cheering loudly, and running around wildly until the sun slowly rose. 

Only then did they realize the sky had brightened, marking the start of another new day. 

Wait, are the media reviews ready yet? 

Chapter 1553: Full of Confidence 

The Village Voice: "While I was personally thrilled and satisfied by Spider-Man's daring acrobatics across the Manhattan skyline, and genuinely surprised by Anson Wood's infusion of vulnerability, complexity, and unique charm into the role of Peter Parker, I still couldn't connect with this story on any level. So, all the conflict and turmoil boils down simply to him not being able to be with the girl he loves? Sorry, in my view, the anger, frustration, despair, and struggle stemming from that simply aren't enough to ground a superhero in reality." Forty points! That's a heavy hit, definitely not the way you want a media review to start. 

The New Yorker: "Rarely does a commercial popcorn film take the time to allow its characters moments of solitude, even hinting at a Shakespearean touch in places, not through monologue, but by using the camera to let emotions build. It's remarkable how Dunst, Franco, Molina, and Wood all deliver convincing performances, forging a connection between the characters and the audience within a constrained space—this is undoubtedly bold. However, were those soap opera moments really necessary? Within such a sophisticated and complete narrative style, the script relies too heavily on teen movie melodrama to constantly manufacture conflict, not only making the Mary Jane character flat, grating, and lifeless, completely wasting the director's efforts and experimentation, but also dragging the film down to the level of a high school soap opera, preventing it from exploring more possibilities on the theme of superhero growth—this is undoubtedly a shame." Sixty points! Another hit. Praise mixed with regret, but precisely because expectations were high, the standards are stricter, the criticism harsher, and the scoring tougher. 

Things were looking a bit iffy. Whether it was The Village Voice or The New Yorker, both New York-based outlets tend to lean towards more independent and artistic tastes; they're hardly rabid fans of mainstream commercial movies. But make no mistake, both are professional, authoritative outlets, especially the former, which has considerable fame and reputation in the film industry. Now, they had both handed out criticism – a rough start. 

However! This was all expected. For a commercial movie like Spider-Man 2 to win over every single media outlet is an almost impossible task, and the entire cast and crew had already mentally prepared themselves to weather criticism. Plus, the points raised by the two outlets didn't come as a surprise. 

Sam Raimi: Anson had already mentioned this. 

Before filming even began, Anson gave extensive notes on the script, and the very issues brought up by The Village Voice and The New Yorker were on Anson's list of concerns. But Sony Columbia rejected Anson's suggestions, and the result we're seeing now could even be seen as something they deliberately engineered to target the market. So, you win some, you lose some—if you want to cater to the market, accepting media criticism is just par for the course, isn't it? 

"Calm down," Michael Lynton said, nodding slightly. He looked at the reviews from The Village Voice and The New Yorker, keeping his expression neutral, and signaled the room to stay calm. But deep down, he let out a quiet breath. He realized he'd been too nervous, blinded by the sheer hype machine of yesterday's premiere, and had unconsciously fallen into the illusion that the movie wasn't just successful, but a massive, unimaginable success, catapulting Anson straight to the very top. The most ideal scenario for Michael was Spider-Man 2 being a success, but not a massive success. Now, seeing the media reviews starting to trickle in, his tense nerves began to ease, and things felt back under control. 

No need to be paranoid, jumping at every little shadow and getting flustered just because of Anson's dazzling display – that's not like him at all. He should stay confident; everything is proceeding according to plan, and that includes yesterday's massive premiere. Just imagine, the premiere was so massive and unprecedented, even he himself was shaken by the sheer scale of it, let alone everyone else? In this situation, expectations are soaring. No matter what the overall media score turns out to be, people are bound to pay even more attention to the box office, especially in this summer season, when Shrek 2 had a $100 million opening weekend. That shows the market is clearly wide open, and Spider-Man 2 has no reason to lag behind. Anson always has to be first, as if afraid people won't notice his talent; even a premiere has to be a historical spectacle. Perfect. Let Anson have his way and blow expectations through the roof. Then Anson himself won't be able to back down, and nobody can blame Sony Columbia for not being supportive or cooperative. 

Thinking of this, Michael had completely calmed down, not just externally; his nerves relaxed along with him. Pulling his thoughts together, Michael said, "Send out a press release saying the media reception is overwhelmingly positive, and we're incredibly confident about the box office." 

The people in the conference room exchanged glances. "...Isn't that a bit premature? If the overall media score turns bad later on, we might end up contradicting ourselves." 

Michael waved it off. "It's okay, we can always pull it later. We just need people to feel the company's eagerness, and it's all thanks to Anson." He continued, "Good or bad overall reviews, it doesn't matter. We need people to feel our pressure, our desperation for box office success, even going along with Anson at all costs." He leaned back, a calculated look in his eyes. "We're a bit chaotic internally right now, can't afford to worry about the details, even if it means looking a bit disorganized. This is precisely because we're confident in Anson and also anxious because of the huge cost of the premiere. Any little bit of good news feels like a lifeline. We're cooperating with Anson; we're not doing anything wrong. Anson is the one on the hook anyway." Then, Michael motioned grandly. "Press release. Send it out, now." 

And so, news outlets immediately received notification: Sony Columbia had officially issued a press release celebrating Spider-Man 2's "overwhelmingly positive" media reception. People looked at the only two reviews that were out – the 40 and 60 pointers – and exchanged bewildered looks. The overall media score isn't even fully in yet. What's the rush? It was a truly head-scratching, almost laughable scene. 

But here's where things got interesting. Professional, authoritative outlets were indeed starting to roll out reviews and scores because everyone knew Spider-Man 2 was the focus, the absolute focus, and they had to race against the clock. So, did Sony Columbia's press release actually prompt the media to hurry things along? What happened next was that the pace of reviews being released significantly sped up, and the overall media score gradually showed its true colors. A frankly incredible picture emerged. 

Before this, very few people had noticed that the reviews from The Village Voice and The New Yorker were actually considered mixed reviews. Whether it was forty points or sixty points, both outlets gave mixed reviews, not negative ones. They'd initially assumed The Village Voice, being so strict, would definitely be a negative review, but on closer inspection, it was clearly marked as 'Mixed'. Suddenly, things got interesting. 

People noticed this detail because the professional, authoritative outlets that followed were almost entirely 'green' (positive) – a sea of positive reviews, without a single exception. Forget negative reviews; even mixed reviews vanished. One after another, they were all positive. Positive reviews flooding the list. 

So, I guess Sony Columbia... got exactly what they asked for?