"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm currently standing at the entrance of a movie theater, and behind me is one of the busiest theaters in Los Angeles. Through the lens, you can see the considerable number of people coming and going, truly making us feel one fact: summer has finally arrived!"
Wendy Haddock, the outdoor female host of Fox Television, held a microphone and stood in front of the camera, recording an interview. Her face was filled with a radiant smile, and her warm and friendly demeanor harmonized perfectly with the bright and scorching Los Angeles sunlight.
"Saturday has always been the peak time for moviegoing, and this summer's blockbuster opening battle has attracted numerous eyes. I believe every audience member has their own choices and judgments, anticipating the chance to see more outstanding films. Just a moment ago, we interviewed the theater manager and learned that, as of three o'clock this afternoon, today's single-day audience attendance has already set this year's record, and the movie's occupancy rate has exceeded fifty percent. The summer blockbuster season is indeed living up to its reputation!"
At this moment, behind Wendy, there was a bustling scene of people coming and going, reminiscent of the bustling and lively atmosphere of a New Year's Eve party, highlighting the immense power of the summer blockbuster season. More and more attention was focused on this opening battle.
For Paramount and the "Thor" cast and crew, this was a trial, a hard-fought battle, even a disaster. They didn't even know how they had ended up in this predicament. But for the media reporters, this was a carnival. Even television stations couldn't resist joining in and personally arriving on the scene to cover the event, hoping to be the first to witness the development of this opening battle.
If one were to merely speculate, if the opening weekend box office of "Thor" couldn't surpass the second-week box office of "Fast 5" and they lost the North American weekend box office ranking, it would be akin to igniting a volcano. No, it would be like tossing a ton of dynamite into a volcano. For the news media, this was a New Year's Eve party.
"So, next, let's step into this opening battle that has captured the attention of all North America," Wendy waved to her cameraman and walked towards the audience. She quickly found an interviewee and asked, "May I ask which film you're here to watch?"
"I guess "Fast 5"," replied the tattooed man in front of her, his answer brief. When Wendy pressed further, he explained, "I originally planned to watch "Thor". I saw the halftime ad during the Super Bowl, but I heard that the movie was boring, so I chose "Fast 5" instead. Tickets for this movie are in high demand, and I came a bit late today, so I even had to wait in line. I ended up missing the ticket cutoff time for the three o'clock show and could only get tickets for the three-thirty show."
"Heh, "Thor", of course, it's "Thor"," Wendy's second interviewee was a young man who looked like a college student. He was full of confidence, which caught Wendy's attention. When she mentioned the recent early reviews of "Thor", the young man waved his hand and smiled broadly, "No, no, no. What I mean is, I know about those reviews, but I don't care. I'm a loyal Marvel fan. It doesn't matter if others like it or not. What's important is that I support it unconditionally."
In addition, there were two other movies that some chose to watch, like the couple in front of her.
"Yes, we're planning to watch both movies. Regardless of whether they're good or bad, we'll only know once we've seen them. Besides, both of these movies have generated so much buzz, and since we're on a date today, we didn't have anything else to do."
Next, Wendy interviewed a ticketing staff member who had just finished work, asking about the ticket sales for both movies. The woman in her early thirties gave an unexpected answer, "Yes, "Thor" currently has a slight lead in ticket sales, but the advantage is very small, and that's the truth."
Wendy couldn't hide her surprise. After witnessing the Friday box office decline, the prevailing opinion was pessimistic about the box office prospects of "Thor", especially given the disadvantage in media and audience reviews. Did "Thor" have to follow the box office trajectory of "Transformers 2"?
"For now, that's the case. "Thor" still has a lead in presales, but "Fast 5" has a rapidly rising trend in immediate ticket sales. We don't know yet about the attendance for this afternoon and evening," the staff member remained calm and candid, clearly accustomed to such interviews. "And this is just the situation at our cinema; we can't speak for other theaters."
Reflecting on the interviews she had just conducted, Wendy nodded. Indeed, "Thor" and "Fast 5" were closely matched, but thanks to the premiere this week and the fact that "Fast 5" had already generated a massive $95M in its previous week, "Thor" did have a slight advantage.
However, this was not necessarily good news for "Thor". They had originally expected a resounding victory, but now they were engaged in such a tough battle, especially against "Fast 5". The situation didn't look optimistic, especially since their current advantage was so fragile. The battle remained intense, and whether they could achieve victory was still uncertain.
After saying goodbye to the staff member, Wendy prepared to continue her interviews. However, the corner of her eye caught sight of a tall, strong figure. Initially, she thought it was because of his physique that he stood out in the bustling crowd, but then, a realization dawned on her, and she blurted out, "Chris!"
It was Chris Hemsworth!
Wendy couldn't believe she had recognized him. He was wearing a baseball cap, but he had still been spotted? Did this mean his fame had reached a new height? While this would normally be a good thing, he couldn't feel happy about it. He quickly lowered the cap's brim and hurried toward the ticket counter.
The "Thor" crew had just finished a live radio program, two magazine interviews, and two website photo sessions this morning. In the evening, they were about to kick off their fan meet-and-greet events in major North American cities, with Las Vegas being the first stop tonight. Their promotional schedule was packed, and there would be no rest for the next two weeks. However, before heading to the airport, they had a four-hour gap, which was why he had come to the movie theater.
Whether he sat in the hotel or stayed in the bar, he felt restless and anxious. The constant buzz of news surrounding him prevented him from finding peace, especially after the Friday box office numbers were released. The atmosphere within the entire crew had become incredibly tense.
Although both the publicity and management teams were working hard to boost everyone's spirits, with everyone pretending there was still hope, deep down, the oppressive mood made it difficult to breathe. The dismal box office figures weighed heavily on their hearts like a massive boulder.
Each of them knew that hope still existed; that was a fact. But it was growing increasingly faint, slowly slipping away.
Chris didn't want to admit this reality, and to be precise, neither did the entire crew or Paramount Pictures. They were still hoping for a miracle, or rather, they were yearning for one.
Chris understood that in front of the media, they needed to show tolerance, confidence, and an eagerness to learn and listen to feedback rather than being indifferent to negative comments. They had to express concern about the box office but also demonstrate trust in the audience. Only then was there a chance for a box office rebound.
But he lacked confidence deep down. His mind was restless, a jumble of thoughts. Impatience burned within him.
Sometimes he remembered how Renly had once looked down on him, and other times, he recalled Renly's arrogant demeanor. He thought about his own earlier confidence and determination, his efforts to win the role of Thor, and the humbling situation Renly found himself in after his success. Then, he recalled Renly's struggling days in the Broadway scene. His mind was a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts. So, he ended up at the movie theater nearest to the hotel.
He didn't even know what he was thinking.
Maybe he wanted to witness for himself if the turnout for "Thor" was as bad as the news suggested. Perhaps he wanted to hear the audience's reviews to boost his confidence. Maybe he should go watch "Fast 5" to gather intelligence. Perhaps he should pretend to engage with the audience directly, promoting "Thor"...
Maybe he could personally buy a ticket, contribute to the box office of "Thor", or even book an entire row of seats to make a more substantial contribution. But if his actions prevented other moviegoers from getting tickets and they turned to "Fast 5" instead, wouldn't that be counterproductive? Or should he simply avoid attracting attention?
The descriptions in the media of the movie theater's atmosphere lacked authenticity, and this lingering uncertainty about the box office of "Thor" bothered him even more. $23M – that data certainly wasn't good, but what did it look like when reflected in the actual movie theater?
Perhaps he could regain some confidence... maybe.