The child's mother smiled warmly at the camera, saying, "Yes, it's a very good movie. I think bringing the child here today was a great decision; he was very happy watching it."
The child's father appeared even more excited than the child and said, "It's really great! I'm more than willing to bring our child to see it again."
The mother remarked, "Is it the child who's watching, or is it you?" embarrassed the father, drawing laughter from the onlookers.
On the other side, reporters were interviewing the audience who had just seen "Catwoman."
"What can we say?" a couple exchanged glances, struggling to find the right words. "It's worth a watch, but it's quite different from the Catwoman we had in mind."
"I think the director should have taken a look at Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman in 'Batman Returns.'"
"Yes, and Halle Berry's performance is a bit comical. She's very beautiful and sexy, but that's not Catwoman."
The comments of the couple resonated with those around them.
"That's right, exactly."
Of course, not everyone shares the same view. Some people believed that a movie starring Halle Berry as Catwoman should be enjoyed for her sensuality, and they didn't concern themselves with other aspects. Some Catwoman comic fans even thought she was the most beautiful portrayal of the character. As for acting, it wasn't a significant concern for them.
The next day, film critics published their reviews in the newspapers.
"Her (Halle Berry) performance is unconvincing and seems more like an attempt to persuade the Academy to take back the little golden statue they once awarded her." — New York Times
"The film's special effects, costumes, and portrayal of futuristic settings are all clichéd and conventional." — Entertainer
"Warner Bros. invested a hundred million dollars in making a young woman wear a mask, and it's an adventure that has failed." — Weekly Movie Talk
On the other hand, the reviews for "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" were overwhelmingly positive.
"A realistic and magical world, a world full of rich and warm colors." — Entertainer
"The magical world created in 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' is a testament to J.K. Rowling's imagination. The film allows us to fully experience Harry's wonders in the magical world." — Los Angeles Times
"The film effectively preserves the fantastic magical world described in the books while replicating the humor and charm of the original." — The Washington Post
However, with Cooper on the scene, the critics from the Anti-Laila Alliance didn't miss the opportunity to criticize her.
"A clumsy magical journey. While the film's plot matches the source material, it lacks vivid character development, resulting in the loss of essential character traits." — New York Post
Cooper's words were even more scathing. From the characters to the costume designs, backgrounds, music, dialogues, and special effects, he seemed to criticize every aspect. It was as if Laila had created a film that angered both gods and men and anyone who saw it would regret it for a lifetime.
"If you don't want your child to live in the shadow of this movie forever, you'd better stay far away from 'Harry Potter.' " This was his concluding remark in a lengthy review.
However, when the first-day box office numbers were released, his words turned into a joke. Because the first-day box office for "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" reached $34.4 million.
This was an astonishing achievement that left Hollywood speechless. Many people subconsciously rubbed their eyes upon seeing this figure, thinking they must be mistaken. Unfortunately, no matter how much they rubbed or used disinfectant, the number they saw remained the same.
Countless people were shocked by this figure. The previous opening day record was held by "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," and it was only $28.5 million. That film held a special place in the memories of a generation of Americans, filled with nostalgia and dreams. But what was "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"? It was a movie that had been criticized as a "children's flop" even before it was released, and it was a film that had been abandoned by its previous director.
Yet now, the result was that it had broken the record. It had achieved $34.4 million on just the first day, with over 8,000 screens in 3,726 theaters!
This was partially because some screens were allocated to "Catwoman." One could only imagine that if the two movies had been released in different weeks, this record would have been even higher.
The box office numbers for "Catwoman" had also been revealed, and it earned $10.55 million on its opening day, ranking second at that day's box office. While this result was decent for a summer release, as long as it didn't experience a significant drop, it should secure some decent earnings.
However, when placed next to "Harry Potter," "Catwoman" became nothing more than a background presence. An all-time record-breaking box office versus a lukewarm and mediocre box office – which one would grab people's attention? Undoubtedly, the former.
Joseph's mood was still okay when he saw the box office numbers for his movie. Perhaps a bit subdued, but he believed that more people would come later. At the same time, he complained that Laila insisted on releasing her film at the same time as his. If the theater owners hadn't placed more trust in Laila and allocated more screens to her, "Catwoman" would surely have earned more at the box office.
At this moment, he conveniently forgot his previous determination to confront Laila face-to-face, now focusing solely on how to increase the box office earnings.
However, when he saw the box office numbers for Laila's movie that were delivered to him, his initial joy evaporated, and he was overcome with cold sweat.
$34.4 million? How was that possible? It was just a children's movie, and how could it surpass the record set by "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"? And by such a wide margin!
"There must be some mistake! Yes, there must be some mistake!" Joseph tossed the box office figures far away, as if doing so would make that result completely disappear.
Upon receiving the news, Faaris also furrowed his brow. He had done everything he could, and yet this was the outcome. Could it be that in Hollywood, there was truly no one who could beat her?
The casting this time couldn't be wrong. It was a superhero film that even she wanted to make. The actors were not chosen wrongly either, starring the beautiful and sexy Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry. The budget this time, the director this time...
If he had to find an error among all these factors, it was probably the director this time, right?
Faaris's eyes grew cold. He was someone who despised failure, especially losing to Laila repeatedly.
"Joseph, I need an explanation!" He dialed Joseph's number directly. "I recall you saying that this film would definitely have no problems and would beat Laila. How do you explain the current situation?"