In 2004, Facebook was launched at Harvard University and became an instant hit across the entire campus.
By the end of 2006, Facebook had exceeded 12 million active users, and nearly 100 million registered users had just opened to the public.
At least in North America, this was the most popular social networking site, bar none.
On the night of December 21st and in the early morning of the 22nd, many young people were accustomed to surfing the Internet before going to bed to check out the recent updates of their friends and see if the girl they had a crush on had posted any new photos.
Suddenly, someone posted a blurry, secretly taken photo on the feed, showing Spider-Man in his suit.
"This is the best movie I have ever seen! This is simply the most awesome Spider-Man in my opinion! I want to watch it countless times again! Oh my God!"
Is it really that good?
At first, everyone didn't take it seriously. Just because some movie fans are happy with it does not mean that the quality of the movie is high.
But this was not an isolated case!
Soon, more fans who attended the premiere were posting frantically, and netizens realized something was up!
"Who said Asians can't play Spider-Man? This Asian guy Xu Can is so handsome, okay? He is the best Spider-Man!"
"Go buy a ticket and watch it! Don't ask! Just watch it! If anyone says it's not good, you can ask me for a refund!"
"A little suggestion, go to the nearby theater immediately to buy tickets for 'Spider-Man.' If you go late, you won't be able to buy them!"
"Both the plot and the visuals are unparalleled this year! It was so enjoyable to watch in the theater for more than two hours!"
"You really can't imagine how explosive the Spider-Man live-action movie is! Xu Can, he is Spider-Man! Stan Lee personally certified it!"
"The most handsome Spider-Man in history! I was wrong about Sony, I shouldn't have questioned your casting!"
"Oh my God! I declare 'Spider-Man' to be the best of the year! The only true god this year!"
"As a die-hard Marvel fan, my evaluation is that 'Spider-Man' is very close to the original work. Just watch it, you will never regret it."
Huh?
Is this still the controversial movie that the media called a "box office black hole," "an Asian playing Spider-Man," and "a bad movie reservation"?
According to media predictions, the box office of "Spider-Man" would not exceed 200 million U.S. dollars, and it might not even make it into the top 10 of the year. It might not exceed 50 million U.S. dollars in its first weekend...
Now it seems that public opinion has reversed?
These fans who attended the premiere were going crazy, bragging about "Spider-Man" and talking excitedly and incoherently.
Just one person hyping it is one thing, but a group of people hyping it...is it really that good?
Some netizens couldn't believe it and planned to wait and see;
Some netizens couldn't hold it any longer and ran downstairs to the cinema!
There was still some time before the national premiere at 0 o'clock, and the ticket windows of many theaters in North America suddenly had many fans queuing up to buy tickets!
The attendance rate, which was originally less than 20%, climbed to over 50% in an instant!
Two hours later.
In more than 4,000 theaters in North America, the first audience to watch "Spider-Man" walked out of the theater. It was almost 3 o'clock in the night!
The deserted streets that used to be deserted were now even more lively and bustling than during the day!
Everyone was excitedly discussing the movie that just exploded with their friends next to them!
"I didn't believe it before, it's really that good!"
"My heart rate is still very high now, I'm so excited! I want to watch it again tomorrow!"
"Hurry back and rate it on IMDb!"
…
If the first audience at the premiere had limited influence,
After its premiere in the United States, the reputation of "Spider-Man" first exploded on the Internet!
As long as you opened any movie forum or anyone's status page, you would definitely be hit by "Spider-Man"!
The reputation of the movie was growing at a rapid pace!
People who had seen it couldn't wait to tell the whole world about this movie!
Two well-known film review websites in North America, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, disclosed the film's ratings at this time.
The IMDb rating currently ranks at the top of the list of positive reviews with 9.8/10!
"Full marks for a masterpiece!"
"The best this year, surpassing 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2'!"
"The best live-action version, the most perfect Spider-Man!"
"Xu Can's performance is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Not only are the action scenes explosive, but the dramatic scenes are also excellent."
"There is no moment where you can leave. Remember to put on a diaper before you watch."
The Rotten Tomatoes website also gave it a 97% freshness rating, and the audience index is close to perfect!
Among the thousands of comments, the only negative comment given by the audience was:
"The impact of the visuals is too strong! My heart is not very good and I can't stand this kind of stimulation! Everything else is great!"
"The feeling of being immersed in the movie is so strong that I felt a little dizzy!"
The night of the premiere of "Spider-Man" was a crazy night!
More people even went to bed earlier, unaware that the Internet had exploded with public opinion!
The next morning, waiting for them would be a new round of word-of-mouth bombardment!
…
"'Spider-Man' opened with a bang! The first-day box office set a new record with 57.25 million U.S. dollars!"
"Word-of-mouth counterattack! The most handsome Spider-Man in history is born! He is expected to compete for the annual box office championship!"
"A 2-hour shocking and enjoyable movie, the live-action comic book movie is back! Have you not watched 'Spider-Man' yet?"
"The male protagonist of 'Spider-Man' showed off his stunts at the premiere, and the media's reputation was overwhelming!"
Early the next morning, major newspapers, media, and news outlets reported on this phenomenon-level comic book movie like a storm.
The media had previously questioned the Chinese Spider-Man and doubted the potential of comic-book movies, but now the polarity had reversed, using various rhetoric to praise this phenomenal cross-era comic book blockbuster!
Although "Spider-Man" was not favored, through the spontaneous word-of-mouth explosion among fans at the premiere, it actually set a 2006 opening record!
The first-day box office of 57.25 million US dollars successfully surpassed the 55.8 million of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and became the first-day box office champion!
As for "Pirates of the Caribbean 2"'s two-day record of 100 million US dollars, there is no doubt that it will soon be broken.
Due to the overwhelming publicity in the media and the constant praise from netizens,
This weekend, there was only one theme throughout North America and even the world!
Spider-Man!
Sure enough, the box office reached a new high the next day! The North American box office exceeded 120 million US dollars in two days! Breaking the record again!
Until then, Howard Stringer, chairman of Sony Entertainment North America Headquarters, breathed a sigh of relief.
He still couldn't believe it.
"Did we really succeed? Did Marc Webb and that Asian guy really succeed?"
"Yes, boss. Asian boy Xu Can, he is indeed a genius. We have found a treasure... The champagne is ready. Boss, would you like to say a few words to everyone?"
Sony Entertainment executives had organized a celebratory drink and opened champagne to celebrate the box office success of "Spider-Man."
"Why open the champagne! Find that Chinese guy right now... Xu Can! Yes, find Xu Can's agent! We must lock him into the sequel! Don't let him run away!"
Howard Stringer was keenly aware that Xu Can, a previously unknown Asian actor, might quickly rise to become a top Hollywood actor!
The sequel to "Spider-Man" must be put on the agenda, and the sooner, the better!
How can we make a trilogy without signing Xu Can?
He is Sony Entertainment's new God of Wealth!
In order to sign a contract and keep Xu Can, Stringer would even give Xu Can two kisses!