[Chapter 182: Big Hit]
Linton and Catherine didn't go to the theaters in person. Instead, they stayed at the estate, having a great time with the whole crew while waiting for the midnight box office updates. To protect his assistant's well-being, Linton even took his phone away from her and placed it by his bedside.
At 3 a.m., amidst the energetic celebrations, Linton received a call from Levitt with good news:
"Linton, great news! The midnight showing of Speed hit an 82% attendance rate. Across 2,500 theaters, the midnight box office grossed $1.69 million."
"That's fantastic. Looks like we've struck gold again! Haha."
"Absolutely amazing. With such an explosive start, I have a feeling Speed's North American box office will top $150 million."
"That'll depend on how hard you push the promotion and distribution in the coming weeks."
"Don't worry. This is our top-tier project. Our goals and interests align perfectly. Anyway, get some rest. Remember, at 9 a.m., you all need to meet at the office to head out on the promotional tour across America."
"Got it. Sweet dreams. Bye."
...
After hanging up, Linton scooped up Catherine, who had been listening beside his ear. "We did it! Speed made $1.69 million during the midnight showings."
Catherine was beyond excited, shouting, "Honey, you're amazing! I want to reward you properly."
The rest of them joined in the celebratory cheer, "Let's party together!"
Another round of festivities kicked off, filled with beautiful harmonies and cheerful singing.
---
At 9 a.m., Linton headed out with Catherine, Meena, Bella, Danny, Carter, and Ellie to meet Dennis Hopper, Jeff Daniels, and Joe Morton at Universal Studios. With Jason from Universal's PR team accompanying them, they embarked on a promotional tour covering America's first 15 cities.
Besides Los Angeles, which was always the top market, the other cities lined up were: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Houston, Philadelphia, Denver, Atlanta, Seattle, Detroit, Orlando, San Antonio, Tacoma, and Boise.
They covered one city a day for 14 days straight, traveling day and night, enduring rough conditions despite Universal stepping up with business jets for travel. It was exhausting, but the daily exploding box office results kept their spirits high.
---
Speed opened in 2,760 theaters with 5,800 screens, grossing $11.57 million on its first day. Adding the midnight $1.69 million, the total first-day box office was $13.26 million, clinching the day's top spot.
Second place went to Jurassic Park with $8.34 million, third was In the Line of Fire at $8.23 million, fourth The Firm with $7.59 million, and fifth Sleepless in Seattle with $5.61 million.
Surprisingly, the anticipated head-to-head battle between Speed and In the Line of Fire didn't materialize. From the start, In the Line of Fire lagged far behind -- not only in comparison to Speed, but even Jurassic Park, which had been in theaters for four weeks.
...
Cinemascore's audience survey gave everyone renewed confidence and high spirits.
On July 9, Cinemascore distributed 9,000 surveys across 150 theaters in 30 cities, and collected 8,831 responses. Among them, an astonishing 8,257 viewers rated the film A+, 327 gave it an A, 124 an A-, and only 123 gave lower scores.
They predicted the North American box office would reach around $180 million.
With this data in hand, Universal intensified the promotion and managed to secure even more screenings in theaters.
However, at the same time, media attacks on Speed suddenly increased.
...
"Speed's plot is cliche, non-stop explosions, car chases, and fights. It made me almost nauseous."
"Rumor has it, there's casting favoritism -- female lead landed the role through... compromising."
"Shockingly, Speed is basically a police propaganda film. Seriously, can we even find a Jack as brave and fearless in real life?"
Universal soon discovered these attacks came from Columbia Pictures, the distributor of In the Line of Fire.
But the tactics were unoriginal and didn't influence Speed's box office at all.
Linton found it somewhat amusing. Such smear campaigns usually backfire, giving the public more to talk about and actually increasing the movie's buzz.
Seems like Columbia really was struggling, plagued with incompetent management, making them a weak competitor.
After discussing with Levitt, they agreed to ignore it and let Columbia flail about however they pleased.
...
Sure enough, three days later, the first weekend box office numbers came in.
First place: Speed with $42.37 million, ending Jurassic Park's four-week reign at number one.
Second place: Jurassic Park with $26.73 million.
Third: In the Line of Fire with $24.79 million.
Fourth: The Firm with $20.73 million.
Fifth: Sleepless in Seattle with $15.53 million.
Though it didn't match Jurassic Park's original box office domination, the $42.37 million weekend debut was still eye-popping. No one doubted Speed's final North American gross would surpass $180 million.
That same day, media attacks against Speed virtually disappeared. Columbia seemingly accepted reality -- recognizing they were no major threat, and further attacks would only waste money and energy.
---
The box office success and the tour greatly boosted the popularity of the main cast, especially Linton, who felt his star power skyrocketing and his Starlight Spark ability rapidly advancing.
Next was Catherine, who played a strong character in Speed -- not just a typical pretty face in a blockbuster. Her role was witty, brave, determined, and fearless, driving the plot forward.
Combined with her natural beauty, she quickly won the hearts of American audiences, and her popularity also soared. Linton noticed this most during their nights togehter.
At every stop, the amount of flowers she received from fans nearly matched his; she could barely carry them all. The fanbase was clearly divided: all her flowers came from male fans, while the majority of Linton's flowers came from female fans.
This clear division underscored the movie's success, with various fan groups finding something to connect with, becoming more eager to spread good word-of-mouth.
Catherine grew more and more excited each day, constantly pestering Linton for more 'energy replenishment' sessions, as she called it.
The whole promotional crew, worn out, visibly deteriorated in spirit by the end, but Linton and Catherine remained vibrant and full of energy. Catherine positively glowed, radiant and alluring.
Dennis Hopper, Jeff Daniels, and Joe Morton, though weary, found humor in the situation, enviously remarking, "Youth really is a blessing. Popularity sure keeps you energized."
*****
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