[Chapter 131: Improving the Action Scenes, Launch of Taste the Feeling]
Christmas had quickly arrived, the most important holiday. Linton agreed to give everyone two days off, wrapping up early on Christmas Eve afternoon.
He expected all the ladies to gather at the estate for a big reunion. But Madonna, Jennifer, and Naomi were all heading home to be with their families. Cameron was stuck in Australia, Shania was out promoting her single, and Heidi Klum had a fashion show in France.
However, Cristiana Reali paused her busy schedule to return to Los Angeles. Sophie Marceau also took the opportunity to fly in from France to seek out Linton. David discreetly arranged to pick them both up and bring them to the estate, where they joined Catherine for a holiday retreat.
During the days, Linton took the three women to play tennis, golf, swim, work out, watch movies, and enjoy fine dining. At night, they entertained themselves in passionate intimacy. After experiencing the top luxury of the estate and being fully captivated by Linton, the three noticed that five rooms in the mansion were already occupied by other women. They requested rooms of their own, and Linton agreed, explaining the estate's rules. They chose from the available rooms and asked Amy to decorate them as they wished.
...
On December 26, David accompanied the three women to the car dealership, where each bought a vehicle to keep at the estate. Surprisingly, none chose cars from their home countries; instead, they all picked American cars -- Sophie went with a Cadillac, Cristiana Reali chose a Dodge, and Catherine picked a Lincoln.
Having their own rooms and cars at the estate probably made them feel a sense of status recognition. That night, their passionate encounters were even more intense, with them showcasing various techniques and moves, resulting in a spectacular display.
The brief Christmas vacation ended as Sophie Marceau and Cristiana Reali reluctantly departed.
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Filming resumed on the 27th.
After the earlier adjustments, the production's efficiency significantly improved, and they quickly wrapped up the dialogue-heavy scenes. However, Linton remained unhappy with the action sequences.
The fight scenes lacked elegance, creativity, and flow; they were simple, straightforward exchanges -- punches and kicks traded back and forth like primitive brawling with no rhythm or visual appeal. Even the shot where the protagonist jumps from a convertible to a bus was poorly choreographed -- the storyboard was unbearable to watch.
Although Linton had never been an action choreographer himself, he had traveled through time, seen many impressive fight scenes, and possessed superior physical abilities and combat skills. Upon suggesting improvements, the fight choreographer was amazed.
After shooting the revised action scenes, the action in Speed elevated to an unprecedented level of excitement and watchability, promising to surprise fans.
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Soon, it was 1993. On January 8th, Linton's new single Taste the Feeling was officially released.
With Speed still in intense production, Linton managed to take a day on January 6th for promotion -- thanks to the strong support of two assistant directors. Otherwise, a director-star taking time off might have halted production.
That day, he primarily attended numerous media interviews, from morning till night. Universal Music arranged over 60 media interviews, and in the evening, Linton appeared on an MCA TV talk show.
Though he couldn't participate in live events or radio chart battles due to his schedule, media hype was crucial. Universal Music placed high hopes on the single, investing $8 million in promotion, pressing 15 million copies for the initial release, and launching it worldwide simultaneously.
...
The public music video for Taste the Feeling, featuring Linton and Nicole Kidman, premiered on MTV and various TV stations across America on the evening of January 7th. The beautiful love song, Linton's subtly magnetic voice, and the stunning visuals of the two superstars immediately captured countless fans' hearts.
Nicole's cool, sexy image gained recognition and affection, boosting her popularity. Excited, she even called Linton, hoping to meet for a romantic evening at the hotel. Linton politely but firmly declined, wary of paparazzi attention during their peak fame, but promised to arrange a meeting once the hype cooled down.
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Pepsi simultaneously leveraged its vast promotional channels to push the single vigorously.
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Despite Linton's absence from live promotions, the massive marketing budget from Universal and Pepsi's backing led to the song's explosive global reach. In its first week, Taste the Feeling debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard singles chart, selling 2 million copies in North America and over 1.8 million overseas.
Of course, the No. 1 spot remained with I Swear, which had dominated for nine consecutive weeks and sold over 22 million copies worldwide. However, it was clear I Swear was past its peak sales period; the following week, Taste the Feeling was expected to take the top spot.
With both songs ruling the Billboard charts, Linton's star power surged, noticeably accelerating his progress in his Starlight Spark training.
...
Meanwhile, Shania Twain's single Surrender also exploded in popularity, climbing to No. 3 on Billboard the previous week, with over 2.6 million copies sold in North America. Universal planned to push it to overseas markets.
Universal Music dominated Billboard's top three singles, unmatched by any other label, commanding industry respect.
Daniel was especially elated, grinning and walking with confidence daily. With the success of several hit singles boosting the company's performance, they firmly secured their place among the industry's elite.
Having taken over as president less than six months ago, Daniel delivered impressive results, proving himself to investors and solidifying his control of the company.
*****
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