[Chapter 151: Midnight Box Office for The Shallows]
Cameron was a bundle of nerves. Ever since dinner, she had been pacing nonstop in the study, unable to sit still for a moment and constantly clasping her hands as if praying.
Linton simply couldn't bear to watch anymore. The midnight box office numbers wouldn't be available until around 3 a.m. at the earliest.
So, he decided to give her a couple of calming injections right there in the study, letting her be swept away by joyful music so she wouldn't be preoccupied...
---
At the theater down in Beverly Hills, the most prominent spot was covered by a giant poster for The Shallows. On the poster, Cameron wore a bikini, flaunting a scorching hot figure, and behind her loomed a terrifyingly lifelike giant shark.
The lobby's big screen was also playing trailers for recently released movies, with The Shallows' trailer appearing most frequently.
Jimmy, a surveyor from Cinemascore, was assigned to this theater to gather audience feedback on The Shallows.
He was surprised that even in the chilly month of April and during a midnight screening, quite a few people still chose to watch The Shallows.
As the audience was checked in and entered the theater, Jimmy followed along and found a seat at the last row. Counting roughly, about 50 out of the 100 seats were filled, far exceeding his expectations.
Before the movie started, he overheard some viewers chatting.
"I heard the script was written by Linton, and he's also a co-producer."
"Yeah, yeah, I also heard he has a cameo in the movie. We better watch carefully to spot him."
"Aren't you more interested in the stunning lead actress? That chest, those legs, don't you think she's incredibly sexy?"
...
The movie officially began. After the logos of Universal Pictures and Linton Films flashed on the screen, the story quickly kicked off.
Linton appeared wearing swim trunks, shirtless, riding a surfboard freely on the waves, performing various tricks and high-difficulty maneuvers.
Especially when a huge wave struck, he unleashed his ability, standing firm on the surfboard atop the wave, as if he was the master of the sea, his extraordinary posture rivaling the mythic god of the sea, Poseidon.
The audience, men and women of all ages, erupted with wild screams and cheers.
...
When Cameron took off her jacket on the beach, revealing a stunningly sexy figure, the male audience collectively swallowed hard, with some quietly sighing, "God, she's so sexy."
...
The plot moved rapidly. Just as everyone was admiring Cameron's figure, a whale carcass appeared on the beach, followed by a shark attack.
...
As the story progressed, the audience watched tensely, their eyes glued to the big screen, concerned for the heroine Nancy's fate.
...
With one terrifying shark attack after another, Nancy managed to escape the jaws time and again. The film frequently shifted to the shark's point of view, ramping up an atmosphere filled with tension, suspense, and breathless excitement that gripped the audience.
...
Finally, Nancy's never-give-up spirit led her to use her intelligence and surroundings to kill the shark and survive.
Everyone in the theater let out a collective sigh of relief, followed by a deep sense of exhilaration, as if they had contributed to killing the shark themselves.
This was just so thrilling, so intense, so damn exhilarating.
Jimmy quietly left the theater to prepare the survey.
...
After the movie ended and the audience exited, survey company staff handed out questionnaires and small gifts.
Jimmy glanced over the results. The vast majority gave the movie an A or A+ rating.
He even overheard some viewers discussing plans to bring friends for another screening tomorrow.
---
Just after 3 a.m., Linton received a call from Levitt.
"Linton, I've got good news. The midnight box office numbers for The Shallows are in. It made a total of $640,000."
"Is that good?"
"Absolutely. Don't forget it's April, Cameron doesn't have a huge fan base, and you asked us not to push your cameo. This is a very solid performance."
"What's the next step?"
"Don't worry. We'll ramp up promotion. Also, have Cameron and Zack get ready. If the numbers look good tomorrow, we'll arrange a promotional roadshow the day after."
Linton hung up. Cameron, who had been quietly listening nearby, suddenly embraced him, planting a kiss. "Yeah! I'm going to make it, honey. I'm going to reward you good."
She already sensed she would soon rise to stardom in Hollywood just like Naomi.
Driven by the good news of the midnight box office, Cameron was bursting with excitement. She threw herself into passionate nights that were filled with relentless enthusiasm and sweet, happy music...
---
The next morning at 9 a.m., Levitt sent over the survey results from the midnight screenings.
Cinemascore had conducted in-person surveys across 90 theaters in 30 cities.
The survey sampled 2,257 viewers, with 56% male, 78% under 25 years old, and 14% minorities.
Of these, 1,636 gave the film an A+, 337 gave it an A, and fewer than 50 rated below B+. This was excellent data.
According to the survey company's forecast, The Shallows' North American box office would not fall below $50 million.
Seeing these results, Universal decided to kick off a promotional roadshow for The Shallows.
They notified Zack and Cameron to prepare. Starting tomorrow at 9 a.m., the tour would last two weeks, with New York as the first stop.
...
In the afternoon, at Cameron's strong insistence, the two got dolled up, wore masks, took movie tickets bought early by their assistant, and quietly went to the Beverly Hills theater.
They deliberately entered the screening after the movie started.
Having watched the film many times, they were quite familiar with the plot. Their main goal was to observe the audience's reactions firsthand.
The theater Linton entered seated 100. There were 39 viewers, a 39% occupancy rate, quite decent for a Friday afternoon -- a slow time. They guessed that the evening's prime-time screening could reach over 70%.
When Linton appeared in the film, the entire audience screamed wildly.
Then, when Cameron took off her jacket on the beach, displaying her explosive figure, the male audience swallowed hard, confirming to Linton that the box office was guaranteed.
As the plot advanced, and the audience became completely engrossed, nervously cheering and shouting for Nancy, Linton knew the movie's box office was certain to be a hit -- likely exceeding $50 million, and it might give him a big surprise.
When Nancy killed the shark using her environment, the two quietly left the theater.
...
Back at the estate, Linton shared his insights with Cameron. Already exhilarated by the bright future, Cameron embraced him and kissed him.
"Darling, you're amazing! Carry me upstairs -- I want to thank you properly."
Soon, sweet and joyful songs filled the air again...
*****
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