Chapter 389: Magnificent Epic Scenes

"What? You're going to quit our protest?"

Stopping at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Boulevard, Chrissy looked at Brad Miller in disbelief.

"Don't forget, Bly," he reminded him. "You were the one who started this protest in the first place!"

"I was worried the movie would ruin the original book," Brad Miller said calmly, clearly not speaking on impulse. "I've seen the film. While The Fellowship of the Ring definitely made some changes, every plot point in the movie is even more spectacular than the original!"

"It took my fantasies and turned them into reality!" he stressed.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Pete agreed loudly. "The movie is unexpectedly good. Everyone should stop protesting and go see it for yourselves first."

"No, I won't give up on the protest!"

Thinking of the benefits he had received, Chrissy insisted, "As a true fan of the books, I have to protest all adaptations of The Lord of the Rings!"

The dispute between the leaders had reached the ears of the others. Most were diehard book fans, and many had shown up entirely because of Brad Miller's rallying call. Seeing their leader waver, the crowd grew restless.

"Is the movie really that good?"

"Brad is a staunch anti-adaptation guy, and even he says it's incredible..."

"We'd better go see for ourselves."

"Yeah, I think there's a midnight screening tonight. Let's just buy tickets once we wrap up here..."

Brad Miller had some inkling about Chrissy's shady dealings. Seeing that their differences couldn't be resolved, he simply raised his voice. "I am officially withdrawing from the protest against The Lord of the Rings movie..."

"Me too!" Pete chimed in.

The two exchanged a look before Miller continued. "I'm so sorry that my stubborn, old-fashioned views wasted so much of everyone's time and energy. But I still have to say it—the movie is spectacular beyond the limits of your imagination!"

With that, he didn't linger. Together with Pete, he headed straight back to the Chinese Grand Theater, ready to catch the upcoming midnight screening!

The gathered crowd slowly dispersed. Many of them had their curiosity piqued by Brad Miller's words and actions, and they actually followed him.

The massive protest group had inevitably fractured.

Some chose to leave, while others opted to continue their protest. Still others chose nearby theaters, ready to see just how magnificent the film truly was if it could change the stance of a stubborn purist like Brad Miller.

Midnight on the West Coast was fast approaching. From San Diego to Los Angeles to San Francisco, the theaters did not quiet down as the night deepened. Instead, an influx of massive crowds made them exceptionally bustling.

Outside the Santa Clara Cinema in the San Francisco Bay area, Zhou Xin was busy working in the shop, constantly making suggestions to his boss.

"The midnight screenings are about to start, Boss Ke. Based on my experience selling The Matrix merchandise, we should put the merch for Duke's new movie in the most prominent spot on the shelves!"

"You're right, George!" Boss Ke, who was quite young and evidently also of Chinese descent, looked out through the glass window. "There are several large chain theaters on this street, and our shop is right in the middle of them. If The Lord of the Rings merchandise can match the sales of The Matrix, this time..."

"Boss, I've been in the movie business for a few years now."

As Zhou Xin directed the clerks to stock the shelves, he said, "Duke's movies bring in more than just box office numbers. They bring massive merchandise sales, too."

Last year, he had left the Santa Clara Cinema to work at this newly opened gift shop in the San Francisco Bay, taking on the role of store manager. Although it was a gift shop, they spent most of their time selling various movie-related items. After entering the Summer Season, for example, the boss, Ke Peng, had leveraged his connections with a senior executive at Duke Studio to snatch up a significant share of the highly sought-after The Lord of the Rings merchandise stock.

Watching Zhou Xin lead the clerks in their busy work, the Chinese-American boss Ke Peng wore a calm and confident expression. Even though this was his first time opening a store in the San Francisco Bay, he wasn't worried about turning a profit. This was a famous gathering spot for movie buffs in the San Francisco area, and he had stocked far more The Lord of the Rings merchandise than anyone else. As long as The Fellowship of the Ring could match the influence of The Matrix, this shop was bound to pull in massive profits!

As midnight drew nearer, Ke Peng looked through the glass window and saw more and more people pouring into the two nearby theaters. The crowds seemed to surpass anything he had seen before.

Clearly, these people were all here for the newly released The Fellowship of the Ring.

The massive roar of an engine echoed as a black Maybach supercar suddenly pulled up in front of the store. A moment later, a Chinese-American man who bore some resemblance to Ke Peng walked inside.

This was San Francisco, home to the largest Chinese community in America. Judging by the man's clothes and his ride, it wasn't hard to tell that he was worth a fortune.

He glanced around the busy shop and asked, "You're still open this late?"

"Hey, Yang Ge!" Seeing him, Zhou Xin took the initiative to say hello.

"Hello, George." He waved in that direction before turning his attention to the boss.

Ke Peng looked somewhat exasperated. "Didn't you know Duke has a new movie coming out tonight?"

Yang Ge shook his head.

Pointing to the various The Lord of the Rings products on the shelves behind him, Ke Peng said, "They're about to hit a massive sales peak."

"Tonight?" Yang Ge was clearly skeptical. "It's almost midnight. This isn't a nightclub. How could you possibly hit a sales peak?"

"Aren't you off chasing female celebrities tonight?" Ke Peng asked. Seeing him shake his head, he patted his shoulder and said, "I was just worrying about being understaffed. Stay and help out. Since you're not a movie buff, it's a perfect chance for you to witness the Duke Rosenberg effect!"

"Duke Rosenberg? Isn't he the guy who makes movies..."

The midnight screenings on the West Coast were just beginning, while some theaters in the central and eastern regions of America were already nearing the end of their showings.

In a chain theater in downtown Chicago, Kirkland, an employee from a survey company, wrapped up his work and chatted with a female reporter from the local NBC Television Network affiliate.

"If other theater chains have the same attendance rate as this one," he told the reporter, "The Fellowship of the Ring is going to set a new North America midnight screening box office record!"

"Who holds the current midnight screening box office record?" the female reporter asked curiously.

"Duke Rosenberg." Kirkland spread his hands with a helpless smile. "It belongs to his film, The Matrix."

The female reporter immediately looked surprised. "Good lord, he's terrifying!"

Kirkland shrugged. Having worked in movie statistics, he was long used to this sort of thing.

Duke Rosenberg's movies set records, and Duke Rosenberg's next movies broke them. Wasn't that just par for the course?

"Is the attendance for the midnight screening high?" the reporter asked again.

Kirkland nodded slowly. "Very high. They're only showing The Fellowship of the Ring in one auditorium, but out of 422 seats, 395 tickets were sold!"

Even though she hadn't been with the television station for long, the reporter couldn't help but widen her eyes. An attendance rate like that for a midnight screening was absolutely frightening.

Of course, she also knew that this was a famous theater in a prime location, meaning it wasn't necessarily representative of theaters everywhere.

Still, it spoke volumes.

Footsteps suddenly echoed. The reporter immediately stood up, waving for her cameraman to head toward the exit. Kirkland grabbed a stack of questionnaires and followed right behind.

When the reporter saw the very first audience member walking out, a look of pleasant surprise washed over her face, as if she had just hit the jackpot.

She hurried over to greet him. "Hello, Mr. Roger Ebert. I'm..."

After a brief self-introduction, she quickly asked, "You just watched The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, didn't you? Could you give us your thoughts on the film?"

Having faced a rather cold shoulder from the market and movie studios in recent years, Roger Ebert immediately put on the airs of a top-tier expert upon seeing a reporter interview him. After a brief moment of contemplation, he said, "The Fellowship of the Ring presents a Middle-earth that doesn't exist in reality, but it is rather tedious..."

"The Fellowship of the Ring is a wonderfully bizarre and fantastical journey!"

A high-pitched, excited voice ringing out nearby cut off Roger Ebert's words. It belonged to a twenty-something moviegoer who was filling out Kirkland's survey. He was clearly still riding the emotional high of the film. "I was completely immersed in the Middle-earth created by the movie. If it were possible, I'd genuinely want to experience that magical world for myself!"

Roger Ebert frowned and glanced over. For years, his face had represented pure authority in any film-related setting in Chicago.

The young moviegoer noticed his gaze, turned to glare right back at Roger Ebert, accepted the small gift from Kirkland, and walked right off.

Sometimes, being ignored was the deepest cut of all!

Faced with the camera lens, however, Roger Ebert had to maintain his best poise and pick up the thread of their conversation. "This is simply a mechanized production, bloated with a massive amount of unnecessary special effects. Its narrative core is rather mediocre, especially those dull battle scenes..."

Before he could even finish, he was interrupted again by the enthusiastic voice of another ordinary moviegoer nearby. "This movie was incredible! The scenes brought to life by the special effects felt like a dream. I was completely intoxicated by it. In terms of sheer magic, I don't think even the Star Wars series can compare... Oh, and the fights! Every clash between good and evil was so intense it got my blood pumping. I've read the original books, and they are definitely not as spectacular as Duke's movie!"

No matter how well-cultivated Roger Ebert's manners were, his expression started to turn rather ugly.

The rookie reporter seemed oblivious to it. "Mr. Ebert," she asked again, "does that mean you consider this movie to be very average?"

"An incredibly mediocre work."

Thinking of the moviegoers' complete disregard for him just now, and thinking of the film's director, a certain psychological shift was inevitable—even for Roger Ebert. "This movie is a 'C' at best!"

"What? Our rating?"

Kirkland was surrounded by over a dozen young fans who seemed to have come together. At that moment, they shouted in perfect unison, "We give it an A+!"

As these young people handed back their surveys, they spotted the microphone in the reporter's hand and the camera behind her. They immediately crowded around, eager to be interviewed.

Their eyes were fixed solely on the reporter. It was as if Roger Ebert, standing right across from her, was just another ordinary guy on the street.

Leaving behind his abysmal rating, Roger Ebert stormed out of the theater with a dark expression.

It was a restless night. Some were met with frustration, while others basked in triumph.