Chapter 926: A Grand Christmas Gift

Due to the time difference, the Premiere on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles had just ended, but in theaters across New York, the midnight screenings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens were already about to begin.

Outside a Regal Entertainment Theater Chain cinema on Long Island, the line of moviegoers was unimaginably long. Hoping to dodge eager fans and reporters to catch this new Star Wars film, Natalie Portman had painted a thick layer of white foundation over her face, making her look remarkably like Padme Amidala from the Star Wars Prequel: The Phantom Menace.

"Can the theater even hold this many people?"

Standing in the long queue with her son, Natalie Portman frowned slightly. There were so many fans dressed as Star Wars characters around that she wasn't worried about being recognized. It was just a bit chilly, and this sluggish, inch-by-inch pace might be too much for the boy.

Natalie Portman hadn't come alone; she was holding her four-year-old son's hand.

Looking down at him, she let out a soft sigh. Not long ago, she had just ended her marriage. The one thing she had been so proud of, the thing she could show off to the world, had crashed to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Up ahead, over a hundred people had pitched tents to party early. Their encampment severely bottlenecked the line, forcing the massive queue of fans to wait outside the Regal Entertainment cinema. Yet no one complained; only Star Wars fans could truly understand Star Wars fans.

Picking her son up, Natalie Portman wrapped his coat tightly around him, though her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

'Why did the marriage fall apart?' The question surfaced in her mind once again.

She looked up slightly. A massive poster for Star Wars: The Force Awakens hung across the facade of the theater, and upon it, the name Duke Rosenberg was exceptionally dazzling.

Only Natalie Portman herself knew the truth: it was the existence of this inner demon that had severely unbalanced her mind, ultimately destroying her marriage.

He was destined to be a nightmare she could never shake off for the rest of her life.

Natalie Portman couldn't quite describe how she felt. Just seeing that name made her heart turn ice-cold.

However, her career was in Hollywood, and he was Hollywood's most dazzling figure. Avoiding him was simply impossible.

So, she tried to balance her mindset and accept everything that had happened between them. This was one of the main reasons she had come to see the film. Furthermore, she wanted to see Duke Rosenberg mess up just once, even if that hope was as unrealistic as a reflection in the water.

The other reason was that her son, Aleph, wanted to see the movie.

Thinking of this, a sense of reluctant admiration welled up inside her. Duke Rosenberg's marketing was simply too formidable. He hadn't even spared the children; after seeing the promotional video titled "Babies React to Star Wars 7," countless kids were clamoring to watch the film.

"Mom," her son suddenly asked from her arms, "why are there so many people waiting in line?"

Natalie Portman looked at him and smiled. "Because this is Star Wars."

"But... but..." Aleph blinked, continuing his curious inquiry. "You said not many people watched the Star Wars you were in."

He was talking about the Star Wars Prequel, which Natalie knew very well. Her face tightened slightly, but seeing her son's eyes brimming with curiosity, she replied, "Because this is the Star Wars directed by Duke Rosenberg!"

The words seemed to squeeze out through her gritted teeth.

"Oh..."

Seeing his mother's expression, Aleph shrank his neck back and didn't ask anything else.

Noticing this immediately, Natalie quickly thawed the frost on her face and forced a smile for her son.

But when she looked up again, her eyes landed on a poster of the film's female lead, Daisy Ridley. Staring at the British actress for a moment, Natalie lowered her eyes. This girl's aura was remarkably similar to her own in her youth...

Perhaps this was why Duke Rosenberg had chosen her?

Natalie was actually well aware that back when he was younger, Duke Rosenberg had harbored an indescribably strange feeling toward her.

After waiting in line a while longer, Natalie finally led her son into the auditorium. Once seated, she looked around. This IMAX theater was completely packed. She couldn't spot a single empty seat; attendance was absolutely one hundred percent.

She let out a soft sigh. The combined box office draw of Duke Rosenberg and Star Wars was truly astonishing. Her petty little hopes were never going to materialize.

Out in the lobby of this very cinema, Hans Mason, an investigator from the CinemaScore Company, had just finished speaking with the theater manager and obtained a set of statistics.

This multiplex under Regal Entertainment had a total of thirteen auditoriums, twelve of which were screening Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Across those twelve screens, the ticketing rate was a staggering one hundred percent, and the actual attendance rate was also one hundred percent.

In other words, not only had every ticket for Star Wars: The Force Awakens been sold, but every single buyer had actually shown up to watch it.

This proved one thing: at least in this theater, there was no box office buying by the producers or distributors out of their own pockets.

As an industry professional, Hans Mason knew very well that some films boasted seemingly phenomenal opening box office numbers, but only insiders knew how artificially inflated they were. To make the data look dazzling, attract attention, and drive the late-stage market, many film producers and distributors frequently resorted to box office buying.

Although he only held the data for a single theater, Hans Mason believed that with Duke Rosenberg's massive appeal, such tactics were entirely unnecessary.

In the City of Angels, Los Angeles, the midnight screening hadn't started yet. Norman Hiller sat in the theater lobby's lounge area, scrolling through reviews on major websites. Work had made him miss the Premiere, but he wasn't going to miss the midnight screening.

The Premiere and several advance screenings had already allowed many fans and reporters to see the film. Twitter and Instant Sharing were practically flooded with topics and reviews focused on Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens was crafted by Duke Rosenberg to be exceptionally brilliant, highly dramatic, and full of emotion. That much was expected, but it's also an exhilarating piece of work overflowing with energy. What a fantastic Christmas gift!"

"Duke Rosenberg clearly learned from the mistakes of the Star Wars Prequel directed by George Lucas, and he's taken this sequel in the exact opposite direction. He also chose an interesting angle to push the franchise forward, introducing a new cast to play new characters and bringing them into this universe cherished by millions."

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Duke Rosenberg have injected fresh energy and vitality into this deified franchise. The film revives the series' past glory while simultaneously pointing toward a promising new direction."

Sitting in the theater, Norman Hiller saw nothing but a sea of people. It felt as though it wasn't the middle of the night, but rather a weekend holiday.

It wasn't just New York and Los Angeles. On this day, across North America and indeed the entire Western world, almost every cinema screening Star Wars: The Force Awakens was bursting with rabid fans.

The largest demographic among these moviegoers consisted of Star Wars fans and Duke fanboys.

At Duke Manor in Malibu, Scarlett Johansson poured a glass of water. Barefoot on the bedroom's thick carpet, she walked through the open glass partition doors and stepped out onto the large ocean-facing balcony.

The night sea breeze carried a chill. Scarlett pulled her robe tighter and looked across the space. Duke was sitting under the bright lights, gazing at the distant horizon, seemingly lost in thought.

Placing the glass of water on the small table in front of him, Scarlett walked around, pulled out a wicker chair, and sat down beside him.

Duke withdrew his gaze and asked with concern, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I can't sleep." Scarlett smiled slightly, resting a hand familiarly on his arm. "Aren't you awake too? Worried about the box office?"

"Not worried." Duke shook his head. The film had already turned a profit through merchandise and commercial sponsorships before it even opened. "I just want to know how much the midnight screenings pull in as soon as possible."

Since he had chosen to direct this franchise, he naturally wanted to leave a mark on cinematic history.

It was no exaggeration to say that having reached his current status, backed by immense wealth and a stable relationship, the one thing Duke still pursued was painting a bold, undeniable stroke across the history of film.

Of course, this stroke had nothing to do with Oscar Golden Statuettes or artistic accolades. What he wanted was the kind of triumph James Cameron had once achieved.

Surmounting the mountain of James Cameron's single-film box office records was no easy task.

Duke knew this very well; otherwise, he wouldn't be sitting up waiting. As he grew older, his mindset had become increasingly steady. For his last few films, he had chosen to go to sleep rather than stay up waiting for the opening numbers, but Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the exception.

Scarlett turned her head, checking the wall clock in the room through the glass doors. She gave Duke a gentle tug. "It'll be a while before the box office statistics come out, and you have media interviews tomorrow. You should get to bed early."

Unlike his previous few projects, Duke had poured one hundred percent of his energy into the marketing and promotion of Star Wars: The Force Awakens the moment post-production wrapped. Starting tomorrow, a massive schedule of press appearances and interviews awaited him.

"Alright, let's head back to bed."

Picking up the glass, Duke downed the warm water and stood up. He then pulled Scarlett to her feet, and arm in arm, they walked back into the bedroom.

"Don't worry, darling," Scarlett told him pointedly. "By the time you wake up tomorrow morning, the statistical report will be sitting right on your nightstand."