King of Hollywood

Chapter 440: Chapter 162: Shearing Wool

On the streets, the long queue seemed endless, as if it could stretch all the way to Long Beach. Men and women in line chatted excitedly or eagerly, often craning their necks to look at the entrance of the cinema, hoping to purchase movie tickets. However, when it was finally a girl’s turn, the cinema staff put out a sold-out sign.

The smile immediately disappeared from the girl’s face, and she started to protest loudly with her boyfriend, causing a stir among those queued behind them. Despite their agitation and impatience, the cinema staff still explained patiently, appearing to have handled many such situations before.

Indeed, such events had been occurring all over the United States, thanks solely to “Titanic.” Coupled with consistently good reviews, despite their delayed arrival, and never-ending promotion, the film had truly begun to take off. Although the terrifyingly high box office sales of the second week had not been repeated, the film’s earnings remained steady and it continued to top the North American box office charts.

Even so, it managed to sweep the box office of the current schedule; many film companies postponed the release of their own works to avoid the spotlight cast by “Titanic.”

“I love this movie so much! If possible, I might even watch it a second time!” said a male viewer, who was watching the film for the second time, in an interview filled with excitement.

“Titanic” had also premiered in Europe, causing just as much of a sensation, especially in the United Kingdom, where, like in the United States, long queues formed of those eager to see this blockbuster. The media sang its praises as well; after all, the British were quite nostalgic, given that the year the Titanic set sail marked the zenith of the Great British Empire’s prosperity.

“This is a romantic yet tear-jerking disaster romance film,” read a review in The Times. With such encouragement, “Titanic” became increasingly popular in Britain.

On the European mainland, the excitement wasn’t as exaggerated, but it still generated a considerable fervor. This all-encompassing display of cinematic technology had young people needing to be able to discuss the plot when meeting at parties—or risk being utterly out of touch. Those who had previously mocked Adrian for fully embracing Hollywood had temporarily shut their mouths. The film boasted a noteworthy degree of storytelling and artistic quality that swept the somewhat awkward European art films into the corner.

“Titanic” was so popular that critics couldn’t complain about the box office; no one with a clear head would bring up the massive investment while the film was selling hot. In the end, they could only grumble quietly, at most offering a few unkind remarks, such as—

“It’s less Cameron’s victory than that of computer-generated effects, which create such an immersive experience—it’s mostly down to the technology,” so said a bitter yet feignedly nonchalant comment in France’s Liberation newspaper, which seemed quite in keeping with the French character.

Adrian was well aware of these sentiments. Even though he had a lot of confidence in “Titanic,” and the current box office was proof of this, he still instructed Charlize to compile related news about the movie, handing it over for him to review after a certain amount had accumulated. Besides, as an investor, he had been often pursued by reporters in recent times. Directors and leading actors were receiving various kinds of attention; how could he, the investor who gambled two hundred million dollars, be overlooked—especially when the moniker of “Miracle Director” was now household?