Time arrived on August 1st.
the purge had already finished its overseas run, with Japan contributing $35 million to its box office, bringing its final global total to $183 million.
This performance was even more impressive than sharknado, as sharknado had virtually no overseas release. By now, AK Films had established two cash cows.
At midnight, get out officially premiered in major cinemas.
This was not a bad film; Jordan Peele had earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay for it, ultimately winning Best Original Screenplay.
Even with the added boost of political correctness a decade later, it was still a good film.
So Eric approved a $10 million budget for promotion, double the production cost, with news gradually leaking out over two months prior.
The promotion primarily targeted Black communities, Black radio stations, Black rights websites, forums, and other places where Black people congregated.
Besides focusing on racial issues, the promotion highlighted James Wan and Chloë Sevigny, though the former's appeal and fame were actually greater than the latter's.
Although Chloë Sevigny was an Oscar Winner nominee, her art-house films were too niche, her fanbase wasn't large, and her box office drawing power was questionable.
In contrast, James Wan had become a sensation in the film industry with saw in January this year, and his iconic non-mainstream hairstyle made him instantly recognizable to many.
He was also defined by many as a highly promising new director, and his Asian identity, much like the Indian director M. Night Shyamalan who shot to fame with The Sixth Sense, made it impossible not to attract attention.
Many film enthusiasts and critics were eagerly awaiting his second film; if it succeeded, he would be praised again, but if it failed, he would naturally be subjected to extreme ridicule.
At that point, terms like 'one-hit wonder director,' 'inspiration dried up,' and 'lucky director' would be heaped upon him. Who told him to be Asian? Inclusiveness was simply inferior to white skin.
Inside the cinema, Eric sat in a back corner with the Olsen sisters.
Despite it being a midnight screening, quite a few audience members came to watch the film, with an attendance rate of around 40%, and most of them were Black.
The movie was still a few minutes from starting, and Eric was eavesdropping on the conversations below.
"Brother, I bet Sony is behind Jackson. The copyrights he holds could bring in billions of dollars in wealth; who wouldn't want that?!"
"You're right. Look at the news and interviews, especially that video. My dad is a loyal fan of Jackson; he said if that Martin Bashir stood in front of him, he'd shoot him with his shotgun!"
"No, no, no, killing is not good, that's too violent. But look at Sony's attitude; they don't even dare to fart. They're giving it the cold shoulder."
"Anyway, I'm boycotting Sony products—music, movies, games—die, you damn Japanese bastards!"
"I support you, brother, but what if I really like spider-man? I still want to watch spider-man 2 next year."
"You can rest assured about that. Everyone around me is cursing Sony right now. They won't last long. Sony's stock price will definitely plummet tomorrow."
"As long as the stock price drops, the Japanese will immediately kneel and apologize—that's their tradition. By next year, the incident will have long blown over, so it won't affect you watching spider-man."
"Hmm, by the way, I saw someone online calling for a protest at Sony's company to give those Japanese bastards a piece of their mind. Are you going?"
"Isn't Sony in New York? This is Los Angeles, too far. I'll just denounce them online; plane tickets are too expensive."
"Not Sony headquarters. Sony Columbia's film and television branch is in Los Angeles County, isn't it? We're planning to protest there."
"Then that's no problem, count me in!"
As expected, the audience talked mostly about Michael and Sony's dispute.
Eric nodded to himself. Let them cause trouble, the more the better. Ideally, they'd storm into the Sony building and smash, grab, loot, and burn the place down.
Click!
The lights went down, the big screen lit up, and the auditorium plunged into darkness.
The shaggy-maned lion roared a few times, and the movie officially began.
Elizabeth Olsen said with a hint of envy, "I wonder when my movie will hit the big screen. I really want to see myself in theaters."
Mary rubbed her sister's little head: "Don't worry, it will be soon."
At this moment, Eric sat in the middle, with Ashley on his left and Mary on his right. Elizabeth sat on the far right.
Darkness was the best camouflage. Eric's gaze was focused on the big screen when suddenly Ashley grabbed him.
He glanced at her; Ashley looked straight ahead without changing her expression, then pulled his hand.
Then he felt a soft little hand slip in.
Heaven could attest that Eric truly had no ill intentions today; he just wanted to get closer to the three sisters. After all, the two older ones were already his women, and the younger one would certainly be his woman in the future, so he couldn't keep them at a distance.
Who would have thought that he only wanted to watch a movie, and Ashley would actually make the first move? She probably would have played a few tricks too if Mary wasn't sitting next to little Elizabeth.
His original intention of concentrating on the movie was disrupted, and Eric could only silently enjoy it.
After playing like that for a while, as the movie progressed past the halfway mark, the tense and thrilling atmosphere caused the Black guys to occasionally gasp in surprise.
Ring.
Suddenly, the crisp sound of a phone ringing broke many people's enjoyment.
"Oh man!"
"Brother, quickly silence your phone."
"Don't you understand the rules? No phones allowed in the cinema!"
Eric could only apologize, seeing that the call was from Chen Xing.
Calling his boss so late meant something major had definitely happened.
Eric pulled his hand out, and Ashley also wisely withdrew her fingers. He got up and walked out.
However, at this point, Nibelungen had not yet shrunk. As he passed little Elizabeth, he accidentally brushed against her arm.
Eric didn't notice, rushing outside to answer the phone.
"Chen Xing, what's wrong?"
On the other end, Chen Xing's voice was both nervous and excited: "Boss, we just received news that a murder occurred in New York. The deceased is Evan Chandler, who extorted Michael in 1993."
"It is said that gunshots were heard in his apartment, and then neighbors called the police. When the police arrived, they found that he had shot himself in the head, the bullet having passed directly through the back of his skull."
Hearing this news, Eric was first surprised, then delighted.
He snorted coldly: "Good for him for being sensible. That scumbag finally made the right decision."
"Yes, I heard that Evan Chandler had a bad relationship with his family. Although he got the money, no one liked being with him."
"Moreover, he has been harassed and cursed by Michael's fans for years, and with his son Jordi Chandler testifying against him this time, he has been completely abandoned."
"It's predictable that this guy will face a double trial from both the law and the public. His life is over; there's no hope at all."
"So, rather than living a lingering existence, it's better to end it all with one shot."
Eric suddenly chuckled: "Good riddance, what perfect timing. He's more useful dead than alive. We can definitely make an issue out of him."
"Chen Xing, remember what I'm about to say, and send someone to do it immediately."
"Understood, Boss!"
"Go find Janet Avizo, Larry Feldman, and Mathis. Remember to hide your identities. Threaten them with Evan Chandler's death."
"I need them to personally admit that Sony was behind everything, to firmly pin the blame on Sony."
"The three of them are currently in extreme panic. Evan Chandler's death will definitely scare them witless."
"In short, use both coercion and inducement to break down their fragile psychological defenses. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Boss!"
After arranging things, Eric returned to the cinema and found that little Elizabeth had actually moved to sit between her two older sisters.
This was bad; there were no more secrets. Even if the three of them were thick-skinned, they couldn't do anything illicit in front of Elizabeth.
Ashley and Mary could only give an awkward smile, and Eric could only shrug helplessly.
Just wait another two or three years, until Elizabeth Olsen develops and ripens like a peach, then it will be time for the three sisters to share a bed.
After watching the movie and sending the three sisters home, it was late at night, and Eric felt it would be improper to stay, so he returned to Beverly Hills.
The next day, the whirlpool of public opinion continued to engulf Sony.
Evan Chandler's death indeed made the front pages of major media outlets. The news reported by large newspapers, sourced from the New York police, all stated it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Tabloid newspapers and online media were less scrupulous, and many conspiracy theories naturally emerged, with murder-suicide accounting for the largest proportion.
So who was the most likely culprit?
Of course, it was Sony. Now it was the most evil villain; anyway, all bad things were done by Sony, so just dump all the blame on the Japanese bastards.
Just like the internet in later generations, all bad things were done by America, and unrelated things must also have been done by America; just pin them on it.
At the same time, incidents of attacking Sony broke out in some cities, including branch offices and representative offices in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tokyo, Paris, and other places.
Many people held signs and shouted slogans, blockading Sony's doors, promoting a boycott of Sony products.
Some even carried high-power speakers and placed them in front of Sony's office buildings, playing Michael's songs at such a volume that people inside the building couldn't concentrate on work at all.
Even more radical individuals directly threw disgusting things like Rotten Tomatoes, rotten eggs, and their own feces. The area in front of Sony's headquarters in New York was already foul-smelling and completely impassable.
Unable to bear it any longer, Sony had no choice but to call the police.
When the police arrived, these people naturally scattered like birds and beasts. Even if a few were caught, they would at most be detained for twelve hours, because there were too many people, making it impossible to determine who threw the feces.
After being released, they could even give interviews and share their experiences online, which would garner a lot of praise. Why wouldn't they?
And when the police left, the crowd returned, continuing their harassment.
Under the influence of a series of negative news, Sony's stock price, after falling 5.4% yesterday, finally suffered a heavy blow today. Within minutes of opening, it plunged 11%, triggering the first circuit breaker mechanism.
After trading resumed 15 minutes later, it instantly plummeted another 12%, triggering the second circuit breaker mechanism.
After another 15 minutes of resumed trading, it fell for a third time by 6.7%, fluctuating around this price. It was clear that the main players had entered the market to protect the stock, narrowly avoiding a third circuit breaker.
If a third circuit breaker were triggered, according to the rules, Sony's stock would have to be directly suspended from trading.
But even so, by the time the closing bell rang in the afternoon, Sony's stock price still plunged 27.4%, a drop of over a quarter, with its market value evaporating by over $5 billion.
Facing such a grim situation, Sony finally broke its silence and held a press conference at its New York headquarters at 4:30 PM.
Tommy Mottola, the president of Sony Music, appeared to accept interviews.
Facing various questions from reporters, he naturally denied everything.
"Mr. Mottola, then how do you explain the content of Martin Bashir's video?"
Tommy Mottola retorted, "Did he say it himself in the video? Did Martin Bashir personally say he was instructed by Sony?"
"Although he didn't, his ambiguous performance and language have already proven everything."
Tommy Mottola said in a serious tone, "Mr. Reporter, when speaking, one must present evidence. Let's not even mention that Martin Bashir said nothing; even if he did, it could have been drunken babbling or deliberate slander, couldn't it?"
"Regarding Michael Jackson's remarks, I must also respond. Since Sony began collaborating with him, the company has paid him over a billion dollars in compensation. He has earned more money than any other celebrity in the world."
"If you knew the privileges and treatment he enjoys, you would feel it's unfair to other singers. An average singer spends $200,000 to record an album."
"Better ones spend $500,000, and top artists like Celine Dion and Maria only spend $1 million, while Michael Jackson requires over $20 million."
"He has received too much from Sony, yet he remains unsatisfied; he wants more money. He is a greedy devil, which is why he caused all these troubles."
"All the accusations are false. We have decided to file a lawsuit against Michael Jackson and relevant individuals. We must defend Sony's dignity through legal means!"
Tommy Mottola finished speaking and intended to leave. Many things couldn't be elaborated on or answered, so it was best to finish quickly and depart.
At this moment, a Fox reporter and his assistant whispered to each other, then rushed forward, unable to be stopped by security.
The reporter grabbed Tommy Mottola's arm: "Mr. Mottola, please wait a moment, one last question."
Tommy Mottola vigorously shook him off: "No, the press conference is over. I will not answer any more questions!"
Seeing that the other party was about to return to the office building, the reporter shouted loudly: "We just received news that Larry Feldman and Mathis have both publicly alleged that they were instructed by Sony to falsely accuse Jackson."
"What?!"
Tommy Mottola suddenly turned around, then was hit in the nose by the revolving door and fell onto the ground.