Made In Hollywood

On Monday and Tuesday, The Matrix achieved $14.51 million and $12.78 million, respectively, showing a steady trend. However, the widespread coverage of the Josh Cook shooting incident directly caused a fluctuation in the film's box office performance on Wednesday and Thursday. Particularly on Wednesday, the daily box office plummeted by 33%, earning only $8.56 million.

By Thursday, with Warner Bros. and Duke Studios launching crisis PR efforts, the box office trend did not drop further, stabilizing at this level with a daily gross of $8.59 million.

By the end of its first week in North America, The Matrix had accumulated $98.62 million, on the brink of breaking $100 million!

Originally, Warner Bros.' adjusted forecast based on the first-week box office expected The Matrix to surpass $100 million by now. However, it fell slightly short.

Neither Duke nor Warner Bros. is the type to passively endure attacks without retaliating.

Where did the negative news come from? Who is pushing it behind the scenes?

There's no need for speculation or investigation. It's already blatantly obvious, with Sony Entertainment-affiliated media going wild and Walt Disney fanning the flames.

During the two days of The Matrix's box office turmoil, Warner Bros.' media efforts under Time Warner, apart from crisis PR, focused largely on targeting Sony Columbia Pictures' Godzilla.

The Matrix and Godzilla were set to collide head-on that weekend!

"The Jean Reno incident is in the past. Rehashing old news won't generate interest or attract attention. Moreover, Morgan Freeman's incest scandal has already diluted its impact."

Even while unwell, Duke stayed updated on the situation through Tina Fey, offering timely suggestions. While speaking to Jamie Johnson, head of Warner Bros. publicity, he said, "What we need to do is simple: on a large scale, repeatedly remind the public that Godzilla is an imported product, a Japanese monster!"

Japanese culture does have some influence in North America. It's arguably the most prominent East Asian culture in the region, which can create the illusion that Japanese cultural products can seamlessly adapt to the North American market.

But is that truly the case?

In this era, it's not obvious. Sony Columbia Pictures and Michael Ovitz have teamed up, ambitiously trying to turn Godzilla into a franchise similar to Jurassic Park. Quite a few people in Hollywood support them.

From Duke's past experiences, Japanese culture has attempted to establish itself in North America multiple times. While there have been profitable ventures, none have achieved massive success on par with Jurassic Park or even one or two levels below it.

Monster movies like Godzilla, video games like Resident Evil and Final Fantasy, mecha films like Pacific Rim, and hand-drawn animation like Spirited Away—all fell short of that mark.

The simplest and most effective way to counter Godzilla is to remind audiences before its release that Godzilla is not an American or Western creation.

This is bound to influence some viewers' decisions.

Of course, Duke was aware that North America's monster movie craze is a real phenomenon. Godzilla was certain to clash fiercely with The Matrix, and it was hard to predict which would emerge victorious in the end.

Late May brought bright sunshine, and North America saw a significant rise in temperatures, mirroring the growing heat in the movie market.

"There are plenty of films to watch this weekend."

By the riverside stone table in Central Park, a group of young students gathered. One standing member said, "We're not considering low-budget films, right?"

"Come on, Frank!" someone complained. "It's summer; we're obviously watching blockbusters!"

Frank, clearly influential in the group, said, "Then we have three options: Deep Impact, The Matrix, and Godzilla. Bill, Bryce, Harden, Zack..."

He looked at each companion, seeking their opinions.

"Deep Impact is out of the question," said Bryce, removing her eyes from the New York Times. "I don't want to see Morgan Freeman's ugly face."

"Yeah! What he did was disgusting!" Bill chimed in. "That so-called 'gentleman of color'? He's even worse than Sean Connery, the fake gentleman!"

Seeing that everyone disliked Morgan Freeman, Frank continued, "Then it's between Godzilla and The Matrix."

"Godzilla, I guess. I've already seen The Matrix," Harden said. Feeling the group's questioning gazes, he quickly added, "I swear, I'm a Matrix fan. I've watched it twice already!"

"I've seen it twice too," Bill said, taking over, "but I'd still watch it a third time."

The group was divided over whether to watch Godzilla or The Matrix, unable to reach a consensus.

"Stop arguing; listen to me first."

Bryce flipped to the entertainment section of the New York Times and placed it in front of her friends. "There's something you might've overlooked. Godzilla is a Japanese creation, a monster born from Japanese imagination..."

"A Japanese creation?" Bill shook his head first. "No interest."

The others followed suit, shaking their heads. "What's interesting about a Japanese monster?"

Finally, all eyes were on Harden, the sole supporter of Godzilla. With disdain, he said, "A movie about a Japanese monster as the protagonist? No thanks!"

Frank suddenly laughed. "Harden, you made a wise choice. Let's go watch The Matrix!"

As many North American schools began their summer break, the movie market heated up. Even on the first day of the weekend, Friday, theaters were packed with large crowds.

To attract audiences, big-budget productions pulled out all the stops to promote themselves while attacking rivals. Meanwhile, small productions tried to survive in the cracks, hoping for a taste of the profits.

Starting Friday, Godzilla rolled out on a large scale, bringing the number of films with production costs over $80 million in North America to four.

Unfortunately, Deep Impact was in evident decline, with theater counts dropping to 1,520 and a daily box office of just $2.4 million before the weekend, effectively exiting the primary competition.

Titanic was still screening, but no one considered it a strong competitor at this stage.

The weekend's main contenders were Godzilla and The Matrix. The former opened in 3,310 theaters, while the latter maintained its massive 3,220-theater release.

The battle between the two pervaded every aspect of the film industry, from audiences to media to theaters.

"The Matrix is not just a milestone in special effects history but also a foundational, leading force for 21st-century sci-fi films!"

NBC praised The Matrix in its movie recommendation segment. Meanwhile, CBS aired an exciting clip from Godzilla.

"Godzilla delivers a rollercoaster thrill akin to a theme park ride!"

While promoting their own films, they also didn't forget to critique their competitors.

"Godzilla, an oversized and exaggerated monster, leaves the film devoid of surprises, excitement, or thrills. It's just a dull, unscary Japanese lizard."

— The New York Times

"The core of The Matrix—what's real and what's virtual—has been explored in earlier films. Duke Rosenberg merely wrapped it in the emerging computer network aesthetic to make it look a bit more innovative. At its heart, it's the same old Hollywood formula."

— The Chicago Sun-Times

Beyond these reviews, both sides worked on spreading negative audience perceptions of their rivals' films.

"Hi, I'm Steve from CNN."

A CNN reporter under Time Warner stopped a visibly displeased viewer exiting a Godzilla screening. "Could you share your thoughts on the film you just watched?"

"It's trash—absurd, exaggerated, and lacking humor. Watching it was incredibly dull," the young moviegoer said angrily. "What a waste of time! I honestly suspect this film was made by Japanese people; it's so boring!"

The interview aired live on CNN, reaching countless households and viewers.

After watching this, Michael Ovitz switched to Columbia Television, where a similar program was running.

Standing opposite a CBS reporter was a family audience group. The father said, "I deeply regret taking my kids to watch The Matrix. Its violent scenes were overwhelming, with endless depictions of death and gunfights. I advise families like ours to avoid this movie..."

As the interview continued, the living room door suddenly opened. Michael Ovitz's most important client, Martin Scorsese, entered, glanced at the TV program, and sat across from Ovitz.

"You seem confident," Scorsese said.

"You know me, Martin. I never lack confidence, not even against Duke Rosenberg and the King of Summer Blockbusters!"

Turning off the TV, Ovitz continued, "As for who will be this weekend's winner, we'll know when the box office numbers come in."

Scorsese, intrigued by the ongoing rivalry, asked, "What's your prediction for Godzilla's opening day and weekend gross?"

"Based on my analysis, the opening day should fall between $13 million and $15 million," Ovitz confidently replied. "The weekend total won't be less than $40 million, though I'm leaning toward $45 million."

....

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