The subtitles dropped, and the music began to play. Wallace Lee leaned back in his seat, clapping his hands involuntarily, just like everyone else in the theater. This was undoubtedly a masterpiece. Even in his eyes, as a graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, The Fellowship of the Ring would surely become a classic, leaving an indelible mark in film history.
Why, though, could he not make such a masterpiece, despite graduating in the same class from the film and video department of the California Institute of the Arts? Why was he stuck in the independent film circle with no future prospects?
Sitting towards the middle of the theater, Wallace didn't immediately stand up. Instead, he reflected on some past events.
He and Duke Rosenberg were both graduates of the same year in the film and video department. Though they couldn't be said to be close friends, they were definitely familiar with each other.
Back in their college days, Duke was the quarterback of the college football team, and Wallace was the running back with whom he had a great partnership.
However, after graduation, they had taken completely different paths.
Duke had thrown himself into the commercial film industry and quickly found success. Wallace, on the other hand, pursued his dream of artistic films by entering the independent film scene. But the dream was beautiful, and reality was cruel. Although independent filmmakers had more opportunities, the circle was much more chaotic than mainstream commercial films. If it weren't for his strong self-control, he might have already become an addict and possibly entered rehab.
Since last year, he had left the independent film scene and returned to his hometown, San Francisco, to reconsider his future path.
Maybe he should make some changes, just like The Fellowship of the Ring, which was clearly a commercial blockbuster, yet who could deny its artistic value?
Wallace Lee was one of the last to leave the theater. At the exit facing the hallway, he saw various Lord of the Rings merchandise on display—Evenstar necklaces, the One Ring pendants, figurines of the main characters, models of Sting, and Ork plush toys…
He rarely cared about merchandise due to the film's brilliance but found that the crowd gathered at the product section was so large that he couldn't get in. He decided to leave the theater and head home.
As he walked down the street, he noticed the huge neon lights across the street. The Nine Ringwraiths were riding horses and wielding swords. He couldn't help but walk over. It was a shop selling movie-related products, and through the thick glass walls, Wallace could see a variety of Lord of the Rings items.
Entering the store, Wallace found that it was crowded, with dozens of people. However, the size of the self-service shop made it feel spacious.
He picked up just two items—the deluxe edition Evenstar necklace and the One Ring pendant. The total came to $199!
Although not in the commercial film industry, Wallace knew that The Fellowship of the Ring would probably make a fortune from its merchandise.
The sound from the cash register confirmed his thoughts.
"One Evenstar necklace, one One Ring pendant, one Ork plush, one Legolas figurine, one Sting model sword—totaling $325. Thank you!"
"This is the limited edition Gandalf wizard hat, $366!"
"You have great taste, miss. This is Galadriel's gown, made from materials from ancient, distant Eastern lands, only $299!"
Listening to this, Wallace took out a newspaper from his pocket and slowly flipped through it. It was a job ad in The Los Angeles Times for an experienced assistant director at Duke Studios!
As Wallace left, he didn't draw the attention of the staff. With more midnight showgoers leaving nearby theaters, more people entered the shop, eager to buy their favorite movie merchandise.
"Manager…"
A Latin staff member approached Zhou Xin, who was standing behind the cashier counter. "A few shelves need restocking. We need to replenish the stock!"
"So soon!"
Zhou Xin was a bit surprised and turned to the person next to him. "Yang Ge, I can't chat with you anymore. I need to get busy."
Yang Ge stood there, his eyes slightly dazed. The scene inside the store exceeded his imagination. These meticulously crafted, highly priced, yet ordinary-cost items were so popular. The people who had just finished watching the movie didn't care at all about the actual value or their wallets.
These people were even more extravagant than him!
He even heard some people on credit cards saying they'd rather eat dry bread for two months than not buy their desired necklace, hats, or toys.
These people, driven by the excitement from the movie, couldn't be measured with normal business thinking!
He stood behind the cash register and noticed that the two open registers were so overwhelmed that cashiers could only repeat scanning, swiping cards, receiving money, and giving change mechanically. The line of customers grew longer.
At that moment, the boss, Ke Peng, walked out of his office and stood behind the third register. Yang Ge quickly moved to assist him.
An hour later, the last customer left, and Yang Ge felt like he was about to collapse from exhaustion.
This truly was a sales frenzy!
"Boss,"
When the staff closed the store doors, Zhou Xin spoke loudly. "The sales figures are in!"
Looking at the empty shelves, Ke Peng smiled faintly. Even without Zhou Xin saying it, he knew it was impressive.
Sure enough, the numbers Zhou Xin read out made everyone's tired spirits lift.
"Since the movie ended, a total of 932 customers entered the store, with a sales total of $113,899!"
"What?" Yang Ge couldn't believe his ears.
Indeed, for someone from a wealthy family like him, that number might not seem huge, but it was just the sales of one hour, in the middle of the night!
Ke Peng's smile grew broader, and he said loudly, "Tonight, everyone's wages are doubled!"
Though they hadn't seen the film, the explosive sales confirmed how great it was. This sales surge was just the beginning.
After the store closed, Yang Ge followed Ke Peng to the parking lot, frequently casting curious glances at him.
Yang Ge, who was a bit older than him, finally asked, "How did your chain of stores rise so quickly? Is there a secret?"
"Of course there is!" Ke Peng answered without hesitation. "The secret to my success is that I always focus on products related to Duke Rosenberg's films, and that's how I succeeded!"
His chain of stores needed funds to expand. "Yang Ge, would you be interested in investing?"
As the night deepened, even Los Angeles, known for its hustle and bustle, began to quiet down. In a luxury suite at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel, Ivanka Trump opened the window, and the cool night breeze dissipated the heaviness, bringing in a refreshing air.
She looked down at the Los Angeles nightscape and returned to her computer, refreshing Duke's personal website. Probably because the midnight show had ended, more people had left comments on the site about their viewing experience.
"Duke's work is truly great! The Fellowship of the Ring's shock, magnificent sound, exquisite visuals, and unbeatable imagination moved everyone! Actually, no need to praise too much—anything made by Duke Rosenberg is bound to be a great work!"
Ivanka curled her lips. "Fanboys are so annoying!"
But despite saying that, she found these "fanboys" very endearing.
"The film offers grand visuals without losing its magical elements. The psychological depiction in the epic plot is captivating. Sacrifice and death create an extraordinary journey, and many details set up the future perfectly. The ending, with the fellowship splitting into two groups, promises more excitement! The music score is epic, majestic!"
"Duke Rosenberg not only brought us a great story, but he also took us into a magical Middle-Earth world with sweeping views and shots passing through towering cities and castles, showcasing unparalleled imagination! Also, Ian McKellen's portrayal of Gandalf is stunning, and Elijah Wood's Frodo was the most surprising, proving Duke's exceptional eye for casting! No doubt, this film is unique, charismatic, and undeniably the first chapter of an epic trilogy! I'm sure the future will be even more exciting! Can't wait for The Two Towers and Return of the King!"
"There are so many handsome men and beautiful women, plus gorgeous scenery—just watching the handsome guys and angels and the scenic shots already makes the ticket worth it…"
"Alessandra Ambrosio's look is so beautiful…"
Looking down at a few lines, Ivanka simply closed the webpage, staring at the computer screen for a while, then looked at the time and dialed Tina Fey's number.
"So late, you're still awake, Ivanka?"
On the other end of the line, Tina Fey was obviously still working. Ivanka, knowing how busy Tina was on the night of the film release, didn't waste time with pleasantries and directly asked the most important question, "Did the midnight ticket sales figures come out?"
She had heard Tina mention before that the North American Cinema Alliance had already updated its computerized ticket sales system, and while precise statistics would take some time, rough estimates could be obtained quickly.
"Guess what?" Tina Fey's mood seemed great.
Having worked with Duke for so long, Ivanka knew a bit about the situation and quickly asked, "Did it break the record?"
"Dear, correct answer!"
Tina Fey's voice came through the phone, announcing a number. "The preliminary estimate for ticket sales is $9.5 million, with the actual number likely between $9 million and $9.5 million. Duke has broken the record again!"
"Has he gone to bed yet?" Ivanka's lips involuntarily curved into a pretty smile. "Congratulate him for me."