Despite knowing that this wasn't awards season and that professional critics' reviews often had little to do with actual box office performance, Natalie Portman couldn't sleep after returning to the hotel. She was deeply upset by some critics calling her a "middle-aged aunt." Since when did she, an esteemed Oscar winner, become an ordinary middle-aged woman? How could she be rated lower than Kat Dennings, a mere supporting actress? It was simply...
Natalie Portman made an immediate decision. She would pressure Marvel Studios through her agent Martin Miller and the William Morris Agency to prevent Kat Dennings from participating in the post-release promotions of "Thor."
It was nearing dawn when Natalie Portman finally felt a bit drowsy. Suddenly, her phone rang.
Suppressing her annoyance, she glanced at the number, frowned, but still answered, "What's up, Darren?"
The caller was Darren Aronofsky, the director of "Black Swan."
"How's the baby?" a concerned voice came through the receiver.
"The baby? Don't mention the baby to me!" Natalie Portman snapped, standing up from the bed. "I've told you, that child is Benjamin Millepied's! It has nothing to do with you!"
She reiterated, "The child is not yours!"
With that, Natalie Portman hung up abruptly, but her final words lacked confidence.
Years ago, her conflict with Murphy Stanton had directly affected her career. To change this situation, she had specifically returned to Jerusalem to further her studies, pleasing the Jewish forces in the industry, and gradually making her way back into Hollywood's mainstream.
Natalie Portman knew that to achieve her initial goal, she needed to win the Oscar for Best Actress. Under the guidance of William Morris, she hooked up with Darren Aronofsky, securing the lead role in "Black Swan" and making Aronofsky infatuated with her, claiming that "Black Swan" had been written for her ten years ago.
This greatly aided her in winning the award. However, Natalie Portman discovered that Aronofsky was involved with her friend Mila Kunis from the crew. While feuding with Mila Kunis, she played her trump card, successfully getting pregnant and temporarily controlling Aronofsky.
At the same time, she got involved with renowned ballet master Benjamin Millepied. Not only did he praise her as a professional, but the two also got engaged, turning her pregnancy from a scandal into a tool to gain the favor of Oscar voters.
In the end, she defeated several competitors and successfully won the Oscar for Best Actress.
Of course, Natalie Portman would never admit to any of this, despite the many rumors within the industry.
Thinking back on it, she felt quite proud. The plan she had devised and executed was practically flawless. In the future, if there was a suitable role to compete for another Oscar, she could get pregnant again.
Those Oscar voters always had a soft spot for pregnant women, never realizing that spreading her legs was never a difficult task for her.
Reflecting on her accomplishments, Natalie Portman's mood improved somewhat. Compared to her Oscar-winning strategy, Harvey Weinstein's public relations tactics were simply crude and lacked finesse.
At that moment, her phone rang again. Natalie Portman picked it up and answered. After listening to a few words, she was suddenly in high spirits!
"What do critics' reviews matter?" Natalie Portman said, standing by the window and looking towards the hills. "This is a summer blockbuster; the only thing that really matters is the box office!"
The call was from her agent, Martin Miller, informing her of the latest early box office figures. Although precise statistics were not yet available, the rough numbers were.
"Thor" had grossed approximately $6.5 million in early screenings, far surpassing "City of Chaos," which had earned $3.4 million, and the gap was significant.
Natalie Portman's good mood was immediately reflected on her face. She smiled as she walked to the liquor cabinet and poured herself a glass of red wine. If she remembered correctly, "City of Chaos" didn't even come close to matching the early box office numbers of "Fast & Furious 5" from the previous weekend, let alone competing with "Thor."
Additionally, Martin Miller had shared another piece of information. Based on the early box office figures, Walt Disney had made some projections for "Thor's" North American opening weekend. As long as audience word-of-mouth didn't present any major issues, "Thor's" opening day was expected to reach around $28 million, with a good chance of hitting $70 million for the weekend!
With such proportions, Natalie Portman also made a prediction for "City of Chaos's" opening weekend, coming up with a number that made her beam with joy.
$35 million! That was her most optimistic estimate. If Murphy Stanton's new film...
With a production budget of $150 million, an opening weekend of just over $30 million would mean a significant flop for Murphy Stanton.
In New York's Upper East Side, in the master bedroom of Murphy's luxurious apartment, poor Wonder Woman's arms were spread wide, tied to two dangling ropes, enduring brutal torment. It wasn't until she let out a high-pitched scream that the demon behind her stopped his assault.
Gal Gadot almost collapsed entirely, leaning against Murphy. Her torn-open battle armor exposed a chest adorned with dripping wax.
"It's been so long..." she whispered in Murphy's ear, "It's been so long since I've felt this satisfied."
Murphy gently bit her delicate earlobe. "Want to try something else?"
Tempted but knowing her body was already at its limit, Gal Gadot quickly shook her head. "Not tonight. Maybe next time."
She glanced to her left, where a candle still burned on an oak table. Under its flickering light, the array of tools they had used earlier seemed both frightening and tantalizing.
Gal Gadot knew very well that from their initial role-playing to using props for extra excitement, she had not only stopped resisting but had started enjoying—perhaps even craving—these games.
Her eyes lingered on several spherical objects, causing her to break out in goosebumps. Maybe next time, she could try those plugs?
After they showered and took a long time to recover, Gal Gadot, ignoring the lingering warmth in her chest, sat at the computer desk without putting on any clothes. She opened her laptop and checked her email. Seeing the latest email, her previous excitement vanished, replaced by a somewhat worried expression.
"What's wrong?" Murphy draped a robe over her curvaceous figure. "Bad news?"
"Very bad news."
Gal Gadot made some room so Murphy could see the entire screen. "The North American early screenings for 'City of Chaos' only grossed $3.4 million, far less than 'Thor!'"
Murphy glanced at the screen and, without much concern, asked, "And 'Thor'? How much did it make?"
"Around $6.5 million!" Gal Gadot ran her fingers through her straight hair. "Nearly double ours."
She was no longer an outsider; she had been in the film industry long enough to know that these early box office figures typically indicated the first day's and the opening weekend's box office performance. "Thor" might double or even more compared to "City of Chaos." Such data was indeed worrisome. If the trend continued, "City of Chaos" would likely suffer a miserable opening weekend.
However, Murphy understood that this was the real reaction of an original film versus an adaptation with an established fan base.
"Any other emails?" Murphy asked.
Gal Gadot knew what he was referring to and shook her head. "Not yet."
She checked the time. "You go to bed. I'll stay here and wait for the emails. I'll call you when they arrive."
"You should get some sleep." Murphy glanced at her flushed chest. "You're exhausted. Rest early."
"I'm..." Gal Gadot lightly bit her lip. "I'm not tired. What we just did only made me excited."
The new email notification sound suddenly chimed. Ignoring Murphy, Gal Gadot picked up the mouse, quickly moved the cursor, and opened the new email from 20th Century Fox.
The email was from Carla Faith, containing fresh data that more accurately reflected a film's market trajectory.
As she opened the email, Gal Gadot explained to Murphy, "According to the latest CinemaScore statistics, 'City of Chaos' received an 'A+' from theater audiences. Over 90% of early screening viewers were highly satisfied with the film! 'Thor' received a 'B,' with only 66% of early screening viewers finding it excellent..."
Reading this, Gal Gadot felt a sense of relief.
Murphy nodded slightly, not saying much. Due to time constraints, CinemaScore had only provided preliminary statistics without making market predictions.
"Based on CinemaScore's past accuracy," Gal Gadot analyzed, "our film might not perform as well as 'Thor' initially, since it's an original film, but 'Thor' should lose momentum quickly!"
"Alright, time to sleep." Murphy pulled Gal Gadot to her feet.
They lay down together but didn't fall asleep immediately. Gal Gadot, especially, leaned against Murphy, scrolling through her phone.
"So it wasn't all lies," she thought, reflecting on herself. "Some people really do love these games."
She propped herself up and asked Murphy, "You didn't buy the rights to that novel just to play the lead, did you?"
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