The Saint Carlo Cinema in New York is one of the largest cinemas in the entire city.
Its surroundings are luxuriously equipped, including concession stands, restaurants, snack bars, and more.
Right now, the 24-hour KFC is packed its staff didn't expect it to be so busy this early in the morning.
This is mainly because the cinema hasn't opened yet, so everyone is gathered at the KFC and the coffee shop next door, waiting.
Ruiz and Evans missed the early preview and midnight show of the film, so they came early in the morning to avoid crowds.
They didn't expect, upon arrival, to find KFC already crowded with people.
Ruiz was surprised, "Hey, buddy, are all these people here to see The Return of the King?"
"Isn't that likely?" Evans also wondered, "Why else would everyone be gathered in front of the cinema this early?"
Ruiz noticed many people were eating the same meal set, so he immediately asked a staff member, "Hey, buddy, what set are you eating? I've never seen it before."
The staff enthusiastically replied, "The Return of the King combo it's great."
"I'll have one too. Evans, you want one?"
"Sure!"
So the two bought two Return of the King combos, each including medium fries, a choice of Coke, Sprite, or coffee, a few chicken nuggets, and a beef burger.
Most surprising of all were the Return of the King collectible cards: buying a combo earned one card a collector's dream.
Since there were no seats inside the KFC, Ruiz and Evans found a spot outside to eat. They'd barely taken a few bites when the cinema opened.
Someone shouted, "It's open!"
All the waiting fans rushed en masse into the cinema, startling the staff at the entrance.
If one hadn't stepped aside in time, they'd have been squashed flat.
The fans ignored everything and surged straight toward the ticket window those with booked tickets, retrieved them; those without, bought tickets.
Ruiz and Evans had pre-booked tickets by phone. They just picked them up and grabbed popcorn and Coke on the way in.
Although they guessed there'd be no time to eat or drink during the movie, these were essentials for the cinema experience it felt ceremonial.
Chris, the manager of this cinema, hadn't rested even a moment since the doors opened. He hadn't even had time for lunch and remained busy all morning.
Despite some planning, the flood of fans far exceeded expectations, causing ticketing to be extremely tense.
Chris had to cancel several current screenings to free up theaters for The Return of the King to satisfy fan demand.
But Chris still couldn't relax because the promotional merchandise prepared for today sold out in a single morning.
He had to contact the New York branch office, requesting an increase in supply.
But the branch office was helpless multiple cinemas had already sold out of merchandise and bombarded them with supply requests.
The New York office had to contact East Coast distributors urgently to replenish merchandise; otherwise, there'd be none for the afternoon and evening peak slots.
East Coast distributors contacted Disney directly, requesting resupply. Fans unable to obtain merchandise were already preparing protests.
Fortunately, nearby warehouses still had stock. Merchandise originally expected to last a week could be transferred immediately.
Disney's merchandise head quickly contacted factories in China to expedite production.
At this rate, the initial merchandise batch would run out well before a week.
By evening, Saint Carlo Cinemas faced another challenge: the peak evening sessions brought even more fans, and the lobby became extremely crowded.
Some fans, unable to find seating, took over the nearby coffee shop and KFC areas.
Chris had to organize staff to help the overwhelmed security guards maintain order and prevent emergencies.
There were so many people that the combined chatter sounded like a buzzing drone even from his office, Chris could hear it.
Many still hadn't seen the cinema screens; they'd emptied the last of the merchandise at the kiosks, showcasing the fanaticism of the fans.
Chris had always feared emergencies could happen, but clearly, the audience's attention was focused solely on seeing the movie as soon as possible.
Chris breathed a sigh of relief. He had to make decisions quickly to be the manager of one of New York's biggest cinemas.
He immediately called the operations head: "How many theaters are showing The Return of the King?"
"Eight, sir."
"Add three more theaters leaving only one auditorium for other films," Chris said.
"Sir, this…" the operations head hesitated. "Wouldn't that violate screening regulations?"
Saint Carlo belongs to the Royal Cinema chain, which has agreements with distributors guaranteeing a minimum number of screens for each film.
Chris wasn't worried: "Those other films are already close to the minimum. After today, who'll even care about them?
We're not breaking any rules. Go ahead and do it!"
The operations head immediately arranged it adding three more theaters, which slightly eased the ticketing tension.
With such a spectacular opening day, who knows what records The Return of the King will set?
Chris has worked for years, and he's never seen a film cause such a viewing frenzy on its first day it's out of this world.
At Century City Super Artist Management Company, though it was the weekend, Sheena Boone still showed up at the office as usual.
Her biggest client, Gilbert, had a film currently in theaters, so Sheena Boone had to stay on the job and keep an eye on the situation.
"Has the first-day box office data come out yet?" Taking off her coat and receiving the coffee made by her assistant, Sheena Boone asked with concern.
The assistant reported, "Disney just called. Excluding preview and midnight showings, the first-day box office reached $40.216 million."
Sheena Boone lit up with joy. "That's a record-breaker, isn't it?"
"Yes, it broke the record previously set by The Two Towers. There's a good chance the three-day opening weekend will directly hit $150 million," the assistant said, smiling as well.
With The Return of the King selling so well, her bonus wouldn't be small either. Of course she was thrilled!
"Alright, you can go. Call everyone for a meeting," Sheena Boone waved her hand, instructing the assistant to prepare.
The work ahead wouldn't be easy. Sheena Boone needed to lay the groundwork so Gilbert could move more smoothly.
She didn't call Gilbert to offer congratulations he must already be swamped with calls.
Sheena was right. Gilbert's phone hadn't stopped ringing since early morning, all congratulating him on The Return of the King's massive box office success.
"Thanks, Charlize..." Gilbert was now answering a call from Charlize Theron. The South African beauty had already joined the cast of Monster.
Her entire look had changed she'd even shaved off her eyebrows and gained fifteen pounds to better fit the role.
On the phone, Charlize Theron added, "When Oscar time comes, don't forget to vote for me."
Gilbert readily agreed, "Don't worry, Charlize, I'll definitely vote for you. I'll also work some angles with the squid and Italian voting blocs."
Only then was Charlize Theron satisfied. "Good. I won't meet up with you now I don't want you to see me looking like this."
For the sake of winning Best Actress, Charlize Theron had made major sacrifices. Still, she was self-conscious about her appearance and didn't want her man to see her in her current state.
Gilbert laughed and asked, "Then what about The Matrix Revolutions publicity?"
Charlize Theron chuckled. "Nothing I can do. We'll just have to count on Keanu to hold it down!"
"Alright then. I'll talk to James. I'm sure he won't mind," Gilbert nodded in agreement.
Ordinarily, the female lead couldn't miss the press tour, but Charlize Theron's current look really wasn't suitable for public appearances.
Gilbert made the call himself—Charlize wouldn't be participating.
With him covering for her, there wouldn't be any issues. Worst case, he'd do extra press on her behalf.
Besides, during The Matrix release window, he could also promote Monster. It would spark audience curiosity while promoting the film killing two birds with one stone.
Naomi Watts had won her Oscar for Chicago. Even Tom Cruise earned his first Oscar for that film.
But Charlize Theron was relying solely on her performance in Monster, all for the dream of an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Gilbert certainly wouldn't let his woman's Oscar journey be a struggle. Conveniently, Monster and The Return of the King weren't in direct competition, so he'd support Charlize fully.
As for the other women—Cameron Diaz wasn't too interested in the Oscars. Her bigger goal was becoming a producer or running a company.
Kane Wexman, who was already getting on in years, had expressed plans to take a few years off after the Lord of the Rings project to enjoy life.
Once Kane Wexman took a break, Gilbert figured Cameron Diaz could step into the producer role, with Charles Roven mentoring her.
Jennifer Connelly had done quite well in her recent romantic comedies and was also eyeing some award-contender films.
When the time came, Gilbert could use his connections to get Jennifer Connelly cast in those Oscar-worthy movies.
As for Anne Hathaway and Scarlett, they were still young and on the rise in popularity. The Oscars were a bit distant for them, so there was no rush.
Gilbert had a plan for their Oscar paths too. Anne Hathaway's performance in Interstellar was excellent she could totally replace Sandra Bullock in Gravity.
Since Gravity produced a Best Director, winning Best Actress wasn't impossible either. With proper PR, it could be done.
As for Scarlett, she could take dance lessons. La La Land was a great project.
As for Emma Stone if she missed out on La La Land, she still had Poor Things. Giving the Best Actress award to Scarlett wouldn't be a problem Emma Stone likely wouldn't mind.
But those were future plans. The most important job at the moment was still The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
After Friday's explosive performance, Saturday saw no decrease in momentum in fact, it intensified.
That Saturday, North American theaters experienced the largest-scale movie attendance in the history of the region's cinemas.
.....
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