[Chapter 33: Box Office Champion of the Opening Weekend]
The singer was Christopher Wallace, nicknamed The Notorious B.I.G., probably because he was tall and bulky.
He was a sworn enemy of Tupac, the central figure of the feud in the East Coast-West Coast gangsta rap rivalry.
Christopher also had many albums, and through packaging and marketing, he became more popular and commercially successful.
The East-West Coast conflict was in full swing, with both sides involved in shootings and prison incidents. Although there was no evidence that they personally directed these actions, it didn't matter much. At least, Charlie was not focused on that.
...
The next morning, when Charlie arrived at the company, he was too preoccupied to deal with the tense final promotion before the movie release. He pulled in Etto Romano, Mord Spencer, and Spike Lee.
"Don't bother telling me about their feud, I can figure out with my eyes closed that it's all about profits. I just want to know, how much impact would this bulky guy's new song have on Tupac?" Charlie asked angrily, his hands on his hips.
"Does anyone here have connections to Tupac's crew? His personality, his backing?" he pressed.
Etto and Mord were minor players on the edge of the black gangs and followed Charlie, but they couldn't get close to such circles.
Spike thought it over and said, "From what I understand, their fights are gang-style showdowns. Tupac might be seen as a wimp, and his album sales could tank because of this."
"So this is fucking troublesome?" Charlie asked himself, already knowing the answer.
To him, both sides were just fierce stars of the same level and type tearing each other apart for profits.
Everyone looked serious, busting faces.
"Boss, let's take action in advance and kill these two people!" Mord said viciously.
Etto nodded in agreement, "These bastards want to drag us into their mess, then we'll all go down together!"
Spike shrugged helplessly, looking exasperated.
Charlie laughed it off, waving his hand, "Not that drastic."
Then, irritated, he said, "Damn it, are these black guys stupid? All their fighting is about fame and fortune. They could just cooperate and hype each other up instead of shooting and killing."
Wouldn't it be better if they all just chilled out?
Noticing Spike's pout and Etto and Mord's sulky faces, Charlie quickly clarified, "Sorry, that was a slip of the tongue. You're brothers, not idiots. It's like dirty money in the enemy's hand and clean money among friends. You get me?"
They weren't bothered by Charlie's blunt words and accepted his apology.
After a moment of silence, Charlie said, "Alright, we can only wait passively now. Spike, work your contacts to monitor Tupac's reactions."
"Boss, what about us?" Etto and Mord asked.
"Stay with me these few days, bring your weapons," Charlie said fiercely. "Tupac might hate you more if he goes crazy. If he dares to come, let him try! Don't worry too much, I'll get Ophir and the others to help and try to figure out the whole situation."
"Don't worry, boss!" Mord and Etto patted their chests confidently.
Spike rolled his eyes, feeling a headache with this suddenly fierce group of guys.
"Come on, you guys are supposed to be accomplished filmmakers now."
...
The situation didn't escalate quickly.
Tupac immediately responded through media and TV shows with aggressive words, but Charlie's investigations found no actual plans of violent action.
Eventually, he refocused his energy on the movie release.
...
With the help of Miramax's professional production company, the music and visual effects for Fifty Shades of Gray were completed swiftly.
The film stock was also strictly copied and preserved, which was a hassle for Corleone Studios, a shoestring operation.
The joint distributors were Miramax, Mafia Distribution Company, and Disney's distribution arm Buena Vista.
How Buena Vista divided profits with Harvey was no longer Charlie's concern.
Anyway, Harvey ripped into Eisner again bitterly.
...
The distributors didn't hold a grand premiere; early screenings went well, possibly due to Disney's influence.
On September 6, Fifty Shades of Gray officially premiered in North America, opening in 2,030 theaters.
Its main competitor was Universal's low-budget crime flick Bulletproof opening in 2,240 theaters.
During this period, with Tupac on the loose, Charlie spent the evening with Rachel in their room.
...
At dusk, Halle Berry, along with a made-up Alicia and their manager's assistant, quietly went to the theater to watch their own movie.
They were just actors and hadn't seen the full film before.
"Five tickets for Fifty Shades of Gray, please," Halle Berry whispered excitedly while looking around. "Alicia, lots of people are buying tickets."
"Yeah! They all want to see my work," Alicia said proudly.
Once about half the seats filled, the movie began.
The audience, holding drinks and snacks, whispered quietly during the screening.
Their voices didn't disturb others but caught the ears of Halle and team.
"Wow, the lead actress has a great figure."
"Haha, lucky Will, hit the jackpot."
"Does that whip hurt?"
"Their love seems a bit twisted."
"I wish I were the lead -- having such a great boyfriend."
Comments were mixed, but most were immersed in the story.
Thoughtful Halle noticed some audience members scribbling notes -- probably critics.
An hour later, they left the theater with the crowd.
...
"Hi, I'm from the movie ticket review company, can you share your impressions?" an official asked.
Some were eager to give feedback.
"A!"
"B, watchable."
Halle and others declined the survey, and Alicia even asked what that was about.
Outside, their agent Vernon said sternly, "Girls, I have good news -- your movie succeeded."
"Of course it would," Alicia laughed loudly.
Halle clenched her hands excitedly, understanding what it meant.
Vernon headed toward the parking lot, "The audience is strong, with ratings around B-. If nothing major happens, a $10 million box office is doable. The most important thing is that this movie was tailor-made for you, Alicia."
Seeing Alicia clueless, Vernon explained carefully, "There might be sequels. If the box office holds up and with your status as Will's girlfriend, you can solidify your place as a solid Hollywood third-tier star. We must try our best to get the next film contract."
He sighed, "Never thought a street kid would produce such a commercial film. He's going to be taken more seriously!"
Halle listened with sparkling eyes.
...
Actually, Vernon's praise was too conservative.
Early the next week, The Hollywood Reporter published the latest box office figures.
"Universal's Bulletproof opened in 2,240 theaters last week, pulling in $6.01 million, ranking second for the weekend.
Starring Alicia, fiancee of Will Smith, and featuring Ben Affleck, Fifty Shades of Gray opened in 2,030 theaters. During this cold season, it earned $13 million to claim the weekend box office crown.
Notably, the movie was adapted from the novel by the famed author Charlie Corleone, who also produced it. He just turned 19 in May this year! Oh my God! The youngest successful producer in Hollywood history has emerged!"
*****
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