Premiere of Saw

Today was the film's premiere day.

James was meticulously tending to his hair in front of the mirror, fixing it with mousse, and looking at himself in his tailored suit. He appeared very formal, and only then did he feel satisfied.

The premiere of his first film in life needed to carry a sense of ceremony.

Before long, Leigh arrived.

He was also dressed in a black suit and had his tie on.

After they left, the two got into the car and headed to the China National Grand Theatre ahead of time.

There was still some time before the premiere, and the spacious ticketing lobby was nearly empty.

Inside the poster display, the movie poster for "Saw" had been put up early. In the confined space, a severed leg was exposed on the tiled floor.

"Look quickly, our names." Leigh suddenly pointed to the poster.

The distribution and proportion of the director's and producer's names on this poster were quite thought-out. At a glance, besides the visuals, the prominent features were the names of the creative team. It was quite unique that the actors weren't the focus of the promotion. Instead, the emphasis was on the director, producer, and executive producer.

James was also excited, though he hadn't lost his composure yet. As he gazed at the large poster before him, he said with a touch of sentiment, "Leigh, even now, I still feel like I'm dreaming. Our movie is actually premiering."

Leigh nodded in agreement. "At the beginning, who could have predicted it would go this smoothly and on such a grand scale?"

Not to mention that the production budget had skyrocketed to a million dollars, something they had never dreamed of. Just in the past week, not only did numerous media outlets help with promotion, but theaters also allowed them to display the posters ahead of time. Even before the release, the film had garnered some attention. This level of recognition had already left them extremely satisfied.

"Let's go in."

"Yes."

James and Leigh had already acquired tickets for the movie. They directly entered Screening Room No. 2 of the China National Grand Theatre.

The China National Grand Theatre was one of the most well-known theaters around Hollywood. It was often used for hosting film premieres. Even an average screening room had more than 1,400 seats, which was quite convenient.

...

Logically, a premiere couldn't just consist of watching the movie. There also had to be a live interview segment before the screening.

The host was none other than the theater manager himself. Interestingly, during the premiere of "Fury", it seemed this same person was the host. However, Lyman couldn't recall it very well.

"Everyone, please quiet down. Let us welcome the film's creative team to chat with everyone."

The group stood up from their front-row seats and moved to the open space in front.

The microphone was passed to the director.

"I am James. I'm very grateful for everyone's support for our movie..." He was a bit nervous; it wasn't easy to fully relax.

Next was Lyman.

He didn't have much to say. He briefly mentioned James's directorial prowess.

The premiere of "Saw" was quite lively.

Lyman had only mentioned this event to CAA's Kevin Huvane. He didn't expect him to be so enthusiastic.

Tom Hanks, David Letterman, Julia Roberts... and even Brad Pitt.

"I'm a bit sorry about last time. I hope we'll have the opportunity to collaborate again. Director Lyman." When Brad Pitt saw Lyman, he enthusiastically approached to say hello.

Lyman was somewhat puzzled by what he said. He had almost forgotten how Brad had adamantly refused to participate in "Fury". Now that Brad was saying this, Lyman recalled the incident.

Well, he exchanged a few polite words with him hypocritically, and that was that. He certainly wouldn't collaborate with someone like him again. Don't ask why, it's because he's petty.

Afterwards, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, and Heath Ledger also came over to say hello. Lyman had specifically informed them; they were like the inner circle.

...

This year had been quite fruitful for Nicolas. First, "Miscreant" gained unexpected prominence, excelling in both reputation and results, earning him considerable fame.

Not to mention the hefty pay and the box office bonus rewards. His own actor's fee had also shot up significantly.

Just as his agent said: With these few films where you're the lead, and all of them having decent box office results, it's time to raise your asking price.

Moreover, Nicolas had transitioned from the niche art circle to the mainstream commercial scene. He had won awards to the point of being saturated; his credentials were not lacking.

Now that the market performance was promising.

The new film project "National Treasure" developed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution - a Disney subsidiary movie label, also including Touchstone, ABC Television, Hollywood Pictures; fully owned but operated independently - wanted to invite him as the male lead.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer personally discussed it with him, although the contract hadn't been formally signed yet.

However, it was almost a sure thing.

And his base salary had already risen to $15M, with a request for 10% of the North American box office revenue share, which was accepted.

Although there were quite a few actors in Hollywood who could command this price, reaching this point was still a pleasant surprise, wasn't it?

So, he was very thankful to Lyman.

Although he didn't say it out loud, a real man proved it through actions.

For instance, in events like this premiere. Even if it wasn't a movie directed by Lyman, as long as he gave the nod, Nicolas would immediately show up.

"Yes, I know Director Wan. I'm here to support."

"Of course, his directing ability is quite good..."

He casually answered a few questions from the reporters, found Lyman, exchanged a few words, and then took his seat.

Tom happened to be seated beside him. They had developed a rapport during their collaboration on "Miscreant".

Nicolas knew that this guy had recently been involved in some scandal, romantically linked with some actress.

He gossiped about it for a bit, but Tom wouldn't admit to it.

Because in his view, having companions was just a normal thing. There was no need to make a big fuss about it.

Both of them turned their attention to the stage, where the main creative team had finished their interviews with the host and returned to their seats.

Following the routine, the host summarized a couple of sentences.

He spoke about the film's initiation and production, and about director James and his qualities.

After finishing the speech, in the anticipation of the audience and fans, one by one, the lights dimmed.

The screening room gradually darkened, and the surroundings grew quieter.

Regardless of the outcome, the film was finally going to face the test of the market.

Whether it would be a success or a failure, James' expression was filled with tension as the curtains opened...

The screen illuminated, and the movie officially began...