Chapter 32. The First Box Office Champion

Los Angeles, near an apartment in West City.

After sending Gal Gadot into the house, Eric didn't linger for long, but Judy followed him.

"You bastard!"

Approaching the car, Judy punched Eric in the chest.

"What's with you? Are you crazy?"

Eric rubbed his chest. This girl was really strong.

Judy looked gossiping and excited, "You really kidnapped Gadot for three days and two nights. Who's the bastard if not you? She's only 17, she's still underage. Tell me, how many times did you do it? Twice?"

Eric was speechless, "Don't think everyone is as dirty as you. We just went to Disneyland in California for a vacation. You know I've been very busy lately, so I just needed a break."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. That's why you need a young beauty like Gadot to accompany you, right? Seriously, how many times did you do it? Is she still a virgin?"

"My God! Judy Newhouse, why didn't I notice before that you were such a gossip? Get back! I'm going home."

"I only gossip about beautiful women, and I won't let you leave until I clear this up," said Judy, placing her hand on the hood.

Eric pointed up and saw Gal Gadot and Bar Refaeli standing side by side at the window, smiling at them.

"Okay, stop causing trouble, you have to go to work tomorrow, and you don't want your salary docked, right?"

Judy could only honk softly a few times and reluctantly let him go.

Yes, just as Eric had said, he and Gal Gadot really went on vacation and simply played for two and a half days.

You ask Eric if he wanted to do something more interesting? Of course, he did, and he was sure that even though Gadot would resist, she would eventually yield to his power.

But Eric couldn't afford that, at least not now, because Gal Gadot was not yet 18 years old. This is a red line connected to the law and is very sensitive.

In the eyes of many countries, America seems like a very open country, especially regarding sexual relationships. There are many cases where students lose their virginity in high school, and that's indeed true.

However, when it comes to protecting minors from abuse, American laws are among the strictest in the world. There is a contradiction between reality and legislation.

For example, in the US, sexual relations with a girl under 10 years old are considered a first-degree felony with no excuses. In states with the death penalty, one can be sentenced to death, and in others to life imprisonment.

For ages 10 to 16, there is one excuse: if the man genuinely didn't know she was underage. But this excuse is subjective and easily refuted. If convicted, it's a second-degree felony, with a minimum sentence of 20 years.

Even if the girl is over 16 but not yet 18, there are restrictions: the age difference should not exceed three years, and the man should not be a teacher, coach, or anyone who could use his authority to pressure her. These rules exist to protect the freedom of choice in relationships.

Until Gal Gadot turns 18, she remains a minor, whether in Israel or the US.

Moreover, Eric is four years older than her and theoretically controls her future, making him vulnerable to accusations of sexual assault.

So if Eric and Gal got into a relationship and it became known to interested parties, even if Gal tried to protect him by claiming it was her initiative, Eric would still not escape punishment.

Although maybe not 20 years, but a few years in prison would be inevitable. Even if he could get out on bail for a huge sum, his reputation would be ruined, and his future would be spoiled.

In this regard, the most famous case is probably that of Woody Allen, which ended in chaos, hurt many people, and fed many gossip lovers and fighters who protested like crazy.

So, if you want to pierce this layer of window paper, the time has not yet come, and by April next year, Gadot will not be able to escape, even if she wants to.

...

Los Angeles, early morning in the West City office.

In a rare occurrence, father and son, the Coopers, arrived at the office early in the morning. However, when they entered the elevator, the lively conversation abruptly ceased, with several employees lowering their heads while others stared ahead like robots, with fixed expressions.

Upon arriving at the office, they were soon met by Wool and Bordeaux, ready to present their work report.

Eric, feeling a mix of excitement as the publisher of his first film, asked, "What are our results with 'Red Dragon'?"

Wool, with a grin, replied, "The results exceeded all our expectations. We projected between $45 and $50 million, but we earned $58.9 million. If we had been a bit luckier, we would have certainly exceeded $60 million!"

Hearing this figure, the office temperature seemed to rise a few degrees.

Eric quickly inquired, "And who is the box office leader? I hope you won't say we have any competitors?"

Wool blinked and spread his hands, "No, there were no competitors. Neither Jackie Chan with his 'The Tuxedo' nor Roman Polanski with 'The Pianist' stood a chance!"

Charlie Cooper suddenly stood up from his chair and made a series of punches in the air, accompanied by laughter.

Throughout this year, MGM had faced tough times, and even just claiming the top spot at the box office for the weekend provided the company with a moral boost.

He wanted others to see that under the Coopers' leadership, MGM was bidding farewell to past failures, and the king of the jungle was returning to the throne.

Eric also laughed heartily, as nearly $60 million over the weekend confirmed the correctness of their decisions.

The last-minute, temporary investment in advertising yielded excellent results. While Eric didn't know the original weekend box office for 'Red Dragon,' he remembered that the global box office was approximately $200 million.

Given the quality of 'Red Dragon,' the likelihood of a significant drop in the second weekend was low, so the original world's weekend box office was probably not as high.

Perhaps, as Wool said, the expectation was between $45 and $50 million, but even that might not have been achieved, as the final result always speaks for itself.

Of course, $60 million is not an extraordinary number, considering that just a few months ago, people watched the friendly neighborhood hero swinging between skyscrapers.

And its first weekend box office was $116 million, twice that of 'Red Dragon.'

It was a record-breaking number that shocked many and made numerous analysts want to bang their heads against the wall.

Up to that point, no film had earned as much in its first weekend as 'Spider-Man.'

The entire film industry's focus in 2002 was on two movies because only they could break 'Spider-Man's record.

They were 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,' releasing in November, and 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,' scheduled for December.

As for 'Red Dragon,' even the most hopeless analysts didn't believe it could do that, let alone Steven Spielberg's new film 'Catch Me If You Can.'

But $60 million is an excellent result for a thriller, and the box office and reputation are good, with an IMDb rating currently at 7.8, which will inevitably decrease over time and with more viewers, but it certainly won't drop below 7.

Supporting good results only fuels the atmosphere at MGM. Everyone relaxes but possesses more energy and hope for the future.

The checkpoint has been passed; now it's time to move forward.

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