**Chapter 313: Hungover**

Bang!

Without any warning, a burst of explosive sound filled the air, as if the sky had torn open, and in the next moment, all the sunlight and stars of the universe were about to pour down. Strangely, the sound hit Anson's eardrums with a delay, leaving echoes that caused his reactions to slow.

Before Anson could stand up, a shout echoed through the air.

"I'm okay. I'm okay!"

"Don't worry."

That slightly slurred voice, if not mistaken, should be James Franco.

Anson thought he should go check on it, but his body remained motionless, sitting exactly where it was, defying the brain's command without any intention of moving.

He sat there dazed for a while, his mind blank, without a single thought. After spacing out for a bit, his body finally began to respond.

Dragging his exhausted body, he stepped into the bathroom and took a hot shower. The sore and tense muscles relaxed a little. Standing under the showerhead, he nearly fell asleep but managed to wake up in time. Leaving the steamy space, the heavy weight pressing down on his head was finally lifted, bringing a sense of relief.

Leaving his room, he stood at the top of the stairs, glancing around, but there was no sign of James, and he couldn't determine the source of the earlier loud noise.

Walking into the living room, he immediately saw Brad Renfro curled up on the sofa, clutching an empty whiskey bottle.

Anson patted him and called out, "Brad?"

Unexpectedly, Brad didn't respond. Instead, a figure buried among a pile of bottles suddenly sat up, James Franco, with a wild bedhead, looked around blankly, "Who? Who's calling me?"

"Seth Rogen," Anson threw out a random name.

James, still dazed and unable to distinguish reality, muttered, "Tell him to come back later, I'm busy now." With that, he lay back down, mouth open as if inviting flies to drop in.

It was both amusing and exasperating.

Anson looked around and found a spot on the opposite sofa to sit. He stared blankly at the mess in the living room, and slowly, a sense of reality began to return to his body. Scattered fragments of memory started to awaken, flickering faintly. Although not complete, he could be very sure of one thing:

Yesterday, the first premiere of his acting career did indeed happen.

To be precise, it wasn't just the premiere of "The Princess Diaries." Three weeks ago, another movie that Brad Renfro had filmed earlier was also released for the summer season.

"Ghost World."

It wasn't until recently that Anson learned that the independent film Brad shot last year was actually with Scarlett Johansson. It was a quirky film, full of character and edges. But what surprised him was that this film was also released during the summer season to meet the audience.

Twenty years later, this would be very rare in Hollywood; however, at this time, the summer season still had room for such independent films.

Yet, even now, "Ghost World" faced significant challenges in the summer season. The movie wasn't released widely but started with a limited release.

In the North American film market, different types of movies have different distribution strategies, generally divided into three categories:

Limited release. Small-scale release. Wide release.

A limited release usually involves special screenings at fewer than fifty theaters, sometimes just one or two, relying on word-of-mouth to spread. Award season films and independent films often use this strategy, waiting for word-of-mouth to build before expanding to more theaters.

A small-scale release, without a precise numerical standard, typically involves between one hundred and seven hundred theaters. For independent films with limited distribution funds, keeping the number of theaters within this range often yields better results.

Because the audience for such films is relatively niche, even a wide release would fail to attract the general public's attention. It's mainly the hardcore cinephiles and the artsy crowd who are willing to go to the theaters, so there's no need to screen it in more theaters. A small-scale release is already sufficient.

On the other hand, a wide release involves more than seven hundred theaters, but often the number of theaters exceeds fifteen hundred. This indicates that the film aims to reach the general public and has greater ambitions for box office success.

"Ghost World" belongs to the limited release category.

Three weeks ago, it was screened in five theaters.

Two weeks ago, it expanded to eight theaters.

This week, the film is set to screen in twenty-three theaters, still in the limited release phase.

Whether the film can transition to a small-scale release or even a wide release depends on the weekly box office performance as the expansion continues, taking it one step at a time.

It was for this reason that James organized a small party for Anson and Brad, celebrating the fact that both of his friends had their films debut in the summer season.

Or, put another way, it was an excuse for a night of drinking, partying, and celebration.

Fortunately, "Ghost World" didn't have any promotional events, and the main promotional duties for "The Princess Diaries" didn't fall on Anson. Otherwise, they would have to drag their hungover bodies to work today.

But even if that did happen, it wouldn't be unusual. Hollywood actors frequently show up on shows while still hungover because the parties never really end.

Clink, clank.

Amidst the sound of bottles clashing, Brad finally sat up, bleary-eyed, glancing at Anson. But the bright light caused a sharp pain, making him quickly shut his eyes. In his hazy state, he noticed Anson sitting on the sofa, staring blankly, and his sluggish brain slowly started to function.

Brad thought Anson was worried about the premiere's reception. "Don't worry, didn't they say the audience reaction was especially great last night?"

Indeed, releasing the film is only the second step. After making the movie, the next crucial step is to accept judgment, wait for feedback, and watch the box office results.

However.

These things are no longer within their control. Once the actors and directors have finished filming, they've already lost control. Now, everything is in the hands of the audience.

Everything is unknown, and that's the scariest part.

"The Princess Diaries," how will it be received?

Actually, Anson was still in a hungover state, his brain hadn't fully kicked in yet, and he was simply spacing out.

Upon hearing Brad's words, he suddenly remembered, "Oh, the reviews come out today, right?"

He looked around, his gaze still unfocused.

Brad finally managed to open his eyes, cautiously avoiding the sunlight like a vampire, and muttered, "They should already be out."

"Ah, Chris isn't here, and we forgot to grab the newspaper..."

A beat late, Brad realized this important detail and glanced toward the door. "The answer's out there; we should get the newspaper."

Talking was one thing, but Brad made no effort to move. Clearly, the will to move was absent, as if the day after a hangover had drained all his energy.

Anson also stared blankly for a moment, then his brain finally sparked a thought. "Ah, wait, I just thought of another way, a more convenient way."