**Chapter 485: Premiere Predictions**

In 2001, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" made history by surpassing $90 million at the North American box office during its opening weekend. This achievement caught the attention of not only Hollywood but also the global film industry.

Before that, the previous record-holder for the highest-grossing North American opening weekend was "Jurassic Park 3," released in the summer of 1997. Despite a wave of negative reviews, it grossed $72 million in its first weekend, proving the power of franchise films once again.

In other words, it took four years for the record to jump from the $70 million range to the $90 million mark. During that period, no other film managed to reach $70 million on its opening weekend.

Simply put, the average opening weekend gross for top-tier films in the North American market remained steady at around $50 million. It was a rare feat to break the $60 million ceiling.

It was against this backdrop that this summer's movie season slowly unfolded.

"Spider-Man" and "Star Wars: Episode II" were both highly anticipated, with Hollywood expecting these films to ignite the box office. Now, with "Spider-Man" smashing expectations, the big question is: what will its opening weekend numbers look like?

$90 million?

If we compare it to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which also came with a niche appeal, a low-key release, and immense pressure, $90 million seems like a reasonable prediction.

Or perhaps $80 million?

While expectations are high, "Spider-Man" is in a slightly different situation. Tobey Maguire isn't a megastar, and the original comic isn't as popular as Harry Potter, so maybe expectations should be tempered.

At least $70 million?

To put things into perspective, only two films in North American history have crossed the $70 million mark on their opening weekend. Just reaching this level would be impressive, and "Spider-Man" should have no problem achieving that, right?

Wait, could it be $60 million?

Sure, that's a strong number and would make it stand out during the summer, but such a performance wouldn't be enough to reignite the summer box office. It would also be a disappointment compared to the Friday-Saturday viewing frenzy.

Amid the bustling discussions, experts offered a range of predictions, from pessimistic to optimistic, and everything in between. Then, someone boldly suggested a possibility—

Maybe $100 million?

To be fair, it wasn't a reckless suggestion. After all, last year, two films broke the $90 million barrier, so naturally, the next milestone would be $100 million. It's the elephant in the room—everyone sees it, but no one wants to mention it.

It's not that they don't want it to happen; it's just that the anticipation is so intense that they dare not speak it aloud.

Since "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" shattered the $70 million threshold and pushed it up to $90 million, Hollywood has been buzzing with excitement, with everyone proclaiming that the "opening weekend $100 million" era is just around the corner.

But while the dream is enticing, reality is harsh. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" doused the excitement with a bucket of cold water.

Having witnessed the long journey from "Jurassic Park 3" to "Harry Potter," industry insiders know how difficult and monumental a $100 million opening is. It's like reaching for the stars—a goal that might require the perfect alignment of circumstances to achieve.

So, "Spider-Man"?

It's unrealistic to say that no one mentioned it, but after a brief mention, the idea was quickly met with doubt and dismissal. A $100 million opening is still too difficult. If any film could achieve it, "Star Wars: Episode II" would be the more likely candidate.

The ideal scenario would be for "Spider-Man" to break the $90 million barrier again, and for "Star Wars: Episode II" to then climb higher and break the $100 million threshold, making history.

Of course, even "Star Wars: Episode II" will likely face many challenges. The more likely scenario is that both "Spider-Man" and "Star Wars: Episode II" will land in the $90 million range, leaving the historic $100 million opening for another time.

The debates and predictions continued to collide.

In fact, the prevailing professional opinion was that "Spider-Man" would land around $80 million, despite the positive reviews and the weekend's viewing frenzy. The film's inherent limitations kept expert predictions more conservative—

On one hand, they felt the film couldn't compare to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." On the other hand, they also believed it couldn't match up to "Star Wars: Episode II."

However, regardless of the differing opinions and stances, one undeniable fact remained: "Spider-Man" dominated discussions and attention, even to the point where predictions about its opening weekend became the focal point of major media outlets.

Friday: Heatwave.

Saturday: Frenzy.

Sunday: Party.

In the blink of an eye, before anyone had time to fully enjoy it, the weekend slipped through their fingers, and Monday arrived.

"Ugh, ughhh!"

Mrs. Preston paused her breakfast preparations, looking up at the second floor with exasperation. Before she could say anything, the sound of rapid footsteps descending the stairs filled the house, making everything tremble. Her heart raced along with those hurried steps.

"Slow down! Slow down!" Mrs. Preston scolded, shaking her head. "The alarm rang twice, and I called you twice, but you just love to stay in bed. Now you're worried about being late?"

Gloria didn't hear her mother's words, and even if she had, she had no time to argue. She burst into the kitchen, exclaiming, "Where's the paper? Mom, where's the paper?"

Without waiting for a response, Gloria found the *Los Angeles Times* on the table and immediately flipped to page six, where the weekly North American box office rankings were listed.

And then Gloria froze.

Mrs. Preston sighed, thinking her daughter was worried about being late. But instead, the little girl wasn't concerned about school at all. As a mother, she felt the need to scold her daughter, but seeing her expression, she couldn't help but worry.

She knew Gloria was invested in "Spider-Man's" box office. The past week had been filled with endless chatter about Anson, and Gloria had even organized a group of friends to attend the film's premiere.

And now, on Monday morning, the first thing Gloria did was check the *Los Angeles Times* for the box office numbers. If only she showed the same enthusiasm for her studies...

But seeing Gloria's expression now, could it be that the box office numbers weren't as good as expected?

Mrs. Preston knew her daughter well—Gloria usually had a fleeting interest in things. The fact that she had been infatuated with this Anson for over a year was surprising. It seemed like she truly cared.

Mrs. Preston hurried into the dining room. "You should think about it this way: the reviews were great, so the box office will likely grow over time. Besides, didn't you help promote the movie? Everyone at your school must have seen it, right?"

Suddenly, Gloria looked up and shouted excitedly—

"One hundred million dollars!"

"Mom, 'Spider-Man' grossed over $100 million on its opening weekend!"