Chapter 27: Rising Fame

In Hollywood, what happens when your debut film earns nearly ten million dollars in its first week?

The answer is, you become famous.

Indeed, after *The Shallows* earned $9.854 million in its first weekend of wide release, its director, Gilbert Landrini, became a household name in Hollywood.

At first, Gilbert's name had already spread widely in Hollywood as the son of the seasoned Gilbert Landrini Sr, who had supposedly used nepotism to get his directing opportunity.

Arrogant, conceited, and inexperienced were some of the labels attached to Gilbert.

There were even rumors questioning if Gilbert was Spielberg's illegitimate child, given Spielberg's strong support for him. It was an inexplicable situation!

However, as *The Shallows* crossed the $10 million mark in total box office earnings, all previous doubts, mockery, and insults vanished.

Instead, there was an overwhelming wave of praise and admiration.

Gilbert quickly became known as a genius director, synonymous with extraordinary talent.

The once foolish son of old Gilbert was now seen as a promising young filmmaker inheriting his father's talent, and Spielberg was hailed as a talent scout with an eye for brilliance.

As for Universal Pictures, which invested in and distributed *The Shallows*, it was praised by the media for its sharp judgment and was expected to enjoy continued success.

Whether this success would last depended on whether Gilbert continued to perform well.

Although the film had not yet turned a profit, everyone knew this was not the end for the film. Gilbert had become one of the hottest names in Hollywood.

Gwyneth Paltrow, thanks to her impressive performance in *The Shallows*, had become the new darling of the industry, amassing countless fans and firmly establishing her name.

Not only within Hollywood but even among regular moviegoers, the media's reports had informed them that the director of *The Shallows* was a 21-year-old young man.

Such a young age coupled with the creation of such a film attracted much attention from movie fans.

If there were internet search trends today, Gilbert's name would definitely be among the top.

As the film gained popularity across the U.S., many top newspapers and media outlets began to publish related reviews. The situation had drastically changed from the initial promotional phase.

Roger Ebert of the *Chicago Sun-Times* seemed very optimistic about Gilbert. Without any PR involvement from Universal, he voluntarily wrote a review.

*"The Shallows* may not be a classic horror film that stands the test of time, but it is undoubtedly a very good popcorn movie. Director Gilbert Landrini and star Gwyneth Paltrow, along with the shark, deliver the long-awaited tension of a B-movie. Gilbert knows how to build tension in this genre, layering the suspense and suffocating atmosphere while showcasing some beautiful oceanic shots. After watching *The Shallows*, I am very much looking forward to his future works."

At the end of the review, Roger Ebert gave his signature thumbs-up, indicating his strong recommendation for the film.

Roger Ebert is one of the most renowned film critics in the U.S. His program, *Siskel & Ebert*, was one of the most commercially successful film review shows in America.

Given the commercial nature of the program, it's easy to imagine that Roger Ebert wasn't just an impartial critic. It was unlikely he would promote a film without some benefit.

Yet, this highly commercial critic publicly supported *The Shallows* without any PR involvement.

This made Gilbert start to doubt whether he might be Roger Ebert's illegitimate child.

However, when he went home and asked his father, his doubts were resolved.

"I had Roger Ebert write that review,"l Old Gilbert said.

Looking at his flamboyantly dressed father, Gilbert was still somewhat incredulous.

Seemingly reading Gilbert's skepticism, Old Gilbert explained, "Roger Ebert owed me a favor, which I used in exchange."

"Wow! Even Steven Uncle owes you a favor. What did you do in your early years?"Gilbert questioned if his father was a hidden big shot in Hollywood.

"Hmph," Old Gilbert replied with pride, "In my youth, I was the producer everyone in Hollywood sought to please, a guest of high-level executives. Isn't it normal to have such connections?"

Gilbert gave a thumbs-up and said, "I now believe you really did meet Audrey Hepburn and had a night with Marilyn Monroe."

"Of course. I never boast; I only speak the truth," Old Gilbert said proudly.

Critics generally have limited influence on box office performance, mainly being useful during awards season.

However, having Roger Ebert's endorsement did help *The Shallows* expand its audience.

As the new week arrived and there was a lack of competitive films in the market, *The Shallows* continued to expand its screening scale, reaching 1,800 theaters and 3,700 screens.

Under such circumstances, the film's box office remained stable on weekdays, with Monday alone earning $2.236 million.

The success continued with Tuesday to Thursday earning $2.893 million, $2.035 million, and $1.897 million respectively.

With Halloween approaching, the market for thrillers and horror films expanded again, and during the new weekend, *The Shallows* earned $7.826 million.

Adding the box office from the previous weekdays, *The Shallows* achieved a weekly total of $14.651 million, becoming the North American box office champion for the week.

Being the North American box office champion, though not during the summer season, still marked Gilbert's name echoing throughout Hollywood once more.

Now, not just the media, but even major Hollywood film studios and agencies were stirred.

Upon returning to Los Angeles after the North American promotional tour, Gilbert focused on box office results and continued writing new film scripts.

In fact, he had registered over a dozen scripts with the Screenwriters Guild, planning future projects.

However, during these days, numerous film companies and agents sought him out.

Due to poor security at his apartment, Gilbert was quite annoyed by the constant disruptions and temporarily moved back to his father's place.

Seeing his son achieve significant success, Old Gilbert had no objections to Gilbert moving back home.

He even gave him the house keys, saying he was going on vacation in Europe and would visit old flames.

Having previously struggled financially, now being able to vacation in Europe made Gilbert suspect that his father might have received some benefit.

Since Gilbert's success, even his distant aunt in San Francisco had been disturbed.

Agents continually approached her, trying to secure Gilbert's representation through indirect methods.

His aunt was frustrated, and Old Gilbert, after presumably benefiting from the situation, had gone off to vacation, leaving the trouble to his son.

What a ruthless old man…

With *The Shallows*' box office soaring, the film had earned $24.845 million in ten days, marking a huge success.

And this wasn't the end. According to *The Hollywood Reporter* and *The Los Angeles Times*, *The Shallows* was projected to reach between $40 million and $45 million in North American box office.

But even that wasn't the end.

Given the film's strong performance in North America, Universal Pictures decided to release it overseas.

Thus, *The Shallows* still had great potential abroad.

With a major country's dramatic collapse, Hollywood's global film market had further expanded, becoming the center of the global film industry.

Hollywood films that succeed in North America usually do well overseas too.

And for the hot director Gilbert, Universal Pictures wasn't about to let go.

The previous $100,000 salary was too low, so President Akio Tani and Vice President Lew Wasserman decided to award Gilbert a $200,000 bonus.

If they didn't build a good relationship with Gilbert now, it would be a failure on Universal's part.

Even though the film was still showing across North American theaters, Universal decided to hold a grand celebration for the film.

Gilbert and star Gwyneth Paltrow would naturally be the center of attention at the celebration.

...,....

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