Chapter 189: The Art of Deception

The premiere of Little Miss Sunshine was held at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

As one of the winners at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie's release garnered extensive coverage from media outlets.

Critics who had already seen the film at Cannes also gave it high praise:

"This is a heartwarming movie about family. It abandons the typical somber tone often seen in films about familial relationships, opting instead for a comedic approach that feels fresh and delightful."

"The interactions between Alan Arkin's grandfather and Abigail's granddaughter are genuinely amusing. Meanwhile, Jim Carrey surprised me by suppressing his exaggerated facial expressions and opting for a more nuanced performance."

"Moreover, the film avoids a conventional happy ending. Instead, it uses a failure to strengthen family bonds, subtly highlighting the truth that familial ties surpass money and fame in importance."

With critics singing its praises, the widespread advertisements further fueled audience anticipation for the film.

The ads for Little Miss Sunshine were simple—just a family pushing a car together while smiling brightly. However, the tagline below the image struck a chord with many:

"A family, on the road."

This resonated with many parents, inspiring them to plan a family outing to watch the movie over the weekend. After all, family-friendly films always sell well.

At this moment, as Ethan stood at the entrance of the cinema, he noticed many families of three walking past him with tickets in hand.

"Ethan, how much do you think this film will make at the box office?" Greta, standing beside him, asked nervously. Although they had won an award, the box office was what determined a commercial film's true value.

She didn't want to be known as a director whose films garnered praise but not profits.

"I think it'll make at least $50 million," Ethan reassured her with a pat on the shoulder.

Her eyes widened in shock. "What? Fifty million? Ethan, you must be joking."

She believed $20 million would already be impressive, so Ethan's estimate more than doubled her expectations.

"Just watch, Greta," Ethan said with a slight smile before heading toward Anne Hathaway, who was waiting at a side door with a few other women.

"Darling, are these your friends?" Ethan asked as he reached Anne's side.

"I'm Catherine," one of the women quickly introduced herself as she extended a hand to Ethan.

"Let's go. The movie is about to start," Ethan said after brief introductions, leading them into the theater and seating them in the center.

Noticing that Ethan's seat was separate from theirs, Anne asked, "Ethan, where are you sitting?"

"I'm sitting in the front row," Ethan pointed, "You're the guests, so you deserve the best seats."

This was, of course, an excuse. He didn't want to risk being photographed sitting next to Anne Hathaway, as that could cause trouble with the other women in the group. Instead, he sat in the front row with the other crew members.

Once the audience and critics had taken their seats, the lights dimmed, and the film began.

For an hour and forty minutes, the audience's laughter echoed throughout the theater, a testament to the movie's charm.

Though the story lacked deep, dramatic conflicts, it conveyed the power of familial love and support. During the final scenes, Anne Hathaway glanced at her friends, only to find them moved to tears.

They had clearly been touched by the film's depiction of beautiful family bonds.

As the audience exited the theater after the premiere, discussions about the film's memorable scenes could still be heard.

Surveyors from Lionsgate handed out cards for viewers to rate the film. Most scores were above 8, though a few noted the film was slightly dull and felt Jim Carrey's restrained performance was somewhat distracting.

However, these minority opinions didn't matter much, as the box office numbers from limited screenings had come in.

With just six theaters, the film grossed $480,000—an impressive per-theater average of $130,000.

This indicated immense potential, prompting the distributor to expand the release to 1,800 theaters the following day.

Meanwhile, Ethan and Anne Hathaway were at a villa for a photoshoot.

"Ethan, I'm feeling a bit shy…" Anne, dressed in a sheer nightgown that subtly revealed her silhouette, exuded an air of elegance and allure.

"Don't worry; these photos are for my private collection only," Ethan reassured her. Though his photography exhibition would feature photos of Anne, they would focus on her arms and legs, with other parts of her body covered by black fabric to highlight the grace of her limbs.

"Really?" Anne relaxed slightly, slowly sliding the nightgown off her shoulders.

"Perfect."

Ethan picked up his camera. "Relax your body; don't stand too stiffly."

"Got it. I'll try." Anne took deep breaths, calming herself.

Click!

"For the next one, sit on the chair with one foot on the ground and the other extended, toes pointed."

Ethan moved closer with the camera to capture the details of her legs.

"Now lift your leg, rest your hand on your thigh, and lean your body forward. Don't block your chest, darling—it's beautiful."

After finishing the private shoot, Ethan began working on the photos for the exhibition.

By the time they were done, Anne had grown accustomed to Ethan's camera, confidently striking various poses in front of him.

"Ethan, when you develop the photos, I want to see them," Anne said, barefoot, as she softly brushed his face with her fingers.

"Of course. We'll look at them together," Ethan replied, wrapping his arm around her slender waist as they headed to another room.

---

A week after its release, Little Miss Sunshine had grossed $31 million at the box office!

Although it didn't rival Saw, it stood out as the top performer among films released in the same period.

The film's success was remarkable, given its lack of shocking elements or extensive advertising, relying solely on its warm and humorous portrayal of family life to capture audiences.

Professional analysts estimated that the film's domestic box office would reach around $70 million. However, its second week saw a significant drop in revenue, a downside of films lacking sensational appeal.

Still, Ethan was optimistic about the film's DVD sales and international release, expecting total earnings to surpass $100 million.

This meant Norton Eye Productions could pocket over $40 million in profits once again, leaving major studios envious.

With Fifty Shades of Grey as another promising IP, the industry anticipated staggering future profits for Norton Eye.

Studios now scrambled to secure a stake in the IP, determined to either acquire it or become a production partner.

Paramount Pictures was the first to approach Ethan.

"Hello, Ethan. My name is Terri Lawson," the woman introduced herself with a handshake, subtly brushing his palm with her fingertips.

"Please, have a seat," Ethan said, sitting at a coffee shop near a horse ranch where Memoirs of a Geisha was filming smoothly. If all went well, the shoot would wrap in three months.

"Did Brian mention the terms we're offering?" Terri avoided using Jimmy's first name, hoping he hadn't revealed their past dealings to Ethan.

Ethan observed her with an unreadable expression until she began fidgeting under his gaze. Finally, he spoke, "He didn't. Why don't you explain?"

"Alright." Terri, sensing Ethan was harder to deal with than Jimmy, felt as though his piercing gaze saw right through her.

She quickly shifted to business. "Fifty Shades of Grey is performing exceptionally well globally and is on track to reach 10 million sales this year. Our higher-ups are confident in its potential and are offering Norton Eye significant creative control."

"Go on," Ethan said, sipping his coffee with a slight frown.

"First, we'd like 70% of the film and DVD rights, for which we're willing to pay $43 million."

With Fifty Shades of Grey's global success, its rights had skyrocketed in value.

"Second, we'd like you to direct the film, with a salary of $8 million."

Ethan nodded; this was a generous offer, especially for someone without a proven blockbuster track record.

"What about streaming rights?" Ethan asked a crucial question.

Terri hesitated momentarily. "Streaming? Online platforms? Those would also follow the 70% distribution model."

Streaming wasn't yet a significant revenue source, so studios were less focused on it, though they still sought to secure rights for future potential.

"Understood. I'll think it over," Ethan said curtly, cutting the conversation short.

This abrupt conclusion surprised Terri, who had expected more negotiation.

"Ethan, if you have any concerns, please share them. I'll try to accommodate," she pleaded.

"No need. I have meetings with other companies lined up. You may leave now," Ethan replied calmly, unmoved by her appeal.

Left with no choice, Terri departed but stayed nearby, donning sunglasses to observe the café from a distance.

Within ten minutes, a Columbia Pictures executive entered the café.

Twenty minutes later, he exited, scanning the area before approaching Terri.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?" he asked.

"Sure," Terri replied, adjusting her sunglasses.

Ten minutes later, a Warner Bros. executive showed up, followed by executives from Fox and New Line Cinema.

By 6 p.m., Teri realized that representatives from nearly all the major film companies had made their appearances.

"Damn Jimmy! That bastard!" She had thought she'd arrived ahead of the competition, but it turned out she was only about ten minutes early.

Seeing all the other companies joining the fray again, Teri was certain her proposal wouldn't stand out. She decided to return and discuss better terms with her higher-ups.

"How much does Ethan plan to earn from the Fifty Shades of Grey rights, anyway?"

That was the question on Teri's mind, as well as everyone else's.

Because a few days later, Ethan rejected all their offers once again.

Meanwhile, some unpleasant events unfolded over at Supreme Creative.

"Damn it! FXXK! Someone tell me, what the hell is going on here?" Jimmy was raging in the office, leaving the advertising creatives and sales staff on edge.

"How did our client find out about this? This was supposed to be confidential!" Hands on his hips, he paced back and forth, fuming.

He was referring to one of Supreme Creative's long-standing clients—a food company that had been with them since the agency's founding.

Recently, however, Supreme Creative had also signed a contract to handle advertising for this client's competitor. Somehow, the original client had gotten wind of this.

Naturally, they were furious. No company likes their ad agency working for a direct competitor. Consequently, they terminated their contract with Supreme Creative.

Across the office, in the customer service area, Rachel was quietly observing everything.

"Looks like the bugging worked perfectly," she muttered under her breath before turning her attention back to her screen, a smirk forming on her lips.

Jimmy's outburst lasted a few more minutes before he stormed out of the main office. Instead of heading back to his own space, he went straight to Fernando's office.

Once inside, his expression relaxed significantly.

"Here, have some tea." Fernando was sitting on a couch, smiling warmly.

"I could use a drink." Jimmy plopped onto a chair, taking a long sip before saying, "I bet her backers are feeling pretty pleased with themselves right now."

"Of course. They managed to ruin one of our 'important' projects."

Jimmy scoffed. "We were planning to drop them as a client anyway. This was just a convenient excuse to sever ties."

"But she doesn't know that." Fernando gestured toward the blinds, parting them slightly to glance at Rachel, who was working diligently at her desk.

"True, but this kind of approach isn't sustainable. Why don't we throw her a bone instead?" Jimmy's face lit up with an idea, his lips curling into a sly smile.

Fernando studied him, quickly catching on to his intent. Nodding in agreement, he said, "I don't see why not. After all, to effectively deal with someone, you first need to know who's targeting you."

"Then it's settled. I'll set up the bait." Over the past year, Jimmy had matured significantly, far from the naive young man he once was.

"Good. I'm sure Ethan will approve once he hears the plan."

.....

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