Chapter 444: More Than Just a Movie

"The Battle of Helm's Deep has ended, and the war of Middle-Earth is about to begin!"

With Gandalf's connecting lines, the subtitles slowly dropped, and The Two Towers came to its end.

As expected, applause erupted instantly, gathering into a thunderous roar, which then turned into an overwhelming wave. Over a thousand people in the theater stood up, clapping their hands furiously, not willing to leave.

Brad Miller had long since become a die-hard fan of the film version, throwing away any thoughts of protest. Chris's eyes were wet, still overwhelmed by the emotions brought on by the movie…

Despite the varied reactions, everyone felt they had gone through a strange journey. If The Fellowship of the Ring brought a sense of fantasy, then The Two Towers brought a sense of grandeur!

"I have to correct something!" Pete spoke up amidst the applause. "Duke's ability to create epic battle scenes is not just top-tier in Hollywood; it's the very best!"

Chris and Brad Miller nodded in agreement, also applauding.

The applause had lasted throughout the entire credits, and even when the credits had ended, the clapping showed no sign of stopping. Duke, along with the cast, continued bowing, while the audience responded with even more passionate applause. Those with photo permissions quickly snapped pictures, faithfully recording each moment.

"The last ten minutes, everyone was standing!" Jarvis said, somewhat impressed. "I've been to at least fifty premieres, and I've never seen such a scene!"

"I think it's normal!" Tony Stark said matter-of-factly. "If you don't stand for a film like this, what kind of film would you stand for?"

Both looked toward the stage where the director, Duke, was leading the cast in their final bow. The title of summer blockbuster king was certainly not just media hype. Judging by the audience's reaction, it was clear that The Two Towers would surely dominate in the following weeks!

"No wonder other studios are avoiding The Two Towers."

Another reporter nearby leaned in and said, "The executives at those film companies aren't fools; they know what kind of film they would need to compete with such an epic!"

"Do you think this will be the box-office champion this year?" Tony asked.

The person thought for a moment and replied, "Hard to say. After all, there's also Lucas's Star Wars."

"I don't think Attack of the Clones can compete with The Two Towers," Jarvis chimed in. "The audience feedback for The Two Towers is going to be incredible, and the Star Wars prequels..."

At this point, he shook his head.

If it weren't for the Star Wars name, The Phantom Menace would probably have flopped.

The applause eventually died down, and Duke, along with the cast, headed toward the press conference room.

Ivanka and Jane Lauder left the Chinese Theater, sitting in the car waiting for Duke to finish.

"Ivy, you seem really excited," Jane Lauder said, closing the car door and leaning next to Ivanka. "You, a non-film fan, must have been moved by the movie?"

"Did you see the people in the theater?" Ivanka opened the small fridge in the car, took out two bottles of water, and handed one to Jane. "How many people could stay calm?"

She smiled. "I'm happy for Duke. He's made another fantastic film."

Having a famous director as a boyfriend, Ivanka couldn't help but pay attention to Hollywood and the film industry. The enthusiastic reaction at the premiere was a clear sign of something significant, and she understood very well what it meant.

A large crowd of film fans surged out of the cinema. Brad Miller, being older, soon regained his composure. But along the way, almost all he heard were the excited reactions of the fans.

A boy, around fifteen years old, shouted as he exited the theater, "For Eorlingas!"

"For Eorlingas!"

A chorus of responses echoed around them.

If he were twenty years younger, Brad Miller thought, he'd probably be shouting with them too.

"Are you heading home?"

He heard Chris's voice beside him. "Not going to watch it again? I was too caught up in the excitement to notice many details."

"You go ahead," Brad Miller glanced at his watch. "I've got an important video meeting in the morning, so I can't continue. But I've already booked a ticket for tomorrow, I'll probably come back for a second viewing."

His companion, Pete, however, stopped and chose to be a rebel. "Sorry, Brad, you'll have to go alone. I'm going with Chris to the midnight show."

"That's fine."

Brad Miller continued walking, but as he passed the ticket counter, he noticed many people who had just left the theater now joining the line to buy tickets for the next show.

Suppressing the urge to watch it again, Brad Miller left the theater. But just as he reached the parking lot, he heard familiar footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Pete and Chris hurrying to catch up.

"How did you get out?" Brad Miller asked, somewhat puzzled.

Chris had a helpless expression as she walked over and said, "No tickets left."

Pete seemed a bit dejected as he grumbled, "There were two midnight showings, and not a single ticket available!"

"Then we'll come back together tomorrow."

Santa Monica Commercial Plaza is one of the commercial centers in the Greater Los Angeles area. Though it doesn't have as many cinemas as the San Francisco Bay area, it's still a bustling district.

Inside the manager's office, Miranda Kerr stared out of the window, lost in thought.

Miranda Kerr had only come to North America last month, or more precisely, had been lured there by Edward Yang, who came from a wealthy family and was very generous. He claimed he could help her break into Hollywood or the North American modeling industry. After arriving here, she saw that Edward had some connections, particularly with Duke's studio.

Though Miranda Kerr had grown up in the modeling world, she understood the basic market rules. For a new store that hadn't been widely publicized, she expected it to have a low profile and maybe even be somewhat empty, but the scene inside the store shattered her expectations.

Half an hour ago, a large crowd of people poured in from the nearby cinema, like a wave, rushing to grab every item on the shelves. Miranda Kerr had heard from Edward Yang that the items were all related to The Lord of the Rings merchandise!

The buyers were completely irrational, as if money meant nothing. She could see clearly that some had even maxed out their credit cards.

Especially the expensive Lord of the Rings jewelry sets that she and Edward Yang had just brought from the movie studio. In just half an hour, ten sets priced at $3,999 each were sold out. It was truly jaw-dropping!

Why was this happening?

As a model with a relatively mundane life, Miranda Kerr didn't quite understand the behavior of these people. The products related to the film were expensive, with little practical use...

How could a movie make so many people lose their minds? She was curious about just how incredible this film must be to spark such a craze for related merchandise.

The door to the manager's office opened, and Edward Yang walked in, collapsing onto the couch, panting as though he was about to faint.

This was one of the things Miranda Kerr appreciated about him. Although Edward Yang had many of the typical flaws of rich kids, he was hardworking and driven.

Seeing Miranda Kerr staring out the window with curiosity, Edward Yang spoke. "Don't be surprised. Every time Duke's new movie comes out, our store sees a sales peak."

"Sales peak?" Miranda Kerr turned around, looking at Edward Yang. "Do you know how much merchandise we've sold?"

Before he could answer, she added, "If it's inconvenient, never mind."

"It's fine," Edward Yang thought for a moment and then said, "When I came in, the sales had already surpassed $130,000!"

Miranda Kerr's eyes widened. "Just from merchandise related to one movie? In less than forty minutes, we've sold $130,000?"

"Bingo!"

Edward Yang snapped his fingers. "Some of the hot items are almost sold out."

"What kind of movie, Edward," Miranda Kerr's curiosity was piqued, "could make people go crazy like this?"

"Duke Rosenberg's movie!" Edward Yang said decisively. "His movies make people lose their minds!"

Miranda Kerr suddenly felt compelled to see the film. She had never had such a strong desire to watch a movie before.

She wasn't the only one. Norman Shiller, due to forced overtime at the company, had missed the early and midnight screenings. When he returned home, he immediately opened his computer and went to Duke's personal website to see the movie's reactions.

"Seamlessly connected with the first film, the pacing of the entire movie is tight, and the editing is fantastic, creating a feeling of smoothness. The visuals and music create an epic atmosphere, and this long film doesn't feel long at all. It felt like it just started when it ended."

"The beautiful landscapes, grand battle scenes, delicate character emotions, and the powerful, unyielding spirit—this is Duke's greatest gift to all the fans!"

"The epic scenes are so stirring, I was moved to tears!"

"Arwen and Legolas continue to amaze with their breathtaking beauty. Duke really captured another world, not just a movie!"

"The Two Towers is, to me, the best movie ever, far surpassing The Fellowship of the Ring, especially the epic battle scenes in the latter half. They were incredible."

Seeing the overwhelming positive comments flooding in, Norman Shiller decided he would go to watch the film first thing tomorrow morning!