Chapter 618

"Everyone knows what happened—Tom Cruise bought out the box office!"

The bald, middle-aged executive hit the nail on the head.

The other executive, who had been speaking in defense of Mission: Impossible 3, added, "Whether or not he did, we're still the ones making money."

"But compared to The Dark Knight, those profits are negligible. Unless Tom Cruise is willing to spend five million a day."

"Are we really going to pull all the screens showing Mission: Impossible 3?"

"We should pull them. Showing movies that don't bring in real money instead of a blockbuster like The Dark Knight? That's not just inefficient—it's a crime!"

"Alright, enough arguing."

Adam Allen could tell immediately: one of them was aligned with Warner, the other with Cruise Films.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Drop the other films or move them to the 5:20 or midnight slots. Mission: Impossible 3 still has a bit of traction—just cut 15% of its screening rooms and give them to The Dark Knight. That's final. Beckett, get in touch with Warner. Tell them we need 300 more prints ASAP."

The bald executive's face lit up. "No problem. I'll make the call right now."

———

"What?! They're reducing screenings of Mission: Impossible 3?!"

"Fuck!"

A phone was smashed to pieces.

After a furious roar, Tom Cruise calmly sifted through the shattered debris, fished out the SIM card, slotted it into a spare phone, and dialed his agent.

"Brian, it's go-time. Now. Right now!"

Brian Kyle didn't argue. He didn't even curse. He just replied, "Got it."

———

The next day, NBC News aired a story during prime time.

The video clip showed a convenience store robbery near the WBCT Public Pier in Los Angeles. Two suspects bolted out of the store—both with pale white face paint, smeared lipstick, and unmistakably dressed like clowns from the movie.

As the footage rolled, the anchor narrated:"Movies influence reality—there's no denying it. The Joker from The Dark Knight has become a cultural icon. People love the look. Some just do face painting for fun, but others—thieves, shoplifters—have started using clown makeup and masks, as if it gives them confidence for their crimes."

The scene cut to shaky mobile phone footage at a street corner, where three masked men were robbing an Asian couple. Then it switched again—to a street brawl between two rival gangs, all wearing clown makeup.

"It's reported that since the release of The Dark Knight, American gang culture has latched onto the clown imagery. Many of them even worship the Joker, treating him like a godfather figure..."

———

New York.

Jennifer Aniston's farmhouse.

In the bedroom, Martin was still fast asleep. Just the night before, he fuck Jennifer Aniston, Anne Hathaway, and Natalie Portman.

The phone rang.

Still half-asleep, Martin picked up the call with one hand while his other hand fumbled under the sheets, squeezing a soft 34c boobs.

"Who is it?"

"Martin, it's Jeff. The smear campaign's started. Tom Cruise just made his move."

"Perfect." Martin's eyes snapped open. "Then it's time we made ours. Turn up the heat."

———

That evening, major networks like AOL, CNN, Fox, and ABC began their counteroffensive.

AOL and CNN were under Warner's umbrella. Fox was 20th Century Fox. ABC was Disney. All had ties to Martin.

NBC, the network that aired the Joker-themed crime piece, was owned by Universal—a studio with a rocky relationship with Martin, even a few grudges.

The counter-narrative spread fast:

"Criminal acts shouldn't be blamed on movies or fictional characters. Crimes will happen—with or without films."

"If we're blaming movies for inspiring copycats, then Taxi Driver should be banned for inspiring an attempted assassination. Ocean's Eleven should be banned because someone reenacted a warehouse heist and walked away with over $100,000. The Wire should be banned for inspiring real bank robberies. By that logic, we'd have to ban half of Hollywood."

"Movies are fiction. Reality is separate. Don't confuse cause and effect. Criminals dress like clowns because they want to commit crimes—not because movies told them to."

At the same time, NBC doubled down, airing more footage of crimes involving clown costumes and stating:

"Movies reflect society—but they also shape it. With that power comes social responsibility."

Paramount's Pluto TV joined in, siding with NBC:

"We believe Martin and the Dark Knight team should apologize. Public figures need to model positive behavior."

CNN hit back:

"The Dark Knight is a superhero film. It offers a far better moral compass than your average horror or crime movie. The theme is clear—justice triumphs over evil."

ABC aired a scene from the movie: the black man on the ferry, choosing not to detonate the bomb. Their headline read:

"One of the most respectful portrayals of a Black man in Hollywood—ever. Isn't this the kind of positivity we want to see?"

As media networks locked horns, The Dark Knight's box office soared—especially among Black audiences.

"Hey bro, go see The Dark Knight. It's one of the few movies where the Black dude ain't the bad guy. Solid film—4.2 stars."

"Yo, go watch The Dark Knight. They made us look like real heroes in this one."

"Fuck Mission: Impossible 3. The Dark Knight's where it's at. Martin may be white, but he's not against us. Not like that cult freak Tom Cruise."

Yes, this had been Martin's plan all along—engineer the backlash just to bring out this explosive point.

In the original timeline, it wasn't until half a year after The Dark Knight's release that this angle caught fire in the Black community, leading to a massive surge in home video sales.

Ironically, when Nolan filmed that scene, it was just a throwaway role. He never imagined it could be used for publicity. If he had, this marketing genius would've capitalized on it from day one.