#1065 - Overseas Frenzy

"Arthur, Princess Beatrice is about to host a private painting appreciation party. Do you have the guest list?" Elizabeth's voice was calm and distant, with no trace of emotion.

But this was Elizabeth. Arthur was not surprised. "Yes. I'll send you the list in a moment," he replied, ending the conversation without asking why.

"Okay." There was a brief pause before she continued, "Also, please send an invitation letter to Sebastian. Princess Beatrice personally came to the gallery today to deliver an invitation, and the official one will arrive tomorrow." Sebastian referred to Renly's full name—Renly-Sebastian-Hall.

Arthur immediately understood and nodded. The princess couldn't wait and had come in person to deliver the invitation. At 24, she was still impulsive, but that youth was her charm. A faint smile tugged at the corner of Arthur's mouth, though his voice remained steady. "So, do you want him to attend, or not?" he asked, his words layered with unspoken meaning.

Arthur already knew the answer. Renly would not attend. He had a packed schedule promoting his movie and performing in the West End, with no time or interest for aristocratic parties. But Arthur did not press the issue, choosing instead to wait for Elizabeth's response.

"I just want the princess to know that the invitation has been sent," Elizabeth replied, her tone unwavering. The subtext was clear: Elizabeth wasn't inviting Renly—she was merely fulfilling the promise to the princess and would shift the blame for his absence to Renly.

With that, Elizabeth hung up, leaving a beep in her wake. Arthur's smile deepened.

Renly had won.

In this quiet family conflict, Renly had triumphed. While Arthur had known the outcome for some time, it wasn't until today that everything was confirmed. Elizabeth, though unwilling to admit it, had come to realize that Renly was no longer the passive, beaten child. He had carved out his own career, his own identity, and was now firmly entrenched in London's high society.

Elizabeth had come to terms with it. So had George, and even Elf.

A sudden wave of envy washed over Arthur, and the smile in his eyes gradually faded. He took a slow sip of his black tea, letting the moment linger.

Perhaps "Empire" magazine had no idea just how much ripples their story would cause, but the truth was undeniable: Everything had changed, starting now.

The impact was undeniable, even among the traditionally reserved upper class. If they couldn't restrain their excitement, how could the general public? The buzz was unmistakable, even reaching the remote Scottish Highlands, all reverberating from the shockwave of Renly's newfound status. After all, in England, the nobility's place in society was still considered unique.

Meanwhile, the global box office for Edge of Tomorrow was climbing steadily.

Before its release, Warner Bros. had little expectation for the film's overseas performance. The cast lacked major international stars, and while Jennifer Lawrence's The Hunger Games had been a hit in North America, its overseas performance left much to be desired, with only $280 million globally—far less than the domestic box office. Without a "star power" draw, the movie's global appeal was underwhelming.

But then, Renly's presence proved to be the game-changer.

Edge of Tomorrow had performed well in North America, but overseas, it far exceeded expectations.

In the UK, it became the film's largest overseas market, grossing an impressive $65 million and ranking second for the year, just behind The Avengers at $80 million. Remarkably, this was double the box office total of The Hunger Games in the UK, underscoring Renly's immense popularity.

Even more surprising was China, which emerged as the second-largest international market, grossing $53 million. Warner Bros. was stunned. Unlike other Hollywood blockbusters, Edge of Tomorrow didn't have a megastar to lead the charge. Instead, the film had built its following around Renly, with his status as the youngest-ever Oscar winner and his star turn at the Berlin Film Festival. Word of mouth, bolstered by Renly's fanbase, fueled the box office surge.

In addition to the UK and China, countries like Mexico, Australia, Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Russia, and France also contributed impressive box office figures. Mexico and Australia each crossed $40 million. South America, especially Brazil and Mexico, also helped boost the film's earnings, likely due to Renly's role in Fast & Furious 5, which had earned him a loyal following in the region.

Other countries like Argentina, Germany, India, and Italy also exceeded $10 million in box office revenue, bringing the total number of regions where the film crossed this milestone to 16, a solid result second only to The Avengers, which had 22.

Among the standout achievements was the film's ability to dominate the overseas box office, capturing the #1 spot in nine countries, including the UK, China, Mexico, Australia, and Japan. It even held the #1 position for four consecutive weeks, mirroring the success of The Avengers.

In total, Edge of Tomorrow raked in a staggering $630 million in overseas markets, bringing its global box office to $1.18 billion. While still trailing The Avengers globally, the film ranked second in both overseas and worldwide earnings.

This milestone made Edge of Tomorrow the 13th film in history to gross over $1 billion globally, placing it fifth in all-time box office rankings, behind Avatar, Titanic, The Avengers, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and Transformers 3.

For Warner Bros., the film's success was even more extraordinary. Not only had it reached the $1 billion mark, but it had done so with one of the lowest production costs among the top-grossing films. The profits were off the charts.

And, at the center of it all was Renly.

Rumors began swirling that Warner Bros. was already preparing for a sequel, though this was not unexpected. Any film that earned over a billion dollars would naturally warrant a follow-up. However, there was one key issue: Renly's contract only covered one film. Warner Bros. had never planned for a sequel, and renegotiating terms for another was proving to be a challenge.

As the speculation continued, the question on everyone's mind was what Renly's next move would be. What would his next commercial project look like, and what kind of pay would he demand? The $20 million salary seemed like a certainty. But the question remained: which studio would land him?

Meanwhile, Renly remained unfazed. As the buzz grew around him, he quietly left New York, preparing to return to London and the West End stage, as though the summer box office frenzy hadn't affected him in the slightest.