On the afternoon of May 31, at 5 PM, the red carpet event for Jurassic Park 2 kicked off outside the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles.
The 1995 summer blockbuster season featured a slew of major films, including Crimson Tide, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Casper, Apollo 13, Braveheart, and Waterworld, among others. However, aside from the disastrous Waterworld, which had spiraled out of control with a budget of $175 million, none of these films could compare to the Jurassic Park series in terms of production budget, marketing investment, or franchise popularity.
Directed by Michael Bay, this sequel had a production budget of $100 million. Known for being a director who could ensure high-quality films while keeping production costs in check, Bay had been given the resources to take the movie to the next level. In addition, Jurassic Park 2 had an $80 million marketing budget, a figure only comparable to the year-end release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
With a total investment of $180 million, most popular franchise sequels of the time posed significant risks and pressures for their studios, but Jurassic Park was entirely free of such concerns.
The first installment alone had generated more than $1 billion in net profits for Daenerys Entertainment from box office sales, home video, and merchandise over the last few years.
This sequel was expected to secure a high revenue share from North American theaters, around 65%, thanks to successful negotiations. This meant that Jurassic Park 2 only needed to surpass $275 million at the domestic box office to fully recoup its $180 million total investment from U.S. theaters alone.
The first Jurassic Park, released in late 1992, had grossed $356 million domestically.
Now, despite Steven Spielberg stepping down from the project, Simon's direct involvement and the addition of Michael Bay, a director rarely prone to commercial failure, meant that with Daenerys Entertainment's heavy investment and extensive promotion, the film's domestic box office could easily surpass $300 million as long as the reviews weren't overwhelmingly negative.
In fact, the internal test screenings had received highly positive feedback from Daenerys Entertainment executives, invited critics, and even a handful of lucky early viewers. This confidence in the sequel's quality was the driving force behind the additional $80 million marketing push.
The marketing blitz for Jurassic Park 2 over the past few months was almost brainwashing in its intensity, creating a subconscious sense among American audiences that this was the must-see movie of the summer.
As Daenerys Entertainment's crown jewel, and with an influence rivaling that of the DC Cinematic Universe, the premiere for Jurassic Park 2 was held at the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles, a venue capable of hosting thousands. The scale of the premiere rivaled that of many major awards ceremonies.
At 5 PM, celebrities from the entertainment and fashion industries began streaming down the red carpet, accompanied by constant cheers from the crowd.
About 10 minutes after the red carpet event started, a white limousine pulled up to the entrance. Kathy Hilton, arm-in-arm with her husband Richard Hilton, stepped out of the car, immediately feeling the electric atmosphere as the fans' screams intensified, even quickening her heartbeat.
The crowd along both sides of the red carpet was packed tightly.
Beyond them, a massive life-size model of a Tyrannosaurus rex stood in a nearby square, fierce and awe-inspiring, likely an expensive addition to bring into downtown Los Angeles.
Noticing her husband's gentle tug, Kathy Hilton tore her gaze from the giant dinosaur and refocused, putting on a proper smile as she stepped onto the red carpet.
Ahead of them were supermodel Claudia Schiffer and her boyfriend, the famous magician David Copperfield, whose presence drew a wave of fan cheers. In comparison, the Hiltons were less recognizable; after all, they couldn't wear the "Hilton" name on their foreheads, and the overlap between The Real Housewives of New York audience and the movie crowd wasn't significant, so they received far less attention.
But Kathy Hilton wasn't disappointed.
Simply walking this red carpet was already a success for her, signaling that the former 1970s starlet, now married into the Hilton family, had re-entered the public eye.
When she had married into the wealthy Hilton family, Kathy had imagined a life of luxury. But reality turned out quite different. While the Hiltons were certainly high-profile, their reputation far exceeded their wealth. In truth, it was more of a glamorous facade.
Although their lifestyle was far above the average, Richard Hilton's generation only received an annual family trust allowance of several hundred thousand dollars. If they wanted more, they had to work for it. Unlike many wealthy heirs, Richard didn't even hold significant shares in the family's businesses.
When Conrad Hilton passed away, he left only small cash bequests of several hundred thousand dollars to close relatives. The rest of his stock assets were donated to the Hilton Foundation and various charities, prompting Richard's father, Barron Hilton, to engage in a nearly decade-long legal battle for the family inheritance.
Ultimately, Barron Hilton gained only voting rights and a small portion of the stock, leaving him with a net worth of around $200 million, not even enough to make the Forbes 400 richest Americans list. Like his father, Barron also intended to leave very little to his eight children.
To ensure a more comfortable life, Kathy Hilton had been leveraging the Hilton name to open her own design firm for years.
Her recent appearance on The Real Housewives of New York, where she received positive feedback, and the subsequent contract for two more seasons, marked a turning point for the Hiltons. Or, perhaps, another turning point occurred a few weeks ago.
Initially, Kathy had worried that Simon Westeros would continue pursuing her after that night.
Even though her marriage wasn't as glamorous as she'd imagined, Kathy was still content. Compared to her two younger sisters, she enjoyed a sense of superiority and didn't want that night's incident to disrupt her current life.
But Simon Westeros had simply been having fun, that much was clear.
Kathy, ever the realist, knew that at her age, she couldn't expect to stay in Westeros' life like his younger lovers, nor could she ever replace his marriage. Her best option was to maintain her current status.
After more than a week of anxiety, nothing happened.
Not only did no rumors surface in Manhattan, but most importantly, Simon Westeros hadn't contacted them again.
It became clear: Simon hadn't given that night a second thought.
Bastard!
Realizing this, Kathy Hilton's attitude shifted.
Her two younger sisters were even more eager, calling her every few days to ask if Simon had contacted them again, even trying to get his number. Of course, Kathy didn't have Simon's contact information, which led to accusations from her sisters that she was keeping it to herself.
Which brings us to the premiere.
Her sisters had encouraged her to attend, thinking they might see Simon Westeros again at the event or the after-party. Surely, there would be a follow-up after that night. Kathy had initially refused, but her youngest sister, Kyle, hinted that if Kathy didn't help, she might reveal something.
Reveal what?
Clearly, she meant telling Richard about that night.
At first, Kathy was upset, but she quickly calmed down and warned her sister not to gossip. After all, Simon Westeros wasn't someone to mess with. He was a man who had once raised a private army to overthrow a government in Africa, killing thousands in the process.
Kathy also understood that her sisters were hooked.
In just one night, Westeros had been exceedingly generous.
Though, to be fair, the housekeeper's initial behavior had been a bit condescending. But when they were presented with an array of high-end designer clothes, shoes, and bags to choose from, followed by an expensive jewelry set as a gift, Kathy Hilton had never felt so free to spend.
She had quietly estimated the total value of her outfit, which included a limited-edition Hermès Birkin bag and a diamond necklace, to be over $300,000.
Her two sisters had received similarly extravagant gifts.
In one night, Simon Westeros had given away over $1 million—more than their entire household income for the previous year. Many ordinary people wouldn't see that much money in a lifetime.
No wonder he was irresistible to women.
Faced with her sisters' constant prodding, Kathy herself had started to waver. Unable to contact Westeros, she turned to Robert Iger, who had been involved that night. Tickets to the premiere weren't an issue, and she easily secured invitations to the after-party.
However, there was only one red carpet pass.
Since the event was being live-streamed on the Eaglet portal, and there would be extensive media coverage afterward, the organizers couldn't allow just anyone to walk the red carpet—it would diminish the event's prestige.
Robert Iger hadn't used the term "anyone," of course—that was Kathy Hilton's interpretation.
Looking at the famous supermodel Claudia Schiffer and magician David Copperfield ahead of them, and hearing shouts of "Brooke! Brooke!" from behind, indicating Brooke Shields' arrival, Kathy knew that she and her husband weren't quite qualified for this red carpet. Clearly, Robert Iger had granted them this favor because of Simon Westeros.
But it was only one favor.
Her two sisters, eager to walk the red carpet themselves, had to enter the theater with her daughters through the regular audience entrance. The whole family had come together tonight—Paris and Nicky were already on summer break. After tonight, her husband would return to the West Coast for work, and she and her daughters would stay
for a few more days.
Her two impatient sisters were likely growing more envious by the minute.
Let them be envious.
Thinking about all this, Kathy Hilton kept her smile perfectly composed. She even waved occasionally to the fans cheering for her before finally signing the giant poster with her husband, relishing the moment. They then moved to the media zone for some quick photos. Richard Hilton stepped aside, leaving all the attention to his wife.
After posing happily for several minutes, Kathy finally stepped aside when Brooke Shields approached. Following the staff's guidance, she and her husband made their way backstage for a brief break—one of the perks for red carpet guests. Some attendees were even changing out of their formal wear. Kathy's Versace gown, however, was perfectly suitable for both the premiere and the after-party, so she didn't need to make any changes.
In truth, she couldn't afford to.
Hiring a team for the event was expensive, and unlike top supermodels or Hollywood actresses, Kathy didn't have full support from an agency. To save money, she hadn't even signed with a talent agency—her experience as a former actress helped her manage things on her own.
Her only additional preparation had been arranging with a photographer on the red carpet to get some good photos afterward, which she would post on her Facebook and Instagram. This was a suggestion from Daenerys Entertainment when she joined The Real Housewives of New York. All the cast members were encouraged to be active on these platforms, so Kathy had spent some time learning how to use a computer.
In red carpet events like this, the more important guests appeared later.
The one-hour red carpet was planned meticulously. Being scheduled to appear just 10 minutes after it began reflected the Hilton couple's status, and Kathy felt no dissatisfaction.
Arriving backstage early gave them time to socialize.
Over the next half hour, they met quite a few people, but Simon Westeros never appeared.
It wasn't until nearly 6 PM that they entered the main hall and saw Simon and his wife arrive, right on time. Surrounded by the film's key figures, they immediately began chatting, and if Kathy hadn't been paying attention, she might have missed their arrival altogether. It seemed like they hadn't even walked the red carpet.
Simon Westeros could now afford to ignore such formalities.
The Hiltons' seats were toward the back, together with Kathy's sisters and daughters. Clearly, there wouldn't be any interaction with the Westeros family tonight.
As they settled into their seats, Kathy noticed the massive screen in front of them, far larger than usual. Her daughters excitedly whispered about the buzz they'd heard: this was called IMAX.
Finally, Kathy turned her focus to the film.
She was starting to feel excited.
At 6 PM, the lights dimmed, and the movie began.
After the opening credits, the film kicked off with a thrilling chase sequence.
Several military helicopters pursued a flock of Pteranodons that had escaped from their cages on Dinosaur Island. Simon had modeled the scene after a similar one from Jurassic World, where Pteranodons attack tourists. However, this time, the flock was smaller—about a dozen. In the film's storyline, the Pteranodons attacked a small town, prompting the government to send in helicopters to take them down.
The stunning visuals on the enormous screen drew gasps of awe from the audience in the Shrine Auditorium.
In just a few minutes, viewers realized that Jurassic Park 2 had a vastly different visual style than the first film.
Spielberg was an old-school filmmaker, and even though the original Jurassic Park was a cutting-edge special effects blockbuster, it retained a somewhat classical, conservative style due to Spielberg's longtime filmmaking habits. Anyone familiar with his work could sense that even his 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still carried the feel of a 1980s film.
In contrast, Michael Bay represented a new generation of directors.
His dynamic camera work and sharp editing were perfectly suited to the fast-approaching era of CG-driven blockbusters.
Within minutes, Bay showcased his signature style: Pteranodons swooping down to grab townspeople, the tense standoff between military snipers and the primitive creatures, the roar of helicopter guns, the agile aerial maneuvers of the Pteranodons, missiles firing, and of course—explosions.
Lots of explosions.
Because what's a Michael Bay movie without explosions?
After just seven minutes, many in the audience had already decided they needed to see the film again after the premiere. And if they could see it on this giant IMAX screen again, all the better. But most people realized that this probably wouldn't be possible.
And they were right.
IMAX technology had existed since the early 1970s and was widely used in science museums around the world to screen educational documentaries. For years, the company had wanted to break into the movie industry, but the high costs involved had always been a major barrier.
Last year, Daenerys Entertainment quietly purchased the Canadian company, injecting capital to further develop IMAX for use in mainstream cinema. Their primary focus was overcoming the traditional limitations on IMAX film length and the challenges of converting 35mm film to IMAX format.
This Jurassic Park 2 premiere marked an experimental public debut for IMAX.
There was still a long road ahead before large-scale adoption.
However, this brief debut, combined with the spectacular special effects of Jurassic Park 2, had clearly left a profound impact on the audience. In the Shrine Auditorium, even after the first few minutes, the frequent gasps and exclamations of awe from the crowd made it clear to the Daenerys Entertainment executives and the Jurassic Park 2 team that the sequel was about to receive rave reviews in the media.
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