After flying to Vancouver, Canada, Murphy and his crew continued to participate in various activities to increase the film's exposure and attract more viewers to theaters. These activities included television interviews, media interviews, and interactions with fans both online and in person—common promotional strategies.
"The Dark City" also began its third week of release in North America. In the previous ten days, the film had grossed $466.84 million in North America alone. In an era where the average ticket price was only $8.3, this meant that over 50 million North American viewers had watched the film.
While there was still a significant gap between this number and the potential 150 million movie consumers in North America, no film could appeal to everyone. After this period of screening, "The Dark City" couldn't escape the inherent market rules; its popularity and momentum were gradually slowing down.
On the new Monday, "The Dark City" dropped to a single-day gross of $11 million. On Tuesday, the day Murphy arrived in Vancouver, ticket sales slightly increased due to traditional theater discount days, bringing in $12.6 million. By Wednesday, daily ticket sales fell again to $10.3 million, and on Thursday, the film's single-day gross dipped below $10 million for the first time, totaling $9.8 million.
Before the third weekend arrived, "The Dark City" had grossed a cumulative $510.54 million in North America after fifteen days of release, breaking the previous record of "The Avengers" for the fastest film to reach $500 million in North America in just 23 days.
Despite "The Dark City's" astonishing box office pace, it still faced a series of upcoming competitors.
On May 16, Paramount Pictures' "Star Trek Into Darkness" was released; on May 23, Summit Entertainment's "Now You See Me" would join the summer box office battle; and on May 31, Sony Columbia Pictures' blockbuster "White House Down" would seize the Memorial Day weekend slot.
"'White House Down'," Carla Faith said, pulling her gaze back from the airplane window to look at Murphy. "Sony Columbia Pictures has invested $150 million in production costs, plus another $80 million in marketing and distribution expenses..."
This conversation took place during their flight back to Los Angeles. Carla Faith had flown to Seattle on behalf of 20th Century Fox to host a small $500 million celebration. Reaching the $500 million box office milestone positioned "The Dark City" among the top five all-time highest-grossing films in North America.
In fact, only three films remained ahead of "The Dark City": "The Avengers," "Titanic," and "Avatar," with North American grosses of $623.35 million, $658.67 million, and $760.50 million, respectively.
Hearing Carla Faith's comments, Murphy responded, "Sony Columbia Pictures is making a big move."
"They're trying to save themselves," Carla Faith, well-versed in the industry's nuances, explained. "'The Amazing Spider-Man' recouped its costs and turned a profit, but it fell short of Sony Columbia Pictures' expectations. They have to create new franchises. Otherwise..."
Carla Faith shrugged and shook her head. "This time, they've brought in Roland Emmerich and paired him with Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx for a movie about the White House being attacked. It does have a chance of succeeding."
Murphy didn't want to see Sony Columbia Pictures succeed. However, it was one of Hollywood's Big Six studios, and even a weakened lion was still stronger than most animals. "I hope they lose so much they have to jump off a building."
"Taking down Sony Columbia Pictures won't be easy," Carla Faith knew Murphy's thoughts well and lowered her voice. "Sony Entertainment won't easily strip and sell it off."
"I know," Murphy understood these complexities. "Isn't 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' already in production?"
"Yes," Carla Faith nodded. "They're reportedly already filming, aiming for a summer release next year."
Murphy frowned slightly. "Next summer, huh..."
If events unfolded as usual, Sony Columbia Pictures would kill off Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone, in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," causing the series to tank. Spider-Man would hit its lowest point since creation.
Then what? Sony Columbia Pictures would approach Marvel Studios. Spider-Man would be resurrected in spectacular fashion, appearing in "Captain America: Civil War." As the wisecracking, fan-favorite hero in the airport fight scene, his popularity would skyrocket.
Sony Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios would then release a new "Spider-Man" series, branding it "Homecoming" and bringing in Iron Man Tony Stark as a supporting character.
Even without seeing the film, Murphy knew that if its quality was above the acceptable line, it would certainly perform well at the box office. This temporary success would help Sony Columbia Pictures stave off financial troubles for another five or ten years.
"How can I prevent Sony Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios from collaborating?"
That was the key question. Murphy needed to think this through carefully and find the right opportunity. He knew how crucial Spider-Man was to the entire Marvel franchise. Once Sony proposed bringing Spider-Man back into the Marvel fold, Marvel Studios was unlikely to refuse.
After pondering for a while, Murphy found no immediate solution. Since it couldn't be resolved quickly, he decided to put it aside for the moment.
Back in Los Angeles, Murphy took a break from promotional work. Even though Gal Gadot was still busy in the Far East, the house felt somewhat lonely. He secluded himself in the estate, letting its high walls and tight security keep the media at bay. Aside from monitoring "The Dark City's" box office performance, he temporarily ignored work matters, treating himself to a short vacation.
"The Dark City" also completed its third weekend in North American theaters, facing a formidable competitor in "Star Trek Into Darkness." The "Star Trek" franchise, one of the world's most famous sci-fi series, had over fifty years of history and a massive loyal fanbase.
The latest installment, "Into Darkness," the second in the reboot series, grossed $21.62 million, $26.94 million, and $21.60 million over the weekend, totaling nearly $71 million in its North American opening weekend.
This impressive number couldn't stop "The Dark City" from achieving its third consecutive weekend at the top of the North American box office. Over the three days, it earned $22.60 million, $27.50 million, and $23.10 million, totaling $73.20 million and maintaining its lead on the box office charts.
By now, "The Dark City's" North American box office had reached $583.74 million!
Six hundred million in North America was within reach!
Simultaneously, overseas box office figures were surging. The film had expanded to 111 release territories, grossing an additional $260 million last week.
"The Dark City's" global box office was nearing $1.5 billion, standing at $1.467 billion, closing in on "The Avengers" worldwide gross of $1.518 billion. Surpassing "The Avengers" was inevitable.
Additionally, "The Dark City" maintained its high audience and critical acclaim.
Even after three weeks, the film's CinemaScore audience rating remained at A+, and the MetaCritic score, based on over 110 media reviews, held strong at 88.
Online, the movie received rave reviews. Rotten Tomatoes aggregated over 100 critic reviews, giving it a 95% fresh rating and an average score of 8.9.
On IMDb, fans went wild with praise and high ratings. Although the score inevitably dropped as more people saw the film, "The Dark City" still boasted a 9.5 average rating.
This exceptional rating placed "The Dark City" at the top of IMDb's Top 250, surpassing classics like "The Godfather" and "The Shawshank Redemption."
Such stellar ratings made "The Dark City" a dazzling presence, impossible to ignore even if some tried.
Seeing "The Dark City's" high score on IMDb, Christian Franklin furrowed his brow. The film's box office and critical reception were astonishing. It would soon surpass "The Avengers" and aim for "Titanic" and "Avatar."
But box office numbers weren't his main concern—IMDb ratings were. "The Dark City's" 9.5 score firmly placed it above "The Shawshank Redemption," taking the top spot on the Top 250.
Christian Franklin was not only a hardcore fan of "The Shawshank Redemption" but also the leader of its discussion group on IMDb.
For him and his fellow fans, "The Shawshank Redemption" was not just a movie; it was a faith!
Seeing their faith challenged, Christian Franklin couldn't stand it. They had fought hard to secure the top spot for "The Shawshank Redemption," even manipulating scores to dethrone "The Godfather." There was no way they would let a commercial film like "The Dark City" take that spot.
Did "The Dark City" think it could claim the top spot without asking "The Shawshank Redemption" fans first?
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]