Because of the time zone difference, the premiere on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles had just ended, while in New York, the midnight screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was about to begin.
In front of a Regal Entertainment cinema on Long Island, the line of waiting moviegoers stretched farther than one could imagine. To avoid being recognized or chased by fans and reporters, Natalie Portman had covered her face with a thick layer of white foundation, making her look very much like Padmé Amidala from The Phantom Menace.
"Can the theater even hold so many people?"
Standing in the long queue with her son in her arms, Natalie Portman frowned slightly. There were too many fans dressed as Star Wars characters. She wasn't worried about being recognized; she was more concerned that the cold weather and the snail-like pace of the line might be too much for her son to handle.
Natalie Portman hadn't come alone—she was holding her four-year-old son's hand.
Looking at her child, Natalie Portman sighed softly. Not long ago, she had just ended her marriage, and the one thing she had once been most proud of had shattered completely.
Ahead of them, more than a hundred fans had already pitched tents to camp out for the pre-party. Their tents severely slowed down the queue, causing the line in front of the Regal Cinema to grow longer and longer. Yet, no one complained—only Star Wars fans could truly understand other Star Wars fans.
Lifting her son into her arms and wrapping him tighter in his coat, Natalie Portman's thoughts began to drift elsewhere.
Why had the marriage fallen apart? That question surfaced in her mind once again.
Natalie Portman unconsciously raised her head. Hanging on the front of the Regal Cinema was a massive Star Wars: The Force Awakens poster, and the name "Duke Rosenberg" stood out in dazzling prominence.
Only Natalie herself knew that it was precisely because of this psychological shadow that her mental state had fallen into imbalance, leading to the breakdown of her marriage.
He was destined to be a nightmare she could never escape in her lifetime.
Natalie Portman couldn't quite describe what she felt at that moment. Seeing that name made her heart turn cold.
Yet her career was rooted in Hollywood, and the other party was Hollywood's brightest star. It was impossible for her not to see his name.
So, Natalie Portman tried to steady her emotions and accept everything that had happened between them. That was one of the main reasons she came to watch the film tonight. She also wanted to see Duke Rosenberg fail for once, though she knew that hope was as illusory as a reflection on water.
On the other hand, her son Aleph wanted to see the movie.
Thinking of that, Natalie couldn't help but feel a touch of admiration—Duke Rosenberg's marketing was simply brilliant. He hadn't even spared the children. After watching the "Babies React to Star Wars 7" promotional clips, countless kids had started pestering their parents to take them to the movie.
"Mom," her son suddenly asked from her arms, "why are there so many people in line here?"
Natalie Portman looked at her son and smiled. "Because this is Star Wars, sweetheart."
"But… but…" Aleph blinked his big eyes and asked curiously, "didn't you say not many people watched Star Wars when you were in it?"
He was talking about the Star Wars prequels—Natalie knew it instantly. Her face tensed slightly, but when she saw the eager curiosity in her son's eyes, she finally replied, "Because this Star Wars was made by Duke Rosenberg!"
The words squeezed out of her mouth as if through gritted teeth.
"Oh…"
Seeing his mother's expression, Aleph shrank his neck and stopped asking.
Natalie immediately noticed and hurriedly softened her face, forcing a smile for her son.
But when she lifted her gaze again, her eyes landed on the poster of the film's female lead, Daisy Ridley. Staring at the British actress for a moment, Natalie lowered her eyes slightly—the girl's temperament was strikingly similar to her own younger self.
Perhaps that was why Duke Rosenberg had chosen her?
Natalie actually knew very well that when Duke Rosenberg was younger, he had a strange, indescribable feeling toward her.
After waiting in line for quite some time, Natalie finally entered the auditorium with her son. Once seated, she glanced around—the IMAX hall was already completely full. There wasn't a single empty seat in sight; the attendance rate was clearly 100%.
She sighed softly. The combined pull of Duke Rosenberg and Star Wars was truly astonishing. Her little wish of seeing him stumble was never going to come true.
Meanwhile, in the lobby of the same cinema, a CinemaScore researcher named Hans Mason had just finished speaking with the theater manager and obtained a set of statistics.
This Regal Entertainment multiplex had a total of thirteen auditoriums, twelve of which were screening Star Wars: The Force Awakens. All twelve were sold out, with a seating occupancy rate of 100%.
In other words, not only had every ticket for The Force Awakens been sold, but every single one had an actual viewer.
That proved one thing—at least in this cinema, there were no signs of the production or distribution companies buying tickets to inflate box office numbers.
As someone working in the industry, Hans Mason knew very well that some films' opening numbers looked impressive, but only insiders knew how much of that was fake. To make the data look more appealing and drive later market buzz, many production and distribution companies would purchase large quantities of their own tickets.
Although this was only one cinema's data, Hans Mason was convinced that with Duke Rosenberg's influence, such tactics were completely unnecessary.
In the City of Angels, Los Angeles, the midnight screenings had not yet begun. Norman Shiller sat in the theater lounge, browsing through online reviews. Because of work, he had missed the premiere, but he wasn't going to miss the midnight show.
The premiere and a few early screenings had already allowed many fans and media reporters to see the film. Twitter and Instant Share were flooded with topics and reviews about Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been crafted by Duke Rosenberg with extraordinary skill, full of drama and emotion. That's only natural—but it's also a thrilling, energy-charged work. What a wonderful Christmas gift!"
"Duke Rosenberg has clearly learned from the mistakes of George Lucas's Star Wars prequels, and he's taken this sequel in the opposite direction. He's made an intriguing choice to push the saga forward—introducing new actors to play new characters and bringing them into this beloved universe cherished by millions."
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Duke Rosenberg have breathed fresh energy and vitality into this mythologized franchise. The film not only revives the glory of the past but also points boldly toward a bright new future."
Sitting in the theater, Norman Shiller saw nothing but a sea of people—it was as if this wasn't midnight, but a weekend afternoon.
Not only in New York and Los Angeles, but on this very day, across all of North America and throughout the Western world, every cinema showing Star Wars: The Force Awakens was almost bursting with crowds of frenzied fans.
The largest groups among these moviegoers were the Star Wars enthusiasts and Duke's diehard supporters.
At the Duke Manor in Malibu, Scarlett Johansson poured a glass of water, her bare feet pressing into the soft carpet of the bedroom. She stepped through the opened sliding glass doors of the balcony and walked out onto the large terrace facing the sea.
The night breeze carried a slight chill. Scarlett tightened the robe wrapped around her and looked ahead—under the bright light, Duke sat quietly, gazing at the distant horizon as if lost in thought.
Placing the glass of water on the small table in front of him, Scarlett walked around and pulled out the wicker chair, sitting down beside him.
Duke withdrew his gaze and asked with concern, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I can't sleep." Scarlett smiled faintly, naturally resting a hand on Duke's arm. "You're not sleeping either. Are you worried about the box office?"
"Not worried," Duke shook his head. The film hadn't even been released yet, but it had already turned a profit through merchandise and sponsorships. "I just want to know as soon as possible how much the midnight screenings can make."
Since he chose to take on this series, he naturally wanted to leave something behind in film history.
It was no exaggeration to say that, at this stage of his career—with his current wealth, position, and stable relationship—what Duke sought most was to carve a bold and enduring mark on cinema's timeline.
Of course, this mark had nothing to do with Oscars or artistic prestige. What he wanted was an achievement like that of James Cameron.
Surpassing James Cameron's record-breaking single-film box office total was no easy task.
Duke knew that very well; otherwise, he wouldn't be waiting here now. As he had grown older, his mindset had become calmer. For his recent films, he had always gone to sleep instead of waiting for results. But Star Wars: The Force Awakens was an exception.
Scarlett turned her head, glancing at the clock through the window, and gently tugged at Duke's arm. "It'll still be a while before the box office numbers come out. You've got a lot of media interviews tomorrow—let's get some sleep."
Unlike his previous few films, since completing post-production, Duke had devoted one hundred percent of his energy to the promotion and marketing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Starting tomorrow, a long list of appearances and interviews awaited him.
"All right, let's go back and rest."
Picking up the glass, Duke finished the warm water, stood up first, then helped Scarlett Johansson to her feet. Arm in arm, they walked back toward the bedroom together.
"Don't worry, dear," Scarlett said deliberately. "By the time you wake up tomorrow morning, the report will already be on your nightstand."
....
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