[Chapter 512: Over $100 Million in Two Days, Mariah Carey]
When Linton arrived at the hotel restaurant for breakfast, he was surprised to find Catherine and Michelle Reis with bloodshot eyes, looking like they hadn't slept well.
"What's going on with you two?"
"It's obviously because Mission: Impossible's box office smashed expectations. We were so excited we couldn't sleep a wink all night. Also, it's partly your fault -- at such a crucial moment, you go off hanging with someone else."
"Exactly. If you were with us, we wouldn't have stayed up all night. You owe us big time."
Listening to their complaints, Linton understood. The box office breaking records had them excited for sure. But considering how their bodies had long been nourished by his essence, staying up one night -- or even three nights -- wouldn't have been a problem for them physically.
Still, he had brushed them off last night to enjoy time with Jennifer Aniston, so their displeasure was real. Both factors combined explained their tired appearances.
Fortunately, with adjustments to their press tour schedule, the trip was quite relaxed. At each city, they only had to visit four cinemas. Taking the audience flow into account, the distribution team in Chicago had arranged two shows in the afternoon and two in the evening.
New York wasn't far from Chicago either -- a private plane flight was just about an hour and a half.
Seeing the time was still early, and with Catherine and Michelle Reis not feeling well, Linton decided to help treat them. How? By giving each a 'shot'.
He informed his assistant that everyone should rest until after lunch and postponed their departure time.
Leading Catherine and Michelle Reis back to their rooms, he took on the role of doctor and began administering injections...
Under his care, the two women soon relaxed and revitalized, their energy returning...
---
While the trio were enjoying themselves oblivious to the world outside, the media frenzy about Mission: Impossible's record-breaking opening had gone completely wild.
Before, the North American single-day box office record was held by Independence Day with $27.72 million, but now Mission: Impossible had skyrocketed to $49.06 million -- almost double the previous mark.
This kind of leap naturally sent media outlets into a frenzy.
That very morning, every morning TV news program, newspaper, Yahoo! News, and all major forums were ablaze with reports and discussions about Mission: Impossible's stunning new record.
According to industry analysts, Mission: Impossible had rewritten the rules: breaking $400 million in North America and surpassing $1 billion globally was practically inevitable.
Of course, plenty of column inches were devoted to the steamy rumors surrounding Hollywood's golden boy Linton and America's sweetheart Jennifer Aniston appearing together on the New York leg of the tour.
Two superstars -- one an unbeatable box office draw, the other beloved nationwide -- naturally generated massive gossip and media buzz.
Most articles mentioned Mission: Impossible prominently, indirectly fueling even more interest in the film.
...
Meanwhile, theaters capitalized on the momentum. Because of yesterday's staggering box office and near sold-out screenings, today's screenings were massively increased.
While the number of theaters stayed maxed out, additional screens were added, with a mind-blowing 36% of all showtimes allocated to Mission: Impossible.
On opening day, the film had taken 70% of all ticket sales on just 30% of the screenings, and during peak hours, many theaters had lost customers due to insufficient showtimes. Naturally, other movies suffered. Recent releases Executive Decision and Up Close and Personal didn't even crack $4 million in box office yesterday, ranking second and third respectively, yet with screen shares close to 10%.
The collective box office for other films barely crossed $10 million.
With that stark contrast in earnings, theaters reduced their showtimes significantly, reallocating screens to Mission: Impossible.
...
Hollywood itself was taken aback. No studio executive or producer could sit still after seeing a $49.06 million opening day. Unearthing the key to this juggernaut's success -- whether it be Linton's star power, the spy thriller genre, the film's quality, or marketing -- became a hot topic.
---
By 3 PM, Linton's group arrived in Chicago.
Learning from past mistake, Linton kept the flight details tightly under wraps, arriving without a crowd of fans waiting. The group smoothly checked into the Hilton.
Soon after checking in, Mariah Carey -- who had already arranged to stay at the same hotel -- showed up to meet Linton.
Naturally, this sparked a frenzy among paparazzi and reporters.
Could Hollywood's notorious playboy Linton and the music queen Mariah be an item? That was prime gossip material.
At 4:30 PM, Mariah accompanied Linton, Catherine, and Michelle Reis to Chicago's largest theater, AMC River East 21.
This multiplex hosted 21 screening rooms -- with 10 reserved for Mission: Impossible.
Thanks to word that Linton would be there for promotional events, legions of fans flocked to the screenings. Despite the number of theaters showing the movie, occupancy had been high since morning, reaching packed houses during afternoon peak times.
...
Linton and his entourage's arrival ignited fervent applause, and reporters from both the media and the theater worked themselves into a frenzy during the Q&A session.
Mariah took the stage and shared her thoughts on the film:
"Linton's performance in Mission: Impossible was outstanding. He brought Ethan Hunt to life, making him one of cinema's most memorable spy characters.
And in the action scenes, Linton did many of his own stunts -- like that rooftop chase in Prague. Under cover of night, he leapt and climbed with incredible agility, completely embodying the role of a skilled agent...
After watching the film, all I could think was: Linton is so handsome, his acting was incredible. You'd really regret missing this movie."
Her eloquence impressed Linton -- who ever said Mariah was just a big goofy girl? She was clearly sharp, though maybe she'd done her homework beforehand.
...
During audience and media questions, just like the day before, an awkward situation arose.
Nobody asked about the movie itself. Instead, most questions focused on gossip involving Linton, Mariah, Catherine, and Michelle Reis.
"Linton, are you dating Mariah?"
"Mariah, did you come to Chicago just for Linton?"
"Mariah, are you ready to become Linton's 22nd girlfriend?"
"Catherine, how do you feel about Mariah joining your group?"
"Linton, how will you split your time tonight between Catherine and Michelle Reis?"
"Linton, will you write songs for Mariah?"
"Mariah, will you collaborate with Linton?"
"..."
Faced with the barrage of gossip, most people would dodge the questions.
Linton boasted briefly about the film, trying to steer the conversation back to the movie.
But Mariah answered directly:
"Linton and I are good friends. I'm here on business in Chicago, and when I heard he was promoting Mission: Impossible, I naturally wanted to support him. After all, Mission: Impossible is truly fantastic, and Linton's performance is amazing and he is very handsome -- please give it your support."
Her reply was savvy -- she explained why she was there, boosted the film, and threw in a pointed compliment about Linton's looks. Though framed in terms of the movie, it inevitably stirred the imaginations of reporters and fans alike.
Indeed, anyone who had doubted Mariah's smarts would need to rethink that opinion.
...
Today's schedule remained light. After leaving AMC River East 21, around 5:30 PM they headed to Regal Webster Place 11.
Following a relaxed dinner, they visited two other major theaters at 8:30 and 9:30 PM.
By 10 PM, the Chicago leg of the tour wrapped smoothly.
This laid-back pace even made Catherine and Michelle Reis twitchy -- they worried if it might be too casual, bordering on unprofessional.
Of course, Linton had every reason for the ease. Mission: Impossible's promotion had thoroughly saturated every nook and cranny of America.
Media coverage was overwhelming, leaving no need to hustle for headlines.
Moreover, third-party surveys of midnight screenings and yesterday's results showed audiences rated the film an A, with almost no grades below C.
Most crucially, the film's opening day smashing box office had sparked a viewing frenzy across North America.
Though today's final numbers hadn't come in, attendance data indicated the box office would only climb higher, virtually guaranteed to set a new daily record.
Under these conditions, their promotional roadshow's actual impact was modest, though still positive.
...
Returning to the hotel early in the evening, Catherine, Michelle Reis, and Mariah naturally gathered in Linton's room.
Fired up by Mission: Impossible's soaring earnings, Catherine and Michelle Reis were eager to discuss the film and audience reactions with him.
But Mariah didn't play by the usual rules. As soon as she stepped inside, she dropped her purse, threw herself into Linton's arms like a koala, and planted a warm, passionate kiss on him.
She even began getting hands-on, exploring with eager touches.
Catherine couldn't stand it.
"Hey, hey, there are people around!"
Michelle Reis wasn't far behind.
"Yeah, do you think we're invisible or something?"
Mariah just smiled.
"No problem. You two can join in. I don't care."
Catherine and Michelle Reis were furious internally. This wasn't just a matter of being "unbothered" -- Mariah wasn't even an official member of the harem. What right did she have to say that?
Just as they were about to voice their frustration again, Linton spoke up.
"Enough. Since Mariah wants to play, Catherine, Michelle Reis, you two come along too."
The two women understood the message: Mariah was clearly an outside addition.
Well, since that was the case, there was no point holding back.
They smoothly joined in what started as an intimate game between two but quickly blossomed into a raucous four-person game...
...
More than four hours passed, yet the play showed no sign of ending.
Suddenly, the phone rang urgently -- likely the box office update from last night.
They paused the play, and Linton answered.
Levitt's excited voice came through: "Boss! Fantastic news! Yesterday's box office broke another record: $51.93 million -- a new single-day record. So, after two days, that's $100.99 million!
In just two days, we've crossed $100 million -- the fastest ever to reach that milestone."
...
Linton hung up, scooped up Catherine and Michelle Reis who'd been listening by his side, and turned to plant a kiss on Mariah nestled against his back.
"You all just heard it. Another record smashed. With such great news, let's keep the celebration going."
Joyous music resumed...
...
Mariah really was uninhibited. She went all out and didn't make any demands on Linton for the entire next morning after the "play."
When they parted, she happily accepted a bottle of Beauty Pills and said, "Linton, when I come to Los Angeles, don't ignore me," before leaving with a carefree air.
---
With single-day box office topping $50 million and $100 million in two days, Mission: Impossible had achieved unbelievable numbers.
This sparked overwhelming media coverage. Of course, Mariah's help promoting in Chicago and the gossip surrounding her and Linton's rumored romance also grabbed huge headlines, fueling conversation and buzz.
Taking cues from Jennifer and Mariah's success, many other actresses scrambled to get in touch with Linton, hoping to join his upcoming promotional events.
What a great strategy -- courting Linton while riding the wave of Mission: Impossible's success, maybe even sparking something more.
Catherine and Michelle Reis were pleased, though, as Linton rejected all these last-minute requests.
Frankly, while Jennifer and Mariah's involvement boosted Mission: Impossible's heat, it also inevitably diverted attention and media coverage away from Catherine and Michelle Reis, slightly undercutting their share of the box office glory.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
https://discord.gg/HjHHhUXPn7.