Chapter 89 – Breaking 100 Million
After hanging up the phone, Carl's expression turned grim. Still, he forced himself to stay composed and called for his secretary.
"Notify the marketing department to cancel the rest of Far and Away's promotional plans. We need to cut our losses."
Once the secretary left, Carl slammed his fist on the desk in frustration. Even though the project had been greenlit by his predecessor, all the marketing work afterward had been handled by him.
Now the film could be declared a flop in advance. With this kind of box office return, it was unclear how many years it would take to recoup the investment. And this failure would definitely shake the board's confidence in him.
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By the time Friday morning rolled around, Wayne was already at the breakfast table, where he found the latest Vanity Fair issue and a faxed box office report from Warner Bros.
The results were clear—no amount of media smear campaigns could stifle audience enthusiasm. After Get Out had taken the top spot last weekend, it continued performing strongly throughout the weekdays.
Monday brought in $6.5 million. On Tuesday—thanks to ticket discounts—the film climbed to $6.75 million. Wednesday saw $6.42 million, and Thursday followed closely at $6.31 million.
Four weekdays alone totaled a stunning $25.98 million. Combined with the opening weekend's $49.64 million, the film had grossed $75.62 million in just one week in North America.
Looking at the stats, it was almost certain that Get Out would cross the $100 million mark this weekend. And on Monday, its overseas rollout would begin—Get Out's domestic success had given Warner Bros. enormous confidence.
Wayne also noticed another shift—Universal had seemingly backed off. After realizing Far and Away had no hope at the box office, the smear pieces in gossip tabloids had noticeably died down.
In Wayne's view, Universal had pretty much abandoned the project. Even its marketing had gone quiet. The only people still showing up in theaters were hardcore Tom Cruise fans.
Every year, Hollywood's summer season kicks off in May and runs through July—three months of fierce box office warfare. It's the most critical release window of the year, with new high-stakes blockbusters debuting weekly.
Once this season starts, no film gets to enjoy an extended, uncontested reign at the top. Get Out was lucky—most studios had chosen to avoid going head-to-head with Tom Cruise, and this weekend brought no major new wide releases.
That gave Get Out a rare second weekend to sprint forward unchallenged.
In recent years, summer blockbusters often make one-third to even half of their total domestic gross within the first 7 to 10 days. Studios know this, which is why they pump heavy marketing to fill theaters early. A film's first weekend is often a crystal ball for its overall performance.
Get Out had now completed a full week in theaters, raking in over $70 million. Breaking $100 million was not just likely—it was inevitable.
And that still wouldn't be its ceiling.
Despite the limitations of the horror genre—short theatrical runs, stiffer competition—Warner Bros. already saw the signs: this film would generate massive profits.
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"You look like you're in a great mood." Halle Berry, still in her pajamas and yawning, walked into the dining room to find Wayne grinning at the box office report.
She sat next to him, leaned over to glance at the numbers, and smiled. "Congratulations. The movie's a massive success."
"Thanks, Halle." Wayne set the papers down and took a long sip of milk. "But it's not over yet. The final result will depend on how this weekend goes."
Far and Away, despite plummeting audience ratings, was still performing decently thanks to Tom Cruise's star power. Even with a weak opening weekend, it had managed to earn $39.67 million in its first week.
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"This weekend, we're definitely crossing $100 million. Nothing can stop this movie now," Jimmy announced as he strolled in, coffee in hand. He sat at the table and smiled.
"Warner Bros. already told me—this weekend is the last phase of their full-scale marketing push for Get Out, Wayne. Starting next week, they'll shift their main resources to other summer releases."
"That's fine. I get it, Jimmy. It's the summer season," Wayne said calmly. He knew Jimmy was worried he'd take it personally.
Since Monday, Get Out's promotional campaign had clearly gone into overdrive. From HBO to TNT to ABC, and across print—from tabloids to the three major newspapers to professional outlets like Vanity Fair and The Hollywood Reporter—coverage of the film was everywhere.
Warner Bros.' approach was brutally simple: strike hard while the iron was hot. With no real competitors this second weekend, they aimed to squeeze every dollar out of it.
Of course, Get Out couldn't monopolize attention forever. Wayne understood the nature of the summer box office.
---
"They really made you look like a star," Jimmy remarked, noticing the latest Vanity Fair on the table.
On the cover, Wayne was shown tilting his head downward, casting a sharp look into the camera. Below was the bold headline:
> "Wayne Garfield: The Miracle Maker!"
Jimmy flipped through the magazine, quickly finding Wayne's interview. He nodded as he skimmed through it. Though the published version had a few minor edits, nothing in it was especially controversial.
After breakfast, Jimmy led Wayne into another day of relentless promotional work. While the film's key cast and crew continued their national publicity tour, Los Angeles had become Wayne's home base and primary battlefield.
That morning, he and Halle Berry had just wrapped up an interview with the Los Angeles Times. In the afternoon, they were scheduled for a local TV station segment. His entire weekend was packed with promotional events.
Originally, Warner Bros. had arranged for Wayne to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show, but due to scheduling conflicts and his personal indifference toward Oprah and her "warm embrace" style, he eventually passed on the opportunity without regret.
Despite skipping Oprah, Wayne's efforts in Los Angeles paid off big time. With constant media coverage from outlets large and small, public attention remained firmly fixed on Get Out. This momentum translated into moviegoers flooding theaters out of sheer curiosity.
---
As the first rays of morning sunlight filtered into the estate, signaling the start of a new workday, Wayne sat down and opened the weekend box office report and a thick stack of newspapers Nina had brought in.
A wave of accomplishment washed over him.
Every major North American media outlet had seemingly held their breath all weekend, waiting for the final box office numbers. And once they arrived, a firestorm of praise ignited across the press, showering both Get Out and its young director with accolades.
According to the data from Warner Bros.:
Friday: $12.6 million
Saturday: Attendance soared again with $19.56 million
Sunday: A slight dip due to the approaching workweek, $15.6 million
That totaled a staggering $57.16 million for the second weekend alone.
Get Out had officially crossed the $100 million milestone, reaching an astonishing $127.36 million domestic gross.
Seeing those numbers, all the fatigue and stress from endless promotional appearances instantly vanished for Wayne.
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And Wayne wasn't the only one staring at box office reports.
Elsewhere on Mulholland Drive, inside another luxurious mansion, Tom Cruise sat with a sour expression as he stared at the numbers printed in black and white.
$7.98 million.
That was the weekend gross for Far and Away. A brutal figure. The kind that made him want to flip the entire table over in rage.
"Tom, don't dwell on the numbers," said Pat Kingsley, his longtime publicist and trusted advisor. "The film is a loss. Now it's time to focus on your next project."
She held a newspaper too—Vanity Fair's cover featuring Wayne, head lowered, eyes locked on the camera, a portrait of poise and success. Even in black-and-white print, the image exuded victory.
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"This director is at the peak of his creative energy," she continued, her tone calm and pragmatic.
"Pat!" Tom snapped, sensing where she was going with this. He felt insulted. "Have you forgotten? Just last week we were feeding the press to smear him."
"That was just business, Tom. Standard competitive tactics. There's nothing personal between you and him. It's over now."
Pat's words gave him pause. She was right—there was no personal grudge here. In Hollywood, these things were routine.
The real shock was his own film's failure. No one had seen it coming. He needed a win, and fast. And like it or not, joining Wayne Garfield's next project might just be the fastest path back to the top.
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"Keep an eye on that director's next move through CAA," Tom said after a long breath, glancing once more at the stack of newspapers.
"I will," Pat nodded. "Wayne Garfield moved straight from Happy Death Day into Get Out without missing a beat. He's a workhorse. You can be sure another project is already brewing."
"Directors who score back-to-back hits like this are rare. And no one turns down a chance to work with a box office superstar. If we show interest, the project gains instant commercial appeal."
She spoke patiently, knowing her client well. Tom Cruise was a megastar, but also a man ruled by pride—and convincing him to put ego aside was no easy task.
Still, Pat Kingsley had been in the game long enough to know the rules:
One flop doesn't end a career—not for someone of Tom Cruise's stature. As long as he didn't string together multiple failures, his A-list status would remain intact.
And when it came to Wayne Garfield, no one knew better than Pat how capable he truly was.
The real challenge wasn't his skill—it was getting her client to accept that working with his former competitor might just be his smartest move.