April 3, 2002, 11:30 p.m., Los Angeles.
Luke drove into the city and stopped at a small local theater—the same one where he'd watched Jurassic Park III last time.
He bought a ticket for the premiere screening of Hero and went inside.
In the original timeline, Hero finished filming in 2002 but didn't hit North American theaters until 2004.
This time, thanks to Mr. Eisen's careful maneuvering, it secured a 2002 release slot. It wasn't exactly a prime date, but it was still an impressive achievement.
Originally, Hero topped the North American box office for two straight weeks and grossed $53.71 million in total.
Now, Luke hoped it would far surpass that figure—and, ideally, maintain such high attendance that it could stay in theaters long enough to roll into the May blockbuster season.
As always, he chose a seat in the back corner.
That was his favorite spot—it left the best seats for other moviegoers and also gave him a perfect view of the audience's reactions.
The movie was about to start. Luke quietly found his seat in the dark.
> "I've been waiting forever for another Luke movie!"
A woman's excited voice came from the seat next to him.
Luke turned—and to his surprise, it was a familiar face.
It was the same young white couple who had sat beside him during Jurassic Park III.
Back then, they hadn't been officially dating yet—just in that awkward, flirty stage. During the movie, as they watched his performance, they'd broken the ice and become a couple right there in the theater.
Luke remembered it clearly.
At first, the girl had been a big fan of his, while the guy had only come along reluctantly—and even seemed a little dismissive.
But as the action scenes went on, the guy's attitude completely changed.
By the time Luke's high-fall stunt appeared on screen, the guy was totally won over and proudly declared himself a fan.
They'd promised to support every one of Luke's movies from then on.
And clearly, they'd kept their word.
> "Luke's movies brought us together. As long as he keeps acting, I'll always buy a ticket to support him," the man said.
> "Yeah," the woman smiled, touching her belly, "and when our kid's old enough, we'll bring them to see his movies too."
Luke noticed the slight curve of her stomach—she must've been four or five months pregnant.
It's been about eleven months since Jurassic Park III was released, he thought. Looks like their relationship really blossomed—they're even starting a family.
The sight made Luke genuinely happy.
He'd witnessed a couple fall in love, make it official, and now build a life together—all through his work.
It was a special feeling.
> "I saw the trailer," the man continued. "Looks like this time Luke didn't do any dangerous stunts."
> "That's a good thing! I hate seeing him risk his life for every role. As long as the movie's good, I'll always support him," the woman replied.
> "Yeah, even without crazy stunts, it looks awesome. Those sword-fight scenes gave me chills," the man said, excitement in his voice.
There was something about raw, weapon-based combat that appealed to nearly every man—it was primal and irresistible.
> "But I heard he has another movie coming out next month—Pirates of the Caribbean. And that one's full of dangerous action scenes again," the woman said.
> "Yeah, I don't know if I should be happy or worried," the man sighed. "He risks his life to give us this entertainment—the least we can do is buy tickets to support him."
> "Shh, it's starting!"
The big screen flickered to life.
A black background appeared, with the title Hero written in bold, blood-red characters.
Tan Dun's haunting orchestral score played over it, heavy with ancient grandeur.
The opening scene showcased an epic sight:
Hundreds of Qin soldiers clad in black armor stood in perfect formation before a massive palace.
A straight pathway cut through the ranks, leading to the grand hall at the center.
There, a man in black—Nameless—carried three long wooden boxes containing the weapons of three assassins who had once tried to kill the King of Qin.
The swords of Sky, Broken Sword, and Flying Snow lay inside—proof that Nameless had defeated them all.
It was this great feat that earned him the right to meet the King face to face.
Inside the dark hall, the King of Qin and Nameless sat opposite each other.
The King sat high above on his throne, towering in authority.
Nameless sat on the ground below, a symbol of his humble origins.
The palace was cloaked in black—gleaming obsidian floors, carved black columns, the King's black armor, and Nameless's black robe—all emanating an oppressive, lonely majesty.
The audience gasped in awe.
> "Wow, that army, that palace—it's so cool! @#@ really is such a mysterious, ancient country," the woman whispered.
> "Yeah, I looked it up. The story takes place over 2,200 years ago ," the man said. "Can you believe that?
> "No way! They had architecture like that two thousand years ago? That's insane!" she exclaimed softly.
The movie continued.
Nameless began recounting how he defeated the assassin Sky and broke his spear.
The King praised him for it—then asked, "And how did you defeat Broken Sword and Flying Snow? Three years ago, the two of them attacked me, and even three thousand armored soldiers couldn't stop them."
> "The heart," Nameless replied. "I used the love and hatred in their hearts to turn them against each other."
The next scene showed Broken Sword (played by Luke) and Flying Snow (played by Zhang Ziyu) dressed in red, practicing calligraphy in a Zhao Kingdom academy.
> "Red suits him better than white," the man said. "He looks so alive, so full of energy."
> "I still like him better in white—he's like an Eastern prince charming. No woman can resist that," the woman giggled.
Then came the tragic love triangle between Broken Sword, Flying Snow, and Moon (played by Gao Yuanyuan).
When the intimate scene between Broken Sword and Moon appeared, the audience erupted in knowing laughter and teasing comments.
> "Damn, look at those muscles. His body's like a Renaissance sculpture."
> "So jealous of that actress! Even if it's just acting, I wish I could have a scene like that with Luke."
> "I'm a guy, and even I kinda want one!"
> "Gross, man, get away from me!"
> "Hey, that's discrimination against minorities!"
> "The actress playing Moon is gorgeous too—her acting's incredible. You can really feel her deep love for him."
> "You think that was acting? That was real emotion—when a woman's in love, you can't fake it."
The atmosphere in the theater was electric—everyone was fully engaged, laughing, whispering, and reacting with genuine excitement.
Luke smiled quietly to himself.
No matter where you go in the world, he thought, gossip about men and women is always the easiest way to capture people's attention—it's just human nature.