I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1189: Response to the Sneak Preview]

Just after 10 PM, Eric bid farewell to Henry Paulson and left the Upper East Hydee with Angela Lindvall.

As their luxury car set off, Angela sat quietly next to Eric, reminiscing about the afternoon's events, her face still flushed with excitement.

Glancing at the man beside her, Eric was toying with a business card, a thoughtful expression on his face. This made Angela recall how, at the cocktail party, Henry Paulson's wife had invited her to a lounge to chat with the other women. The girl was clever and understood that the big shots had something to discuss and wanted her out of the way.

Though curiosity inevitably bubbled up inside her, she restrained herself from probing into the contents of the business card in Eric's hands.

The card belonged to Donald Evans, who was listed as the Chairman and CEO of Tom Brown Inc. in Texas. Yet Eric was well aware that Donald Evans held another title: Chairman of George W. Bush's campaign committee.

In fact, from 1988 to that moment, Eric had experienced three U.S. presidential elections. However, due to his consistent avoidance of politics and the fact that the Firefly system hadn't yet ballooned into the monstrous scale it was to become, the previous elections had little to do with him.

Now, on one hand, the overall scale of the Firefly system had grown massive, making it increasingly susceptible to federal macroeconomic policies. The formulation of these policies was largely in the hands of each presidential administration. On the other hand, the vast media resources controlled by the Firefly system could greatly influence the course of elections in North America.

Thus, whether actively or passively, the Firefly system was fated to be entangled in future presidential elections.

Given Eric's identity as a capital nouveau riche from Hollywood, his links to the tech industry, and California, it typically implied that he would lean toward the Democratic Party. After all, most people connected to him shared those same affiliations. Under the tide of circumstances, it would be impossible for Eric to deviate from this crowd.

However, Eric's situation was rather unique. After all, there had never been a billionaire like him in North America, and his vast wealth meant he couldn't fully favor one party. Betting on both sides had become the norm for top-tier billionaires in North America. Furthermore, Eric had never publicly disclosed his political leanings, which had facilitated this tentative approach from Bush's team.

After receiving Henry Paulson's subtle hint, Eric chose to attend tonight's cocktail party. Although he didn't commit to anything, he exchanged business cards with Donald Evans and engaged in some casual conversation, which was already a positive response.

...

The distance from Henry Paulson's mansion on Madison Avenue to Eric's high-rise apartment near Sixth Avenue was less than two kilometers. As Eric pondered this, the car had already entered the building's underground parking garage.

Noticing that Angela seemed slightly tense due to his silence, Eric shook off his chaotic thoughts and smiled, asking, "Are you hungry? Should I take you to grab a bite to eat?"

To maintain decorum, Angela hadn't eaten much at the cocktail party, but being able to endure hunger was a fundamental trait of models, so she shook her head, saying, "Eric, I'm not hungry."

After the bodyguard opened the car door, Eric got out but still instructed someone to send a late-night snack, then took Angela into the elevator, leading them up to the top-floor apartment.

Angela followed closely behind Eric, curiously admiring the spacious living room with its sleek, expensive decor, a subtle yearning gleaming in her eyes.

After casting a glance, she noticed Eric standing at the entryway, unbuttoning his trench coat. The girl, ever attentive, stepped forward to help, taking his coat to hang it up. Only then did she remove her own women's coat and high heels, feeling the cool floor beneath her bare feet.

Eric observed Angela's rather conservative Chanel turtleneck dress, saying, "The late-night snack won't arrive for another twenty minutes; you can take a shower first."

Angela nodded, though her eyes scanned the surroundings with curiosity.

Eric smiled, saying, "Follow me."

He led her to a bathroom on the second floor, then casually selected a shirt from his bedroom to hand to her before heading downstairs.

...

About half an hour later, Angela returned to the living room after her shower. Eric sat on the sofa, casually flipping through some documents. The girl wore nothing but a large men's shirt, the hem revealing her long, slim legs as she lightly tiptoed to the man's side, kneeling on the carpet next to the sofa and leaning on the armrest, glancing at the plates on the coffee table.

"Eric, this scene feels a bit familiar," she remarked.

With a smile, Eric replied, "Looks like I've gained another fan."

Angela laughed softly and continued, "Eric, I heard there's a sequel to Pretty Woman. What happened to Vivian and Edward afterward?"

"There's no sequel," Eric shook his head. "The prince and princess lived happily ever after. That's how fairy tales end. Now, let's eat something."

Angela obediently got up but then brought the plates over, saying, "Eric, there's so much. Can we eat together?"

Eric didn't refuse, setting aside his documents as they shared some food. When Angela returned after clearing the empty plates, Eric had turned off most of the lights in the living room, leaving only a soft yellow wall lamp on.

With Eric's silent nod, Angela shyly smiled before quickly moving over, playfully settling on the man's lap.

Eric lifted the shirt's hem like it was a T-shirt, revealing a perfect figure clad only in white panties. The girl was actually quite tall at over six feet, but her slender body pressed against him in such a way that made her even more irresistible.

As he savored Angela in his embrace, the living room soon filled with soft, delicate breaths.

...

Winter sunlight often carried a peculiar pallor, yet Eric strangely reveled in this feeling of despondency.

Having forgotten to close the curtains the night before, he woke up bathed in the morning light, unusually reluctant to get out of bed, enjoying the gentle white light spilling around him.

Next to him, Angela remained undisturbed, her sleeping posture a bit messy. She sprawled lazily on the pillow, her elegant head tilted, her beautiful golden hair splayed out. One pale arm peeked out from the comforter, gripping tightly onto the other side of the sheet, seemingly fighting to block sleep's demons from dragging her into an abyss.

It seemed that time had slipped by unnoticed when suddenly, the girl's head jerked against the pillow, awakening her bright blue eyes.

Noticing Eric was gazing at her with interest, Angela quickly shook off her drowsiness and smiled, lazily saying, "Eric, good morning."

"Morning," Eric chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Angela felt a bit embarrassed, saying, "I dreamed about racing bikes with my sister on the farm when I was little. We were going too fast and fell."

"Oh, looks like someone wasn't a good girl when she was younger."

Angela gave a slightly embarrassed smile, awkwardly changing the subject, "Eric, isn't your new movie premiering today? Can I go see it?"

"Of course, I'll have some tickets arranged for you."

"I meant, today is Saturday, can you go with me?"

"About that..." Eric thought for a moment, nodding under Angela's eager gaze. "Alright, I just happen to be free today."

Angela let out a small cheer but suddenly remembered something, looking a bit disappointed. "But I heard the preview today is just the 3D version, and they won't have it in IMAX until next week? I saw the IMAX poster for Gravity last time, it was huge."

In order to create a gradual promotional effect, the sneak previews that weekend were indeed only in 3D. The Firefly Group would release a more impressive 3D-IMAX preview the following week after gauging the 3D cinema's reception.

Seeing the anticipation on Angela's face, Eric traced a finger along her pretty cheek, saying, "I'll arrange for an IMAX screening, just the two of us."

"Really? Won't that be a hassle?"

"Not at all."

Eric shook his head; he was curious to see the IMAX screening room in Manhattan himself. Although moving the hefty 500-kilogram 3D-IMAX reel from the vault for one screening wasn't exactly straightforward, it was something Eric could manage with a casual order.

...

As Eric made this offhand decision that morning, media and movie fans across North America eagerly awaited the unique 3D screening of Gravity at 8 PM that night.

From the initial whispers of Firefly Group's '4200' project to this point, where the first film in 3D and IMAX formats was about to premiere, film enthusiasts had been looking forward to this for two years. Coupled with the Firefly Group's relentless promotion of Gravity during this time, the anticipation hit a peak.

Gravity was only scheduled for a total of 50 preview cinemas in North America that weekend, with around 10,000 tickets, which was virtually a drop in the bucket for the entire North American film market. As a result, tickets for the sneak preview of Gravity were being resold for as much as $300.

Some eager viewers, unable to snag tickets for the Gravity preview, turned to traditional red-blue 3D screening rooms out of curiosity, only to be left disappointed, leading to media criticisms regarding the 3D effects of Gravity.

...

Taking a rare day off, Eric spent much of the day finishing up in his apartment on Sixth Avenue.

By 7 PM, he finally took Angela out for dinner before heading to the IMAX theater.

Even though she had passed by the six-story tall IMAX poster many times before, Angela still gazed curiously through the car window, as many had flocked to see the oversized advertisement during this time.

After arriving in the parking lot next to the theater, she linked her arm with Eric's as they were guided inside by the staff. Until the moment they entered the screening room, curious thoughts lingered in Angela's mind: Could it really be that big?

As she stepped into the screening room, her only thought was, "This is unbelievable."

The six-story tall giant screen took up most of her field of vision, and the standard theater, with 455 seats, boasted an atmosphere that felt quite rare. Over the years, North American theaters had increasingly favored smaller viewing rooms, with large auditoriums featuring hundreds of seats becoming less common.

"Send some popcorn and soda over, just have them ready for the screening," Eric casually instructed the cinema manager beside him as he led Angela to a central spot. "Let's sit here; the view is the best from this vantage point."

Angela nodded and stepped inside, once seated, she shyly asked, "Eric, it's really just going to be us? Isn't that too wasteful?"

Eric chuckled, "I can't really find enough audience to fill this place up right now."

Angela understood perfectly well that it would be easy for Eric to fill the theater; she simply smiled and began to take in her surroundings.

Soon, the cinema manager arrived with popcorn, soda, and two pairs of 3D glasses.

Putting on their glasses, Eric and Angela watched as the lights in the theater quickly dimmed.

...

Moments later, two beams of light shot from the back of the theater onto the huge IMAX screen. As they beheld the whimsical 3D Firefly logo fluttering across the screen, the immersive surround sound enveloping them, Angela couldn't help but let out a small gasp.

After the opening credits, brief segments of subtitles introduced the film, and the image of Earth suddenly appeared before them, accompanied by faint electronic sounds as the camera zoomed toward the space station.

Though Angela didn't completely grasp the meaning behind the super long shots showcasing such unique angles, the breathtaking 3D visual experience stirred a strong sense of viewing pleasure, keeping her eyes locked on the IMAX screen.

...

Meanwhile, in the other 50 3D preview theaters across North America, seasoned moviegoers and film critics may not have been able to appreciate the visual impact of the giant IMAX screen, yet they remained captivated by the RealD 3D effects and the stunning opening shot of Gravity.

However, the opening excitement was just the beginning; as the impending crisis hit, with scenes of thrilling moments in space and more immersive 3D effects, many fans and critics found themselves experiencing the sensation of "I've lived a full life" during the relatively short 90-minute screening.

*****

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