MTLNOVEL Chapter 816: The Death of a Beauty
In the analyses of major film companies, Twilight's box office success, despite its critical panning, stemmed from its appeal to teenagers and female audiences. Friends, sisters, classmates—they'd all seen it and said, "I've gotta go watch it too." People are often willing to spend money on what excites them, and it was this crowd that propped up Twilight's soaring box office amid the wave of criticism.
Martin returned to Los Angeles.
He stepped into a small screening room at 20th Century Fox to attend a test viewing of Avatar.
"Martin, I heard your Inception is using 3D IMAX tech too?" James Cameron asked with curiosity.
"Exactly. I think your Avatar is going to spark a surge in IMAX theaters. The high ticket prices for IMAX are a huge boost to box office numbers. I'm betting Avatar will hit a jaw-dropping height, and it'll bring unprecedented heat to 3D IMAX films. So why wouldn't I ride that wave?"
Truth be told, in the original timeline, if Nolan hadn't been so stubborn and had made Inception a 3D IMAX film, its global box office would've easily surpassed $830 million. The premium ticket price is a clear advantage for 3D films, and Avatar's staggering box office was proof of that. Honestly, without the IMAX experience, the movie was just a standard sci-fi flick with a decent script. Cameron's storytelling wasn't his strength—he won with technology.
Unable to resist, Cameron brought up Joker. The film had left a deep impression on him. "Is Joker still in theaters? What's the box office at now?"
"North America's at 493 million, and globally, it's 1.236 billion," Martin said with a hint of pride. That number was 100 million higher than the original timeline.
"Why not collaborate?" Alan Ryder asked, unwilling to let it go. He genuinely hoped these two could team up for something big. Just their names alone could guarantee a box office of at least 200 million, right?
James Cameron explained, "Martin and I are both the kind of directors who need absolute control over our projects. If we worked together, whose vision would take priority? What if our ideas clashed? We'd likely end up with a film that's not a fusion of our strengths but a patchy, half-baked mess."
It was clear Avatar was going to be a phenomenon, leaving no room for other films to compete. Anything released alongside it would crash and burn.
Avatar's promotion had already begun, with countless movie fans eagerly awaiting its release.
But before the film hit theaters, a tragic event shook Hollywood.
On December 6, at around 8 a.m. local time, the Los Angeles Fire Department received a 911 call from the home of Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy. The call came from her mother, who found her daughter unconscious in the bathroom.
Reports claimed Brittany had been ill for days prior. Thinking it was just a cold, she took some prescription medication. Early that Monday morning, she began vomiting and told her family she felt unwell. While police found no illegal substances in her home, they confirmed she'd been taking a large amount of prescription drugs. Given her condition, those medications might have triggered a heart issue.
"Oh my God, this is such heartbreaking news," Nicole said, setting down the newspaper.
Since having a child, Nicole seemed to have awakened some kind of "saintly compassion," her empathy overflowing.
"I seem to recall you didn't like her. Didn't you two compete for that role in Girl, Interrupted? I remember you guys going at it in the press," Martin said, puzzled.
Nicole shot him a glare. "I wish your memory wasn't so good! Yes, we had a feud, but that's in the past. Now I just feel sorry for her."
"Alright, my bad," Martin said, shaking his head. "I watched A Prayer for Bobby. Brittany Murphy was stunning in it—so pure, such a beauty. It's such a shame to lose someone like her!"
In Martin's mind, Brittany Murphy hadn't played any particularly memorable roles, but her beauty was exactly his type—capable of being both innocent and sultry, sweet yet sharp, endlessly versatile.