Los Angeles, ArcLight Theater.
A long red carpet stretched out from the theater entrance. This was MGM's first premiere of the year, for "a quiet place," which had been filming for over half a year since last year.
The film's investment was not actually large, projected at 15 million USD, and ultimately spent 17 million USD. Although it went slightly over budget, it was still within an acceptable range. This money was mainly used for special effects to make the monsters more realistic.
Promotional expenses were also small; MGM only invested 3.5 million USD, bringing the total film cost to around 20 million USD.
For a typical small independent company, this could be considered a big production, but for the major studios, it was just like playing a scratch-off lottery ticket.
For a film of this scale, a premiere was not really necessary, especially since even "saw 2" didn't have one.
As the big boss, Eric usually wouldn't attend, but one of the film's main characters was Elizabeth Olsen, his sister-in-law, a little girl who almost became his goddaughter.
Ashley and Mary also begged him to attend to support their sister. He had been flying around the world for over half a month, and the two women were also a bit eager, waiting for comfort.
Besides these personal matters, there were also several important business matters that required his personal attention, so he flew back to Los Angeles.
On the "Inception" set, Neil was temporarily in charge. He had already led the team to Chile, and everything was proceeding according to the script, so there wouldn't be any major problems.
"Elizabeth, please get closer to Ashley and Mary. We need a group photo."
On the red carpet, as the Olsen Sisters arrived, the atmosphere immediately grew lively.
The lingering prestige of their Golden Globe and Oscar nominations remained; they were now hot first-tier young stars in Hollywood.
Subsequently, a continuous stream of young actors came to show their support, all brought in by the Olsen Sisters through their personal connections.
Paris Hilton, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Jessica Biel, Monica Keena, Rachael Roberts, Jeffrey Pierce.
All three sisters appeared in formal attire. Although Elizabeth was only 15, her development speed was similar to Mei Mei's; she was already taller than her two older sisters.
Flashbulbs flashed incessantly, and everyone took the opportunity to join in for photos.
"Mary, aren't you at odds with Jessica Biel? Why is she here too?" Elizabeth Olsen whispered.
Mary, while greeting friends, helped her sister adjust her collar: "Elizabeth, this is Hollywood. As long as you're popular, they'll all grovel at your feet."
"She and I don't have a deep hatred; it was just competition for a role. When I attended a party a while ago, she initiated a conversation with me, and that's how it is now."
"Ryan, this is my sister, Elizabeth."
Ahead, Ashley brought Ryan Gosling over to meet Elizabeth Olsen.
When she was chatting with Eric, she had mentioned the younger generation in Hollywood.
Eric casually mentioned a few names, believing they had the potential to become very popular, and Ashley kept them in mind.
Whenever an opportunity arose, she would try to befriend these people.
Hollywood parties were held daily, and after a few chance encounters, strangers became familiar, and relationships were thus established.
For these rising new talents, the Olsen Sisters had already become figures they needed to look up to.
Not only was their company becoming more and more successful, but they had also won a Golden Globe, completing a successful transformation. Being able to befriend them was their good fortune.
Ryan Gosling smiled: "Hello, Elizabeth. I heard this film is your debut."
Elizabeth Olsen shook her head shyly: "Not really. I actually had a cameo in a TV series, though my role was very small."
"No, no, no, that doesn't count. Don't consider TV series your starting point. This, the big screen, is the goal we actors should pursue."
"Just like your sisters!" Beside them, Rachel McAdams suddenly interjected.
Looking at the suddenly appearing beautiful and vibrant woman, Elizabeth Olsen's heart trembled: "Such a beautiful girl."
Ryan Gosling pointed to her: "Do I need to introduce you?"
"Hehe. But it looks like you two just met."
"At least a minute before you."
"Elizabeth, this is Rachel McAdams, a girl from Canada. She's not only beautiful but also a very good actress, a fantastic performer."
"Ryan, you seem to know Rachel very well. Are you good friends?" Ashley looked at the two curiously.
Rachel McAdams grinned broadly: "Because this guy and I just finished a movie together, a romantic youth film."
"Has it been released?" Elizabeth Olsen asked eagerly.
"No, I heard it's scheduled for June, but that's the company's business. New Line Cinema invested in it."
As she spoke, Rachel familiarly grabbed Elizabeth Olsen's small hand: "Don't worry, little girl, our movie is called 'The Notebook.' From the title, there's no possible conflict with 'a quiet place'; the target audiences are different."
"What's more, I was even worried about clashing with an MGM film. Now everyone knows that MGM's films almost never lose money."
"And you're definitely going to be popular. Besides rarely losing money, MGM is also known for being very good at promoting new talent."
Whoosh.
Suddenly, a commotion came from the front, and everyone's attention was drawn to it.
"Looks like a big shot has arrived."
Before Rachel McAdams finished speaking, Eric, in a casual suit, got out of a Lincoln car and quickly stepped onto the red carpet.
Seeing him appear, many people secretly sighed that their trip had not been in vain after all.
Reporters hoped to extract useful information from him, while actors hoped to show their faces to this big shot.
"Eric, weren't you filming abroad? Why are you attending the premiere?" a reporter asked.
"This is a film I invested in. Is there a problem with me attending?"
"No, I mean, how is the filming progress of 'Inception'? Can you reveal any news? Everyone is very much looking forward to it."
Eric waved his hand: "Today's star is 'a quiet place.' I don't want to answer any questions unrelated to it. Please focus your attention on the film, okay?"
With that, he ignored the paparazzi's persistent questions and quickly caught up with his girls, giving Ashley and Mary a polite kiss on each cheek. The real action could wait until after the premiere.
"Sorry, Elizabeth, the plane encountered turbulence, but at least I wasn't too late."
"What! Turbulence! That sounds dangerous!" Elizabeth Olsen covered her mouth.
"It's nothing, I've encountered it many times. As long as it's not a typhoon, we always get through safely. I just changed clothes and rushed over."
"Phew, I should have known not to ask you to attend. If anything happened, I would become a sinner to the Olsen Family."
Hearing her sister's words, Ashley and Mary's hearts skipped a beat, feeling something was amiss.
"Hello, Boss, do you still remember me?" Rachel McAdams smiled and extended her hand to greet him.
Eric shook her hand: "Of course, Rachel. Is the filming of 'mean girls' going smoothly? I haven't heard a report recently."
The big boss Eric actually remembered her name, and Rachel nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick: "Everything is going very smoothly, thank you for giving me this opportunity."
"Wait, are you talking about 'mean girls'? Is that the script you showed Mary and me?" Ashley suddenly remembered something.
Eric hummed: "You two were the first choice, but you didn't want to act, so Rachel successfully auditioned."
"What! It was like that! Ashley, Mary, it seems I should treat you to a big meal!" Rachel's eyes widened in surprise.
"Better so. Didn't you just say that MGM is best at promoting new talent? Rachel, you're going to be popular this time."
Hahahahaha.
After chatting for a while, Eric put his arm around Elizabeth Olsen's shoulder for the paparazzi to take pictures. Standing together, they looked somewhat like a couple.
"Eric, as Elizabeth Olsen's debut work, do you have anything you'd like to say to her?" A reporter from the Los Angeles Post asked.
Elizabeth Olsen looked up slightly at Eric, her eyes full of anticipation.
Eric also looked at her and said loudly: "Elizabeth Olsen, she will be Hollywood's star of tomorrow!"
The paparazzi immediately wrote down this sentence. Great, tomorrow's topic was secured.
Elizabeth Olsen felt a sweetness in her heart: "Thank you, Eric."
"For our relationship, do we still need to say thank you? Just enjoy tonight."
"Mm."
Watching Eric's retreating figure, Ryan Gosling said with a hint of jealousy: "You seem overly enthusiastic."
"What? Jealous?" Rachel McAdams glanced at him.
He chuckled a few times, but the man didn't speak.
They had been in a relationship since filming "The Notebook." Although there were countless handsome men and beautiful women in the entertainment industry, few could trigger Ryan Gosling's high alert. He was confident in his charm and family background.
However, Eric Cooper was clearly an exception. His caliber was too high. Even if he just stood there, who knew how many female celebrities would want to rush to him. Taking action himself would be devastating.
"Come on, I don't feel anything for Eric Cooper, and he wouldn't be interested in me either." Rachel McAdams waved her hand.
"How do you know? You're so beautiful."
"I think... probably because I don't have a similar-looking twin."
"Shh! Don't talk nonsense, be careful the paparazzi hear you!" Ryan Gosling quickly stopped his girlfriend.
Although privately some people speculated that the Olsen Sisters had a two-women-serving-one-man dynamic, speculation was just speculation. Spreading rumors also depended on the target; be careful of being blacklisted!
Everyone walked into the grand theater. Eric chatted with the key members of the crew.
Among them, the actor playing the father was John Corbett, a versatile artist across the big screen, small screen, and music industry, achieving good results in all three areas.
His most well-known film role was in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" from the year before, a successful example of a small investment yielding big returns.
A 5 million USD budget brought in nearly 370 million USD worldwide box office, ranking among the top ten highest-grossing films that year, and John Corbett was the male lead.
The actress playing the mother was Mexican actress Laura Harring, whose most famous work was the renowned suspense masterpiece "Mulholland Drive."
Although she was already 39, Laura Harring's beauty had not diminished; instead, she possessed more charm.
However, her luck wasn't very good, and she never became hugely popular. What she was most known for was her marriage to a descendant of Otto von Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor of the German Empire, earning her the title of "Countess" for several years.
Eric had no impression of the young boy playing the younger brother, presumably a newcomer.
As the lights in the screening room dimmed and the MGM logo appeared, with the golden lion roaring a few times, the movie officially began.
Eric had made appropriate modifications to the plot to make it seem more reasonable.
First, the male protagonist was changed to a scientist's assistant with some basic knowledge, and some unlikable plot points were given to the son to ensure the audience's favor for the sister played by Elizabeth Olsen.
The opening few minutes clearly established the background: alien monsters invaded Earth, and countries were either annihilated or hunkered down to research ways to fight the monsters.
The monsters had no eyes but extremely acute hearing, relying on sound to catch prey. Therefore, the survivors could not make a single sound in their daily lives.
After the family scavenged supplies from a store, the younger brother gave a toy plane to the youngest child, but no one noticed that the youngest had secretly taken the batteries.
Thus, the plane made a sound, attracting a monster, which killed the youngest in one blow.
Whoosh!
Watching the giant ghost flash by and the child suddenly being struck away, many people in the cinema screamed.
Children, generally speaking, are treated specially in films and usually don't have direct death scenes, but that doesn't mean they can't die.
The notion that Hollywood prohibits the death of children and pets is completely a ridiculous rumor.
The reason it occurs less often is purely for ratings.
Even if death occurs, as long as there is no blood flying, no severed limbs, and the scene switches quickly enough, the impact is not significant.
"a quiet place" received a PG-13 rating, not even meeting R-rated standards.
And the older sister played by Elizabeth Olsen, being deaf and mute, did not notice her younger brother activating the toy plane and failed to stop him in time, leading to immense self-blame.
What followed was the family's daily struggle against the monsters, mending family rifts, and preparing for the arrival of a new life.
The father was responsible and brave, the mother was incredibly resilient, and Elizabeth Olsen acted as the father's capable little assistant. The infuriating plot that caused conflict was given to the younger brother to handle; someone had to take the blame, right?
The oppressive atmosphere and the close-up monster encounters kept the audience on the edge of their seats. When the father sacrificed himself to save his family, everyone collectively sighed.
As Elizabeth Olsen realized the monsters' weakness to high-frequency vibrations, the mother finally shot and killed a monster, releasing the pent-up fear and frustration in an instant.
Finally, facing the monsters attacking again, the family was no longer afraid. They wanted revenge for their loved ones, and the movie ended abruptly.
The cinema lights came back on, and the creators took the stage to thank everyone. Many audience members spontaneously stood up and applauded.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
Seeing this scene, Eric knew the film was a success. The high-concept horror film gave the audience a sense of novelty, allowing them to feel a long-lost creativity, which was the most appealing aspect.
Now, it remained to be seen if the box office of "a quiet place" could surpass "saw."
After all, in the original timeline, it surpassed it by a lot.