"Ms. Weisz, I saw The Mummy over the weekend, and you were absolutely stunning in it! Could you sign this for me?"
"Oh, of course."
"And mine too, Ms. Weisz."
"Absolutely."
"Would you mind taking a picture with us?"
"How about a group shot?"
In Boston.
On the set of Good Will Hunting in Cambridge, Rachel Weisz, visiting the set, was quickly recognized and found herself surrounded by excited crew members seeking autographs and photos. Once she managed to break free, she took a seat in the rest area next to a trailer with her assistant.
Taking a small sip of mineral water handed to her, Rachel glanced toward the ongoing shoot, her heart still pounding with excitement.
So, this was what fame felt like.
Today was Tuesday, May 21.
The Mummy had premiered the previous Friday, pulling in a staggering $41.46 million over its opening weekend, more than doubling the box office of Romeo and Juliet in second place, and becoming the summer's biggest hit so far.
Rachel Weisz, a newcomer, skyrocketed to fame due to her captivating role in the film. Though news quickly spread that she was already cast in James Cameron's Titanic, she'd been flooded with new scripts over the last few days, with some studios willing to accommodate her schedule.
With a sudden increase in praise and flattery around her, Rachel felt a bit light-headed despite considering herself level-headed and mature.
After waiting four or five minutes, the café scene finally wrapped up, and Kate Beckinsale waved her over. Rachel stood and greeted her friend with a warm hug.
After the hug, Kate teased, "Rachel, weren't we supposed to have dinner together tonight?"
"The show wrapped up early, so I changed plans. I have to fly to Vancouver this afternoon."
Kate took a seat next to Rachel and smiled. "Makes sense. You're a big star now."
Two efficient-looking women in white shirts and black pants approached. One handed Kate a folder, while the other presented a glass of green juice. Kate took a sip of her drink, placed the folder on her lap, and noticed Rachel's curious glance at her two assistants. She waved them off and then grinned at Rachel. "Jealous?"
Rachel immediately shook her head. "Why would I be jealous?"
"Remember, I suggested you join me. Since he's been with us, why shouldn't we get the same treatment as his arm-candy? I asked for it, and here they are. You have no idea—they're skilled, and I've never been more comfortable."
Rachel countered, "So, does that mean you're publicly admitting you're Simon Westeros's mistress?"
"Nowadays, being Simon Westeros's mistress is an honor; there are plenty of girls who'd be envious of me," Kate said, nodding toward someone on set. "There's one right there. She's been hanging around for days. The movie's already filming, and she still thinks she can snag the role from me?"
Following Kate's gaze, Rachel saw a tall girl standing next to the lead actor, Matt Damon. They briefly exchanged glances, then looked away.
Rachel recognized her: Minnie Driver, Matt Damon's current girlfriend. Damon had wanted Driver to be cast as the female lead in Good Will Hunting, but Kate, who had caught wind of the script, easily secured the role. Minnie Driver came from a Hollywood family—her stepmother was none other than Barbra Streisand.
With Damon's endorsement and her family connections, Driver would likely have gotten the part, if not for Kate.
As this all ran through Rachel's mind, she suddenly felt an inexplicable pang of loss and asked, "Kate, have you thought about the future?"
"Of course," Kate replied. "I'm 23 now. In two years, at 25, I'll have established myself in Hollywood. By then, I'll dismiss my maid-servants and be free. Some media outlets compare Simon to Howard Hughes. I think he's far more generous than Hughes ever was, the ideal lover template."
"I feel like you're taking advantage of him."
"Not at all! I've given him the best years of my life, and all he's done is make things easier for me in my career. I'm actually getting the short end of the stick here."
"…"
"Alright, Rachel. I still have one more shot this morning, so it'll be about 15 minutes. Since you're leaving this afternoon, I'll have Morgan book us a table. There's an amazing French restaurant nearby. We can grab lunch there."
"No need to go to any trouble. There's probably food on set."
"Why settle when you can have something nice?" Kate asked in her usual assertive way. She called over her assistants to make arrangements, then handed her cup of green juice to Rachel. "Here, try it—it's kiwi juice."
Rachel took the cup and had a sip.
It was definitely tastier than her earlier bottle of mineral water, so she took another sip.
Okay, this was better.
As Kate skimmed over her scene notes, she asked, "So, when's Titanic finally set to start filming?"
"Next month, as long as there aren't any delays."
"It was announced around the same time as The Mummy, and that's already out. Rachel, you know that the longer a Hollywood project gets delayed, the higher the risk of failure. And Cameron is known for his challenging sets. If I were you, I'd turn down Titanic and go with something else."
Rachel felt the early excitement she'd had upon arrival fading. Her voice took on a wistful tone. "I'm not like you, Kate. I can't just pick and choose roles at will. If I back out, I might not get another job."
"Now you sound jealous. With the buzz from The Mummy, it's impossible you wouldn't find another role."
Rachel, stung by Kate's teasing, looked uncomfortable. "It's just that Simon personally picked me for this role. If I turned it down, he might be upset."
"He wouldn't be."
"Huh?"
"Simon would just find another woman and say, 'Hey there, sweetheart, want to be famous? Join me in bed.'"
"…"
Kate gave her a sideways glance. "You're not planning on telling him I talked behind his back, are you?"
"As if I have time for that."
"I actually want you to tell him."
Rachel looked at her friend with suspicion.
Kate's expression briefly showed a flicker of disappointment. "That way, he'd notice you and maybe even think of me. The last time I saw him was at a party at the end of last year. I know he pulled strings to get me this role, but we've had no interaction. And you know, I've only slept with him once."
Rachel's eyes widened slightly.
They were close friends thanks to a shared experience, though busy schedules kept them from seeing each other often. Seeing Kate with the household's maid-servant bodyguards, Rachel assumed they saw each other often.
"You mean, that one time with the two of us?"
"Yes, that one."
Rachel's expression turned puzzled, and she couldn't help but ask, "So…do you want to sleep with him again?"
Kate shot her a look, then paused before muttering, "Honestly, I feel a bit conflicted."
Rachel studied her friend and, realizing her meaning, broke into a wide grin. She was only stopped from laughing by Kate jabbing her ribs in embarrassment.
---
Across the East Coast in New York, Jet Li had his own share of nerves after wrapping up a David Letterman Show appearance.
For completely different reasons, of course.
Jet Li was anxious about Black Mask's North American box office.
Had this been Asia, he'd have felt no concern, but this was the United States. New World Pictures had allocated $3 million to promote Black Mask and secured 1,276 screens for its summer release. Such investment was enviable for any Hong Kong film, but it also meant that if the movie failed, he might never get another chance in Hollywood.
Despite Jackie Chan's current success, it had taken him constant effort in Hollywood since the '70s, and Rush Hour's success carried a good deal of luck.
After the show, a group of Asian cast and crew left the ABC studios on the Upper West Side. Jackie Chan, who had joined the show as a favor, excused himself, citing other obligations, but Jet Li and the others knew how generous Jackie had been to appear. After all, though fellow countrymen abroad were supposed to help each other, few genuinely did. Often, avoiding sabotage was as good as it got.
After seeing Jackie Chan off, the rest piled into two vans. As they pulled away, the middle-aged Chinese man next to Jet Li spoke in broken Cantonese, "Regarding Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Mr. Friedman reached out to Mr. Westeros, but unfortunately, Jet, they've already cast someone else for the lead—a fellow named Zhou. I believe you know him; he starred in Mr. Woo's A Better Tomorrow."
The man, Jeremy Zhao, was an agent with WMA, originally from Guangdong, though he was a second-generation immigrant. Noting Westeros's interest in Black Mask, WMA had quickly signed Jet Li's Hollywood representation and assigned him a Chinese-speaking agent.
"Thanks for checking, Jeremy," Jet Li replied, though he looked visibly disappointed.
Landing a role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon would have meant another opportunity. Jet knew the actor Jeremy mentioned. Since Simon Westeros had personally chosen him, trying to compete would be futile unless the role was given up
voluntarily.
But with Hong Kong cinema in a downward spiral and filmmakers seeking alternative markets, there was no chance that Chow Yun-Fat would reject such an offer from Simon Westeros.
Jeremy didn't dwell on the matter and added, "There's some good news, though. There's a private party tonight in Greenwich arranged by Daniele Entertainment. They'll be recording a few video segments to help promote your film on YouTube. Ang Lee will be there, as well as Quentin Tarantino. You may not have seen his Reservoir Dogs, but he's a fan of Chinese kung fu movies and has watched many of yours."
Jet Li nodded, "I'll make sure to cooperate as much as possible."
---
A $5 million investment to launch a Hong Kong film during the competitive summer season was a considerable risk. Without the internal test screenings and overwhelmingly positive responses from Western audiences—and Simon's own recollections of past box-office trends—he wouldn't have greenlit the plan.
Still, even with a $2 million purchase price and $3 million marketing budget, Black Mask was a minor project in Hollywood. As a result, mainstream advertising like TV and print ads were out of the question.
Instead, a more unconventional approach was taken.
Inviting Jackie Chan to support Jet Li was a subtle but effective way to build interest.
Besides his Late Show appearance, YouTube promoted videos the following day featuring endorsements for Black Mask by directors like Ang Lee and Quentin Tarantino, alongside the trailer and clips from Jet Li's past films, with the licensors' permission.
With growing interest in Black Mask, the second week of the 1996 summer season came to an end.
From May 17 to May 23.
Over seven days, The Mummy grossed $63.54 million in its opening week, easily topping the weekly box-office charts. Its impressive debut prompted Daniele and Fox to immediately announce plans for a sequel.
Meanwhile, Romeo and Juliet, in its second week, managed to overtake Arnold Schwarzenegger's blockbuster Eraser, bringing in $25.45 million.
With two weeks in theaters, Romeo and Juliet had accumulated $56.91 million.
New World Pictures had already recouped the $30 million production and marketing costs within two weeks, and with a mere 19% decline in second-week ticket sales, the film's box-office potential remained strong.
In sharp contrast was Eraser.
In its second week, the already lackluster Eraser saw a 51% drop due to competition from The Mummy, bringing in only $17.79 million. With a two-week total of $54.21 million, Eraser was now projected to top out at around $80 million domestically.
Having invested $130 million in this project, Warner Bros. faced a considerable loss.
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