December 24, 2002, Christmas Eve.
By all accounts, this should have been a time for families to come together and enjoy the holiday. Yet, the entertainment industry kept churning, with no signs of slowing down.
This year, especially so.
Last week, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers chose to release early on a Wednesday, not only hosting a grand premiere but also holding fan events in major cities across the U.S., marking the start of the Christmas holiday season with a bang.
It clearly showed how seriously Hollywood was taking this holiday season.
Now it was Catch Me If You Can's turn. Christmas Eve fell on a Tuesday, so the film's premiere was held early, with the announcement that the movie would officially open on Christmas Day, extending its first-week run, just like The Two Towers.
Naturally, all of Hollywood was in high gear, and no one was exempt. People in the film industry had no chance to go home for the holidays—work still called, and the grind was real. This clearly wasn't great for everyone.
However, to outsiders, it all looked glamorous—
While regular folks were spending Christmas Eve with their families, Hollywood insiders were partying with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and... Anson Wood, top-tier stars.
Family? You see them every year. But the chance to party with mega-stars? That's rare.
It was all because of... Anson Wood.
Just as expected, from the San Francisco Chronicle to the Chicago Tribune, the media's focus was entirely on Anson. The teen idol who had shot to stardom overnight dominated the spotlight.
And it seemed, more and more, that this was the right call.
All of North America was experiencing "Anson fever."
Centered on Hollywood Boulevard, four surrounding blocks were under traffic control. People started lining up 36 hours early, and the massive crowd became a sight in front of the Chinese Theatre.
That night, various media outlets reported that over 1,500 people were on-site, with some claiming it was over 2,000, and even 3,000. But the exact number didn't matter—the packed crowd made it clear this premiere was the main event of the holiday season, bringing back the summer blockbuster atmosphere.
And then, it happened.
Unlike Leonardo DiCaprio's portrayal of a perfect prince in Titanic, which sparked a frenzy among teenage girls, Anson Wood's Peter Parker in Spider-Man became a universal teen idol. Whether boys or girls saw different appeals in his character, one thing was certain: Anson was the star they all admired.
The San Francisco Chronicle stated:
"Hollywood Boulevard gathered over 1,500 fans for this grand celebration. The scene rivaled the Oscars."
Christmas paired with Hollywood made for a more flavorful experience.
The key point: Catch Me If You Can wasn't a franchise film, nor was it a commercial blockbuster. A biographical film about a criminal wouldn't normally ignite market hysteria.
But everyone craved Anson.
Countless teens were going wild for Anson Wood.
The Chinese Theatre descended into chaos, fully embracing the festive party atmosphere.
Because—
The Chicago Tribune described the premiere as follows:
"Faces radiated with joy and happiness, like sunflowers blooming on a summer morning, all eagerly gazing toward the red carpet in the same direction, waiting for their one and only idol to appear—"
Screams. Chatter. Weak knees.
Everything was waiting for Anson.
Even Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were ignored when they appeared.
While fan reactions were somewhat understandable, the media also followed suit, their camera flashes growing faint, prompting Tom to make a witty remark:
"Looks like everyone's missing home."
His clever quip brought laughter to the reporters on the red carpet.
But when the main event finally arrived and Anson made his entrance, the Chinese Theatre erupted like a tidal wave.
Ahhh!
Ahhh!
Ear-piercing screams shook the ground.
The roars drowned out Hollywood Boulevard.
The New York Post wrote, "My ears rang, and I could no longer hear anything. I could only see faces twisted with excitement and tears of hysteria. The world grew silent, the stark contrast amplifying the impact of the crowd's frenzy."
Entertainment Weekly added, "Words like 'crazy,' 'screaming,' 'shouting,' and 'cheering' don't even begin to describe the spectacle. A wave of madness overtook the red carpet. At that moment, Anson was the king of the Chinese Theatre."
Variety said, "When Anson appeared, we felt like Alice stepping into Wonderland. The world no longer seemed the same, and even now, my heart races from the adrenaline and madness. It felt like our souls were torn apart by the storm."
It wasn't just the fans or the media.
Other actors, directors, and industry insiders were all stunned—
They had never seen anything like it.
When Leonardo DiCaprio rose to fame overnight with Titanic, he never got to bask in this kind of adulation. It all happened too quickly.
Sure, Leo experienced a taste of it at the Oscars, but that event was star-studded, with plenty of other actors and fans in attendance—it wasn't entirely about him.
By the time his next film premiered 14 months later, the hype had cooled. And The Man in the Iron Mask didn't hold a grand premiere, either.
That's why Leo struggled with the overwhelming frenzy in real life, sometimes wishing he could disappear.
He hadn't experienced anything like it and wasn't prepared.
But Anson was different.
The Spider-Man craze was still going strong, and now Catch Me If You Can was hosting a grand premiere, giving Anson another moment in the spotlight. As the cameras honed in on him, the world seemed to spin.
Even seasoned journalists had never seen such madness.
The Los Angeles Times joked that it felt like a small earthquake had hit.
And then there was Melvin.
Melvin began to worry that Anson's star power was so overwhelming that people might overlook his outfit—after all, everyone was focused on his face. Even if Anson had shown up in a burlap sack, people would've still cried in admiration.
At the premieres of The Princess Diaries and Spider-Man, people hadn't been blinded by the hype, and they immediately noticed Anson's outfit choices.
But tonight?
Screams, with no end in sight.
However, Melvin quickly realized his worries were unnecessary.
Anson was Anson because of the effortless charm that radiated from within. A natural sense of style made him shine.
And tonight's premiere was no different. Soon enough, people noticed his outfit. And not just one or two—everyone once again felt Anson's uniqueness.
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