[Chapter 536: Nicole Kidman's Jitters, The Long Kiss Goodnight Premiere]
Afterward, Linton returned to Universal Studios to continue shooting the music videos. That day, he was scheduled to work with Nicole Kidman. During the shoot, he could sense that Nicole was unusually nervous.
Her movie, The Long Kiss Goodnight, was set to premiere on July 12th. It was a high-stakes, female-led film that carried the entire box office pressure on her shoulders. The film's success or failure would largely determine her next career moves. If the box office hit big -- at least crossing the $100 million mark in North America -- it would prove she could carry a blockbuster solo and solidify her status as a rising A-lister.
She'd finally have a signature role, and if the movie did well enough commercially, a franchise was inevitable. Continued success with a series would make breaking into true super-stardom an achievable dream. But if the box office bombed, the fallout would be significant.
Thankfully, filming the music video was straightforward, requiring little complex acting. Otherwise, the shoot might have faced delays. Still, despite the low demands, the director called "cut" several times.
...
During their break in the trailer at midday, Nicole took the initiative to apologize to Linton. "Darling, I'm sorry. I'm just so anxious about The Long Kiss Goodnight. Do you really think it'll be successful at the box office?"
Linton understood her worries. After all, Hollywood hadn't really seen many female-led blockbusters outside of coming-of-age girl films, especially not spy action flicks -- a genre traditionally dominated by male stars.
"Baby, don't worry. First, you need to trust my judgment. I championed this movie and personally ensured its quality. The film itself is solid.
Second, from a market perspective, with women's empowerment gaining ground across North America and Europe, movies like this naturally attract a huge female audience. And your powerful, fierce performance will definitely win over many male viewers as well.
Third, the promotion campaign is top-notch. The publicity teams at UPN, MCA, and NBC are all pushing hard. Plus, the two media conglomerates' dozens of newspapers have been hyping the film nonstop for over a month.
Especially Bella's online team -- the web campaign has exploded across every platform. Just click any site, and you'll find hot threads praising your killer physique and dynamic action scenes.
Finally, the coordination with theaters went smoothly -- opening day will see the film playing in 3,300 screens, with a 15% screening share. That beats even The Nutty Professor's opening.
With all that in your corner, what more is there to worry about?"
Nicole bit her lip. "Darling, do you really think The Long Kiss Goodnight's box office can keep up with The Nutty Professor?"
The Nutty Professor had been out ten days by then, earning $42.56 million in its first week to snag the top spot at the box office. Its second weekend brought in another $16.25 million, pushing the total to $58.5 million -- making Linton's initial $120 million forecast seem comfortably realistic.
That movie's success had catapulted Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry to hot commodity status. Halle, especially, had emerged as the number one Black female star. She'd even called Linton several times promising a big surprise once his promotion tour was done.
Linton smiled. "They're two completely different films, not really comparable. But based on my gut, The Long Kiss Goodnight will easily cross $100 million in North America."
Nicole smiled with relief. "You're amazing. I trust you."
"Want to aim even higher?"
"Stop teasing and just say it..."
As the music started up again, the trailer gently rocked to the beat.
...
With Linton's reassurance, Nicole finally got back into her groove, and filming continued smoothly. Linton's prior successes had earned him near-blind devotion from the women around him; they trusted his instincts without question.
---
By July, the summer blockbuster rush was halfway done, and no one had fared better than Linton Films and Universal Pictures. After eight weeks, Mission: Impossible had wrapped its North American run with a record-breaking final gross of $407 million. Overseas, it hauled in $541 million, making the global tally $948 million.
It had surpassed The Lion King to become the highest-grossing film worldwide -- although it still hadn't hit the $1 billion mark. Yet Japan's release, the biggest overseas market, was still pending.
Given Linton's immense popularity there, Universal estimated the Japanese box office for Mission: Impossible wouldn't be less than $80 million. In other words, the billion-dollar milestone was virtually guaranteed.
This cemented Linton's box office clout and grew his global fan base dramatically, boosting his superstar status. For most, this meant a surge in commercial value, but for Linton, that was secondary to his accelerated cultivation progress.
His leading lady Catherine basked in the spotlight as well, becoming the hottest female star during that time. Even supporting actress Michelle Reis reaped huge exposure increases. Both actresses saw clear elevation in their star power and commercial clout, with endorsement deals flooding in.
Besides Mission: Impossible, the other heavyweight was Twister, which had earned $214 million domestically over five weeks and $207 million overseas -- making it a likely $500 million worldwide grosser.
Its leading lady Naomi also skyrocketed in popularity, closing the gap with top-tier stars and firmly establishing herself as a rising star just below Julia Roberts.
Her commercial value soared accordingly.
In fact, Twister's impact on Hollywood was arguably even more profound than Mission: Impossible's. That film owed much of its success to Linton's own charisma and unparalleled box office draw -- a trait that was nearly impossible to replicate.
Twister, on the other hand, drew audiences with its grand, realistic disaster effects that showcased nature's terror on the big screen, with Naomi's performance adding an elegant flourish.
This kind of success was replicable. Since Jurassic Park, Hollywood's effects technology had advanced rapidly while costs steadily fell.
Even before Twister left theaters, studios were lining up new disaster projects.
It was clear the next few years would be flooded with disaster blockbusters.
...
On July 10th in the afternoon, The Long Kiss Goodnight's premiere took place at Universal's iconic round theater. Linton wrapped his music video shoot early that day and came with Akina Nakamori to cheer on the event.
Besides Linton and Akina, nearly all the ladies from his harem were present, except for Madonna, Cristiana, Sophie Marceau, and Monica Bellucci, who were at the farm. The others had come to help promote, including Vivian Chow, who had secured leave from filming the second season of ER.
The group's solidarity was impressive.
As the fourteen beautiful angels paraded down the red carpet in pairs, the crowd's attention surged. Reporters excitedly snapped away, clearly thrilled to cover the event.
It seemed like Linton's girlfriends got along well, all banding together to pitch in on promotion. Still, the gossip columns would be watching -- who among them didn't show would spark juicy headlines. Audiences always craved drama over harmony.
As expected, that night and the next day's media buzz would ignite with coverage.
The grand finale on the red carpet was, as usual, Linton escorting Nicole Kidman, their handsome and glamorous pairing greeted by a roaring wave of fans and media.
...
The Long Kiss Goodnight was truly a female-centric film. It told the story of a humble schoolteacher named Samantha Caine who, after a car accident, begins to recover memories revealing her true identity as a professional spy. She sets out to track down the traitor who betrayed her.
Samantha Caine seemed quiet and ordinary, but internally she grappled with existential questions like "Who am I?" "Where did I come from?" These uncertainties tormented her.
A traumatic car accident triggered vivid hallucinations, awakening her suppressed past.
Her real name was Charlene Elizabeth "Charly" Baltimore. Formerly a special agent under the U.S. Department of Defense, she had failed a mission against arms dealer Daedalus and lost her memory, disappearing from the radar.
Meanwhile, Daedalus and his cronies recognized Samantha from a televised Christmas parade and sent assassins after her. They stormed her home, forcing Samantha to team up with detective Mitch Henessey to investigate her past.
She found an old notebook with a familiar phone number -- which connected her to her old assassin trainer, Waldman.
In a hotel showdown, Samantha and her allies faced their pursuers. Waldman arrived just in time and revealed Samantha's forgotten past inside his car.
During the chaos, they encountered Samantha's ex-lover, Luke -- who turned out to be Daedalus in disguise.
Caught in a trap, the trio was captured. Under torture, Samantha recalled her old skills and managed to kill their captors, rescue Mitch Henessey, and wound Daedalus.
The spy organization, CIA's head, Leland Perkins, was a hypocritical villain with ties to Daedalus. He sent Timothy and other hitmen after Samantha.
Sensing Perkins was corrupt, Samantha fought back fiercely.
After going home to retrieve her passport and some money, Samantha and Mitch Henessey were chased again. She donned ice skates and took down the thugs with grace and power -- but her daughter Caitlin was captured by Timothy.
Caitlin was actually the daughter of Timothy and Samantha, but the ruthless villain showed no mercy. He locked mother and daughter in a cold storage freezer, planning to kill them and set off a truck full of timed explosives in the city during Christmas.
Trapped, Samantha used her daughter's matches to escape. She seized control of the bomb-laden truck heading downtown, kicking off a deadly showdown.
In the nick of time, an injured Mitch Henessey rescued Caitlin, and Samantha killed the merciless Timothy before the massive explosion.
...
The Long Kiss Goodnight was a slick, thrilling, and unique film. Beyond blockbuster action, it balanced pulses-pounding sequences with heartfelt moments, making it Nicole Kidman's tour de force.
The story's bizarre twists put the protagonist in a constant state of wavering between reality and hallucination, creating deep tension and drama.
Nicole's performance excelled in portraying the stark contrast between the reserved, gentle teacher and the astute, determined assassin. Her transformation toggled authentically between tender warmth and steely resolve, offering strong dramatic appeal that captivated audiences.
Linton noticed the audience in the back row watching intently, clutching their seats and reacting emotionally throughout. He felt assured -- the film's box office was locked in.
...
During the post-premiere press conference -- Linton's reserved segment for such events -- several reporters eagerly pressed him for box office predictions.
Linton confidently forecast over $100 million in North America, causing a stir at the venue.
This was no small feat for a female-led film. Apart from Julia Roberts, no other actress had ever carried a film to cross the 100-million-dollar mark.
And Roberts's dominance had been limited to romantic comedies.
Could Nicole break the ceiling and crack open new genres?
Skeptics remained, but the buzz was undeniable. Tomorrow's headlines were already written.
...
That evening, online discussions about The Long Kiss Goodnight surged anew.
Many fans who attended the premiere flocked to message boards praising Nicole's cool, beautiful, and fierce performance. Her breathtaking speed on ice skates and stunning long-legged kicks drew particular acclaim.
Linton's prediction of the film crossing $100 million sparked heated debate. Fans of both Linton and Nicole passionately hyped its potential.
Yet objective voices argued spy films were traditionally male-dominated, built on grit, relentless fight scenes, and raw physical action -- qualities seemingly at odds with a female lead.
They doubted Nicole's ability to truly captivate audiences with such intensity.
The online chatter was intense, drastically increasing the film's publicity.
That night, with so many of his leading ladies gathered together, Linton threw a lively party to celebrate -- the rare occasion for such a big reunion.
*****
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