[Chapter 597: PR, Mr. Nice Guy Released]
Despite ordering immediate silence from the entire production crew the moment the poisoning incident at the set occurred, Linton, James and the producer couldn't completely contain the fallout. With over 200 people on the Titanic set affected and only two small hospitals in the Rosarito town overwhelmed at the time, there was simply no way to keep this under wraps.
The film crew numbered over 700, with less than half locals -- the majority were from Los Angeles. After Linton identified the culprit, Frost, and handed him over to the police, these combined factors made it impossible to hide the news from the outside world.
Within just three days, countless rumors and sensationalized gossip reports began appearing across American newspapers, television, and radio entertainment segments.
The Hollywood Entertainment Gazette carried a sensational headline: [Titanic Faces Nightmare Disaster Again -- Poisoning Shocks Set, 200 Nearly Sent to Hell.] The article was vague on details but accurately stated the number of people poisoned as over 200. It also hinted that the poisoning could be linked to the director's tyrannical, high-pressure management style on set.
The Gossip Weekly took even greater liberties, publishing a more pessimistic piece titled [Titanic: A Giant Ship Doomed to Sink.] It quoted supposed eyewitness accounts of supernatural phenomena -- ghostly disturbances from Titanic's sunken remains in the Atlantic exacting revenge on the crew. This bizarre connection between the poisoning and the original tragedy painted the film as destined for failure.
More reputable outlets, like The Hollywood Reporter, offered more balanced coverage with headlines like [Serious Poisoning Incident Rocks Titanic Production.] They didn't delve into specifics but confirmed that over 200 crew members were affected, local hospitals were overwhelmed, and the shoot came to a halt. The piece quoted insiders criticizing the ballooning budget and describing the director's "hellish" regime, with crew forced to work insane 90-hour weeks. Under such conditions, problems were inevitable.
It wasn't just the press; local TV and radio stations aggressively chased this story, analyzing and debating the poisoning nonstop. The incident soon became headline news nationwide.
Though the poisoner had been arrested and handed to local authorities, the media mostly chose to ignore that fact. The Titanic project's reputation in Hollywood plummeted to its lowest point. Almost everyone in the industry and media predicted Titanic's failure, expecting both the director and Linton to suffer a devastating collapse in their careers.
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This negative shift was also fueled by the six other Hollywood powerhouses, who felt suffocated by Linton's rising dominance. Last year, six of the top ten box office hits in the U.S. were produced by Universal Pictures and Linton's film company. The top two movies, Mission: Impossible and Twister, were theirs as well.
Expanding to the top 20, 11 movies belonged to Universal and Linton's production. Together, the other six powerhouses couldn't match their dominance, making Universal and Linton's companies appear like the giants that outshined everyone else.
While these studios harbored no direct resentment toward Linton, his ruthlessness and growing influence made everyone wary of openly challenging him. Instead, they seethed quietly behind closed doors.
So when Titanic appeared to be in trouble, they eagerly fueled leaks and negative press -- at least to cement the idea early on that Titanic was doomed, hoping this would impact the movie's box office once it hit theaters.
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Not only them -- Tom Cruise and Sean Connery, who had brutally clashed with Linton and suffered career setbacks after, joined this covert campaign.
After their fallout during Independence Day, Cruise's superstar status slipped to first-tier, his salary and market value sharply declined. His influence in Hollywood faded. To make matters worse, his ex-wife Nicole Kidman left him to join Linton's circle of girlfriends, an insult that stung deeply.
Sean Connery suffered similarly, dropping from premier to second-tier star, losing a great deal of clout. Both men despised Linton but were powerless -- his combined talents as a director, star, and mogul made him untouchable.
Their agents repeatedly advised them to defuse tensions, or at least hide their hostility. So they masked their anger with fake smiles at public events but secretly cursed Linton in solitude night after night.
Now, with this opportunity to see Titanic falter, they laughed in private, almost ready to celebrate with a party. Although restrained by professionalism, they quietly toasted their perceived comeback.
Both secretly handed large sums to their agents, instructing them to pressure media outlets for even more damning coverage of Titanic's poisoning, painting it as scandalous and cursed failure.
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Under this combined pressure, reports on the poisoning and Titanic's doom flooded the media airwaves and print. The poisoning was like a gaping hole ripped into Titanic's hull, amplifying the chorus of doom echoed across the nation.
Industry insiders beyond Linton's studios began openly stating at various events that Titanic was spiraling out of control. Budget control was abysmal, and on-set safety was failing. With such mismanagement, both the commercial and artistic fate of this blockbuster was sealed -- doomed to sink like the ill-fated ship itself.
Even the women in Linton's inner circle repeatedly called to check on Linton, Kate Winslet, and Li Xiaoran, concerned about their safety and the movie's prospects.
Linton calmly reassured them all three stayed clear of the poisoned food and weren't affected physically. The production had resumed, and the film's future was bright. He dismissed the chaos as mere "rough waters on the path to success," confidently declaring Titanic would become a classic hit.
For the negative media backlash, Linton, James Cameron, and Nacho knew there was no need for immediate public denial -- the poisoning and budget overruns were undeniable facts. The difference was their cast and crew remained mentally intact, and they did not lower their film quality standards.
Rather than argue in the media now, they planned to use the film's quality to silence critics after release. Experienced with media dynamics, they even saw the widespread negative coverage as free promotion. Almost everyone had heard of Titanic -- and if the film delivered, those insults would transform into momentum.
Just like when Linton shot Step Up, which also faced massive skepticism online. He proved critics wrong with top-notch filmmaking, drawing crowds that turned the film into a runaway success.
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The filming took place in the Mexican town of Rosarito, far from Hollywood, with closed-set management. After the poisoning episode, Nacho stepped up security to keep disturbances out.
Following Linton's advice, James Cameron toned down his temper and reformed his approach. To help him stay calm and energetic, Linton even gave him a half-pound batch of the special "Spirit Tea."
Fortunately, the tea leaves harvested this year had tripled compared to the previous year, from 10 pounds to 30 pounds. But with more women in Linton's harem, even if each got just a pound, 23 pounds were distributed, leaving only 7 pounds for Linton to ration carefully.
With Spirit Tea's support, James's mood improved -- it was no longer the overwhelming shouting match from before. Though still demanding and occasionally loud, he limited his outbursts strictly under three minutes. The crew welcomed this change, calling him a better director and even considering it a silver lining to the poisoning crisis.
Also, with adjusted shooting schedules and no overtime except in special cases, the crew's morale and efficiency rebounded, making filming smoother.
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While Linton and James Cameron toiled hard on the Mexico set, time quietly advanced to late April.
After garnering Golden Globe and Oscar nods, Chicago and Run Lola Run continued their box office successes. Run Lola Run finished its North America run in early April, grossing $135 million, while Chicago wrapped mid-April with $184 million domestically.
Both films had also finished most overseas releases, with Chicago earning $134 million internationally and Run Lola Run $107 million, plus some markets still awaiting release.
Both were critical and commercial triumphs, driving substantial revenue and elevating the popularity, commercial appeal, and status of stars like Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Charlize Theron.
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On April 21, the Jackie Chan and Xu Qing-starring film Mr. Nice Guy officially opened in North America. Though a foreign import, Jackie Chan and Xu Qing already had solid fanbases, so the company threw a premiere party on April 19.
Because James Cameron was strict and the team was focused after the poisoning, Linton hadn't planned to attend the premiere. But Xu Qing insisted -- this was her first lead role debut in North America, and she wanted Linton present to attract press.
She arrived at the Rosarito set two days early, joining Linton, Kate Winslet, and Li Xiaoran for two nights of play. They all returned to Los Angeles together on April 19 for the premiere.
The midnight screening launched with 1,000 theaters and earned $810,000 -- respectable considering no A-list stars and it being a foreign film. This success leaned heavily on Xu Qing's angelic appeal and Jackie Chan's loyal fans.
Friday kicked off a 10-day promotional tour with Jackie Chan and Xu Qing under the distributor's guidance.
The slow season meant weak competition -- other releases like Highland Love, Western Love Story, and Chicago Girl were all modest, low-budget, starless films with little box office potential.
Against this backdrop, the distribution department secured 2,500 screens for Mr. Nice Guy's opening. Friday's box office brought in a solid $4.68 million, combining with the midnight total for a $5.49 million opening day.
Though not huge, this was impressive for a foreign film in a quiet period, netting the day's top spot.
The film kept momentum with $5.83 million Saturday and $5.31 million Sunday, totaling $16.63 million for the opening weekend and clinching the weekend crown.
Everyone -- from Linton's company, Golden Harvest, to Jackie Chan and Xu Qing -- was thrilled with these numbers. Audience reviews averaged a solid B+, and the distribution team projected final North American earnings over $50 million.
Xu Qing sweetly called Linton, promising to surprise him once the North American box office surpassed $50 million.
*****
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