Chasing Stars in Hollywood

As the main feature ended, everyone eagerly anticipated the post-credits scene. The teaser for "Suicide Squad," set to release at the end of the year, had already been introduced in "Batman Begins." This time, "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" featured only one scene, but it thrilled all the DC fans in the Chinese Theater.

In a corner of a city street, clearly after a car chase, a large figure in a caped suit tore off the nearly wrecked roof of the Batmobile. Batman slowly stood up, and for the first time on the big screen, DC's two strongest superheroes faced each other.

There were no lines, but it was enough. The screen went completely dark, and after a brief pause, the theater erupted in thunderous applause, which lasted for over a minute until the host brought the film's creators on stage.

During the media interaction, the first question came from a "Variety" reporter, who didn't mention River Phoenix's excellent performance as the Joker or Nicole Kidman's enchanting Poison Ivy. Instead, he asked about the stunning special effects of the vines enveloping Gotham City.

Typically, panoramic CGI effects are easier to create, but in the film, the scenes of Poison Ivy's vines enveloping Gotham were remarkably detailed. From the sprouting tendrils breaking through asphalt to the massive vines wrapping around entire buildings and causing structures to collapse, every shot felt incredibly realistic, as if a modern city had truly been engulfed by rapidly growing vines.

The most crucial aspect was that these special effects took place during the day. Anyone with some knowledge would understand that daytime CGI scenes are much harder to produce and render than nighttime ones, significantly increasing both difficulty and budget.

In fact, the three-minute vine sequence cost $12 million, pushing the total production budget of "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" to $135 million, even with a 15% tax rebate from the Australian government. Without the rebate, the budget would have exceeded $150 million.

A huge budget does not necessarily guarantee film quality, as many Hollywood box office flops have shown. However, after producing "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," "Wonder Woman," "The Flash," "Superman," and "Cyborg," Daenerys Entertainment had honed its skills to the pinnacle of the Hollywood film industry.

The stunning special effects in "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises," even after several other DC blockbusters, were a natural progression of Daenerys Entertainment's expertise. Despite Hollywood's efforts to catch up, they were falling further behind. Daenerys Special Effects owned two large rendering farms with computing power surpassing most of the world's supercomputers, a capability beyond other Hollywood studios and independent effects houses.

Beyond technology, Daenerys Entertainment had perfected a comprehensive industrial system for film production through numerous blockbusters. This assembly line might seem mundane, but in reality, it was far from it. Daenerys' assembly line demanded the highest standards, ensuring meticulous attention to every detail of their major projects. Even if a film itself wasn't exceptional, their robust post-production and marketing could still maximize its commercial success.

Could other Hollywood studios replicate this? Theoretically, yes. However, successfully doing so was another matter. After the Marvel Cinematic Universe's success under Disney, many attempted to create their own cinematic universes, including DC, MonsterVerse, and Transformers, yet even DC, the most promising contender, failed.

DC's problem was clear: excessive executive interference, lack of a coherent vision, and distrust in the creative team. Marvel's success with "Iron Man" in 2008 was somewhat accidental, and both Marvel and Paramount, initially responsible for its distribution, had little faith in the project. When "Iron Man" became a box office hit, Paramount hesitated, and Disney seized the opportunity.

Disney then maximized the potential of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, despite criticisms of its assembly line approach. The MCU's inevitable place in film history couldn't be denied. Daenerys Entertainment, similarly, operated under Simon's absolute control, with a clear, unwavering plan for the DC Universe. The partnership with Time Warner provided the best production and distribution resources, ensuring the success of the DC Universe.

Additionally, the experience gained from DC films was applied to other Daenerys projects like "Jurassic Park," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "Mission: Impossible," creating a series of successful blockbusters that cemented Daenerys Entertainment's dominance in Hollywood.

After the premiere, the reviews for "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" were lifted the next day. "The Hollywood Reporter" captured the sentiment with the line: "Hollywood still has two kinds of movies: DC Universe films and everything else."

"Variety," "Los Angeles Times," "New York Times," "Boston Globe," and "Chicago Tribune" all gave high praise to the conclusion of the Batman trilogy. The film's stunning special effects, tight and compelling plot, meticulous attention to detail, and standout performances from River Phoenix and Nicole Kidman were frequently highlighted by critics.

Ultimately, "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" received an astonishing 9.7 average score from critics, surpassing the 9.6 score of the first film, "Batman Begins." Given that sequels often fail to surpass their predecessors, this score was particularly remarkable.

On Thursday night, "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" was released across 3,515 screens in North America, setting a new record for the number of opening screens.

June 3, Friday. On its first day of wide release, the film grossed a record-breaking $26.13 million, a figure that made most Hollywood filmmakers tear up with envy. Many films don't make that much in their first week; "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" did it in a single day.

With relentless media coverage and the public's established habit of watching DC films, the film experienced a phenomenal viewing frenzy.

From June 3 to June 5, the opening weekend grossed $78.37 million, another record-breaking achievement. The first week gross from June 3 to June 9 reached an impressive $127.63 million.

The film's overwhelming success overshadowed other films, causing significant drops in their box office performance. "Speed," starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, and "Stargate," directed by Michael Bay, saw their weekly revenues halved. Even Mel Gibson's "Maverick," already struggling with low initial earnings, experienced a 57% drop in its third week.

Other films like "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Spike Lee's "Crooklyn" were pushed to the margins. Even Daenerys Entertainment's "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" suffered a 53% drop, though it still managed to cross the $90 million mark. Despite the drop, Simon had no plans to push "Ace Ventura" to the $100 million club, aiming to keep Jim Carrey's influence in check.

Regardless of the fate of other films, the massive success of "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" led Daenerys Entertainment and Time Warner to host a grand celebration party on June 11, Saturday, at the employee activity center of Daenerys Studios in Malibu.

Though no longer directly overseeing Time Warner's film operations, Terry Semel flew in from New York for the occasion. Simon, after having dinner with his family at the Cliff Manor, arrived at Daenerys Studios around 9:30 PM, but didn't plan to stay long.

Meeting with Terry Semel, they quickly touched on the current hot topic in Hollywood: DreamWorks. Spielberg and his partners were already seeking distribution partners for their new studio.

Initially, Paramount was DreamWorks' partner. This time, besides Daenerys, MGM, and Disney, the other major studios—Columbia, Paramount, Warner, and Fox—had all expressed interest.

Terry Semel had called Simon to gauge his attitude towards a potential Warner-DreamWorks collaboration, noting the timing of DreamWorks' announcement seemed aimed at Daenerys.

Simon was noncommittal. If Warner secured the distribution rights for DreamWorks' films, it might temporarily boost their position, maintaining the two-giant status in Hollywood alongside Daenerys, which aligned with Simon's plan. As for the long-term impact, adjustments could be made as needed.

Despite their close partnership, Simon didn't intend to give Warner any specific advice. Every path chosen brings its own consequences.

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