Director in Hollywood

On May 2nd, 1997, a Friday, the highly anticipated sci-fi movie sequel Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World premiered in 3,800 theaters across the United States, marking the beginning of the summer blockbuster season.

Gilbert took some time out to attend the film's premiere.

To be honest, although, from his seasoned perspective, the special effects in Jurassic Park 2 seemed a bit outdated, the sight of those dinosaurs on the big screen still provided enough excitement.

However, Jurassic Park 2 suffered from some common sequel issues—repetitive and tired plotlines. Aside from the dinosaurs, there was little else in the movie that left a lasting impression on the audience.

Even so, Gilbert still offered his commercial praise afterward.

"It's quite good. Watching those stunning, lifelike dinosaurs, I could hardly believe it—it was so thrilling. Thanks to Spielberg for taking us into a lost world."

Spielberg responded humorously, saying, "Actually, I originally wanted Gilbert to take over the Jurassic Park series, but you all know he has his own work to focus on."

This statement caused the guests and reporters present to reassess the relationship between Gilbert and Spielberg, as it was clear they had a strong connection!

Despite its flaws, as a blockbuster sequel, Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World still made a massive $72.13 million at the box office during its opening weekend, breaking the record for the highest opening weekend earnings.

Everyone knew Jurassic Park 2 would be a box office hit, but no one expected it to be this huge. Fortunately, other films had already made way for it.

The next film to release was The Fifth Element, directed by Luc Besson, which premiered the following weekend after Jurassic Park 2.

Initially, Luc Besson had wanted Bruce Willis as the lead, and had visited Willis several times to discuss the film.

But with a French director like Luc Besson and a well-known Hollywood director like Gilbert, any sensible Hollywood actor knew who to choose.

Thus, Bruce Willis chose to star in Gilbert's The Sixth Sense, turning down Besson's offer.

Luc Besson knew he couldn't compete with Gilbert's appeal but wasn't deterred. He opted to work with Steven Seagal instead.

At the time, Seagal had become a top action star in Hollywood thanks to films like Under Siege and The Patriot. He had also shown talent as a screenwriter and director, with The Patriot being a successful project he had written, directed, and starred in.

The Fifth Element was produced by Sony Columbia with a hefty budget of $90 million, marking it as the most expensive project Besson had ever directed.

But it turns out that not all directors can manage large budgets effectively.

The film's opening weekend only earned $17.03 million, coming in second place at the box office behind Jurassic Park 2. More importantly, the audience feedback was poor, with many describing the film as boring and hard to watch.

The film also featured Mila Jovovich, Gary Oldman, and Chris Tucker, but in the end, it was a major box office failure.

In a competitive summer movie season, failing to make a strong showing in the first weekend often spells disaster for the film, and the chances of a comeback were slim, especially with so many new films coming out.

By the third weekend of the summer season, New Line Cinema's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and Paramount's Breakdown both released. The box office saw a lot of competition, but in the end, Jurassic Park 2 secured its third consecutive weekend at the top of the box office.

Spielberg truly lived up to his reputation, holding onto the top spot for three weeks in such a fiercely competitive summer.

However, many felt that it was to be expected, given Spielberg's track record as the king of summer blockbusters.

Who would be the next king of the summer blockbusters after Spielberg? Stay tuned, as the fourth week approaches.

On May 22nd, Gilbert's latest film The Sixth Sense was released, with a grand premiere in Los Angeles.

Gilbert made sure to show his respect for Spielberg by inviting him to the event, and of course, Spielberg came to support.

With Jurassic Park 2 already in its fourth weekend, the two films didn't compete directly, so there was no issue with Spielberg attending.

Luc Besson also made an appearance. Recently, things hadn't been going too well for him, as The Fifth Element had failed to perform at the box office. So, Besson came to learn from Hollywood's top directors, hoping to see how they draw audiences into theaters.

Every summer, moviegoers eagerly anticipate Gilbert's films, and this year was no exception. Though the film wouldn't be released until the following day, thousands of fans from all over the United States gathered around the red carpet.

Every time a celebrity walked the red carpet, the loud cheers seemed to shake California itself.

Bruce Willis and young co-star Haley walked the red carpet together, interacting with fans during the red carpet interview. Haley even poked fun at Bruce Willis and Gilbert.

"On the first day of filming The Sixth Sense, it was the peak of summer, yet we had to film an autumn scene, so the director made us wear fall clothing.

Bruce wore a trench coat, and I wore a thick jacket. That month was incredibly hot."

The fans fell silent, eagerly waiting to hear what the young star would say next.

Haley continued, "Every time we filmed, Bruce attracted a huge crowd to watch the process. Everyone worked hard because it was the first day of filming.

The crowd was so focused on the action that no one noticed the ice cream truck ringing its bell across the street.

No one except Gilbert and Bruce."

The fans couldn't hold back, bursting into laughter, turning the whole interaction into a sea of joy.

But the story wasn't over. Haley kept going: "Gilbert and Bruce said, 'Oh, man, we need ice cream.' Bruce offered to buy, so he grabbed his assistant, who then called a nearby police officer.

A moment later, the sound of a siren echoed from a distance as the police arrested a suspect, Humor Man."

Humor Man was a popular ice cream brand in the U.S., and Haley vividly retold the story as though he were performing a comedic routine, much like a Chinese xiangsheng, making the audience burst into laughter.

"Then, the assistant realized he was in trouble and had to give ice cream to every person in the crowd because Bruce had bought ice cream for everyone."

Bruce Willis pretended to be serious, but his smile was barely contained as the corners of his mouth lifted, showing his enjoyment.

Haley didn't let up: "This guy didn't leave until everyone had gotten their ice cream."

He then put on a sad expression and added, "Well… not everyone."

The crowd erupted in laughter once again, and Bruce Willis finally couldn't hold it in anymore, breaking into a laugh.

As more guests arrived, everyone silently agreed not to interrupt and allowed Haley to finish His ice cream story.

"I was working, shooting a scene with Bruce, so I had to keep working. And... well... I didn't get any ice cream."

Haley looked down at his feet and continued his playful rant: "Somebody asked me why my crying scenes were so good…"

When those words came out, everyone, whether they were fans or celebrities at the red carpet, couldn't help but laugh, filling the air with joy.

The applause that followed was for this adorable and talented young actress.

Haley added, "I cried because I was still thinking about the first day of shooting, when everyone got ice cream. Everyone except me."

Bruce, thank you for playing the hero one second, and making me cry the next…"

The ice cream story on the red carpet became a favorite topic for fans. However, only a few lucky fans who made it into the premiere screening room would get to see the entire film.

Everyone had to wait for the midnight screening or the premiere day to experience the full film.

Afterward, Spielberg privately told Gilbert, "I really like that kid. I'll find a project for him in the future."

Gilbert smiled and replied, "Well, you can thank Haley for that. He's really great, and you'll like him."

After watching the film, the guests clapped heartily for The Sixth Sense. The film was incredible, perfectly balancing suspense and thrills while also offering emotional depth. The themes of family and love were woven in seamlessly.

Luc Besson shook his head as he watched. This was the second time he had attended a premiere for Gilbert's film. The first time had been Saving Private Ryan.

He had initially thought Saving Private Ryan was Gilbert's peak, but little did he know that the next year, Gilbert would release The Sixth Sense.

To Besson, The Sixth Sense was even better than Saving Private Ryan. No wonder Bruce Willis chose Gilbert's film. It was far superior to his own The Fifth Element.

As an emotionally driven film, The Sixth Sense excelled in every aspect. Nothing felt out of place; every scene, every line of dialogue, was perfectly crafted.

In short, it was a highly accomplished film.

After Jurassic Park 2, The Sixth Sense became the next must-watch movie of the summer.

After the premiere, the media launched a second round of coverage. They had been somewhat reserved before, but now they couldn't stop praising the film.

After the premiere, the film was shown in 3,200 theaters across the country, starting with a midnight screening.

Thanks to Gilbert's star power, the midnight screening earned a solid $7 million at the box office.

The exact figures would be available the next day.

Back at Melon Studios, Gilbert received the midnight box office data and felt relieved.

Naomi Watts handed him a glass of water and asked, "How's the box office doing?"

"It's good," Gilbert replied after taking a sip. "We made over $7 million at the midnight screening, so the premiere should do well."

"That's great," Naomi said, relieved. "By the way, my film Contact premieres in July. Will you be able to attend?"

"Of course, I'll be there. It's your film, I have to support it!"

Naomi smiled, satisfied with his answer. She kissed him on the lips briefly in thanks.

But Gilbert pulled her into his arms, and Naomi straddled his lap as they shared a deep, lingering kiss.

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