Echoes of Hollywood

The Caribbean island belonged to a business group and was rented out for the occasion. It had not only a chapel and guest rooms but also a variety of entertainment facilities. Emerging from the residential area and passing through a grove of coconut trees, the space opened up to reveal a soft sandy beach. Under the reflection of numerous bonfires, the sand glowed golden, and further out lay the tranquil sea, its waters gently kissing the shoreline like a lover's soft kiss.

However, the scenery wasn't the most eye-catching part. The real attraction was the beautiful women on the beach. Their healthy and well-proportioned bodies, clad in swimwear, indicated rigorous training. Even to Murphy's untrained eye, it was clear they were either models or had been models.

Following the relatively formal wedding ceremony and banquet, the bonfire party's theme was naturally one of revelry.

Unlike those without families who roamed freely, Murphy and people like Robert Downey Jr. distanced themselves from the crowd and set up their own bonfire. Murphy personally stood by the grill, opening a portable electric grill and placing some skewers on it to show off his culinary skills.

Lamb, cumin, chili powder... Murphy had once enjoyed self-service barbecue in his hometown, where barbecue stalls were a summer and autumn staple.

"Come and get it..." Murphy placed the grilled skewers on a tray, calling out, "Eat them while they're hot."

Gal Gadot came over, picked up the skewers, and distributed them to the people sitting around the long table near the bonfire.

Murphy grilled some beef skewers next, washed his hands in a water basin, and returned to his seat, taking a large gulp of ice-cold beer before asking, "Bill, you mentioned some media invitation for Gal earlier?"

Since "Man of Steel," Bill Rossis had been handling Gal Gadot's acting career as an agent.

"Gal is quite famous, and Wonder Woman is very popular." Robert Downey Jr. chimed in. "From what I know, many fan organizations have been established for Gal, calling for her to continue playing Wonder Woman."

"Really?" Gal Gadot shrugged. "I doubt I'll have the chance."

She had signed only a single-film contract with Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Now that Murphy's collaboration with Warner Bros. had completely broken down, she had no intention of continuing as Wonder Woman on screen.

Even if the role was fun, she could always play it in private with Murphy.

"Downey is right; Gal has a lot of fans."

After Robert Downey Jr., Bill Rossis found his chance to speak. "Otherwise, the media wouldn't be inviting her."

Murphy was quite interested. "What kind of invitation?"

Bill Rossis replied, "Victoria's Secret invited Gal to this year's annual show, and Anna Wintour wants Gal on the July cover."

Murphy nodded lightly.

He knew about these things, but he wouldn't interfere; it was up to Gal Gadot to decide.

Gal Gadot had her own ideas. "Let's decline Victoria's Secret's invitation. I haven't practiced walking the runway in years, and I don't have time to train."

Although she had been a model, she had left that industry many years ago.

"As for Anna Wintour's invitation..."

An invitation from a fashion magazine is a huge temptation for any woman, and Gal Gadot was no exception. She thought for a moment and said, "I'll need to consider this one."

Murphy didn't need Bill Rossis to explain; he knew Anna Wintour was the inspiration for Meryl Streep's character in "The Devil Wears Prada" and the editor-in-chief of the American edition of Vogue.

Perhaps because she had been a model, Gal Gadot was very interested in fashion.

After eating some grilled skewers, Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen, both single, found an excuse to leave and headed to where the beach beauties were gathered. The remaining group gradually shifted their conversation to movies, especially the still-screening "Thor" and "City of Chaos," which were the main topics of discussion.

"This is the fifth weekend of its release..." Bill Rossis, well-versed in Hollywood trends, said, "According to authoritative market predictions, after this weekend, 'Thor' might exceed $115 million at the North American box office. Given the current situation of blockbuster releases crowding out screens, its final North American box office should be between $125 million and $130 million."

James Franco interjected, "I remember the overseas situation is slightly better than North America."

"Yes," Bill Rossis nodded, "The overseas cumulative is close to $140 million. The global box office for this film will struggle to break $300 million."

"What about 'City of Chaos'?" Lily Collins put down her vegetable skewer, grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth, and asked, "Can it reach three times 'Thor's' box office?"

Murphy was drinking beer, and seeing that he didn't answer, Gal Gadot said, "No way. After this weekend, its North American box office is estimated to approach $245 million."

Lily Collins said enviously, "Then $250 million is definitely achievable."

"But overseas, it'll probably top out at $300 million." Gal Gadot sighed, "Globally, it might be around $580 million."

Although this was a good result, compared to the film's huge investment, it was still not ideal.

"It has already exceeded 20th Century Fox's expectations." Bill Rossis added, "With the additional revenue from other sources, the film should recover its costs without issue. The most important thing is the good audience reception, which will build a solid audience base for the sequel."

Murphy put down his beer and said, "So, Bill, you need to keep in touch with 20th Century Fox. The word-of-mouth marketing for this film shouldn't stop."

Continued word-of-mouth marketing was crucial as it could directly translate into the opening weekend box office for the sequel.

"It's a pity about 'Thor'..." Robert Downey Jr. shook his head. "It became the cannon fodder for 'City of Chaos.'"

Susan Downey took the napkin from Robert Downey Jr. and wiped her hands, saying, "This was meant to pave the way for 'The Avengers.' A $300 million box office isn't bad."

Robert Downey Jr. spread his hands, "The problem is the film's poor reception. It not only fails to help 'The Avengers' but also drags it down."

He looked at Murphy and said, "Due to your influence, the attitude of critics towards superhero movies has completely changed. Simple, brainless popcorn movies are hard to get good reviews."

"Summer blockbusters..." Murphy laughed, "Critics' influence isn't significant."

Robert Downey Jr. shook his head, "In general, yes, but the problem is 'Thor' has terrible critical reception."

He switched to a mocking tone, "The biggest mistake of this film is adding a plot. No plot is needed, just have muscle men fly around and shoot lightning. Who needs a plot? Who needs a damn plot? Damn the plot..."

"These critics..." Robert Downey Jr. shook his head, "Today's critics just hurl insults."

Murphy agreed with Robert Downey Jr.'s view. "The older generation of critics, as new generations of moviegoers become the main audience, have less influence. The rising new critics indeed have lower professional standards."

"Remember 'Iron Man 2'?" Robert Downey Jr. continued, "It was also heavily criticized. I've had enough of these critics."

"Old-time critics like André Bazin made outstanding contributions to the film industry, but since the retirement of that initial group of highly professional critics, what's the state of professional film criticism now?"

Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "Today's critics are increasingly unqualified, producing nothing but insults and failing to write any insightful reviews. Their knowledge and professionalism are extremely poor. They write insulting content and call it criticism? What is criticism? André Bazin's writings in Cahiers du Cinéma were real criticism. André Bazin not only critiqued films but also played a crucial role in the development of cinema, even though he wasn't a director. His theories guided the film industry."

Now completely commercialized, like Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jr. was not the critics' cup of tea.

As a result, after being criticized frequently, Robert Downey Jr. had no affection for professional critics. He continued, "A true critic must have profound cultural insight, not just knowledge of pop culture but also a deep understanding of film. Originally, criticism was a highly prestigious profession. Now it has become low-end, infiltrated by many unqualified individuals who do nothing but use malicious and sensational words to attract readers' attention."

Robert Downey Jr.'s words were not without reason. Even though he was quite favored by professional critics, he had to admit that with the diminishing influence of the older generation of critics, the overall quality of the new critics had severely declined. It was increasingly rare to see outstanding film reviews.

Most of these critics only followed trends, dismissing all commercial films and sneering at fast-paced, visually impactful movies. They lacked their own perspectives. Even when they were right and a film was indeed poor, their reasons for it were often ludicrous, showing a basic lack of professional competence.

With Robert Downey Jr. criticizing the critics, the bonfire party came to an end. Murphy stayed on the island for the night and flew back to Los Angeles alone the next day to meet with his lawyer, Robert.

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