Chapter 88
"Pain Walker Sells Out Days in a Row!"
"The Spiritual Successor to Batman Returns! A Deep Dive into Its Success!"
"Theaters Packed with Pain Walker Fans! Divided in Black and White, Facing Off!"
"The Perfect Harmony of Sion Lee and Mickey Rourke! A Clash Between the Sex Symbol of Today and Yesterday!"
"Spotlight on Tim Burton, the Genius Director Who Crafted a Battle Between Illusion and Reality!"
Articles about the movie Pain Walker poured in day after day.
It pulled in approximately $50 million in its opening week, instantly shattering the all-time opening record.
Batman had done $40 million. Batman Returns, $45 million.
It was a historic moment where a superhero movie from the very same studio, Warner Bros., had smashed those records.
Although competing films opened the very next week, they stood no chance of shaking its ironclad dominance.
Pain Walker steadily raked in box office revenue, maintaining a highly stable trajectory with $30 million in its second week, $20 million in its third, and a whopping $17 million in its highly anticipated fourth week.
Hearing these continuous updates, Sion thought to himself:
A blockbuster really is on a different level.
In just one month, it had nearly caught up to the $120 million lifetime box office gross of his previous film, Fragments of You.
Of course, purely looking at the numbers, it had to perform this way. The production budget and promotional spending between the two films were worlds apart.
Even so, the sheer scale of the revenue felt like a clear signal that his status had climbed yet another step.
Is it finally time to upgrade to a Porsche?
He made the joke to himself while relaxing, only for a sponsorship offer to suddenly drop out of the blue.
"...Is this for real?"
"You're the one who told me to get on it."
Sion had left the sponsorship deals entirely to Charlie Kang, who always matched them perfectly to his image. After receiving a call, Sion had casually strolled out to the meeting spot in comfortable clothes, only to find a sleek, unfamiliar black supercar waiting for him.
A Porsche 911.
"We look forward to working with you, Mr. Lee!"
It was a vehicle provided on a long-term, complimentary lease. The dealer sent by Porsche beamed brightly at Sion.
Sion blinked a few times and turned to Charlie, who simply shrugged.
"It's all yours."
Grammatical nuances aside, it certainly had an impact.
During this era, vehicle sponsorships for Hollywood superstars were not uncommon.
Just having a superstar spotted driving the car in public generated massive promotional value.
Staring blankly at the smooth, sleek black supercar, Sion asked, slipping into his Lucid persona for a split second:
"But shouldn't I be driving a white car?"
"...Let's not sweat the small details."
In any case, as his status soared, various "fringe benefits" began to pile up.
That evening, Sion headed to a high-end restaurant nearby.
"Ah, Sion Lee. Welcome."
"Do you have a table? I didn't make a reservation."
"For you, we always have a table."
"I'm planning to invite a lady, so somewhere with a nice atmosphere, please."
"Oho... If you don't mind me asking, is it...?"
"That's right. Asimov."
Sion smirked, and the maître d' immediately escorted him to a private room.
Sion made a call from the lobby phone. The person on the other end picked up immediately. Sion sat back, sipping non-alcoholic champagne as he waited.
Time ticked by, and by the time the evening sky had deepened to the rich, dark color of a perfectly seared steak, his guest arrived.
"This is quite sudden."
With her gray bob cut sharp as a blade along her jawline, Olga Asimov appeared, dressed in a sophisticated, formal blouse.
"I wanted to treat you to a meal at least once. I believe I was able to make it this far because you set me up with The College Player."
"My, I'm glad you think so. Though thanks to you, we're still doing incredibly well ourselves."
"True, Season 4 is currently airing. Shall we order right away?"
"Yes. Let's go with the full course."
"..."
"Why? Should we scale it back a bit?"
"No. Whatever you prefer."
Olga chuckled softly at Sion's polite deference.
A moment later, an artistic arrangement of greens that looked more like decorative flora than food—a salad—was wheeled into the room on a trolley, marking the beginning of their dinner.
Having invited Olga to get an honest critique from the coldest, most calculating industry veteran he knew, Sion brought up the topic.
"Have you seen the movie?"
"Superhero movies make my eyes hurt."
"..."
"But I do have a daughter, and she insisted we watch it on opening day, so I ended up going with her. A fan recognized her after the movie, and signing autographs turned a two-hour screening into a three-hour ordeal, but it was decent enough."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"Enjoyed it? I don't watch movies for 'enjoyment' anymore, Sion. Somewhere along the way, I lost that ability."
Olga's eyes grew heavy and sharp, like sub-zero vodka that refused to freeze.
"I only look at whether it makes money. But if I had to say, it was intriguing. In more ways than one. How should I put it... the film clearly bears Tim Burton's signature style, yet it was adjusted perfectly so it didn't feel overindulgent. Michael Jackson's 'Bad' on the soundtrack certainly helped, as did the sheer acting caliber of you and Mickey."
It was an incredibly precise assessment.
In this film, Tim Burton hadn't forced his eccentricities onto the screen. Instead, he had been highly receptive to the input of his leads, Sion and Mickey Rourke.
As a result, combined with the inclusion of "Bad," the movie retained Burton's gothic charm while offering something entirely fresh.
Olga made a sharp deduction.
"The sheer power of your performances must have moved that stubborn artist's heart. In fact, the two characters on screen mirror your real-life situations quite exquisitely. A superhero who has lost everything, and a supervillain riding a wave of absolute triumph. I assume... you deliberately built your recent public image with that in mind. Am I right?"
"That's classified information, so I can't say."
"Well, fine."
Olga smiled, finding Sion's playful evasion endearing, and continued.
"Sion, I had no idea you possessed such a talent for producing."
"...Me? That's a bit out of nowhere."
"The rumor has already spread like wildfire through the industry. They say you were the one who suggested casting Mickey Rourke, and that you dominated the entire atmosphere of the set both on and off-camera. And finally... that 'cookie' scene was your idea too, wasn't it?"
"There really are no secrets in Hollywood."
"You know that better than anyone and use it to your advantage, so why act surprised?"
Olga briefly recalled what had happened as the movie's end credits rolled.
Suddenly, the theater had plunged back into darkness, and a short clip began to play.
The moment the name "Bruce Wayne" echoed from the speakers, the entire audience erupted into deafening screams, as if they couldn't bear even a second of silence.
"My ears are still ringing. Teasing a sequel with a post-credit scene? Elena was sitting right next to me and immediately went wild, saying only Sion could come up with such a crazy idea."
"...She said that?"
"Still, even if they're both DC properties, dropping a teaser for the next Batman movie—which is currently in active production—right here? You're absolutely out of your mind."
"..."
Sion rubbed the back of his neck, offering no reply.
The origin of the "post-credit scene" actually dated all the way back to the 1903 film The Great Train Robbery.
In the 1990s, these scenes were merely treated as small bonus clips for the audience.
However, Sion, who remembered how future franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe used post-credit scenes to expand their narratives and build hype over long periods, had borrowed the concept.
He could still vividly picture Terry Semel's face when he pitched the idea during the dinner they had arranged through the charity auction.
It was the face of a man who had caught the scent of pure gold.
It was a brilliant marketing strategy that generated massive word-of-mouth buzz to sustain the film's box office run, while seamlessly bridging the current audience over to the next installment.
Thanks to this, Lucid, who was originally scripted to die at the end, had his fate changed to going missing instead.
And Olga, a veteran who knew the industry inside and out, sharp-wittedly hit the nail on the head.
"You're appearing in the third Batman, aren't you?"
"If the money's right."
Sion gave a brief reply and picked up the bill.
It was a simple gesture, but its implication was clear.
You guessed right, so don't ask any more awkward questions.
Olga felt a chill of realization. Sion was no ordinary actor.
It felt as though everything was moving precisely within his grasp.
To shake up the industry like this at just twenty-one. Kids these days are terrifying.
After they paid and walked out, she asked, shifting the mood.
"Thank you for the wonderful dinner. It made me feel young again."
"You're still in your prime. Especially as an actress."
"An actress in her forties isn't exactly at the age to land leading roles anymore."
Olga pulled out her sunglasses and put them on with a slightly exaggerated gesture, as if self-conscious about the wrinkles around her eyes, before offering a playful wink.
Indeed, given the industry standards of this era, her words weren't entirely wrong.
Feeling a bit awkward, Sion asked one last question.
"Do you think this movie can beat Batman?"
"Well..."
Whether by coincidence or because she had noticed, she pointed to Sion's black Porsche parked right in front of the restaurant and said:
"I think it'll be tough. Your hero doesn't have a sexy black car like that, nor does he have the same charm as Batman. The truly captivating character in your film is Lucid. That's why I think it's a bit up in the air."
"I see... In that case, I'll just have to make it happen."
"...Oh dear. What kind of scheme are you cooking up now?"
Watching Sion smile cryptically as if he had just received invaluable advice, Olga felt her anticipation for him grow even deeper.
At that exact moment, a meeting was underway at the Warner Bros. headquarters.
"These are highly encouraging results..."
The projector cast data onto the screen as the presenter briefed the room on Pain Walker's performance.
The computer-generated graph showed an incredibly gentle downward curve starting from the second week.
But the most staggering part was, without a doubt, the opening weekend numbers.
Fifty million dollars.
In a single stroke, it had generated a sum so massive that an ordinary citizen could barely comprehend its scale.
A deep, satisfied grin spread across the face of Terry Semel, who nodded continuously.
Soon, he asked:
"What do you think is the primary reason we pulled in fifty million?"
"We believe the contrasting dynamic between Sion Lee and Mickey Rourke played a major role. We've been consistently pairing them together in the media. Mickey Rourke's ruined face was a highly intriguing subject for the public... and Sion Lee's face speaks for itself. While Sion has generated far more buzz recently, he successfully pulled Mickey up with him."
"Fascinating. People really do crave stimulation, don't they?"
One of the executives nodded in agreement with Terry's smirk.
"Sion Lee is an absolute gem. Everything he touches turns to gold. Plus, unlike in the past, he hasn't had any issues with his private life or his acting ability over the last few years. Despite his young age, he presents himself as a near-perfect actor. And he's still incredibly handsome. No wonder everyone loves him."
"It's because he's still fresh. When a troublemaker suddenly turns over a new leaf, people stay fascinated for a few years."
Which meant they needed to milk him for all he was worth while they could. That was Terry's calculation behind trying so hard to build a business relationship with Sion.
"Still, that idea of his was an absolute stroke of genius. Using a post-credit scene to tease the next movie? When I first heard it, I knew Sion Lee was something special. Maybe it's because he's young, but it was an incredibly fresh concept."
"I agree. Considering Pain Walker is guaranteed to sustain its box office run through the end of the year... this has evolved beyond simple viral marketing. It's an incredibly clever way to keep the audience hooked and anticipating the next film."
"Good, good. Let's keep this momentum going for the Batman sequel. ...Oh, by the way, what do you all think about this?"
Terry pulled out a cigarette, lit it, paused for a beat, and asked:
"Do you think this movie can surpass the original Batman?"
The Batman he referred to was, of course, the 1989 masterpiece.
That film had grossed $250 million in North America alone, and over $410 million worldwide.
Taking inflation into account, Pain Walker would need to make at least $300 million domestically to truly claim victory.
Naturally, the executives reacted skeptically to Terry's question.
"I think that's highly unlikely. Even in the original comics, there's a massive gap in popularity between Pain Walker and Batman."
"Batman is a character even my wife knows, and she has zero interest in comic books. On the other hand, most people probably heard of Pain Walker through this movie first. It fits the current trend, but it's still a niche IP. Honestly, its current success is an anomaly, and we can only attribute it to Sion Lee's involvement. That kid is a genius when it comes to grabbing the public's attention."
"Well, that's true. That's why Batman did so well with merchandising afterward. On the other hand, isn't this film struggling a bit in that department? I watched it, and it doesn't exactly look easy to make toys for kids out of this."
"That's why we opted for a high-end, premium branding strategy instead, and it's actually working quite well."
"Though, of course, even that won't be nearly enough to beat Batman."
The executives indulged in a moment of nostalgia, reminiscing about the legendary records of the past.
Terry chuckled heartily among them and said:
"Well, it wouldn't hurt if it *did* surpass it now. After all, we're currently making a 'proper' Batman movie anyway."
With the production of the guaranteed blockbuster Batman 3 right around the corner, Warner Bros. was screaming with joy over the massive profits Sion Lee was bringing in.
...However, there was one thing even these seasoned industry veterans failed to foresee.
Through this very film, Sion Lee was genuinely aiming to dethrone Batman.
A few days later, a piece of news broke across various media outlets.
"Sion Lee is hosting a giveaway on MTV?"
"And the grand prize is..."
Across America, countless people flipping through newspapers and magazines froze, their eyes widening in sheer disbelief.
"A Porsche 911?!"
Everyone who read the news was utterly flabbergasted.
"Y-you want *another* sponsored car?!"
And the Porsche dealer, who had received a direct call from Sion Lee himself, was left even more dumbfounded than the rest of the country.