Chapter 148: Premiere
Chapter 148: Premiere
In the end, Columbia decided to take the gamble and release Running Out of Time as scheduled, because most of the executives believed that delaying the film carried even greater risk than clashing with Batman. Of course, the alternate promotional plan Eric had provided also played a major role.
In the Beverly Hills villa, Eric stood before the full-length mirror with his chin slightly raised. Nicole, who had already changed into casual clothes, bent forward and carefully tied his necktie for him. On the large bed beside them, Drew lay sprawled without the slightest regard for appearances. She wore a white camisole and a denim miniskirt, which set off her well-developed figure in a delicate, shapely way. A slim section of her waist showed beneath the camisole, and her fair calves swung about carelessly, her black-painted toenails faintly visible. Propping up her chin, the girl watched Nicole tie Eric’s necktie with a somewhat jealous look. She really wanted to go up and do it herself, but unfortunately... she did not know how.
“Eric, can I walk the red carpet with you later?” Drew asked after Nicole finished tying his tie and Eric began putting on his suit jacket. Her tone carried a hint of coquettishness.
“No. Everything has already been arranged. You and Nicole can just enter the venue directly.”
“Mmph, but what if I don’t like going with her?” Drew did not hide her likes and dislikes even in front of Nicole. Ever since summer vacation began, Drew had seemed like a different person. She no longer ran around everywhere having fun. Instead, she unusually stayed at home every day. It took Eric many days to understand that the girl was guarding against Nicole seducing him. For example, now, because he had to change clothes for the premiere and Nicole had come over to help, Drew appeared beside them right on time.
Hearing Drew’s words, Nicole could not help raising her brows. But the girl precisely caught that instant change in her expression. “Eric, Eric, look. She raised her brows. She looks so scheming. Why don’t we drive her away?”
Nicole finally could not help saying, “Drew, since you’re saying that about me to my face, don’t I even have the right to express my dissatisfaction?”
“Don’t call me Drew. As a maid, you should call me Miss Barrymore.”
“All right, Miss Barrymore,” Nicole said helplessly. If Eric had not been there, her tone would definitely have sounded a little more gritted. Drew had indeed ruined all her little calculations. After more than a month together, her relationship with Eric had not made any substantial progress. Although she always kept everything in the villa in perfect order and cared for Eric’s daily life meticulously, ever since Drew started summer vacation, she and Eric almost never had any time alone together. That left her no chance to take the initiative.
“You sound so unwilling. You don’t look like a maid at all. Eric, let’s drive her away.”
After putting on his suit, Eric smiled and tapped Drew on the forehead. “Stop messing around. If you keep this up, I’ll drive you away. Go change your clothes.”
The girl gave an exaggerated cry of pain, covered her forehead, and walked out with a face full of reluctance.
When Eric got out of the car, the entrance of the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard was already packed with people. Besides reporters, large numbers of fans crowded both sides of the red carpet.
Eric saw many girls holding Running Out of Time posters high in their hands while shouting Cruise’s name, and he did not find it strange.
Among the main creative team of Running Out of Time, Eric’s identity was that of the director. Although he had acted in 17 Again and gained considerable fame, he had completely set aside an acting career afterward, so the fame he earned from that had slowly faded. In addition, none of his films had a unified style, and he deliberately kept a low profile, so it was not very likely for him to accumulate die-hard fans.
Hanks had no advantage in looks. Although he was very famous, he could only be categorized as a skilled actor, and his acting career was still on the rise. He had not yet gained the influence he had in Eric’s previous life.
Cruise was different. From his debut until now, for nearly ten years, Cruise had always followed the idol route. His image as a popular public heartthrob had been shaped very successfully. In Eric’s previous life, Cruise’s public image had remained nearly perfect until his divorce from Nicole Kidman.
Eric did not mind the fans’ reaction at all. His personal goal had always been very clear. He had never intended to become a public idol. He wanted to become a hidden hand behind Hollywood’s curtain.
The premiere red carpet had already begun, and minor stars were occasionally stepping onto it. According to the usual red carpet rules, more important figures generally appeared around the middle, so Eric did not walk directly onto the red carpet. Instead, he headed toward the waiting area, where quite a few people had already gathered.
“Eric, congratulations.”
When Hanks saw him, he smiled and said this for no obvious reason. Seeing Eric’s puzzled expression, Hanks explained, “I heard you got your share from Home Alone. And Pretty Woman officially ended its run a few days ago too. North American box office of 210 million, global box office of 530 million. That really shocked a lot of people. Add that to Home Alone’s worldwide box office, and the total box office you’ve personally accumulated has already reached one billion dollars. In Hollywood, the number of people whose cumulative global box office exceeds one billion can be counted on one hand. Doesn’t that deserve a celebration?”
“That’s not too rare, is it?” Eric smiled and pointed at Cruise beside him. “Cruise’s films passed one billion dollars in global box office a long time ago.”
Hearing Eric’s words, Cruise did not show his usual proud expression. He gave a dry laugh and was rarely modest. “Eric, how can I compare with you?”
It was true that the films he starred in had surpassed one billion in worldwide box office, but compared with those huge box office numbers, the benefits Cruise himself had received were pitifully small. Even now, Cruise’s personal assets amounted to only a few tens of millions of dollars. Eric, however, was expected to receive more than two hundred million in profit shares from Home Alone and Pretty Woman alone. During this period, every time Cruise saw newspaper reports about Eric, he could not help envying Eric’s luck. At the same time, this only strengthened his resolve to develop toward becoming a producer. In the time after Running Out of Time finished filming, the production company Cruise had established had already started selecting scripts.
As the female companion the organizers had arranged for Eric today, Brooke Shields naturally moved beside him after he appeared. Hearing the men’s conversation, the woman, who had already given up after Eric’s indirect rejection, had her thoughts stirred again. The way she looked at Eric also became heated. Her unbearable experiences from childhood had given Brooke an extraordinary worship and obsession with money. If she had had enough money back then, she, with noble blood from four countries, could have truly lived the life of a noble young lady. She would not have had to pose nude at ten for a few hundred dollars, act in the restricted film Pretty Baby at twelve, or shoot that jeans GG with somewhat vulgar lines.
When the staff reminded the main creative team that they could step onto the red carpet, Brooke Shields took the initiative to lean against Eric and intimately linked her arm around his. At the same time, she somewhat regretted wearing high heels today, which made her slightly taller than Eric and made the two of them look less well-matched.
Eric did not care about that. His arm felt the softness in front of the woman’s chest. Although it was very comfortable, he still had to remind her, “Brooke, you’re holding on too tightly. Can you loosen up a bit?”
“Oh, sorry, Eric. I’m a little nervous,” the woman explained, loosening her hold slightly.
Eric smiled. He felt that something was strange about her thoughts. She had grown up in front of cameras since childhood. How could she be nervous? However, he did not bother digging into it. He walked onto the red carpet with the woman on his arm.