In a moment of impulse, Jesse tried to open the car door and rush out to start the interview immediately.
However, Alexander stopped him, "Be careful."
Careful?
Careful!
Was safety really the first thought that crossed his mind?
Watching Alexander, the honest man, seriously searching for a parking spot out of concern for getting a ticket, Jesse nearly choked on his breath.
"Whatever!"
"If we get a ticket, the TV station will cover it. I'll personally reimburse you!"
"We need to move fast!"
Alexander nodded repeatedly in agreement, but he still calmly parked the car, smoothly pulling into a spot. He then flashed Jesse a smile, "All set."
Jesse felt utterly defeated.
But there was no time to complain. He opened the car door and quickly walked toward the cinema. The grumpy demeanor he'd had at the TV station was gone, replaced with an intense drive, as he shifted into work mode in an instant.
They had already seen the scene from the car, but getting closer made it even more impressive—
A long line.
Literally.
The image of just a handful of people that Jesse had imagined was completely shattered.
The crowd stretched on and on. The entrance of the AMC cinema had a two-tiered staircase leading to a small plaza, and the queue snaked down from the entrance, winding its way through the plaza.
At a glance, even if there weren't a thousand people, there were at least five hundred.
The sight was astonishing, overturning all preconceived notions.
But why?
Jesse even began to question his life; he felt like he might need a cigarette.
Jesse turned to Alexander, "Notify the station, this is top-priority news. Immediately!"
Then, without waiting for Alexander to start the camera, Jesse forged ahead, conducting quick interviews to get a basic understanding of the situation. His brain was in overdrive as he began to form the live news report.
Clearly, North America wasn't prepared—
What does that mean?
Even Fox Television itself hadn't anticipated that a casually conceived plan, just a trial balloon, would unexpectedly become the first media outlet to capture the season's first movie-watching frenzy.
People were completely caught off guard.
As previously mentioned, this was the first summer movie season since 9/11. The entire market was in a slump, with the box office prospects shrouded in uncertainty. It wasn't just the film industry; a ripple effect could influence various economic activities, drawing attention from other sectors as well.
However, no one could predict the future.
Do your best and leave the rest to fate.
Now, the summer season had finally begun.
The key point was that even without the impact of recent events, summer blockbusters would still struggle to draw such a crowd for a Friday morning show. The scene unfolding before them had taken everyone by surprise.
So—
Had the pent-up energy finally been released after all this time?
It wasn't just the film companies; audiences, too, had been waiting for a chance to shake off the gloom and return to normal life. Now that the opportunity had arrived, people seized it, which explained the outpouring of enthusiasm.
Or was there another reason?
—Anson.
Based on Jesse's initial interviews, a star was being born.
It wasn't just one cinema; Jesse visited five in total. While the crowds varied, and not every cinema was as packed, the Century City AMC had attracted a massive crowd due to its prime location near young students, creating a spectacular scene. But even in different cinemas, there were still lines.
In any case, it was far from deserted.
Audiences of various demographics and backgrounds at different cinemas all mentioned one unexpected but reasonable answer:
Anson Wood.
Perhaps it was Paris Fashion Week, "The Tonight Show," "The Princess Diaries," rumors involving Matt Damon and Tom Cruise, performances on the streets of Manhattan, a feature in "Vogue," or the Dior advertisement...
Over the past six months, Anson's influence had gradually built up, drop by drop, grain by grain, finally exploding with the overwhelming promotion of "Spider-Man," driving curiosity to its peak.
At this time, there was no concept of "traffic," but without a doubt, Anson's exposure in recent months was comparable to that of a top star. People discussed his modeling, music, and charisma, yet curiously, they hadn't focused much on his acting. Whether they liked him or hated him, everyone was waiting for a chance:
Was Anson the real deal? Time to find out.
Ultimately, the catalyst for this chemical reaction was the media reviews following the premiere.
In truth, only insiders in Hollywood paid attention to those critical reviews. The general public usually didn't look up every media review, but they did see the high ratings from authoritative outlets like the "Los Angeles Times" and "The New York Times." The universal praise from other news outlets piqued their curiosity to its peak.
Perhaps, they shouldn't miss this.
Heading to the cinema early on Friday morning was both an expression of long-repressed enthusiasm for entertainment and a response to the unprecedented focus on Anson—
This morning, those lining up at the cinema weren't just fans; there were also detractors.
"…Viewers, I just waited in line for thirty minutes and finally got two movie tickets."
Jesse stood in front of the camera, showing the audience the tickets in his hand.
"I arrived before the cinema opened, but I could only buy tickets for the 1:30 PM show. All earlier showings are sold out."
"So, when predicting the opening weekend box office for 'Spider-Man,' perhaps we can be a little more daring?"
With that, Jesse wrapped up his live report.
The director's voice came through his earpiece, "Cut!" Jesse couldn't help but cheer, pumping his fist.
Who would have thought that a story no one wanted to cover would turn into a massive hit—
The word from the studio was that the segment's live ratings had nearly matched those of the morning show king, "Today." The entire Fox Television station was buzzing with excitement.
It seemed that "Spider-Man" was a gold mine.
Jesse took a deep breath and called to Alexander, "Let's go watch the movie."
Alexander was puzzled, "Weren't you just saying you weren't interested?"
Jesse didn't mind, "That was because I didn't realize Anson's power. Now that I do, we need to keep up."
Fox had set the pace, and other networks quickly followed suit—
NBC, ABC, CBS, the big public networks might not want to follow in Fox's footsteps, but local stations across the states were more than happy to jump on the bandwagon.
What they discovered was astonishing.
Los Angeles was just the tip of the iceberg. New York, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, and other cities were all experiencing varying degrees of a craze. The "Spider-Man" frenzy was sweeping across North America.
Fox Television: "After a long wait, the summer season finally shines again, and Peter Parker's charm has brought audiences back to the theaters! Unbelievable!"