America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM

Chapter 205 204. Exploding public opinion, soaring box office, and the voice of the movie queen

"Dear, what happened? Your brows are frowning so deeply.

Theron didn't know when he walked up behind Eric and gently rubbed his temples. He had been tossing for too long last night, and Theron knew that his man hadn't regained his energy yet.

Feeling the warm and delicate skin, Eric sighed: "It disturbs people's dreams, and it doesn't do anything good early in the morning."

"Massachusetts, yesterday a very anti-gay guy set fire to a movie theater."

"Oh my God! Is someone dead?" Theron's eyes widened in surprise.

"Luckily, more than a dozen people suffered injuries of varying severity, but none of them were burned to death. The cinema and surrounding houses were burned to rubble."

"So serious? Why set fire? Is it a movie?"

Eric shook his head slightly helplessly: "We have to admit that there are a group of lunatics in the world, and their minds have been distorted."

"After setting the fire, this guy didn't flee. Instead, he waited there openly, waiting for the police and media to arrive."

"After the reporters arrived, they held up signs and shouted slogans such as homosexuality is shameful, opposition to homosexuality, homosexuality is blasphemous to God, etc."

"They are also clamoring that because this cinema is showing "The Life of Adele", they are going to set fire to those gays and perverts who support homosexuality."

"Madman! Absolutely mad! God did not teach him to set fire to harm others."

Theron sighed: "If it's Massachusetts, I wouldn't be very surprised. Have you heard about what happened last month?"

"What's up?"

"November 18th, by the way, that's when "Transformers" premieres, and you're busy."

"Also in Massachusetts, the state Supreme Court heard a case about gay marriage. Seven same-sex couples including Julie and Goodrich launched a lawsuit against the Department of Public Health, demanding that they be allowed to register their marriage like normal couples. "

"This matter has been very controversial, and many congressmen have participated, including President Bush who clearly opposes same-sex marriage. So far, the state Supreme Court has not made a decision."

"If you pay more attention to the news in Massachusetts, you will find that there are demonstrations there every few days, both for and against same-sex marriage."

"At such a sensitive point, "The Life of Adele" was released again, which must have stimulated the nerves of anti-gay people, leading to this extreme incident."

After listening to Theron's words, Eric thought to himself.

"My dear, if there is an arson incident, the media will definitely report it again, and someone will definitely throw dirty water on you."

"I know that at least the Independent will never miss an opportunity to criticize me."

"Then what are you going to do?"

Eric raised his eyes and looked at Theron: "My beautiful lady, tell me, do you have any ideas?"

"My advice is, since you can't escape, you'd better strike first."

"You want me to fly over and visit those patients?"

"Well, it's best to bear their medical expenses as well. It may cost one or two million dollars, but it will give you a good reputation for the movie and MGM."

"Standing on the moral high ground, you can rationally accuse others."

"I didn't say the second half, but at least it can silence many people who attack you, and it will help promote the movie. Reversing the reputation will also be good for the box office, right?"

Eric couldn't help pinching her pretty face: "Smart woman, are you interested in working in my company? Publicity, public relations or other positions?"

Bo!

Theron kissed Eric on the forehead and said, "Can I keep my position? I'll wait until I get older and get tired of acting."

"No problem, I'll keep it for you forever."

uh-huh

The two kissed passionately, feeling Eric's little brother start to be arrogant again, Theron quickly got up and avoided.

"You've only slept for more than three hours, don't you know you're tired?"

"Hehe. If I do it with you, there will never be a time when I'm tired."

"I've convinced you, stop making trouble and go now, the sooner the better."

"Um."

At around 12 noon, Eric arrived in Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, with the Olsen sisters, and then went straight to the hospital.

On the way, Eric received a call from Chen Xing.

"Sure enough, public opinion has fermented. The media and the Internet are hyping this matter. Some media have already criticized us."

"What did those guys say?"

There was anger in Mary's tone, and the sisters were so angry that they woke up early this morning.

"It's the same old story, saying that this kind of movie shouldn't be made during a sensitive period, asking MGM to release it, asking major movie theaters to reject it, and asking the audience to consciously boycott it."

"Then he also asked us to publicly apologize, which is probably what he meant."

"Asshole! These demands are so unreasonable. We didn't set the movie theater on fire. Shouldn't the prisoners be severely punished?"

"Don't pay attention to this. Logic doesn't make sense with these people. Go through the procedures at the hospital and then accept interviews. Don't make radical remarks."

"Understood, we are businessmen, not politicians. If businessmen want to make money, they cannot offend any group. It is right to do what we should do."

An hour later, the car arrived at the hospital gate, which was surrounded by vehicles from various TV stations.

When the three Erics stepped out of the car, they instantly attracted the attention of all the reporters. A group of people, like sharks that smelled the smell of blood, rushed over to surround them, pointing their spears and cannons in the face and asking questions.

"Mr. Cooper, why do you want to come to the hospital at this time?"

"Ashley, can you answer a question? Do you think the arson incident was related to the movie?"

"Mr. Cooper, what prompted you to make this movie and use sisters as the two protagonists."

"Mary, look here, look here, what is your attitude towards homosexuality?"

"Ashley, Mary, there are rumors that you two sisters have a friendship that goes beyond family ties. Can you explain this?"

Fortunately, Eric anticipated that this operation would not go smoothly and hired five bodyguards in advance. The media also followed suit, mainly because they were worried about further attacks by extremists.

As a time traveler, he has no system, no superpowers, and is still a bit weak.

Eric said loudly: "Please be quiet. After learning this unfortunate news, we were in a very bad mood and felt deeply saddened, so we flew over from Los Angeles immediately. Please let us go in to visit the victim first, okay? ?”

After speaking, the five tough men forcefully separated the crowd and opened a passage for the three of them.

When I entered the building, I was led to the lounge by the hospital, where the victim's family members gathered.

Seeing the three people, many people had complicated expressions.

Eric knew that some of them must be resentful towards themselves. After all, if you don’t make this movie, my children won’t watch it, and if they don’t watch it, they won’t encounter misfortune.

"Everyone, I hope you understand that I'm sorry that this happened. This was not our intention."

"We just want to make a movie, nothing else. We are deeply sorry for what happened to you!"

"Of course, we understand that no amount of sorry can make up for the suffering you have suffered, so we act in a humanitarian spirit."

"MGM and Double Star Entertainment have decided to bear the medical expenses of all victims, hoping that in this way they can alleviate your pain and burden."

After hearing this, everyone's eyes showed friendly looks.

Although money cannot prevent tragedy, it can at least make up for the pain caused by tragedy.

The three of them stayed in the lounge for a while, met with the victims who were less seriously injured, took photos, signed small gifts, and said many words of encouragement.

There are still three more seriously injured people who are being rescued. The hospital said that they will do everything possible and the probability of successful treatment is still very high, so Eric is relieved.

If people don't die, public opinion will not deteriorate, which is the best.

After doing these things on camera, Eric and the Olsen sisters walked out of the building and formally accepted the interview.

Fox reporters were the first to step forward and ask big questions.

"Mr. Cooper, did you choose to make this movie because you support homosexuality?"

Eric did not answer directly, but asked instead: "Mr. Reporter, have you watched "The Life of Adele"?"

"Not yet." The other party replied awkwardly.

"Then I suggest you take a serious look at it. After watching it, you will find that "The Life of Adele" only borrows the perspective of gay people. The core of the movie is actually love and life."

"It doesn't matter whether you are gay or straight, as long as you are a human being, you will have love, right?"

Not getting the answer he wanted, the Independent reporter continued to stir up trouble and asked: "Mr. Cooper, what do you think about homosexuality? Do you think it goes against the Bible?"

Eric shook his head: "Sorry, I am not a believer and cannot answer this question accurately, but I respect everyone's beliefs."

"Let's talk briefly, everyone wants to know." the reporter asked.

"Well, actually, my mother is a devout believer. She goes to church every week, and sometimes she takes me with her."

“She often taught me that it was God who created us in his own image, and it was God who created humans in his own image.”

"Then I can't help but wonder, if we are all clones of God in some sense, doesn't it mean that same-sex feelings are also a part of God."

"After all, people's sexual orientation is innate, right?"

A rhetorical question left the Independent reporter speechless, and he couldn't help but secretly marvel at Eric Cooper's sharp teeth and sharp tongue.

I had known for a long time that this kid would be difficult to deal with, but I didn't expect that his opponent's level had reached such a high level.

Every time I find trouble with the other party, I never succeed. I can only blackmail them, and I will be scolded by users.

"Of course, I am not a religious person. This interpretation may be incorrect. If it is wrong, my mother will definitely teach me a lesson when I get home and teach me a lesson."

Hahahaha

Eric added another sentence, causing many people to chuckle, and the subsequent questions became harmonious.

After being interviewed for more than ten minutes, the three reiterated their position that we are representatives of love, not representatives of a certain group.

After doing these things, the three of them hurried back to Los Angeles.

That night, reports appeared on the Internet. Their impartial attitude and their initiative to bear medical expenses that had nothing to do with them won praise for their actions.

Even the media that did not deal with Eric did not dare to report randomly this time. What if there are extremists again?

Subsequently, the victims' families began to be interviewed, and the victims with minor injuries also posted updates on Facebook one after another, publishing photos of themselves with the Olsen sisters and small gifts.

Various words of praise further confirmed the good deeds.

Several Republican congressmen expressed praise, and Democratic congressmen also praised the humanitarian spirit of MGM and Double Star Entertainment.

Within a few days, public opinion turned around, and the police began to increase patrols around the cinema. The few extremists who continued to clamor could not make a big splash.

The improvement in reviews was most directly reflected in the box office.

When the weekly box office of "Adele's Life" was released, many people said they couldn't understand it.

Even if many people have no interest in literary films, they still go to the cinema under the influence of public opinion. Watching it seems to have become a trend, and many people have begun to call on local cinemas to release it quickly.

500 movie theaters took in nearly 21 million US dollars in box office in one week, and a single theater exceeded 40,000 US dollars, ranking second in this week's box office rankings.

The first one is naturally "The Lord of the Rings: The Third". Knights of Middle-earth grossed US$108 million in one week. Although it unfortunately did not break the records of "Transformers" and "Spider-Man", it still ranked third in North American film history, and The staying power is more lasting.

The third runner-up is naturally "Transformers", which achieved a good result of US$16.6 million at the box office, and achieved US$41 million at the overseas box office. The global box office exceeded US$850 million, only half a place behind "Finding Nemo".

Just when things were looking up, the Massachusetts Supreme Court issued its verdict.

Seven justices voted 4 to 3 and ruled that the state government did not have sufficient grounds to ban same-sex marriage. The current marriage bill violated the freedom and equality clause of the state constitution. The Supreme Court gave the state Legislature 180 days to amend the bill.

In other words, in six months, Massachusetts will not only allow same-sex cohabitation, but also legally recognize their marriage. This is also the first state in the United States to allow same-sex marriage.

As soon as the verdict came out, it was like a ground-breaking decision, and it immediately triggered discussions throughout the United States.

However, due to the vicious events that just occurred, the opposition this time has obviously weakened a lot. The Massachusetts Supreme Court definitely saw the right time and decided to do this.

The Olsen sisters also expressed congratulations on Facebook and in media interviews. It has nothing to do with gender, just because of love. This is great love.

Same-sex groups and groups that support same-sex people celebrate each other, and voices of support and laughter can be heard everywhere.

Someone launched an event calling on everyone to watch "The Life of Adele" to celebrate this great event.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that although the series of influences brought by the movie are not the decisive factor, they did objectively promote the passing of the verdict.

The number of followers on the Olsen sisters’ Facebook account has skyrocketed, with more than 1.8 million followers in one day, more than doubling the number.

Many people announced that they have become the die-hard fans of Ashley and Mary, and the calls for the Golden Globe winner and Oscar winner were loud and clear.