Chapter 32 - 31: The Movie PremiereChapter 31: The Movie Premiere

    A trip to the beach had washed away every ounce of exhaustion that Martin had accumulated in his body.

    Upon returning to school, John approached him with a sulky expression.

    "Boss, you guys went out to have fun and didn''t even invite me."

    "Uh!"

    Martin sheepishly scratched his nose; he had indeed forgotten about this guy.

    "Next time, I''ll definitely call you next time."

    "Promise?"

    "Promise!"

    John immediately brightened up.

    "Oh, by the way, Boss, a reporter came to school earlier today wanting to interview you, but the principal turned them away."

    So, they''d already tracked him down at school—maybe it was time for him to make an appearance.

    Martin understood well that while mystery had its promotional appeal, overdoing it could backfire.

    When he got home, Martin found his agent, Jeff, waiting for him.

    "Martin, it''s time for you to accept an interview."

    A few days later...

    "Young prodigy writer Martin Myers gives an interview, explaining that his inspiration for Kung Fu Panda came simply from a lack of stories to tell on the school bus..."

    "Martin Myers isn''t just a writing genius; he''s an academic one too. In an interview with his school''s principal, she praised Martin''s all-around excellence, saying that since he started high school, he''s excelled in every subject..."

    "Martin Myers, as seen by his classmates: he''s a hero who defeated the school bully; he''s the top student in our school; he''s incredibly handsome—I love his blue eyes; he plays the guitar amazingly well and even writes his own songs..."

    On July 7th, in just a little over a month, an additional print run of 500,000 copies of Kung Fu Panda had sold out, with peak daily sales reaching over 23,000 copies.

    Random House was thrilled, and Martin''s earnings skyrocketed.

    Meanwhile, Kung Fu Panda had also secured a spot on the U.S. bestseller list for 1997, coming in at 17th.

    But everyone knew that this ranking was only temporary.

    ---

    July 12th

    After a month of relentless advertising, The Parent Trap was finally about to hit theaters.

    Hollywood Boulevard, 6925 Los Angeles.

    The premiere was held at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre.

    Disney had high hopes for the film and invited a crowd of stars and famous critics.

    Elizabeth Olsen followed her two older sisters into the theater. "Ashley, do you think I''ll actually get to meet Martin today? Can I ask him to sign my book? Do you think he''ll agree?"

    "Elizabeth, just be quiet—you''re asking too many questions."

    "Alright, alright, I''ll stop. But, Ashley, can you at least answer my last question?"

    Ashley Olsen sighed, casting a sideways glance at Mary-Kate, who was stifling a laugh, before replying helplessly:

    "Yes, you''ll see Martin Myers today. And yes, you can ask him to sign your book, but whether he actually does it is up to your own charm."

    "Maybe we could offer Mary-Kate to him as a trade," Elizabeth teased. "Then he might agree."

    Ashley burst out laughing, giving Mary-Kate a teasing look. "You know, that might just work."

    "Hey! You two are being ridiculous!"

    They found their seats in the theater, eagerly awaiting the start of the film.

    The lights dimmed.

    The opening scene unfolded with a wedding on a cruise ship, complete with candlelight, a ball, and fireworks, creating an atmosphere full of romance.

    If this scene had come out a decade later, audiences might have found it long-winded or even cheesy. But in the 1990s, such a setting was still enchanting.

    After all, James Cameron''s cinematic epic Titanic had yet to be released, and audiences hadn''t grown accustomed to scenes of such grandeur.

    The crowd watched with rapt attention, but the critics invited by Disney were already unimpressed.

    Kevin Thomas, a critic from the Los Angeles Times, quickly jotted down in his notebook, "The film''s opening reeks of commercialism, with a clichéd, lavish wedding of a wealthy young couple..."

    Just then, the scene shifted, transitioning from the wedding to a series of vintage photos, moving forward in time by eleven years and nine months.

    The next scene showed a group of kids arriving at a summer camp in Maine, with boys and girls alike calling out to familiar and unfamiliar faces, their greetings filling the air with warmth and energy.

    Amidst the lively scene, Martin''s character, Mike, made his entrance.

    "Finally, I found my bag."

    He smiled as he prepared to pull his luggage from a tangled pile of bags.

    But just then, a few more bags were tossed down by the bus staff, landing on top of his.

    Mike''s smile froze.

    With a forced smile that was both awkward and polite, he muttered to himself, "Alright, alright, I can handle this."

    Pep-talking himself, he grabbed hold of his bag''s strap and tugged with all his strength.

    At first, he confidently muttered, "I can do this, I can definitely do this..."

    But soon his resolve wavered, turning into, "No, I can''t... I really can''t..."

    This bit had the audience in stitches.

    Elizabeth giggled, "Haha, Mike is hilarious."

    With the help of two friendly campers, Mike finally retrieved his yellow suitcase.

    Next came his introduction to his new friends.

    Kevin Thomas scribbled in his notebook: "Martin''s performance is decent, within the child actor standard, especially in the self-introduction scene at minute 5:43. He fully conveys his character''s cheerful, humorous personality..."

    On screen, Mike and his friends walked, laughing and chatting, into their summer camp cabin.

    Meanwhile, a stretch Cadillac pulled up.

    The car door opened.

    A butler, dressed to perfection, stepped out first.

    Then the camera panned down, showing a pair of gleaming leather shoes touching the ground. The camera slowly tilted upward, revealing a young boy with impeccable manners.

    Wow!

    A collective gasp echoed in the theater.

    This shot, directed by Nancy, was expertly crafted, brimming with anticipation.

    When Martin appeared fully in frame, dressed in a lightweight casual suit with his face illuminated by the sun, the effect was mesmerizing.

    A few young girls in the audience gasped.

    Including young Elizabeth. "Wow, Beck is so handsome... although Mike isn''t bad either!"

    Mary-Kate nudged her. "You do realize they''re played by the same person, right?"

    "I know that! It''s Martin—he''s the most handsome of all." Elizabeth''s eyes sparkled with admiration.

    Kevin Thomas scribbled down: "This scene blew me away. Besides Nancy''s brilliant direction, Martin''s performance was exceptional. He completely captured the contrast between the two characters..."

    [??———?——?———?]

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