"Baul, aren't you going to the theater to see Gilbert's new film?"
On the campus of Harvard University, two students riding bicycles were discussing what to do next.
The student named Baul replied, "No, this isn't the kind of movie I'm interested in. I'd rather go find Jessica for a date; if I try a bit harder, she might even sleep with me. How about you, Porter?"
Porter shrugged. "Catherine asked me to go to the theater. I was thinking maybe the four of us could go together."
"Forget it!" Baul complained. "I'd rather see Gilbert's blockbuster. Knives Out really isn't my type."
Porter didn't insist. The two good friends parted ways and went to find their girls.
At the entrance of the theater, the elegantly dressed Catherine was waiting for Porter.
"Baul and Jessica aren't coming?"
Porter explained, "They don't like this movie."
"Alright then," Catherine said excitedly, linking her arm with Porter as they walked into the theater.
"I've grown up watching Gilbert's movies. I never miss any of his films," Catherine said enthusiastically. She was clearly a die-hard Gilbert fan.
Porter, while not a die-hard fan, had watched Gilbert's The Lord of the Rings trilogy and trusted the quality of his films.
Harvard offered an elective in film studies, and Porter had attended a class or two.
He remembered an interesting point: film industry insiders believed Gilbert's career could be divided into two stages.
The first stage was his rise, reaching its peak with The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The second stage was maintaining the peak. Although many anti-Gilbert media outlets constantly claimed he was declining, anyone who believed that was foolish.
This conclusion clearly demonstrated the importance of The Lord of the Rings trilogy to Gilbert.
It was no exaggeration to say that the trilogy laid the cornerstone for Gilbert's current status as Hollywood's top director.
Some said Spielberg was also excellent, but the old man hadn't achieved much commercially in recent years. Some said James Cameron was the king, but he was too slow.
Currently, the production of Avatar was ongoing, and no one knew the situation.
Others, like George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, were already retired, and Martin Scorsese's films were just so-so.
As for directors like Michael Bay or Ron Howard, they simply couldn't compare to Gilbert.
Only Gilbert consistently produced high-quality commercial films each year. Only he could perfectly combine commercial elements with cinematic artistry.
At present, Christopher Nolan, who directed District 9 last year, showed similar promise, but he still had a considerable gap compared to Gilbert.
By the way, District 9 earned $539 million at the box office last year.
For an original sci-fi film without big-name stars, this was an impressive result. This film also propelled Christopher Nolan to Hollywood's first-tier director status.
Currently, Melon Studios had three directors: Gilbert, of course; Christopher Nolan, dubbed "Little Gilbert"; and Sofia Coppola, considered a connected insider.
Other independent directors, like James Gunn and Zack Snyder, were also doing well individually.
Because of this, some jokingly called Melon Studios "USC of Hollywood," a school dedicated to training directors.
The entire story structure of Knives Out was extremely intricate. Porter and Catherine were not usual fans of mystery films, but they were completely immersed.
After leaving the theater, the two continued discussing the plot, savoring it a little.
"This movie is absolutely amazing," Catherine said excitedly. "I only came to support it, but I didn't expect it to be this good."
"Yeah!" Porter agreed. "Gilbert's originality has always been top-tier in Hollywood. I could see shades of Agatha Christie's detective novels, but Gilbert added his own style.
Tom Cruise as the detective and Mark Wahlberg as Ransom were both excellent.
But I liked Jessica Alba as Marta the most—she's really beautiful."
Catherine pouted and grabbed Porter's waist, teasingly asking, "So is it her or me who's prettier?"
"Of course… our Princess Catherine is the most beautiful."
"That's better…"
Catherine released him, satisfied. "We should recommend this to Baul and Jessica. This movie is really amazing."
"Yes, we should watch it again when we have time."
"Exactly."
The two went on their date, but the response to Knives Out was very positive.
The March release window was a bit awkward—not the very start of the year, and still some distance from the summer blockbuster season—neither high nor low.
But with Knives Out in this slot, it suddenly felt lively and bustling. The overall market was boosted, and the film earned higher box office returns than previous years during the same period.
The film didn't hold a traditional premiere. Instead, a special program called "Werewolf" was arranged just before release.
The cast and crew played the game together, deducing and guessing who the "werewolf" was.
This concept resonated with Knives Out itself, and the TV broadcast had excellent ratings.
Perhaps it was this innovative activity, or maybe it was Gilbert paired with Tom Cruise as a marquee combination, along with a lineup of veteran actors.
The film opened to impressive box office numbers, taking $21.33 million on its first day in North American theaters on March 13.
Accompanying the box office success was positive audience feedback. Mystery film fans, in particular, praised it highly.
One fan told reporters, "This is the best mystery film I've seen in recent years, bar none. The plot structure is clever, engaging, and captivating."
Another viewer said, "The deduction isn't that intricate; I guessed the truth halfway through. But the viewing experience is excellent, with outstanding humanistic touches.
The family's various personalities, the blatant political satire, and most importantly, the notion that kindness is ultimately rewarded.
The heroine vomiting on the villain's face, and the playful scene where she fights the villain with a comical toy knife—these witty designs are super satisfying. As a commercial film, it's already nearly perfect."
Fans of The Sixth Sense also commented, "I really enjoy suspense films like The Sixth Sense. Gilbert clearly has the ability to make mystery movies.
But in recent years, he's been immersed in blockbusters. Fortunately, he hasn't forgotten how to make a suspense film and released Knives Out, even bringing along his good friend Tom Cruise to join the fun.
From the results, it's undeniably excellent—Gilbert is truly a master of suspense films."
The generally positive audience reception was also reflected in the box office.
For example, Baul, who wasn't initially planning to watch Knives Out and preferred blockbusters, went with Jessica after Porter and Catherine strongly recommended it.
After watching, they were very impressed with the film.
Although it didn't reach the level of films like The Dark Knight, Baul believed that for a mid- to low-budget production, Knives Out was still an excellent work.
By Saturday, March 14, Knives Out's box office climbed further, taking $26.69 million for the day. On the last day of the weekend, it dipped slightly but still earned $18.06 million.
Thus, after the first weekend, Knives Out had astonishingly earned $66.08 million in its March opening weekend week, turning heads everywhere.
...
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