After its explosive first week, Ghost continued to resonate with the masses, earning $28.2 million in its second weekend. This represented a remarkably slim drop of just 18.7%—a clear sign that the word-of-mouth Alex had counted on was working. People weren't just seeing the movie; they were recommending it to everyone they knew. In the following four weekdays, the film grossed an additional $14.5 million, bringing the total domestic box office to $98.8 million in just two weeks.
As Ghost dominated the summer, two of Alex's other films finally ended their theatrical runs, leaving behind historic numbers.
Rain Man concluded its run with $258 million domestic and $245 million foreign, bringing its total global box office to $503 million.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape ended with $101 million domestic and $74 million foreign, raising its overall box office to $175 million.
With these results, Alex reached a milestone no actor in history had ever achieved. His three films released across 1988 and early 1989—The Princess Bride ($326 million), Rain Man ($503 million), and Sex, Lies, and Videotape ($175 million)—combined to gross over $1 billion worldwide.
To put this in perspective, reaching the $1 billion mark with just three consecutive films was unheard of in the late 1980s. During an era where a $100 million domestic run was enough to call a movie a "blockbuster," Alex had anchored a trio of films that averaged over $330 million each worldwide.
That financial efficiency made the achievement even more staggering. While the big summer blockbusters of 1989 were spending massive amounts on production and marketing, Alex was proving that you didn't need to spend a fortune to make one.
The combined production budget for The Princess Bride ($25M), Rain Man ($30M), and Sex, Lies, and Videotape ($2M) was only $57 million—not even reaching the $60 million mark.
The momentum behind Alex had reached a fever pitch. With his directorial debut, Ghost—which also served as his 20th film—becoming a runaway smash, the industry's focus shifted entirely to his upcoming schedule. All eyes were now on the gritty crime epic Goodfellas and his sophomore directorial venture, the romantic comedy-drama Pretty Woman.
***********
The production of Pretty Woman had finally moved to the most famous stretch of asphalt in California: Hollywood Boulevard. It was a night shoot, and the air was thick with the scent of street food and the electric hum of massive movie lights illuminating the Walk of Fame.
Hollywood Boulevard is the spiritual heart of the film industry, famous for the brass-inlaid stars of the Walk of Fame and the historic Chinese Theatre. By 1989, however, it was a place of fading glamour and gritty reality—a street where the dreams of the past literally lay beneath the feet of those struggling to survive the present. For Alex, there was no better place to film the first meeting between a billionaire and a street-smart woman.
As with most major productions, the filming was not being done in sequential order. Due to the complex logistics of closing down sections of the Boulevard and the strict timing of city permits, the crew had to scramble to capture these outdoor moments now. In fact, because of the erratic nature of the schedule, several scenes between Edward and Vivian that take place later in the story had already been shot.
For the actors, this required a high level of discipline. Alex and Julia had to "reset" their characters' relationship, dialing back the comfort and intimacy they had developed in earlier filming days to capture the cold, guarded curiosity of two strangers meeting for the first time.
The night shoot on Hollywood Boulevard was finally drawing to a close. The neon lights of the liquor stores flickered as the crew prepared to wrap. For the final shot of the night, Julia Roberts—as Vivian—climbed into the low-slung passenger seat of the Ferrari F40.
"Cut!" the assistant director shouted, and the workday on Hollywood Boulevard officially came to an end. The crew began the practiced, efficient process of packing up the lights and cables, and the energy on set shifted to the relaxed hum of a successful wrap.
As they both climbed out of the car, Julia ran her hand along the Ferrari F40's sharp, aerodynamic wing. She looked at the car, then back at Alex, who was already checking the camera monitors.
"Alex, this thing is a beauty," she said, her voice filled with genuine awe. "I've never even seen one of these in person. How much does a car like this even cost?"
Alex looked up and offered a casual smile. "To be honest, Julia? I didn't pay anything for it."
Julia paused, her hand still resting on the crimson hood. She looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean you didn't pay for it? Did they just supply it for us to show in the film?"
"Partially," he explained. "It's actually a gift to me as part of a product placement deal. On top of the car, Ferrari also wrote a $250,000 check to the production just to ensure their flagship model was the one my character, Edward Lewis, drives."
Julia's eyes went wide. "$250,000? They paid you and gave you a car? That's incredible."
"Don't be too surprised," Alex said, adjusting the cuff of his charcoal Armani sleeve. "It's how the industry works at this level. For the clothes and accessories I'm wearing in this film—from this suit to the Hermès tie and the Piaget on my wrist—the brands pay for the exposure."
Julia shook her head, a playful smile forming. "And here I was, thinking I was just standing next to my director. I didn't realize I was standing next to a one-man luxury mall."
"Tomorrow, you're going to be one too," Alex replied with a knowing grin. "We have the Rodeo Drive shoot in the morning, and every single thing you are going to wear from now on—from the hat to the heels—is a brand placement."
Julia's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. "Wait, you mean everything? Even the dresses for the opera and the polo match?"
"Everything," Alex confirmed. "I've spent the last month negotiating with Chanel, Dior, and Valentino. They are paying for the privilege of being the brands that transform Vivian. You are going to be a walking showcase for the most prestigious fashion houses in the world."
Julia laughed, the disbelief finally turning into excitement. "Well then, I better get some beauty sleep. If I'm going to be a showcase for these brands, I want to make sure I look like a million bucks."
"Believe me," Alex said, walking her toward her trailer as the crew finished packing up. "You are going to look like a lot more than that once the makeover look is finished."
*************
The next morning, the production moved to the sun-drenched, high-end boutiques of Rodeo Drive. The focus was on the most important visual shift in the film: Vivian's transformation.
Julia emerged from wardrobe looking like a completely different person. She wore an elegant, button-down white dress cinched with a black belt, paired with a wide-brimmed hat and white gloves. Every piece of the outfit was a carefully placed luxury brand, proving Alex's point from the night before—she was now a walking showcase of elite fashion.
Alex directed the pivotal moment where Vivian returns to the boutique that had snubbed her. Carrying a mountain of shopping bags from competing stores, she walked back into the shop with a new sense of power. She found the same saleswoman who had refused to help her when she was dressed as a streetwalker.
"You work on commission, right?" Vivian asked with a calm, confident smile.
When the saleswoman replied with a confused "Yes," Julia delivered the line with a look of pure, sweet revenge: "Big mistake. Big. Huge! I have to go shopping now."
Alex watched the monitor as she turned and walked out, her head held high. He didn't need a second take. The scene was exactly what he had envisioned: the perfect revenge, delivered with a sweet, winning smile.
"Cut!" Alex shouted, a wide grin breaking across his face.
By combining that biting dialogue with Julia's natural charm, Alex had created a scene that felt satisfying rather than mean. It was the ultimate "feel-good" payback.
As the cameras stopped rolling, Julia walked over to Alex, still holding the mountain of designer bags. "How was it?" she asked, her eyes searching his for a director's approval.
"Perfect," Alex replied, giving her a genuine nod of satisfaction.
Julia leaned in, her tone becoming playful and innocent. "So, as a reward for a perfect take... can I keep the clothes?"
Alex let out a loud laugh, his voice echoing across the quieted set. "Yeah, you can keep them," he said, pointing to the pile of luxury goods she was holding. "But only what you were carrying in your hands in that last shot."
Julia looked down at the bags from Chanel, Dior, and Valentino—which were actually filled with real high-end items from the morning's product placement deals. A huge grin spread across her face. "That's more than fair!" she said, quickly heading toward her trailer to take a closer look at her new treasures.
Alex just shook his head, smiling to himself. He knew that rewarding his lead actress with a few designer dresses was a small price to pay for the performance she was giving him. Without missing a beat, he turned back to his crew. "Alright, let's move. We have the next scene to catch while the light is still this good."
**********
While the filming of Pretty Woman continued in Los Angeles, Ghost showed no signs of slowing down at the box office. It was becoming clear that the film wasn't just a hit—it was a phenomenon.
For the weekend of August 4–6, the film grossed another $20.4 million, winning the weekend race for the third week in a row. It managed to beat out major summer blockbusters, proving that the audience's emotional connection to the story was stronger than any action sequence.
In the remaining four weekdays of that cycle, the film added an additional $11.2 million to its total. This performance brought the three-week collection to a staggering $130.4 million.
The film expanded into several more major foreign markets, where audiences responded with the same emotional intensity as those in the States. In just three weeks, the foreign box office had reached $96.2 million.
When combined with the domestic haul, the global box office reached a staggering $226.6 million.
Ghost is a global hit, now on track to beat Top Gun as the highest grossing film of Alex's career.