After the movie ended, the Juno cast and crew were swarmed by excited fans.
Of course, Jessica Chastain, who played Juno, was the biggest star of the night. The movie was all about her character's bravery. Young girls (and a lot of boys, too!) loved her.
For a moment, all eyes were on Jessica.
"Hey, Zane, my old friend! Congratulations!"
John Lasseter from Pixar gave Zane a big, warm hug. "Another hit for your company! That was great."
"Thank you!" Zane said, genuinely happy. Everyone loves a compliment, and Zane was no different.
Lasseter smiled. "I'm not just here to say congrats, old friend. I also have a mission from Steve Jobs."
Zane laughed. "Let me guess... is it about ICQ? And where is Jobs, anyway?"
"Heh, you got it," Lasseter chuckled. "It is about ICQ. As for Jobs... do you really think he'd stick around just to be nice? He probably left already."
"Hahaha, you're right!" Zane laughed. He knew Jobs had a sharp tongue and wasn't always friendly. It was one of those things that made him annoying but also kind of funny.
Just then, the bald executive (Jeff Bezos!) walked over.
"Zane," Bezos said, getting straight to the point, "I just found out you own a lot of ICQ stock. How about selling some to me?"
"Of course!" Zane smiled his most charming smile. "Since we're friends, I'd be happy to share. But... I'd want some Amazon stock in exchange."
A stock swap?!
"Impossible!" Bezos shouted. His happy face vanished instantly. It was like someone stepped on his tail! "Amazon stock? Don't even think about it!"
He turned and stormed off in a huff.
"Oh, is that so?" Zane teased as Bezos walked away.
Zane wasn't bothered. He didn't really expect Bezos to say yes right away. But he had a feeling Bezos was interested. Anyone smart could see that ICQ's chat program was going to be huge. If he could really trade ICQ shares for Amazon stock, Zane would do it in a heartbeat.
After all, Amazon was one of the few companies Zane knew would be worth billions in the future.
"My old friend," Lasseter pressed, "just give me an answer so I can tell Jobs."
Zane waved his hand casually. "John, tell Jobs he should come and talk to me himself. And... mention that I'm also very interested in buying Pixar shares."
"I'll pass the message along," Lasseter said, leaving the theater.
Zane knew that ICQ would be valuable, but Pixar? Disney was going to buy Pixar for a ton of money one day. If he could get Pixar shares now, he would definitely take the deal.
After the premiere, Zane took his girlfriend, Adriana Lima, home.
Three Days Later.
The offices at Wald Pictures were buzzing like a beehive. Today was the big day: "Juno" was officially released in theaters across North America!
Victor clapped his hands loudly. "Alright, everyone, listen up! Today is our big day. Juno is out! Your jobs are crucial: watch the box office numbers and check how full the theaters are. Also, keep an eye on the internet and the news. We can't let the buzz die down!"
"Yes, sir!" the employees shouted together.
Because Juno was about teen pregnancy, Zane knew some people would be angry. If they didn't handle the bad reviews, it could hurt the movie.
But... if they handled it right, the arguments could make everyone want to see the movie!
Right on time, at 9 a.m., the first review appeared in the Los Angeles Entertainment News.
And it was mean.
"Another Piece of Trash Hits Theaters!" the headline screamed. "'Juno' makes teen pregnancy look cool. It will make young people do bad things! It is a cancer on the movie industry! It shouldn't exist!"
"Heh," Victor chuckled when he saw it. He smiled.
"Martha!" Victor yelled. "Call the California Herald immediately. Tell them to publish our rebuttal article now!"
"Right away!" Martha said, running to make the call.
Victor was ready for this. To make a real "buzz," you need people arguing!
Soon, the California Herald (which Zane had paid) released a special article.
"The Truth About 'Juno'!" it said. "This movie is important. It shows real life, family, and friendship. We shouldn't ignore the problems young people face. We must face them!"
It ended with: "If you are a parent, you should watch 'Juno.' It will help you understand your kids."
All day long, different newspapers argued back and forth. Some attacked the movie. Some defended it.
(Of course, Zane had paid a lot of them to say nice things!)
Many newspapers didn't care about right or wrong; they just wanted money. They would change sides in a second if it paid well. Compared to them, Zane felt like a saint!
Wald Pictures did an amazing job. Under Victor's leadership, they got everyone on the internet talking about Juno.
The results were huge.
By 8 p.m., Juno had already made $19.5 million! It was the Number 1 movie of the day!
It even beat the Michael Jordan movie, Space Jam, which only made $15 million.
"Team, we can't stop now!" Victor cheered to the excited office. "If we keep going, Juno is going to make over $28 million on its very first day!"
Number one!
Everyone at Wald Pictures was thrilled.
As for Zane? He trusted Victor completely, so he left the movie release in his capable hands. He headed straight for Silicon Valley.
His other big project, ICQ, was also launching at 8 p.m. tonight!
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