Chapter Thirty-Four: That Shoddily Made Film

Hollywood insiders had their reasons for criticizing this film; after all, whose movie can be cobbled together in just over a month? Such haste is a blatant disregard for the audience. With this first impression cemented, the film naturally became synonymous with slapdash production.

Those initial rumors weren't necessarily spread by the major studios themselves. The box office numbers and the true quality of the film—are you telling me Hollywood's giants wouldn't know? The ones fiercely driving down the price were the buyers, as is always the case everywhere, but they never expected that the young tycoon would feel insulted and decide to teach them a harsh lesson.

Who would dare provoke such a young billionaire? That would be courting trouble for their own company.

As the outside clamor reached its peak, the premiere of Police Academy began.

The premiere was distinctive, with few Hollywood celebrities in attendance; the guests were mainly politicians, a number of business leaders came to show their support, and there were also some old hands from the film academies.

They had no choice but to attend—their own student had caused such a stir. If the school pretended not to notice, it would be the height of foolishness.

What matters most for a comedy? Laughter is the only true measure. If you can't make audiences happy, you'd be better off directing art films. If you can depress people with a comedy, then art cinema might suit you perfectly.

Americans certainly have a low threshold for humor. Within the first five minutes, many in the audience were already laughing uncontrollably. The tone wasn't particularly refined, but it was riotously funny.

Who are Eddie Murphy and Rowan Atkinson? They are comedy stars destined to remain popular for the next twenty years. Each could easily carry a film on their own, so having both appear together almost feels like overkill.

Simultaneously, in over five hundred cinemas across America, the same scene played out. It might not be an ocean of joy, but the constant laughter was undeniable.

With such a film, a box office hit was inevitable, and theater owners were delighted. Not only did they receive a share of the revenue, but ancillary profits were staggering. Popcorn machines couldn't keep up with demand—a situation unseen for years, and the profits spoke for themselves.

Five hundred cinemas are but a small fraction in America; other theaters could only watch in despair. Now it was too late to seek inclusion—those left out would have to wait for the second round of screenings.

Some box office would be lost, but William White didn't care. This week was off the table for those who hadn't backed him initially—now it was time to reward his early supporters.

Faced with sold-out theaters, critics dared not speak rashly; they had no wish to alienate too many moviegoers. NBC’s random interviews made the audience’s position clear.

What’s that? Not refined enough, somewhat vulgar? Get lost and stop ruining our movie-going experience; we’re all ordinary folks here. If you’re so highbrow, why not go watch an opera?

In the first three days of opening weekend, box office receipts exceeded twenty million, with only a thousand screens and average locations. In the second week, many more theaters joined in, nearly doubling the screen count.

Without a doubt, this was a film with both critical and commercial success. If no major blockbusters emerged this year, Police Academy would likely be crowned box office champion of 1979.

For Hollywood moguls, their humiliation was already palpable; now it was merely compounding.

Laughing across America! That was the headline of many tabloids. Mainstream newspapers, more reserved, nevertheless devoted substantial coverage to the film.

It had become a phenomenon—smearing it was impossible, and the labels attached to it were countless.

It became a benchmark for anti-mainstream sentiment; African Americans felt acknowledged, and young people flocked to it. Campus viral marketing proved highly effective.

The resources poured into this film were astonishing, yielding immediate results—two consecutive weeks of explosive box office thoroughly nailed certain figures to the pillar of shame.

Trying to buy out the year’s box office champion for two million dollars—were they joking? No wonder he felt insulted; their offer was truly outrageous.

Being so thoroughly slapped in the face was indeed mortifying. Audiences weren’t avoiding movies—they were avoiding the dross produced by these old Hollywood hands. Hollywood wasn’t experiencing a winter; it was their own decay.

A perfectly good summer season was chilled to the bone by a single film. Audiences preferred seeing it twice or thrice rather than watching other so-called blockbusters.

The losses incurred were unimaginable. The summer season is America’s most crucial release window, typically reserved for big-budget productions.

Now, they didn’t even dare look at the box office data—too much exposure might be enough to induce a stroke. The contrast was simply overwhelming.

Unless they could produce Star Wars, they had no choice but to watch from the sidelines. Even Superman and 007 might not be up to the task; at this rate, a hundred million in North America was just around the corner.

The final post-credits scene clearly hinted at a sequel. Insiders recognized these clues immediately.

Their original offer—no wonder he was furious. The commercial value here was enough to make anyone salivate. Had they offered thirty percent at the time, he might have agreed.

William White’s concern was always with release schedules and screen counts. This was well understood—he could relinquish some profit but would never accept their insult.

“Boss, are you satisfied now?”

“Thanks. Organize something—we need a grand party.”

“Ha, just how grand?”

“Don’t save me any money. I’ve made so much lately I feel sick.”

“Damn, you just can’t help showing off! Got it, I’ll get right on it.”

High school parties were already wild; college bashes even more so. This was a generation bent on self-destruction, and it was hard to fathom how these people made America strong.

Hollywood is adept at learning. The big studios might be reserved, but smaller companies were unconcerned.

The plot of this film—put simply, it was cheesy, interspersed with relentless satire. The current system was thoroughly ridiculed.

The most impressive part was the way everything was tied together. Despite the irreverence, the ending was brimming with positivity. The resolution wasn’t difficult, yet there was no sense of discord—this was a matter of skill.

Once they learned the screenwriter’s other identity, they understood: he was a bestselling author, with a dazzling command of language. The scenes were clearly intentionally arranged, not improvised by the actors.

Speaking of the cast, Eddie Murphy had become an instant star. The excitement nearly drove him mad.

He no longer had to sell shoes. His first appearance on screen ensured that many remembered this young man.

Rowan Atkinson, though he appeared calm, was inwardly elated. This was Hollywood—the dream stage for all actors. To make such a debut meant his future prospects were boundless.