In its sixth week of release, 007: Spectre was pushed to third place on the weekly box office chart but still brought in $15.52 million. Over two and a half months, the blockbuster had grossed $247.73 million domestically, just over $50 million shy of the $300 million milestone, virtually guaranteeing its entry into the $300 million club.
Meanwhile, Sleepy Hollow, which had opened two weeks after 007: Spectre, ranked fourth in its fourth week, earning $15.17 million. In its first month, the film's domestic box office had reached $129.56 million.
Though Sleepy Hollow and 007: Spectre were in entirely different box office leagues, the former—a visually stunning fantasy horror film—had already exceeded Simon's expectations. Its projected domestic gross was revised from $150 million to $170 million. The film's domestic theatrical run had already recovered over 90% of its $100 million production cost. The global box office figures by this point had pushed the project into profitability for Daenerys Entertainment.
Following these two heavyweights, The Birdcage ranked fifth with a weekly gross below $10 million. In its third week, the comedy brought in $9.07 million.
Starring Robin Williams, the quirky LGBTQ+ comedy had grossed $47.95 million in three weeks. While it was expected to finish around $70 million—exceeding MGM's initial expectations—it fell short of the standout success it had achieved in its original timeline.
Even so, The Birdcage outperformed Disney's The Rock.
With Sean Connery as the sole remaining original star among its key creators, The Rock burned through a $70 million production budget. By its third week, the film had grossed $8.13 million, bringing its total to $46.25 million.
French conglomerate Vivendi, which had ambitiously acquired Disney, found itself facing a series of disappointments, much like Sony's struggles after acquiring Columbia Pictures.
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July 26: A new box office week began.
The previous week, impacted by the Olympics, saw the North American weekly box office plummet from $167 million to $111 million—a sharp 35% drop.
As the Olympics heated up, no major commercial films with over 1,000 screens opened. The only noteworthy release was Fargo, a Coen Brothers crime drama distributed by High Gate Pictures. Having won Best Director at Cannes and earning strong media acclaim, the film opened on 715 screens.
Over the weekend, however, an unexpected tragedy struck the Atlanta Olympics.
In the early hours of July 27, an outdoor concert at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park—a venue specially constructed for the Games—was rocked by a bombing. A backpack containing explosives went unnoticed in the dense crowd of over a thousand attendees. The explosion left more than 200 people injured and killed 11 on the spot. In the ensuing chaos, additional casualties arose as some of the severely wounded succumbed to their injuries.
The heinous attack shocked the world.
President Clinton immediately demanded the FBI form a special task force to investigate. Countries worldwide condemned the bombing and expressed their sympathies, denouncing the perpetrators.
The 1990s in the United States were riddled with bombings: the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1994 Woodfield Manor explosion, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and now the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing. These were just some of the larger, deadlier incidents within the country.
As someone with knowledge of future events, Simon understood the backstory.
Historically, the Atlanta bombing caused fewer casualties because a vigilant security guard had discovered the explosive-laden backpack beforehand. Though there wasn't enough time to defuse it, the crowd was partially evacuated, resulting in fewer fatalities and primarily injuries. This time, the lack of early detection led to over 10 immediate deaths.
Ironically, the hero security guard who discovered the bomb in the original timeline was falsely accused as a suspect and faced public vilification, nearly ruining his life.
The actual perpetrator, Eric Rudolph, evaded capture for a decade. When arrested, he admitted to being a serial bomber, starting his attacks in 1977. His motive for targeting the Olympics was to protest the Clinton administration's relaxed abortion policies.
Despite knowing these details, Simon chose to remain a bystander.
His interventions two years earlier had been calculated power plays to establish the Westeros family's untouchable status, warning others against targeting them. Those moves, including meddling in the midterm elections, were high-stakes gambles.
Intervening in the Atlanta bombing would only invite the same fate as the wrongly accused security guard: public and political backlash.
As a result, the Westeros system remained business as usual.
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After the chaotic weekend, on July 29, Verizon Communications formally announced the commencement of its IPO roadshow, with its listing date set for August 15.
With plans for a family vacation following the IPO—spending around two weeks in Australia—Simon packed his schedule to ensure everything was on track.
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August arrived quickly.
The first major event of the month was Boris Yeltsin's second-term inauguration on August 3.
While global attention focused on the Russian oligarchs who had infiltrated the Kremlin, Simon noticed a subtler development.
A group photo of the new Kremlin leadership released that day included a short, balding man seemingly placed inconspicuously at the edge of the frame.
Soon after, more definitive news emerged.
The day after the inauguration, a new list of Kremlin core appointments included this man. Previously serving as Deputy Director of the Presidential Property Management Department, he was now promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration.
The difference in authority between these positions was vast. The former was akin to a deputy steward, primarily overseeing internal affairs for Yeltsin. The latter, however, was a deputy head of a key department directly responsible for national policy. Moreover, his new role included oversight of foreign economic relations and the formulation of related legal policies, bringing him closer to the core of Russian power.
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