In the evening, on the bustling Beverly Street, traffic was heavy and lively. Richard pushed open the car door and stepped out. A red Mini Cooper was parked at the corner—it was the car he'd just collided with.
Since his Mercedes was relatively tall, only a small part around the headlight was damaged, while the other car had a dent on the front side. Both damages weren't too severe.
"Sorry, it's my fault. I was driving too fast!"
A young woman stepped out of the Mini Cooper, repeatedly apologizing.
"It's okay, I share some of the responsibility too."
The main reason for the collision was that the woman had taken the wrong lane while turning and hadn't slowed down or honked. Richard was also at fault—he was driving too slowly, distracted by a phone call, otherwise, with his driving skills, such a minor mistake wouldn't have happened.
"Richard? Are you the boxer, Richard?"
The girl stared at him, blinking, her expression a bit excited.
"Hello, I'm Richard." Richard took out a business card. "I'm also responsible for this accident. You can send me the bill after the car is repaired."
"No need, no need. It's my fault, Mr. Brad. My name is Scarlett Johansson. I'm from New York. My mother is from the Bronx, and my father, brother, and younger brother are all fans of yours. Last year, we watched your match at Madison Square Garden. You were amazing. You're the pride of the Bronx."
The girl kept her eyes on him, her cheeks slightly flushed, her tone very excited.
"Are you Miss Scarlett Johansson?"
Richard looked her over. She wasn't tall, had loose, golden-brown shoulder-length hair, and wore a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. Her features were youthful, and she didn't seem very old.
"I've seen your movie, The Horse Whisperer, right? Scarlett, your acting was great."
The Horse Whisperer was released in '98. Scarlett played a girl named Grace who lost her right leg in a car accident. This role earned her a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Supporting Actress and the title of a promising star. She was a very talented young actress.
"Haha, Richard, you know me too? That's so cool. This was my fault, so I can cover the repair costs."
Scarlett brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke.
"No need. How about we each cover our own costs?"
Richard suggested.
"Alright, thank you, Richard."
"That's settled then. Goodbye, Scarlett!"
Richard waved.
"Richard, where do you live? Can I visit you sometime?"
Scarlett called out.
"Sure, I live at 1715 Bedford Avenue. You're welcome to visit."
Richard smiled.
"Great, I'll remember that."
Scarlett smiled, clenching her fists in excitement.
Richard smiled lightly, then suddenly remembered something. "Scarlett, the newspapers say you're only 16. Do you have a driver's license?"
"Uh..."
Scarlett blushed. She looked around nervously and whispered, "I can drive."
In the U.S., you can apply for a driver's license at 16. She was in the process of getting hers. Today, she had secretly taken her new car out to buy some sanitary pads, and accidentally drove too fast, hitting Richard's car. Luckily, he was very forgiving, otherwise, she would have had to pay a hefty fine.
"Alright, be careful when driving, and try not to wear flip-flops."
Richard chuckled, got back into his car, and drove off.
As his car left, Scarlett looked down at her flip-flops. Her pale toes wiggled nervously. Meeting Richard turned out to be a pretty good outcome from this accident.
Because Scarlett's mother, Melanie Sloan, was from the Bronx, Scarlett had lived there for a while and knew the area well. Her father, brothers, and even she were all fans of Richard, the undefeated champion, and the most handsome boxer. They often talked about him at home, saying he was the pride of the Bronx, an inspiration for young people, who had grown up in an orphanage and worked his way up to become a boxing champion, a movie star, and a millionaire. His story was very motivational.
Scarlett had watched his match live and had hoped to meet her "hometown" hero someday. She hadn't expected to meet him like this.
After getting back in her car, she called her twin brother, Hunter. "Hey, Hunter, guess who I met today?"
"Who?"
Hunter asked lazily, seemingly half-asleep.
"Richard, the boxing champion!"
"Really?!"
"Yeah, we even chatted a bit. He's as cool and gentle as the rumors say."
Scarlett laughed.
"Did you get an autograph for me?"
"Uh, I forgot. How about I get one next time?"
I know where he lives.
"Okay, but how did you meet him?"
"Just ran into him. Anyway, I have to go!"
Scarlett hung up quickly. She couldn't tell him she was driving illegally; her brother would definitely tattle to their mom.
Her car slowly pulled out of the street.
—
"How did the headlight get broken?"
In the front yard, Ms. Bündchen stood by the lawn, holding a white kitten.
"I accidentally bumped into something on the way back. The other driver was a newbie, so I just took it as bad luck."
Richard shrugged and smiled.
"Be careful when driving. Don't start racing just because you've learned how to."
Ms. Bündchen walked over to inspect the car.
"Got it!"
Richard hugged her and petted the kitten's ear. The little thing twitched its ear, and Richard smiled, wrapping his arm around Bündchen's shoulders as they walked inside.
"Have you been bored staying here? Should we go out for a bit?"
"No, it's fine. There are mountains and water here, far from the city. It's very peaceful. After staying here for two days, I feel completely relaxed."
Ms. Bündchen smiled.
"You should be relaxing anyway. Your boyfriend just made a few million more, so money isn't an issue. From now on, if you want to play, play; if you want to strike, strike; if you want to act like a diva, act like a diva. I've got your back, so don't feel like you have to compromise."
"Haha, didn't you say you wanted to be a low-key millionaire?"
"I can be low-key, but you don't have to be. I don't want you to feel wronged."
Richard said, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"I'm not feeling wronged at all. Thank God, life now is much better than I ever imagined. What could I possibly complain about?"
Ms. Bündchen leaned against his shoulder, smiling.
"That's all it takes to satisfy you? You're too easy to please."
In the backyard, Richard pulled her down to sit and poured two glasses of white wine.
"Honey, I have no idea how to spend the money I've made. Do you have any suggestions?"
"No, I don't know anything about investing."
Ms. Bündchen set the kitten down and washed her hands by the pool.
"You mentioned before that you wanted to create your own fashion brand. When will you start? I'd like to invest in you."In the past two years, Bündchen's career had steadily grown, and she had made a considerable amount of money, becoming quite wealthy. With this financial success, she was now preparing to start her own business, and Richard expressed his full support.
"It's still too early. I'm not ready yet. How about in another two years?"
Bündchen smiled as she held her wine glass.
"OK!"
Richard raised his glass and clinked it with hers.
——
The next day, Richard drove his car to a 4S shop at the base of Beverly Hills and then took Mike's car to the Polygram Filmed Entertainment Company.
Pitch Black was completed, and today the studio was holding a screening for a few distribution companies. The screening's outcome would determine the marketing budget and the scale of the release.
"Richard!"
Naomi had also arrived, wearing a blue dress and her golden hair draped over her shoulders. She looked fresh and beautiful.
"Naomi, let's head up!"
"Sure!"
They walked into the elevator together.
"That dress looks beautiful; I like it!"
"Really? I just bought it. It's the latest summer collection from PRADA."
Naomi smiled softly, brushing her hair back.
"It suits you perfectly."
After exiting the elevator, they arrived at the screening room, where about a dozen people were already present, including Polygram's COO Tom Ingram, producer Ted Field, director and screenwriter David Twohy, and art director Graham.
"Hi, Richard, Naomi. Richard, long time no see! What have you been up to lately?"
Graham greeted him with a hug.
"Preparing a new movie—a car chase film."
Richard smiled.
"Wow, that sounds cool."
"Yeah. Have you seen the final cut of Pitch Black? How do you feel about it?"
Richard asked.
"Haha, it's pretty good. You'll see for yourself in a bit."
"Alright!"
Richard smiled and greeted director David Twohy and the others.
After a while, representatives from several distribution companies arrived, including USA Films, Gramercy, Universal Pictures, and three others. Polygram Filmed Entertainment, a subsidiary of Universal, participated in the production, with Universal handling the distribution and the other companies assisting.
Once the screening started, the 30-plus attendees took their seats, with Richard, Naomi, David Twohy, and Graham sitting in a row.
"Richard, are you nervous?"
Naomi asked softly.
Richard shook his head and, holding her hand, said, "We've done our best, so the movie won't disappoint."
"Yes!"
Naomi smiled and looked ahead.
The movie began, opening with a scene inside a turbulent spaceship, accompanied by a voiceover explaining the ship's predicament.
The story follows a space freighter carrying a dozen interstellar passengers. The ship, belonging to a cargo company, suffers an accident in deep space and is forced to land on a distant planet.
During the crash landing, the ship's weight necessitates sacrificing the cabin to ensure a safe landing. The pilot, Carolyn (played by Naomi), considers sacrificing the passengers to save herself but is stopped by her companions.
In the end, the ship lands safely, but Carolyn is guilt-ridden by her earlier decision, leading her to ultimately sacrifice herself to save others, finding redemption.
The scenes inside the cabin are dark, somber, and constantly shaking, creating a rather dull atmosphere. However, once the survivors emerge from the cabin, the camera reveals the alien landscape: vast red soil, a strange sky, and three suns, which was quite a visual treat.
The visuals became more engaging as Richard's character, Riddick, made his entrance. Dressed in a black tank top, he showcased his muscular physique and survival skills.
As Riddick appeared on screen, the audience started murmuring, discussing his shoulder dislocation stunt and how well-suited he was for action roles. They also talked about the movie's selling point—Richard's first action film, which was quite appealing.
After Riddick's escape, the survivors began searching for him and soon discovered the presence of monsters.
With the monsters' appearance, the film's pace picked up, becoming more intense. When the survivors were attacked by the creatures, and Riddick swiftly killed them with sharp movements, the atmosphere in the screening room became more lively.
However, as a sci-fi film, the action scenes were limited. Riddick only had two encounters with the bounty hunters and two with the monsters; the rest focused on the sci-fi elements.
In the end, the lead character, Carolyn, was killed by the monsters, while Riddick escaped with two other survivors, leaving the alien planet.
The tension and suppression from earlier in the film were all released in the final part, and the pacing was well-controlled, making the entire film engaging.
Clap clap clap...
As the movie ended, applause erupted in the room. The distribution company representatives exchanged a few words and then left the screening room.
"Sigh, the budget for this movie wasn't enough. With another $5 million, I could have improved the film's quality by a whole level," director David Twohy said.
"David, you've done your best. Now it's up to the market."
Graham commented.
"The movie is great. We're definitely going to succeed," Richard said confidently.
"Richard, your action scenes were excellent. One of the distribution managers even said there weren't enough of them, which is a pity," Graham smiled.
"We were too poor to afford more," Richard shrugged. If they had added more action scenes towards the end, the whole movie would have been perfect, but funds were limited.
"Ted, did the distribution representatives give any ratings?"
David Twohy asked as producer Ted Field walked in.
"Yes, three gave it a 7.5, two gave it a 6.5, and four gave it a 7. So, it averages around 7, which means they'll allocate resources for B- level promotion," Ted Field replied.
David Twohy nodded slightly, finding it better than he expected.
"How many theaters does B- usually get?"
Richard asked, not fully understanding.
Ted Field chuckled, "It depends on the promotional efforts, audience reactions, and the competition at the time. Generally, it ranges between 1,000 and 2,000 theaters, so we'll need to push the promotion."
"Alright!"
Richard nodded. Now that the movie was finished, it was time to market it. Actors are the product's spokespersons; if the promotion is done well, the box office results won't be too bad.
After the screening, the distribution companies began the pre-release promotional campaign.
Given Richard's popularity, the distributors arranged numerous promotional activities for him, officially branding the movie as "Richard's first action blockbuster" and releasing the first trailer.
The trailer was more fast-paced than the movie, starting with the spaceship crash-landing, showing Richard's dislocation escape stunt, intense fights with the bounty hunters, and brutal battles with the monsters. It was thrilling and drew a lot of attention.
On the Filmsite website, 16,395 people indicated they wanted to watch the movie, with many commenting on how much they were looking forward to it, eager to see Richard's first action film.
Seeing these comments, Richard shook his head, knowing the trailer contained all the highlights. He hoped people wouldn't be disappointed when they saw the full movie.
"Richard, Naomi, the interview is about to start. Are you ready?"
Mike reminded them.
"Yes!"
They both stood up together.
——
(End of Chapter)