A unique year, a special setup—the fall and holiday movie seasons are showing a booming landscape. Hollywood's major film studios have never been busier, with intense competition beneath the surface as they jostle for market dominance in ways beyond imagination.
Warner Bros. once again demonstrated its boldness and ambition.
However.
Despite its success, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" failed to completely turn the tide. While the box office was still impressive, proving the franchise's staying power, it didn't meet Warner Bros.' lofty expectations, leaving the result somewhat disappointing.
Especially against the backdrop of "Spider-Man" rewriting box office history.
Still, Warner Bros. needn't panic, as "Harry Potter" wasn't the only big-ticket film feeling the market's pull.
"007: Die Another Day" has grossed $138 million after four weeks, but its weekend earnings have already dropped to $7.8 million.
"Star Trek: Nemesis" earned just $18 million in its opening weekend, even losing to the rom-com "Maid in Manhattan."
"Gangs of New York," with a modest $9 million opening, screened in only 1,500 theaters—largely due to a lukewarm reception. Despite being directed by Martin Scorsese and featuring a star-studded cast with Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cameron Diaz, Miramax's $100 million investment was clearly aiming for much more.
Disappointment. Underwhelming. Sluggish.
Quietly, this theme of unmet expectations has become the main narrative of the fall and holiday seasons.
Of course, it's not all bad news—
"8 Mile," the semi-autobiographical film starring rapper Eminem, has emerged as a dark horse. Produced for just $40 million, it broke through the onslaught of big-name films to claim its share of the spotlight, amassing $110 million over six weeks—another small-budget win for Universal Pictures.
But that's still not enough—not nearly enough.
With much anticipation and high hopes, the result?
That's it?
All of Hollywood seemed deflated. While many quietly mocked Warner Bros.' over-optimism, the real power players lamented the studio's bold attempt, wishing it had succeeded.
They weren't worried about Warner Bros.' success. After all, if Warner Bros. cracked the code for the fall and holiday seasons, other studios would rush to join the fray—everyone would benefit.
In the midst of this collective sigh, the year 2002 was drawing to a close, with just one last wave left in the holiday season—
Christmas.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" made its grand entrance.
Like the "Harry Potter" series, the first installment of "The Lord of the Rings" had made a successful debut the previous year, sparking a frenzy at the box office. Now, the sequel came with even higher expectations, further showcasing Warner Bros.' ambitious strategy.
The result?
The box office was solid, but still left a sense of unfinished business. It didn't quite set the market on fire.
The film tried to capitalize on the holiday mood by opening early, premiering on a Wednesday to extend its opening stretch.
The weekend brought in $60 million, with a five-day opening of $100.2 million.
First, this is a cause for celebration. With Peter Jackson directing the movie on a modest $94 million budget, the box office numbers indicated that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema would easily turn a profit, potentially even surpassing "Harry Potter."
But the results still didn't live up to the expectations. It didn't completely dominate the holiday season, and the five-day total was still below "Spider-Man's" weekend debut. As they say, comparisons are painful, and you could practically hear the collective sighs of disappointment.
"See, it's not so easy to replicate Peter Parker's miracle."
"I can't believe they missed the mark."
"So, where did it fall short? Warner Bros. had such high hopes, but it slipped through their fingers."
"Was it too ambitious?"
"In the end, the holiday season just can't compete with the summer."
"So, should they admit defeat, or do they refuse to give up?"
Whispers and murmurs.
All of Hollywood had a strange vibe, but without a doubt, all eyes were focused on Warner Bros. and the holiday season—
And everyone was talking about it.
Even top franchises like "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" couldn't replicate the explosive energy "Spider-Man" brought to the summer. So, what does this mean?
One possibility is that the holiday season simply can't compete with the summer. Maybe Warner Bros. should abandon its plan to open a new front in the holiday season.
Another possibility is that "Spider-Man's" success is a one-off, unrepeatable. Just like it took five years after "Titanic" for another film to hit $600 million in North America, the market hasn't reached that level yet, and studios should slow down.
So, is it the former or the latter? Or is there another explanation?
Amid this uncertainty, "Catch Me If You Can" premiered on Christmas Day.
This could be the moment to answer everyone's questions and offer clarity.
While "Catch Me If You Can" is not "Spider-Man"—the two films are entirely different and incomparable—the context has led to endless speculation.
First, does "Spider-Man's" success signal the rise of Anson?
Second, can Anson, who recently shook up the North American market, make a splash in the holiday season?
Third, with other films failing to change the game, can "Catch Me If You Can" save the day?
So many questions. So much speculation.
Maybe "Catch Me If You Can" isn't "Spider-Man," but with a film this full of potential, featuring top-tier talent like Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Anson Wood, Hollywood has every reason to watch where its box office performance ends up.
It's not just about DreamWorks or Warner Bros.—the entire industry is paying attention.
And so.
The rolling waves of anticipation reached a peak as the five-day box office numbers for "The Two Towers" were released—
"Sigh, here we go. It's up to 'Catch Me If You Can' to provide the answer."
"Not too long ago, Anson Wood cracked the summer code. Now, the holiday season challenge is right in front of him. Is it up to Anson again?"
"Anson Wood: Could he be the first true superstar of the new century?"
In 2002, Hollywood hadn't yet fully embraced the era of franchise dominance. The town still believed in the power of movie stars.
From Tom Cruise to Brad Pitt to Will Smith and, finally, Leonardo DiCaprio, the entire 1990s were defined by the allure of these megastars, with each one capable of drawing millions of moviegoers into theaters just to see their films.
It was a golden age of star power.
But with the eventual decline of these stars and the rise of intellectual property, Leonardo DiCaprio became the last true movie star of the century's end. Now, Hollywood was asking a new question:
Could Anson Wood become the first true superstar of the 21st century?
please vote this story to motivate me post 2ch/day
you can request story !!
patreon belamy20
always finish story
Visit my Patreon = belamy20
Grind is my Ninja way up to 1150
Play football with power of MUSIC!!(end)
KING OF MUSIC(end)
Actor in Hollywood up to 2000
american horror (end)
american drama (end)
horor hollywood (end)
Hollywood: titanic director(ed)
king of tennis (end)
uchiha patriarch(end)
hikari chat group (end)
king of music (end)
flame ninja (end)
puppet ninja (end)
ghoul in ninja world (end)
american life 1995
and more
"Σ(っ°Д°;)っ" 5$