The interest in this weekend's movie releases extended beyond Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox; even Warner Bros. was closely watching 'Thor' and 'Chaos City,' especially the performance of 'Thor.' The higher-ups at Warner Bros. were particularly attentive because the more successful Marvel's superhero movies were, the more they underscored the perceived incompetence of Warner Bros. and DC Comics.
Early on Saturday, Warner Bros. CEO Bruce Rosenblum did not take a break. Instead, he met with Diego Harris in his office.
"Have you seen the latest box office stats?" Bruce Rosenblum, seated in his large office chair, looked at Diego Harris across from him and asked, "The box office for 'Thor' and 'Chaos City' yesterday?"
"Murphy Stanton has been suppressed!"
Recalling the outrageous demands Stanton had once made, Diego Harris felt somewhat gratified. Even though Marvel's box office success did no favors for DC Comics, he still relished this small victory. "'Thor' took in $23.6 million on its first day, while 'Chaos City' only made $22.8 million."
He couldn't help but shake his head. "Murphy Stanton isn't invincible after all."
Bruce Rosenblum smiled but did not agree with Diego Harris. His view was quite the opposite. Marvel's superhero film might stumble this time, slowing its rapid progress and possibly giving DC superhero films a chance to surpass it.
"Diego, have you noticed something?" he asked.
"What?" Diego Harris asked, puzzled. "Noticed what?"
"'Thor's' first-day box office is indeed higher than 'Chaos City's,'" Bruce Rosenblum said calmly. "But the current box office calculation rules include the earnings from early screenings."
Diego Harris immediately understood Bruce Rosenblum's point. "The early screenings for 'Thor' brought in nearly twice as much as 'Chaos City,' a difference of nearly $3 million, while the first-day box office difference is less than $1 million..."
Bruce Rosenblum nodded slightly.
"So..." Diego Harris continued, "excluding the early screenings, 'Chaos City's' Friday box office is higher than 'Thor's'?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Bruce Rosenblum mused. "'Thor' is an adaptation, while 'Chaos City' is an original film..."
When mentioning the original film, Bruce Rosenblum's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "'Thor's' higher early screening box office compared to 'Chaos City' is normal."
Diego Harris completely agreed. Original films generally perform modestly at their initial release.
Bruce Rosenblum confidently said, "So, Marvel's superhero movie might face significant trouble this time, and we have a chance to catch up!"
He added, "Have you seen the specific word-of-mouth statistics?"
Without waiting for Diego Harris to answer, Bruce Rosenblum handed him a document and said, "I got the latest statistics this morning! In terms of audience reception, CinemaScore ratings are in. 'Chaos City' has the highest 'A+' rating, while 'Thor' only has a 'B.'"
Bruce Rosenblum didn't say much more. Diego Harris opened the document and began reading carefully. It contained a comprehensive set of statistics on reviews and ratings.
As of this morning, 'Chaos City' had 35,898 user ratings on IMDb, with an average score of 8.7. 'Thor' had 21,578 user ratings, with an average score of 7.2.
On Rotten Tomatoes, 'Chaos City' had 75 critic reviews, with a freshness rating of 86% and an average score of 8.2. 'Thor' had 42 critic reviews, with a freshness rating of only 61%, barely avoiding a rotten rating, and an average score of 5.6.
On MetaCritic, 'Chaos City' scored 8.1 based on critic reviews, while 'Thor' had an inadequate score of 5.4.
Statistics on social media and the internet also showed a significant difference. On Facebook and Twitter, 'Chaos City' had 225,577 related shares, while 'Thor' had only 101,211.
On Google, 'Chaos City' had 657,856 searches, while 'Thor' had 333,578, showing a clear gap between the two.
Diego Harris easily concluded that, based on the first-day box office alone, 'Thor' and 'Chaos City' seemed to be on the same level. However, considering all factors, it was clear that 'Thor' was not in the same league as 'Chaos City.'
He couldn't help but think of 'Batman v Superman.' It also had an impressive first-day box office but poor market reception, and then...
Diego Harris quickly realized that 'Thor' was likely to follow a high-open-low-run scenario.
The statistics overwhelmingly favored 'Chaos City,' with only one exception.
For both the early screenings and Friday's box office, 'Thor' had over 60% of its audience under the age of 18, while 'Chaos City' had less than 40% in this demographic.
It was clear that 'Thor' was more popular among younger viewers.
"It is foreseeable..." Diego Harris closed the document and said, "'Thor's' box office will soon decline. Hopefully, it will lower audience expectations for 'The Avengers.'"
To increase the buzz around 'Thor,' Marvel Studios had announced that 'The Avengers' would be released next summer, with Thor playing a significant role.
If they could impact Marvel's 'The Avengers,' it would certainly cause Marvel's entire superhero series to suffer, giving DC superhero films more opportunities.
"Currently, negative reviews about 'Thor' are flying all over the internet and media." Bruce Rosenblum astutely noticed something. "Someone is definitely orchestrating this."
Diego Harris could guess some of Bruce Rosenblum's thoughts and asked, "What should we do?"
Bruce Rosenblum smiled faintly. "Join the ranks of those suppressing Marvel!"
Soon, they agreed to appropriately use Warner and DC Comics' resources to fuel the negative word-of-mouth about 'Thor.'
After Diego Harris left, Bruce Rosenblum picked up the document and, looking at the explosive reviews of 'Chaos City,' felt an indescribable emotion.
He had seen the film during the early screenings and felt it was very similar to the Batman adaptation project Murphy Stanton had presented to Warner Bros. and DC Comics' executives. To avoid Batman copyright issues, the story had changed significantly, but the core remained the same—overcoming fear and finding oneself.
What effect would this story have if it were about Batman?
There was no need for deep thinking. With Batman's added aura, the film's first-day box office would likely be even higher!
Back then, Bruce Rosenblum was the only one among Warner Bros. and DC Comics' executives who had carefully reviewed the project Stanton had presented. He knew that compared to the later two films, the first one needed to establish the protagonist's origin, which limited its excitement. However, the next one, even with just an outline, showcased Stanton's ambition and vision.
If those stories had seemed too risky back then, the current exceptional reception of 'Chaos City' suggested the next film could be even more outstanding.
Bruce Rosenblum couldn't help but think this way. After all, the story outline and script he once saw had left a deep impression on him. Murphy Stanton had only used scraps from those materials to create the massive success of 'Man of Steel'!
Leaning back in his spacious office chair, Bruce Rosenblum suddenly felt that discarding the collaboration with Murphy Stanton might have been the biggest mistake of his life.
Of course, he couldn't easily reverse this decision. Otherwise, he would lose his authority and dignity as Warner Bros. CEO.
Let's wait and see. If the DC superhero series struggles and Murphy Stanton's second film succeeds, perhaps they could reconnect with Bill Rossis.
With a long sigh, Bruce Rosenblum put away the document and stored it in a rarely used file cabinet, deciding to stop worrying about it for now. The ones who should be troubled were Marvel Comics' executives, not Warner Bros. and DC Comics.
Starting on Saturday, traditional print media also began featuring numerous negative reviews of 'Thor,' and these criticisms quickly spread across North America.
"Mr. Stan Lee, what do you think about the poor reviews of 'Thor'?"
A swarm of reporters and paparazzi almost blocked the entrance of Marvel Studios. Stan Lee was surrounded as he entered the company. "Was it a mistake to adapt a third-rate comic book hero into a film?"
Faced with various questions filled with skepticism about 'Thor,' Stan Lee's face turned red with anger. He shouted, "Who said 'Thor' failed? Did you see yesterday's North American box office statistics? The box office champion yesterday was 'Thor,' not some random movie!"
These questions were infuriating him. How could they question a movie that had taken the top spot in the daily box office?
A New York Times reporter squeezed in and said, "The latest attendance rate shows that 'Thor's' attendance today has dropped by more than a third compared to yesterday, without an increase in the number of screening theaters!"
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