[Chapter 168: Jurassic Park Premiere]
On the afternoon of June 9th, Universal held a grand premiere for Jurassic Park at the Los Angeles Dome Theater. Many celebrities, including Linton, were invited and attended the event.
As expected, a huge crowd of fans and reporters gathered at the premiere, making the venue feel like a sea of people. Amidst the roaring cheers and screams, Linton walked closely with Catherine down the red carpet, creating a frenzy among the paparazzi who snapped countless shots.
At the theater entrance, many industry heavyweights were waiting. The four legendary directors -- Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Spielberg -- were all present.
Actors like Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger made the premiere even more star-studded.
Linton took the initiative to greet these veterans warmly. When he met George Lucas, George firmly shook his hand and said, "You are young and promising! Just the other day, I went back to the school where Johnson mentioned you. He says you're the school's new pride."
"You are not only a senior but also a role model for us. Many of my classmates feel honored."
"You're not bad either; the future is yours. The alumni meeting will be held in October. You'll be invited, and you must not miss it."
"Thank you. It's an honor. I'll be there on time."
When greeting Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman was standing closely by his side, which made Linton a bit awkward. Still, he warmly greeted the couple, and no one noticed any awkwardness -- true professionals all around.
After the interviews with the main cast and crew concluded, staff guided the guests inside the theater to their seats as the movie started immediately.
Spielberg truly was phenomenal. Using almost miraculous cinematic language, he transported the audience to a prehistoric world billions of years ago. When the T-Rex's pupils glowed blood-red under the car headlights, when the velociraptor's shadow slithered across the kitchen tiles, and when herds of dinosaurs galloped across the plains...
These incredible scenes, combined with real foreground foliage and digital dinosaur backdrops, created an immersive ecological spectacle -- a visual illusion that truly broke the fourth wall.
At the ending, the T-Rex tore through a banner reading "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth" and roared to the sky, shaking the rainforest's morning dew. This darkly humorous scene was utterly impactful.
Since Jaws, Spielberg's cinematic techniques have only gotten more refined and commercial. His films have become quintessential mainstream blockbusters, and Jurassic Park was his masterpiece.
It perfectly combined science fiction, action, thriller, and drama elements, fully utilizing special effects without over-relying on them. The characters and story were vividly portrayed, effortlessly immersing the audience emotionally.
Industrial Light & Magic's computer effects shone beautifully in this film. All the dinosaurs looked lifelike, especially the several-floor-tall Brachiosaurus appearing for the first time by the lake -- its presence left viewers speechlessly amazed.
Predators like the velociraptor and T-Rex each had unique characteristics; their ferocity and terrifying images deeply impressed audiences.
The film also featured excellent DTS surround sound effects. When the huge T-Rex suddenly roared around the theater, many people shuddered in fright. Catherine even hid into Linton's arms, nervously looking around.
All these combined to create an unparalleled audiovisual feast, striking down other films by comparison; movies released simultaneously would be unlucky.
Linton remembered the film grossed over $350 million in North America and over $900 million worldwide, breaking all records.
The film ended with thunderous applause. Spielberg and his crew took the stage to thank the audience.
Catherine, deeply moved by the movie, said, "Honey, this movie is incredible. The box office is going to explode, right?"
"More than explode -- I think it will break every record. North American box office will be at least $300 million."
"That's amazing! Won't it affect our movie, Speed?" she asked worriedly.
"Don't worry. The two movies are one month apart, so the peak viewing period will be over then."
"Good. I'm still hoping our movie will do great at the box office."
"Trust me and yourself."
Onstage, Spielberg and crew finished sharing behind-the-scenes stories and began inviting guests to share their impressions. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
All guests praised the film without originality, and when asked about box office predictions, the boldest estimated just over $200 million in North America.
When it was Linton's turn, he went all out:
"I believe this is a groundbreaking film. Director Spielberg takes us into a dreamlike ancient era, delivering an unprecedented audiovisual feast. More importantly, he perfectly combines America's most advanced film industry with storytelling. From now on, Hollywood films enter a new industrial era, which is a game-changer to films from other countries. Jurassic Park will open doors worldwide to national film markets and will be recorded in history."
Linton's words stunned everyone, including Spielberg himself, who wondered, 'Is this film really that amazing?'
The Universal host was excited and trembled, "Linton, can you explain your reasoning?"
"As I said, this film embodies the latest achievements of Hollywood's film industry. The logic is simple: Our previous films could be copied by other countries locally, but no country can replicate this movie..."
"Can you predict Jurassic Park's box office?"
"Of course. Being a groundbreaking film, the box office will also be groundbreaking. I think it will break all records."
"Any specific numbers?"
"At the North American box office, It may not cross E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial's $350 million, but Jurassic Park will make at least $300 million."
"What about worldwide?"
"The global box office record before was E.T., at more than $650 million. Like I said, Jurassic Park will strike down films from other countries and open all their markets. It will definitely surpass previous records. I think around $900 million would be about right."
"Boom!" Linton's words blew the theater away. The earlier statements sounded reasonable, but a $900 million global gross was quite a brag.
People wondered how much PR money Universal gave him to make such a reckless prediction, and what he'd say if the box office fell far short.
Even Lucas and Spielberg had doubts; $900 million was far beyond anyone's expectations.
But in the end, it was good for both Linton and the film. Surely, Linton's remarks would dominate all entertainment media headlines tomorrow.
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