As 'Chaos City' was set to launch in major international markets this weekend, following 20th Century Fox's promotional plan, Murphy needed to take the main cast to Europe. They were to participate in promotional events in key cities in the UK, France, Germany, and Spain.
20th Century Fox provided a private jet for the crew to travel around Europe.
Early on Tuesday, Gal Gadot drove Murphy to the private tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport.
"If you run into any problems, remember to call me."
Murphy gave Gal Gadot a firm kiss on the lips as he got out of the car. She nodded gently, "I will."
She wasn't joining the crew for the international promotion. Instead, she planned to return to Israel to visit her mother in Tel Aviv.
After waving goodbye to Gal Gadot, Murphy boarded the plane, and his phone rang.
Answering it, he heard a somewhat unfamiliar voice. The person spoke politely, introduced himself, and Murphy realized it was James Murdoch, the new co-chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox and the youngest son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, as well as Kara Faith's high school classmate.
Murphy had heard about James Murdoch from Kara Faith a while ago. She had mentioned that they were high school classmates, and James had supported her entry into 20th Century Fox. His support was part of his strategy to build his own team at the studio to eventually control it.
Even though Murphy wasn't deeply familiar with the news media industry, he knew about the decline of print media. He had also heard Kara Faith talk about Rupert Murdoch's plan to split News Corp into two parts: Fox and the print media division, to prevent the latter from dragging down the former's growth.
In any large family, the fight for inheritance is likely to be intense. Given that James Murdoch was widely regarded as Rupert Murdoch's most suitable successor, he probably had the ability to see that the assets of 20th Century Fox, including network media, Fox Television, and film and TV production, were more valuable.
If Murphy were in James Murdoch's position, he would also focus on securing 20th Century Fox first before targeting the rest of News Corp.
However, under normal circumstances, shouldn't James Murdoch be in the UK? Until the phone-hacking scandal forced him to resign...
"A party in a few weeks?" Murphy's mind wandered, but he replied, "Of course, I'll definitely attend."
James Murdoch personally invited him to a party. As the new co-chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox, Murphy had no reason to refuse.
After hanging up, Murphy followed a flight attendant to his seat and continued thinking about James Murdoch.
Rupert Murdoch's youngest son was very much like Kara Faith, often resorting to unscrupulous means to achieve his goals. The phone-hacking scandal in the UK might have been directly ordered by him. Actions like wiretapping Prince William and the British royal family wouldn't be the initiative of lower-level reporters but would likely have top-level support from News Corp.
Murphy didn't mind dealing with such a person, but James Murdoch wasn't Kara Faith. He would be cautious in his interactions with him.
Why had he returned to North America from the UK now?
This puzzled Murphy, but he speculated that it might have been influenced by Kara Faith.
After all, he vaguely remembered that in the past, James Murdoch was forced to resign due to the phone-hacking scandal and went dormant for several years before eventually taking control of 20th Century Fox.
Murphy shook his head lightly. Who knows how these events change over time? The world is constantly evolving.
"Hi, Murphy."
Hearing the greeting, Murphy looked up to see Margot Robbie sitting across from him. He nodded at her and said, "Are you infatuated with suits?"
Ever since she started filming as Jay Rachel, Margot Robbie rarely wore dresses, always donning a well-fitted suit like her character, looking sharp and professional.
"Guess what?" Margot Robbie winked at Murphy, "I ran into Natalie Portman yesterday."
Murphy didn't hesitate to ask, "Did you provoke her?"
He had known Margot Robbie for ten years. Since she came to Hollywood, her career had revolved around Stanton Studios, much like David Robbie. Being close friends with Gal Gadot, Murphy knew her well.
Margot Robbie might appear to be a pretty, poised, and professional young woman now, but deep down, she still had the wild spirit of an Australian cowgirl from her youth.
With her outgoing personality, unlike the more reserved Gal Gadot, it was expected that she would stir up trouble if she encountered Natalie Portman and had the means to do so.
"It wasn't provoking!" Margot Robbie lowered her voice and said, "I just discussed the difference between 'Thor' and 'Chaos City' with her and told her about the gap between her and you."
Murphy rolled his eyes, "You are so childish."
"Hey!" Margot Robbie widened her eyes, "Aren't we the bad guys? How can bad guys not do bad things?"
Murphy was speechless and decided to ignore her.
Just then, a flight attendant approached and reminded them to fasten their seatbelts as the plane was about to take off.
After the plane reached cruising altitude, Henry Cavill came over.
"What's up, Henry?" Murphy asked.
Henry Cavill scratched his head and smiled, "Nothing special, just wanted to say thanks."
"No need to thank me," Murphy shook his head. "You earned it."
"Really, Murphy," Henry Cavill said sincerely. "I really appreciate you choosing me back then."
Facing such a friendly person, Murphy was also polite, "You proved that I made the right choice."
Henry Cavill chuckled and exchanged a few more words with Murphy before returning to his seat.
Margot Robbie looked at Henry Cavill, then at Murphy, and said, "Should I also thank you specially?"
"No need," Murphy said bluntly. "We are friends. No need for such formalities."
After chatting with Margot Robbie for a while, Murphy took out his documents and reviewed the latest updates on the film, killing time on the long flight.
On Monday, 'Chaos City' experienced its first weekday in North American theaters. Thanks to previous buzz and good reviews, the film's decline was relatively modest, earning $9.5 million for the day. Though it dipped below $10 million, it was still a decent performance.
'Thor,' however, did not fare as well. With poor word-of-mouth affecting it, the film's Monday box office plummeted over 70% from Sunday, earning just $3.4 million.
Many box office prediction agencies released new forecasts, most of which suggested that 'Thor' would struggle to surpass $150 million in North America.
At the same time, these agencies predicted that as long as 'Chaos City' didn't experience a significant drop this weekend, its North American box office could easily exceed $200 million, potentially reaching $250 million.
Murphy knew that the second weekend in North America was crucial. With 'Thor' no longer a threat, 'Fast & Furious 5' posing no significant trouble, the real potential competition for 'Chaos City' would be the new releases this weekend.
Typically, the first weekend of the summer season would consume much of the pent-up enthusiasm among moviegoers. The second weekend wasn't considered a great release slot, which is why 'Chaos City' had preferred the first week of the summer season. Hollywood rarely released major blockbusters in the second weekend.
However, one film on the schedule caught Murphy's attention: 'Bridesmaids,' produced by Judd Apatow and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was a classic summer comedy. Such films, as long as they were of decent quality, always found a market. Moreover, the producer was Judd Apatow.
Apatow led another prominent Hollywood team, known as the Apatow Gang.
In today's Hollywood, there were three acknowledged groups that were well-coordinated and liked to work together: Murphy's own Stanton Gang, the Apatow Gang led by Judd Apatow, and the Frat Pack centered around Ben Stiller.
Films produced by these three groups often achieved commercial success.
'Bridesmaids' was the only film among the new releases this weekend that had the potential to perform well at the box office.
However, this film had a different target audience from 'Chaos City,' so there wouldn't be much direct competition.
Murphy was more concerned about 'Chaos City's' performance in international markets, given that his films historically didn't do particularly well overseas.
The plane landed safely in London, and as Murphy and his team stepped out of the airport, they were swarmed by a large group of frenzied British reporters. These journalists were far more aggressive than their American counterparts. Even with a large security detail, it was challenging to keep them at bay.
"Director Stanton..."
Most of the British reporters weren't interested in the movie itself; their focus was on celebrity gossip. "Are you and James Franco really in a relationship?"
Another reporter, seeing Margot Robbie walking beside Murphy, immediately began speculating about their relationship.
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