In the pitch-black bedroom, Francis Lawrence suddenly woke up from a nightmare, feeling as if a zombie was lunging at him. He quickly reached out to turn on the bedside lamp, and the soft light instantly dispelled the darkness. Seeing that there were no zombies in the room, he realized he had just had a nightmare and breathed a sigh of relief. But he soon noticed something was wrong; there was no one beside him.
"Where's Paula?" Francis Lawrence muttered, "It's almost midnight, and she's out again?"
He put on his robe and left the bedroom, noticing a light on the first floor. He quickly headed downstairs, following the light to the living room, where he saw Paula Patton standing in front of a crucifix, seemingly praying devoutly.
Coming up behind Paula Patton, Francis Lawrence heard her prayer.
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. May Matthew Horner no longer be popular, and may 'Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem' be a huge success. Amen!"
Paula Patton finished making the sign of the cross and stood silently for a moment before turning around and seeing Francis Lawrence. "Why are you up?"
Francis Lawrence took a coat from the nearby rack and draped it over Paula Patton's shoulders. "I woke up and saw you were gone, so I came to find you."
Paula Patton led Francis Lawrence to the couch and said, "I was lying there thinking about 'I Am Legend' and couldn't sleep, so I came down."
Francis Lawrence gently patted her hand, unsure of what to say. Compared to Paula Patton, he more eagerly wanted to see Matthew Horner fail. This way, his friend Spike Lee might feel better, possibly escaping the grip of alcohol and drugs and reviving his spirit to become a free and democratic fighter once more.
But that morning, he had already seen the advance ticket sales for "I Am Legend" and knew this was just a vain hope.
"Don't think about it," Francis Lawrence comforted.
Paula Patton knew this too but couldn't let go. "How can I not think about it? 'I Am Legend' opened in 4,200 theaters, almost all commercial cinemas are showing it. If the first weekend's box office explodes..."
She shook her head. "I know 'I Am Legend' will definitely sell well this week, but if it breaks $100 million in its first weekend, its screening schedule next weekend will remain high, inevitably affecting 'Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem's' schedule."
Francis Lawrence sighed, saying nothing. These were problems for 20th Century Fox to consider. He was just a small director without any say.
Paula Patton made another sign of the cross on her chest, praying devoutly, "I just hope 'I Am Legend's' first-day box office doesn't exceed $30 million, and that the first weekend stays under $100 million."
Given the advance sales and early showings, her prayer was quite realistic.
Francis Lawrence patted Paula Patton's hand again. "Let's hope it doesn't exceed $100 million."
The clock on the wall suddenly chimed, and Paula Patton immediately stood up, heading to the study. She turned on the computer and, after Francis Lawrence joined her, logged onto the box office tracker "Media Numbers." However, the site had not updated yet, still showing "I Am Legend's" early showing at $14.6 million.
"Still not updated?" Paula Patton impatiently refreshed the page repeatedly. On the fifth refresh, "I Am Legend's" box office stats finally changed.
Seeing the new number, both she and Francis Lawrence were stunned.
$42.8 million!
The opening day box office, including early showings, was $42.8 million!
Paula Patton and Francis Lawrence were both shocked in front of the computer. If the first-day box office had stayed under $30 million, the first weekend would not likely break $100 million. But a first-day box office of $42.8 million meant there was at least a 90% chance the first weekend would exceed $100 million.
Paula Patton looked up at Francis Lawrence, and they saw the helplessness and powerlessness in each other's eyes. What good were prayers?
"Let's hope... let's hope..." Paula Patton was firmly pinned to her chair by a deep sense of helplessness. "Let's hope our 'Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem' can make half of 'I Am Legend's' first weekend box office."
Francis Lawrence shook his head. "I'd be satisfied with $42.8 million."
The two of them sat quietly, looking at the numbers on the "Media Numbers" website, without saying another word.
With "I Am Legend's" first-day box office success, media attention increased, and a wave of promotional efforts from Warner Brothers also exploded on Saturday.
The New York Times published an interview with Matthew and reported:
"'I Am Legend' grossed $42.8 million on its opening day, ranking 11th in box office history and setting a new record for December openings in North America. It also holds the highest opening day box office for a vampire genre film. 'I Am Legend' shot to the top of the North American single-day box office, marking Matthew Horner's best holiday opening performance yet. This film once again proves Matthew Horner's unparalleled box office appeal."
Yahoo Entertainment highlighted another aspect in its headline:
"Is 'I Am Legend' good? On internet portals, 'I Am Legend' has a media score of 'A-' and an audience score of 'A.' Critics' reviews are mixed, mostly debating its apocalyptic atmosphere. On Rotten Tomatoes, with 45 reviews, 'I Am Legend' holds a 61% freshness rating, which isn't bad for a purely commercial film. IMDB has given it a high score of 8.5, and at this rate, 'I Am Legend' is expected to gross over $300 million in North America."
The Washington Post's entertainment section had this headline: "'I Am Legend,' as a 'sci-fi horror' film, reaching such heights during a festive season is truly shocking!"
However, a report in the Los Angeles Times perhaps provided the best commentary:
"Among active actors in Hollywood today, few deserve to be called 'legendary,' but Matthew Horner undoubtedly fits the title. Despite his '20 million dollars plus box office cut' salary making many producers wary, every producer who has paid him high fees has reaped huge rewards."
"So, when sci-fi, thriller, action, fantasy, voice acting, and drama star Matthew Horner succeeds again, box office numbers alone aren't enough. 'I Am Legend's' contribution to the industry, especially amidst a writers' strike and widespread industry anxiety, is significant. ... What defines a superstar? This does! If anyone deserves a $20 million paycheck, it's him. Should we hand that money to Warner Brothers for 'Catwoman' or Sony for 'Stealth'? Matthew Horner's box office appeal speaks for itself without mentioning his acting."
"Speaking of acting, Warner Brothers and the 'I Am Legend' production team should also thank Matthew Horner for his commanding presence and unmatched star power. He delivered the best performance of this holiday season in this film. How the Oscars will judge Matthew Horner's brilliant performance in 'I Am Legend' remains an intriguing mystery."
Extensive media coverage drew more attention to Matthew and "I Am Legend."
On Saturday, "I Am Legend" maintained its high heat in theaters, with high screening and attendance rates, overshadowing other films. Paul Dergarabedian, president of "Media Numbers," mentioned Matthew in a media interview once again.
"Why is 'I Am Legend's' box office so high? Because Matthew Horner is liked by all races in America. He is popular not only among whites but also among African Americans, Latinos, and even Asians."
Paul Dergarabedian praised Matthew without reservation on TV, "In Hollywood, the '20 million club' is usually a measure of top stars. These stars' films typically have strong appeal. However, with rising production costs, stars like Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts, who were once part of the '20 million club,' have seen their recent films struggle and their box office appeal decline. Only Matthew Horner remains consistently worth the money."
Finally, he commented on the desolate city in "I Am Legend," "No wonder Matthew Horner feels lonely because everyone else on Earth is in theaters watching his movie!"
These reports combined to create many favorable conditions, drawing many who were not originally Matthew's fans into theaters to buy tickets for "I Am Legend."
Moreover, those who became fans due to the house giveaway incident also significantly contributed to the film's box office.
According to the information Helen Herman shared with Matthew, many professional PR firms in Hollywood had already begun studying this event as a classic case.
After Saturday, "I Am Legend" grossed another $40.2 million, bringing its North American box office to $83 million, just a step away from $100 million.
Of course, no one overlooked the fact that Warner Brothers was a key factor behind the film's box office success.
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