"He refused our invitation, Nate. I'm afraid he's already figured out who was behind the hired trolls," Marvell said, looking somewhat amused.
Nate's expression darkened. He snorted coldly, "Hmph! Marvell, what kind of attitude is that? I'm doing this for our cause.
Gilbert must join our camp."
"But the problem now is that he won't even agree to meet with us. Nate, you need to come up with another way."
Although Marvell and Nate didn't get along very well, they were part of the same organization. The consensus within the group was that Gilbert had to be brought under their banner.
It wasn't just about Gilbert's reputation—if he were just another filmmaker like Spielberg, Nate wouldn't be particularly interested in him.
But Gilbert wasn't just famous; he was also an incredibly wealthy man. The companies he owned, along with his stakes in Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and other major corporations, represented an immense fortune.
And their activities required money to operate.
Besides, it wasn't like Gilbert would be at a disadvantage by joining them. Their deep network of connections could help him solve plenty of problems.
Gilbert could even become their figurehead, a myth they would construct.
Yet, what puzzled Nate was that Gilbert remained highly guarded against them, refusing to attend any of their gatherings.
He even seemed to have a knee-jerk reaction to anything related to an island, as if the mere mention of it triggered an alarm in his mind.
It was as if he saw the island as a cursed place—when in reality, it was a paradise!
Nate thought for a moment and said, "Looks like we'll need to apply some pressure. Let's start with women."
"What kind of pressure?" Marvel immediately understood what he was implying but warned, "The same trick might not work on Gilbert.
Besides, the mistress of Melon Manor is already an open secret."
Everyone knew that an "open secret" was still a secret—but one that everyone was aware of.
"No," Nate shook his head slightly. "Do you remember Scarlett Johansson? She's been close to Gilbert since she was a child.
We should stir up some controversy about that—give Gilbert a wake-up call."
"???" Marvel was dumbfounded. If Gilbert really had that kind of relationship with Scarlett Johansson, wouldn't that just prove he was even more untouchable?
Gilbert wasn't Michael Jackson. Gilbert was a squid.
To outsiders, squids were known for their solidarity. If Nate tried using this tactic against someone from within their own ranks, how would others perceive it?
People would see that he was willing to betray even his own allies—who would ever dare to work with him in the future?
Even though Gilbert technically wasn't one of them, he leaned more toward the liberal side.
And the liberals... well, no one understood how they kept going, defying the tide of history. And yet, they persisted.
They were scum—they should have been wiped out long ago.
Nate continued, "We're not trying to ruin Gilbert with this. We just want to remind him that he should be relying on us."
"And if he doesn't care?" Marvel asked.
Nate sneered. "If he doesn't care, then maybe it's time we revisit some old matters."
Starting in Los Angeles, Gilbert embarked on a nationwide promotional tour with the film's cast and crew.
For some reason, he had the nagging feeling that the troll attack wasn't over and that something else was coming.
That phone call he had received—the one inviting him to the island—he had ignored it entirely.
He didn't know whether this island was the same as that island, but one thing was certain: no island was a good island.
For several days, there was no further movement from those people, which allowed Gilbert to relax slightly. But he knew this situation couldn't continue—he had to find an opportunity to strike back.
After enduring the smear campaign, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers saw a minor dip in box office revenue, but overall, the film was performing exceptionally well.
As the weekend arrived, moviegoers poured into theaters in droves. The Two Towers completely dominated the summer box office.
On Saturday alone, the film raked in a staggering $37.725 million, showing no signs of being affected by the earlier negative reviews.
Most importantly, audiences weren't stupid...
Many had already seen the first film, and its outstanding quality had won them over. Despite the flood of malicious reviews, audiences still trusted their own judgment.
Moreover, a large number of people online were actively defending The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, proving that the film was nothing like what the negative reviews claimed.
After watching the movie in theaters and experiencing its brilliance firsthand, audiences quickly realized that those negative reviews were nothing more than deliberate smears.
The film was undeniably fantastic, yet certain people insisted on calling it terrible—clearly, someone had a personal grudge against Gilbert.
To top it off, this was the first time mainstream media had introduced the public to the concept of hired trolls, making everyone aware that such a group even existed.
Under these circumstances, any negative comments about The Two Towers were instantly dismissed as troll propaganda and vehemently countered by fans.
Of course, there were still viewers who genuinely didn't like the film, and when they expressed their opinions, they found themselves under attack from the fandom.
This, in turn, infuriated these neutral moviegoers, leading to heated arguments. Some who disliked the arrogance of Gilbert's fans also jumped into the fray.
But ultimately, Gilbert's fanbase was simply too massive, and the film itself was genuinely beloved by the majority of audiences.
So, despite the combined efforts of dissatisfied viewers, trolls, and those who opposed Gilbert's fanbase, they were swiftly overwhelmed and silenced.
This was, quite possibly, the first large-scale internet battle between movie fans, trolls, and haters since the dawn of the digital age.
The internet, with its anonymity, removed real-world consequences, allowing people to unleash their emotions freely—resulting in an extremely aggressive atmosphere.
It was similar to the fan wars in a past life between the followers and haters of certain pop idols. There was no clear justice in these conflicts, but in the end, they had little impact on The Two Towers.
Despite all the drama, the film still achieved outstanding results.
On Sunday, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers grossed $28.994 million in a single day, bringing its total to $98.497 million—securing the title of the highest-grossing opening weekend of the summer box office.
Although this achievement was exciting, it was also a little frustrating. Without the troll smear campaign, The Two Towers might have been the first film to surpass $100 million in its opening weekend.
Even so, the film still managed to break the opening-weekend record previously held by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, making it the new all-time record holder.
However, this time, the media and public reaction was more subdued. The reason was simple—there had been too many record-breaking films in recent years, and people had grown accustomed to it.
That said, the media still showered The Two Towers with praise, hailing it as an epic masterpiece. Some reviews were so effusive that even Gilbert's own fans felt embarrassed.
They couldn't help but think, No wonder they're professionals—their compliments are on another level.
On Monday morning, newspapers such as The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times ran front-page headlines about the box office success of The Two Towers.
Not entertainment section headlines—front-page headlines.
The Los Angeles Times wrote:
"Over the past week, marking the start of the summer blockbuster season, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers has shattered the opening-weekend record previously set by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, becoming the new record holder.
"As we all know, last November, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone broke the record originally set by The Fellowship of the Ring.
"Now, Gilbert has reclaimed that record once again."
"It's worth noting that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was also produced by Melon Studios. This gives us every reason to believe that Gilbert has an exceptionally sharp eye for cinema."
Meanwhile, The New York Times featured interviews with several moviegoers, including Noel, a prominent member of the national Lord of the Rings fan association.
He stated:
"I'd like to apologize for my past protests against the film. Gilbert has completely fulfilled my dream."
"He has created a breathtaking Middle-earth, bringing immense joy to The Lord of the Rings fans like myself."
Two other fans,Ruiz and Evans, also shared their thoughts:
"The opening battle between Gandalf and the Balrog was spectacular, and the storyline following Frodo and Gollum was incredibly compelling.
"But what truly stood out was the Battle of Isengard and the Battle of Helm's Deep—they were absolutely mind-blowing."
"Honestly, I'm already worried. How can The Return of the King possibly surpass The Two Towers in scale and impact?"
Evans focused on the performances:
"It's clear that under Gilbert's direction, every actor delivered an outstanding performance.
"My personal favorite was Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Arwen—she perfectly embodied the princess as I imagined her."
As expected, Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert gave the film his signature two thumbs up.
A well-known Gilbert enthusiast, Ebert didn't hold back in his praise for the film.
In contrast, critic Kenneth Turan took a different approach, opting for a more controversial stance by offering criticism instead.
He argued that the film devoted too much screen time to the Battles of Isengard and Helm's Deep.
According to Turan, if the focus had been placed more on Frodo and Gollum—delving deeper into their psychological struggles and the corrupting influence of the One Ring—the film could have reached an even greater artistic depth.
Predictably, Turan's review was met with a fierce backlash from fans.
Realistically, if Gilbert had followed Turan's advice, would it have led to a deeper exploration of character psyches? Who knew?
But one thing was certain—the box office would have tanked.
Finally, two fans from Los Angeles, Zoe and Doug, summed it up best:
"During the summer blockbuster season, we are always the champions…"
Gilbert had crafted a vivid and immersive Middle-earth, a world so captivating and enchanting that audiences couldn't resist its allure.
Despite external interference, the film's performance remained exceptional.
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