The executives at 20th Century Fox spent the entire week in a state of anxiety and unease.
With the arrival of the summer blockbuster season, no film company wants to miss this golden window for box office explosions. Every studio releases their big-budget productions, with investments often ranging from tens of millions to over a hundred million dollars.
Even for a company like 20th Century Fox, backed by Murdoch's media empire, a major flop could still deal a serious blow.
Big-budget, high-production commercial films thrive best in the summer season. They grab attention and rake in huge profits—this much is common knowledge, even beyond the entertainment industry.
What outsiders don't see, however, is that behind every Hollywood blockbuster that smashes the box office, there's always at least one heartbreaking failure lying in its wake.
Everyone at the Big Six remembers how MGM went under—those lessons have not been forgotten.
So, every summer season is both a carnival and a trial by fire.
Warner Bros.' Batman Begins had clearly passed its trial.
Their executives could finally breathe easy for a while.
But for 20th Century Fox, their moment of reckoning was fast approaching.
A week had passed, and Batman Begins was still holding strong at the box office, having surpassed $50 million in ticket sales with a relatively steady decline.
What's more, both audiences and critics were showering it with praise.
Here are a few snippets:
"He grew alongside evil, he understands the people's suffering. Evil stole Gotham's hope, so he brings it back. Save a city, start with a person; save a person, start with belief. Belief is hope. Batman Begins is well worth watching."
"This is a superhero movie unlike any other. Batman is no longer some godlike being who flies and fights with flashy effects or snaps his fingers to defeat an army. He is a man who feels fear, who flinches at loss, who doubts himself in the face of strong foes. He stumbles in his attempt to redeem others and the city. What the film is really saying is: any one of us can be Batman."
"Christopher Nolan—remember that name. He's destined to become one of Hollywood's greatest directors. In Batman Begins, Nolan uses his unique style to elevate Batman beyond the realm of mere superheroes. On the surface, it's a dark, brooding epic, rich with social commentary. But in truth, it's an enthralling commercial film that carries profound spiritual resonance."
…
That same day, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles—
The premiere of Kingdom of Heaven was underway.
"Cruise! Cruise! Cruise!"
Tom Cruise walked the red carpet hand-in-hand with Katie Holmes, greeted by thunderous cheers on both sides—a testament to the enduring star power of this 15-year Hollywood veteran.
William Monahan and Alan Ladd Jr. stood by the banquet hall entrance.
Watching the scene, Monahan couldn't help but smile. "Mr. Ladd, do you see that? That's Tom Cruise. His popularity alone guarantees box office returns."
Ladd nodded, though inwardly he wasn't so convinced. If Tom Cruise were truly invincible, Pearl Harbor wouldn't have nearly sunk DreamWorks.
Still, he had no choice now but to bet on Cruise's fanbase pulling in loyal viewers.
Based on his sense of the final cut of Kingdom of Heaven, the film was destined to be a one-wave wonder—grab a quick box office haul and then drop off a cliff.
Two and a half hours later, the screening ended.
The creators took the stage, faces clearly grim.
During the screening, several people had actually walked out. Others left for the bathroom, whispered among themselves, or munched loudly on popcorn… Clearly, the film had failed to fully capture its audience's attention.
It was a stark contrast to what Cruise had witnessed at the Batman Begins premiere.
The next day, reviews of Kingdom of Heaven hit the papers.
Like Batman Begins, the film received glowing praise from mainstream media.
"Kingdom of Heaven is a solid production. Ridley Scott's signature approach of portraying personal heroism remains as sharp as ever. The actors all give strong performances, and the script and dialogue are layered with depth. The Crusader standoff with the Muslims in Jerusalem and the three-day battle sequence are grand in scale, and the romance between the leads is watchable." — Chicago Sun-Times
"An epic historical film. Director Ridley Scott uses his lens to tell the story of Jerusalem under Crusader rule and its fall before the legendary Muslim leader Saladin. Tom Cruise delivers a stellar performance, bringing his character to near perfection." — New York Times
"Kingdom of Heaven presents a modern perspective on a thousand-year-old city. Through historical reconstruction and character-driven narrative, it attempts to offer a peaceful solution to today's cultural and religious conflicts." — Entertainment Weekly
However, public opinion online painted a very different picture—polarized and skewed heavily toward the negative.
"The visuals were decent, but the story dragged endlessly. Even the battle scenes pale in comparison to the grandeur of The Lord of the Rings or the gritty realism of Saving Private Ryan. The emotional impact just didn't land."
"Lifeless characters, disjointed plot, zero credibility. It wears the skin of an epic but is hollow inside."
"Honestly, I nearly fell asleep. Yes, there were battles, lots of them, but they all blurred together. Beyond the ragged clothes and greasy hair, don't expect anything else from this film."
"A total misfire from Ridley Scott. No hook, no soul. All I saw was a bare-bones plot stretched into a tedious, flavorless mess."
Online word-of-mouth is the truer reflection of audience sentiment.
After pulling in $27.4 million in its opening weekend, Kingdom of Heaven suffered a massive drop in its second week, grossing only $9.6 million.
A furious Tom Cruise tore into screenwriter William Monahan over the phone.
Meanwhile, three people who had dodged this bullet were quietly rejoicing.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Orlando Bloom each called Martin to express their gratitude.
"Oh my God, the drop in Kingdom of Heaven's box office is terrifying. Thank heavens you stopped me. Just thinking about how close I came to starring in that train wreck gives me chills!"
"Thanks, Martin. You saved me. I can't believe the film did so poorly—Tom Cruise couldn't even save it."
One more man was silently relieved—Brad Pitt.
"Fuck, Thank God Cruise snatched the role from me. Otherwise, I'd be the one taking the hit now."