Chapter 44

On the third day of the test screening, the box office showed an explosive reaction, reaching a staggering 450,000 US dollars, which was the result of the midnight showings on just 30 screens.

In other words, over the course of three days—Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday—the cumulative box office had already reached 670,000 US dollars. This performance was enough to outshine "Titanic," which had been in theaters for ten months.

If it continued to screen for a full week, it might even break into the top 12.

"Wow, this is just the midnight showing on 30 screens, it's enough to make the big shots at DreamWorks pop their eyes out."

After several days of positive reviews, DreamWorks finally decided to end the test screenings without hesitation. Just in time for Thursday, "The Sixth Sense" began its large-scale release in North America, including Canada, with 2,126 theaters scheduling showings.

"Finally, the large-scale release has begun. I want to see what the ending is that everyone is hesitant to talk about." At the entrance of a theater in Los Angeles, a queue formed, all drawn by the continuous positive reviews over the past few days.

Despite already being labeled as a dark horse, the first week's performance of "The Sixth Sense" still left everyone stunned. This dark horse was truly black—37.5 million dollars!

"The Sixth Sense" topped the North American weekly box office chart!

The opening weekend box office for "Saving Private Ryan," another DreamWorks production, was only 35.3 million dollars, but it was shown in 2,821 theaters. "The Sixth Sense," with hundreds fewer theaters, managed to surpass "Saving Private Ryan" by 2.2 million dollars in its opening weekend. What would the result have been if it had opened on a Monday?

This performance truly left people speechless.

Like a bolt from the blue, the entire North American film industry, entertainment media, critics, and fans were all shocked, staring at the rankings in disbelief. Many people were even confused—wasn't "The Sixth Sense" a horror film? How could it surpass the opening weekend of an epic like "Saving Private Ryan"?

This meant an extremely high attendance rate, and no theater would dislike such a film.

Some might ask, "What is DreamWorks up to? Just after Spielberg set the annual box office record, they introduce a newcomer to challenge his champion status?"

Of course, it was too early to talk about the championship, after all, it was only the first week. Moreover, no one at this moment associated "The Sixth Sense" with the championship. After all, one was a student of Spielberg, and the other was the "Emperor of Cinema," Spielberg himself.

If there was any connection, it was that both films were scripted by him.

With such impressive results, even without DreamWorks planning additional screenings, some theaters came forward on their own. High attendance rates meant more revenue, and chasing profits is the nature of business.

In the second week, the number of theaters showing "The Sixth Sense" increased to 2,445.

The second week's box office did not disappoint DreamWorks, maintaining the top spot with 48.5 million dollars, bringing the total box office to 83.8 million dollars!

Apart from Chen Tian, who had anticipated this, the results truly shocked many people, including Kate Bellas, Charlize Theron, Vin Diesel, and even Jeffrey Katzenberg, among others.

Chen Tian had truly become famous, an overnight sensation.

Besides being the director and screenwriter, he was also the lead actor, and naturally, his performance in the film was also evaluated by the media. Kate and Haley received positive reviews, and Chen Tian, who played Dr. Malcolm, was no exception.

His pursuit of a faintly melancholic gaze in the film was praised as very charming, "Hollywood has gained a mixed-race heartthrob."

NBC Television invited him for an interview, and he chose a coffee shop at the entrance of his neighborhood.

Walking into the coffee shop at the entrance of his neighborhood again, Old James called out cheerfully, "Hey, big star, you're about to make it big."

Chen Tian smiled, "Please, James. There's a TV crew behind me, close your fly first."

"Oh... damn. Remember to make me look good."

The NBC reporter smiled and explained, "We haven't started filming yet, everyone can relax."

"Let's sit here, James, bring us three coffees." Chen Tian invited the reporter to sit down.

The NBC reporter's name was Kevin McCollin. After sitting down, he got straight to the point, "Can we start the interview?"

"Sure, anytime," Chen Tian smiled.

"You've defined this film as a horror movie, but where do you think the horror lies in the film?"

Chen Tian thought for a moment and said, "To borrow a line from the movie: 'They are everywhere, walking around like normal people. They can't see each other, only what they want to see.' If you think this is just about the ghosts in the movie, then you're only seeing a supernatural film. But I think many people in our world today live in their own minds, not in reality. They only see what they want to see, deny and reject what they don't want to see, and can't truly 'see the other person,' the person who objectively exists, and truly communicate and understand. For many people, others are just projections of my own subjectivity, and I can't see them."

"This is a hidden metaphor in your film, it's truly unexpected."

Kevin was surprised, "Like the relationship between the psychologist and his wife in the film, which is similar to many families, where they live together every day but don't truly see each other, don't communicate, and don't care. Is that the idea? Your film is a horror movie, but it has moved many people. What do you think about that?"

Chen Tian smiled, "Maybe. If I say that there are many such ghosts in this world, it might sound a bit exaggerated. But truly seeing others, objectively recognizing reality, and being able to empathize and communicate, is actually very, very rare. One day, I went to a department store and followed the signs for a long time but couldn't find the restroom. A stranger, a girl, saw me and noticed my anxious expression. Before I could say anything, she said, 'Turn right and you'll find it.' In that moment, I suddenly felt like crying. It's so simple, the kindness of a stranger, and the fact that I was seen and responded to, can be very touching."

"What do you think of your performance in the film and the performances of the other actors? Do you have any expectations for the Oscars?"

Chen Tian was surprised, "Oscars, no, that's too far-fetched. I'm satisfied with my performance, at least no one has criticized it yet. Haley's performance was stunning, and if he were to win an award, he deserves it. Kate played a mother very convincingly, and she also deserves an award."

In the subsequent interview, he explained some of the hidden elements in the film that had not yet been discovered: "If you don't believe me, how can you help me? Some magic is real!" Do you remember this line?

"The DVD menu is red, the picture frame is red, the church door is red, the church chairs are red, the napkin, the sweater Malcolm's wife wears when she sleeps, the doorknob, Cole's mother's red hair and red nails, the clothes Malcolm's wife wears on their anniversary, the tent, the words, the red antidepressant pills, the red balloons, the red sweater Cole wears when he is locked up, the box for the video tape, the woman who killed the little girl. Red is everywhere, representing emotional moments and impending bad events. Have you noticed? Some might say I'm being mysterious, but that's my interpretation. If you haven't noticed, I suggest you watch it again."

This was essentially encouraging viewers to watch the film a second time, but it wasn't a problem.

After all, it was for the promotion of the film.

Finally, a very practical question was raised, "Next week, Jackie Chan's film 'Rush Hour' will be released. Do you have the confidence to beat your compatriot?"

Chen Tian shook his head in horror, "You don't understand what the name Jackie Chan means to us. I'm a big fan of Jackie Chan, and I grew up watching his films. It's an honor to see his new film in a foreign land. I wish him great success at the box office, and I'll buy a ticket to see it in the cinema."

After the NBC interview with Chen Tian, they did not return immediately.

Instead, they went to the entrance of a theater and interviewed a few viewers who had just finished watching "The Sixth Sense."

A young black man said to the camera, "I'm here for the second time. The situation is better now, but last week, I had to wait in a long line to buy a ticket. It's unbelievable, it feels like 'Titanic' is playing again."

NBC was not advertising for "The Sixth Sense," but reporting on a social phenomenon that had been happening across the United States over the past two weeks: "The most touching horror film, 'The Sixth Sense.'"

Everyone who had seen it was amazed by the intricate plot.

A horror film that could move people to tears, Chen Tian had created a unique and unprecedented miracle.