Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

In the original timeline, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was hailed as one of Hollywood's most successful franchise openers.

In this timeline, it was no different.

By the end of its first weekend, the film grossed $94.3 million, surpassing The Matrix and The Bourne Identity, though slightly below Spider-Man.

However, the true strength of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone lay not in its explosive opening but in its longevity.

In its second week, the film retained the top spot at the box office, earning $69.65 million and bringing its North American total to $164 million.

With a drop of less than 30%, both the producers and theater chains were pleasantly surprised.

In its third week, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone once again topped the box office, earning $40.37 million with another minimal drop, bringing its North American total to $204 million.

Internationally, the film dominated as well, taking the number one spot in nearly every region.

Both the production studio and theaters anticipated that this might be another Hollywood blockbuster to break the $1 billion global box office mark this year.

Beverly Hills

Inside Tom Cruise's mansion, the Hollywood superstar was receiving a report from his new agent, Brian Kyle.

Following his divorce from Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise had also severed ties with their shared agent, Pat Kingsley.

In the original timeline, his agent at this time would have been Jeff Raymond.

However, in this timeline, Jeff Raymond had long become Martin's agent and was thriving due to Martin's meteoric rise. Naturally, he wouldn't take on Tom Cruise.

Brian Kyle, a senior partner at CAA with ample resources, still found himself deferring to Cruise due to his status.

At this moment, Kyle stood before Cruise, head bowed, reading his report with the deference of a golf caddy.

"Wait!" Tom Cruise interrupted, frowning. "Did you just say AMC reduced our showings? Why?"

"Uh…" Brian Kyle hesitated awkwardly. "Because Harry Potter is selling too well, and they needed more slots for it, so—"

"What the f***!" Tom Cruise exploded, slamming his hand on the sofa armrest. "They're using my showtimes to boost that bastard Martin's box office? Damn it, who made this decision?"

"Well, uh—"

"Speak!" Tom Cruise growled, his temper flaring further. "You know who you work for and whose money you're earning!"

"Alright, it was AMC's president who made the decision personally."

As he spoke, Brian Kyle cursed inwardly, Jeff and Kingsley were right—Tom really does have a terrible temper. He's impossible to deal with.

"Is that so?" Tom's anger simmered slightly. "I'll call him myself."

At Cruise's level, he had the clout to speak directly with AMC's president.

He quickly found Adam Aron's number in his contacts and dialed.

A moment later, Aron's voice came through. "Hello, Tom. What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Adam. How have you been?" Tom asked, forcing a calm tone.

"I'm doing well. What's on your mind?"

"It's about this— I heard AMC has reassigned Minority Report's showings to Harry Potter. I want to know what's going on. Was there some kind of mistake?"

"Sorry, Tom, no mistake. This was my decision. Minority Report's box office is dropping too quickly, and Harry Potter doesn't have enough showtimes. So I made the call."

Before Tom could respond, Aron continued, "You know I have to answer to AMC's board. This isn't personal; it's just business."

"But Minority Report grossed $63 million in its opening weekend!" Tom argued, barely holding back his fury.

"Yes, but Harry Potter grossed over $90 million, and Minority Report dropped over 50% in its second week. This is final, Tom. Let's leave it here for now."

With that, Adam Aron ended the call.

"F***!"

Tom Cruise hurled his phone to the ground, shattering it. The pieces nearly hit Brian Kyle, who flinched in shock.

Brian quickly recovered and said, "Tom, DreamWorks called earlier. Spielberg wanted to know if you'd extend the city tour promotions."

"Sh**! Don't mention Spielberg to me! How could he mess up Minority Report, a film riding on the Matrix-inspired cyberpunk wave? Is he past his prime?"

Cruise's final remark startled Brian Kyle, who immediately glanced around to ensure no one else was nearby.

"Tom, let's not say things like that. Spielberg isn't just a director—he's also a powerhouse in the industry."

Brian lowered his voice, trying to placate Cruise, while internally questioning his decision to take him on as a client. Kingsley and Jeff were right—this was a mistake.

"I know, I know. He has DreamWorks, but I have Cruise/Wagner Productions. He's just one of DreamWorks' shareholders; I'm the sole boss of my company. So—"

Cruise shrugged. "I don't need to fear him."

"I understand, but Spielberg holds significant sway in the Academy, and he's part of the Jewish community. You know how influential they are in Hollywood. We'd be better off not offending him."

Brian spoke gently, employing the methods Pat Kingsley had taught him to handle Cruise's temper.

Tom finally regained some composure and nodded. "Got it."

He then glanced at the newspaper on the table, its entertainment section featuring a massive photo of Martin alongside half a page dedicated to a Harry Potter poster.

Damn Martin. Damn Harry Potter!

This was the second major box office failure for Cruise, even after collaborating with Spielberg. The damage to his reputation in the industry was immense.

While Cruise raged in his mansion, DreamWorks' three founders were also holding a reflective meeting.

Spielberg raised his hand and said, "This one's on me. I should have insisted on sticking to the decisions we made after Pearl Harbor's failure. But I let myself get swept up in Tom's rosy projections."

He sighed, shaking his head in frustration.

At the time, Cruise's pitch for the film had been enticing.

With Spielberg's direction, Cruise's star power, and the cyberpunk craze sparked by The Matrix, it seemed like a surefire hit.

But reality proved otherwise.

Minority Report had a promising opening but suffered steep drops. With a production budget nearing $130 million, it now seemed unlikely to surpass $400 million globally (the original timeline's global gross was only $360 million).

It was another film that would take years to recoup its investment.

Most troubling for Spielberg was the creeping doubt in his own abilities.

Am I truly outdated?

(GodOfReader: Someone asked me if I would advertise their Amazon product by placing links in every chapter, offering to pay me $25 for every 100 chapters. Let me remind you—no matter how broke I am, I would never take such a deal. So, go ahead and buy their vacuum with a 69% discount link he—)