Chapter 90: John Wick Premiere! Where the Dream Begins!

In May, temperatures in California had already settled in the 30s, giving Xu Can an early taste of the scorching summer.

Sitting in the makeup room, letting the stylist work on his look, fine beads of sweat seeped across his brow.

"No, is all this really necessary? It's just a premiere, isn't it?"

"Xu, this is our company's very first film, and you're the star of the premiere—your image absolutely has to be perfect."

"You're the company president, why are you watching me?"

"I'm also your agent." It was plain to see just how nervous Happy was.

This was the first film produced and distributed since the founding of Star River Pictures, bearing on the future of the entire Star River Entertainment.

Happy had never seen anyone dump every last bit of their just-received pay and profit shares into a single new film.

And it was an action-crime genre he'd never ventured into before—sole investment!

By people's ideas, shouldn't he have pulled Sony in to co-invest?

Everyone in the industry knew how highly Sony Entertainment valued Xu Can; anything he produced, they'd throw money at without a second thought.

Yet Xu Can stubbornly refused, insisting on sole investment, betting his entire fortune in one wild gamble.

He himself acted as if nothing were wrong, but Happy had been worrying so much these past days that white hairs were sprouting.

"Relax, Happy. I can guarantee we won't lose money at the very least. You've seen the rough cut—didn't it look good?"

"Good it really is good, but I'm worried it's too niche—critical acclaim without box office returns."

Happy's cheeks were also covered in beads of sweat; he pulled out a handkerchief and kept wiping.

"The premiere is about to start, the answer will be revealed very soon."

For this premiere, Xu Can once again borrowed Sony's Galaxy Cinema chain; the IMAX giant screen should do justice to the visual thrills of John Wick.

The premiere was likewise scheduled for 8 PM, after which at midnight the North American first-showing screenings would open.

Because of the film's R-rating, release dates across different countries and regions needed to be coordinated, so a global simultaneous premiere was temporarily impossible.

"Xu, do I look pretty in this outfit?"

Emma Stone, in a beige evening gown, stood before Xu Can with poise and grace.

Happy, seeing this, offered a quick greeting and tactfully made up an excuse to slip away, leaving the lounge to the two of them.

"It looks great, suits you perfectly—you're absolutely stunning today."

"I had Karl Lagerfeld design this for me. I couldn't even bear to wear it to my own premiere, but today I wore it out especially to keep you company."

"Then I'll make it up to you properly tonight!"

"You! Who's making it up to whom!" Stone Sister cooed in mock annoyance.

John Wick was scheduled for the tail end of the spring slate, May 4th.

One week later marked the start of the summer slate: May 11th, the release of Twilight.

The two would also become competitors over the following week, battling for that slate's box office.

Apart from the two of them, there really wasn't a single film that could put up a fight.

The fact that Stone Sister had spent a fortune on a custom-made evening gown and chose to debut it at Xu Can's premiere spoke volumes about Xu Can's place in her heart.

"Let's go, it's about time. Let's get ready to go out—my Princess."

"Give me your hand, my Prince."