As July arrived, it was another week of slaughter, or perhaps, to be more precise, bullying.
frozen was like a demon king laughing maniacally with arms outstretched to the sky, beneath his throne trembled all the other films.
With virtually no opponents, it raked in a massive $82.5 million at the North America box office in its third week, with a terrifyingly low drop of only 20.4%, even less than the second week.
It also opened in over a dozen more countries overseas, contributing nearly $100 million to the box office.
In just three weeks, with the right timing, location, and people, frozen globally amassed a whopping $780 million at the box office.
This figure, let alone in 2004, even a decade and more later, during the heyday of Marvel movies, no solo superhero film could rival it, except for major ensemble types like The Avengers.
Initially, there was still debate in the market about whether frozen could surpass the lord of the rings: the return of the king, but with this week's data, it was almost a foregone conclusion.
Thanks to Fox's strong cooperation.
MGM was already immersed in a sea of celebration, its stock price soaring by 11%, sweeping away the previous gloom.
Currently, the company's market value has reached $17.5 billion, significantly surpassing second-place Warner Bros., and getting closer and closer to Disney.
Eric waved his hand, bonuses, give out bonuses, everyone in the company gets a share.
If I have a bite of meat, you will have a sip of soup.
If I have a sip of soup, you will have a bowl to wash.
If I have a bowl to wash, you will have a smell to sniff.
We all have a bright future!
Houston, Reliant Stadium.
As night fell, the place was already bustling with people; tens of thousands were seated inside the stadium, and tens of thousands more were checking tickets to enter outside.
Besides those who bought tickets, many who couldn't get tickets lingered outside the stadium, hoping to snatch a bargain or buy relatively cheaper tickets closer to showtime.
There were also tens of thousands of locals and people from all over the country who came to join the excitement.
So, although the stadium could only hold over 70,000 people, at least 100,000 people actually gathered there.
This scale of crowd gathering was clearly unexpected by the local government, and the Houston police department could only urgently dispatch officers from various districts for support.
In the sky, helicopters flew by from time to time, some from the government, and some hired by Lionheart Network itself.
Inside the stadium, a magnificent and grand stage had been set up, and brilliant lights illuminated the night as if it were day.
One by one, billboards and brand logos clearly entered the camera's view.
Eric kept his word; one final show earned back all the previously lost advertising fees, ultimately selling over $73 million.
Although it couldn't compare to the Super Bowl, it was still a record-breaker, stunning countless industry professionals when it was announced.
They could understand that The Voice's advertising fees would be high, but they couldn't comprehend them reaching such an astonishing level.
The reason it sold so much, besides Eric's clever tricks, was the secret weapon Michael had prepared for this final.
Without some real substance, it would be impossible to get others to pay.
Backstage, Eric pushed open the door to the lounge, where the four mentors and four students were making their final adjustments and preparations.
"Everyone looks to be in good spirits. How are the preparations coming along?"
Seeing the big boss visiting, Mei Mei immediately stomped her foot, her expression showing both excitement and obvious nervousness.
"I'm so scared, there are too many people, oh my goodness, just too many people! I can hear their shouts even in here, it's terrifying!"
Eric patted her little head: "You still know how to be scared? You've been clamoring to release an album, I thought you were already prepared."
Mei Mei nodded and then shook her head: "Boss, I've fantasized about a scene like this many times, but no matter how many times I think about it, when you really face it, that sense of fear and tension still can't be eliminated. I was so nervous last night I couldn't sleep."
Cyril also took a deep breath: "Taylor, you should shut up. You're making me nervous again. I had already adjusted my state."
"But I really am nervous. To be honest, in my fantasy concerts, the scale was at most a few thousand people, and now it's 70,000 people, my goodness, my heart is starting to race again!"
"Relax, relax, this is just a show. You will have even broader stages in the future," Eric comforted him.
He then looked at Mars Bro and Fruit Sister: "Don't be like those two, maintain your composure."
No sooner had he spoken than Fruit Sister suddenly frowned: "I… I have to pee!"
With that, she rushed out of the lounge.
"Well, I guess I shouldn't have shown up; things seem to have gotten worse."
Mars Bro took a deep breath: "Boss, I'm fine, I'm fine."
"Eric, don't just say those four youngsters are nervous, I've never performed in front of so many people either," Jayz said with emotion, fiddling with his large gold chain.
"Speaking of which, is Michael the only one who has held a concert with over 100,000 people?"
"I remember Celine Dion also held one. How big was the scale when you toured Europe?"
Celine Dion thought for a moment: "The Paris concert in 1999, I'm not sure of the exact number, around 90,000 to 100,000 people, I guess. Janet also held one."
Janet Jackson shrugged; the influence of these veteran top singers was undeniable.
Jayz sighed: "It seems I still have a long way to go."
"By the way, have all those friends arrived?"
"Yes, to maintain an air of mystery, they're all well hidden, just waiting for that moment to appear and surprise everyone."
"I'll follow your arrangements. To be honest, I'm quite looking forward to it too."
After chatting for a while, Eric checked the time: "Guys, get ready to go on stage and embrace your super moment!"
Ah.
Oh.
The stadium was bustling with people, fortunately, Houston is coastal and not as hot as inland cities.
The air conditioning was all turned up to maximum, effectively alleviating the heat.
However, while the physical heat could be alleviated, the excitement in their hearts grew hotter as time passed.
As the clock struck 8, the lights in the huge stadium suddenly went out.
Then, amidst the screams and cheers of the entire audience, a beam of light shone on the center of the stage, and four huge shadows fell upon the curtain.
These four shadows were clearly identifiable as Michael, Janet, Celine Dion, and Jayz.
The audience immediately understood that the four of them were going to put on a combined grand show again, just like in the first episode, and many people bought tickets specifically for this.
To this day, the scene of the Jackson siblings' live dance-off remains fresh in everyone's memory.
However, the imagined wild singing and dancing did not appear; instead, another strong light hit the stage, and the figures of the original four people suddenly became overlapping, as if dozens of people were standing together.
"Hmm? Is this going to be a group dance?"
"Hurry up and start, I can't wait."
Oh.
However, the hot dance the audience imagined still didn't appear; in fact, the stage remained empty.
At this moment, the large screens inside the stadium lit up, playing a somewhat chaotic, shaky footage.
In the footage, a hurricane raged, sweeping cars and houses into the sky.
Then floods submerged a small town, with numerous destroyed houses and helpless people crying.
The scene then shifted to a tsunami, with giant waves engulfing fields and villages, and even corpses could be seen floating on the murky water.
Immediately after, the camera switched to a war-torn area, where crying people with bloodied faces knelt on the ground beneath the bombed-out ruins.
In old hospitals, emaciated children, starved to skin and bones.
These images were all derived from real records, some even edited from news reports, all recent events that had occurred this year.
They included the disaster caused by a tropical hurricane landing in New Campbell, the devastation of the tsunami hitting Indonesia, the suffering under the Afghanistan war, and the ongoing hunger plaguing the African continent.
Just over a minute of video displayed the suffering people of the world to the audience, and the previously noisy venue immediately fell silent.
At this moment, music slowly began to play, like stars twinkling in the silent night sky, as piano and brass instruments flowed into everyone's ears.
Many fans in their thirties and forties were present tonight; having lived through the 80s, their hearts suddenly pounded intensely.
They would never forget this melody, for it was a miracle in music history, the first time so many superstar singers gathered to dedicate their voices to the joys and sorrows of humanity.
That was one day in 1985, because the famine in Ethiopia and Sudan caused countless people to starve to death, so Michael and Lionel Richie co-wrote this song, "We Are The World."
Michael then invited 45 top or first-class singers from around the globe, and they collectively recorded it.
The song expresses great love for humanity, transcending nations and races, and is an eternally shining pearl in the history of human music.
Later, Taiwan was inspired, and a few months later, a group of singers also collectively recorded "Tomorrow Will Be Better," which was even included in elementary school music textbooks in many regions.
The first grand curtain opened, revealing Michael sitting at the piano, playing.
Celine Dion began to sing softly, her top vocalist's emotionally rich voice instantly resonated with the audience.
There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
Oh, when it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
After Celine Dion sang the opening segment, Janet and Jayz also joined in the singing, adding more pop elements to the style.
We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of God's great big family
And the truth, you know, Love is all we need
At this point, after the verse was sung, even the younger audience members were reminded of this song.
Many songs you may not remember entirely, but the distinctive and memorable bridge of the chorus surely leaves an impression.
Everyone's eyes were on Michael, who was playing the piano. He looked up and to the side.
With a powerful drum beat, the second curtain was dramatically pulled open, revealing the previously hidden figures.
Ah!!!
OMG!
OH MY!
God!
Instantly, the previously quiet stadium erupted again, screams and shouts almost deafening people's ears.
"Beyonce, it's Beyonce!"
"Britney, Britney, I see Britney Spears, and Jennifer Lopez."
"Linkin Park, Bennington is there, and Avril, fool, in the third row on the left, Avril."
"Oh my goodness, darling, look quickly, is that Diana Ross? The one in the middle of the front row, that's her."
"Bob, it's Bob Dylan."
"Bob Dylan, where?"
"Second row on the right, next to Cyndi Lauper, you still haven't found him?"
"No, but I saw Maroon 5, Adam and Bon Jovi are standing together."
That's right, hidden behind were the most influential stars of American music, past and present.
Among them were those who had recorded with Michael back then, such as Kenny Rogers, Bob Dylan, Dionne Warwick, and others.
There were also rising stars of the new generation, such as Maroon 5, Linkin Park, Britney, and others.
Upon receiving the invitation, almost everyone readily accepted.
For the veterans, this performance was like an old friends' gathering.
For the newcomers, expanding their fame and doing something meaningful, why not?
I missed that one back then, how can I let this one go? It might even be recorded in music history.
On the big screen, dozens of stars sang simultaneously, and the audience counted heads while singing along.
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So, let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, Just you and me
Dozens of stars performed together and individually, some with passion, some with quiet emotion, some improvising, some hysterically.
But these diverse vocal styles, when fused into one song, not only didn't feel messy but made all the audience members thoroughly enjoy it.
After all, just seeing them stand together was a treat; what more could you ask for!
Moreover, the singing skills of these people are all first-rate. Saying this might be a bit biased, for example, Avril is still far behind the seniors.
But what if her singing skills are a bit lacking? The atmosphere was there.
Besides, I'm not wearing eyeliner or outlandish clothes today, so I've redeemed myself. Many little bitches aren't even qualified to be invited!
The advertisers, who had been closely watching the show, instantly reached a climax. So this was the secret weapon UTA had promised.
It was worth it! The advertising fees were absolutely worth it!
On Lionheart Network, as the gods returned to their positions, the comments below immediately exploded.
"Damn it, I couldn't get tickets, I couldn't get tickets! I'm so envious of those who went to the venue, they'll definitely remember this moment for a lifetime."
"Regret, I regret it so much, why did I sell my tickets to others."
"Are you kidding me? The preview didn't say this segment would be tonight. If I had known, I would have fought tooth and nail for a ticket."
"The preview must have deliberately hidden it, they wanted the surprise!"
"I suddenly remembered the first time I heard this song. I'm getting older, and my eyes are becoming less obedient."
"Michael Jackson, I will always love this man!"
"I'm a man, and I love him too."
"I'm also a man, and I love him just the same."
"My wife is someone I can hold, and he is someone I look up to."