The New York premiere of Armageddon was bustling with excitement. The guest lineup was impressive, but compared to The Matrix, it seemed a notch lower in prestige.
If The Matrix had gathered half of Hollywood, Armageddon had at most brought together a quarter. There was a clear difference in both quality and quantity.
Watching Michael Bay interact with reporters, Martin Bob asked his assistant, "Has The Matrix finished over there?"
The assistant replied, "It's completely over. Our insiders report that The Matrix is of excellent quality, with a lot of action scenes, explosions, and grand set pieces."
All that talk about philosophy and religious symbolism was irrelevant. Hearing about action, explosions, and large-scale sequences was enough to confirm that The Matrix had all the makings of a summer blockbuster.
Martin Bob frowned. This was the power of Gilbert—he seemed to never tire, never slack off, and never give his competitors an opening.
Hoping Gilbert would relax so someone could defeat him? That was a fantasy.
Meanwhile, Michael Bay was facing some tough questions from the press.
"Armageddon is releasing at the same time as The Matrix. Do you think it has a chance to outperform The Matrix?"
Michael Bay initially wanted to give a diplomatic response, but after a second thought, he realized this was direct competition. No matter what, he couldn't afford to show weakness. So, he answered confidently,
"I believe our chances are very high. The movie has received great reactions from test screenings and is extremely competitive."
It seemed the reporters were deliberately stirring the pot. Another one asked, "Director Michael Bay, are you saying that Armageddon has the potential to defeat The Matrix?"
Knowing full well the media was trying to create conflict, Bay didn't back down. He immediately responded,
"No one is an undefeated champion of the summer box office. I believe it's time for a new winner."
The reporters were delighted, already drafting eye-catching headlines in their minds. The power of sensational journalism was in full swing, and even the most clickbait-driven editors would be impressed.
As expected, the next day's newspapers would feature explosive headlines.
Once Bay finished his media interaction, Martin Bob approached him and said, "The Matrix just finished its premiere, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. You should be prepared."
Michael Bay remained confident. Based on the test screenings and premiere feedback, he believed Armageddon would be a hit with summer audiences.
"Don't worry, Martin. I'm very confident. We're going to win this summer." Bay was full of conviction.
But that attitude only made Martin Bob more concerned.
He knew exactly what kind of opponent Gilbert was—a terrifying force in the summer box office. Based on test screening feedback, The Matrix was of exceptional quality.
Blind confidence could easily lead to a crisis without even realizing it.
Sensing Martin Bob's concern, Bay reassured him, "I think Armageddon has a strong chance of beating The Matrix. Don't forget, The Matrix is rated R."
That was true. While some R-rated films had achieved success, the summer box office had traditionally been dominated by PG-13 films.
Even if Armageddon wasn't as high-quality as The Matrix, its audience pool was larger. Moreover, based on feedback so far, Armageddon had been performing well.
With two summer blockbusters going head-to-head, other films were trembling in fear.
After the premieres, both films officially kicked off their midnight screenings.
In a Chicago theater, Roger Ebert used his media credentials to secure a ticket for the midnight screening. He had attended The Matrix's media screening earlier but had gone to Armageddon's premiere afterward.
By his standards, Armageddon was a bad movie. But his years of experience had taught him that such films always found massive success during the summer season.
These foolish audiences would never understand true cinematic art.
In contrast, The Matrix left a much better impression on him. Over the past two years, from Saving Private Ryan onwards, Gilbert had been getting better and better at perfectly blending commercial appeal with artistic value.
The Matrix was the pinnacle of that balance—a textbook example of how to merge art and commerce seamlessly.
In this movie, audiences could find the large-scale action they loved, while critics and art analysts could discover intriguing themes of philosophy and religion.
While waiting for the film to start, Roger Ebert noticed that, in terms of audience numbers, The Matrix had about a 70-30 advantage over Armageddon.
Midnight screenings were typically attended by die-hard movie fans.
Clearly, Gilbert's pull was on a completely different level from Michael Bay's, something evident even in the midnight showings.
This was expected. Gilbert had been at the top ever since his debut, carrying an almost idol-like aura as a director.
Michael Bay, on the other hand, had only been in the industry for a few years, and both the quantity and quality of his films couldn't compare to Gilbert's.
In fact, Michael Ovitz and Martin Bob had anticipated this. When communicating with Sony Columbia Pictures, they had already discussed this point.
Losing a little in the midnight screenings wasn't a big deal—the key was whether they could win in the days ahead.
Roger Ebert attended The Matrix's midnight screening mainly to observe the audience's reactions before writing a review.
As the widely recognized number-one fan of Gilbert, Roger Ebert naturally stood on The Matrix's side for the summer season.
When the midnight screening began, Roger Ebert followed the crowd into the theater for his second viewing of The Matrix.
The next day, The Chicago Sun-Times featured Ebert's review as the top story in its entertainment section.
"Looking at film history, The Matrix is a truly unique film.
I have never seen a film that integrates so many elements yet remains so cohesive. Its exploration of virtual and real worlds, along with religious symbolism, provides a captivating viewing experience.
For those who don't understand the deeper themes, there's no need to worry—the film delivers numerous action sequences that are unprecedented in Hollywood, unparalleled in execution.
In short, you must watch this movie in theaters—it will exceed your expectations."
After praising The Matrix, Roger Ebert turned his focus to Armageddon, offering harsh criticism.
"The film may create tension, but it may also induce nausea. Its relentless bombastic energy feels like a throbbing migraine. Though visually spectacular and loud, it brings nothing new to the table.
The entire movie plays like an absurd end-of-the-world comedy, failing to capture the struggles or brilliance of humanity in the face of disaster.
In short, I do not recommend watching this film during the summer season."
Following his review, Roger Ebert awarded The Matrix two big thumbs up, his highest rating. Meanwhile, Armageddon received two thumbs down, his lowest rating.
If Ebert's status as a devoted fan of Gilbert made his praise for The Matrix seem expected, then Kenneth Turan's positive review spoke volumes.
Kenneth Turan, often critical of Gilbert's films, praised The Matrix for its thematic depth, calling it a milestone in the sci-fi genre.
However, to maintain his critical persona, Turan still offered a minor critique—he felt The Matrix had too many unnecessary action and explosion scenes.
He argued that if the film had delved deeper into philosophical themes, it could have reached even greater heights.
As for Armageddon, Kenneth Turan completely tore it apart, calling it a total waste of time and advising against watching it.
In this era, when internet media was still in its infancy, traditional newspaper critics held significant influence over audience choices.
Major critics like Roger Ebert and Kenneth Turan could influence the early viewing decisions of tens of thousands of people.
With all these factors combined, The Matrix earned $7.9 million from its midnight screenings, decisively beating Armageddon, which took in $5.92 million.
The $7.9 million also set a new midnight screening record for an R-rated film.
In Los Angeles, as the morning sun rose, Robert Iger sat at home, sipping his rich coffee and reading the newspaper filled with The Matrix-related reports.
"Honey," his wife walked over, holding a fax in her hand. "The midnight box office numbers are in. Take a guess."
Robert Iger played along, guessing, "Five million dollars?"
"Honey," his wife teased with a playful wink. "You're wrong. It's $7.9 million. Congratulations—Touchstone Pictures has another blockbuster on its hands."
Robert Iger paused slightly at the number—he hadn't expected it to be that high.
After a moment, he said, "That's certainly higher than expected. As long as the opening weekend reaches $45 million, it will meet expectations."
His wife chuckled, "Lisa would probably disagree with you—she thinks the film will hit $60 million in its opening weekend."
Lisa was Robert Iger's daughter and a devoted fan of Gilbert.
"Where's Lisa? Why isn't she here for breakfast?" Iger asked.
"She left early," his wife said, shaking her head. "She and her friends planned to spend the whole day at the theater."
Robert Iger couldn't help but laugh. His daughter was an enthusiastic fan—not of Hollywood stars, but of the director Gilbert.
During The Sixth Sense, Lisa had watched it three times, crying each time. But this time, she probably wouldn't be crying—The Matrix would leave her feeling thrilled instead.
As Robert Iger joked about his daughter over breakfast, theaters in major cities were already packed to capacity.
The explosive success of The Matrix was surpassing what was typical for an R-rated film, astonishing everyone.
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