As expected, after the report came out, Michael Bay was immediately scolded by Martin Bob.
At this critical moment, he actually stood up for a rival film—it was simply too much.
Michael Bay knew he was in the wrong and silently endured Martin Bob's hairdryer treatment.
Armageddon's lead actress, Liv Tyler, was delighted. She realized that she wasn't the only one acting as a little spy.
Even the director was a spy, openly praising The Matrix.
With that, Liv Tyler's sense of guilt was greatly relieved.
Sure, she did it first, but did Michael Bay have no fault in this?
Because of this incident, some reporters specifically sought out Gilbert to ask for his opinion.
Gilbert responded, "This proves that our film is truly excellent. Director Michael Bay, despite being my competitor, was able to give a fair and objective evaluation, which is not easy to do."
At this moment, it was crucial not to take a jab at Bay or gloat. Otherwise, it would make him look like a petty person enjoying a moment of victory.
Instead, this kind of response—acknowledging his rival—made many moviegoers feel that Gilbert had the demeanor of a true champion. In turn, they started viewing Michael Bay in a better light, seeing him as fair and magnanimous.
Michael Bay himself never expected that his mere attempt to analyze a competitor's film would result in media coverage framing him and Gilbert as kindred spirits.
But in reality, both sides were already at each other's throats, with tensions at an all-time high.
As Saturday arrived, the positive word-of-mouth accumulated by The Matrix from the previous day began to take effect, further boosting its per-show and per-theater attendance rates.
During the later stages of marketing, Gilbert had suggested focusing on online promotions, as the internet had a younger audience more receptive to fresh ideas.
On the internet's key battlegrounds—forums, chat rooms, and message boards—The Matrix had a significant presence of paid commenters, known as "water armies." These operatives set the narrative, sparking interest among casual viewers and motivating them to visit the cinema.
On IMDb, thanks to relentless review-bombing efforts, The Matrix soared to a 9.7 rating, surpassing The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather to claim the top spot.
This rating was clearly abnormal. However, the issue was that Hollywood at the time had not yet realized the importance of online marketing and therefore didn't take it seriously.
But underestimating it didn't mean they were clueless. As soon as Gilbert's strategy of using internet propaganda to promote The Matrix proved effective, some forward-thinking executives in Hollywood quickly caught on.
Especially for Armageddon, which was in direct competition with The Matrix. Once they saw the success of The Matrix's online strategy, they immediately deployed their own "water army."
Although their approach was still crude—heavily imitating The Matrix's tactics and executing them clumsily—it still yielded results.
However, on IMDb, Armageddon's rating was nowhere near The Matrix, stuck at around 7.3.
Gilbert's "water army" wasn't just inflating The Matrix's score; they were also downvoting Armageddon, making it nearly impossible for Armageddon's own efforts to push its rating higher.
This couldn't go on. They needed to muddy the waters—The Matrix couldn't be allowed to gain too much of an advantage in reputation.
"What should we do?" Martin Bob asked as he stared at IMDb, where The Matrix's rating remained largely unaffected despite their attacks.
Michael Ovitz felt like his mind was struggling to keep up—the times were changing too fast. But he forced himself to adapt to the trend.
"Right now, The Matrix is ranked at the top of IMDb, which is bound to upset fans of The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather," Ovitz said. "Attacking The Matrix directly isn't working, so why don't we target those two films instead?"
Martin Bob's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands. "Yes! Great idea! The fans of those two films are probably already unhappy with The Matrix, but they lack organization.
"If our 'water army' can organize them and lead them into attacking The Matrix, they'll become a powerful force."
No sooner said than done. Armageddon's online operatives immediately disguised themselves as The Matrix fans and launched large-scale attacks on The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather.
Meanwhile, another group of operatives pretended to be fans of The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather, rallying their communities to fight back against The Matrix fans and downvote the film.
This inevitably enraged The Matrix's real fans, who in turn started retaliating against The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather, creating an all-out brawl.
Although The Matrix was a current blockbuster with a large fanbase, it was now facing off against The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather fans—plus Michael Ovitz's somewhat amateurish but still effective "water army."
As The Matrix continued its theatrical run, Gilbert's fanbase remained strong. However, the combined forces of The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather fans, along with Michael Ovitz's somewhat unrefined hired reviewers, created a situation where The Matrix was facing an uphill battle,It felt like a three-against-one scenario, with The Matrix barely holding its ground.
Meanwhile, The Matrix's IMDb score continued to drop, eventually settling at 9.4, equal to The Shawshank Redemption.
This chaotic battle among internet users and hired reviewers was an eye-opening moment for Hollywood studios as they entered the early age of internet marketing.
It marked one of the first recorded, organized, large-scale online fan wars in internet history, making Hollywood executives realize the power of online publicity.
From that point on, major Hollywood studios began assembling their own teams of hired reviewers.
Not only that, but certain directors and stars also started maintaining their own online teams to give themselves a promotional advantage.
Due to the impact of internet-driven public opinion and the inherent disadvantage of its R rating, The Matrix earned $22.549 million at the Saturday box office, falling behind Armageddon, which grossed $24.908 million, placing The Matrix as the second-highest earner of the day.
Gilbert had anticipated this outcome. He knew there would be a point where Armageddon would take the lead at the box office—he just hadn't expected it to happen this early.
His friend Sophia was quick to tease him, saying, "You've dominated the summer box office for so long, but now you've lost to a film by a lesser-known director. That's rare!"
Gilbert rolled his eyes and replied, "No one in Hollywood remains undefeated forever. I've always been prepared for the day someone surpasses me.
Besides, this is just the beginning. I haven't lost yet!"
Sophia mimicked Gilbert's signature shrug and added, "Let's hope the media sees it that way too. They won't pass up an opportunity to turn this into a major story."
She was right. Even though The Matrix faced an R-rating disadvantage and online attacks, the moment Michael Bay's Armageddon overtook Gilbert for the first time, the media went into a frenzy.
"Hollywood's Genius Director Faces a Crushing Defeat as Michael Bay Delivers a Knockout Blow!"
"Gilbert Suffers the Worst Setback of His Career—Is This the Beginning of His Downfall?"
"Armageddon Surpasses The Matrix! Gilbert's Aura Fades as Michael Bay Proves He's More Than Just a Stand-In."
Just a day earlier, these same media outlets had been praising The Matrix as the greatest sci-fi film in history. Now, they were quick to predict Gilbert's downfall, fully embracing the sensationalism of journalism and largely ignoring the actual facts.
Without checking the box office numbers, an uninformed audience might genuinely believe The Matrix had suffered a disastrous loss.
Only a few fair-minded media outlets, such as Gilbert's staunch supporter The Los Angeles Business Journal, pointed out the challenges of releasing an R-rated film.
"Hmph! Just like Gilbert once said in that old Chinese proverb—these media outlets are like grass bending in the wind," Robert Iger sneered as he read through the headlines.
Inside Disney, Michael Eisner had already secured the backing of most shareholders. If the The Matrix proved to be a massive success, Iger would be promoted to Vice President.
This role was merely a stepping stone—within a few years, Iger was expected to take over as Disney's President.
Given Eisner's health issues, Iger was positioned to become the ruler of the Disney media empire.
Of course, he wouldn't forget to fully support his close ally, Gilbert.
So when he saw these sensationalist reports, Iger was furious. He instructed his assistant, "All Disney-affiliated media outlets must give The Matrix positive coverage.
If anyone dares to publish negative press, their department heads will be fired."
The assistant outwardly agreed but internally thought: "At this point, who in our company would even think of badmouthing The Matrix? Do they have a death wish?"
"By the way, how are merchandise sales looking?" Iger asked.
"We just got the latest figures," the assistant replied promptly. "Yesterday alone, merchandise sales brought in $8.2 million, and many of our specialty stores completely sold out."
Iger's eyes lit up. "Not bad! We take a 30% cut from merchandise sales, so that revenue stream is looking solid."
"Definitely," the assistant grinned. "At this rate, our merchandise revenue will significantly surpass Armageddon's.
In fact, when we factor in merchandise sales, The Matrix is already generating more overall revenue than Armageddon."
"That's a given," Iger nodded approvingly. "And even in box office earnings, Armageddon may not end up as the winner."
Iger's words proved prophetic.
On Sunday, The Matrix staged a dramatic comeback. Its box office revenue unexpectedly increased, taking in $23.592 million, making it the top-grossing film of the day.
Meanwhile, Armageddon followed the typical trajectory of a commercial blockbuster, dropping slightly to $19.289 million, placing it in second.
This surprising Sunday surge was largely thanks to devoted fans.
Some of them wanted to support Gilbert, while others were drawn back to the film to analyze its intricate details.
During their first viewing, many audiences were simply awed by the film's visual spectacle.
But upon reflection, they realized they had missed crucial details.
For example, what really happened to Neo and the Matrix at the end? What exactly was Zion? What was the true purpose of the Matrix's human farms? These questions encouraged fans to return to the theater in search of answers.
And the best way to find those answers? Watching the film multiple times.
Thanks to these devoted "detail hunters," The Matrix managed to close its opening weekend with a total gross of $64.855 million, surpassing Armageddon's $62.021 million, securing the first major summer blockbuster victory of 1998.
The phenomenal performance of both films made this summer's opening weekend the highest-grossing in Hollywood history at the time, setting a new record.
What was even more extraordinary was that instead of destroying each other, the two films thrived simultaneously—a rare occurrence in Hollywood history.
Hollywood filmmakers, journalists, and industry insiders were all in a frenzy.
This was Hollywood at its peak. It was proof of the ever-growing power of the North American film market.
However, both films still had a long road ahead.
Who would ultimately emerge victorious remained uncertain.
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