Los Angeles—Sarati Merton had recently started dating someone new.
The Gilbert Fan Club at UCLA, which she had been a part of, had slowly drifted apart as its members graduated and went their separate ways. It had been a long time since they had gone to watch one of Gilbert's films together.
But that didn't matter. Sarati Merton's new boyfriend happened to be a fan of Gilbert as well. The two had met in an online chatroom, bonding over discussions about Gilbert's movies. Their conversations flowed naturally, and when they realized they were both in Los Angeles, they decided to meet in person.
It was an old-school case of online romance turning into reality. In those days, things were simpler—there weren't as many scams or traps. So, naturally, their relationship blossomed into something more.
When Gilbert's new film Chicago was set to be screened, Sarati was eager to watch it. Her boyfriend, however, wasn't particularly interested.
Sarati called multiple nearby theaters where Chicago was having limited screenings, but every single one of them gave her the same response—the tickets were completely sold out.
Frustrated, she complained, "Seriously? I thought people didn't even like musicals! Why can't I get a single ticket?"
Her boyfriend, David, chuckled. "Sarati, you're out of the loop. The latest news says Chicago is a massive hit."
He pointed at the television, where a news broadcast was covering the overwhelming demand. "It's impossible to get a ticket now. I've been hearing great things about it, and now I kind of want to see it too."
Sarati rolled her eyes. "This is your fault. If it weren't for you, we would have already seen Chicago by now."
David sighed in mock regret. "Okay, okay, it's my fault." But then he grinned and pulled something from behind his back. "Guess what I've got?"
"What?"
"Tickets to Chicago—but for the Broadway show. I pulled some strings to get them." His tone was full of pride.
Sarati scoffed. "Who wants to watch it in a theater?"
David smirked, adopting a mysterious air. "Oh, you have no idea, my dear. Yesterday, the film's cast made an appearance on Broadway. Tom Cruise and Naomi Watts even performed a scene, and it caused a frenzy. Now, Broadway tickets are just as impossible to get as the movie tickets."
"Really?" Sarati hadn't heard about that. It wasn't until David showed her the New York Times front page that she realized she had missed out on something huge.
David reassured her, "It's not too late. If we go now, we might even get lucky and see the cast perform again."
"That would be amazing!" Sarati clapped her hands in excitement. "I'll book the flights."
And they weren't the only ones thinking this way. Many other fans who couldn't get movie tickets had the same idea—if they couldn't see the film, they'd go watch the Broadway show.
The demand was so overwhelming that not only were theater seats impossible to get, but the film screenings remained completely sold out as well.
At one of the Broadway theaters, the manager looked out at the enormous crowd and felt a deep sense of nostalgia.
It reminded him of the golden age of musical theater, back when Broadway was always packed, night after night.
He knew exactly who was responsible for this resurgence—Gilbert and his Chicago. The film, with its nostalgic charm, had rekindled people's interest in musicals and Broadway itself.
And it wasn't just older audiences returning—he saw an influx of young people stepping into the theater, drawn in by the movie.
Even if only a fraction of these new visitors became long-term Broadway fans, it would be a massive win for the industry.
Recognizing this rare opportunity, the theater manager quickly made a call to the owner.
"Boss, we need to increase the number of Chicago showings. The audience is coming specifically for it—we should cut down on the other performances and add more slots for Chicago."
But it wasn't just Broadway experiencing this craze.
Due to the limited-release strategy for Chicago, fans were growing increasingly frustrated over the scarcity of tickets.
The moment a screening was announced, tickets would sell out in under a minute. Even the least desirable seats were snatched up instantly—audiences were simply too eager.
Those lucky enough to see the movie were completely won over. As soon as they stepped out of the theater, they couldn't stop raving about it. Word-of-mouth spread like wildfire, and Chicago quickly became a viral sensation.
In some areas, frustrated fans even protested outside theaters, demanding more screenings and questioning why they couldn't buy standing-room tickets.
"This is Cambridge, Massachusetts, and behind me, you can see over a hundred people protesting outside this theater," a news reporter announced.
"But they're not protesting against the film itself. Instead, they're upset that there aren't enough showings, making it impossible for them to see it."
People had seen all kinds of film protests before—fans angry about changes to the original story, accusations of animal cruelty, complaints about lack of diversity.
But this was something new: a protest demanding more screenings because too many people wanted to see the movie. It was unheard of—and it only reinforced how wildly successful Chicago had become.
Ever since Richard had seen the Broadway performance—especially witnessing Tom Cruise and Naomi Watts take the stage—he had been itching to watch the movie.
Later, he learned that the person sitting in the private box that night was none other than Chicago's film director, Gilbert.
Richard was filled with regret. If only he had gone over to say hello, maybe he could have gotten a movie ticket. Now, tickets were impossible to find no matter where he looked.
He had originally planned to organize a company outing to watch Chicago.
Some of his employees had been lucky enough to see the film already, and their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They raved about how it exceeded all expectations. Their enthusiasm only made Richard more eager to watch it himself.
Determined to push for more screenings, Richard picked up the phone and called one of his golf buddies—the manager of New York's Empire Cinemas.
"Hey! What's going on over there? Chicago is a box office sensation, so why are you still doing limited screenings? Don't you want to make money?"
The manager sighed, just as frustrated. "It's not up to us. The distributor is sticking to a conservative release strategy. We can't get more copies of the film, so our hands are tied."
Richard could only vent his frustration. "Is the distributor sick? Or have they lost their minds? Can't they see how much demand there is?"
Of course, the distributor was fully aware. Ever since the limited release began on December 18, daily box office data had been pouring into Touchstone Pictures.
The outstanding numbers left no doubt—Chicago was a massive hit.
Robert Iger sat in his new office as Disney's Vice President, listening to his assistant's report.
With Michael Eisner in poor health and resting at home, Iger had effectively taken over as the acting head of Disney.
The concentration of power was something Iger thoroughly enjoyed.
But he wasn't about to get complacent. He knew exactly who had helped him get here. Without Gilbert, there was no way he would have secured this position so easily.
That was why Gilbert's projects were his top priority.
His assistant continued, "We've conducted surveys across multiple theaters, interviewing 4,156 moviegoers. Ninety-three percent gave the film an A rating or higher. Less than two percent rated it below a C. Audience reception has been exceptional."
"What about the box office?" Iger asked.
The assistant had the numbers ready. "As of now, Chicago has grossed $1.45 million in North America. In major metropolitan theaters, tickets are nearly impossible to find.
"At one Empire Cinemas location in Manhattan, the film set a single-theater record yesterday with $55,000 in ticket sales. Most other theaters are bringing in over $30,000 per screen.
"And that's despite the limited release. If screenings weren't restricted, the numbers would be even higher.
"Sir, I strongly recommend expanding Chicago's release as soon as possible. The demand is far beyond what we expected."
Iger tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk, deep in thought. Then he picked up the phone and dialed.
"Hello, Anna? Is Gilbert available? I need to discuss something with him."
When Gilbert answered, Iger relayed everything the assistant had just reported. Then he suggested, "There's no need to wait for the Oscars. I think we should go ahead with a wide release now."
The original plan was to keep Chicago in limited release until after the Oscars. But at this point, that strategy seemed unnecessary.
Gilbert had always found the release strategy a bit too cautious. He understood that musicals were a niche genre that came with certain risks, which was why he hadn't objected initially.
But now that Chicago had won over audiences, the distributor was bound to cave and expand the release.
The whole reason for waiting for the Oscars was to guarantee profitability. But now, it was clear the film would be a hit even without an Oscar boost. There was no reason to hold back.
So Gilbert agreed. "Let's go for a full release."
With both sides in agreement, Touchstone Pictures quickly coordinated with theater chains to expand screenings. The film jumped from just 100 theaters during the limited release to 2,300 locations across the country in time for the Christmas holiday.
And Chicago wasn't done making waves.
Now that it was getting a full release, the film also needed a proper premiere event. Even though marketing had been ongoing for months, they decided to host a grand premiere on Christmas Eve at the legendary Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, marking the film's official entry into the holiday box office race.
With weeks of strong word-of-mouth behind it, Chicago exploded with unparalleled momentum.
The red carpet premiere was packed with fans who had traveled from all over just to catch a glimpse of the stars.
When the lead actors made their entrance, the crowd erupted into deafening cheers.
Catherine Zeta-Jones walked onto the red carpet alone, hearing the roaring applause around her. Fans were waving posters of her, shouting the name of her character at the top of their lungs.
She had finally made it.
She might have reached stardom later than that wretched Rachel Weisz, but she had made it nonetheless.
This was Hollywood. Everything about it was intoxicating—addictive, even.
Catherine lingered on the red carpet for as long as possible before finally stepping onto the press platform for interviews.
"I first met Gilbert in London's West End," she explained to reporters. "At the time, he told me he was working on a musical film and invited me to star in it.
"I spent a long time preparing for the role, hoping to be recognized for my performance. I'm so glad I didn't let the audience down."
After the interview, Catherine finally entered the theater.
"How does it feel to be famous, Catherine?" Gilbert asked.
"It's intoxicating," she admitted, fully basking in the moment. Then she locked eyes with Gilbert and said, "I owe it all to you. I'm really grateful."
"No need to thank me, Catherine." Gilbert waved her off. "If you hadn't put in the effort yourself, you wouldn't be standing here now."
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