Hollywood Road

In a comedy film, there aren't typically stringent demands on the actors' performances, as comedians often use exaggerated methods to enhance the movie.

However, Murphy's role was the exact opposite.

"If the performances of the Stanton disciples were adding points to the film, then Murphy Stanton, as their leader, definitely dragged it down. He alone might have lowered the film's rating by at least 0.5 points," a pointed critique from IMDb succinctly captured the sentiment.

"Although the role of a natural fool doesn't require much effort or acting skill, Murphy Stanton simply didn't fulfill his task," was a common complaint among moviegoers on various film websites, discussing Murphy's portrayal of the groom, Doug.

"Seeing Murphy's character can really take you out of the movie."

"Maybe Murphy is a contender for next year's Golden Raspberry?"

Not only regular moviegoers but even Murphy's fans criticized his first film role. The IMDb discussion section for Murphy Stanton was filled with similar comments.

"Murphy is really not cut out to be an actor. He had no expression throughout the film, like a block of wood, especially standing next to the vibrant Gal Gadot who played the bride. It just looked awful."

"There's no harm without comparison. Murphy is as bad in acting as he is excellent in directing."

Media hype even suggested, "Murphy Stanton's appearance as an actor in 'The Hangover' not only failed to contribute positively but due to his poor performance, it likely cost the film about $10 million in North American box office revenues..."

From any angle, Murphy's first film role was far from a success. Without any professional training or outstanding talent in acting, his performance was as expected.

Fortunately, his role was limited, essentially a cameo, so it did not significantly impact the overall film. However, the collective appearance of the Stanton disciples was quite a draw.

After the first weekend, "The Hangover" continued to perform well on weekdays, nearly making $10 million daily. By the time the second weekend approached, the North American box office was close to $100 million.

Such performance surprised everyone. No one expected such an ordinary-looking comedy film to achieve such impressive North American box office results.

But there were more surprises to come.

By the end of the second weekend, "The Hangover" had only a 25% drop in weekend box office revenue, pulling in another $40 million from North America and breezing past the $100 million mark, leaving everyone in Hollywood shocked.

By conventional analysis, a movie like "The Hangover" shouldn't have performed so spectacularly. The reasons were simple: the plot was cliché, involving Las Vegas, drunken antics, bachelor parties, and amnesia, elements that countless other movies had already overused.

Consequently, all media attributed "The Hangover's" success to one thing—the Stanton disciples!

"Hollywood has found a new force in the 'Stanton disciples' beyond the usual 'Brat Pack'!"

As the largest investor and producer of "The Hangover," Murphy also responded to media interviews, "The joy the audience finds in watching the movie is just as much as we had making it. I couldn't be happier with the film's reception, and I want to thank the entire cast and crew, my friends, and 20th Century Fox."

Meanwhile, five weeks after its release, with a gross of $238.9 million, the film became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in cinematic history, surpassing the previous record holder, "Beverly Hills Cop," which had made $234.58 million over 25 years ago.

No one anticipated the film setting this record, and the word-of-mouth continued to spread unabated, also affecting markets outside North America.

Limited by its genre, "The Hangover" had a restricted number of countries and regions where it could be released overseas. Nevertheless, it performed well in the markets it reached, and as it became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in North America, the overseas box office also easily surpassed $100 million, bringing the global box office to over $350 million.

Compared to the film's modest production budget of $30 million, "The Hangover's" box office success could only be described as a massive blockbuster.

The film's extraordinary success also made the Stanton disciples a well-known team among North American movie fans. Apart from Murphy, other members of the team, especially those who were relatively lesser-known like Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill, naturally rose to stardom.

Not just the media-hyped real beneficiaries, the Stanton disciples, but even Michael Tyson, who had a cameo in the film, reversed his declining fortunes.

Due to his indulgent lifestyle and being embroiled in lawsuits in recent years, Tyson had squandered nearly $300 million over two decades and was in deep debt. Declaring bankruptcy before joining "The Hangover," Tyson had just over $5,

000 in his account. He had been fighting for a comeback, but with advancing age and increasing weight, the former boxing champion had been knocked down repeatedly.

During filming, Tyson had said, "For money, I'd fight anyone, even a lion."

Now unable to fight, he sought an easier path in the entertainment industry.

Murphy was also considering Tyson's remaining market potential for Stanton Studios, planning to invest in a documentary about Tyson if his market appeal was confirmed.

During this period, the dividend payment for "Man of Steel" was settled, and Murphy finalized the transaction for 'Lis Flower,' officially becoming the owner of this super mansion.

"When are you moving over?"

In the office on the floor occupied by CAA in Death Star Tower, Bill Roscis looked at Murphy across the desk and asked, "Do you need my help with anything?"

"Get a professional renovation team," Murphy replied without hesitation, "and have them contact Gal."

As planned, after acquiring 'Lis Flower,' Murphy wasn't moving in immediately but would have it appropriately renovated. He left the entire process to Gal Gadot, who was responsible for refurbishing the mansion except for a few specific areas Murphy had instructed.

Bill Roscis didn't refuse, "CAA works with a specific company; I'll contact them this afternoon."

Murphy nodded. Having an agency like CAA made many aspects of life easier. An agent's services extended beyond mere business transactions to include catering to all facets of a client's needs.

To date, Murphy continued his partnership with CAA without any intention of ending their contract, a crucial reason for their ongoing collaboration.

Not every Hollywood agency could offer such comprehensive and attentive services to its clients.

"By the way, did the Writers Guild contact you?" Bill Roscis changed the subject.

Murphy nodded, "A representative called me the day before yesterday."

"You didn't make any promises, did you?" asked Bill.

"No, until things are clear..." Murphy wasn't naive, "I'm better off as an observer."

They discussed the situation at hand. By the end of this year and the beginning of the next, contracts between the Producers Guild and various Hollywood unions were set to expire. With the entire Hollywood scene in flux, there was potential for the most severe strike since 1988, especially within the Writers Guild, which aimed to fundamentally change the position and share of profits for writers in the Hollywood production process.

Murphy was also a member of the Writers Guild. Following "Man of Steel," his reputation was soaring, and the Guild was eager to leverage such a prominent member.

But Murphy was more than just a writer and wasn't about to naively serve the Guild's purposes.

It's well-known that writers hold a relatively low position in the Hollywood system, with limited income compared to other guilds. Except for a few top-tier writers, the majority don't share in the DVD and other revenues from the films.

This uneven distribution of benefits was a primary reason for the looming strike.

According to the last agreement reached between the Writers Guild and the Producers Guild, the six major film studios offered a minimum of $106,000 for original screenplay fees, while major networks offered around $21,000 for primetime comedy scripts and $31,000 for primetime drama scripts.

Many writers earned far more than this, with major film studios paying script fees of several hundred thousand dollars, and renowned writers potentially earning up to $1 million per film.

Last year, the average annual income for Hollywood writers was $200,000, quite high compared to the average income of residents in Los Angeles County and most Americans.

However, writers tended not to look downward but rather compared their earnings with those of actors, directors, and film and television executives, naturally feeling justified in their demands for significant pay raises.

According to the Writers Guild, the rate of income increase for its members was less than half that of the overall entertainment industry's profit growth. Many writers complained that in the eyes of the big companies, they were expendable.

This time, the Writers Guild was eyeing the new media revenue streams, particularly the share of DVD and online streaming revenues.

As the U.S. DVD market and the emerging online pay-per-view services are substantial, the production companies backing the Producers Guild were unlikely to compromise easily.

The strike was inevitable.

Strictly speaking, Murphy's allegiance leaned more toward the Producers Guild, so he wouldn't easily get involved.

After discussing this topic for a while, Bill Roscis suddenly remembered something, "An old friend of yours was injured, apparently quite seriously. He's been taken to the California Medical Institute."

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