Chapter 415

Box Office Battle

"Empress" and "River Banquet" premiered on the same day, but met vastly different fates.

Lucas Sheridan stood in the theater's back office, staring at the real-time box office figures. The screen flashed a disappointing nine million, paling in comparison to "River Banquet's" thirty million.

He absently rubbed the torn movie ticket stub between his fingers.

Ten years ago, he'd been a rookie director full of dreams. With no investors or resources, he'd scraped by making cheap B-movies. Eventually forced out of the industry, he'd switched to producing variety shows.

But the dream never died.

Over the years, he'd networked at every major film festival, befriending countless industry elites. When Gavin Croix handed him the "Empress" script, he knew his moment had arrived.

"Director Sheridan, should we ramp up promotions?" his assistant asked tentatively.

Lucas shook his head. "Let the work speak for itself."

He'd just finished watching "River Banquet." Lavish CGI and an all-star cast couldn't disguise its hollow plot.

By evening, the first wave of audience reviews began flooding online forums.

"Girls, drop everything and watch 'Empress'! I went through three tissues during Scarlett's war campaign scene!"

"Finally, a true female-led epic! No damsel-in-distress tropes—just grit and leadership!"

The comment section erupted.

"Paid shills? What could a nobody director possibly deliver?"

"A female emperor? Probably another 'sleep her way to the top' cliché."

Amid the skepticism, more viewers rallied to defend the film.

"Scarlett rescuing flood victims gave me chills! She literally jumped into raging waters!"

"That armor-clad battle scene? She outshone every male action star!"

A faint smile touched Lucas's lips as he scrolled.

His time had come at last.