Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm-Chapter 427 - 426: The Coup Has Only Just Begun

The Mean Girls premiere was a resounding success.

The film's box office performance over the following three days was equally impressive.

As The New York Times put it:

"Good boys may have lasting appeal, but according to studio data released on Sunday, Mean Girls claimed the top spot at the North American box office this weekend. In this comedy, Lindsay Lohan plays a high school girl caught up in the web of cliques, romance, and social scheming among teenage girls—a storyline that resonated strongly with young audiences... The film grossed $XX million over the weekend."

Paul Dergarabedian, president of the North American box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, commented:

"This film has teenage girls going wild—they're eagerly spending their allowance on tickets. Our team has observed groups of young girls flocking to watch it. Mean Girls is a hit. Lindsay Lohan is a hit. And once again, Martin has delivered another success!"

One lengthy online review shed light on why Mean Girls became such a phenomenon:

"The ending of this movie sent shivers down my spine because it portrays our real-life high school experience with chilling accuracy. In America, survival in an ordinary school is far tougher than people imagine. No one protects the weak—not the school, not the teachers, not even our parents."

"The movie gave us a perfect ending. But every manipulative scheme and act of social cruelty in Mean Girls? I've seen them all, and I've even been a victim of some. Watching from the outside, some might find these pranks amusing. But for those trapped in the situation, it's a living nightmare."

"What resonated with me most wasn't just the bullying—but how the protagonist managed to turn the tables, defeat her oppressors, and seize power for herself. In reality, this almost never happens. And precisely because it's so rare, it thrilled me. The movie fulfilled a dream I never dared to hope for."

"I watched it with my friends, and they all found it hilarious. It felt like we were watching a reality show about our own high school days. Maybe not everyone's school experience was as brutal as Cady's, but the backstabbing and social maneuvering? That's a challenge we'll face for life."

Renowned Los Angeles Times film critic Kevin Thomas offered a particularly interesting take:

"Watching this film gives you a strange illusion—on one hand, girls can be incredibly cruel, but on the other, they can turn nice just as easily. But I believe no one can instantly make everyone love them, just as no one can suddenly make everyone hate them. People only ever see a fraction of who you are—a fixed, unshakable image in their minds. And yet, the story in this film feels so real. So, I'd say Mean Girls is both true and false at the same time."

As a critic on good terms with Martin, Kevin Thomas had a much easier time than Roger Ebert.

Ebert, having fallen out with Martin, was now effectively blacklisted from studio screenings—if he wanted to write a review, he had to buy his own ticket.

Meanwhile, Kevin Thomas had been given a boost by Martin, launching his own blog, steadily growing his influence online, and enjoying a comfortable career.

As a result, when it came to films by Martin or Meyers Pictures, he rarely had anything bad to say.

The weekend after Mean Girls premiered, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers finally ended its theatrical run after nearly four months.

The film grossed $492 million in North America and $1.212 billion worldwide, making it only the second film in history—after Titanic—to surpass the $1.2 billion mark globally.

This placed it second in all-time box office rankings, with Titanic still holding the top spot. Below it were Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Jurassic Park, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

With three of the top five highest-grossing films in history connected to Martin, the media went into a frenzy.

"Martin Meyers: The Legend of the New Century."

"James Cameron once declared himself 'King of the World' at the Oscars. Now, 33 years his junior, Martin Meyers is making his move: 'I'm taking the throne!'"

"Here's the breakdown:

The Parent Trap: $157 million

The Sixth Sense: $724 million

The Others: $285 million

Hide and Seek: $338 million

House of Wax: $154 million

Charlie's Angels: $303 million

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: $1.042 billion

The Matrix: $646 million

The Bourne Identity: $491 million

Spider-Man: $935 million

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: $1.193 billion

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: $1.212 billion

Total global box office: $7.48 billion. Absolutely terrifying!"*

"I have no doubt Martin's films will surpass $10 billion within five years. He will become the undisputed box office king in film history! No—he already is the box office king!"

"No one has ever achieved this before. And in the future? Let's not forget—Martin is only sixteen. He might push this number to an unfathomable level, one that no one will ever be able to surpass."

The White House.

President Bush paced back and forth, muttering expletives under his breath.

Standing nearby, Cheney remained expressionless, unfazed by the cowboy president's coarse language.

"F**, f***, f***... Dammit, how did this happen? Weren't those military analysts saying the war would be over in a month? Why the f*** are our casualties still rising?!"*

The Iraq War had now claimed over 500 American and British soldiers, with more than 3,000 wounded.

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The assumption had been that once coalition forces occupied Baghdad, Iraq would surrender.

But reality had delivered a harsh slap to Bush and his advisors.

It had been more than two weeks since coalition forces took Baghdad, yet Saddam's government had not declared surrender.

Instead, Iraqi forces had scattered into various cities, using their knowledge of the terrain to launch guerrilla attacks against U.S. and U.K. troops. Many soldiers weren't even dying on the battlefield—they were being ambushed.

Urban warfare had erupted in full force, something the coalition had not anticipated.

Suicide bombers, car bombs—every brutal tactic imaginable was being deployed, leaving coalition forces on edge.

Even an innocent-looking child or an elderly civilian on the street could, at any moment, pull out a weapon and fire at the troops from behind.

The true horrors of war had only just begun.