Echoes of Hollywood

"This is a video from CAA's European division, just sent over from Italy."

Inside the villa at Wave Manor, Gal Gadot watched Murphy as he adjusted the positioning of a beautifully designed crystal display case. She waved a USB drive in her hand and said, "It's a clip of Pope Benedict XVI making a routine address, which will likely appear on some news channels by tonight."

"Has the Vatican gotten involved?"

Murphy wasn't surprised. When it came to artistic merit, the Oscars might not compare to the three major European film festivals. However, in terms of influence among global moviegoers, the Oscars' impact was undeniably immense.

The fact that "Diego-Ross" won the Best Picture Oscar meant it would be widely disseminated. The Vatican could previously ignore such a film, but with the Oscars' halo, it was impossible to overlook.

These developments were well within Murphy's expectations.

"Yes," Gal Gadot said calmly, understanding Murphy's plan. "In his routine address, Pope Benedict XVI specifically mentioned 'Diego-Ross.'"

"We'll watch it in a bit."

After adjusting the display case, Murphy opened its door and placed the Oscars for Best Director and Best Editing inside. Then, he took the Best Screenplay Oscar he had previously won and placed it on the second shelf.

The Best Picture Oscar from this time, according to Murphy's agreement with 20th Century Fox, was handed over to them for safekeeping. "Diego-Ross" would also become a film wholly owned by 20th Century Fox.

If you want 20th Century Fox to put in the effort, they need to see the potential for profit.

Hollywood is, after all, a business-driven industry.

After setting up the Oscars, Murphy closed the display case and stepped back to admire it. Then he called to Gal Gadot, "Let's go see what the Pope had to say."

They went to the study on the first floor, turned on the computer, and plugged in the USB drive. It contained a video file, with a note indicating that Pope Benedict XVI's comments on "Diego-Ross" appeared around the eight-and-a-half-minute mark.

Gal Gadot skimmed through the video, finding the religious matters uninteresting. She skipped to around the eight-and-a-half-minute mark, and soon enough, Pope Benedict XVI mentioned "Diego-Ross."

"Regarding the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' decision to award Best Picture to 'Diego-Ross,' a film containing fictional elements related to Catholicism and potentially significant ethical questions, I express my deep concern. I regret the Academy's choice. The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should not interfere with religion from its position, which is detrimental to the religious freedom advocated by the USA..."

Though there were no harsh words, Pope Benedict XVI's implication was clear: he was very dissatisfied with "Diego-Ross" winning the Best Picture Oscar.

Finally, Pope Benedict XVI stated, "The Vatican will instruct Archbishop Marquez Costello of the Central and Southern California Diocese to thoroughly investigate the details related to the film."

"They're sending Archbishop Marquez Costello to investigate?"

Gal Gadot closed the video and shook her head. "Will he be able to uncover the truth?"

"Who cares," Murphy shrugged. "There are countless cases of the guilty accusing others. We don't need to worry about them for now."

Murphy had no film in theaters at the moment. "Diego-Ross" had already achieved its goal of winning the Oscars it aimed for. The Catholic Church could be set aside temporarily. Besides, aside from rhetoric and public opinion, they couldn't do much in the short term.

Moreover, Murphy had rejoined the Directors Guild. If the Catholic Church's attacks went too far, the Guild wouldn't sit idly by.

The Directors Guild, with over 13,000 members, represents the industry's development level and future trends while actively protecting directors' rights. It is a significant safeguard for the standards of the American media industry.

That evening, the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI's video appeared on many TV channels, including CNN and Fox News in North America. This criticism seemed to resonate with some, leading to a surge of negative reviews and even harsh critiques of "Diego-Ross" in subsequent news media and online platforms.

Accusations of scandal, bribery, and secret dealings resurfaced after the Oscars, and the negative reviews started targeting the film itself.

"A person turns to crime not because of their own fault but because of society's fault—Murphy Stanton's impeccable logic!"

"Judging by the quality of 'Diego-Ross,' Murphy Stanton is dead!"

"What a rubbish movie, it's sleep-inducing!"

"This garbage movie won Best Picture? Are the Oscar judges blind?"

Due to the torrent of negative reviews, "Diego-Ross" didn't see an increase in its IMDb rating after winning Best Picture. Instead, it fell from 8.5 to 8.4 in just a few days.

Murphy knew what the negative reviews aimed at. "Diego-Ross" had a good chance of surpassing $100 million at the North American box office. But after a week of expanded screenings, the film's market potential and the Oscars' effect were quickly waning. The North American box office had entered a slow growth phase again, and 20th Century Fox had begun negotiating rights with Netflix and TV networks. These negative news stories could directly impact the film's revenue.

Some people were unwilling to let go of the Oscars they had planned for. This was understandable.

Preparing for a new project, Murphy didn't pay much attention to the news. Like with the Catholic Church issue, he had someone monitor the situation and report any developments.

However, Murphy's indifference didn't mean the media would let it go. Once, when Murphy left the Death Star Tower, he was intercepted by several reporters, including the familiar female reporter Kelly Laporte from The Hollywood Reporter.

"Murphy, recently there have been many negative reviews and even harsh critiques of 'Diego-Ross.'"

Seeing that Murphy didn't have his bodyguards block her, Kelly Laporte seized the opportunity to interview him, holding a recorder to his face and asking, "There are even claims that 'Murphy Stanton is dead.' What's your take?"

"I think it's quite normal." Murphy wouldn't be foolish enough to start a war with trolls. That would essentially put him at odds with fans, as many of those negative reviews came from followers or those who genuinely disliked "Diego-Ross."

After a moment's thought, he said, "What is a negative review? If someone feels dissatisfied after watching a movie and gives it a one-star rating, that's not a negative review. Using harsh language in a review might not be either. Movies are consumer products and not personal entities. It's fair game to criticize them however you want. As for 'XXX is dead,' in context, it's a critique of the work, not a personal attack."

Kelly Laporte asked, "Will these negative reviews hurt your film?"

"Will negative reviews hurt my film?" Murphy shook his head, "I don't think so."

"Why not?" Kelly Laporte followed up.

"The ideal environment for film criticism is objective, rational, and in-depth discussion and analysis. However, for various reasons, the current criticism environment is far from ideal."

Murphy spoke the truth. Too many individuals or teams live off the film industry, much like celebrities, many of whom must do something to attract attention. So he continued, "Some media or individuals using exaggerated language and uncontrolled emotions to critique films may be inappropriate. But their approach can often be seen as performative rather than malicious, as their target aligns with the noisy and superficial trend—they are two sides of the same coin."

At this point, he adopted a stance befitting an Oscar-winning director, "I believe what truly harms films is not negative reviews, but bad movies!"

This was common knowledge. However, worldwide, some people with ulterior motives would deliberately confuse the issue.

One function of popular entertainment products is to carry the public's varied feelings toward them. The discussions they generate reflect their value.

Compared to being subject to various opinions, being ignored in the market is the greatest disdain for these products. In the film industry and its surrounding economy, there's a belief that even criticism reflects consumer power. Excellent companies and products do not fear criticism. They can even turn criticism into a promotional tool, turning bad into good.

If a director or film can't handle any criticism, that fragile mindset is very intriguing.

Fearing criticism shows a lack of confidence in one's product. Additionally, the greatest concern is the potential impact on commercial returns.

But in Murphy's view, for a film to make money at the box office, the basic approach is to make a good movie, minimizing the opportunities for critics. Even if there are nitpickers, a large number of fans will drown out the critical voices.

If a movie is bad and still hopes for good box office and critical acclaim, that's wishful thinking.

Like with "Diego-Ross," this time, someone deliberately stirred things up. But many films drowned in massive negative reviews and criticism because audiences had been deceived many times over the years, and their anger could no longer be contained by routine damage control.

However, Murphy's indifference didn't mean others weren't concerned. Some of his fans believed the Catholic Church was behind this, causing trouble in the dark.

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