The richest actor in Hollywood.

 After the premiere of "Alien vs. Predator 2," Francis Lawrence and Paula Patton walked out of the theater hand in hand, immediately surrounded by a large number of entertainment reporters. The sound of camera shutters clicking was incessant, and the flashes made the scene as bright as day. They seemed to be the center of the world.

Francis Lawrence enjoyed this feeling immensely, so he had no intention of leaving immediately. Instead, he stood there and answered several questions posed by the reporters.

Paula Patton smiled gracefully, appearing particularly composed. From the moment she stepped onto the premiere's red carpet, she felt she would become the focal point of Hollywood!

At least for this weekend!

"What do you think is scarier? A threat happening millions of miles away or a battle happening right at your doorstep? Clearly, we all think it's time to bring the Predators and Aliens into ordinary life, which is very important. At least, you've never seen such a plot in any movie before. You'll find there are no so-called 'safe zones.' Even your own backyard isn't safe."

Francis Lawrence, in high spirits, spoke at length: "These terrifying creatures appear on our streets, making the whole story about something that 'could happen anywhere in the USA.' It's a beautiful, somewhat familiar town that suddenly becomes the center stage of an epic war, accompanied by a bloodbath they might never fully comprehend."

Many reporters then asked questions about the "Ultimate Alien." Francis Lawrence, with a touch of pride, answered these questions before finally getting into his car and leaving.

Sitting in the car, thinking about the reporters' keen interest in the "Ultimate Alien," he felt a bit proud.

This "Ultimate Alien" was largely his creation.

As soon as the film's promotional campaign began, the "Ultimate Alien" became a favorite subject for fans to explore.

From its appearance to its characteristics, including the design concept, everything about the "Ultimate Alien" was heavily guarded by the crew and 20th Century Fox. Everyone involved had to keep it a secret until the film's release today, giving the audience a surprise.

When he first joined the crew, the script had the "Ultimate Alien" designed as a hybrid offspring of the Predator and the Alien, which was absurd. Could the Alien and Predator reproduce together?

The thought alone was terrifying, and even the San Fernando Valley wouldn't dare shoot such a film.

So, he designed the "Ultimate Alien" as an Alien incubated inside a Predator, inheriting some of the host's traits and characteristics—about eighty percent Alien and twenty percent Predator.

The "Ultimate Alien" had the Alien's hard exterior structure, acidic blood, scorpion-like tail, and hidden mouth. From the Predator, it inherited an additional jaw and dreadlock-like hair.

More importantly, the DNA from the Predator altered the Alien's reproductive method. It abandoned the traditional "queen system"—laying eggs, entering the host's body through the face, bursting out of the host's chest—and instead invented a more aggressive and efficient reproductive system.

Thinking of this, Francis Lawrence couldn't help but feel that, although he wasn't the creator of the Alien, he had given it new life!

Maybe years later, when people talked about the father of the Alien, they wouldn't just mention Ridley Scott, but also Francis Lawrence!

As the car passed a giant billboard, Francis Lawrence saw an ad for "I Am Legend," with Matthew Horner walking a dog through the ruins of New York City.

"Heh..." He couldn't help but show a slightly mocking smile. The box office of "Alien vs. Predator 2" might not compete with "I Am Legend," but it wouldn't be as shallow as those movies starring Matthew Horner!

He had given this monster movie a depth it had never had before!

When he was preparing for this film, he constantly pondered how people would react in the most extreme situations. He researched hurricanes and fires, observing how ordinary people, including firefighters, police officers, and teachers, became heroes in disasters. He wanted to explore how humans would protect their families, for whom they would fight or die.

He also added environmental and ecological depth, turning the Predator from a "hunter" into a "cleaner," similar to an "eco-warrior" role. The Predator would leave no chance for anything that could disrupt the planet's ecological balance, giving the character a sense of dignity and nobility.

"Maybe future Predators will bear the mark of Francis Lawrence," he mused.

As "Alien vs. Predator 2" was released in North America, companies specializing in statistics and sales data had already started their surveys.

Outside the premiere theater, Howard Rushford was mingling among fans. As a frontline market researcher for Cinema Score, he constantly asked fans who had just seen "Alien vs. Predator 2" for their opinions and ratings of the film.

Attendees at the premiere were undoubtedly fans of the Alien or Predator, so their evaluations would naturally be higher than those of regular viewers.

"If you had to rate it..." he asked a middle-aged fan around forty, "what score would you give 'Alien vs. Predator 2'?"

The fan responded without hesitation, "C! No, C-!" He took his small gift and added, "This is the worst Alien and Predator movie I've ever seen!"

The fan walked away without looking back, seemingly having no attachment to the film he had just watched.

Howard Rushford approached another middle-aged fan. After more than twenty years of the Alien and Predator franchises, the fanbase was naturally older.

This middle-aged fan was quite calm. "The movie was too disappointing. The Alien didn't look like an Alien, and the Predator didn't look like a Predator. I don't want to rate it; it shouldn't exist."

He shook his head and walked away without even taking the small gift.

Howard Rushford watched the fan leave: How disappointed must someone be not to even bother giving a rating?

He continued to survey more fans, with none giving a rating higher than C+, and many were outright scathing.

"It's too damn dark. Ninety percent of the scenes are at night, and they cast a black woman as the lead. Who can see anything? The director must be out of his mind, everything is pitch black!"

"Both the Alien and Predator were as weak as water!"

"The plot was bad enough, but they couldn't even handle the basic visuals. I really admire the director's skills..."

After listening to many fans, Howard Rushford understood something: Sometimes, some movie directors like to disrupt the established conventions of certain genres, and such foolish choices can destroy the film industry.

Not far away, some entertainment media reporters were also interviewing viewers.

A reporter from "The Hollywood Reporter" interviewed a fan wearing glasses with a very refined demeanor.

This fan, with graying hair, couldn't hide his love for the Alien as he spoke to the camera, "I fell in love with the Alien when I first saw the film in 1979. I've watched all four Alien movies and the previous 'Alien vs. Predator,' and this one is undoubtedly the worst of all."

"The movie is really bad." He shook his head repeatedly. "Maybe the rookie director knew his basics were lacking and hoped to cover up with special effects and a plethora of shallow characters, causing serious problems in the film. Not to mention the abysmal performances, you can't even understand what the story is trying to convey."

Just a few meters away, another fan was also venting his frustration to a reporter, "It's unfortunate when a terrible sequel ruins a classic. These past few years, I've regretted watching 'Terminator 3,' and I've been trying to erase that horrific viewing experience from my memory without success. Now, it's even worse when a bad movie ruins two classics at once."

He couldn't help but say, "This lousy director destroyed both Alien and Predator! The idea of 'Alien vs. Predator' was bad enough, but to torment us with such a terrible idea twice? I hope 20th Century Fox doesn't think about making a third one. If they do, please find a more competent director, okay?"

As night fell, the premiere audience gradually dispersed. The reporters and other personnel gathered in front of the theater also left one after another. Howard Rushford packed up his questionnaires and joined his two colleagues, a man and a woman, heading towards the parking lot.

"How were the ratings on your side?" Howard Rushford asked.

"Don't mention it." The female colleague shrugged. "This movie is doomed. Not even the premiere fans gave it more than a C rating. How bad must that director be to make such a bad film with these two classic characters?"

The male colleague said, "I just roughly calculated. I surveyed less than thirty fans, and the average score was C-."

"Mine was about the same." Howard Rushford said confidently, "This weekend's biggest release is probably going to bomb."

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