Inside the Grand Hall of the Sacred Citizen, as the credits started rolling on the IMAX screen, most of the audience felt a lingering sense of anticipation.
The movie they had just watched was a classic high-concept film—one you could summarize in a single sentence. It was popcorn entertainment at its core, but as with all blockbusters, not all are created equal. For instance, the DC Cinematic Universe represents the pinnacle of blockbuster films.
Even if it doesn't reach the level of the DC Cinematic Universe, Spectre is still an impressive spectacle.
Besides presenting a seamless and exciting story, this film left viewers with much to ponder, from Easter eggs referencing Charlie's Angels and the spy film universe to various modifications while preserving the classic traits of the 007 series. These included a female M, a younger Q, and more intricately designed action scenes. Overall, it felt fresh.
Many members of the media present rated the film at least 8 out of 10 as the credits began to roll.
Of course...
There were a few bugs.
For example, the appearance of the three Charlie's Angels characters was explained but lacked a conclusion. This sort of oversight felt like a surprising slip in a blockbuster of such high caliber.
Given that, some speculations began circulating.
And they were quickly validated.
As the credits drew to a close, the scene returned to the base of the Alps, where the three fully armed Angels engaged in one final battle, ultimately subduing the female assassin played by Robert Chirco. They each removed their ski masks, revealing three strikingly unique faces: Kate Beckinsale, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Mädchen Amick.
These three actresses had long been confirmed as the lead stars of the Charlie's Angels series.
From their positioning, it was clear that Kate Beckinsale was the central figure. Staring at the now-defeated female assassin, Catherine Zeta-Jones asked, "What should we do with her?"
Kate Beckinsale looked up at a helicopter flying toward them, nodded, and simply said, "Hand her over to Charlie."
The screen went dark.
The movie was finally over. Many viewers who had noted the missing plot points were surprised by this additional scene at the end, which tied up the loose ends nicely. In retrospect, this approach made sense; had the Angels' characters been given too much focus mid-film, it would have distracted the audience. That's why they appeared in full tactical gear and masks, largely for this reason.
Now, by including the scene as an end-credit addition, the film not only fixed the omission, but also cleverly teased the upcoming Charlie's Angels movie set to release at the end of the year.
In essence, it was a win-win.
The film's ending crossover between the two franchises further confirmed what many had been suspecting.
MGM was laying the groundwork for a massive crossover project, a bold plan to bring multiple classic spy franchises onto the big screen together—a new cinematic universe.
Amid enthusiastic applause, the creators took the stage to engage with the media and the audience, and the most asked question was indeed whether MGM was planning to merge the 007 series with Charlie's Angels and other franchises into a shared cinematic universe.
In response to this question, Barbara Broccoli, the producer of the 007 series, gave a carefully measured answer, hinting that MGM was indeed interested in exploring unusual new avenues to deliver more thrilling films for audiences.
This was effectively a confirmation.
Yet it wasn't an outright commitment, since everyone knew that, unlike the DC Cinematic Universe, a spy cinematic universe would be more akin to the Conjuring universe. MGM and its team, including Simon himself, were waiting to gauge the market response to Charlie's Angels at the end of the year before deciding on the next steps.
After all, Universal's grand ambitions for its "Dark Universe" collapsed with The Mummy's failure. If Charlie's Angels failed, even Simon would hesitate to push forward with an entirely new spy cinematic universe.
Once the premiere concluded, MGM hosted an afterparty at a nearby hotel.
Elizabeth Jagger led a group of friends into the party, eagerly looking for her mother. Finding Jerry Hall, now in a new gown and as glamorous as ever, Elizabeth asked, "Mom, where's Simon?"
Since he wasn't around, there was no need to call him "Dad."
Jerry Hall had been seated beside Simon during the premiere, and now told her daughter, "Simon left shortly after the movie started."
Elizabeth opened her mouth in surprise. She'd hoped to get her stepfather to arrange the rest of her holiday in Los Angeles for her and her friends. Now he was gone, so what to do? Still, Elizabeth knew well the nature of her mother's relationship with Simon. Though to her, the relationship didn't seem particularly dignified, it was Simon Westeros, after all. Countless women would dream of being his lover.
But in the end, he was only her mother's lover.
Simon was also not her biological father, and the girl was wise enough to know not to overstep. Besides, Simon had never given her a chance to impose; she didn't even have his private contact information, nor could she go to his estate in Dume Point. That would just be asking for trouble, and might even jeopardize her mother's relationship with Simon.
Seeing her daughter's disappointment, Jerry Hall smiled, patted her daughter's head, and said, "I have work tomorrow and need to return to New York. But you can stay here for a few days. Don't worry, everything will be arranged. Now, go have fun with Paris and the others, and remember, no drinking. Also, don't take random pictures or videos here. Lizzie, you know the rules."
With platforms like Instagram and YouTube booming, people often did anything for attention.
For the girls, the premiere and party were the perfect opportunity to flaunt, and Jerry knew a few of them even had iCams and iRecs in their bags. However, certain things simply couldn't be shared online.
Hearing her mother say that everything would be taken care of, Elizabeth relaxed and eagerly promised, "Of course, and I'll keep an eye on them."
She then turned to lead a group of excited girls into the crowd. Even though they mostly came from high society, Hollywood's allure was undeniable for these young women.
Watching her daughter walk away, Jerry Hall resumed her own mingling and turned toward MGM CEO Sherry Lansing.
Sherry Lansing had been speaking with the Schwarzenegger couple, and seeing Jerry approach, she nodded with a smile. Arnold Schwarzenegger, still with his wife, noticed Jerry Hall's striking presence, though he quickly pulled himself back in line, politely greeting her before guiding his wife away toward another tall woman drawing much attention nearby.
Robert Chirco.
This former Victoria's Secret Angel-turned-Bond girl had limited screen time in Spectre, less than ten minutes including the bonus scene, but she still left a strong impression. Schwarzenegger was reminded of a recent trend in Hollywood: playing memorable villains in major films, especially those overseen by Simon Westeros, was often a recipe for breakout success.
For the past century, Hollywood's heroes had become increasingly typecast.
Villains, however, had a lot more room to shine.
The DC Cinematic Universe provided some prime examples, from Joaquin Phoenix's Joker in The Dark Knight Rises, which won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, to Nicole Kidman's Poison Ivy, to Suicide Squad, a movie centered entirely on villains—all of these were widely popular.
In fact, Schwarzenegger himself initially rose to fame through his role as the T-800 in The Terminator.
Without a doubt, Robert Chirco's role as a villainous assassin in Spectre would elevate her to the peak of Hollywood's B-list, much like Natasha Henstridge in Species. And Species didn't have the same world-class impact as Spectre, a blockbuster.
The real question was whether Robert Chirco would seize further opportunities in Hollywood and secure better roles, or whether her stardom would be fleeting.
Schwarzenegger approached Chirco with a promising offer.
Ever since conceiving the idea of rebooting The Terminator, Schwarzenegger and his team had been brainstorming how to innovate the franchise. The first film had T-800, the second T-1000, and the third would certainly need an upgrade.
After much thought, they agreed a powerful female Terminator was a perfect choice.
They'd initially debated which Hollywood actress to cast, but seeing Chirco tonight had changed Schwarzenegger's mind. At first, he'd pegged her as just a pretty face with a sweet disposition. But her later scenes revealed a surprising depth and fierceness. From past relationships with models, Schwarzenegger knew that models, by profession, could shift their personas dramatically in front of the camera.
With his wife present and Chirco potentially linked to Simon Westeros, Schwarzenegger kept things professional and extended an invitation for her to audition for Terminator 3. Of course, there was no guarantee of a role since the script was still under development, and whether she would ultimately fit the part would depend on the audition process.
Though she'd already received plenty of offers and business cards tonight, Chirco was stunned by Schwarzenegger's invitation to audition for Terminator 3, leaving her momentarily speechless.
It felt like a dream.
Starting in the industry at sixteen, Chirco knew what The Terminator franchise represented, even though Spectre was her first film.
After some friendly conversation, as Schwarzenegger left, Chirco, standing over six feet tall in heels, looked down at Katie Ford and asked, "Katie, should I pinch myself? Am I dreaming?"
Katie Ford, president of Ford
Models and accompanying Chirco, felt a pang of envy. Seeing yet another person approach, she quickly reminded, "Robbie, my advice is, don't rush into accepting any offers."
Chirco nodded wisely, her sharp gaze revealing her understanding.
When she'd been cast in Spectre, Chirco realized certain things. Even though Simon hadn't shown her any particular interest, she had the patience to wait; she'd even broken up with her longtime boyfriend last year.
In the fashion world, even the most naive girls are eventually disillusioned.
In this world, getting close to Simon Westeros was a dream come true for many models. Once through that door, fairy tales awaited beyond.
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