Premiere

They only used their reputations to help film companies hype up movies under one condition.

When the money was enough.

Amid the newspapers' boasting, Get Out suddenly gained tremendous momentum.

Thanks to the early publicity, the public already had a basic understanding of Get Out: it was a thriller with a Black man as its protagonist.

It had been directed by the talented rising filmmaker Steve Kevin.

So many critics lavishly praising Get Out naturally piqued the interest of quite a few people.

Some movie fans who already enjoyed thrillers told the media that they wanted to see Director Kevin's latest masterpiece.

As these calls rose, time quickly reached April 29, two days before the public trial of the four police officers who had beaten Rodney King.

The premiere of Get Out began.

The first screening was held at a Warner Bros. theater chain location in Los Angeles.

It was a fairly large cinema, capable of screening more than thirty films simultaneously.

As the lead in his first starring film, Will Smith had practically gone all out promoting it, not only mobilizing his friends and family.

He had also put a great deal of thought into it, calling on many friends from the rap scene and using their influence to bring in gang members and fans alike to watch the movie.

The theater, which could hold several thousand people, was already completely packed.

Dean shuddered at the sight outside and looked at Kevin nervously.

"There are so many Black people. Nothing's going to happen, right?"

In this era, nine out of ten Black rappers had gang connections, and most of their listeners were Black as well.

And Black people in this era were seen as synonymous with unrest and violence.

The reason the United States had never restricted its citizens from owning guns was inseparable, to some extent, from the many domestic conflicts.

Kevin wore a broad smile, but he was a little nervous inside as well.

What he had learned about Black people from the news in his previous life was hardly flattering.

Zero-dollar shopping and violence were their hallmarks.

If trouble really broke out, no one present would be able to escape.

With that thought, Kevin hurried closer to Will Smith and asked quietly.

"Nothing's going to go wrong, right?"

"Don't worry. They're all my friends and family. They won't cause trouble at the premiere of a movie I starred in."

Will Smith said confidently.

Things had already reached this point, and Kevin could not do much else. As for calling the police to maintain order—

Given the relationship between the police and Black people, even nothing could turn into something.

At this critical moment, Warner Bros.' experience with such matters came in handy. They urgently borrowed some Black security guards from other Los Angeles theaters to maintain order at the venue.

Since they were also Black, Will Smith's fans and friends did not feel as offended, and order gradually settled down.

Only then did the premiere formally begin.

Kevin, Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, and Dean made their appearance and stepped onto the cinema stage.

As the lead actor and the most famous singer there, Will Smith took charge of the premiere and promoted the film vigorously.

"Friends, welcome to the premiere of the first movie in which I've played the lead. I'm deeply honored to be here, and I'm also extremely grateful for your support."

Will Smith said spiritedly from the stage.

Judging from Warner Bros.' level of support for Get Out, it was undoubtedly an excellent work, and it would be immensely beneficial to his career in film.

Hollywood was steeped in a superstitious atmosphere.

A minor actor who achieved success after success could have even more opportunities than a superstar who kept failing.

If his first step was successful, Will Smith would have better opportunities in the future. Moreover, Black faces were extremely rare in Hollywood at this time, which meant there were actually plenty of opportunities for Black people.

After Will Smith's speech, several well-known Black singers he had invited also offered some words of support, and then the film began.

For gang members, movies had never been their first choice for entertainment.

White people always occupied the mainstream in films, and Black people likewise felt no sense of identification with the roles played by white actors.

As a result, Black people had historically contributed only a very small share of box office revenue.

Film companies also rarely added plotlines that Black audiences enjoyed.

The Black audience members sat in the theater with rare quietness. Thanks to Will Smith, they had been especially reminded before coming that they were there to help their brother liven up the place.

Therefore, they forcefully suppressed their natural inclinations.

And watched the movie quietly.

However, as soon as the film began, the relationship between a Black man and a white woman immediately struck a chord with them.

The cinema instantly became somewhat lively.

"Hey, brother, look at that. Smith is amazing—he actually got himself a white girlfriend."

"Heh heh, my wife is white too. Didn't I tell you?"

"Damn it, Jim..."

"."

Sitting in the front row, Kevin could not help smiling as he listened to their reactions.

The mindset of Black Americans was strange. They verbally dismissed white people, but once a Black man achieved a certain level of success, his first choice was often a white woman.

Perhaps it was a particular emotion born from slaves turning over and becoming masters.

Thus, when they saw this setup in the story, the Black audience immediately perked up.

The plot continued.

As Ruth's first boyfriend of color, Chris could not help feeling nervous about meeting her parents, but his girlfriend Ruth told him not to worry.

She said the town where her parents lived did not discriminate against Black people, and that her parents both liked Black people.

That eased Chris's nervousness somewhat.

So Chris and Ruth set off for her home. On the way, Ruth, who was driving, accidentally hit and killed a deer that had come out of Get Out.

Because of his childhood experiences, Chris could not turn a blind eye to a hit-and-run.

He got out of the car to check what had happened.

A police car pulled up. A white officer got out and first asked Chris where he was going and where he had come from.

He then demanded to inspect his identification.

Unlike in China, when an American police officer checked someone's identification, it meant the officer regarded that person as a criminal.

Under such circumstances, the officer had the right to use a gun at any time.

Every year in the United States, countless Black people died for resisting such inspections.