Actor in Hollywood

*Clack.*

"Goodbye, Mom."

Gloria Preston closed the car door and turned to run off, but a voice called out with a reminder from behind her.

"Gloria, 9:30, I'll be waiting here. 9:30!"

Gloria turned to look at her mother, waved with an "OK" gesture, and continued backing away, her smile blossoming brightly under the sunlight.

Then, with a swift turn, Gloria dashed away—

Today, Tuesday, July 31st, is the day of the premiere of "The Princess Diaries."

Generally speaking, films choose to have a wide release on Fridays, but for promotional purposes, premieres are often held a bit earlier, allowing time for media reviews and audience feedback before launching the full promotional campaign.

If the target is the international market, the premiere might be held two or even three weeks in advance, with events in various countries and regions worldwide, timed to coincide with the film's release dates for comprehensive promotion.

This week, two new films are hitting the market:

"Rush Hour 2" and "The Princess Diaries."

Three years ago, "Rush Hour," starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, became a surprise hit. With a production budget of just $33 million, it grossed $140 million in North America and $244 million globally, giving New Line Cinema a taste of success.

Now, the same cast returns for "Rush Hour 2," again targeting the summer market. The production budget skyrocketed to $90 million, and the promotional campaign has been in full swing for the past three months. New Line Cinema is determined to make it a hit, and there's no doubt it will be a strong contender for this week's box office champion.

As for "The Princess Diaries," it's scaled down in every aspect, and even Disney isn't prepared to go head-to-head with New Line Cinema.

The most direct indication of this is the time and location of the premiere.

Hollywood Boulevard is the most bustling and important district in Los Angeles, with the famous "Hollywood" sign towering behind it, and the most iconic section of the Walk of Fame right in front. At the end of this road lies Sunset Boulevard, which has produced countless stars.

All of this makes Hollywood Boulevard the most important venue for film premieres, a place that has witnessed countless classic debuts.

Among the venues, the newly completed Kodak Theatre is undoubtedly the new darling, with rumors that next year's Academy Awards will move from the Shrine Auditorium to be held here. However, the interior renovations aren't fully completed yet, and it won't be ready for use until November.

Thus, the Chinese Theatre, completed in 1923, remains the most sought-after and popular venue for premieres on Hollywood Boulevard.

Two days ago, "Rush Hour 2" held its grand premiere at the Chinese Theatre. The event was bustling with traffic and throngs of people, kicking off the box office battle for the first week of August with great fanfare. The cast and crew are full of confidence in this sequel.

Although the premiere dates do not overlap, it's clear that the Chinese Theatre couldn't dismantle all of the "Rush Hour 2" sets and then redecorate for "The Princess Diaries" in just two days. The two films have completely different styles and genres, so there simply wasn't enough time to prepare for the "The Princess Diaries" premiere. 

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So, Disney was forced to adjust and chose another popular location on Hollywood Boulevard—the El Capitan Theatre.

The El Capitan Theatre is directly across from the Kodak Theatre and diagonally opposite the Chinese Theatre, with less than a hundred meters separating the two locations.

So, what's the difference?

Facilities, environment, and atmosphere.

Although the locations are nearly identical, the El Capitan Theatre's equipment is quite outdated. From projection equipment to theater decor, everything is behind the times, and its design, with a distinct dramatic flair, appears somewhat cheap.

Additionally, the El Capitan Theatre has a critical flaw: space.

In front of the Chinese Theatre, there is an open area where a red carpet can be laid out or a stage can be built, giving movie companies more room to design the premiere event. But in front of the El Capitan Theatre, there's just the street.

For these reasons, the Chinese Theatre has always been the first choice for movie premieres by major studios, while the El Capitan Theatre is considered a backup option. But now, Disney had no other choice.

However, for Gloria, it didn't matter—

The focus wasn't on where the premiere was held, but on the fact that "The Princess Diaries" was about to be released.

Mrs. Preston thought that Gloria's interest in Anson was just a fleeting crush, something she'd likely forget soon, and Gloria herself believed the same.

And, to a large extent, that was true.

After the trifecta of "Friends," "GQ," and the Emmy Awards, Anson went quiet, with no news at all. In an era before social networks, this meant Anson could have completely vanished from the public eye.

With one turn, Gloria forgot about that stunning figure. After all, Hollywood is full of handsome men, and she didn't even notice the news about Anson being cast in "Spider-Man."

If nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Gloria might never have thought of Anson again, and his impact on her the previous summer would have been tucked away in a corner of her memory.

After all, a full year without news is indeed a long time.

It wasn't until Gloria accidentally saw the third trailer for "The Princess Diaries," where Anson appeared for a mere second—a pitiful, fleeting second.

Yet, that one second opened Pandora's box of memories.

Anson, undeniably Anson, effortlessly caught Gloria's eye, reigniting the passion and enthusiasm that had been gathering dust in the corners of her memory.

In a hurry, she logged onto IMDb to check, and sure enough, Anson's previously sparse personal profile was starting to fill out—not only "The Princess Diaries" but also "Spider-Man"!

Then, she flipped through her treasured "GQ" magazine again, and the excitement returned.

It just so happened that it was summer vacation.

It just so happened that she had no plans on Tuesday.

So Gloria had no qualms about arranging an activity for herself.

One moment, sitting in the passenger seat, Gloria wasn't particularly excited, thinking she'd just join the crowd and check out some handsome guys.

The next moment, with her blood pumping, her leisurely pace quickened and quickened, until she was almost sprinting, plunging headfirst into the scene.

*Whoa—*

What was this?

A variety of princess costumes filled her view, and for a moment, it felt like she'd stumbled into a masquerade ball, much like the conventions she'd heard about.

After asking around, she learned that "The Princess Diaries" premiere was themed as an afternoon tea party, with real Disney princesses scheduled to appear on site.

Thus, she could see guardians arriving with children dressed in their finest, as well as adults who had meticulously dressed themselves—and their male companions, who looked utterly resigned, as if attending a Halloween party.

Gloria felt a bit of regret; had she known, she would have done some research and not come so unprepared, looking completely like a tourist.

"Hey, what's your costume?" a cheerful girl asked, smiling brightly.

Gloria looked down at her somewhat plain T-shirt and jeans, hesitated for a moment, and replied, "Uh, Cinderella?"

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