Capítulo 110: Chapter 109: North American Box Office Exceeds 100 Million
After finishing the promotion in Chicago, Gilbert bid farewell to the crew and hurried back to Los Angeles. The rest of the promotional tour was handled by Bruce Willis, Ryan Gosling, Naomi Watts, and others.
At Warner Bros. headquarters, Gilbert met with a group of representatives from China, led by Tian Congming, whom he had previously met.
"Director Gilbert, we meet again," Tian Congming said, aware that people in North America tend to use "Director Gilbert."
"Hello, Mr. Tian. How have you been recently?" Gilbert shook Tian Congming's hand politely, though he didn't appear overly enthusiastic.
"It's been alright. A bit tired from the jet lag and not quite used to the food, but everything else is fine," Tian replied.
The dazzling American lifestyle had almost overwhelmed some of the officials from China's system and representatives from China Film Corporation. They hadn't realized just how wide the gap was between their own country and the developed world. This stark contrast made a significant impact on their worldview.
After exchanging brief pleasantries, Gilbert asked his assistant, Anna, to book a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles's Chinatown and took the visiting group there. Although the restaurant served Chinese cuisine, the flavors were adapted for local tastes and differed significantly from authentic Chinese food.
However, the purpose of the meal wasn't the food itself but the conversation to be had.
"I heard from Doug that you're interested in introducing Hollywood films?" Gilbert's straightforwardness put Tian Congming at ease, making him feel he was speaking with a fellow countryman.
The entire discussion was in Chinese, which eliminated the need for translation and allowed them to negotiate comfortably over drinks.
"That's correct," Tian explained. "During our meeting in January, we decided to reform the domestic film market. I recalled our pleasant conversation last year and thought it would be beneficial to introduce Hollywood movies to Chinese audiences to show them what a truly high-quality film looks like."
Although domestic directors had recently won international awards, superiors felt this wasn't enough. Additionally, some films were too provocative, revealing "dirty laundry" and controversial subjects. It was branded as "exposing brutal realities," but the higher-ups saw it as unnecessary scandal.
Thus, Tian believed it was time to let Chinese filmmakers witness what a truly popular global movie looked like. The goal was to introduce Hollywood films, conduct market-oriented reforms, and let the market influence the direction of Chinese-language films.
Of course, these comments were meant for closed-door conversations and not for foreigners like Gilbert. With only a limited number of annual film slots and a revenue-sharing rate of just about 8%, previous meetings with Paramount and Universal had gone nowhere, as they had shown little interest in the Chinese market.
Warner Bros. alone was willing to discuss the topic, mostly because of Gilbert's involvement. So, Tian opted to persuade Gilbert first, aiming to negotiate an increase in the quota through indirect channels.
After explaining the background, Tian said, "I hope Director Gilbert can assist us with this. Our quotas are limited, and we can't raise the share too much. Perhaps we could go with a buyout system, where China Film pays a set sum to purchase the copyrights directly."
Gilbert didn't immediately agree but instead asked, "Mr. Tian, have you heard of Jurassic Park?"
"Of course, I have. I even watched it on a pirated disc."
"Pirated?" Gilbert expressed surprise.
"Not just Jurassic Park, but your Speed as well—they both came in from Hong Kong," Tian replied.
This wasn't surprising, as pirated discs from Hong Kong were common, impacting even local Hong Kong films, let alone international ones.
Gilbert continued, "Do you know how much Jurassic Park earned globally? $930 million."
Before Tian could respond, Gilbert added, "And my Speed earned $405 million worldwide. To be blunt, Mr. Tian, the factors that determine a film's success include not just quality but also market size."
Gilbert explained, "I am one of the few Hollywood filmmakers with some understanding of China." It was true; he knew Chinese and was familiar with Chinese history.
"Right now, the Chinese film market isn't appealing enough for Hollywood, so the interest isn't there. However, the market potential is immense, and if concessions are made regarding revenue sharing and import quotas, I believe Hollywood studios would be interested."
At the conversation's end, Gilbert added, "By the way, I heard you're negotiating to join the WTO. Successfully introducing Hollywood films could significantly boost your efforts toward membership."
Tian immediately recognized this as a political opportunity. Successfully bringing Hollywood movies into China could contribute significantly to the WTO negotiations.
After securing Gilbert's support, Tian resumed negotiations with Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and other Hollywood studios. He communicated with Chinese officials back home and, upon receiving authorization, relaxed the conditions: they raised the quota of imported films to 20 and increased the profit-sharing ratio from 8% to 15%.
While still modest, this revenue-sharing rate was an improvement and made Hollywood interested in this new market. At this level, Hollywood studios could make a small profit, while China Film would still receive the bulk of the revenue.
In the end, they signed a film import agreement outside the Los Angeles Dome Theater in the presence of reporters, marking a historic achievement.
As a result, Gilbert's current hit Real Steel and his earlier Speed were slated for release in China in July, along with James Cameron's True Lies and The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford.
Gilbert received much praise from the industry for promoting Hollywood films, especially from veterans within the Academy and from the Directors Guild and Producers Guild.
Although too young to receive awards just yet, this achievement would likely aid his future Oscar campaigns, as Academy members with voting rights would remember this contribution.
Gilbert and James Cameron were now considered pioneers in entering the Chinese market.
While negotiations proceeded, Real Steel finished its second week at the North American box office. During the weekdays, it grossed $28.595 million, followed by $30.213 million over the weekend, totaling $58.808 million and securing the weekly box office title. Its primary competition, The Crow, Brandon Lee's posthumous release, earned $14.425 million in its first weekend.
The tragic story of Brandon Lee's accidental death during filming, combined with the film's quality, generated strong box office returns.
In contrast, Real Steel had earned a cumulative $121 million by the end of its second week in North America. Although production costs had been close to $100 million with marketing, Disney analysts estimated the final North American box office would reach between $180 million and $200 million, which would cover costs and yield a small profit domestically. Overseas markets and merchandise would contribute further.
Disney and Warner, satisfied with this outlook, hosted a celebration for Gilbert and the crew. Bruce Willis, now established as one of Hollywood's top male stars, personally thanked Gilbert for casting him.
"Honestly, Gilbert, I don't know what to say. Thank you for choosing me."
"Bruce, I chose you because you fit the role. The movie's success is thanks to everyone involved," Gilbert replied.
After Bruce, Ryan Gosling and his mother approached to thank Gilbert. Ryan presented a clay model he had made, showing Gilbert directing on set with the robot Master Bao from the movie.
"Wow," Gilbert said, "this is beautiful, Ryan. Did you make it yourself?"
"Yes," Ryan said, "I spent a long time on it. I hope you like it."
"I love it," Gilbert replied. He assured Ryan he would display it in his office, which delighted the young actor.
Industry executives also used the occasion to discuss Gilbert's next project. Paramount CEO Sherry Lansing expressed interest, but Gilbert deflected to his agent, Sheena Boone, who introduced Gilbert to various Hollywood insiders with Oscar voting rights, as she knew he aimed to win an Oscar someday.
Warner Bros. CEO Jeff Robinov later approached Gilbert and asked, "Gilbert, what's next?"
"Jeff, Real Steel is still in theaters. I need a break." Gilbert sighed.
Robinov was persistent, and Gilbert finally said, "I'm planning a hot action film. I want to blow up Alcatraz."
"San Francisco?"
"Yes," Gilbert nodded. "A classic action movie."
Real Steel satisfied investors, but Gilbert felt it lacked something and realized that while concept films could intrigue audiences, classic commercial films must consider technology, market readiness, and timing.
So, he decided to return to his roots in action films and set his sights on a high-intensity project centered on Alcatraz Island.
As Robinov imagined the success of another Gilbert action blockbuster, he couldn't help but smile. For Warner Bros., Gilbert was a goldmine they intended to hold on to tightly.
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