Capítulo 135: Chapter 135: Favors
Every film has a certain preservation period. Films that rely primarily on special effects tend to have a shorter box office life. "Independence Day," which experienced explosive success in July, saw a severe decline in box office numbers in August. However, with the cover feature of Duke in *Time Magazine* and the promotional efforts from Warner Bros. and Fox focusing on him, the strategy to regain the film's momentum resulted in a brief resurgence for its box office.
For two consecutive working days, the daily box office of "Independence Day" rebounded by nearly fifteen percent compared to the previous day. This box office increase directly resulted in theaters boosting the number of showings to 1,897 before the weekend, laying the foundation for a counter-trend growth over the weekend.
Even if this was merely a temporary increase in screenings, both Duke and the teams at Warner Bros. and Fox were pleased.
Meanwhile, Sony Columbia Pictures had reached out to several major theater chains because "Independence Day" had taken over the screenings that were once allocated to "The Shawshank Redemption."
The latter's North American showing scale had already been reduced to 212 theaters, with a daily box office of just over $100,000. Its cumulative North American box office was struggling to reach $15 million, and Sony Columbia's overseas distribution faced significant challenges, as major markets like the UK and Australia refused to release the film during the relatively hot month of August.
After more than four weeks in theaters, although the most competitive summer season had come to an end, August still had films like "Backdraft" hitting the North American market. The competition remained fierce, and "The Shawshank Redemption," pushed to the sidelines by theaters and other films, faced the constant threat of being taken off screens.
Duke had long forgotten about this already-flopped movie. This weekend, his only focus was "Independence Day."
Over the weekend, with 1,897 theaters showing it, "Independence Day" raked in $17.81 million, bringing its cumulative North American box office to $289.28 million, nearing the $300 million mark!
As the film's box office soared, congratulations poured in, alongside even more fierce critiques and insults from film critics.
Of course, Duke accepted the congratulations, while the critics? Who cares about them!
His back-and-forth with the critics had already achieved the desired effect, and he had no habit of seeking out reviews for self-torture; he automatically filtered out the howling voices.
Winners have their own dignity and pride, and they wouldn't stoop to squabble with a pack of mad dogs.
By late August, just over eight weeks after its North American release, Duke welcomed a milestone in his directing career: "Independence Day" officially surpassed $300 million in North American box office revenue and $600 million globally!
While films like "The Lion King" and "Forrest Gump" were still at the $200 million stage, Duke became the third director in film history to achieve this!
"There's no doubt that Duke Rosenberg has reached the pinnacle of Hollywood commercial directing. Since the birth of cinema, no other director has achieved such accomplishments and created such terrifying box office numbers at his age..."
As the fifth film in history to cross the $300 million mark in North America and the third director to reach that figure with a single film, Duke was bound to attract a lot of attention. This time, there was no need for Duke or his partners to engage in public relations; mainstream media, including the three major newspapers, were nearly all praise, as if Duke had become a national hero and a real representation of the American dream.
"Duke Rosenberg, the super director rising from Hollywood..."
"The future of Hollywood rests in the hands of Duke Rosenberg."
"Perhaps George Lucas never anticipated that the young director he had mentored a few years ago would rise to such heights so quickly..."
Seeing the media's commentary, even someone as composed as Duke felt a bit euphoric. Fortunately, he maintained his calm, understanding that the media's praise was merely a way to attract attention. If his next film flopped, he would undoubtedly face far more criticism and ridicule than praise.
However, the media hype continued unabated. After all, in the entire global film industry, only two others had achieved this before.
Before Duke, only four films and two directors had entered the $300 million club in North America—George Lucas with *Star Wars: Episode I* and *Star Wars: Episode III*, and Steven Spielberg with *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* and *Jurassic Park*!
Now, Duke and "Independence Day" had joined this list!
Despite numerous critics labeling his success as sheer luck, major film companies in Hollywood and many others were bound to remain restless in the short term.
In the luxurious office on the top floor of Disney's headquarters in Burbank, Michael Eisner, the chairman of the Disney empire, sat behind his desk, looking at Cook Dick, who was in charge of the live-action film production department.
"Disney can't just rely on animated films," Eisner said with a serious expression. "We must do more in the realm of live-action films. Touchstone Pictures hasn't performed well in recent years."
"We lack experience in this area," Cook Dick replied, slightly nervous. He had been in charge of the live-action business for a few years, but hadn't produced any noteworthy results. "Michael, we need more resources invested."
Disney may be one of the oldest companies in Hollywood, but compared to its animation business, it was a relative newcomer in live-action films. Touchstone Pictures, established only in recent years to break Disney's limitation of producing only G and PG-rated films, had invested a lot of resources with little effect.
"Cook, the company will have bigger plans soon," Michael Eisner said expressionlessly. "I need the live-action department to rise quickly; you don't have much time left!"
"Michael, we all know that."
Faced with this near-final ultimatum, Cook Dick became somewhat anxious. "Disney has a certain platform resource, but we don't have long-term collaborations with popular stars and directors, especially in commercial film direction!"
Just like Spielberg for Universal Pictures, an outstanding director can revitalize a film company.
"Next week... Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox will hold a celebration party for 'Independence Day.' You will represent Disney at the event, and do everything possible to win Duke Rosenberg's favor. As long as his requests aren't unreasonable, Disney can accommodate them."
Upon hearing Michael Eisner's words, Cook Dick nodded seriously. "I understand!"
In fact, Cook Dick had planned to do this even without Michael Eisner's instructions. He had even had someone collect a lot of detailed information about Duke Rosenberg earlier to find suitable breakthroughs.
He wasn't the only one thinking this way; executives from both first-tier and second-tier Hollywood film companies were planning to attend the Warner Bros. and Fox celebration party. Even Sony Columbia Pictures, whose film "The Shawshank Redemption" had been overshadowed by "Independence Day," was no exception.
Anyone who managed to climb to an executive position in Hollywood wasn't a fool. With "Independence Day" surpassing $300 million, and both the North American box office and theater counts sharply declining, the competitive relationships had come to an end. There was no benefit in dwelling on past business rivalries; the key was how to profit in the future.
In a Beverly Hills mansion, Tom Cruise stood by the window, arms crossed, his expression dark enough to drip water. Another movie he wanted to star in, which he didn't get the chance, was a massive hit—an enormous hit!
Had he been able to play one of the key roles, he would surely be the highest-paid movie star in Hollywood right now. Just look at that Will Smith—how terrible his acting is! Besides making exaggerated expressions, what else can he do? Now he's being pursued by countless fans!
And Bill Pullman's president was hailed as one of the best presidential roles in film history...
All of these could have been his, but now he could only watch as others benefited. Perhaps his decision back then was wrong?
Yes, Duke Rosenberg had turned him down, but not completely; one of the conditions for his participation was to lower his pay to below $5 million.
He had refused without thinking, as dropping his asking price was often a taboo in Hollywood.
But now, looking back, was that refusal worth it or not?
Watching the sunlight outside, Tom Cruise felt a rare moment of contemplation. Perhaps Pat was right; their competition was merely business as usual, without personal animosities. Just like he was currently trying to please Spielberg, it was indeed necessary to build a good relationship with directors like Duke Rosenberg.
He wasn't stupid. If a director succeeded in Hollywood twice in a row, one could argue that luck played a part, but to succeed again amidst so much criticism, including the underhanded tactics he and others had employed, and the fierce competition of the summer season, Duke still thrived—his success was undeniable.
It seemed that Duke Rosenberg's progress was unstoppable.
Moreover, he had heard from pat that Duke had a new script. Given his pace of releasing one film a year, this project should soon be on the agenda, and there should be suitable roles for him, right?
Suddenly, Tom Cruise regretted not having Pat inquire about the general theme and character types of Duke's script...
"Hey, Pat!"
He picked up the cordless phone and dialed his agent's number. "I want to attend the Warner and Fox celebration party."
After hanging up, Tom Cruise walked over to his pale-faced wife, Nicole Kidman."Mary, let's go choose a dress this afternoon. Accompany me to a party."
Nicole Kidman nodded slightly but said nothing. She did not think highly of Tom Cruise's advances. Her arrogant husband was too late to realize it. Now with the huge success of "Independence Day", who could not see the value of Duke Rosenberg? Would the other party care about his advances?
...
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