章 791: Chapter 792: Taking the Leap
[Chapter 792: Taking the Leap]
Unless Spielberg and his colleagues could secure a major Hollywood studio acquisition with Microsoft's backing, and establish solid distribution channels, the chances of the new Amblin Entertainment making a mark in Hollywood were very slim. At least in recent years, Eric hadn't given this production company much thought.
After a deep discussion with Harvey Weinstein and several negotiations, they finally confirmed his takeover of FFM Television. Eric subsequently managed to secure the script for The Sopranos.
Once Harvey Weinstein signed the contract, he began integrating the three acquired cable networks. At that point, FFM Television only existed as a planning proposal. The integration of the networks, from staff to broadcasting channels, would take at least a few months. The best estimate was that FFM could officially launch under that name in September.
Once FFM was up and running, it would certainly require an adjustment period to form a stable user base. During this tumultuous time, rushing to release The Sopranos wouldn't be a wise decision. Eric planned to roll out the series next fall, giving creator David Chase ample time to refine it further.
Eric juggled multiple projects including FFM Television, Titanic, Rush Hour, and Bad Boys 2, up until late May when Hollywood studios started launching new films, signaling the official arrival of the summer blockbuster season in 1996.
...
The release date for The Matrix was set for May 31. Before that, only Warner Bros.' A Time to Kill managed a decent box office.
A Time to Kill starred African American actor Samuel L. Jackson, and it tackled themes of racial conflict in America. Honestly, films of this nature didn't sit well with critics. Given the racial issues they raised, reviews tended to be tepid as critics struggled to offer fair evaluations without stepping on sensitive toes.
A Time to Kill averaged a media score of around 7, which was neither good nor bad. If not for the subject matter that made critics more lenient, the rating might have plummeted to a bare pass at 6. Thanks to Samuel L. Jackson and a few other stars, the film grossed over $23 million in its opening weekend.
Since racial-themed films often struggled to perform well overseas, considering its $40 million production cost, unless A Time to Kill became a sleeper hit, Warner Bros. seemed unlikely to recoup their costs in box office earnings.
Eric felt that Warner had picked the wrong timing for their release, habitually filling the summer season with a filler. With upcoming blockbusters like The Matrix on the horizon, A Time to Kill would face significant competition for screen time and box office revenue, making it almost impossible to sustain a long run.
If such a film had been placed at the end of summer, it might have achieved surprising box office success. After all, serious topics like racial conflict typically only drew interest from adult audiences; the most popular student group among the summer moviegoers will definitely not be too interested.
Of course, Eric didn't lose any sleep over Warner's woes because it seemed Firefly Productions was also facing challenges this year.
Since March, when Firefly had officially rated The Matrix as R, the media hadn't ceased discussing the film.
The novel version of The Matrix that Eric had initially written didn't delve into much philosophical thought. It was more of a wildly imaginative sci-fi tale. This genre naturally would have a hard time achieving an R rating without reasons to warrant it. The R rating stipulated that anyone under 17 must be accompanied by an adult, effectively excluding amajority of the summer's teenage audience from theaters.
Due to this inherent restriction, R-rated films in North America rarely grossed more than $200 million. Two years prior, Cameron and Catherine faced off with True Lies and Saving Private Ryan; both films were massive hits, yet their R ratings kept their North American gross slightly above the $200 million mark.
That $200 million mark was widely acknowledged as the glass ceiling for R-rated films.
Even if The Matrix crossed the $200 million mark, along with international earnings, Firefly could still turn a profit. However, that was far from industry expectations.
Many believed the creativity of The Matrix was on par with Jurassic Park, which had both grossed over $300 million in North America. Thus, The Matrix should have had similar box office potential.
After the film's R rating was announced, the media largely blamed novice directors, the Wachowskis, for potentially mismanaging the project. Even within Firefly, some shared these concerns. Katzenberg hinted to Eric that he should personally step in to edit a PG-13 version of The Matrix.
However, Eric dismissed those demands.
Aside from The Matrix, Titanic, which was still in post-production, also became a media focal point. Headlines like "Titanic's production costs exceed $200 million, could Firefly repeat Warner's WaterWorld blunder?" proliferated across major news outlets.
Perhaps due to Firefly's aggressive past performance, many seized the chance to dream of a reversal of fortunes amidst the studio's slight downturn this year.
Eric merely chuckled at such talk. Not to mention that nothing was certain and even if Firefly encountered setbacks this year in film, it wouldn't significantly harm the already solidly established Firefly Group, which continued to flourish.
...
While Eric didn't care much about outside opinions, others did.
Cameron clearly understood that if a $200 million film flopped at the box office, it could deal a devastating blow to his career. Thus, despite his relentless pursuit of perfection still manifesting, his temper had boiled over recently at work, with an increase in outbursts and raised voices.
Eric received a call from Stan Winston, ready to lend support by assuring Cameron that Firefly could handle the film's failure.
"Of course, if you feel bad about it, how about helping Firefly with another movie after Titanic?" he suggested.
Cameron was touched by the support and once again accepted Eric's suggestion to take on the first major film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series, Spider-Man.
Why "again"?
Because Cameron had originally intended to make Spider-Man back in 1991. Carolco had bought the rights from Marvel. Unfortunately, Cameron's script was deemed too explicit, with scenes featuring Peter Parker and Mary Jane in a compromising position on the Brooklyn Bridge, which would have been rated R. In the end, due to financial and logistical issues, he abandoned the project, and Eric later reclaimed the rights.
This time, since Cameron was voluntarily entering the fray, Eric wouldn't allow him free rein. As the kickoff movie for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the new Spider-Man needed to set an overall tone, meaning its R rating was out of the question.
...
By the time Eric wrapped up the tasks that required his direct attention, it was already the end of May.
On May 27, the premiere of The Matrix took place at the Los Angeles Music Center. After attending the premiere tonight, Eric planned to fly to the Bahamas tomorrow, where the Casino Royale crew was gathering.
While both inside and outside the company expressed concern over The Matrix's box office prospects, the premiere was as grand as past major film openings.
Alongside the Wachowski brothers, lead actor Keanu Reeves, and other production team members, many Hollywood stars showed up to support the event.
Eric arrived with Drew at 6:30 PM. The red carpet was buzzing, and they caught a glimpse of the Charlie's Angels trio stylishly making their entrance.
Although Casino Royale and Charlie's Angels featured intersecting storylines, the Angels' screen time was carefully limited to under ten minutes. This was a clever marketing strategy; a brief crossover could excite the audience without fully satisfying them, thus building anticipation for future story overlaps.
Charlize and her co-stars primarily filmed in Europe, with shooting set to begin in a few months, so they weren't traveling to the Bahamas.
Eric and Drew walked the red carpet, ignoring the excited questions from reporters. They smiled for some photos before entering the premiere venue.
After greeting the attending guests backstage, it was nearly seven, and everyone moved toward the screening room.
Eric sat beside Katzenberg, while Andy Wachowski took a seat on the other side. Knowing Eric would likely want to discuss some matters, the Wachowski had the good sense to choose a seat further back reserved for star guests.
Once the theater filled up and brief remarks were made, the film began.
Watching the familiar Firefly logo soar into the sky, Eric noticed Andy Wachowski's clenched fists. He reached over and patted his shoulder, saying, "Andy, be confident; I'm really optimistic about this film."
Andy smiled at Eric. He certainly had confidence, but the fate of a project with over a hundred million in investment weighed heavily on his future directing career. Even the most self-assured person could feel anxious in such circumstances.
Eric was highly delegative with this project. After agreeing on a script very similar to its previous iteration, he rarely interfered in the day-to-day filming tasks. Of course, when it came to the "bullet time" special effect that added a unique touch, he mentioned it when he noticed the crew had overlooked it.
Aside from some character changes, the storyline of the new Matrix remained largely unchanged from the original. It wasn't that Eric didn't want to ameliorate some past flaws; he simply knew that unless he devoted a significant amount of energy to oversee the project, excessive interference would disrupt the shooting rhythm established by the Wachowski brothers. The outcome would certainly be counterproductive.
...
The story began with Agent Smith's pursuit of Trinity. Hinting at the virtual world, the entire visual palette displayed a soft green hue, and together with the film's dark overall tone, many critics instinctively felt it revealed a lack of directorial skill from the Wachowskis.
It was only when Trinity executed a stunning 360-degree flight kick that critics realized this film might not be as lackluster as expected. Combined with its stylish action designs, mere seconds of the fight scene left many fans in attendance breathless.
After an intriguing opening, Keanu Reeves, as the protagonist Neo, entered the scene. Neo was a top hacker on the brink of awakening. When Trinity reached out to him, he experienced a series of changes and met Morpheus, the leader of the rebellion, ultimately choosing to return to the real world.
The real world two hundred years later.
As Neo awakened, a massive human-rearing facility providing bio-energy for robots appeared on screen, while disturbingly realistic effects crafted in the digital realm drew gasps. Some viewers instinctively touched the back of their heads.
As the story progressed, discerning critics noticed the film's clever use of color. In the virtual world, a green sheen enveloped the surroundings. Yet the moment Neo returned to reality, that green glow disappeared, and people could only see a stream of green data flowing on the ship's displays.
At the same time, Neo's dialogues with various members of the resistance and the Oracle regarding reality and illusion added a philosophical layer beneath the sci-fi surface.
However, these insights were primarily from seasoned critics. Ordinary audiences were already enchanted by the film's contrasts between reality and illusion, particularly during the final battle, where the "bullet time" effect re-emerged, once again thrilling many viewers.
As the film concluded with Neo's suspenseful monologue, the lights came up. After a brief silence, the screening room erupted into enthusiastic applause, with some impassioned fans shouting the names of various contributors to the film.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット