บท 233: Classic cult film
"Goodness, this movie is just... amazing. There were a few parts that had me on the edge of my seat."
After the screening, moviegoers gathered in groups of twos and threes, exchanging their thoughts with companions.
"That final twist was truly the icing on the cake. I never expected the mastermind behind everything to be the old man lying on the ground. By the way, who played Jigsaw? He's truly charismatic."
"Adam had it the worst; while Lawrence lost a leg, he managed to escape. Look at Adam – I bet he'll starve to death in there."
"I can't do it; this movie made me nauseous. I just can't appreciate it."
"This director is a genius, truly. This film was so damn enjoyable."
"Some of the actors were really good, especially that part where Lawrence sawed off his own leg. I actually thought he was really doing it for a moment – the expression, the posture, everything was just spot on."
"Ugh..."
...
Discussion reached Lyman's ears. He wasn't surprised by the extremely polarized reviews; "Saw" was always a slightly oppressive cult film, and its viewing experience definitely couldn't be compared to mainstream commercial movies.
For the fans who could appreciate it, the movie was undoubtedly great, with an excellently designed plot.
For those who couldn't handle it, they couldn't even get through it and were certainly not going to enjoy it.
Such polarization was to be expected.
Yet, what couldn't be denied was that Jigsaw's final climactic twist was indeed a brilliantly illuminating element.
In the increasingly conventional rhythm of films these days, it was a standout feature.
Much like "Seven", in the history of horror films to come, Jigsaw from "Saw" would undoubtedly be an unforgettable classic screen character.
Moreover, after compensating for its narrative flaws, "Saw" also provided rare deductive reasoning entertainment.
Feeling the generally satisfied mood of the departing audience, James's pent-up pressure lightened considerably. He turned to Lyman and said, "I hope the box office for this movie will be good. It would be great if it could hit $50M."
"I hope it makes $100M." Leigh shared his own thoughts.
"Are you two lacking confidence? I think it'd be pretty good if it hits $200M." Lyman boldly predicted.
With that casual statement, James was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Can it really hit $200M?"
"If it does make $200M, how much money would that be? We probably won't earn that much even if we write scripts for a lifetime." Leigh calculated briefly and marveled.
"$200M isn't that much. You guys will surely have goals beyond that. Keep up the good work." Lyman stood up to encourage them.
James found this a bit over the top and shook his head, not saying anything more.
The group of creators chatted as they left the theater.
Just as they were about to leave, some audience members recognized them at the entrance and happily shouted, "It's Jigsaw! I've seen the real person."
Once this was said, quite a few who had just watched the movie immediately turned around. About a dozen people gathered around, requesting autographs.
Poor Jonathan had acted in movies for almost twenty years, often without much recognition. But now, this impromptu minor role he played had unexpectedly gained popularity.
Lyman couldn't help but find this situation somewhat funny and bemusing. Even though Jason and Hugo were right there, everyone's attention was focused on Jigsaw. Who knows what these two were thinking.
Well, at least some people remembered them too; they signed autographs. But compared to Jigsaw's popularity, they were still a step behind.
After the commotion, as the crowd of onlookers continued to grow, the group had to get in their cars and leave in a hurry.
Watching the creators scramble away, some bystanders who hadn't attended the premiere but were witnessing the scene with curiosity asked, "Is "Saw" hanging there any good?"
"It's not bad. You'll know once you've seen it."
"If you're not feeling well, I wouldn't recommend watching it."
"Definitely don't force yourself if you can't handle it. Just now, someone next to me was throwing up."
"Is it really that intense?"
Puzzled, some of the bystanders promptly bought tickets for the midnight screening, intending to see for themselves.
...
Inside the car, James was also somewhat incredulous.
"Do this many people really like this movie?"
"Of course. Didn't you just see it yourself?"
As if in a dream, James laughed joyfully, feeling incredibly satisfied.
At this moment, Lyman looked over at Jonathan, who was still sporting a bald head due to his role as a cancer patient who had undergone chemotherapy. This was a common post-chemo look.
"Jonathan, if the box office for this film is fairly good, we plan to immediately proceed with the sequel. Will your schedule be an issue?"
Jonathan, who was only just regaining his senses, nodded with a smile. "Rest assured, I'll make room in my schedule. Just let me know."
He wasn't foolish; Hollywood's mainstream trend was all about producing sequels.
After all, despite his role as Hacksaw being part of a series, he had become a rather unique figure within it. How could he not agree?
Besides, they were offering him a substantial paycheck.
Although he was in a supporting role with not too much screen time, it seemed that the audience's impression of him was the strongest.
"In that case, one week from now, we should have a rough idea of the film's box office performance. If it's good, I'll discuss with EuropaCorp about offering Jonathan a three-film contract. In terms of compensation, aside from an upfront bonus of fifty percent of the base salary, the subsequent installments will each increase by fifteen percent, along with a one percent share of the North American box office. This will be effective from the second film."
Considering that the future "Saw" series had eight films, each of which brought Lionsgate Entertainment considerable profit, it was likely they could manage five or six more if they paid meticulous attention to the plot.
With such a money-making franchise, it was crucial to secure the core actors ahead of time, to avoid potential friction that might disrupt collaboration.
A three-film contract was already a common practice in the industry.
Going beyond that, it was possible that Simmons might not agree.
Listening attentively, Simmons silently calculated in his mind.
His current salary was $400,000, and if he continued with the next film, it would be $600,000, not to mention the box office share.
However one looked at it, it was a good deal. After all, he was in a supporting role. For an experienced actor like Simmons, it was already quite high. If "Saw" wasn't a series and the central character of Jigsaw wasn't genuinely charismatic, they wouldn't need to offer this kind of compensation.
But compared to someone like Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man", whose salary skyrocketed, his terms were relatively modest.
As the saying goes, when it comes to franchise films, pricing can't be calculated according to the usual Hollywood rules. Or should it be called "you get what you negotiate for"?
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