บท 102: Chapter 102: Profits Stir the Heart
"Sorry," Jones-Butler apologized as she approached Murphy and Bill Rossi's table in a cafe at Century City. "There was traffic on the way, and I'm late."
"It's okay," Murphy replied with a smile.
Jones-Butler signaled to the server who accompanied her, "A latte, please. Thank you."
"What have you been up to lately?" Bill Rossi asked, seizing the opportunity. "It's been a while since I last saw you. I went to Miramax the other day and wanted to chat with you, but you weren't there."
"What can I do?" Jones-Butler adjusted her chair and then said, "Running around, searching for valuable films."
"The work you're doing is very meaningful," Murphy chimed in. "Thanks to you, many low-budget independent films that would otherwise remain unknown can meet audiences."
Jones-Butler smiled. "Thank you."
Murphy then got to the point, "Do you have some time recently? My new film is completed, and I would really appreciate your guidance."
As the server brought their coffee, Jones-Butler waited for him to leave before saying, "What genre?"
She remembered clearly that Murphy had taken away a million dollars from Miramax for 'Hard Candy,' and the production cost of the film was at most at that level.
"Horror" Murphy confidently replied. "A very intriguing horror film."
Bill Rossi chimed in, "It's much better than 'Hard Candy.' To be precise, I haven't seen a better horror film in the past few years."
Hearing their remarks, Jones-Butler nodded. "I'll be in Los Angeles for the next half-month. You can call me anytime once you've set the time and place."
Although the profit brought in by 'Hard Candy' was only at the million-dollar level, it was beyond the company's expectations, bringing Miramax's upper management quite a surprise. Even she received praise from the Weinstein brothers.
Moreover, the revenue from 'Hard Candy' was still growing.
These were concrete data, and there was nothing more convincing than that. Although there were cases of directors who succeeded once and then failed, there were enough reasons for her to continue paying attention to Murphy's films.
Hollywood always believed that successful people would continue to be successful.
This was a phenomenon widely observed in Hollywood, not just by Jones-Butler at Miramax, but also by Tony Gusman at Fox Searchlight.
On a sunny afternoon, hiding in his office, Tony Gusman had just declined an invitation from a small production company to watch a film. Suddenly, he received a call from an unfamiliar number.
"Hello, this is Tony Gusman from Fox Searchlight." Upon hearing the somewhat unfamiliar name mentioned over the phone, he tried to recall. "Murphy Stanton?"
Who was this? He didn't seem to have dealt with him before, right?
"'Hard Candy,' Park City," the caller reminded him.
Upon hearing the reminder, Tony Gusman immediately remembered who Murphy Stanton was and chuckled politely. "Director Stanton, congratulations on the success of your first film."
Internally, he felt a bit regretful for not securing 'Edge of Surprise' initially and losing what was initially a promising project. He had gained nothing from the entire Sundance Film Festival.
As Tony Gusman contemplated, he engaged in conversation with the caller. Upon hearing the invitation, he immediately focused his attention. "Your new film? It's completed? Alright, I have some time. Once you confirm the time and location, be sure to notify me promptly."
Having missed one opportunity, he didn't want to miss a second one.
Indeed, the first success might have been luck, and the second time, Murphy might produce a terrible film, but regardless, he had succeeded once. Watching his film again was better than watching the works of unknown directors.
After hanging up the phone, Tony Gusman thought for a moment and instructed his assistant to visit the market research department to see if they could obtain the latest market statistics for 'Hard Candy.'
As a senior figure at Fox Searchlight, he held a certain position within the company. After the assistant left for some time and returned with a document, it was the data requested from the research department.
"Leave," Tony Gusman waved his hand to dismiss the assistant and instructed, "Unless it's something important, don't disturb me."
Once the assistant closed the door behind them, Tony Gusman carefully reviewed the thin data statistics. After a brief overview, he felt even more regretful.
Although he had handled projects with profits in the tens of millions of dollars, such opportunities were often rare and could not be sought after. In the independent film circle, professionals like him who were buyers and selectors might encounter such opportunities only once every few years. Making millions of dollars in profit was definitely not a small feat.
Fox Searchlight's parent company, 20th Century Fox, earned just over a hundred million dollars in profits in a year. Fox Searchlight, as a subsidiary specializing in independent films, was even less significant.
They couldn't even compare to Miramax in this aspect.
Tony Gusman had received some insider information that the upper management of Fox Searchlight was particularly dissatisfied with the poor performance, especially in the first quarter of this year. They were exerting tremendous pressure, and if there was no improvement by the end of the year, the management team would likely undergo a major overhaul.
And professionals like him responsible for sourcing films would undoubtedly be affected. Getting fired was not out of the question.
He couldn't assume that just because he was an elder at Fox Searchlight, he would be spared. In front of capital, what significance did small players like them hold?
Shaking his head, Tony Gusman carefully reviewed the data. 'Hard Candy' had already finished its run in North America and had appeared in some overseas markets.
"North American box office - $1.48 million!"
"UK box office - $1.86 million, still in theaters."
"Argentina box office - $970,000, still in theaters."
"Australia box office - $870,000, already finished its run."
"Germany box office - $690
,000, still in theaters."
"Spain box office - $550,000, still in theaters."
"France box office..."
Although many countries and regions did not purchase the rights to the film due to its sensitive subject matter and explicit content, 'Hard Candy' had already earned over $4 million in overseas box office revenue.
According to information released by Stanton Studios, the production cost of the film was only $300,000.
Miramax had undoubtedly made a very profitable deal!
Continuing to read down the list, Tony Gusman made up his mind. He must go and watch the director's new film.
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