Chương 76: Chapter 76: Competition
The Warner Brothers office floor was bustling with activity. Even though he had just returned from San Francisco to Burbank in the early morning hours, Charles Roven was full of energy. He held the latest statistical data in his hand and quickly walked to Jeff Robinov's office. After a soft knock on the door, he walked in.
"Jeff..." he walked directly to the desk and without sitting down, said, "The midnight box office numbers and audience feedback have come in."
Seeing Jeff Robinov look up at him, Charles Roven quickly continued, "2,512 theaters for the midnight screening, and *The Rock* brought in $3.28 million, which is nearly $800,000 more than our expectations! The survey company we hired also immediately polled 5,877 viewers, with 78% giving it an A+ rating, 92% rating it A or higher, and less than 1% rating it below a C."
Charles Roven's words carried a hint of excitement. Although he knew the midnight audience was limited and mostly action film enthusiasts, which gave the film an inherent advantage in ratings, such a stellar response from the midnight screening was something not even *Batman Returns*, or even the well-received *Batman*, had achieved!
"Duke didn't let us down!"
Jeff Robinov exhaled slowly. He wasn't without competitors within Warner Brothers, and fully supporting Duke's new film had brought some pressure. Now, the midnight box office and word of mouth had exceeded expectations. Even if it couldn't fully represent the film's overall performance, it still indicated a lot.
"I think securing only 2,512 theaters for the first week might have been too conservative." Charles Roven finally sat down.
"There was no other choice, Charles," Jeff Robinov shook his head. "CAA and 20th Century Fox have also invested heavily in *Interview with the Vampire*. There are only so many theaters and screens in North America. With them blocking the way, we couldn't secure around 3,000 theaters like we did with *Batman*."
Charles Roven understood this point as well. He also knew that with Warner Brothers in the picture, *Interview with the Vampire* wouldn't be able to reach a 3,000-theater release either.
Hollywood competition was everywhere—from scripts to roles, from actors to funding, from directors to theaters. It was a battleground for film companies and their projects. For films from small companies with distribution rights, trying to compete with the big studios for a wide release? The top distribution companies could crush them just with their theater access alone.
"And what about *Interview with the Vampire*?" Jeff Robinov asked, thinking of the competition.
"Its box office performance is also slightly better than we expected," Charles Roven leaned back in his chair, continuing, "It had 2,689 theaters for its midnight screenings and grossed $3.97 million!"
"But..." His eyes gleamed, "According to feedback from the survey company, there were significant numbers of purchased tickets where the viewers didn't actually attend."
Jeff Robinov immediately understood what Charles Roven was implying and nodded, "It must be Tom Cruise inflating the numbers. This isn't the first time."
It was common in Hollywood for stars to spend money to boost box office sales, and Tom Cruise was certainly one of the most well-known for doing so.
"In that case," Charles Roven added, "while *Interview with the Vampire*'s midnight box office was higher than *The Rock*, the actual gap isn't as large as the numbers suggest."
"And the reviews?"
When Robinov asked, Charles Roven flipped through the documents in his hand before saying, "For professional reviews, *Interview with the Vampire* has an average score of 8.7, while *The Rock* is at 7.6."
"Let's not focus on that," Robinov shook his finger, "Critical reviews don't mean much for summer blockbusters—audience reception matters more."
"This is some inside information from 20th Century Fox," Roven sped up his words, "They received 6,125 audience surveys from the midnight showings of *Interview with the Vampire*, with an A+ rating of 63%, an A or higher of 79%, and a rating below C at 2.1%."
The two continued to discuss various matters, including theater distribution and promotional strategies.
At the same time, at the Fox building in Century City, the creators and project leaders of *Interview with the Vampire*, including Tom Cruise, were also reviewing similar statistical data. These survey results were never secret, and it wasn't hard for major studios to obtain them.
After discussing the promotional strategy, the meeting room was soon left with only Tom Cruise, his agent, and Fox executives.
"We're falling behind in audience reception."
The attendees were all industry veterans, and few cared much about professional reviews. The goal of this film wasn't to win awards. "Although we have the advantage in box office numbers, a large part of that is due to Tom's star power."
As soon as Pat Kingsley finished speaking, Tom Cruise addressed Fox CEO, Townsend, "Townsend, I suggest that in addition to the usual promotions for *Interview with the Vampire*, we should also consider putting some effort into undermining *The Rock*."
His suggestion was met with approval from most of the group. It was common practice in Hollywood to not only promote one's own film but also to try and discredit the competition.
"I'll contact the media," Martin Bob said.
"Hmm..." Townsend Rothman nodded, "I'll personally call the Emperor Entertainment Group and AMC chains to see if we can reduce the number of screens for *The Rock* next week."
The competition between films wasn't always a direct, head-on clash. Much of the work happened behind the scenes.
Warner Brothers knew this, 20th Century Fox knew this, and Duke knew this.
Upon receiving the midnight box office and audience reception reports for both films from Robin Grand, Duke wasn't particularly surprised or worried. Whether it was *Interview with the Vampire* or *The Rock*, neither was the type of film that would bomb. If the former could maintain its usual quality, it would undoubtedly be a strong competitor.
"To succeed, you can't be afraid of competition!"
Standing in front of the mirror adjusting his clothes, Duke said to Shania Twain, who seemed to be walking a bit awkwardly, "Every successful director has fought their way through competition. If you want to stand at the top of any industry, you can't shy away from your rivals."
"Then why didn't you wait until next month to compete with *Jurassic Park*?"
This obviously wasn't from Shania Twain. Judging from the monotone nasal voice, Duke knew it was Sofia Coppola, who was sitting on the couch.
"Because I don't have any issues here," Duke pointed to his head first, then turned to glare at Sofia. "Does it make you happy to take jabs at me?"
"Immensely enjoyable."
Sofia shrugged. Her dark eyes briefly flicked over Shania Twain's figure, and she raised her voice a little to remind him, "It's about time we head back to Burbank. Don't forget, you have a rehearsal for tomorrow night's live show at NBC with Nicolas and the others."
"Almost ready," Duke waved her off.
"I'm leaving, too."
Shania came up behind him, stood on tiptoes, and kissed him lightly on the ear, then blew a breath into his ear on purpose, whispering, "I'll remember you, darling. If we meet again, I'll pay you back for all those slaps on my backside!"
Duke turned around and pinched her chin, "Hope we get the chance."
It was hard to say. Although the film and music industries had some overlap, Shania Twain lived in Nashville, the heart of country music. If she became famous, the barrage of appearances and tours across the U.S. and even worldwide would take up all her time and energy.
What had originally been a ** had turned into a two-night stand. Duke wasn't sure if there would be another chance for such a physical connection in the future.
After Shania went to find her agent and prepare to return to Nashville, Duke and Sofia left the Fairmont Hotel and drove towards the highway to Burbank.
"Didn't you say the first week after a film's release is always too nerve-wracking to sleep?"
As they left the city and the traffic eased, Sofia started chatting with Duke. "I didn't expect you'd still have the energy to pick up girls."
"Sofia, didn't you say?" Duke could hear the hint of mockery in her tone, but he was long used to it. "It's the best way to relieve stress, anxiety, and forget about worries, isn't it?"
"That's nonsense!" Sofia Coppola pouted.
Duke shrugged and said nothing more. Although things hadn't gone exactly as he had said, spending last night with Shania Twain's wild and sexy body, and a few rounds of intimate "pre-sleep communication," had given him one of the best nights' sleep since *The Rock* started filming.
Maybe slapping Shania's sexy, alluring backside had relieved all his stress and anxiety?
For some reason, that thought popped into Duke's head, and he quickly shook it away, not wanting to delve any further into it. He didn't want to end up developing into a sadist...
The two took turns driving, and by the time they arrived in Burbank, it was almost dusk. After grabbing a quick bite, they headed straight to the NBC studio in Burbank.
Tomorrow night's show is live, and while the rehearsal isn't too complex, a run-through is still essential. NBC's talk show is also a key part of the promotional strategy that Warner Bros. has laid out. When Duke arrived in the lounge, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, Christopher Lee, and their agents were already there, getting acquainted with the show's format.
Naturally, Duke's agent, Nancy Josephson, was also waiting in the lounge.
As is typical with interview programs, most segments and questions had been discussed beforehand with the guests' agents or publicists. Long before *The Rock* premiered, aside from a few standard questions, the agents and Warner Bros. publicists had already coordinated the details of this appearance.
The preparation stretched until almost 9 p.m., wrapping up the final theater walk-through. Duke reminded Nancy to send him the first day's box office numbers as soon as possible the next day, before heading back to his apartment in North Hollywood
.....
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