Chapter 89: Seizing the Spotlight

Hemera Pictures had recently been busy establishing its North American distribution channels, something that everyone was well aware of. Because of this, no one dared to drastically undercut the price of *Gifted*, thinking that earning a little was better than earning nothing. After all, what if it turned out to be a blockbuster like *Happy Death Day*? That would be a huge windfall.

"At present, all the distribution companies involved in the negotiations have agreed to our one-time payment method."

"The three highest bids are $30 million from Disney, $31.9 million from Fox, and $34 million from DreamWorks."

"Additionally, Harvey Weinstein has raised his offer to $22 million, with a revenue-sharing deal of $3.3 million for every $10 million the film grosses above $65 million globally. This payment will be made within three days of data collection, without waiting for the film to leave theaters or for Miramax to settle accounts."

This was the final result Wayne received from Sera a few days later.

Now the pressure was on Wayne.

What kind of box office return could *Gifted* achieve? More specifically, could it surpass $100 million globally?

The uncertainty was enough to affect Wayne's mood on set that day, until Hannah said something that snapped him out of it.

"This is your story. If you don't have confidence in it, who else will?"

Wayne suddenly realized, even though *Gifted* was something he had "borrowed" from another world, he had chosen it among countless films for a reason, so he should trust in it.

After all, $12 million wasn't a huge sum.

If this move temporarily helped DreamWorks grow and directed attention toward Harvey Weinstein and Miramax, it would give Hemera Pictures even more time to develop.

"Let's go with Harvey Weinstein!" Wayne immediately called Sera, his voice full of confidence and determination. This calmed her, as she had been feeling conflicted and anxious.

"Got it, Wayne! I'll take care of it right away!"

Sera quickly contacted Harvey Weinstein, who was even more excited and eager than she was upon hearing that Hemera Pictures had chosen him. He rushed over with his lawyer and contracts.

After signing the deal, Weinstein immediately transferred $22 million to Hemera Pictures' account, as if he feared Sera or Wayne might change their minds.

"Oh, by the way, Sera, can I promote the film using the tagline, 'Another masterpiece from Wayne?' After all, he was one of the writers on this film, right?"

"Sure," Sera replied after some thought. "But Wayne is still filming in Europe, so he won't be able to participate in the promotional events."

"That's fine. Just having his name attached is enough. Although, if possible, I'd love to invite Wayne to the premiere and after-party."

"That will depend on the progress of the other production."

There wasn't much small talk. Once Harvey secured the rights, he rushed back to the office and launched the marketing campaign for *Gifted*, a plan he had already prepared.

The genius "Bartleby" delivers another hit after *Accepted* and *Happy Death Day*!

Have you ever been forced to study boring math? This movie will show you how to fight back!

Best Screenwriter, Best Director, Best Actress—the Oscar-winning trio is back, aiming for next year's Oscars!

Similar headlines began appearing frequently in entertainment papers. Harvey's strategy was simple: ride on Wayne's success, ride on the Oscars, and even ride on education.

Although Weinstein didn't care about his own reputation, he didn't want to tarnish Miramax's brand. So, he leveraged his strong Oscar connections to secure nominations for *Gifted* in the Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress categories.

Meanwhile, *Accepted* also snagged a Best Original Screenplay nomination thanks to Warner Bros.' efforts, putting Wayne in a position to receive two screenplay nominations at the same Oscars.

If horror movies weren't generally snubbed by the Academy, Wayne might have made history by securing three nominations in the same category at once.

However, despite Weinstein's efforts, the marketing campaign for *Gifted* failed to achieve the desired results.

It wasn't because of a flaw in the strategy, but because several other films released around that time stole the media's and audience's attention.

First, there was *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*. Despite opening in a mere 16 theaters, it surprised everyone by rapidly expanding to over 3,000 screens and generating a remarkable box office run.

Interestingly, when CinemaScore and market researchers asked audiences for their thoughts on the film, most said they didn't fully understand it but found it visually stunning and aesthetically beautiful.

When asked why they came to see the movie, most cited curiosity about Chinese martial arts, with some mentioning stars like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or Bruce Lee.

In short, the mystique of Chinese kung fu was a huge draw for American and global audiences during this period. Hollywood quickly noticed, and over the next two years, five or six films starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li were released, all performing well at the box office.

But as kung fu became less of a novelty, audience interest waned. By the time *Hero* hit theaters, its North American box office was only $53.71 million, less than half of *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*'s.

Still, *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* wasn't the only film making waves.

A week after its release, *What Women Want* hit theaters. Directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt, this romantic comedy grossed $374 million worldwide, ranking fourth on the global box office list that year.

If that wasn't enough, another week later, on December 22, *Cast Away* was released. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, it raked in $233 million in North America alone, with a worldwide total of $429 million, making it the third-highest-grossing film of the year.

With *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*'s unexpected success, *What Women Want* dominating theaters, and *Cast Away* entering the fray, entertainment newspapers in the U.S. were flooded with coverage. There wasn't even space for *Gifted*, let alone a headline.

This left Harvey completely blindsided.

(End of Chapter)