Chapter 336: The Calm and Stable Market Trend

"Critical Emergency? Yes, that's the movie I just watched."

In front of the cinema, Norman was being interviewed by reporters. He had mixed feelings about the film he had just seen. "In my opinion, it's a movie with a lot of highlights. The final gunfight and the happy ending were done very well, but the pacing is an issue."

He paused slightly, seemingly organizing his thoughts. "If Critical Emergency were directed by someone else, I would say they made a successful film. However, for a director of Duke's caliber, this film feels somewhat mediocre."

"In short, from my perspective, Critical Emergency is the most average work in Duke's portfolio."

After thinking for a moment, Norman added, "We're all eagerly awaiting The Matrix sequel. A movie like Critical Emergency really doesn't satisfy us."

This opinion from a die-hard Matrix fan undoubtedly represented the sentiments of many moviegoers. Critical Emergency wasn't bad—far from it—but compared to the expectations set by The Matrix, it fell short of being truly outstanding.

"Critical Emergency has some standout moments—exciting gunfights. However, its flaws are equally apparent—its slow pacing. While the film isn't disappointing, it also doesn't bring as many surprises as The Matrix. From its budget to its production time, it feels like a movie Duke didn't invest much effort in."

This comment from a fan on Duke's personal website, gaining countless replies, was pushed to the top and echoed the feelings of many.

Still, perhaps because there were no other notable films released during this season, or because of its undeniable highlights, the movie, while not a blockbuster, had no shortage of viewers.

However, compared to the explosive success of summer blockbusters, Critical Emergency's occupancy rates and box office performance were relatively subdued.

After earning $4.21 million on its opening Friday, the film saw a brief peak on Saturday, with daily earnings increasing by 27% to $5.34 million.

By Sunday, Critical Emergency followed the typical market trend, with box office receipts dropping 21% to $4.41 million.

"An opening weekend gross of $13.96 million, with a per-theater average of $6,345."

At Paramount Pictures, Michael Ovitz and Martin Bob sat next to CEO Sherry Lansing. The former said, "In this slow season, such box office numbers could be considered a success for most directors. But this is Duke Rosenberg's film, and these numbers can only be described as very average. Sherry, no one can succeed forever, and no one fails forever either."

As in their early days at CAA, Martin Bob and Ovitz worked seamlessly together. Martin continued, "The professional score for Critical Emergency is only 5.2, and its audience approval rating has dropped to 75%. For Duke Rosenberg, such reception is a failure. Critical Emergency has set new lows in his directing career across all metrics!"

"Sherry, you know this very well. Every director has their creative highs and lows, even someone as great as Steven Spielberg."

Looking at Sherry Lansing, Michael Ovitz maintained his confident demeanor. "It's clear that Duke Rosenberg is entering a slump. I... no, many industry professionals, including Roger Ebert, believe Duke's next few films are likely to continue this downward trend."

Sherry Lansing's brows were slightly furrowed, her eyes flashing with contemplation. She didn't respond to the remarks from these two giants in the talent management world.

After leaving CAA, Martin Bob had once again become a trusted aide to Michael Ovitz following a period of reflection.

"So, Sherry, the conditions you've proposed carry significant risks," Ovitz continued his relentless persuasion. "You're insisting on bringing Duke Rosenberg on board before entrusting Star Trek: Enterprise to me for packaging and management..."

Sherry Lansing firmly nodded. The Star Trek series was undoubtedly Paramount's flagship franchise, but the last installment, Star Trek: First Contact, barely broke even despite years of revenue and had terrible audience reviews. Paramount wanted to revive the series rather than ruin it further.

Their original plan was to wait for Duke's schedule to open up rather than hastily handing it off to someone else.

However, Michael Ovitz had incredibly reliable sources. Sherry Lansing had no idea how he obtained the information, but he had been persistently appearing before Paramount executives.

"If you let me handle Star Trek: Enterprise, I'll select the right actors and director, creating an entirely new team," Ovitz said. "I can also sign a new profit-sharing agreement with Paramount. If the movie fails to meet your minimum profit expectations, the Artists Management Group will forfeit its share of the earnings."

Ovitz wasn't coming across as naïve, and Sherry Lansing was a competent studio executive. "Michael, I'll consider it," she replied.

Knowing the conversation could go no further today, Ovitz and Bob shook hands with Lansing before leaving Paramount.

"Don't rush, Martin," Ovitz said after getting into the car. "The trajectory of Critical Emergency won't explode, which will definitely influence Paramount's original plans."

"Hmm..." Martin thought for a moment. "Compared to Paramount, I'm more concerned about Disney. I hear Robert Iger at Touchstone Pictures is considering giving that big WWII project to William Morris."

"They're not after William Morris; they're eyeing Michael Bay," Ovitz replied, signaling the driver to start the car. "Iger's favorite director is Duke Rosenberg, but since they can't get Duke, they opted for the 'mini-explosions guy' instead."

"You mean..."

"It's simple," Ovitz said with a grin. "I've already been in touch with Michael Bay. Everything's negotiable."

Critical Emergency grossed $13.96 million in its opening weekend, with a per-theater average of $6,345. Though not outstanding, it outperformed other films in this sluggish season.

The only film comparable was Miramax's She's All That, which had been out for three weekends and earned just $5.28 million that weekend.

By Monday, Critical Emergency expanded to 2,652 theaters in North America. However, weekday box office numbers started to decline, with Monday bringing in $4.01 million, a slight rebound to $4.15 million on Tuesday, then dropping to $4.02 million on Wednesday, and finally falling below $4 million on Thursday, earning $3.98 million.

After a week in theaters, the North American box office total reached $30.14 million.

In its second weekend, Critical Emergency still had no strong competitors and remained the best-performing film in theaters. With Warner Bros.' efforts, its screening scale expanded further.

Over the weekend, the theater count rose to 2,892, leading to a nearly unchanged second-weekend gross of $13.56 million.

After ten days in theaters, Critical Emergency grossed $43.7 million domestically.

With a production budget of $10 million and marketing costs of only $6 million, the film recouped its costs in just ten days.

While not a blockbuster, the film wasn't a failure. Although audience approval had dropped to 73%, its box office performance remained solid.

From a certain perspective, it was even a standout film in the spring season.

During the following weekdays, the film grossed $11.25 million. In its third weekend, it expanded to 2,966 theaters, as the pre-summer season drew closer.

By the third weekend, its box office began to decline more noticeably, earning $10.35 million over three days.

By the fourth week, with summer blockbusters on the horizon, Critical Emergency's box office dropped sharply, earning just $7.85 million over four weekdays.

By then, its domestic box office total reached $73.15 million.

Duke's reputation undoubtedly played a significant role in this achievement.

This performance ensured substantial profits for both Duke and Warner Bros. The film was set to release overseas shortly.

However, with the first weekend of May marking the start of the summer season, Critical Emergency saw a sharp reduction in theaters. Several highly anticipated blockbusters were about to premiere, most notably Star Wars: The Phantom Menace!

After years of absence, George Lucas's Star Wars saga was finally embarking on a new journey, eagerly awaited by countless fans.

Duke also accepted an invitation to return to New York, attending the premiere with his mother.