Chapter 91: Oscar-Winning Actress

[Chapter 91: Oscar-Winning Actress]

After finishing his workout, Link stepped into the public elevator. Inside stood a woman dressed in a gray suit, her hair styled in a chic bob with wispy bangs that framed her face. She had fair skin and an elegant beauty, radiating a sharp intellectual allure. She looked vaguely familiar, reminiscent of Jodie Foster.

Link recalled what his real estate agent, Ellen Herbert, had mentioned -- that Jodie Foster lived in this building. It was likely this woman was indeed Jodie Foster.

Foster was a top Hollywood star, known for iconic films like Taxi Driver, The Silence of the Lambs, and Nell. She won Academy Awards for Best Actress for both The Silence of the Lambs and The Accused in 1989 and 1992 respectively, making her the youngest actress to receive two Oscars at that time.

Two notable events surrounded her. The first was the assassination attempt on President Reagan in March 1981. The perpetrator, John Hinkley, had been arrested and claimed he was obsessed with Foster, aiming to get her attention by mimicking the actions of the character Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver.

The assassination led to Foster being thrust into the international spotlight at just 18 years old, marking her not only as a Hollywood star but also a figure in political discussions. The second was her sexual orientation, as she was openly gay.

"Good morning, Ms. Foster," Link greeted her as he stepped onto the elevator.

"Hello, Director Link," Foster nodded back calmly.

"Do you also live here, Ms. Foster?" he asked, intrigued.

"Yes, I have an apartment here that I stay in occasionally." Her voice was soft, lips pressed together.

"What a coincidence; I live on the 12th floor as well," Link replied, glancing at the illuminated button.

"Oh!" Foster responded, surprised.

When the elevator reached their floor, Link politely stepped aside to let her exit first. Foster, holding a handbag and wearing low-heeled shoes, moved with a light step. However, a few strides out, she suddenly turned around and noticed Link following just behind her, within three steps.

Her demeanor shifted, becoming cautious with her lips pursed, and her expression hardened.

This floor had only two apartments, one on the left and one on the right. If Link truly lived there, they couldn't be headed in the same direction. So why was he following her?

"Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee, Ms. Foster?" Link asked, disregarding the tension in her eyes as he approached his apartment door.

Foster froze for a moment, a hint of embarrassment crossing her face as she realized her mistake; it turned out that she had got the wrong direction.

"No, thank you," she said hurriedly, her footsteps now frantic and scattered, her hair fluttering in the breeze as she departed.

Link smiled to himself and closed the door behind him.

---

Paranormal Activity had just completed its third week of release overseas, grossing $54.53 million across 87 countries, breaking records for the highest weekly box office ever for a horror film. The overseas box office totaled $143 million.

In North America, the film was still facing significant declines, earning $18.16 million from 1,637 screens. The cumulative North American gross reached $250 million. It remained the highest-grossing film of the year so far, with Batman Returns trailing behind at $167 million, which was over $10 million less than media estimates.

The current box office of A Few Good Men was $112 million, and the box office was over 30 million less than expected.

Other films, such as Hero and Patriot Games, were also underperforming in ticket sales compared to initial predictions. Analysts cited Paranormal Activity as the culprit, which had captivated audiences and monopolized box office revenues.

The total summer box office hovered around $2 billion, split among 67 films, averaging over $26 million per film. However, Paranormal Activity alone accounted for more than $200 million of that, effectively taking away profits from other productions.

This drew severe criticism toward Link from his peers in the industry, with many using media to label him as a filmmaker who prioritized profit over artistry, labeling him a fake director who had distorted the market.

Link, however, remained unfazed. His current goal was straightforward: to make money and build capital, others could wait.

...

Nine weeks after the film's release, the third round of box office splits arrived, totaling $174 million, slightly more than media predictions.

Unlike his previous release, Buried, Paranormal Activity was fully funded and released by Guess Pictures, who had also covered the expenses during its limited release screening.

During the limited screenings, Paranormal Activity recorded an average daily revenue of $58,000 per theater, surpassing the previous high set by Dances with Wolves and achieving the best limited release box office results of the last five years.

Equipped with that data, Link negotiated with several major theater chains regarding box office splits with more leverage than before.

In Hollywood, box office splitting was never a fixed percentage. The major studios usually received a more favorable split than independent producers. The studios primarily produced commercial films with powerful marketing campaigns often resulting in higher ticket sales.

For instance, Disney's animated feature, Beauty and the Beast, had an astonishing split of 92% of initial earnings going to the producers while theaters only took 8%.

As with all films, theater earnings share would increase over time as audience interest gradually decreased, usually changing from a split of 75/25 in the early weeks to 60/40 as the film continued its run. Independent companies often found themselves at a disadvantage, securing smaller percentages.

For Paranormal Activity's release, Guess Pictures managed to secure a split of 75/25 for the first six weeks before shifting to 50/50 over the next four weeks, effectively allowing flexibility as audience interest waned.

---

After receiving that $174 million, Link and his lawyer, Sean, took a trip to New York City, where they established a firm on Wall Street named Glimmer Investments Company, or Glimmer Capital for short.

He planned to invest $200 million over the coming months, purchasing a modest stake in Microsoft.

Microsoft had gone public on NASDAQ in March 1986 with a valuation of $505 million, and six years later, was valued at $18.5 billion. With the election of Bill Clinton, the internet was set for rapid growth with firms like Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco thriving.

By 1995 with Windows 95, Microsoft cornered over 90% of the global Operating Systems market, and its valuation doubled. Before the dot-com bubble burst around 2000, Microsoft's valuation soared to $600 billion.

Though Link wasn't planning on buying too many shares to avoid attention, he aimed to keep his stake just below the 5%.

At that juncture, America was entering its "Golden Decade," and along with Microsoft, many potential investment opportunities were available including Walmart, Apple, Coca-Cola, LV, Yahoo, and Cisco; there was no shortage of places to invest his money.

The profits reaped from the stock market could be funneled back into producing larger films, yielding even greater rewards.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.