Chapter 128: Sophie
[Chapter 128: Sophie]
Although February and March were typically the off-season for the Hollywood film market, a few noteworthy films came out during that time. Some of these films were directed by renowned filmmakers, while others featured big-name actors who brought in their own buzz. After their releases, these films would become contenders against The Blair Witch Project.
According to statistics from the distribution department of Trimark Pictures, there were five films in particular that caught attention recently.
The first was the Mexican film Like Water for Chocolate, which had received rave reviews after its release last year in Mexico and the UK, grossing a total of $12 million. It was set to release in the U.S. on February 19.
The second film was the thriller Falling Down, directed by the famous Joe Schumacher. The male lead was Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas, and the film had a production budget of $25 million, also scheduled for a February 19 release.
The third film was the crime-comedy Mad Dog and Glory, produced by Universal Pictures. The male lead was Oscar-winner Robert De Niro, and the female lead was the up-and-coming Uma Thurman, with a release date of February 26.
Fourth in line was the romantic thriller Sommersby, starring Richard Gere and Jodie Foster, set for release on March 5.
The fifth project was the science fiction film Fire in the Sky by Paramount Pictures, which had a production budget of $35 million.
As March progressed, many other blockbusters would release, including New Line's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 and Point of No Return starring Bridget Fonda.
Compared to these films, The Blair Witch Project, despite its grand promotional efforts, had a smaller star cast.
Faced with a multitude of competitors, it remained uncertain whether The Blair Witch Project could break through and achieve success like Paranormal Activity had. Many in the film industry adopted a wait-and-see attitude.
If the hype surrounding The Blair Witch Project resulted in box office success, it might prove that such promotional strategies were effective and could be adopted for future film releases.
---
"Director Link, hello! I'm a huge fan. It's great to meet you!" Sophie Marceau approached with a copy of the French version of Interstellar in hand.
Sophie, in her twenties, wore a cream trench coat over a blue dress, her golden-brown hair cascading over her shoulders, and her fluffy bangs made her look pure and beautiful.
"Miss Sophie Marceau? Hello! You're my fan too?" Link stood and shook her hand.
"Yes, Director Link. You know about me?" Sophie beamed, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Your film La Boum is well-known; however, I personally prefer L'Amour braque, where you portrayed Mary with such enchanting charm -- nobody else could capture that role the way you did."
"Thank you! Your book is fantastic too!" Sophie smiled, her blue eyes twinkling.
"I heard you call me director; I thought you liked my movies more," Link chuckled.
"True, your film Buried is great, but I enjoy your novel more. I've read this book three times and can recite many classic lines," Sophie said with a grin.
"Thank you for loving my book; it's my honor," Link replied, aware that there were many fans waiting in line behind her.
...
After signing quickly for Sophie, he moved on to the next eager fan. Over the past few months, he had attended well over a hundred signings, interacting with nearly 100,000 fans, which included world-famous personalities and international stars, though Sophie wasn't the most famous or the most beautiful he'd encountered.
At a signing in Copenhagen, he had met an elf-like beauty with golden hair and blue eyes, but by the time he realized who she was, she'd vanished into the crowd, book in hand.
...
After bidding farewell to Sophie, Link had assumed he'd next encounter her at an awards ceremony or a party in a few years. However, after the signing event concluded, he unexpectedly saw Sophie again in the library hallway.
It seemed Sophie had been waiting for him, and when she spotted him, she approached and invited him for coffee. Link accepted, and they headed to a cafe by the Seine River, discussing films and Interstellar.
Sophie was a quintessential cultural enthusiast, passionate about literature. When discussing books, her enthusiasm shone brightly, and her blue eyes sparkled like stars. At times she leaned on her hand, gazing at him with admiration that left him somewhat flustered.
He could only muster his knowledge of famous authors and their works, talking about American writers like Hemingway and Poe, French authors like Maupassant and Romain Rolland, as well as Russian figures like Turgenev and Dostoevsky, and even touching on figures like Faulkner and Tagore.
Although Link hadn't read every classic, he knew many of their signature works, their styles, and key excerpts, allowing him to engage reasonably well in conversation with Sophie, who had read less.
They talked from the afternoon until the moon rose over the Seine, the cool river breeze becoming a notable chill.
As Link prepared to say goodbye, Sophie invited him to her apartment for a rest, which was quite close. He politely declined.
...
After wrapping up the book signing in Paris, Link's European journey came to an end, and he returned to America with his promotional team.
During his time in Europe, they visited 23 countries and regions, held events in 54 cities, and conducted 73 signings, selling 2.18 million copies of Interstellar in Europe. This propelled the total sales worldwide to 6.43 million, and they anticipated breaking the 10 million mark by year-end, making it the bestselling science fiction novel of the year.
---
Back in America, Link temporarily set aside promotional duties to focus on film. On February 26, after extensive publicity, The Blair Witch Project premiered in 1,728 theaters across North America.
In its opening weekend, it grossed an impressive $35.03 million.
It dominated the box office over contemporaneous releases like Mad Dog and Glory, Like Water for Chocolate, and Falling Down, claiming the top spot.
As The Blair Witch Project opened, Hollywood studios and media closely monitored its box office performance.
Although many had confidently anticipated good numbers based on ticket sales and current buzz, they were still shocked when the opening results were released.
The film had no major stars, no renowned director, no lavish costumes or props, no groundbreaking music or echoing sound design -- nor did it offer any significant artistic depth or profound themes.
Beyond a hint of horror, it lacked everything else. How was it pulling in such high box office numbers? Was this another Paranormal Activity in the making?
Some had calculated that making a film like this shouldn't exceed $60,000. An experienced director could pull it off for $20,000 or $30,000, similar to Paranormal Activity.
Yet this low-budget film grossed $35.03 million in just three days, yielding nearly a thousand times its budget.
Its opening weekend figures were even better than those of Paranormal Activity.
Some media outlets excitedly declared that The Blair Witch Project was the next Paranormal Activity, with global box office potential rivaling that of its predecessor.
As investigations into director Ed Merrick began, it became apparent he was a relatively unknown figure -- he had only served as a director and production assistant in other crews before, making The Blair Witch Project his debut.
Was it possible for such a novice director to create a blockbuster?
Could Ed Merrick be the next Link?
The media noted that The Blair Witch Project's promotional model echoed that of Paranormal Activity, leading to phenomenal box office results. They began to assert that the film market had changed and that audience tastes had shifted.
Gone were the days when Hollywood emphasized quality and star power to attract viewers.
Now, it seemed, marketers prioritized hype; as long as the promotion was done effectively, raising audience curiosity, a film could achieve great box office success regardless of quality.
Nobody could tell whether this shift was a step forward or a regress.
*****
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