Chapter 172: Crisis
[Chapter 172: Crisis]
Prominent outlets like the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today, along with major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, published glowing reviews of the film.
They hailed The Firm as the best drama of the year and the finest legal film of the past decade, saying it was a must-see for everyone.
As the movie released, nearly every star under Creative Artists Agency (CAA) rallied to promote it. Celebrities like Tom Hanks, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, Madonna, Richard Gere, Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Robert Downey Jr., Meryl Streep, and Jodie Foster joined the effort, all big names in Hollywood.
Even Nicolas Cage, Keanu Reeves, and Michelle Pfeiffer felt pressure from their contracts to publicly endorse The Firm.
Variety magazine proclaimed that the film was met with "widespread acclaim" upon its release.
...
In its second week, The Firm garnered a $28.07 million at the box office, regaining the number one spot and bringing its North American total to $56.81 million. The media predicted that the film would exceed $150 million in revenue. However, they underestimated CAA's influence.
...
To maximize The Firm's box office potential, CAA lobbied Disney, Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures, and other film studios, successfully persuading multiple major releases to postpone their debuts. This included projects like the action-packed The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford, Warner Bros.' family film Free Willy, and Disney's comedy Hocus Pocus.
Meanwhile, Paramount Pictures, the distributor of The Firm, ramped up its marketing efforts. News outlets were flooded with promotional content, and posters plastered the streets across America. Paramount learned from Link's marketing tactics, generating a ton of buzz following the film's release.
For instance, the two leads, Tom Cruise and Jenny Tripplehorn, allegedly fell in love while filming, while Cruise and Nicole Kidman faced marital strife. Shortly after, Cruise clarified that these rumors were entirely blown out of proportion.
Another company came out to accuse the film company, believing that the gang-related companies in the film were similar to theirs, which affected their company's reputation, and demanded that Tom Cruise make a public apology.
Then a lawyer came forward and said that the company was also suspected of economic crimes and filed a lawsuit in the local court, which the judicial system later investigated. And so it went, with daily media coverage creating quite the spectacle.
...
In The Firm's third week, it reeled in $18.46 million, pushing its box office total over $75 million. Variety predicted that the film could reach $170 million.
"Yesss!" Robert Downey Jr. exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air upon hearing The Firm's success at the box office.
"Nice! Nice!" Richard Gere remarked with a smile as he read the newspaper.
In recent years, only seven or eight films per year had crossed the $100 million benchmark in North America. The Firm's expected revenue of $170 million secured it a spot in the top ten of the annual box office rankings. With over 200 films released yearly, making it into the top ten was no small feat.
Given this, the stakes in his bet against Link were already looking favorable. "The Firm has crossed 75 million; should we throw a party to celebrate?" Dustin Hoffman proposed.
"Count me in!" Kiefer Sutherland replied cheerily.
Richard Gere waved dismissively and said with a grin, "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Just because The Firm hit 75 million doesn't guarantee victory over Link's next movie. We can celebrate after we win."
"Ha! We're totally going to win. Link's first three movies made bank mainly through hype. Now he's ditching that angle; this time around, if he thinks he'll hit big, he might struggle just to break even," Robert chimed in.
"Exactly! We can have a pre-celebration and then party big time once we secure our victory," Dustin agreed.
His suggestion gained traction, and they gathered a group of friends at a villa for a party, toasting to The Firm's success while anticipating a win against Link that would bring in significant profits.
---
"Link, I heard the rumors about your wager with Tom Cruise. Is it true? A hundred million on the line?" Quentin Tarantino called to ask.
"Yep," Link replied, having to clarify yet again after the betting news spread, as many were curious about the bet with Cruise, which rumors escalated to figures of either a hundred million or even two hundred million.
"Aren't you just one guy betting against a whole bunch from CAA? Are you out of your mind?" Quentin questioned incredulously.
"It was their idea; I thought it sounded fun, and I didn't object."
"Fun? The Firm is already grossing over 75 million, and estimates are pushing it to two hundred million. Can your new movie clear a hundred million? Speaking of, how's that coming along?"
Quentin had been busy working on Pulp Fiction and hadn't seen Link's film during its preview.
"It's good, surpassing 99% of horror films throughout cinema history."
"Haha, I don't believe it. Although I haven't seen it yet, but from what I gather, it's bound to be similar to your first three films, which thrived on hype. How do you expect to succeed this time without that?"
"My films succeed due to quality. This one is no different -- it's even better. Clearing a hundred million won't be an issue."
"A hundred million won't outdo The Firm. Word is you're at risk of bankruptcy, going back to being broke like you used to be. Link, wouldn't it be better to focus on films and women instead of gambling? If you hit rock bottom, I'll use you as a cautionary tale for my son about the perils of gambling -- no one gets away clean, not even once-brilliant directors."
Quentin rambled on, seemingly convinced that Link's betting would end in disaster.
"Stop! Don't dream up scenarios. You don't even have a girlfriend. What are you talking about concerning a son? Even if I do, my life story would serve as the most inspirational tale he'll ever read, not a cautionary one," Link interjected, steering the conversation back to Quentin's project, asking about the status of Pulp Fiction and when it would wrap up for an early release.
...
After hanging up, Link received calls from others, many urging him not to gamble, encouraging him to keep going, learn from his experiences, and despite possibly losing this time, he could always create more great movies to make up for it.
...
Harvey Weinstein also called, jokingly suggesting that Link consider shooting The Butterfly Effect earlier, as it looked promising and wouldn't leave him in a bad spot due to the wager.
Link assured him not to worry; the risk of losing seventy million dollars didn't faze him. If he lost, it was no problem.
Harvey, sounding a bit sour, just remarked that Link was very lucky.
...
Michelle Pfeiffer rang up next, letting him know that Richard, Robert, and Tom were partying at their villa to celebrate The Firm's success, also looking forward to their impending victory with the wager.
"Do you think you might lose?" Michelle asked.
"It's possible, but honestly, a few million doesn't mean much to me," Link replied.
...
After hanging up, Link began to feel a twinge of anxiety, something he hadn't felt before. Yet, being perceived by many as the likely loser started to affect him.
Current estimates placed The Firm's box office at $170 million while Final Destination stood at about $80 million with a projected 2.8 times box office return, potentially reaching $224 million.
If CAA manipulated The Firm's figures to push them over $200 million, it could stir trouble for Final Destination. Additionally, after the latter's release, CAA could control the media channels, blocking news on Final Destination and thus delaying any potential box office compensation, leading to losses as well.
*****
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