Chapter 199: Television Interview

[Chapter 199: Television Interview]

On television, Link discussed the latest rumors with Larry King and moved on to talk about his wager with Robert Downey Jr. and others, covering the reasons, the course of events, and the amounts involved. After the bet concluded, these matters had been reported multiple times by the media, so they were hardly a secret. Link didn't hide anything and gave a brief overview.

"Link, you said when you bet against Robert Downey Jr. and the others, you didn't know how many were on their side or that Michael Ovitz was involved too. Despite this, you dared to bet $72 million. Weren't you worried about losing?" Larry King leaned slightly, lowering his voice. "I've heard you have a good relationship with Lady Luck. Did she quietly tell you that with her around, you were guaranteed to win this bet?"

The audience burst into laughter again.

Link shrugged and replied, "I wish Lady Luck had told me that, but unfortunately, she hates gambling and won't favor anyone who gets involved in it. The reasons I dared to take this wager were threefold:

First, I was confident in the box office of Final Destination. This confidence was built on the box office data from Buried and Paranormal Activity, so it was quite reliable. From the initial promotion, it didn't seem like The Firm would perform at the same level as a blockbuster like Jurassic Park.

Second, after two years in the industry, I had made quite a bit of money through films and investments. When I was short on cash, every penny was precious. But once I had enough money, it became just a string of numbers. Losing tens of millions wouldn't affect my life or my company's operation.

Third, I was too young to buckle under pressure. Before the bet, Robert called me multiple times, pressuring me to either take the bet or publicly concede and apologize. I didn't want to concede or apologize, so I accepted the wager. Looking back, my decision was a bit impulsive."

As he answered, Larry jotted down notes. When Link finished, Larry asked, "You said you were confident in Final Destination and didn't believe The Firm could surpass it at the box office. However, after the release of Final Destination, you ran extensive promotional work, including forming a band to support the movie. Total Film magazine stated that without the Grim Reapers Band promoting it, you could easily have lost that wager. So it seems your confidence might not be that strong."

...

"Good question!" In a prison cell, Robert Downey Jr. watched the television, pumping his fist in excitement. After going through rehab, he appeared much healthier.

"That jerk was obviously bragging. If it weren't for the promotional work boosting Final Destination's box office by tens of millions, he would've lost that wager for sure."

"Reports said you also spent money, tens of millions. Why couldn't you win against Link?" one of his prison mates asked.

Robert scoffed, "If it weren't for that crappy band helping pull in over $20 million for Final Destination, we would've definitely won."

"Using a band for promotion isn't a big deal, right? A lot of singers have transitioned to acting and used concerts to boost box office sales."

"I heard you guys even bought out slots to boost the box office, which is pretty much cheating. Compared to you, Link's band promotion seems fair."

"Haha, Robert, the reason you lost to Link wasn't bad luck; it was that you guys were too clueless to come up with better promotional strategies," the other inmates chimed in.

Robert opened his mouth to argue but couldn't find a solid reason, so he just scowled at the TV.

...

Onscreen, Link said, "When we held the internal premiere for Final Destination, I predicted a box office of about $180 million. After The Firm released, I projected its North American gross would hover around $150 million, with a maximum of $140 million in fifteen weeks. However, by the end of those fifteen weeks, Final Destination had surpassed the $200 million mark, which certainly put some pressure on me. Therefore, we had to allocate additional funds for marketing. The idea to form a band came from the distribution team's proposal. Aside from that, we had several backup plans. So even without the Grim Reapers Band, we would have employed other methods. The outcomes might have been slightly less effective, but surpassing The Firm wouldn't have been a problem. The main reason for Final Destination's success stemmed from its strong audience base; people enjoyed watching it. While The Firm might have had some artistic merit, its audience appeal was lacking. That's the fundamental reason for Final Destination's box office leading The Firm."

The audience erupted into applause.

"Turns out you all are Link's fans; I thought you were here for me," Larry feigned jealousy.

The crowd laughed, and a middle-aged woman shouted, "Larry, I love you!"

"I love you all too," Larry smiled, then continued to ask, "Link, you just said your movie has a robust audience base and that everyone enjoys your films, which is why they perform so well. However, there has been a wide-spread media rumor lately suggesting that your movies lead to unfortunate events.

For instance, before Paranormal Activity was released, there was a similar incident in Murrieta City, and rumors circulated that several viewers died from fear after watching it. After The Blair Witch Project released, there were also reports of unexpected deaths.

And now with Final Destination, the number of associated incidents has risen, including the Minnesota plane crash, River's accidental death, Richard Gere being severely injured, Robert Downey Jr.'s imprisonment, and multiple audience members suffering accidents shortly after watching the film. It seems like your movies are prone to provoking bad things. Many people believe in these rumors, especially those who believe in supernatural occurrences.

What's your take on these rumors?"

Larry paused, looking left and right, then spoke nervously, "Honestly, I felt a lot of pressure during this interview, which is why I prepared ahead of time."

As Larry produced a cross and a crystal vial filled with holy water, the audience burst into laughter.

Link sighed, "Larry, please trust science."

"Sorry, Link. I can't help but feel this way. Your movie has caused more than one mishap; it's happened multiple times, enough for me to believe it. Besides, I'm getting older; I'd rather be prepared. I hope you understand," Larry said, making the sign of the cross over his chest.

Link shook his head, "These are just rumors. Over 200 movies release in North America each year, and over 2 million people die for various reasons. If one were to connect their deaths to films released around that time, it would appear nearly every film leads to numerous fatalities, which is certainly impossible. The logical connection between them is pretty flimsy and doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

The main reason my films are thought to cause ominous events or even lead to unfortunate deaths is that several of my films belong to the thriller genre, which tends to have a significant impact. The settings feel realistic enough to remind viewers of nearby terrifying occurrences.

Moreover, my films have performed very well at the box office, exceeding even those highly regarded films, leading to plenty of resentment. They've disparaged my movies in every way imaginable; the rumors you mentioned are part of that defamation and aren't credible."

"That does have some reasoning," Larry replied, nodding. After hesitating, he put away the cross and holy water.

The audience watched this exchange, unable to contain their laughter.

*****

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