Chapter 246: A Successful Wrap-Up
[Chapter 246: A Successful Wrap-Up]
After recording Billy's Movie Show, Link continued to participate in various interviews, discussing Se7en, his recent experiences of being wronged, and updates on his new film projects.
Despite the media still stirring rumors about him being a murderer, audiences who had tuned in to a few of Link's interviews began to believe him more. The narrative that painted him as a killer started to lose traction, and related stories saw a considerable drop in coverage.
Link's reputation gradually began to recover, and the word-of-mouth for Se7en improved significantly. In its seventh week, Se7en continued to perform well, earning $25.83 million in North America. With no major blockbusters releasing that week, Se7en retained its position at the top of the box office for three consecutive weeks.
The second place was taken by the Warner Bros. crime film Natural Born Killers, written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Oliver Stone, featuring Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis. The film also had a guest appearance by O.J. Simpson, which helped it earn a solid $14.16 million in its opening week across 1,810 theaters.
For third place, Forrest Gump drew in $12.75 million, accumulating a total of $216 million. The fourth spot went to Clear and Present Danger with $8.31 million, while True Lies rounded out the top five with $6.48 million, bringing its total to $89.05 million.
By its seventh week, Se7en had grossed a cumulative $186 million in North America, with expectations to surpass the $200 million mark the following week, making it the third film of the year to hit that milestone, after The Lion King and Forrest Gump.
...
Beginning in early August, Se7en was also set to premiere in theaters across 54 countries and regions worldwide. Currently, the overseas box office tally stood at approximately $238 million, growing faster than in North America, with even more positive reviews. It was anticipated that the international box office would not fall short of $400 million.
...
"Ha ha, Link, congratulations! Se7en is amazing, and you're absolutely fantastic. You're definitely the best director in the world -- no one else even comes close!" Greg Davis, Chief Investment Officer at Vanguard Capital, enthusiastically praised Link over the phone.
From an investor's perspective, Link was undoubtedly the best director out there. His films had low production costs but yielded high returns, with every single one turning into a box office hit, ensuring investors never saw losses. No other director in the industry could compete with him, not even George Lucas, who had never seen a loss, or James Cameron, who had recently seen a surge in performance, or celebrated director Steven Spielberg, who consistently produced great films.
None of them could match Link's speed or efficiency in making money. He was the most sought-after director by investors. With Se7en's global gross reaching $420 million, projections indicated a final tally exceeding $700 million, possibly even $800 million.
That achievement was dazzling. As a shareholder and beneficiary of the company, Greg had every reason to be excited and didn't shy away from showering Link with praise -- as long as Link kept making money, Greg would be willing to go to great lengths to support him.
Link, hearing Greg's increasingly extravagant compliments, quickly interjected, "We can't get too excited just yet. Over the past few weeks, various media outlets have intentionally targeted me and Se7en. I can't guarantee that more negativity won't surface down the line. If any more bad news comes out about Se7en, its box office could take a bigger hit, so we shouldn't celebrate just yet."
"Ha ha, Link, you don't need to worry about negative news. Se7en's box office performance has been solid. The company is willing to intervene and influence related reporting. With the company's involvement, I can assure you there won't be much negative media coverage going forward," Greg replied.
Vanguard Capital was eager to influence the media because Se7en's prospects were bright, rivaling big summer blockbusters like Forrest Gump. As shareholders, they were among those who stood to benefit. Negative press about Se7en would only obstruct their profits, which was simply intolerable.
Furthermore, Vanguard Capital held shares in several major media conglomerates. Reports of negative news about Se7en from these media outlets would be akin to sabotaging themselves, something they had no intention of doing. The only concern was that Vanguard Capital owned too small a stake in Guess Pictures, which meant that while they supported Se7en, the largest benefits were going to Link. This displeased the investors significantly, who urged Greg Davis to expedite discussions with Link to secure more financing through additional shares.
If Vanguard Capital could acquire over 60% of Guess Pictures, they would treat it with the same equal respect they extended to the seven major film studios. Responding to Greg, Link indicated that the second round of financing was expected to take place in the second half of next year and that the plan had already been set. Alterations could disrupt the company's development.
Greg Davis expressed his willingness to wait. On one hand, Guess Pictures held great potential and high investment value. On the other hand, Link mentioned that friendly relations with investors would take priority in the next financing round. With Vanguard's proactive support in countering negative public opinion about Se7en, they seemed quite amicable, which might open the door for them to acquire more shares in the next round.
Hearing this, Greg would adopt a more patient stance. After ending the call, Link chuckled.
...
Before Greg called, Paul Zummo, a senior partner at J.P. Morgan, had also reached out, his demeanor even warmer than Greg's. Hank expressed a desire to deepen collaboration in hopes of acquiring more shares in Guess Pictures. He hinted that a deeper partnership with J.P. Morgan could yield more support, and if Guess Pictures ever sought to acquire any of the seven major studios, they would back him fully, potentially making him Hollywood's most powerful figure -- Hollywood's king.
His enthusiasm was evident. The primary motivator was the financial success of Guess Pictures, which had generated substantial profits, and they didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to ride that success.
If the summer blockbuster season had seen Guess Pictures struggling or underperforming due to pressure from the other studios, these investors would likely have been far less cordial.
Such is the nature of capital. Link was acutely aware of what capital entailed. After all, he was part of it too.
Ding-a-ling!
Soon, other industry figures like Robert Shaye, Harvey Weinstein, Graydon Carter, and others called to congratulate him on Se7en's remarkable global triumph. Robert and Harvey reiterated the partnership they shared over the phone, expressing a desire to enhance their collaboration. Graydon invited him to the club for a round of golf.
Meanwhile, another call came from Jacke Chan, who wanted Link to take a look at the completed film Rumble in the Bronx, hoping to get his feedback and insights. Link agreed.
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Knock knock knock!
"Link, with Se7en doing so well, should we throw a party to celebrate?" Michael Leeson came in to ask.
"It's a good idea to celebrate. Make it a big event! Invite everyone who supported us during the summer blockbuster season. I'll be sure to attend," Link instructed.
"Got it, Link!" Michael nodded and left.
...
Link set down his folder and leaned back in his chair, letting out a sigh. During this time of firefighting and promoting the film, he had been running around daily. Though physically he wasn't tired, mentally, he felt worn out. Now that the film was successfully released, he planned to take a break and prepare for his new film project in a more refreshed state.
*****
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