Chapter 365: I'm Not Investing In The Rock

[Chapter 365: I'm Not Investing In The Rock]

In its third week of release, The Sixth Sense grossed $52.19 million from 2,883 theaters in North America, bringing its total box office to $210 million.

Although this week's box office dropped 30%, it became the first film in North American history to surpass $50 million for three consecutive weeks.

It was also the fastest film to cross the $200 million mark, achieving this in just 19 days.

Jurassic Park took 23 days to reach the same milestone.

The runner-up at the box office was the adventure film Jumanji, starring Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst, which garnered $18.24 million in its opening week.

Third place went to Warner Bros.' Heat, which opened at $11.07 million.

Fourth was Sabrina starring Harrison Ford, earning $7.69 million in its first week.

With several big releases this week, The Sixth Sense continued its strong box office performance, leaving Jumanji and Heat's opening numbers below expectations.

However, the biggest flop of the week was clearly Cutthroat Island.

...

With mediocre quality, it was overshadowed by the success of The Sixth Sense and subsequently suppressed by several other decent films, raking in only $2.24 million this week, placing Cutthroat Island at number 8.

It has so far accumulated only $13.41 million at the box office.

Media reports estimated its box office to drop to $20 million in North America.

Against a production cost of $150 million and over $10 million in promotional expenses, the film was expected to incur losses of no less than $100 million.

The Los Angeles Times reported in its latest edition that Carolco Pictures had shown lackluster performance over the past two years, currently facing a financial deficit of $380 million.

Cutthroat Island was seen as a potential lifeline for Carolco.

If the film's North American box office only reached $20 million, Carolco's financial deficit would swell to $500 million.

With a market value of $360 million, Carolco Pictures was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

The Los Angeles Times analyzed that Carolco's predicament stemmed from cutthroat competition between the major studios and Guess Pictures; as long as these companies continued to compete, not only Carolco would suffer, but many independent studios in Hollywood could face extinction, and the major studios themselves risked bankruptcy.

The New York Times and The Washington Post, along with several other major media outlets, provided a neutral analysis of the current state of the American film industry, expressing a pessimistic outlook for independent films, suggesting that the North American film industry might revert to over fifty years ago when eight studios dominated and monopolized the market.

Several mainstream media outlets criticized the fierce competition between the major studios and Guess Pictures, particularly directing their ire at Guess for behaving like a disruptive force in the industry.

...

"Look at Link, there are so many people jealous that we want to make money," Lily said, pointing at some articles in the paper while dressed in a professional women's suit paired with a light knit sweater.

When she bent down, it revealed her smooth and fair skin.

Having shared a bed often, Link didn't need to touch her to know how silky her skin really felt.

He could imagine the shape of her body beneath her clothes without needing to see everything -- whether they were grapefruit-shaped or more like melons, and whether the taste was sweet and salty, or sweet first and then salty.

"Smack!"

Lily blushed and playfully hit him, using her slim and fair finger to tap the newspaper.

"Pervert! I told you to look at the paper, not something else."

"Reading the paper is less interesting than looking at you."

"Let's talk business, no more fooling around."

Lily grabbed his hand that had wandered to her buttocks and pressed on his shoulder to encourage him to read the paper.

"Alright!"

Link glanced at two representative articles in the paper before putting it down.

Both pieces were similar to the content in The Los Angeles Times, suggesting that rumors about Carolco Pictures' impending bankruptcy were being used to tarnish the name of Guess Pictures.

They renewed the threat narrative, saying Guess Pictures was on the verge of dominating Hollywood, which would signal the end for independent films.

Link dismissed this sentiment, as monopolistic tendencies were rampant everywhere. Every industry, including the film industry, eventually sought to maximize profits through monopolization.

...

In the early to mid-1900s, Hollywood had eight major studios, including the now-bankrupt RKO, which had merged with Columbia Pictures.

Years later, MGM would also go bankrupt, leaving six major studios until the 21st century when 20th Century Fox was bought by Disney and Columbia merged with Sony Entertainment.

With the rise of the internet, the big film industry's market gradually shrank, and the seven major studios might eventually reduce to one.

In this fiercely competitive environment, Guess Pictures had to remain vigilant and maintain a strong competitive edge to continue thriving.

A little slack would lead to being torn apart by competitors.

...

Carolco Pictures was a prime example.

Founded in 1988, it had produced successful films like Terminator 2, Cliffhanger, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and others.

It once ranked as the eighth-largest studio in Hollywood.

However, following the rise of Guess Pictures, Carolco's situation began to deteriorate.

From 1993 onward, multiple films had lost money, with its financial deficit steadily increasing.

In 1994, MGM and Columbia attempted to acquire Carolco, but their president, Mario Kassar, refused.

Kassar pinned his hopes on Cutthroat Island, believing that if it became a success, the studio could rebound.

Unfortunately, such all-or-nothing bets rarely succeeded.

The film faltered in its opening week against the dominance of The Sixth Sense and faced fierce competition during the Christmas season, turning it into cannon fodder and delivering a lethal blow to Carolco Pictures.

Last year's Castle Rock and the future MGM suffered bankruptcy not because of one film's box office failures but due to overwhelming debt and poor decision-making; when the major studios chose to strike at the right moment, bankruptcy became inevitable.

Should Guess Pictures' debt exceed $3 billion, threatening bankruptcy, the major studios would be swift to stab it in the back and take their share of the spoils.

In this challenging environment, Guess Pictures had no choice but to forge ahead fearlessly.

...

"What do you think? Do these reports mean the major studios are gearing up to attack us again?"

Lily gently massaged his shoulders.

"No matter what, there's no need to worry. As long as there are no internal issues at Guess Pictures and each movie is filmed and released as planned, the major studios won't be able to defeat us together."

Link assured her while holding her soft fingers.

"But we can't be too arrogant or get complacent; underestimating the enemy could lead to being ambushed and defeated."

"Got it, I'll keep everyone vigilant."

Link wrapped his arms around her slim waist and grinned, "Now that we've said enough small talk, can we get down to business?"

"What business? Are you just going to fool around again?"

Lily rolled her eyes at him, sitting on his lap with reluctance and playfully applying pressure with her backside against his thigh.

Link chuckled and kissed her smooth, fair cheek.

At 5'7", Lily had a curvaceous figure; her proportions were becoming better and better, though in his arms she felt light, almost like a bundle of cotton.

"We're planning to go on vacation at the end of the year. Do you have any places in mind?"

"No, I'll follow your lead. But in February, I need to take Cici back to celebrate the New Year. I haven't been home for the holiday in three years; it's time to see my parents."

Lily leaned against him, her hand resting on his solid chest.

"Going home for the holiday is nice. I'll arrange a flight for you and Cici and pack some gifts for your parents."

"No need, that sounds too complicated."

"We're family, how can it be complicated? It's a must for me to spoil you!"

Link kissed her rosy lips just as the phone on the desk rang at an inopportune moment.

...

"Ha ha, is Link busy?"

Harvey Weinstein greeted him warmly over the phone.

"Yes, I'm handling some crucial work. Is there something you need?"

Link held Lily back to let her know to wait, assuring her that the call wouldn't take long.

Lily shot him a pretty side-eye, her hand sliding from his solid abs downwards.

"Haha, okay, let me make it short."

Harvey asked about the three scripts he had sent, which one was he considering investing in?

Last time while making love at Cindy Crawford's place, he and Harvey had talked about working together, and afterward, Harvey's team sent over the documents for three projects: The Wings of the Dove, Cop Land, and Wishful Thinking, including the scripts and shooting plans.

After reading them, Link didn't like any of them.

He asked Harvey if there were any projects with higher production costs, ideally over $60 million, as he believed anything under $20 million wouldn't yield significant returns.

"Over $60 million?"

Harvey's face twitched at his request; Miramax was a mid-sized studio, primarily focusing on two types of films: ones that they produced and ones they acquired.

Due to limited funding, the films they produced typically had costs below $30 million.

Lower investments also meant reduced risk.

Now with Link asking for films costing over $60 million, it felt like calling him broke, implying he couldn't afford to make a blockbuster.

Harvey steadied himself, forcing a smile.

"Ha ha, well, these three projects are good too; while they don't have large budgets, their scripts are solid. Do you have any interest in investing?"

"The investment is too small; the returns won't be high either. The company is not looking to invest in that."

Link leaned back, making it easier for Lily to move around.

He then asked Harvey about his options.

Previously, Guess Pictures had also offered three movie projects to Harvey, including The Rock, Fight Club, and Girl, Interrupted.

The first project had a budget of $100 million, the second was $40 million, and the third was $18 million.

"Fight Club is a solid choice. Are you planning to direct this film?"

Harvey inquired.

"I'm not sure; if I have time, I'll direct it myself. If not, I'll hire someone else and serve as producer and editor. But I recommend you invest in The Rock, as it's a commercial film and has a better chance at the box office."

"No, no, I'm not investing in The Rock," Harvey quickly declined.

After discussing it with Ovitz, although he didn't know what he intended to do, it was clear that the film had issues.

Jumping into a known pitfall was too foolish.

To avoid raising Link's suspicions, Harvey nervously explained that The Rock's budget was too big for Miramax's current financial situation; he hoped to have a chance to invest in Fight Club.

"Alright, Fight Club works too; you can have the remaining 25% stake in that project."

After finishing the discussion with Ovitz, Link called Annie, saying he needed a break and not to let any calls come through for a while; Annie acknowledged.

Link hung up, pulling Lily closer as they started to indulge themselves.

---

"Hmph!"

In the office of Miramax's president, Harvey Weinstein slammed down the phone, evidently displeased.

Link's casual attitude had come across as dismissive, indicating he wasn't keen on collaborating with Miramax; during their chat, he seemed unfocused, distracted by the sounds of a woman breathing heavily in the background.

Doing that while on the phone is was exceptionally disrespectful.

In years past, when Miramax's films were profitable, no one dared to disrespect him.

Now that Miramax was on the decline, young talents like Link felt they could act without regard.

Harvey took a deep breath, feeling agitated as his stomach bulged like a balloon, the buttons of his shirt straining to stay fastened.

"Hey brother, which film is Link planning to invest in?"

Bob Weinstein asked, putting down his Motorola phone.

"He doesn't want to invest in our films, saying the budgets are too low and won't yield significant returns. They lack investment value," Harvey replied with a stern expression.

"None of the three scripts have investment potential? What about Cop Land?"

Bob was surprised; among the three projects, Cop Land had the largest budget at $35 million, co-produced by Miramax and Disney.

The projected director was James Mangold, with lead actors like Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, and Harvey Keitel, who had both acting talent and box office draw.

This project was expected to perform well, and they had thought Link would favor this script, yet he turned it down.

Harvey shook his head, feeling disappointment and concern.

Since Guess Pictures began to enjoy consistent box office successes, Link's choices had gained public acclaim.

Any script he accepted had over a 90% chance of great success; in contrast, the leftover 10% could perform below expectations without leading to losses.

Now that Link had passed on all three of Miramax's projects, did it indicate that they all lacked potential and investment value?

Would filming any of them result in a financial loss?

Harvey pulled out the project materials to review; these were all items he had handpicked, believed to possess market potential.

Initially, he had confidence in these three projects, but after speaking with Link, he felt that confidence slipping away.

"Brother, Link has an eye for talent -- this is a universally recognized fact. If he doesn't see potential in these three, there may be legitimate issues. Should we reconsider and select other scripts?"

Bob suggested.

"Why should we change? You think my script selection skills are worse than Link's?"

Harvey queried, displeased.

Bob shrugged, saying nothing, but the implication was clear.

In recent years, while Harvey had successfully selected hits like Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Cinema Paradiso, and Pulp Fiction, he had also faced many financial failures, accumulating dozens of movies that lost exorbitantly, which had led to a sharp increase in Miramax's debt over the last two years.

This indicated Harvey fell short in script selection compared to Link.

Harvey was aware of this but felt aggrieved, even Bob didn't hold him in high regard.

"We'll continue according to the original plan. I refuse to believe his instincts will always hold up. Don't forget the films he backed, like The Underneath and To Die For, also faced their own issues," Harvey asserted defensively.

"However, Link's likelihood of misjudgment is comparatively lower. If he's right about these scripts and they perform poorly at the box office, Miramax's situation will worsen significantly."

Bob cautioned.

Harvey's expression soured even further, "What can we do about it? Just because Link doesn't favor something doesn't mean we shouldn't shoot it. Besides, he said the issue is low profit margins, not that the films would lose money."

"Alright, I'll follow your lead on this one."

In terms of film production, Harvey was undoubtedly more knowledgeable, and Bob didn't intend to dispute him.

"Wait!"

As Bob was about to leave, Harvey took a drag from his cigarette, suppressing his irritation, "Let the production department review and select one to shoot from the three scripts; the other two should be re-evaluated. Consider lowering the budget or seeking investment from other studios to minimize risks."

"Sure, I'll arrange that right away."

Bob adjusted his slipping belt and swaggered his hefty backside out the door.

...

Harvey continued smoking, then suddenly kicked the desk hard, grumbling to himself, "Damn Link!"

In the past, when making films, he had exuded unwavering confidence, believing that every movie he greenlit would be a hit; regardless of others' opinions, he'd stick to his choices.

Because of this instinct and persistence, he had successively backed several profitable movies in recent years.

Now, with Link, his confidence felt quietly stripped away.

Following project approvals, he became anxious and worried, which was an awful feeling.

All this because of that damn Link.

The notion of himself fretting while Link was probably indulging in fun at his office filled him with an uncontainable rage.

*****

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