[Chapter 171: Release]
During the negotiations, Fox Entertainment Channel was the first to report breaking news. According to insider information, Link had made a bet with celebrities like Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, Richard Gere, and Dustin Hoffman regarding box office numbers. They wagered whether Tom Cruise's new film, The Firm, would outperform Link's new movie, Final Destination. The stakes reportedly reached over one hundred million dollars.
Once the news broke, Hollywood was abuzz. Major casinos across the U.S. began to establish similar betting schemes, and conversations erupted over which side had better odds. Supporters of Tom Cruise and Link were evenly matched. The reasoning behind the supporters' confidence varied; Cruise's fame and a promising preview made his film seem like a surefire hit, while Link's previous two films had grossed astonishingly high returns, setting records for profitability. Surely, his third film would not disappoint either.
Originally, the bet was between Link and Robert Downey Jr., but it had turned into a showdown between Link and Tom Cruise, thanks in part to CAA's strategic maneuvering. CAA aimed to leverage Cruise's immense popularity and devoted fanbase. After the film debuted, fans would undoubtedly flock to support Cruise, and knowing of the bet would discourage them from backing Link's film.
This created a daunting landscape for Link.
...
At the White Eagle Club, while chatting with Jerome Preston and Aaron Kutz, the group expressed their concerns. They advised him against engaging in bets with CAA. The company was a giant in talent representation, and its president, Michael Ovitz, was recognized as the most powerful figure in Hollywood by The Hollywood Reporter in 1992, having close ties with executives from the seven major studios.
After Final Destination hit theaters, any media action that CAA orchestrated could severely impede Link's film's visibility, dramatically affecting its box office performance. Furthermore, CAA represented numerous stars who could easily be called upon to assist in promoting The Firm after its release, potentially adding millions to its box office earnings.
Jerome leaned in, cautioning Link about CAA's capacity to manipulate box office figures, inflating The Firm's revenue into the hundreds of millions. Such practices were not uncommon in the North American film market; many cinema chains were interconnected with major studios. With Wall Street backing, these chains could use various tactics to boost earnings, such as shifting box office figures from other films or increasing screening times.
While these manipulative tactics came with costs, winning the bet meant CAA could cash in big-time. Ultimately, it was Link who would suffer the loss.
"Link, I initially thought you had a weakness for pretty faces, but now you've picked up a gambling habit, which isn't a good idea," Jerome remarked, shaking his head.
"Stop it. I just wanted to wager a million to put Robert Downey Jr. in his place; I didn't expect them to come in with tens of millions. But since the bet was on, I couldn't back out," Link replied.
"Seventy million? Do you think you can win?" one of his friends challenged.
"I have faith in my film," Link responded confidently.
The group exchanged glances and raised their glasses, suggesting he should not take it too hard. He was still young and relatively wealthy; losing could serve as a lesson without devastating consequences. Link smiled, appreciating their encouragement.
...
Through their conversation, Link understood that this bet would not be easy to win, and the risk of failure was significant. He reached out to Jon Gordon and others, suggesting they proactively contact the media to secure publicity agreements and raise the compensation amount to protect against potential CAA interference.
After some thought, he withdrew that command. The betting agreement had a clause stating that after 15 weeks of box office results, whichever side had the superior figures would automatically be declared the winner without any additional conditions or outlines for handling contested data, designed to prevent any dirty tricks post-loss.
Link urged Mark Amin, the distribution head, to ensure Final Destination showed in a minimum of 2,000 theaters. He was confident that The Firm would reach no less than that in terms of screenings.
---
Once everything was arranged, on July 16, The Firm premiered in 2,425 theaters in North America, exceeding Jurassic Park's theater count by 21. It raked in $28.74 million for its opening weekend, ending Jurassic Park's seven-week reign as champion.
The Firm followed a new lawyer filled with a strong sense of justice who uncovers that his law firm was colluding with the mob for money laundering. Those unwilling to cooperate mysteriously ended up dead, prompting the protagonist to confront the criminal underworld directly. The film contrasted the unity of the protagonist and his virtuous friends against the greed of corrupt lawyers and inept law enforcement.
While it was an entertaining, classic Hollywood thriller, it did have its flaws.
The Austin Chronicle remarked that it felt more like a modern morality tale than a true thriller, stating the narrative structure didn't quite gel, acknowledging its potential to label it as a mediocre effort in comparison to the director Sydney Pollack's other works.
TV Guide commented that, "For some viewers, the film is a thriller, but as a thriller, it is far from exciting enough."
Despite Guess Pictures' attempts for some media to report negative news about the film, the effect was not great.
After the release of The Firm, CAA and the film distributor Paramount Pictures arranged more major media to report positive news about the film.
*****
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