[Chapter 214: Ups and Downs]
"Dammit! Link just stole another project from us." Robert Reiner, the president of Castle Rock Entertainment, slammed the phone down and turned to the head of production, Alan Horn.
"I got word that Frank Darabont took The Shawshank Redemption over to Guess Pictures. After talking to Link, he agreed to take on the project. We can't just sit back and let Guess Pictures snag this, we have to fight back. Let's have the legal team take action against Darabont and Liz for breach of contract."
Alan Horn threw his hands up. "It's complicated. The rights to this film are with Frank Darabont. If we pull our investment, we'd essentially be the ones breaching the contract, and Darabont can seek out another partner. It would be difficult to win if this went to court."
Robert Reiner scowled, frustrated. Not long ago, Guess Pictures had taken Good Will Hunting project from Castle Rock, and now they were going after The Shawshank Redemption. It felt like a slap in the face.
"Robert, we're short on funds and can't continue supporting The Shawshank Redemption," Alan said. "If we let it go, it's expected that Darabont would approach another company for collaboration."
Robert Reiner understood this point all too well, but the fact that Guess Pictures, a company not known for friendly relations with Castle Rock, was the one taking the project only added to his anger.
What upset him even more was that with Castle Rock's current financial situation, they had no way to strike back at Guess Pictures.
"Come on, Robert. The Shawshank project has a limited appeal; it'll be tough to turn a profit, which is partly why we chose to let it go. Link's gamble on it could lead to massive losses, potentially in the tens of millions. Isn't that the outcome we're after?" Alan persuaded.
Reiner furrowed his brow. When they were selecting projects, they had considered that The Shawshank Redemption didn't have a female lead, no romantic subplot, just prison life, male friendship, and themes of hope and freedom. It was a pretty straightforward concept. Such movies typically struggled at the box office.
Thinking about this, he relaxed slightly. "I heard that Link has a very high standard for selecting films. Every project he backs seems to turn into a hit -- like Ace Ventura, and The Wedding Banquet. If he has his hands on The Shawshank Redemption, could it unexpectedly become a success?"
"Ha! That's a misconception. Link backed Ace Ventura because he had a good relationship with its star Jim Carrey. He supported The Wedding Banquet because it was a film produced by Good Machine before Link acquired it. Those projects approached Link, not the other way around. Besides, if his taste was as good as everyone says, how did Soderbergh's The Underneath end up tanking?" Alan replied with a chuckle.
Robert Reiner's eyes lit up at the mention of The Underneath's failure, and he nodded in agreement.
However, the thought of Guess Pictures routinely snatching projects from Castle Rock, coupled with the bad press surrounding Richard Gere and others that had caused financial losses, weighed heavily on Reiner's mind. He picked up the phone to call Michael Ovitz, accepting his invitation.
---
In its second week, Pulp Fiction brought in $12.41 million, totaling $21.74 million at the North American box office. The rave reviews continued, with industry insiders praising Quentin and noting that the film beautifully fused artistic merit with box office draw. Critics called it a classic and hailed Quentin as a pioneer of the romantic violence aesthetic -- the face of violent art films.
In discussions about Quentin, many critics mentioned Link, noting how they both started out in the same neighborhood and launched their careers at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival. Link had gained fame through a series of low-budget thrillers, becoming a hot director. Now, with Pulp Fiction's rise, Quentin was gaining on him.
Industry professionals widely believed Quentin had more potential as a director than Link.
...
"Wow! These reviews are incredible."
"But I don't understand why my film has such great reviews but is struggling to gain traction at the box office. Meanwhile, Link's films get criticized left and right, yet his box office numbers keep skyrocketing."
"Harvey, can you explain this to me?" Quentin Tarantino said, tapping the newspaper filled with praise. The numbers felt surreal.
It was as if the professionals were hyping themselves up, while regular audiences were indifferent.
This situation contrasted sharply with Link's films, which often attracted harsh criticism from industry insiders. Some papers outright condemned them, claiming audiences who liked Link's films lacked sophistication. Yet, audiences paid no mind to the critiques and continued to flock to theaters.
Quentin felt helpless.
"Ha ha! Don't worry, Quentin. Pulp Fiction is an art film. It has a longer screening period and solid box office potential. At this current rate, breaking $100 million in North America shouldn't be too difficult," Harvey said with a grin while reading the paper.
In the past, when he saw Link's movies rake in profits, Harvey often regretted focusing too much on Quentin at the Sundance Film Festival, neglecting Link's potential -- missing out on the bigger opportunity.
Now, with the release of Quentin's second film, which cost $8 million and grossed over $20 million in just two weeks, it was projected to reach the $100 million mark. That kind of return was phenomenal.
While it couldn't quite match Link's box office hits like Paranormal Activity or The Blair Witch Project, it surpassed many emerging directors' success as it promised to earn Miramax a tenfold return.
Yet, Harvey still felt a tinge of regret for not investing fully in the film, letting Guess Pictures walk away with half of the box office. That thought led him to privately curse Link for being a lucky jerk.
"One hundred million?"
Quentin frowned at Harvey's comment. "You expect Pulp Fiction's North American box office to only hit $100 million?"
"One hundred million is great! Pulp Fiction isn't a blockbuster. Exceeding $100 million in North America would be quite an accomplishment," Harvey explained.
"One hundred million is too low. Harvey, Pulp Fiction is better than Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project, so it deserves to make more. I want Miramax to promote this film heavily, use the media to create buzz, and draw more attention, just like Link did. If we market it well, I believe it can surpass The Blair Witch Project or Final Destination's numbers," Quentin stressed.
As for Paranormal Activity, its North American box office grossed $318 million -- a staggering figure that would be tough to beat.
"Quentin, the reason Link's movies capture public interest is that they tend to touch on real-life themes and resonate with ordinary people, easily connecting with societal news, allowing for a strong promotional space for him. In contrast, Pulp Fiction's narrative is heavily stylized and artfully exaggerated, lacking the real-world relevance needed to generate buzz."
Pulp Fiction unfolds three stories: 'Vincent and Marsellus's Wife,' 'The Gold Watch,' and 'Bonnie Situation.' Each story has its protagonist, while others serve as supporting characters across the arcs. These narratives, heavily interpreted and embellished, contain plenty of exaggeration and illogical elements. Unfortunately, this didn't leave much promotional material to work with.
Quentin squinted. "Call Link and ask for his thoughts; he has plenty of experience in film promotion."
Harvey disagreed. He had been in the film industry for over twenty years and had promoted dozens of films. By experience, Link was significantly behind him.
Moreover, the recently released The Underneath was a financial loser, despite Link's money and effort in promoting it.
So, in that regard, Link wasn't all that impressive. Nevertheless, he didn't want to contradict Quentin. He said he would chat with Link about promotional ideas later, curious to see if he had any useful suggestions.
*****
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