[Chapter 308: Rumble in the Bronx Box Office, Academy Awards]
After a few days of ups and downs, Ben Affleck found Link again, saying he was ready and wanted to give acting another shot.
When he stood in front of the camera, Ben had changed significantly; his demeanor was cooler, and he exuded a more composed and restrained aura. Although there were still some issues with his performance, he was much improved since his initial attempts.
After finishing a take, Link reviewed the footage and decided to keep Ben's performance.
...
When Ben heard Link call "cut," he froze for a few seconds, bowing his head and clenching his fists tightly, his body slightly trembling.
"Ben, are you okay?" Ryan asked, concerned.
Ben shook his head, turned away, and coldly stated, "I'm fine! I'm Batman, and I will never bow to evil forces."
Ryan couldn't help but worry. Ben had changed so much in just a few days. Before joining the crew, he was all smiles, cheerful and sunny, but now he was a shadow of his former self -- cold, gloomy, and withdrawn, almost like he was battling some inner demons.
He didn't push Ben to seek help, as his current state actually fit well for playing Batman.
...
Once Ben found his rhythm, the shooting process became smoother, and the pace quickened. Within a little over a month, most of the plot had been filmed.
While making the movie, everyone worked diligently, with Link leaving the set only twice in that month.
The first time was at the end of February when Rumble in the Bronx premiered at the Manhattan Film Forum Theater, where he showed his support for the film.
Rumble in the Bronx performed well at the box office, grossing $9.85 million in its opening weekend across 1,736 theaters. Given that February was usually a slow month, this success shot the movie to the top of the North American box office charts.
Thanks to the film's quality and Jackie Chan's captivating performance, along with Guess Pictures' strong promotional efforts, the film continued to rise.
In its second week, Rumble in the Bronx saw further box office growth, bringing in $13.19 million and a cumulative total of $23.04 million.
Total Film Magazine estimated that the film would reach around $50 million in North America, making it the highest-grossing Kung-Fu film in the U.S. since The Way of the Dragon.
With a production cost of only $7.5 million, Rumble in the Bronx was expected to yield over seven times the return.
...
Initially, Michael Ovitz and the major studios had dismissed Rumble in the Bronx due to its Hong Kong origins, underestimating its potential box office appeal.
However, by the second week, as the film crossed the $20 million mark, they finally began to pay attention.
In a bid to prevent Guess Pictures from profiting any more, media outlets owned by the major studios started to release negative reviews, labeling Rumble in the Bronx as a film riddled with logical flaws and incoherent storytelling, trying to dissuade North American audiences from watching it.
As a result of the negative coverage, the film's takings fell sharply during its third week, earning $6.82 million -- a drop of 50%.
After witnessing the significant dip in Rumble in the Bronx's box office, the major studios arranged for ongoing negative news about Guess Pictures, claiming their two films this year had performed disappointingly, indicating that Guess Pictures was on the decline. They asserted that Link's unwillingness to lower the company's $1.6 billion valuation would likely lead to failure in their next funding round.
...
"Ha ha, Link, I heard Guess Pictures' last two films flopped. Your second funding round is going to fail. That's disappointing news, ha ha ha~"
On the line, Michael Ovitz laughed uncontrollably.
"Anything else? If you have something to say, spit it out; I'm busy," Link replied, sitting in a folding chair in the director's area, watching the actors rehearse.
"Ha ha, Link, your two films have failed to live up to expectations, your plan has failed, and your second round of funding is certainly doomed. Are you still standing by the $1.6 billion valuation?"
"Man from Earth has earned 120 times its production budget, while Rumble in the Bronx has a ratio of four times its production budget, and is projected to finish above 10 times its budget once it leaves theaters. Both films have performed quite well and the company is making a profit. In this favorable scenario, the company's valuation will only increase, not decrease."
"Pfft! Link, stop pretending. Everybody knows your strategy -- to spend millions on promotion just to boost box office numbers. On the surface, both films are profitable, but in reality, they're incurring huge losses. If you keep this up, Guess Pictures will face even larger losses, which will be detrimental for you and the company. So I advise you to be smart and accept the $600 million offer from the investment firms for a 50% stake. If you don't, I bet that by next year, Guess Pictures will go bankrupt and become nothing but a splash in the ocean."
"A bet? How much are you willing to wager? $100 million?" Link asked casually.
"Who would bet with you? Link, I'm only trying to help you. This is your last chance to save Guess Pictures, don't be stubborn."
"Not even willing to bet $100 million, and you think you're a worthy opponent?"
"Me?"
Before Michael Ovitz could unleash another tirade, Link hung up the phone, returning to guiding the actors in their rehearsals.
...
After being dismissed by Link, Michael Ovitz went on to unleash a media assault against Rumble in the Bronx. By its fourth week, the film's North American box office had plummeted to just $2.37 million, for a cumulative total of $32.23 million -- below the expected $50 million and resulting in millions in losses for Guess Pictures.
However, while attempting to suppress Rumble in the Bronx's box office, the major studios also burned through a significant amount of media resources. Continuing their smear campaign would ultimately cost them more and result in notable losses for shareholders.
The major studios could only maintain their pressure for so long.
This was one of the reasons why Link wasn't afraid of Michael Ovitz's threats.
---
In mid-March, Link took another leave from the set to return to Los Angeles for the 67th Academy Awards. After a three-hour ceremony, films distributed by Guess Pictures took home six awards.
Se7en won for Best Cinematography and Best Editing.
Good Will Hunting earned honors for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.
Speed secured Best Sound and Best Sound Editing.
With six films nominated, Guess Pictures, with 22 nominations, walked away with six awards overall.
Although this tally didn't match Paramount Pictures' success with Forrest Gump, it was still more accolades than other major studios garnered.
Link also took home the Best Editing Oscar for Se7en.
...
Upon walking off stage, Quentin stared at him with envy, frustrated that this kid had won the coveted statue at just 23, getting there faster than he did.
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't win Best Screenplay either."
Originally, the two had made a bet on who could secure a script award, but the Best Original Screenplay went to Good Will Hunting, while the Adapted Screenplay was awarded to Forrest Gump. Neither emerged victorious.
Quentin scoffed and turned to Harvey, "Why didn't Pulp Fiction win an award?"
Pulp Fiction had received eight nominations, and as the ceremony neared its end, it had yet to win any.
Quentin was dissatisfied.
Harvey Weinstein frowned as well; by his calculation, that film should have at least won one award, but given that they had gone eight for zero, it was a shocking outcome.
"Quentin, Pulp Fiction was certainly favored to win Best Original Screenplay, but it ultimately lost to Good Will Hunting's more inspirational script, which aligns with mainstream values. That's likely why the judges gave their votes to that film."
"And what about the other awards? None at all?"
"Don't worry; there may still be some."
...
But ultimately, Pulp Fiction didn't win any awards either.
However, Miramax's release of Bullets Over Broadway took home Best Supporting Actress, and The Madness of King George won Best Art Direction.
Eighteen nominations and two wins were commendable.
But like Quentin, Harvey wasn't satisfied with this outcome.
During the awards campaigns, he had spent over $2 million on four of the nominated films, far more than the seven major studios, yet they had only garnered two awards, and the ROI was disappointing.
...
Harvey called a contact who was familiar with the Academy to inquire about the situation.
After checking around, he discovered that the reason Miramax had fallen short lay with Guess Pictures.
To secure their wins, Guess Pictures had invested heavily in public relations efforts, spending between $7 and $8 million.
With Guess Pictures' powerful promotional strategy, many voters had cast their ballots for Guess Pictures' films in several closely contested categories. This was the main reason they had won six awards this year.
"$8 million!"
Harvey shook his head in disbelief. Spending that much to secure several lesser technical awards wasn't a smart investment.
Only someone as wealthy as Link would do something like this in Hollywood.
Nonetheless, the awards that Guess Pictures secured had repercussions for Miramax's interests, and Harvey refused to let the matter slide. He called Michael Ovitz to share the insider information.
...
After the 67th Academy Awards concluded, the media reported extensively on the winners.
Forrest Gump, with 13 nominations, won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, becoming the biggest winner of the evening.
Paramount Pictures, the distributor, emerged as the largest film company of the night.
Second place went to Guess Pictures, which won six awards out of 22 nominations.
However, following the ceremony, Entertainment Weekly reported that they had obtained insider information, revealing that during the second round of Oscar voting, Guess Pictures engaged in aggressive public relations tactics, sending emails and hosting film screenings and star-studded parties to sway voters, thus securing their six awards.
Insiders revealed that Guess Pictures had spent over $10 million on these efforts, effectively purchasing six awards.
This revelation sparked considerable interest and debate within the entertainment industry.
Some media outlets broke down the numbers, calculating whether spending $10 million to secure five technical awards and one Best Supporting Actor award was worth it.
The consensus was that it wasn't. The six inconsequential awards wouldn't significantly impact box office revenues -- perhaps earning a few million at most.
Guess Pictures' investment appeared unlikely to pay off at the box office.
Other media speculated that Guess Pictures' actions were part of a larger strategy to elevate their corporate image and profile, attracting investor attention to facilitate a second funding round.
While many believed Guess Pictures' approach was correct, they doubted the efficacy of the strategy, primarily due to Link's high asking price.
Additionally, numerous media outlets criticized Link and Guess Pictures for allegedly buying off Academy voters, severely undermining the integrity of the awards process.
There were calls for the Academy to revoke all awards given to Guess Pictures and impose penalties, such as banning their films from contention for five years.
...
However, despite the intense media scrutiny, the negative stories failed to make significant waves thanks to Guess Pictures' strong public relations efforts.
This was primarily because Se7en, Good Will Hunting, and Speed all had the potential to win awards. Se7en was the highest-grossing film in North America that year, enjoying both critical acclaim and box office success, and winning only two technical awards out of its eight nominations wasn't seen as excessive; Good Will Hunting also received high praise.
Prior to the Oscars, several outlets claimed that if it weren't for Forrest Gump, Good Will Hunting would have had a strong chance at Best Picture. Thus, securing just the Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor awards seemed reasonable.
Likewise, many outlets praised Speed for its exceptional sound design, leading to its well-deserved wins.
Some even spoke up for Link, arguing that Se7en was just as worthy as Forrest Gump, and while the subject matter might have led to it missing out on Best Picture, its quality and artistic merit warranted recognition with a Best Director award.
The Academy reportedly didn't award Link the Best Director trophy solely because he was too young and lacked adequate experience, rather than a deficiency in talent.
Many critics argued that Good Will Hunting should have received more accolades.
Amidst these conflicting narratives, Michael Ovitz and others who sought to undermine Link's public image found their efforts thwarted.
...
Meanwhile, due to media coverage and the Oscar buzz, Se7en, Good Will Hunting, and Speed all saw varying degrees of box office increases.
Se7en had the most significant growth, bringing in $3.35 million two days after the Oscars, suggesting that the bump wouldn't be less than $6 million, and overseas take would likely surpass $12 million.
With the boost from Good Will Hunting and Speed, Guess Pictures had a substantial opportunity to recoup their investment.
...
"Damn it, why is this guy always so lucky?"
Michael Ovitz cursed under his breath as he read in the newspaper that Se7en had re-entered the top 15 box office rankings.
"Michael, do you have any other strategies besides dissing Link in the media and putting pressure on him?" Harvey Weinstein asked.
To him, it seemed that despite multiple collaborative efforts from Ovitz and the major studios to dismantle Guess Pictures, they were failing, mostly due to their gentler tactics.
He hoped Ovitz would come up with something more aggressive.
Harvey had his reasons for wanting to take Link down, stemming from the way Link had overshadowed him at the Oscars, as well as Miramax's significantly underwhelming profits the previous year, largely due to Guess Pictures' strong performance claiming much of the ticket sales.
To grow Miramax and earn more, Harvey knew they needed to claw back box office revenue from the seven major studios and Guess Pictures.
Due to the overwhelming strength of the seven studios, Guess Pictures had become the best target.
"Don't worry, Harvey. With summer blockbuster season just around the corner, I've made detailed arrangements in partnership with the major studios. We're going to completely target Guess Pictures' films; none of their releases will sell big."
"Are you confident?"
"Absolutely certain."
Michael smirked, his eyes narrowed in confidence.
...
"Link, the paper says you spent over $10 million PR'ing the Oscars -- is that true?"
In New York's Jennifer Apartment, Courtney Cox, clad in pajamas, asked while flipping through the newspaper.
"No, it was just over $6 million," Link replied, having breakfast.
"That's a lot. Can't you win an Oscar without spending money on PR?"
Jennifer Aniston, in a tank top, leaned against his shoulder.
"It's possible; it just increases your chances of winning," he responded.
"Spending money on Oscar promotions is merely a form of film publicity," Lisa Kudrow added. "After winning an Oscar, a film's box office and video sales will typically increase. The paper mentioned that Se7en's box office increased by over $5 million after winning, with global projections of rising to $10 million. The increased revenue justifies the PR costs for the Oscars."
"Trading $6 million for an additional $10 to $20 million at the box office feels like a gamble," Courtney remarked.
"It is a bit risky. However, these three films are profitable, and we have enough funds for promotion. Additionally, independent films have fewer promotional resources compared to major studios. The Oscars attract high viewership and serve as a premier promotional platform, which is why independent studios are more willing to invest in Oscar-related PR," Link explained.
The three women nodded in understanding.
...
In reality, Link's substantial PR spending had another motive: the ticket sales bonuses increased after winning awards.
At the test screening, the bonus was set at 2.9 times.
Following extensive promotions and the Simpson murder case coverage, along with winning awards like the Palme d'Or and Oscars, the ticket sales bonuses had surged to 3 times.
This strategy had a high success rate for recouping expenditures, which was why he wasn't afraid of spending big.
Moreover, Oscar publicity had always been a contentious issue; however, the Academy had never prohibited it. The reasoning was that studios investing in Oscar PR showed they valued the awards; the more they spent, the more they elevated the Oscars' status in the film industry.
The Academy was pleased to see such behavior.
Thus, Link intended to continue utilizing PR for the Oscars within the rules, aiming to secure more awards.
...
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
Jennifer Aniston put on a jacket and headed for the door, finding Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer walking in, arms over each other's shoulders.
"Why are you guys here?"
"Hey, Jen, don't act surprised! We called ahead; we're here to discuss the script today. Did you forget?" Matthew said, waving a script in his hand.
"I didn't forget; I just didn't expect you guys to show up so early."
"Were you eating breakfast? Perfect! We haven't had ours; let's eat together."
Matthew Perry and the others followed her into the dining room, suddenly noticing Link sitting at the head of the table, while Jennifer, Courtney, and Lisa flanked him like a family of four.
The three men exchanged glances and suppressed grins.
"Hi, Link! Good morning!"
Matthew greeted with a goofy grin, followed by the other two.
Link smiled back and returned their greetings.
After the first season of Friends aired, the six of them had become stars; Jennifer Aniston was a top-tier celebrity, while the other five were more like second-tier, but compared to Link, they paled in significance and status.
Link inquired about the filming of the second season of Friends.
...
After finishing breakfast, Link bid farewell to the group and returned to the Batman set to continue filming.
Once he left, Matthew looked at the three women with disapproval, "It's been a year; how are you still with Link?"
"What do you mean by 'still with'? We are dating normally," Jennifer snapped back.
Courtney and Lisa nodded in agreement.
"Oh my God! You three are dating the same guy, and that counts as 'normal'?" Matthew asked, wide-eyed.
"I think it's not the best situation either," David Schwimmer chimed in, stealing a glance at Jennifer. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around it.
Jennifer was gorgeous, just 25 years old, and after the first season of Friends aired, she had become an America's sweetheart and a top celebrity in entertainment. She shouldn't need to be associated with a notorious playboy like Link.
"This is personal; it's none of your business," Jennifer said impatiently.
"Yes, I get that you mean well, but our relationship with Link is amazing, and we enjoy it. So please, don't worry, okay?" Courtney smiled.
"I've never regretted dating Link, especially since we are three best friends doing this together; it doesn't get any better than that," Lisa said, holding Jennifer's and Courtney's hands.
The three women exchanged knowing smiles, everything understood without words.
Matthew, David, and Matt exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief and envy.
*****
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