[Chapter 363: Supermodel Cindy Crawford]
During the second week of The Sixth Sense's release, the movie remained a hot topic in the media, receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews. However, many outlets speculated that this situation might soon reverse, predicting that The Sixth Sense could see a box office drop of over 50% in the coming week.
The reason for this forecast was due to the highly anticipated release of the blockbuster Cutthroat Island on Friday, produced by Carolco Pictures and jointly distributed by Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox. Directed by Renny Harlin -- known for hits like Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger -- he was regarded as one of Hollywood's top commercial directors. The film starred Geena Davis and Matthew Modine.
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The plot followed the adventures of Morgan, a female pirate who inherited her father's title as pirate chief and set out to find treasure using a Latin treasure map. During her quest, she met another treasure hunter, Sean William, and together they faced off against rival forces and the Royal Guard. After a bloody showdown, they defeated their enemies and sailed away from Cutthroat Island with gold and jewels.
The film, which took three years to complete, cost an astounding $150 million to produce, making it the most expensive pirate movie in history. Universal and Fox aggressively promoted this aspect to create buzz around the film, claiming it was the biggest investment in a pirate film ever with all its ships authentically designed at a cost of millions.
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Initially, this marketing strategy worked well, and many moviegoers flocked to theaters out of curiosity, eager to see this so-called grand spectacle. On its opening day, Cutthroat Island earned $5.41 million across 2,104 theaters, making for a strong debut.
However, on the second day of release, numerous negative reviews began circulating, stating that Cutthroat Island was a colossal flop with a tedious plot. Many viewers left theaters before the 30-minute mark, expressing their disappointment loudly to news cameras, labeling the film as a scam. Even some fans criticized Geena Davis's role, finding her portrayal neither attractive nor compelling, and deemed it her worst performance.
Total Film pointed out that the film's major flaw was its weak script, likening many scenes to a jigsaw puzzle of disconnected stories, resulting in disjointed narrative flow. All things considered, it was still a passable pirate movie.
As a consequence of this backlash, Cutthroat Island's box office plummeted to $1.37 million the following day, typically a lucrative Saturday.
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"Damn it! This has to be the work of Guess Pictures messing around! These negative reviews are definitely orchestrated by them!" said Mario Kassar, president of Carolco Pictures, fuming after reviewing the box office numbers.
Lawrence Mark, the executive producer, sighed, unsure of how to console him. While some negative press indeed stemmed from their rivals, the primary issues lay with the movie itself. Cutthroat Island was mediocre at best; if released in an off-peak season without stiff competition, it might have fared better. However, with The Sixth Sense, a classic thriller, dominating the holiday release period, any comparison would cast Cutthroat Island in a poor light regardless of its actual quality, making it nearly impossible to sell tickets.
"Mario, there's no need to panic. Cutthroat Island has only been out for two days; not many people know about it yet. With more promotion, maybe ticket sales will gradually improve," suggested Mark.
"How can I not worry? This movie cost over $100 million to make, and if it fails, we're done for!" replied Kassar, tugging at his tie and looking grimly at the numbers.
Currently, Carolco Pictures had a debt of $380 million, exceeding the company's market value. Cutthroat Island was their last lifeline. If the movie succeeded, there was hope for survival; if it flopped, they were finished.
"This can't just be brushed off. I'll need to speak with Ron Meyer and Barry Diller. Universal and Fox are much stronger in film promotion than Guess Pictures. If they agree to ramp up their marketing, Cutthroat Island could still have a fighting chance," Kassar continued, picking up the phone to contact Meyer and Diller, requesting them to amp up the promotion for Cutthroat Island and summon more media support. They needed to boost ticket sales and clamp down on The Sixth Sense's success; they could not afford to let Guess Pictures continue thriving.
After the call, Kassar reached out to presidents of other studios to enlist their help in promoting Cutthroat Island and to try to suppress promotion for Guess Pictures' films, promising a cut of the profits if Cutthroat Island succeeded. Some studios agreed, while others politely declined, hoping instead to acquire a few of Carolco's trademarks such as the Terminator series and Total Recall.
Kassar accommodated these requests. The box office performance of Cutthroat Island was crucial to Carolco's survival.
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The next day, Cutthroat Island saw an uptick in positive media coverage, although it still lagged far behind The Sixth Sense's glowing reviews. The lack of potential shown in Cutthroat Island's box office meant increased advertising would require more funding and likely lead to more losses.
Universal and Fox observed that any investment in Cutthroat Island might yield a loss and became hesitant with their promotional budgets. On the other hand, The Sixth Sense's record-breaking box office in its first week boosted Guess Pictures' confidence, allowing them to spend $10 million on marketing during week two.
With morale high for The Sixth Sense and dwindling for Cutthroat Island, the latter's media presence paled in comparison.
In its second week, The Sixth Sense raked in $71.41 million across 3,277 theaters, with a minimal decline of less than 15%, bringing its North American total to $159 million. Meanwhile, Cutthroat Island earned a mere $11.27 million in its opening week across the same number of theaters, about one-seventh of The Sixth Sense's gross.
The contrast between the films caused a stir in American media; some marveled at The Sixth Sense's impressive numbers, with its two-week total exceeding $160 million, securing its position as the year's box office champion ahead of schedule. Conversely, Cutthroat Island, with a production cost of $150 million and a first-week gross of just $11.27 million, suffered both critically and financially.
Current projections placed its total domestic earnings at under $30 million, marking it as potentially the year's biggest flop with a 5-to-1 loss ratio.
Incredibly, both films were released simultaneously.
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"$160 million!" exclaimed Harvey Weinstein, enviously staring at the figures. Just last week, he had predicted The Sixth Sense would earn about $200 million domestically, but just a week later, it was about to cross that threshold.
At this rate, The Sixth Sense might hit at least $400 million domestically and perhaps not less than $800 million worldwide.
"$800 million!?" Harvey fumed. If this had been a Miramax film, not only could the company recoup all its losses through box office shares, but it could even resurrect the company into Hollywood's eighth major studio.
Regrettably, it was not.
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For a few moments, Harvey gnashed his teeth at Link before collecting himself. He dialed Link's number swiftly. When the call connected, he greeted him with exuberance, laughing heartily. "Link, congratulations! The Sixth Sense is a huge success, and you and Guess Pictures are set to make a fortune! I can't tell you how envious I am!"
"Thanks! The box office results are indeed surprising. I never anticipated it would be such a hit," Link replied calmly over the line.
Harvey scoffed. Come on, without your faith in this film, you'd have gone with a different ending!
"Haha, you've got the right script, a talented director, and an understanding of your audience. It's only natural the film would do well. Plus, you got lucky with The Sixth Sense releasing alongside a dud like Cutthroat Island; you deserve to cash in," Harvey continued.
"Well, I guess my luck is pretty good, but my skills are what really matter, right?" Link replied, gently tousling the voluminous golden hair of Cindy Crawford, who had nestled at his knees.
Cindy looked up at him, batting her eyelashes, her alluring expression intensifying.
"Haha, yes, your talent is undeniable! By the way, Link, we discussed the last time we met in the cafe about Miramax collaborating with Guess Pictures; can we move that timeline forward?" Harvey asked earnestly.
"Not for now. Our partnership with Columbia Pictures hasn't concluded, and we don't have the bandwidth to collaborate with others just yet," Link explained, as discussions with Ovitz and Harvey indicated a partnership after completing ten films together with Columbia, projected for after 1997.
"Link, Miramax really needs a couple of hits right now to turn things around. As a friend, can you help out?" Harvey's tone turned more pleading.
Link relaxed on the couch, stretching comfortably. "Harvey, you should know that any film investment carries risks, and Guess Pictures outputs aren't guaranteed successes. If you're hoping to profit exclusively from Guess Pictures' films, you might end up disappointed."
"I'm fully aware of the risks, and I never assumed collaborating with Guess Pictures would guarantee a hit. I simply hope for a chance to partner with you, and even if the investment fails, I could accept that," Harvey expressed sincerely.
"Hmm?" Link leaned back comfortably, contemplating for a moment, then proposed an idea. Guess Pictures and Miramax would each prepare three scripts to shoot next year. They would review each other's scripts and choose one to mutually invest in.
"Excellent idea! I'll arrange for the scripts and materials to be sent over to you shortly; feel free to select whichever you want," Harvey said excitedly.
"No need to rush; any time before the end of the year works for me!"
"Haha! Link, I can't wait to collaborate! I'm impatient!" Harvey replied enthusiastically.
"Alright, suit yourself!"
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Once Link hung up, he lifted the stunning Cindy Crawford and placed her on the dining table.
Fresh from the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, she donned an exquisite million-dollar jeweled lingerie set, cascading her caramel-colored hair, showcasing her long legs and curvaceous figure.
She possessed the enchanting charm of a top supermodel, while also radiating the warmth of a compassionate and selfless woman. Link gazed at her enchantedly. Cindy too was deeply impressed by his directing prowess.
Under his imposing long-focus lens, Cindy delivered her lines with enthusiasm, struggling despite her toned 5'10" frame. On several occasions, she so fully immersed herself in her character that she nearly passed out, rolling her eyes in exhaustion.
*****
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