Hollywood Director 1992

[Chapter 174: Ang Lee]

"Tom Cruise is getting anxious," Michael Ovitz said as he hung up the phone at the CAA headquarters in the Death Star Building.

"He's way too competitive and too focused on wins and losses. That mindset isn't good for his long-term success," Ron Meyer remarked, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"He's young. As he gains more experience, he won't worry about trivial matters like this," Ovitz smiled.

As the founder and top agent of CAA, Ovitz represented many of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, and Dustin Hoffman. Tom Cruise was one of his top stars, one of CAA's most valuable assets. Both he and the agency wanted Cruise's reputation to remain untarnished.

"Guess Pictures just had another low-budget hit. I've got to say, Link has been lucky," Meyer noted.

Ovitz shook his head. "The Wedding Banquet would bring in about twenty million at the max at the North American box office, but it isn't worth our attention. What we need to focus on is Final Destination. Although this wager is a minor one, nobody wants to lose."

"What's your plan?" Meyer asked.

"The advance screenings of Final Destination didn't garner great reviews, but Link has had the Midas touch. If Final Destination opens strong and the media covers it with big headlines, we might end up losing this wager. To be safe, I suggest we bump up the box office for The Firm, ideally pushing it over two hundred million. Hitting that milestone would increase our odds of winning."

"That sounds expensive."

While inflating box office numbers appeared feasible, it required real money -- churned numbers couldn't fool the media or the IRS. Moreover, any irregularities could expose them to scrutiny from their competition.

Ovitz stated, "I'll personally discuss the box office strategies for The Firm with Sherry Lansing. I'll aim to engage Paramount Pictures to lessen our financial exposure. But if we win this wager, even the expenditures will pay off."

"Alright, I agree with your proposal."

...

With the collaborative efforts of Paramount Pictures and CAA, the box office for The Firm surged unexpectedly, earning $10.91 million this week, a remarkable jump of 40%. The film's total North American earnings reached $109 million.

Yet, much to Tom Cruise's and others' dismay, The Wedding Banquet also performed well this week, raking in $8.28 million and placing third at the box office, just behind In the Line of Fire and The Firm. With a production budget of only $750,000, it now grossed a total of $15.34 million, achieving an impressive return of twenty-fold, earning them quite a bit of jealousy.

...

"Director Lee, what's next? Any plans for your next film?" Link asked when he saw Ang Lee in the office, congratulating him on his recent success at the box office.

"My next film will continue to focus on urban relationships, exploring how good food can present dynamics between men and women. The screenplay isn't set in stone yet, but I hope to get your insights once it's finalized," Lee replied modestly.

"I appreciate it, but I'm not the right person to guide you!" Link waved his hand. "We're just different types of directors. I can't make the kind of films you do, but I believe in your talent. Whatever you choose to make, the company will back you. I heard you have a good rapport with James Schamus; he'll continue producing your films, right?"

"Thank you for your support, Link," Lee acknowledged.

...

After bidding farewell to Lee, Link chuckled to himself. Both he and Lee had reserved personalities, leading to serious conversations. The lack of a third party to lighten the mood often made their discussions feel slightly awkward.

Knock, knock!

Before Link could dive into work, his new assistant brought in Mark Amin.

Mark Amin, who was in charge of the distribution department at Guess Pictures, handed Link a report containing figures regarding The Firm's inflated box office results.

The investigation indicated that last week, Paramount Pictures spent a staggering $2 million on marketing for The Firm, and two other films they had released also showed unusual box office patterns. One was an erotic thriller called Sliver, which had been out for over three months but saw an 80% drop in revenue compared to the previous two weeks. The other was the comedy sci-fi feature Coneheads, which premiered on July 23 and had performed well until The Firm's release, after which it also saw significant drops, bringing in just $530,000 -- over $2 million less than the two weeks prior, despite maintaining the same number of screens.

Upon reviewing the data, Link found the situation tricky. Although Paramount had manipulated the box office, the manipulated films were theirs, creating a conundrum with no victims and thus no grounds for a legal investigation. Also, the changes in the two films were minor and did not seem outrageous on the surface.

Link instructed Mark Amin to keep monitoring The Firm's box office for any concrete evidence.

...

After Mark left, Link called Jerome Preston to inform him of the situation and asked for his advice on how to expose Paramount's scheme.

Jerome Preston believed that the box office matter was complex. Even if they uncovered evidence, Paramount and the theaters would likely have plausible reasoning to dismiss it, and he cautioned against underestimating the integrity of accounting firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers. He suggested utilizing media exposure once they had solid proof to garner public attention, ensuring everyone kept a watchful eye on The Firm's box office, as Paramount couldn't simply ignore public opinion.

"Sounds reasonable," Link acknowledged Jerome's suggestion.

...

In its fourth week of release, The Wedding Banquet gathered $4.15 million, bringing its North American total to $19.50 million, though its revenue had noticeably dropped, leading many theaters to reduce the screening times. The film was projected to earn about $25 million in North America, possibly reaching $50 million with international earnings combined. However, the promotional expenses had surpassed $6 million, so the profit margins were much slimmer.

This week, The Firm experienced modest declines, bringing in $8.96 million from 1,191 theaters, totaling $117 million in North America. Meanwhile, media outlets began reporting on the accusations surrounding The Firm's inflated box office figures, claiming that in its fifth week, its earnings dipped to $6.58 million. According to normal box office trends, the film should have earned around $3 million in its sixth week, not $10.91 million, nor should this week's total have reached $8.96 million.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.