Hollywood Director 1992

[Chapter 175: Box Office Fraud]

The reason for the surge in ticket sales for The Firm was that theaters recorded the box office earnings of other films under its name. This included titles like Sliver, Coneheads, Indecent Proposal, Searching for Bobby Fischer, and Jurassic Park.

These films were expected to bring in more revenue this week, but their earnings were funneled into The Firm to inflate its box office numbers. This was part of an elaborate scheme to help Tom Cruise win a bet against Link.

The scoop from the San Francisco Chronicle caused a stir in the entertainment industry for two main reasons. First, The Firm was generating considerable buzz, and any scandals surrounding it would attract major attention. Second, the report implicated the highly anticipated blockbuster Jurassic Park, along with A-list star Tom Cruise and the rising millionaire Link.

As a result, numerous media outlets picked up the story. Even though CAA, the talent agency, managed to lobby some major media groups to downplay the issue, they couldn't ensure that every outlet stayed silent.

In addition to some domestic media that were outside the purview of the major groups, many international media also reported on the scandal. After the report broke, Paramount Pictures spokesperson Andrew Kripps responded in an interview, asserting that the San Francisco Chronicle's claims were fundamentally false. He stated that the company would pursue legal action against the Chronicle, demanding an apology and compensation.

Following Paramount's rebuttal, the Chronicle published data on several films' box office revenues to substantiate that The Firm was indeed manipulating its numbers. Simultaneously, The Hollywood Reporter reported that several audience members had claimed that they had bought tickets for other movies only to receive tickets for The Firm instead.

This sort of incident had been reported multiple times over the past two weeks at theaters nationwide. Investigative reporters also discovered that many cinemas discounted tickets for The Firm to as low as $2 each, which was less than half the original price at release. Some theaters even ran promotions where they gave away tickets for The Firm with a purchase of a ticket for another movie, subsequently recording those ticket sales under The Firm.

The news incited heated discussions within the industry. Many insiders, upon seeing the altered box office data for The Firm, speculated that something was amiss. However, the distributor, Paramount Pictures, refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing, threatening to sue any media that accused them of fraud.

...

After seeing the news, Paramount's CEO Sherry Lansing called Michael Ovitz at CAA. "Michael, this needs to stop. We have numerous media outlets reporting on the abnormal box office for The Firm, claiming we committed fraud. This is seriously damaging to the company, and the board is calling to inquire about it. I can't pretend nothing's happening."

"Sherry, there's no need to panic. Just hold on for three more weeks; all we need is three weeks for The Firm to hit $200 million. After that, I promise you won't hear another peep about this," Michael Ovitz replied. "Plus, a big hit for The Firm would benefit Paramount as well."

Sherry retorted, "Michael, based on current projections, hitting $200 million in fifteen weeks won't be a problem. Can't that secure you a win against Link's new movie?"

"For most people, $200 million is good enough, but Link is a different case. His first three films had incredible box office performances: the first nearly hit $80 million, the second made over $600 million, and the third brought in more than $300 million. The fourth is his first major production, and until it releases, no one can guess its potential. We need additional box office for The Firm to ensure we don't lose this bet," Michael explained.

Sherry pressed, "If you know Link's new film has box office potential, why gamble against him?"

"It's just a little game, a challenge between men. I want to have some fun with Link; I just don't want to lose," Michael replied.

"Men's games? That's not my concern. Link now has evidence that The Firm's numbers are inflated. Paramount can't pretend nothing happened. You must resolve this media issue this week; if not, we will terminate our collaboration and let The Firm's box office return to normal levels." Sherry hung up.

...

Upon hearing the dial tone, Michael Ovitz placed the receiver down and turned to Ron Meyer and Jay Moloney. "That woman is tough to deal with," he exclaimed.

Jay chuckled in agreement.

Ron added, "Link leaking this box office fraud through the media puts pressure on Paramount. It's going to be challenging to continue manipulating the box office moving forward, and the costs will escalate. What's your plan?"

Michael responded, "First, we need to contact the media to suppress these stories. We should minimize the noise and lessen the pressure on Paramount."

"That's going to be challenging. I heard Link is spending millions to promote this story. To keep these valuable stories under wraps, we would have to invest more than that. If we end up losing this bet, we wouldn't just lose the $30 million wager but also the millions spent on PR and box office manipulation. Winning would barely break even. It's not worth it," Ron said.

Michael frowned, feeling the weight of the situation. Continuing to manipulate The Firm's box office would require more funding, and even if he won, it would only barely cover the expenses. Losing would result in far greater losses, yet not continuing with the manipulation meant risking a loss to Link, which made him anxious.

This left him in a dilemma.

Jay Moloney interjected, "Given the current circumstances, The Firm has a strong chance to surpass $200 million, which could make it the second highest-grossing film of the year. Meanwhile, Link's new film had mediocre test screenings, so even if it performs decently, reaching $200 million seems unlikely."

Michael replied, "That's hard to predict. During the test screenings for Paranormal Activity, Andrew Reiner and the others thought it was a flop, yet it grossed over $600 million worldwide when released."

Jay suggested, "We could wait until Link's film is out and then find ways to ensure the media doesn't report favorably on it -- only negative news. If we play our cards right, it will be tough for his film to do well."

Michael nodded, acknowledging the strategy but knowing it wasn't enough.

"This gamble involves more than just us. Richard Gere, Robert Downey Jr., and Tom Cruise are in on this too. If they lose, they'll lose a fortune, and to secure a win against Link, they'll have to put in some money for PR as well," Ron pointed out.

With this, Michael made calls to Richard Gere and the others, instructing them to pool together $10 million to promote The Firm's box office in hopes of ensuring their victory in the bet.

*****

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