Hollywood Director 1992

[Chapter 179: Breaking Two Hundred Million]

In the ninth week of the release of The Firm, Guess Pictures released their third film of the year, the comedy film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which had just finished post production in June.

The movie was co-produced by Guess Pictures and Columbia Pictures, with Guess Pictures handling production and Columbia responsible for marketing and distribution. The production budget was $12 million, with an additional $8 million set aside for promotion. After the film's release, Guess Pictures would receive 38% of the North American box office, 30% of overseas earnings, and 25% from home video revenue, securing a 70% share of the profits. However, the rights to the film's merchandise would belong to Columbia Pictures.

Since it was distributed by Columbia Pictures, early promotional efforts did not attract much attention, as most assumed it was just another low-budget comedy from the studio. The film's star, Jim Carrey, was still an unknown, and director Tom Shadyac was not well-known either. Only the second lead, Monica Bellucci, had gained some recognition following her role in Paranormal Activity.

The cast did not feature many notable names. Consequently, the media and industry insiders largely overlooked this movie.

However, once Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was released, many media outlets were compelled to shift their focus and coverage to this film. The reason was straightforward: it unexpectedly became the box office champion of the week. In its opening week, it pulled in $14.26 million. It dethroned the five-week reigning action blockbuster, The Fugitive, claiming the top spot.

Even more surprising was that the film was produced by Guess Pictures, with Link as the screenwriter and producer. Seeing the Guess Pictures logo and Link's name in the credits, many realized that he might be closely associated with this film. The movie recouped its production costs in its opening week, garnering envy among industry peers. After the successes of The Blair Witch Project and The Wedding Banquet, Guess Pictures had yet another hit on its hands.

It seemed that any movie associated with Link sold exceptionally well. Following the release of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, concurrent films began to feel the impact. The prior week's box office champion, The Fugitive, fell below $10 million, while the action blockbuster Striking Distance, newly released this week, only earned $8.72 million. The Firm dropped to $3.12 million this week, a staggering 60% decline.

...

Media outlets predicted that Ace Ventura: Pet Detective's North American box office would not fall below $80 million. This news stirred anxiety among Michael Ovitz, Richard Gere, Tom Cruise, and others who had been winding down. With the success of Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project, The Wedding Banquet, and now Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, there were questions about whether Link's next film would also be a hit.

Given the current situation, the likelihood of success was high, while the chances of loss seemed minimal. Robert Downey Jr. and others panicked, calling Richard Gere to discuss strategies. Gere then contacted Ovitz to gauge his thoughts.

Ultimately, Michael Ovitz decided that the best course of action was to find ways to elevate The Firm's box office numbers, increasing it to a safer level so everyone could relax while waiting for Link's movie to release. If they waited too long, five weeks would pass, and once the 15-week window was up, they wouldn't have a chance to boost The Firm's earnings.

Ovitz's decision received unanimous support.

...

Starting in the second week of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective's release, media coverage for The Firm suddenly surged, rivaling that of the newly-released film. Additionally, there were numerous comments attempting to criticize Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, arguing that it was still a bad movie, relying solely on Jim Carrey's performance. Critics claimed the plot was meaningless, and that Carrey's exaggerated facial expressions and awkward humor were lowbrow.

The success of such a film seemed incredibly unfair to classic films like The Firm. Many stars under the CAA banner hosted free screenings to invite fans to see Tom Cruise in The Firm, hoping to support a worthy film.

Robert Downey Jr. announced he would host free screenings in several cities in Southern California, covering 24 showings so that audiences could watch the film at no cost. Kiefer Sutherland, David Duchovny, Dustin Hoffman, and Richard Gere joined in, similarly announcing 24 free screenings, while Nicole Kidman pledged to host 40 showings to support her husband, Tom Cruise. Multiple stars from CAA also announced their own support for The Firm.

Their slogan was, "Support good films; let bad ones return to the trash heap."

...

Thanks to Link's insistence, Columbia Pictures also ramped up marketing efforts, airing trailers for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective across various TV stations and increasing the number of promotional events in major North American cities.

In its second week, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective grossed $27.05 million, totaling $41.31 million to stay atop the box office. In the same week, The Firm also earned $12.37 million, with total North American earnings reaching $173.91 million.

...

During Ace Ventura: Pet Detective's third week, it garnered $17.62 million, bringing its total to $68.94 million. CAA continued pushing the film, with their stars hosting screenings, although the efforts were notably reduced. This week, The Firm pulled in $8.16 million, pushing its total earnings to $182.07 million.

...

By the sixth week, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective earned $5.47 million, totaling $86.21 million in North America. Meanwhile, The Firm reached a remarkable $202 million at the box office after 15 weeks, achieving the milestone of surpassing $200 million.

...

According to estimates by The Hollywood Reporter, CAA and Paramount Pictures spent over $30 million promoting The Firm. Now, with 15 weeks of North American box office numbers standing at $202 million, many speculated how much Link's next film would earn.

With bets placed between Link and Tom Cruise, everyone eagerly anticipated who would ultimately win.

...

Amidst all the excitement, Link announced the release plan for his third film, Final Destination, set for Halloween on October 22. To counter Link's new movie, CAA employed various strategies to hasten or delay multiple promising films to align with the new release date.

This included action-packed films like Stallone's Demolition Man, the blockbuster sequel Addams Family Values from Paramount Pictures, and films like the romantic drama Flesh and Bone starring Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, as well as the sci-fi action film RoboCop 3.

Some films were from Paramount, while others were from the other major studios. Michael Ovitz's ability to mobilize such resources to challenge Link's new film underscored both his vast network and the considerable power he wielded, but it also hinted at the industry's hostility towards Link and Guess Pictures, not wanting to witness their rise.

...

Initially, many were optimistic after the back-to-back successes of The Wedding Banquet and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. They believed Link had a strong chance to win this bet as well. However, with multiple blockbuster release date adjustments, confidence in Link began to wane. People now thought it would be difficult for Final Destination to break through the competition and achieve a solid box office performance; the likelihood of hitting $202 million seemed exceedingly slim.

"Ha! With so many films out to get Final Destination, it will be tough for it to earn even $60 million. Link is bound to lose this one."

"Link is foolish; I thought he would place his new film in the holiday window, but instead, he scheduled it for late October when there's off-season. It's hard for any film to earn over $100 million then."

"No matter what, the most tense moments are behind us. Let's raise a glass to our final victory."

"Cheers!"

In the bar, Richard Gere, Robert Downey Jr., and others raised their glasses in celebration.

*****

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