Hollywood Director 1992

[Chapter 188: Breaking News]

After the formation of the Grim Reapers Band, they began secret training in Los Angeles. The United Talent Agency summoned five top musicians to create new songs and an album tailored to the group's unique style. Throughout this process, Link stayed mostly hands-off.

...

Two weeks of intense training later, the Grim Reapers Band made their debut in Los Angeles. They were invited to perform as special guests at concerts featuring Aerosmith, R&B queen Janet Jackson, Take That, and others.

With the members' notable reputations and striking looks, combined with the promotional efforts by United Talent Agency and Guess Pictures, the Grim Reapers Band quickly captured the attention of the American public.

Their first promotional single, I Want It That Way, sold 106,000 copies in its debut week, landing at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the second week, it surged to 225,000 copies sold, reaching number 10. Their second single, What's Going On, also broke into the top 20 on Billboard in its first week.

By early December, the Grim Reapers Band released their debut album, Final Destination, selling 195,000 copies in its first week. It secured the third spot on the Billboard album chart, rivaling some of the top acts in the industry.

As their music sales soared, the Grim Reapers Band embarked on a North American tour, and the box office for Final Destination also began to rebound.

...

"Wow! Is this really how movies are promoted now?"

"They actually organized a band for a film campaign? That's so low!"

"For box office success, Link would do anything, ruining even the music industry," exclaimed a frustrated Robert Downey Jr. as he and his friends viewed the newspaper reporting changes in Final Destination's box office figures.

By the sixth week, box office earnings for Final Destination dipped below $10 million, further plunging to $6.74 million in the seventh week. If the trend continued, projections indicated their North American box office would sink below $2 million by the tenth week, ultimately capping at around $160 million by week fifteen.

However, with the Grim Reapers Band's rising popularity, the movie saw a halt in its decline; the ninth week brought in $9.02 million and $15.73 million in the tenth week. The first ten weeks saw cumulative box office earnings hit $171 million. If this growth persisted, Final Destination had a significant chance to surpass $200 million before the thirteenth week, easily outpacing The Firm by the fifteenth week.

"What are we going to do?"

"If Link keeps this up, we have no chance," Robert asked anxiously.

Initially, he had little savings, but to join in the gamble, he took out a loan for over $4 million. Later, to boost the funding for The Firm's promotion, he borrowed another $3 million from the bank. After Final Destination's release, he borrowed again, facing over $10 million in debt. If he lost, bankruptcy loomed ahead.

"Richard, Tom, do you have any bright ideas? We can't afford to lose this bet," Kiefer Sutherland urged, looking at Richard Gere, Tom Cruise, and Dustin Hoffman.

Compared to these three big names, he and Robert had significantly lower net worth, mostly financed through bank loans, with Kiefer's debts surpassing $6 million. The trio shared their worries; despite their wealth, they'd each poured over $10 million into the gamble.

If they lost, their fortunes would diminish, and they risked losing other investments due to cash flow issues, making their losses potentially greater than Robert's and Kiefer's. The idea of stopping Final Destination's momentum loomed over them. But they could think of no solutions. Link's cunning use of a band to promote the film had created a buzz too hot to extinguish.

"You guys don't have any ideas?" Robert and Kiefer looked at them, despair etched on their faces.

Tom clenched his fists, furiously stating, "Link is such a lowlife. He claimed he wouldn't use media to market the film, yet here he is with a band boosting ticket sales. Unbelievable!"

Richard hadn't anticipated such a move from Link as he neared defeat. What infuriated him further was that Link's approach not only avoided financial loss but also allowed him to profit off the band's album and performances -- far more clever than their funding strategies.

Link had truly sunk to new lows.

"Does Mr. Ovitz have a plan? Have you consulted him?" Robert inquired.

Tom shook his head. At that moment, Michael Ovitz didn't have any solutions either. He indicated that to stifle the movie's box office, they would need to inject more funds -- over $30 million -- with uncertain success.

Michael seemed to lack his usual fight, seemingly resigned.

"What do we do then? Just wait for defeat, let Link take our hard-earned money? Let everyone see us as failures?" Kiefer exclaimed in frustration.

Tom, Richard, and Dustin wore grim faces. They could contemplate losing the money, but losing to Link was not an option, nor did they want the industry to see them as failures. But they had no solutions, leaving them to pray for a miracle to halt Final Destination's ticket sales.

"Maybe..."

A sudden spark of determination flickered in Robert's eyes, "What if we hire someone to take out Link? I heard there are agents from CAA who operate that way."

Richard blinked in surprise, then slyly wrapped an arm around Robert's shoulder, grinning, "Robert, don't get so worked up. Sure, Link may be pushing the limits, but there's still time -- we might not lose. Maybe miracles do happen."

"Miracles? Like what?" Robert doubted that anything could turn the tide.

"Look! Something is happening over there!"

...

As they spoke, the bar's lounge area erupted into chaos as people flocked toward the entrance, murmuring loudly, "I heard River Phoenix died."

"No way! I heard it was an overdose."

"Let's go see!"

Richard, Tom, and the others ceased their conversation and stood up curiously, heading towards the bar entrance. Outside, they spotted River Phoenix lying on the sidewalk, unconscious and foaming at the mouth. They couldn't tell if he was alive or dead. Several security personnel were calling for an ambulance while others shouted for a doctor, but no one stepped forward.

"River really had a reckless partying lifestyle. I didn't expect it to take such a toll," Robert said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"He probably overdid it badly," Kiefer replied nervously, knowing firsthand the dangers of substance abuse.

Richard observed the scene thoughtfully before a light bulb went off. He quietly turned to Robert and Kiefer, whispering, "This could be our chance."

"What chance?" they asked.

"River is Joaquin Phoenix's brother. If River is seriously ill, Joaquin won't focus on performing, which would affect Final Destination's earnings."

"Right!"

"That works in our favor!" Robert cheered, clapping his hands.

Kiefer perked up at the thought.

"The question is, how serious is River? If he's not that bad off, it could be minor and might not impact Joaquin's performances," Richard pointed out.

Robert and Kiefer frowned, contemplating the implications.

As they heard the wail of a distant ambulance siren, an idea struck Robert. Perhaps there was a way to ensure River's condition worsened...

*****

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