I’m in Hollywood

After the first day of everyone’s expected $23.1 million, the weekend, the momentum of "Rush Hour 2" did not diminish. On Saturday, the box office reached a new high of $24.34 million, and the single-day box office on Sunday was only 19 The decline of %, and then received $1995 million.

In three days, the cumulative box office of the first weekend of "Rush Hour 2" has reached $67.4 million.

This box office data not only easily surpassed the "Monster Power Company" and "Museum Night 2" during the same period of Thanksgiving, but also released the "Star River Team" at the same time.

Three days in the first weekend, Sony Pictures, a $110 million special effects blockbuster, only got a $20.2 million box office, not even as good as the first day of the "Rush Hour 2" box office.

This result is almost beyond everyone's expectations. No one thinks that "Rush Hour 2" will suddenly become so popular, and no one expects it. The film reputation is much better than the just passed "Rush Hour 2". It will be bleak to this extent.

Sony Pictures released the "Star River Team" before the Firefly Films "Jurassic Park 3". The original goal was to compete with "Jurassic Park 3" and the result was just released. Feeling empty.

Unlike the slight 19% decline on Sunday at "Rush Hour 2", the "Star River" team had a $8.3 million, $8.28 million one-day box office on Friday and Saturday, and the one-day box office drop on Sunday has already It reached 34%, and the box office only received $5.45 million.

So, entering the working day, the "Star River" team's single-day box office fell even worse. On Monday, the box office fell 61% compared with the previous day, and the one-day box office only left $2.1 million. In comparison, Monday's box office of "Rush Hour 2" fell 51% compared to Sunday, but the single-day box office data is still as high as 9.47 million US dollars, more than any single-day box office on the first weekend of the "Star River" A lot higher.

In order to figure out what happened, Eric also deliberately took the time to watch the "Star River".

Then I found out that the plot of this film, strictly speaking, has no problems, and the special effects are very good. However, the overall combination gives people a very uncomfortable feeling. Because the whole movie, it is difficult for the audience to find something that makes people feel good and happy, but it is full of a blunt preaching atmosphere.

Although media commentators are explaining that this is sarcastic fascism, most people are obviously not interested in this irony. What's more, even during Christmas, the audience entering the cinema is more for fun, and the "Star River Team" is even more out of place. As a result, although the film received a fairly good evaluation among the film critics, it was extremely cold in the market.

On the contrary, compared with the first part, "Rush Hour 2" can't really be said to have any new ideas. This is why most media have given the film a low score. However, the audience is very much interested in such a slapstick comedy.

The box office of the first weekend of $67.4 million has already exceeded everyone's expectations. When the box office of the $9.47 million on the first day of workday was released, most people realized that one thing, "Rush Hour 2" may become the end of the year. One may be the only film that broke the 100 million in the first week.

In the first week, the box office broke 100 million. If it is the upcoming Jurassic Park 3, perhaps nothing. Because the first two parts of this series have achieved the first week of breaking the billion-dollar initiative, but such a glory has fallen to the "Rush Hour 2" such a film that originally had a total box office in North America and is expected to have only more than 100 million. People feel incredible.

Los Angeles, Burbank Firefly Headquarters.

Bill Michnik looked at the driver who had stopped the car and still had a reluctance to get off.

The drivers and assistants sitting in the front row naturally did not dare to urge them. They all know that Bill Michalnik’s mood has been very bad in recent days.

As the vice chairman of Sony Pictures and the CEO of Columbia Pictures, Bill Michalnik has not been without the comfort of Peter Cooper and Peter Peters at the beginning of this film company. The situation is worse than when Peter Cooper was in the palm of his hand.

From summer to Christmas, for a year, Sony Pictures has been trying to create two special effects series, "Godzilla" and "Star River", which ended in failure and the failure is very thorough.

Bill Michal was at the forefront of Disney's position as head of Disney's home entertainment division.

Originally, as a senior executive of the Disney system, he was able to achieve the position of one of the seven major players, at least on the surface, with the status of Jeffrey Kasenberg, who is the CEO of the Firefly Group, and the CEO of Universal Pictures. Michael Eisner is almost equal, he is still very proud.

But now, he even regrets accepting the job.

If he could stay with Disney all the time, he now feels that he should at least be the executive of the Firefly Group's vice president level. Perhaps after Frank Wells retires, he can argue for the position of the president. As the president of the Firefly Group, it is no worse than being the CEO of the current Columbia Film Company.

Sitting in the car for a while, Bill Michanik still had to get off, the time he agreed with Kasenberg is about to arrive.

The continuous failure of "Godzilla" and "Star River Team" also made Sony's US branch CEO Howard Stringer start to get angry. This year, Sony Pictures' continued loss pattern has been difficult to avoid. In order to stabilize its position, Sony The film industry must come up with a movie project that can reverse the situation as soon as possible.

As a result, the "Black Man", "The Game of the Brave" and "The Smiths", which co-operated with Fireflies in Colombia, became the best choice to reverse the situation of Sony Pictures. Especially for "Black Man", this series not only has a very high popularity, but also a box office.

Although Sony Pictures has produced and distributed more than a dozen films a year, the 28th law of the Hollywood film market is also very obvious. A movie company’s 80% of the box office and profits are concentrated in the best percentage. Among the twenty films. If you can start "Black Man 3", although Sony can only take up 40% of the interest in this film, but at least it can make Sony's performance in the next year or two will not be too ugly.

Kasenberg didn't go out to meet his former colleague, and Bill Michal did not expect this. He still knew Kasenberg's character. Take the assistant to the door of Kasenberg's office, five minutes from the appointed time.

Waiting in the lounge, watching four or five assistants and secretaries outside the office of Kasenberg have a busy scene, Bill Michalin is inevitably envious, and then laughs at himself, perhaps even if he and Carson Berg hired four or five assistants, and Sony Pictures didn't have so many things for them to deal with.

The current Firefly Group is already a giant enterprise aircraft carrier that is bigger than the entire Japanese Sony. Wall Street’s valuation of the Firefly Group last year has reached $85 billion, and this year it will definitely rise again. The entire Sony Group is taking advantage of the new wave of technology, and its current market value has not exceeded 70 billion US dollars. Sony Pictures is less than one-tenth of the entire Sony Group's market value.

"Mr. Michalnik, you can go in."

Thinking wildly, Bill Michalnick heard the voice of an assistant from Kasenberg, quickly stood up and nodded to the other side, heading towards Kasenberg's office.

Seeing that Bill Michal came in, Kasenberg, sitting behind his desk, put down his phone and got up and shook hands with him. "Sorry, Bill, a little busy at the end."

"It doesn't matter," Bill Michalnick smiled and shook hands with Kasenberg, and the two sat down on the couch in the reception area.

The secretary quickly took two cups of coffee and then quietly went out of the office. Bill Michalnik knew about Kasenberg's style of action, and he didn't turn around. He took a coffee and symbolically took a sip, and went straight to the theme: So, Jeffrey, what do you think of the plan I said on the phone last time?"

In order to promote the production of "Black Man 3", Sony Pictures promised a $50 million promotion fee in advance, and reduced the issuer of Sony Pictures from 15% to 13%. This is only the initial offer price. The bottom line acceptable to Howard Stringer and Bill Michnik is only 10%.

To make such concessions, Sony Pictures may not be able to make a profit at the box office, but the benefits of the later video tapes and TV broadcast rights are very secure. In this regard, the summer file "Godzilla" and the still-released "Star River Team", all copyrighted operations, may not be able to ensure that Sony Pictures can recover the cost.

When Carlsenberg heard the words of Bill Michal, he shook his head and said, "Bill, Fireflies don't care about Sony's concessions on the distribution. You should know what we care more about."

Bill Michalnik naturally knows that fireflies are more concerned about the cost control of "Black Man 3".

In the past few years, with the rise of Chris Tucker in the "Rush Hour" series and two other black actors in the "Jesus" series, Will Smith is no longer as hot as the original time and space.

However, for the "Black Man" series, Will Smith did not have much concession on the pay, not only issued a $20 million guarantee, but also required at least 10% of the box office. The other starring "Black Man" starring Tommy Lee Jones is probably the same.

If there is no fireflies, in order to promote this project, Sony will not hesitate to pay for the two starring requirements. After all, Sony Pictures has no better choice. Compared with the development of "Godzilla" and "Star River", these future projects may not be defeated. The "Black Man" series is very unlikely to lose money.

Hesitated for a moment, although I think the possibility is very small, Bill Michal is still somewhat expecting to say: "Jeffrey, if the firefly worried that the cost of "Black Man 3" would affect the income, Sony can pay a license The fee, then the full responsibility for the production of "Black Man 3", do you think this is okay?"

"Bill, Fireflies won't give up the right to make the "Black Man" series. In addition, if you can ensure the quality of a film, Firefly will not make a budget," Kasenberg said: "This is the end of the story." It’s still the act of controlling the actor’s pay. Since Kim Kerry’s first $20 million payout from Sony with Cable TV Repairer, the actor’s pay has almost completely lost control in recent years. Part of the reason is on Sony."

"Jeffrey, I don't think so, Hollywood actor pays a rise, in general, it is because of the expansion of the global film market capacity. Can not always make a film company full of pots, but does not allow actors to get a high salary?"

Kasenberg smiled and said: "Bill, I think your position is problematic. In addition, the average income of Hollywood actors has not increased much in recent years. The number of people who have increased significantly is only a small number of top stars. This is enough to show that your argument is not valid. In short, we can't control the behavior of other film companies, but within the influence of the Firefly Group, the highest pay of big-name actors is only 20 million US dollars. If you want to take the share, the fixed pay must not exceed 10 million, the proportion can not exceed 10% of the production company's global box office revenue, this is the rule. If you can persuade Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to accept such remuneration conditions, the project can be started at any time. ”

Bill Michanik bitterly said, "Jeffrey, this is impossible, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones will not give in, even if you dragged on for five years, completely get "black" The copyright of the "Man" series, they will not make concessions, these two people are not missing a film."

“Not just them,” Kasenberger said with a touch of smile. “In the future, including all other first-line stars, if these people continue to demand unreasonably high pay, they will definitely lack the film. ”

Bill Michalnik did not understand the deep meaning of Kasenberg's words for a time, but subconsciously retorted: "I think this is still nothing, big deal, not acting, do you think these people are short of money?"

"The most important thing in Hollywood is the actors. Even if these people leave, there will definitely be other stars. Not to mention, this is not a question of money. Just for you, I think you are definitely not short of money now. But if you let me immediately give up everything in Hollywood to live a retirement, do you think you can bear it?"

Bill Michanikon had no answer, but he knew that he must not give up all of this at the moment.

Hollywood superstars are also the same, accustomed to the public eye, accustomed to the stars to hold the moon, used to a hundred. If one day, suddenly all of this does not exist, no one will compliment you, no one will chase you, and women who used to hook up their hands will not pay attention to you, even if they have a lot of money, these people It is estimated that it will go mad.

Shaking his head, Bill Michalnik said: "But Jeffrey, your idea is still impossible to achieve, Hollywood has more than just the Firefly Group."

"One by one, it's always possible," Kasenberger still smiled, staring at Bill Michanik, and said, "And, look, the Rockefeller Center that the Japanese bought at the beginning, Now that it has been sold back, Universal Pictures, which was originally annexed, has also returned. There are still many such things. After all, it is a joke that the Japanese bought the entire United States. Then, Sony took it. The Columbia Film Company, almost the same should be spit out."