[Chapter 386: The Release of The Net]
During the fourth week of the summer blockbusters, Guess Pictures released its first film of the season, The Net, which opened to a stunning $48.14 million across 2,447 theaters. It not only topped the box office but also outperformed its nearest competitor, Mission: Impossible, by $8 million, which earned $40.23 million that week.
The third spot went to Batman Forever, garnering $26.08 million this week, totaling $191 million and would be the first North American film of the year to surpass $200 million gross. The fourth place was taken by Universal Pictures' Dragonheart, which debuted with $15.02 million.
...
After the release of The Net, competition in the North American film market intensified. The major studios ramped up their marketing efforts, fiercely battling for box office supremacy. This led to a sharp decline in revenues for independent films, resulting in significantly reduced media exposure for those projects.
Media commentary started appearing with phrases like "The Big Studios clashing, small film companies going bankrupt."
Total Film magazine predicted a more rampant consolidation in the film industry over the next five years, with over 80% of small film companies expected to face bankruptcy.
These discussions led to harsh criticism directed at Guess Pictures, with accusations that the studio was too dominant in the market and was releasing too many films.
...
In light of such comments, Guess Pictures chose to ignore the criticism and continued to heavily promote The Net through various means to boost its popularity.
Thanks to the efforts of the marketing team, The Net's popularity surged, and its box office revenue was promising, potentially positioning it to become the third film of the summer to cross the $100 million mark.
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"Damn it!" In the Miramax office, Harvey Weinstein angrily slammed paperwork to the ground, sending documents scattering like snowflakes across the floor. The materials were updates on this week's box office earnings for Miramax's new films.
Since being acquired by Disney, Miramax had received backing from its parent company. Starting in 1994, it began ramping up production, completing twelve films by the end of last year and early this year, making it the second most productive independent film company after Guess Pictures.
If these twelve films performed well, Miramax could rise significantly in Hollywood and secure a solid position, allowing the Weinstein brothers to earn lucrative producer shares.
However, out of the six films the company released this year, only two from earlier in the year showed decent earnings: Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, with over $18 million, and From Dusk Till Dawn, with approximately $23 million. The rest of the films were failures.
The romantic drama Jane Eyre, released in March, only brought in $5.6 million, while the Australian film Billy's Holiday managed a mere $14,000.
In April, The Pallbearer struggled, earning just over $3.3 million after six weeks in theaters. The anticipated films, Beautiful Girls and Of Love and Shadows, also performed underwhelmingly with lackluster reviews.
Meanwhile, during the first half of the year, Guess Pictures had released seven films. While the first three didn't perform well, each film after Trainspotting improved in quality and box office success. Hachi: A Dog's Tale crossed $70 million in North America, with a global total over $150 million; Dangerous Minds surpassed $80 million in North America and was projected to reach at least $90 million. Just this week, The Net sold over $40 million in its first week, almost guaranteeing it would cross the $100 million mark in North America.
All the films released by Miramax in the first half of the year generated less in North America than either Hachi: A Dog's Tale or Dangerous Minds individually.
...
This sense of defeat made Harvey furious as he paced back and forth in his office, picking up the phone to call Michael Ovitz, Ron Meyer, and Barry Diller, inviting them to a weekend meeting. He expressed his desire to take action against Link and asked for their support.
"It's been almost a month, and you still haven't found a chance to act against Link?" Michael Ovitz inquired, surprised.
"Michael, this concerns all of us, so we should decide together," Harvey insisted.
"No, no, Harvey. This isn't my fight. You know I'm just a co-president at Disney, a hired manager. Even if Disney went bankrupt and crumbled, it wouldn't personally affect me, so why would I risk jail time for this?" Ovitz replied.
Frowning, Harvey stated, "Last time you agreed and even swore an oath!"
"No, I just listened to your plans and swore to keep quiet. I never agreed to join you in going against Link, and I won't do so, as that would be of no benefit to me," Ovitz firmly denied.
Fuming, Harvey clenched his teeth, his face reddening. "Michael, we talked about loyalty to the group. We must eliminate Link and take down Guess Pictures! How can you say that's not beneficial to us?"
"I never said that! I do not harbor such extreme thoughts! Don't contact me again about this. Furthermore, Disney plans to deepen its partnership with Guess Pictures, and Link has agreed to direct Disney's sci-fi blockbuster, Deep Impact. In the future, we'll be partners with Link. Losing him wouldn't benefit anyone. Think it over. And let me say this one last time: I want no part in this! Don't call me about it again."
After that, Ovitz hung up the phone.
...
"Fuck!" Harvey shouted angrily, taking a deep breath before dialing Ron Meyer and Barry Diller.
He thought only Ovitz wouldn't join the action against Link. But to his dismay, Meyer and Diller shared the same sentiment, claiming they were just administrators of the company. Even if Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox went bankrupt, it didn't concern them. Their tenure was only three or four years, and they wouldn't risk anything for the sake of a film company. They cautioned him against being too extreme or engaging in illegal activities, suggesting he should take a more gradual approach against Guess Pictures.
...
Furious, Harvey slammed down the phone, feeling betrayed by the three of them. They had not opposed his proposals at parties before, seemingly using him to eliminate Link while avoiding all responsibility afterward.
When he asked for help, they quickly distanced themselves from the initiative.
If he had acted against Link right after the last gathering, he suspected they would completely deny any involvement and possibly throw him under the bus as the scapegoat.
"Those damn bastards! How dare you deceive me!" Furious, he grabbed an ashtray from his desk and smashed it against the wall.
"Harvey, what happened?" Bob Weinstein asked, entering the office. He glanced at the shattered ashtray, marking the second one Harvey had broken this year.
"Nothing!" Harvey replied, sitting down and taking a deep breath. He pulled out a cigar, clipped the end off with his cutter. "I heard that Michael Ovitz wants to eliminate Link. Do you think we should get involved?"
"Eliminate Link?" Bob looked shocked and shook his head. "That's too risky; we should pass. But if they do get rid of Link, it would be beneficial for us." Suddenly excited, Bob added, "Are Ovitz and the others really planning to take out Link?"
Harvey squinted, "Whether they are or not, I'll ensure it becomes a reality. They want to partner with Link? I'll make sure they don't succeed."
*****
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