I am Hollywood

Chapter 889: Chapter 891: Living with Conviction

[Chapter 891: Living with Conviction]

Eric could sense Joanne's nervousness and unease. Rather than take her to the villa's reception room, he led her to the backyard lawn.

In July, London's daytime temperature was only around 20 degrees Celsius. The yard, surrounded by lush trees, lay under a gray-blue sky. Although it lacked the sunny brightness of Los Angeles, it was free from the oppressive heat of mid-summer. The vibrant life around felt balanced and not at all anxious.

A set of lounge chairs sat on the lawn. Eric and Joanne Rowling settled down as Christina brought over a coffee pot for the two of them, then turned and returned to the villa.

Information regarding Joanne Rowling and Harry Potter was already neatly arranged on the table in front of them. Sensing her tension, Eric didn't rush into serious talk and casually remarked, "J.K. Rowling, I assume the 'J' is the first initial of your name? What about the 'K'?"

Joanne, who had just nervously picked up her coffee cup at Eric's gesture, immediately put it down upon hearing his question. "K stands for Kathleen," she explained. "I don't have a middle name; Kathleen was my grandmother's name."

Eric noticed that this poor woman seemed to have been overwhelmed by the recent series of events. After pondering for a moment, he said, "You know, Jo, Hollywood can be a place that easily throws a person off balance."

Upon realizing that Eric had seen through her anxious thoughts, Rowling felt a rush of embarrassment and wasn't sure what to say, so she just shyly nodded.

Not expecting a response, Eric continued, "In Hollywood, there are those who spend $250,000 to buy a script, producing a film with a $15 million budget, yet it makes $120 million worldwide in box office. The film is called Lethal Weapon. Conversely, there's someone who pays $1.75 million for a script, spends $85 million to produce it, only for it to flop and nearly bankrupt the production company; that film is Last Action Hero. Interestingly, both films were written by the same person."

Joanne listened attentively, feeling as if she started understanding something but then shook her head softly, saying, "Mr. Williams, I don't really understand."

"Call me Eric," he replied, taking a sip from his coffee. "I just wanted to explain that in Hollywood, or frankly anywhere, if a person wants to make life easier, they should live with conviction. Just like that screenwriter I mentioned earlier, Shane Black. Lethal Weapon made Warner Bros at least $100 million from worldwide earnings, and Shane only received a mere $250,000. People might think he must be heartbroken. Then when Carolco Studios bought his Last Action Hero script for $1.75 million, nearly driving them to the brink of bankruptcy, people would expect him to be distressed. But the reality is, Shane Black has always done well; he's still a top screenwriter in Hollywood and continues to collaborate with Warner Bros on Lethal Weapon 4."

Perhaps Eric's words began to resonate with her, as Joanne straightened her posture slightly. However, after a brief moment of eye contact with Eric, she quickly averted her gaze again, lacking confidence.

With a smile, Eric said, "Speaking of Harry Potter, I could have offered you a lower price, let's say, PS100,000, which is the average price for most scripts or novel rights. But I didn't do that because I believe in the story. I want to make it into a well-known fantasy brand under Disney, maybe even as iconic as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. So, I presented what I thought was a worthy offer. In the future, this franchise will not just be limited to books and movies; it will include music, toys, theme parks, and an entire industry chain. If successful, Firefly Group could earn billions, maybe even tens of billions of dollars from this brand."

Joanne, holding her coffee cup, felt her hand tremble lightly at Eric's description. She set the cup down again and looked at Eric in surprise.

Looking at her reaction, Eric chuckled, "Now you might be thinking, if Firefly really made $10 billion from this book and you only got PS1 million -- oh, maybe a few million for the entire series -- that would be quite a loss for you, right?"

Initially, Joanne dismissed Eric's depicted future as too unbelievable. However, after his remark, she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. She instinctively wanted to deny it but ended up timidly nodding her head in response to Eric's bright gaze.

"See, many things happen this way. I mentioned earlier that if you want to lead an easier life, you should live with conviction. The most important point is not to blindly overestimate your significance in certain matters."

Hearing the implication in Eric's words, Joanne quickly shook her head, denying, "Eric, I don't think that."

"Look, Firefly wants to complete this project, and for that, we'll need you to keep writing the upcoming stories. So let me share my plan," Eric continued without acknowledging her denial. "First, HarperCollins will handle the global distribution for the Harry Potter series. To build enough hype for this series prior to the film's production, Firefly Group will also utilize its media resources to promote this novel as much as possible. Other similar novels might consider selling hundreds of thousands of copies a bestseller, but I aim for the Harry Potter series to reach the tens of millions, maybe even more. During that process, you'll earn your fair share. Sell ten million copies of the novel, and you'll become a millionaire. If the entire series sells one hundred million, then you'll be a billionaire. But from that point on, the profits for the Harry Potter movies, toys, and park attractions belong to Firefly."

Joanne wasn't naive; she understood what Eric was implying. Without Firefly utilizing its media resources to brand this novel, Harry Potter would sell at most only hundreds of thousands of copies, bringing her mere hundreds of thousands in royalties. While she might earn some by selling film rights, it would never match the brilliance Eric had described. Understanding that, the imbalance she initially felt started to dissipate, but she carefully asked, "But, Eric, what if it fails?"

Eric shrugged, "Firefly's annual budget for film production exceeds $1 billion, with at least 8% spent on acquiring script or novel rights. So, even if it fails, it's no big deal."

Joanne no longer worried about that point. For her, PS1 million might seem like a fortune, but for Firefly Group, it was nothing substantial.

Seeing Joanne relax, Eric smiled and opened the folder in front of him. "Now, let's talk about the novel's content. I've read your outline; you plan to write five books, but I believe seven seems more fitting. I've already come up with titles for all seven novels. As for the first manuscript you've completed, I'd like to split the next few thousand words as content for the second book. We could simply call the first book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone."

When Joanne heard Eric was making decisions regarding her novel without asking for her input, she opened her mouth, feeling the need to assert her stance as the original author.

However, upon seeing Eric glance her way and point with his pencil motioning for her to sit closer, the resistance she initially felt vanished, and she obediently moved her chair beside Eric. Although he spoke gently, the aura of power and wealth emanating from him was not something this small woman could resist.

Aside from his thoughts on revising the first book, Eric also discussed in detail the modifications needed in the outline based on plot points he recalled from the movie.

Time flew by unnoticed, and before they knew it, it was evening.

...

"Thus, you have a month to revise the first book's story. HarperCollins will manage the upcoming distribution, and Firefly will cooperate accordingly." Eric glanced at his watch and looked at Joanne beside him. "It's getting late. I'll have someone arrange a guest room for you. Princess Diana is hosting a charity gala tonight, and you can join us to see it."

Having sat next to Eric for an extended period, the presence of the man stirred some distractions within Joanne. Young, wealthy, handsome, assertive... every attribute of this man proved remarkably alluring. Plus, she had been single for quite some time. Although Eric acted oblivious, Joanne couldn't deceive herself; she imagined a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Listening to Eric suggest she stay at the villa for the night, she could no longer conceal her panic and hurriedly shook her head, saying, "N-No, Eric, I've already booked a flight back to Edinburgh for tonight. Jessica is still at a friend's house, and I'm concerned."

Eric observed her carefully and noticed how her body subconsciously shifted back against the chair. He chuckled, "Alright, looks like I scared you."

Even though Joanne understood Eric was joking, she quickly shook her head, insisting, "No, really."

"Then, I'll have someone take you to the airport," Eric replied, not insisting. Joanne was more of an elegant type, far from his interest. He tidied up the documents before him, handing them to her, and stood up to head outside.

Joanne hugged the documents to her chest and followed Eric, her gaze lowered. She began to regret rejecting his invitation so decisively.

...

As the driver took Joanne away from the villa, Christina watched the automatic doors close with a keen glance before turning her focus back to Eric.

Eric reached over to ruffle the girl's hair, asking, "What are you daydreaming about?"

"Haha, nothing," Christina said, wrapping her arms around Eric's. "It's getting late, Eric; I've picked out a suit for you."

"It's only six o'clock; what's the rush?" Eric chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's grab something to eat first. Going there on an empty stomach is sure to ruin the night. The North American box office data should've come in; I'll take a look."

Christina, obediently following his cue, headed to the kitchen to prepare food, while Eric returned to his study to check his emails.

Yesterday had been Friday, and the second week of Casino Royale's release was underway. The film had earned a staggering $117 million in its opening week, which caught Hollywood's attention. Even Eric had not anticipated such an astounding debut for Casino Royale.

However, complications arose quickly.

The two new films released this week, Bad Boys II and Ice Age, were both closely related to Firefly. The scheduling of these films was influenced by the past performance of the James Bond series, which had historically low box office figures in North America, aiming to avoid intense competition.

Now, however, many, including Eric, felt conflicted.

On one hand, everyone hoped Casino Royale would maintain a low drop-off in the second week. Thanks to the sustained positive buzz among media and audiences, it seemed likely that Casino Royale could remain stable. On the other hand, with an opening figure of $117 million, and surpassing the total gross of the previous film, GoldenEye, which was $106 million in North America, a significantly low drop in box office for Casino Royale would certainly impact Bad Boys II and Ice Age directly.

Shaking his head in a wry smile, Eric opened the box office statistics email received from Los Angeles.

On yesterday's Friday single-day box office chart, Casino Royale unsurprisingly topped the list with $18.61 million, experiencing only a 39% drop compared to its opening week.

The data came from Eric's assistant's office, complete with professional commentary.

The accompanying analysis indicated that as Casino Royale's topic grew alongside its earnings and critical acclaim, the ratio of weekday box office spikes significantly increased relative to other films. Based on the first day's figures, Casino Royale's overall drop for the week was projected to be around 35%. That means the second-week earnings could still reach as high as $76 million.

Early July typically marked a peak time for North American box office, with average weekly earnings of around $200 million. Even though Casino Royale was now in its second week, it was still on course to claim one-third of the total box office revenues. Without needing to look further, Eric could guess that the other films, particularly live-action ones, would not perform well.

With Box Office earnings of $117 million in the first week and a projected $76 million in the second week, the total box office for Casino Royale was set to exceed $190 million. Though live-action blockbusters could not sustain the same box office longevity as animated films, even accounting for an average 40% weekly drop, the final North American figures for Casino Royale were expected to land between $300 million and $350 million.

In the 1960s, the average ticket price in North America was around $0.80, whereas in 1997, it was $4.60 -- equating to about 5.7 times that of the 60s.

By this metric, the 1964 installment Goldfinger was once considered the highest-grossing Bond movie after adjusting for inflation with its North American box office of over $51 million, translating to about $290 million today. The expected figure of $300 to $350 million for Casino Royale's North American box office would certainly surpass Goldfinger.

As for the overseas earnings, the data from the previous week was delayed due to the complexities of gathering statistics, only now coming in.

Eric's last movie had been released four years ago, yet the groundbreaking $1 billion worldwide earnings of Jurassic Park still lingered in many people's memory. Following the pursuit of profit, distributors in various countries strived to synchronize the release of Casino Royale, which ultimately reached a record 36 overseas release locations.

Last week, with a record-breaking PS21.3 million (approximately $31.95 million) from the UK leading the charge, the total overseas gross from 36 synchronized releases crossed the $100 million mark, reaching $136.1 million. Though various factors impacted the overseas box office market making predictions tough, there was no doubt that Casino Royale would become Eric's second film, following Jurassic Park, with the potential to cross the $1 billion mark globally.

Unlike Jurassic Park before it, Eric had only predicted around $600 million in box office earnings for Casino Royale prior to its release. Now, the film's unexpected potential of soaring to $1 billion sparked excitement in him.

However, after glancing at the upcoming films' box office data, Eric couldn't help but think that the sentiments of the higher-ups within his own company might not be so pleasant. Just last week, after Casino Royale's opening weekend figures were published, Eric had a conversation with Frank Wells, who was in Los Angeles, about the upcoming Titanic exhibition, during which Wells had mentioned Casino Royale with a noticeably melancholic tone.

Regarding the two new releases this week, the industry had generally anticipated Bad Boys II having a leg up due to its predecessor's popularity. The first one had approached $200 million in global earnings under New Line's management, thus leading to the second installment's budget skyrocketing from $19 million to $60 million.

However, on opening day, the film that ranked second wasn't Bad Boys II but Blue Sky Studios' Ice Age.

This animated film had garnered positive buzz before its release and was dubbed as the 'animated version of Three Men and a Baby'. To put things in perspective, Three Men and a Baby had been crowned the North American box office champion in 1987, and Ice Age receiving such a comparison underscored its popularity during test screenings.

Indeed, the storyline of Ice Age borrowed heavily from that of Three Men and a Baby. This narrative model not only won applause from critics but also resonated well with audiences. On its opening day, Ice Age earned $13.46 million. Although this was nowhere near the opening day numbers of Finding Nemo surpassing $20 million, it did exceed $12.8 million earned by Lion King 2 just a month prior.

It was estimated that Ice Age's opening week box office would close in on $60 million, surpassing Lion King 2 during its release period as well.

To Eric's mind, Lion King 2 was actually a superior product compared to the more mature Ice Age. The fact that Ice Age had outperformed Lion King 2 on opening day merely came down to the promotional conflicts stemming from the collaborative efforts between Firefly and Fox within Lion King 2's marketing. Viacom had commenced public acquisition negotiations with CBS at the end of June, clearly signaling that Summer Redstone was determined to bridge Viacom's deficits in television channels.

Following Ice Age, Bad Boys II earned a mere $6.52 million on its opening day, rounding out in third place. It was noted as being a weak performance, considering that fourth place was held by Finding Nemo, which had already entered its fourth week yet still raked in an impressive $6.29 million on Friday. The two films were very closely intertwined, earning just under $20 million apart.

The first day's figure of $6.52 million hinted that Bad Boys II could expect an opening week box office around $25 million, a worrisome figure, as it fell short of New Line's original expectations by a striking $10 million.

This $10 million discrepancy was primarily due to the impact of Casino Royale's overwhelmingly favorable box office in its second week. Both films occupied the action genre, allowing for significant audience overlap; as Casino Royale received outpouring acclaim and box office success leading to increased discussion, Bad Boys II, being a film featuring a black lead, was less likely to hold the audience's attention.

In the absence of Casino Royale, even if its box office performance wasn't stellar, due to the audience goodwill carried over from the first movie, Bad Boys II should have had an easier pass at breaking $100 million in North America. However, now, based on the projected $25 million opening week, Bad Boys II's North American earnings would likely cap out at around $70 million. Given the weak overseas market for black lead films, even if it could maintain its predecessor's performance abroad, the possibility of recouping costs against its $60 million production budget and $20 million promotional cost would be slim. Turning a profit would solely depend on future revenues from video sales and television rights.

It was apparent that, although everyone understood MGM had effectively become an extension of the Firefly system, it would still be challenging for the upper management within Firefly to accept this reality. With that thought in mind, Eric felt compelled to shake his head again. While he didn't have a solid concept for his next film just yet, he knew he'd have to ease the group's concerns by indicating that his next movie would undoubtedly return to Firefly, thus assuaging their spirits.

*****

/Sayonara816.