[Chapter 409: Highway to Hell]
After wrapping up the company's business, Link flew to Texas to check on the Saving Private Ryan crew's training, and took the opportunity to gather the actors on site for script reading and to rehearse the war scenes. Meanwhile, the company's operations continued smoothly under his management.
...
In September, Guess Pictures had two movies releasing: Dead Man Walking and Final Destination 2.
Dead Man Walking had premiered at the end of August. Earlier in the year, it won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. The film received excellent critical acclaim and very positive reviews after its U.S. release. Being an art-house film, it followed the usual process: initial limited screenings, then publicity and distribution scaled based on performance.
The film opened in 4 theaters, earning $138,000 in its first week, averaging over $30,000 per theater -- an outstanding showing. In the second week, Dead Man Walking expanded to 443 theaters, pulling in $4.01 million, and by the third week, it widened further to 617 theaters, earning $6.62 million. The North American box office total reached $10.77 million.
With a production budget of $11 million, judging from the box office figures, its total North American gross was expected not to be less than $30 million, bringing considerable profits for Guess Pictures and director Tim Robbins.
...
By the end of September, Final Destination 2 premiered in 1,077 theaters across North America, holding $16.62 million in its debut weekend, ranking second at the box office, with an impressive $15,400 average per theater.
Though its total gross was less than the top contender The First Wives Club, Final Destination 2's per-theater average exceeded that champion's by $4,751. This surprised many since the film faced heavy media criticism before release, with some outlets urging audiences to boycott theaters.
Many expected it to lose money and believed the Final Destination franchise would collapse, causing large losses for Guess Pictures. Yet, despite negative press, the film was loved and embraced by fans after release.
In the second week, Guess Pictures' marketing department ramped up advertising, spending over $8 million -- publicized as $12 million -- through various channels: newspapers, TV, radio, sports events, billboard campaigns, and more. Major media outlets and key cities in North America were flooded with Final Destination 2 promotions.
The film's stars, including Drew Barrymore, Liv Tyler, Naomi Watts, and Casey Affleck, toured extensively to promote the film, further boosting its influence.
...
In week two, Final Destination 2 played in 2,337 theaters, grossing $38.53 million, decisively surpassing The First Wives Club to claim the week's box office crown. Two weeks in, the movie had grossed $55.16 million.
September and October are traditionally slow months at the box office, so this performance was remarkable. Total Film magazine predicted Final Destination 2's North American gross would top $100 million.
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"Damn! How can Final Destination 2 hit $100 million?" Barry Diller of Fox Studios swore angrily.
After the August smash hit Rush Hour, they had been plotting ways to stop Guess Pictures from dominating the market, focusing especially on Final Destination 2, since the first installment earned $430 million worldwide, delivering profits over 20 times its budget. That film became a worldwide phenomenon, generating massive buzz.
Fans eagerly anticipated the sequel, which carried huge box office expectations. To prevent Final Destination 2 from cashing in on the North American market, various schemes were devised to suppress the film but failed.
Then Flight 800 mysteriously crashed off the coast of New York, eerily mirroring Final Destination's plot. Barry Diller, Harvey, and Ron Meyer saw this as a godsend and immediately invested in stirring up negative publicity around the film.
Their efforts forced Guess Pictures to delay Final Destination 2's release, a huge blow because delays not only wasted marketing expenses but also annoyed fans, making box office returns upon release less robust.
They thought they'd struck a major blow to kill Guess Pictures' momentum. But the franchise's popularity was stronger than expected.
Even with delays, fans supported the film. Plus, Guess Pictures spent over ten million dollars promoting the movie lavishly, shocking Barry Diller and his associates. Link appeared unconcerned about money, focusing instead on making blockbusters to seize market share from the Big Seven Hollywood Studios.
With two weeks' gross already $55.16 million and the forecasted North American gross over $100 million plus at least $100 million internationally, with a production cost of roughly $26 million, Guess Pictures was set to make a hefty profit.
Meanwhile, competing releases from the Big Seven Studios would yield much less income in the same period.
...
Barry Diller called Harvey and Ron Meyer to strategize but came up empty-handed.
"Are we just going to watch Guess Pictures rake in money?" Barry Diller asked irritably.
"What choice do we have? How can you stop audiences from buying tickets?" Harvey responded, puffing his cigar.
"Barry Diller, relax. We're managers, not owners. Many things are out of our control. We just do our jobs. Even if the company's performance drops sharply, it's not on us. Someone else wouldn't do better," Ron Meyer comforted.
"Really, Ron? You believe that?" Harvey laughed darkly. "Universal isn't your company, but it's your career. Our career is our life. Lose our position and power, what then? Go work in some unknown field? Would you accept that?"
His words fell heavy. Indeed, once executives join the Big Seven as CEOs or chairpersons, their every move draws industry attention, their names and photos shine in media, and they become the stars' focal point at parties -- fame and fortune!
Losing that means becoming ordinary, ignored, losing respect, gradually marginalized and forgotten in the entertainment world -- a fate akin to death for many.
Barry Diller and Ron Meyer dreaded this scenario.
"Harvey, do you have any plans to stop Guess Pictures? Speak now if you do."
"No quick fixes. Fighting Link is a long-term battle. Take the Final Destination 2 delay as a win: it forced Guess Pictures into more promo spending. We must keep at it until we destroy them. Plus, Ovitz has forgotten his promise and wants to collaborate with Guess Pictures -- which is bad. We need to remind him our main foes are Link and Guess Pictures. As long as they're around, none of us fares well."
"Good point."
"Alright, I agree with you," Barry Diller and Ron Meyer echoed.
After several talks with Harvey, they found him ruthless with strong resolve. Supporting him might help him act bolder, but due to his disregard for rules, backing him through third parties was safer.
...
Barry Diller set down the phone, picked up the remote and turned on the TV. A loud, intense song filled the room:
♫ My friends are gonna be there too ♫
♫ I'm on the highway to hell ♫♫ On the highway to hell ♫♫ Highway to hell ♫
This was the new cover version of Highway to Hell by the band Death Band 2.0.
Following Final Destination 2's release, its stars, under guidance from United Talent Agency, formed 'Death Band 2.0' and released an album Death 2.0. Starting week two, they toured cities to promote both the album and the movie.
Young and stunning, with well-chosen songs, Death Band 2.0 quickly gained a devoted young fanbase.
Final Destination 2's hype in North America kept climbing. The third week's box office was expected to be even higher.
Barry Diller cursed again and switched channels to the news.
...
His guess was correct. Final Destination 2's third week grossed $22.74 million in North America, pushing its total to $77.91 million, and breaking the $100 million mark was imminent.
Second place was The First Wives Club, a Paramount comedy starring Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, and Goldie Hawn. The story followed three scorned women uniting to get revenge on their cheating partners. It earned $14.12 million that week.
With a $24 million budget, it had pulled in $68.21 million over four weeks. Its solid performance was a challenge to Final Destination 2, but Guess Pictures' increased promotion had slowed its growth.
Third place belonged to another Paramount release, The Ghost and the Darkness, earning $11.03 million its opening week.
Dead Man Walking ranked fifth, earning $5.11 million that week, with a North American total of $26.71 million.
Rush Hour made $2.07 million that week, grossing $132 million domestically, and began international release, with $112 million overseas.
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In October, after three weeks of rehearsals in Texas, Link and the Saving Private Ryan crew moved to Normandy, France, to start filming.
*****
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