[Chapter 411: Some Good News]
Under the anticipation of Julie and the other two, Link tasted the dish named 'Stargazing.' It had a strong fishy smell and average texture, but it wasn't as bad as imagined -- something you could eat when hungry. During dinner, Link chatted with his girlfriends while eating.
Over the past month, several good news had come from the US.
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First, Final Destination 2 had surpassed $100 million at the North American box office in its fifth week, with a total gross of $108 million, becoming Guess Pictures' third North American movie to cross $100 million this year.
The American media praised Guess Pictures again, calling it the most profitable company in Hollywood and the biggest competitor among the Big Seven Studios.
Guess Pictures' shareholders called Link repeatedly to congratulate him on the film's success and admired his management skills. Greg Davis suggested a third round of financing; with the company's current status, offers as high as $4 billion had been considered. However, Link didn't agree, as he had detailed plans for the company's development.
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Second good news also involved films. In late October, Guess Pictures released its 11th film of the year, Scream. The film was a thriller, suspense, and crime movie about a murder in a small Californian town where two high school students were brutally killed by a masked horror fan.
Police investigated and arrested the protagonist Sidney's boyfriend, Billy Loomis. But after Billy's arrest, more murders occurred. The elusive masked killer seemed like Death itself, taking one life after another, and the real identity remained unknown. The police were clueless.
Later, with friends' help, Sidney found out the killer was actually her boyfriend Billy Loomis and their classmate Stu, who conspired together. After a fierce fight, Sidney, along with her friends Gale and Dewey, defeated Billy and Stu.
Like Final Destination, Scream used suspense and horror to captivate young audiences. The main cast were handsome and beautiful young actors in their twenties, including Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, and Michelle Reis.
During its first week, Scream earned $12.05 million from 1,413 theaters, ranking third in weekly box office. Its production cost was $14 million, and its first-week earnings surpassed $10 million, with an average of nearly $10,000 per theater -- definitely good news.
However, after release, the film faced severe attacks from competitors. The issue was many bloody and violent scenes suspected of promoting violence that could affect teen audiences badly. Competitors took to the media, demanding the movie be rated NC-17 (no one under 17 admitted), instead of R (under 17 must be accompanied by an adult). Since Scream targeted young people, an NC-17 rating would limit its release scope and impact box office greatly.
Competitors accused the MPAA rating as unfair, suggesting Guess Pictures had influence behind the scenes. They claimed if Guess Pictures wasn't an MPAA member but a small indie company, the film would never receive an R rating and be released normally. These complaints gained support from media under the Big Seven studios, creating trouble for Guess Pictures and Scream.
After negative reports, Guess Pictures' PR launched a counterattack, stating the Scream rating was appropriate. The film included some violence and gore but also plenty of comedy and satire. Themes promoted unity, mutual help, strong and independent women. It was a positive movie and deserved the R rating. They also compared it to other notable R-rated movies, saying Scream didn't have more violence than them.
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At the same time, the 'Final Destination defamation case' verdict came. Eleven media outlets, including New York Post, New York Daily News, Star Weekly and other magazines, were ordered to pay Guess Pictures between $50,000 and $1 million in damages for reputation and economic losses. The New York Post and New York Daily News appealed on the spot, while eight smaller media declared bankruptcy after paying compensation.
The case shook the media industry; Guess Pictures' tough stance shocked and alarmed them. Media stories about Guess Pictures' negative news grew more cautious. Reports about unfair Scream ratings quickly decreased. Thanks to the news, Scream's exposure in North America increased, steadily boosting box office.
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Third good news came after Monica's pregnancy, as Lily, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Julianne Moore also announced pregnancies. All three were over 30 and had priority under the family committee's birth plan, which they actively exercised afterward. Except Lily, it was the first pregnancy for the women at home, causing greater emotional fluctuations.
Link called daily after filming to check their status, providing comfort and reassurance.
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Fourth good news came from Glimmer Capital. Starting late year, influenced by the Federal Reserve's interest rate changes, the stock market soared. Tech stocks like Microsoft and Cisco grew fastest. Microsoft's value rose 18% from early year, exceeding $80 billion, while Cisco's valuation increased over 45%, from approximately $32 billion at the year's start to over $50 billion in November. Glimmer Capital held 4.05% Microsoft shares and 3.22% Cisco shares, with a total value of $5 billion. Link's net worth was expected to double by next year, putting him in the top ten global billionaires.
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Fifth good news came from Steve Jobs. Since early year, Glimmer Capital gradually sold off Netscape shares and purchased large Apple shares. Currently, Glimmer, Kingsoft Investment, Rose Garden Investments, and Horizon Investments together owned 35.2% of Apple. After selling Pixar Animation Studios last year and gaining $300 million, Jobs bought 15.5% Apple shares during a company value dip. Link and Jobs collectively held over 50% Apple shares, controlling company decisions.
Link originally intended for Jobs to return to Apple early to clean up the mess, but Jobs remained calm, saying the timing wasn't right. Jobs was a genius with genius flaws -- confident and stubborn, hard to accept others' opinions. Link did not push and let Jobs handle it.
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Sixth good news: Quentin Tarantino struggled for two to three months but last week began preparing to shoot Kill Bill, a joint production by Guess Pictures and Tarantino's A Band Apart, with a $30 million budget.
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"Link, I heard Milla failed the Lead Actress audition for Kill Bill and is upset. Should you help her by asking Quentin to give her the lead?" Jennifer Connelly asked, sipping juice.
Link shook his head. "Quentin and Uma Thurman have been long-term collaborators. He won't agree to replace her with Milla. I'll just leave him be. Milla doesn't need to rush; there's a new project perfect for her. If she performs well, this project could become a series."
Guess Pictures had secured the Resident Evil game movie rights. Link planned to start the script after finishing his current work. Resident Evil had eight installments, guaranteeing Milla Jovovich roles for the next twenty years.
"Link, I want a role too. Could you find some for me?" Julie Delpy, her pale arm resting on the table, holding a cigarette, said coquettishly.
"Cut it out! Link's too busy to find roles for you," Catherine Zeta-Jones responded. "I still need a supporting actress for my next movie. Do you want to try?"
"No! Unless you give me the lead," Julie joked.
"In your dreams!" Catherine rolled her eyes. "I've worked hard in Hollywood for years to get lead roles, but you've done just a few films with little fame or box office draw. Giving leads to you would sink the movie."
"Worked hard in Hollywood for years?" Julie winked. "Are you talking about yourself? Oh, I get it -- working under Link counts as working hard. Being his girlfriend is tough."
"Hey! What are you talking about?" Catherine grabbed Julie's arm to pull at her clothes. They giggled and tumbled, almost toppling the table.
"Alright, alright, stop. Save the roughhousing for after dinner," Kate Beckinsale separated them.
Link smiled. Among the women at home, some were calm and mature, others lively and witty, some elegant, others cute and gentle. Some appeared poised and cold in public but were carefree and flirtatious privately. Some maintained an elegant image before becoming his girlfriends but acted more casual once familiar.
Catherine Zeta-Jones was like this -- a goddess outside but relaxed at home, rarely acting the part strictly. Link was fine with it; he was open and accepting of all personalities.
"Julie, your path is art-house acting. Guess Pictures doesn't have suitable roles for you this year, but Passion Rose Productions has many projects. Sophie's pregnant and unavailable, so you could look into that. If you like any scripts or roles, we can invest," Link said, sipping red wine.
Passion Rose Productions was co-founded by Link and Sophie Marceau at last year's Venice Film Festival, based in Paris, mainly investing in art and commercial French films. They'd invested in two low-budget French movies so far.
"Got it. Sophie told me that. I currently have three roles, including two leads. I was joking with Catherine, but she took it seriously -- so stingy," Julie said.
Catherine glared. "You better watch out tonight. Even if Link doesn't beat you, I will."
Julie laughed, unfazed, looking at Link with fiery eyes. "Link, would you ever hit me?"
"Hit her! She's so provocative to the core and needs a good beating," Catherine said.
"You're the one who's provocative. How else do you have so many tricks?" Julie teased.
Catherine pouted, wanting to hit someone.
Link shook his head, set down the glass, and carried two of them out of the dining room.
*****
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