[Chapter 144 Compensation Received, The Shallows Cinema Reps Test Screening]
The next morning, Linton, along with Robert and Goodman, met with Universal's Lou Wasserman and Levitt at the Hollywood Actors Guild. Under the witness of White House aide Chris, the three parties signed a memorandum of understanding.
The Actors Guild terminated Haas Carsenberg and compensated the Step Up 2 crew with 16 million dollars. Universal and Linton Films promised not to pursue any further responsibility from the Actors Guild and agreed to destroy all related footage. With Chris's coordination, the three sides shook hands and made peace.
Haas Carsenberg left the Actors Guild dejectedly, but in the end, he did not reveal who was behind it all.
...
"Cheers!"
At Universal's President Office, Linton, Lou Wasserman, and Levitt toasted to celebrate. After signing the memorandum in the morning, the Actors Guild quickly transferred the 16 million to the production account. Linton kept his promise and transferred 1.25 million dollars each to the two of them.
"Hollywood competition is getting more ruthless; too bad we didn't catch the mastermind behind this," Levitt said with some regret.
"It's simple. According to 'who profits the most is the prime suspect,' the mastermind must be one of those copycat film companies. This time, we've made them lose both reputation and resources, cutting off their hand behind the scenes. This 16 million probably cost them a lot," Linton knew Harvey Weinstein was behind it but acted unaware.
"I've heard, of the 16 million, the Actors Guild paid 6 million, and an overseas offshore fund contributed 10 million. That 10 million must be from the mastermind," Lou Wasserman shared the information he had gathered.
"Ha! That sounds right. The Actors Guild wouldn't be such a big scapegoat. 10 million is no small sum, it must have hit them hard."
"But the best benefit is the publicity. Step Up 2 is already well-known through all this. As long as the quality isn't bad, I believe the box office will do great," Levitt happily talked about the movie promotion.
"Haha, the other side definitely didn't expect this. Trying to sabotage us ended up helping us promote the film. A complete win for us!"
"Right, we'll serve them a good lesson with great box office numbers."
"Cheers, to Step Up 2's roaring success!"
"Since The Shallows got such a great response in the audience test screening, what's the plan for its release?" After discussing Step Up 2, Linton inquired about The Shallows' distribution.
"Don't worry. We've already discussed it internally. Though it's a low-budget film, it has huge box office potential, and you even have a cameo. We'll release it as a mid-level commercial production with 6 million dollars for marketing and distribution."
"How wide will the theatrical release be?"
"April is a low season, and competition is light. We'll conservatively launch in 2,000 theaters with 4,000 screens. We're hosting a cinema reps screening the day after tomorrow, and I believe The Shallows' potential will impress them. Our goal is to expand to 2,500 theaters and 5,000 screens."
"Let's work hard together. I wish The Shallows a box office success."
---
That evening, Linton hosted a dinner for Frank, Anne, and Jennifer. Most of the production crew had already disbanded and gone home. The dinner was both a congratulatory send-off and a way to soothe their nerves.
Unexpectedly, despite the setbacks in Baltimore, thanks to Linton's timely intervention, the filming budget didn't overrun. This gave him a higher opinion of Frank and Anne.
Thinking of the recent big payout from the Actors Guild, Linton decided on the spot to reward the core production staff with 100,000 dollars, leaving the distribution plan to Frank and Anne.
Since the post-production studio was still occupied by Speed, which was expected to take another ten days to finish. Linton reminded Anne she could take a short break to relax during this period.
...
After the dinner, Jennifer naturally rode with Linton back to the estate, where they discussed the meaning of life and created a harmonious atmosphere.
However, Jennifer left the next day to visit her parents back home.
---
Linton returned to the editing room to continue the fine cut of Speed. The film's fine cut was nearly complete. The main task now was to work with Industrial Light & Magic to seamlessly integrate visual effects with the storyline.
Due to many VFX shots, a lot of time was needed for rendering and embedding effects into the story. But Linton was in no rush since the film wasn't scheduled for release until July, giving plenty of time.
---
On the afternoon of March 25, Linton left the editing room to attend Universal's cinema reps screening of The Shallows.
Universal's strength was unquestioned. Although The Shallows had lots of thriller scenes, it still managed to secure a PG-13 rating.
As with Step Up last year, Universal invited over 150 cinema representatives from all cooperating theaters.
Zack, Blake, and Cameron accompanied Linton. Unlike Linton's confidence, the three were anxious, closely watching the audience's reactions, since this was their first film as a producer, director, or lead actor.
After the screening ended, all four breathed a sigh of relief.
At the start, the sun-kissed and handsome Linton riding the waves attracted female reps' screams and male reps' awe. Then Cameron's swimsuit scene caused a collective gulp from the audience.
As the plot progressed, the thrilling and scary scenes kept the audience hooked and excited.
Especially the finale, where the heroine smartly led the shark to its own demise, eliciting screams and applause.
Throughout the 90-minute runtime, the reps were engrossed, often gasping in surprise, with no signs of distraction.
When the lights came up, the theater erupted with thunderous applause.
...
Then Levitt took the stage, sharing survey results from the audience test screening and engaging with the reps.
The cinema reps screening was a solid success, with representatives assuring sufficient scheduling.
Universal preliminarily estimated the opening would involve no fewer than 2,500 theaters and 5,000 screens, investing 6 million dollars in promotional expenses.
An intensive publicity campaign would follow, with Cameron scheduled for a busy promotional tour.
Such good news naturally boosted Cameron's enthusiasm.
...
That night at Linton's estate, their intimate moments were even more passionate, and the music more vibrant.
"Darling, do you think our film will be a hit?" Cameron asked softly during a break, resting in Linton's arms.
"Yes, baby, you're about to become a big star."
"Great! I can't wait. Honey, what's your box office prediction for The Shallows?"
"At least 50 million in North America, and over 100 million worldwide."
"Wow, fantastic! I can't hold back. Let's keep going!"
Their passionate moments continued, accompanied by joyous music.
Cameron was extremely excited. It was a major female-led film with her as the sole lead. If successful, it would greatly boost her career.
Hollywood never lacked talented or glamorous actresses, but what it really needed were female stars who could carry box office hits.
At that moment, Cameron had the potential not just to be a second-tier actress but to become a major star.
*****
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