America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 347 It's Not Easy Being a Male Actor

On a sunny day in Los Angeles, Warner Bros. CEO Barry Mayer arrived at his office on time. His secretary had prepared a cup of coffee on his desk, the temperature just right. Documents that needed to be processed or reviewed were also placed in a prominent position.

Barry Mayer took a sip of coffee and then browsed through the documents, one of which he spent a considerable amount of time on.

Warner Bros.' new film "Limitless" was a box office hit last weekend, with its North American opening weekend grossing more than its production cost.

The film was simultaneously released in the UK, France, Mexico, Australia, and other countries, grossing $2756 million in its opening weekend overseas.

In just three days, the film grossed over $6000 million worldwide.

Martin Davis has a strong appeal.

Barry Mayer opened his computer and checked. Since The Hills Have Eyes, apart from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, all of Martin Scorsese's other starring films have grossed over $100 million at the North American box office.

This is a remarkable achievement.

Warner Bros., as the distributor, is the one that profits the most.

Celebrities are one of the best tools for film companies to make profits, and those who earn the most money should naturally be placed in the most prominent positions.

Barry Mayer immediately picked up the phone and dialed Ali Emmanuel of WMA: "Ali, it's me. When are you free? Let's go to the country club for a game."

Alibaba replied, "Did something happy happen?"

Barry Mayer said, "I'd like to talk to you about deepening our collaboration."

Ali knew that Martin had brought them, and said, "You call Allen, and I'll call Thomas. Let the four of us have a contest."

Barry remembered that Thomas was Martin's agent and replied, "No problem."

Just like Will Smith's agent, who is also one of his guests.

When Barry Mayer went to the film studio to find Alan Horn, he remembered Will Smith.

Starting in 96, Smith's films were more often successful than unsuccessful, and after 2000, every film he made was a box office hit, making him a sensation in Hollywood.

In recent years, in terms of commercial appeal alone, even Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio would have to take a backseat to Will Smith.

Martin Davis seems to be showing some of the same momentum that Will Smith had around 2000.

If a few more films are successful, the commercial appeal will be...

Barry Mayer believes that if Martin can replicate Will Smith's string of successes, his commercial appeal might be even stronger than Will Smith's.

The latter was, after all, a Black man.

Barry Mayer joined forces with Alan Horn, who mentioned one thing: "I'm ready to push for a new Terminator movie."

The other party was the CEO of a film company, possessing such power. Barry Mayer remarked, "A plan?"

Alan Horn nodded: "After releasing the third installment a few years ago, we spent a lot of money to acquire the rights to the series. The third installment has already made a profit through retail, so it's time to put the fourth one on the agenda."

Barry Mayer didn't say much, explaining that Warner Bros. has a professional review committee, and projects need to get approval before they can be approved.

…………

This week, the heavy snow in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada has completely stopped. After a brief drop in temperature, the clouds dispersed, the bright sun shone in the sky, and the weather gradually warmed up.

Martin and the entire cast and crew left New York to continue the film's promotional tour.

The film crew arrived in Washington, D.C.

After appearing on a show, Martin left the television station and met up with Kelly Gray, who had arrived the previous week, to attend an event at a club.

Once in Kelly's car, Kelly introduced Martin to the event, saying, "It's a high-end political gathering with many liberal celebrities from the arts and entertainment sectors."

Martin was well aware of what he had done in Atlanta back then, and said with a smile, "I also consider myself someone who has contributed to freedom and democracy."

The car soon arrived at a suburban estate and stopped outside the luxuriously decorated clubhouse. Martin followed Kelly inside and waited for a while before meeting Julia, the president of the Atlanta Freedom Association, and Senator Erica, who was holding a pink water bottle and shouting for freedom.

Unlike before when he couldn't speak to them, Julia and Erica shook hands with Martin and exchanged a few pleasantries when he came over.

The four of them entered the banquet hall together. Martin looked around and the first thing he saw was Blackie Guan Hai.

The senator was entertaining guests with his wife.

In addition, Martin also saw some of Hollywood's most famous left-wing stars, including Meryl Streep and George Clooney.

These two are well-known political activists in Hollywood.

The four of them went over to greet each other, and Hei Guanhai shook hands with each of them, exchanging very friendly and polite words.

As he shook hands with Martin, he said, "Did you bring any smart drugs? If you did, my journey would have been much easier."

Martin said in a serious tone, "We're working on it urgently, and I'm waiting for congressional funding. You absolutely must help, Mr. Congressman."

"No problem." After joking, Blackie said, "Limitless is a very good movie. Your film captured many of the dreams I had when I was a teenager."

Martin said, "If this statement from the congressman gets out, it could add $2000 million to the film's box office."

Hei Guanhai chuckled and changed the subject: "I've heard about what you did in Atlanta; it was remarkable."

"It's what I should do." Martin's expression turned serious. "I'm doing this so that the flowers of freedom and democracy can bloom in stubbornly conservative cities."

After exchanging a few words, Martin left the area and followed Kelly Gray to meet other people.

Kelly simply stated, "Next month, Obama will officially announce his candidacy for next year's presidential election."

Martin glanced over there and said in a low voice, "A black president."

Kelly said, "This is his weakness, but if managed well, it can become his unique strength."

After making the donation, Martin contacted Meryl.

The latter wasn't surprised to see him: "I didn't expect that we would have the same political stance."

Here, Martin, of course, wouldn't deny it, saying, "I've seen many of your speeches on political and social issues; you're very capable."

Meryl said, "They fell behind Julie and Aniston."

Martin praised them, saying, "They are both truly outstanding independent women."

"It led to freedom and justice, haha." Meryl laughed.

Martin was also laughing. Although the #MeToo movement had started, the social environment and the forces behind it were different. Apart from Pete suffering the consequences, it had not yet escalated.

But no one can say for sure what the future holds.

Meryl suddenly lowered her voice: "Many women in Hollywood should thank Jolie and Aniston; for some time to come, their situation may be a little better."

Martin added, "Being a male actor isn't easy either."

Meryl glanced at Kelly Gray, then thought of Louise Mayer, and said, "You're much luckier than most people; at least the person who brought you up is a woman."

In this respect, Martin is indeed a lucky man.

The proctologist's business card that the fat landlord Antonio gave him, he never used.

Conversely, many of Antonio's male actors who were his tenants used his services but failed to make it big.

When Martin saw Kelly Gray approaching, he said, "When we get back to Los Angeles, I'll invite you and Nicholson out."

"No problem," Meryl replied first, then asked, "Can't I join you three for your activities?"

Martin lowered his voice: "Not suitable for ladies."

Meryl went somewhere else before Kelly Gray arrived.

Martin stayed with Kelly as they continued socializing in the hall; political figures could easily become acquainted at any time.

The crew spent two days in Washington, D.C., before heading to Chicago for a series of promotional events.

In order to attract more viewers to the cinema, the film crew tried their best to grab attention.

Martin repeatedly reenacted the journey of a loser to a winner, similar to that of the movie's protagonist.

Aniston tirelessly reveals Pitt's past, recounting his initial falling out with Jolie and their subsequent reconciliation.

Even Robert De Niro has revealed his decades-long love-hate relationship with Al Pacino.

As for the various behind-the-scenes tidbits meticulously crafted by the screenwriter, they would reveal some in each city they visited, resulting in a truly diverse array of content.

For example, regarding the female lead, the production team revealed that they initially invited Kate Winslet and Julia Roberts, but ultimately chose the most suitable actress, Jennifer Aniston.

Many of the stories in the movie's promotion are fabricated; the Never Ending production team even has a dedicated group responsible for writing interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits.

Despite the traditionally slow season for movies, the film maintained a stable box office performance.

As the weather improved in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, the previously suppressed enthusiasm of the audience was suddenly unleashed.

As the new weekend began, amidst the newly released films "The Ghost" and "The Fog" and older movies, more viewers opted to watch "Limitless," which was showing for the second week.

The film maintained an exceptionally steady box office performance, and with its competitors being relatively weak, its second weekend box office only dropped by a little over 30% compared to its opening weekend, grossing $2682 million.

Including the earnings from the first four business days, after ten days of release, Never Ending had grossed $8105 million at the North American box office.

It's only a matter of time before the North American box office surpasses $100 million.

This weekend, the film was also released in Latin American markets such as Brazil and Argentina, as well as in East and Southeast Asian markets, accumulating a total overseas box office of $5114 million.

Meanwhile, Martin Scorsese's other film, "The Departed," is nearing the end of its North American run, currently grossing $1.87 million in North America and over $3 million worldwide.

According to the normal screening schedule, this film should have finished its theatrical run in North America and entered the DVD and VHS market to capitalize on its popularity and make another killing.

However, the production team preferred to give 80% of the subsequent box office revenue to theaters in order to maintain a certain scale of screenings, all for the sake of making a run for the Oscars.

Before the Oscars, The Departed will not be taken off the screens, nor will it be released on DVD or videotape.

If the film wins a major Oscar, its DVD and video sales will skyrocket.

This is not 10 years from now; the quality of Best Picture is guaranteed, and the Oscars still have a significant effect on boosting the market.

In seven or eight years, let alone the market effect of the Oscars, even the ratings of the awards ceremony itself will become a big problem.

After winning multiple Hollywood guild awards, Martin Scorsese and his film have become the frontrunners for this year's Oscars.

As for "Babel," which won the Golden Globe for Best Drama and Best Director, nobody expected it to be an upset.

In early February, the 2007 Oscar selection process reached a crucial stage with the nomination luncheon held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel to announce the nominees.

(End of this chapter)