America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 34, Section 36: I Was Here First (Seeking monthly votes and donations)

Time flew by and it was already mid-October. During that time, Eric spent some time with Gadot and keeping an eye on the progress of several major projects.

The film "Red Dragon" grossed nearly $6000 million in its opening weekend, a result that spurred the actors and director to work hard on promotion.

Box office revenue represents achievements, one's resume, and is related to one's box office appeal. Who would complain about an unimpressive resume?

In addition, the film received positive reviews, and suspense films tend to have a stronger staying power, so the box office of "Red Dragon" only dropped by 45% in its second week, taking in $3100 million.

Meanwhile, the opening weekend box office figures for several other countries have also been released: $850 million in the UK, $690 million in France, $880 million in Germany, $620 million in Italy, and $630 million in Spain.

These five countries are considered major box office markets in Europe. Other countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, and Belgium contribute far less to the box office than these five, with their total box office revenue typically only reaching about one-third to one-quarter of that of these five countries.

Besides Europe, the major Asian markets are Japan and South Korea, but the release dates in these two countries are later, with a further delay of one week.

As for Huaxia, it hadn't risen to prominence yet in 2002. Due to the lack of a film rating system, strict censorship, low revenue sharing ratios, and its reliance on film genres, it wasn't even considered.

For thrillers and suspense films like "Red Dragon," most of the explicit scenes would definitely be cut, so even if it were released, it wouldn't be well received.

Eric remembers that Jiang Wen's "Looking for a Gun" was released in 2002, and its box office didn't even reach 1000 million.

Even domestic suspense films won't work, and "Red Dragon" certainly won't work either. Only action-romance blockbusters like "True Lies" and "Titanic" can make money.

Red Dragon has now grossed $9000 million in North America and $6200 million overseas, for a total of $1.5 million.

After its release in countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia, analysts predict that the final box office could reach $3 million.

For "Saw," Leigh Whannell ultimately gave up playing the male lead, wanting to focus his energy on polishing the script.

Then they contacted the people Eric recommended. Ryan Reynolds and Patrick Wilson both expressed interest and willingness to act after reading the script.

Ryan Reynolds even called Eric to inquire, and after learning some inside information such as publicity and sequels, he became even more determined to get the role.

However, it seems that some things are destined, and some people are destined to come together.

Ryan Reynolds had clearly made prior contact with and gained the approval of Winry, but everything seemed to change after Patrick flew from Broadway to Los Angeles.

As the sun sets, the day's work for the crew of "Sharknado" comes to an end.

To meet the deadline and Eric's requirements, the entire crew has been under a lot of pressure lately. Warren and director Anthony Ferrante expressed their gratitude to everyone and encouraged them.

Ferrante especially spoke highly of Ryan Reynolds. There was no way around it; although Reynolds wasn't very famous, he was already the biggest star in the crew.

Fortunately, Ryan Reynolds has a great personality, doesn't seek special treatment, and works very hard in his acting.

Many people gossip about him privately, saying, "Why did he act so seriously in a movie that everyone knows is terrible? He's like a dead dog."

But perhaps this is what makes actors with conviction; they have professional ethics and, more importantly, they cherish dreams.

It doesn't matter if the show is bad, as long as I'm not bad!

As long as Eric Cooper can see this! As long as he doesn't forget his promise!

After removing his makeup, washing off the blood, changing into lighter clothes, and saying goodbye to everyone, Ryan Reynolds took his phone out of the box.

As he walked out of the studio, his head was down, and the first thing he saw was Wen Ziren's missed call. Instantly, a bad feeling crept into his heart.

He was very familiar with this feeling because he had a lot of experience with it; it was the feeling of having a role snatched away, the feeling that he was about to be unlucky again.

He quickly called Wen Ziren back.

"Director, this is Ryan Reynolds. Sorry, I'm at work and couldn't find the phone. What can I do for you?"

A moment later, Ryan Reynolds stood there, mechanically muttering, "I understand, yes, it's all for work. Thank you for letting me audition. Okay, okay, I understand. Goodbye!"

After hanging up the phone, the 26-year-old man, who had been in the industry for 12 years but still hadn't made it big, stood there dumbfounded.

He messed up, messed up again. He'd messed up countless times in the past 12 years, and by all accounts, he should have become numb to it. But even with such a great opportunity, he still felt lost and heartbroken.

I don't know where I went wrong. You all had high hopes for me, and we had all agreed on something. How could things change so suddenly?

I was here first!

What upset him even more was that this opportunity was recommended by Eric Cooper, and he didn't know what Eric Cooper would think of him, or whether he would think of him as an incompetent fool.

"Hey! What's up, Ryan? You've been standing here for half an hour!"

Suddenly, Ryan Reynolds was slapped hard on the back. He stumbled and turned around to see Warren standing behind him.

After spending a long time together, the two became quite familiar with each other. Although Warren was a producer, he was very kind and friendly. While he wasn't popular with women, he was very popular with men.

Ryan Reynolds knew he was Eric's henchman and didn't hide anything, telling him the truth.

After listening, Warren sighed: "Ryan, these things are unavoidable. You've been in Hollywood for a long time, you know that."

Ryan Reynolds said in a low voice, "Yes, I'm used to it."

Seeing his pathetic state, Warren felt a pang of pity, and he knew the other man was really trying hard and desperately wanted a chance.

He patted him on the shoulder: "Ryan, how about this, I'll contact Eric, maybe I can help you get this opportunity."

Ryan Reynolds' eyes lit up. If Eric Cooper was willing to give the order, even James Wan would have to obey.

But his relationship with Eric wasn't strong enough, so he definitely wouldn't be able to speak up. If Warren were to step in, perhaps it would be possible.

In fact, the Screen Actors Guild strictly prohibits obtaining roles through connections. If you discover that your opponent is engaging in unfair competition, such as bribing the director, you can report it to the guild.

But looking at human society over thousands of years, which circle doesn't rely on connections? So these kinds of things have always been about who has the stronger hand. Almost no actors would report it. It's like the law stipulates that civil servants should be paid overtime, but it's never enforced.

Ryan Reynolds asked hopefully, "Really? But isn't that a bad idea? What if Eric thinks I'll be upset?"

Seeing his hesitant expression, Warren laughed heartily: "It's just a try, don't get your hopes up too high. If it doesn't work out, so be it. Besides, we haven't hung out together in a long time. How about now? Do you know a suitable place?"

goodong...

Ryan Reynolds swallowed hard. "How's Avalon?"

"Good taste!"

Please give me a reward, please give me monthly tickets, please read on! Brothers, please don't let this book sit unread, or if you have any channels to recommend it, I would be extremely grateful. I'm counting on you guys!

(End of this chapter)