America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 46, Section 48: Release Date and Reactions (Please add to your favorites and read on!)

The announcement of the male and female leads for "Transformers" has sparked a lot of discussion among fans.

Gal Gadot was alright; she was pre-selected, so there was no audition or open selection, and therefore no competition.

Although some fans complained, why not choose Keira Knightley? Why not Angelina Jolie? Why not Jennifer Aniston? Why not Nicole Kidman?

But since there was no audition, the noise was relatively quiet.

Eric was speechless after reading these comments. Nicole Kidman was already 35 years old, and her beauty was undeniable. Eric also wanted to have something happen between her and Nicole, but it wasn't appropriate.

Can you imagine Nicole Kidman speeding? She'd be more like riding in a horse-drawn carriage! And she's considered box office poison these days.

Gal Gadot is under less pressure, while Chris Evans is under a lot more.

In terms of fame, he can only be considered to be in the lower middle class among the younger generation in Hollywood. Although the young man is handsome, there is no shortage of handsome people here.

So he has been attacked by a lot of people these past few days, which has overwhelmed his few fans.

His agent and friends could only encourage him to ignore the outside world's opinions, focus on preparing for the movie, and hire a nutritionist to help him lose muscle.

A few days later, the other cast members were gradually announced, with Ryan Reynolds leading the supporting role, followed by young James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, and Ben Foster.

Although its impact was not as great as that of the male and female leads, it still attracted the attention of many female fans and a small number of male fans. This time, it received universal praise, and even the online viewership of "Band of Brothers" increased slightly.

At this point, only one important figure remained unannounced in the Transformers franchise—the director.

Inside the MGM Grand building, people were discussing the release date of "Transformers".

Bordeaux projected the table onto the screen: "These are the films whose release dates have already been announced for the next two years. Those marked in red are the ones the marketing department considers to be the most threatening; my advice is to avoid them."

Looking at the form in front of him, Eric slowly tapped his index finger on the table.

Choosing the right release date is extremely important for a film, because different release dates attract different audiences and result in vastly different numbers of viewers.

Just like China has summer movie seasons, National Day movie seasons, May Day movie seasons, and Spring Festival movie seasons, the United States also has distinct movie seasons.

The two most popular film seasons of the year are unsurprisingly the summer season and the year-end holiday season.

The summer movie season, which typically runs from May to September and lasts for four months, is the most popular time for commercial blockbusters, accounting for about half of the annual box office.

While the year-end film season isn't as long as the summer season, it includes important holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and is close to the Oscars, making it a popular choice for art-house films and highly anticipated blockbusters.

Bordeaux continued, "Transformers definitely won't make it to next year's summer release; the marketing department's suggestion is to release it in the summer of 2004."

"There are no major productions scheduled for June and July right now, so we can secure those slots in advance; that's the best time."

Charlie Cooper looked at his son: "Eric, what's your opinion?"

Eric frowned. "It's too late. 2004 is too late. It will affect MGM's overall strategy. We need time."

"Moreover, recouping funds is also a problem. If it is released in June 2004, the earliest we can get the first batch of box office revenue will be September."

"Given MGM's current situation, we can't wait that long, so our only option is the winter season."

Those within the company know best what's going on. MGM may appear to be thriving, but that's only to those who don't know the inside story.

The Coopers were well aware that they still owed the bank $20 billion, and the annual interest was a huge sum.

In addition, there are new movies and new projects to invest in, and more importantly, it also involves Hasbro. In short, it can't be delayed!

"Eric, will we make it in time?"

"No problem, I promise!"

"Alright, which month do you plan to release it for?"

"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is scheduled for release on December 17th. We have already made an agreement with Peter Jackson, and this is a prerequisite."

「《最后的武士》定档12月5日，《黑客帝国3》定档11月5日，《圣诞精灵》定档11月7日，《怒海争锋：极地远征》定档11月14日，《杀死比尔》定档11月27日.」

After a moment's thought, Eric pointed to the screen: "On November 16th, 'The Matrix Revolutions' will be the grand finale, and its box office impact will be very strong. It will also maintain its strong performance for at least two weeks. It's best not to clash with it head-on."

"The Last Samurai was meticulously prepared by Warner Bros., and with Tom Cruise's involvement, its box office appeal is equally strong."

"I want to give Transformers a three-week rush period, so I'll set it for November 16th. By the way, which companies make those other movies releasing at the same time?"

"New Line, Miramax, and Universal," Bordeaux said immediately.

Eric chuckled self-deprecatingly. It was a pointless question, because he had no choice regardless of whose it was.

Eric exchanged a glance with his father and made the decision: "Let's set the date for November 16th and announce it to the public."

When the release date for "Transformers" was announced, the happiest people were the movie fans. They never expected that they would only have to wait a year to see the Autobots on the big screen, while several companies affected by the news became anxious.

Because MGM's actions somewhat violated the rules, the showtime was limited, the pie was only so big, and the market potential was what it was, so more people meant more competition.

Generally speaking, large companies have an unspoken understanding and will discuss their schedules in advance to avoid conflicts with each other as much as possible.

If there really is a conflict, it's okay. You can postpone this year and let me have a better schedule next year. It's very rare for us to crush each other. The only outcome of that is that both sides will suffer.

Now MGM has barged in without a word. If it were just a small Karami, it wouldn't matter, but the problem is that it's Transformers. It's bound to blew up the fish. What are other movies supposed to do?

Miramax was the most affected, as it produced Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Kill Bill.

Facing that group of iron lumps, even Quentin Tarantino and Russell Crowe would probably be no match.

At the Cooper's house, Charlotte Cooper was on the balcony making a phone call. As she spoke, her voice grew louder, and after a while, she returned to the living room with a cold expression.

"Dad, which company is it this time?"

Miramax, Harvey Weinstein.

"Didn't you already reject him?"

"Yes, but he brought in Disney as a lobbyist, and it was an unpleasant conversation."

"Will there be any problems?"

Dad sneered: "In normal business competition, we can't change our schedule. If we're scared, they'll know what to do."

Tomorrow, the tornado is coming, and the box office battle begins! Dear readers, please keep reading, it's crucial for me!

(End of this chapter)