Chapter 363
At Century City International Artist Management Company, Michael Ovitz was talking to a young man in his twenties. This man was David Ellison, the son of madman Larry Ellison.
At this time, David Ellison was studying at the University of Southern California Film School and was considered a junior of Gilbert Jr.
The Sky Studio he founded is currently just an empty shell. Larry Ellison has not yet handed over the operation of the studio to him. David Ellison needs to graduate from the University of Southern California first.
However, David Ellison became familiar with all aspects of Hollywood through Michael Ovitz, a senior Hollywood agent.
In his opinion, little Gilbert can become a director at the age of twenty-one, and he can also make achievements as good as or even better than little Gilbert at the age of twenty-one.
However, although the madman is crazy, he still admires little Gilbert's ability and is not moved by his son's rhetoric. For now, David Ellison still has to finish his studies honestly.
"What's the current first-day box office performance of 'The Return of the King'?" David Ellison asked.
"Not counting midnight and early screenings, the film has already grossed US$40.216 million at the box office, breaking the first-day box office record." Michael Ovitz felt a sense of powerlessness.
"On Saturday, it is said that more than 8 million people entered the cinema, which is the largest movie-going event in the history of the North American film market."
David Ellison frowned: "I went to see "The Return of the King" and I didn't think it was good. Why do so many people like it?"
Michael Ovitz is speechless, and David Ellison is biased and unable to make an objective evaluation.
Michael Ovitz has been in the industry for many years and has to admit that the "Lord of the Rings" series is a great movie series.
Not only its commercial achievements, but also its technological exploration in the film industry and achievements in the artistic field are few films that can compare with it.
"David, I'll make a bet with you that the box office of 'Return of the King' will exceed $150 million in its first week," said Michael Ovitz.
"$150 million?" Although David Ellison inherited his father's arrogant character, he is not a fool.
If you think about it with your feet, you know that the first-week box office of 150 million US dollars is just a starting point, and it will never be lower than this number.
So David Ellison shook his head and said: "Michael, I won't make this bet. US$150 million is the most basic expectation."
Not far away, the president of Twentieth Century Fox was also on the phone with Rupert Murdoch, the boss of News Corporation.
"Yes, it currently appears that the box office of "Return of the King" may exceed US$150 million in its first week."
Rupert Murdoch on the other end of the phone seemed to be silent, and after a while he said: "Is it possible for us to poach little Gilbert into our camp?"
Townsend Rothman shook his head: "Absolutely impossible, sir. Gilbert Jr. is already a member of the boards of directors of Warner and Disney. There is no reason for him to jump ship."
Rupert Murdoch had no choice but to express regret: "What a pity. Why didn't we think of poaching him from Universal Cinemas at the beginning?"
Indeed, the one I regret most now is actually Universal Pictures.
Universal Pictures regrets every year that it missed out on a future super director like Little Gilbert.
Mainly, no one expected that little Gilbert, who had to rely on Spielberg to take care of him, would grow to this point.
After Robert Iger spent a huge price to poach little Gilbert, Universal Pictures executives also laughed at Touchstone Pictures for losing their minds.
But now it turns out that Robert Egger has good vision and decisiveness.
Nowadays, whenever Gilbert Jr.'s movie is a hit, Universal Pictures is whipped out.
If Spielberg is still around, Universal Pictures can comfort itself. But now that Spielberg is old, he is still working on DreamWorks.
Paramount and Sony Columbia Pictures were so jealous that they had no chance of participating in Little Gilbert's project.
As for MGM United Artists, the former giant is now in a serious debt crisis and is counting on John Wu's "Windtalkers" to make a comeback this summer.
At that time, Cheng Long also asked little Gilbert what he thought about the prospects of "Windtalker".
Gilbert Jr.'s original words were: "Unless it can reach the level of "Saving Private Ryan," I don't think highly of this movie."
Cheng Long later relayed Little Gilbert's words to John Wu. Unexpectedly, John Wu was very disdainful. He didn't think the film would fail at all. There is no point in talking more, we will see the result this summer.
Due to the time difference, "The Return of the King" was released simultaneously around the world at different times. But it is no surprise that the movies triggered a viewing frenzy in the countries and regions where they were released.
"The Return of the King" landed in the UK, and the front page of The Times reported the news that Prince Charles and members of the British royal family went to the cinema to watch the movie.
The film has also been welcomed by British movie fans. The Daily Telegraph reported: "'The Return of the King' landed in the UK, triggering a movie-watching frenzy.
According to statistics, during the movie's release, the number of people on the streets decreased.
These fewer people gathered in the cinema to enjoy the final chapter of this great series of movies. "
Although it is an American adaptation of a British literary novel, Britain and the United States are one family. The British media are not as tough-talking as the French media, so it is easy for them to cheer for "The Return of the King."
"The Guardian" said: "After grossing US$11.574 million at the box office on the first day, "The Return of the King" continued to gross US$15.57 million at the box office on the second day. The film is likely to break the 50 million box office in the UK in its first week."
The British domestic market is relatively small. If a movie can exceed 50 million at the box office in the UK in its first week, it proves that the number of viewers of the film is no less than 5 million.
However, this is not the end. "The Return of the King" successfully conquered British movie fans and also swept several major European markets such as France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Especially in France and Germany, the spending power of movie fans is much stronger than that of British movie fans.
In France, under the wails of French filmmakers, "Return of the King" swept the French market, overwhelming French films of the same period.
Although French filmmakers have repeatedly called on French people to boycott this Hollywood film, French movie fans have responded with film after film. They have long been fed up with the so-called New Wave movies.
French newspaper Ferroga reported: "The Return of the King is an undoubted masterpiece among epic films. Director Gilbert Jr. has contributed an unparalleled masterpiece to films around the world."
When being interviewed by a reporter, a French movie fan who had just walked out of the cinema said excitedly: "I have never watched the "Lord of the Rings" series of movies before, but this "Return of the King" has conquered me.
I plan to buy the first two DVDs and watch them when I go back, and then go to the cinema to watch "The Return of the King" again. "
The response in Germany was equally good. The famous German director Werner Herzog said that "The Return of the King" is the largest, most majestic, and the most profound and profound movie he has ever seen.
He also emphatically praised little Gilbert, believing that little Gilbert had completed an incredible masterpiece that was enough to leave a mark in history.
Other countries and regions where the film has been released have also received a good response, while regions where it has not been released can only wait for the time being.
Starting from the second week, the film will be launched in other film markets around the world. Currently, it will only premiere in North America and the European Union.
Because only North America and the United Kingdom have popularized the latest electronic vote counting systems, only the box office statistics of these two places will be released first, and the others will have to wait.
In one day on Saturday, "The Return of the King" once again achieved great results, successfully breaking the single-day box office record in North America with a single-day box office of US$51.598 million.
Including early and midnight box office, the film's North American box office has reached 112.094 million U.S. dollars. It successfully exceeded 100 million U.S. dollars in two days, becoming the fastest film in North America to exceed 100 million U.S. dollars.
With this number released, even those who have no vision know that "The Return of the King" is unstoppable.
Since last year, all movies have moved their schedules, far away from "The Return of the King."
Especially "Spider-Man" was moved directly from early May to June, not wanting to collide with "Return of the King".
Perhaps because too much enthusiasm of movie fans was consumed in the previous two days, the box office of "Return of the King" on Sunday declined compared to Saturday, with a single day revenue of 43.202 million US dollars.
Including the previous box office, the North American box office has reached 155.296 million U.S. dollars, exceeding 150 million U.S. dollars in three days.
Faced with the box office data reported by the media, many film companies, filmmakers and directors have become numb.
Tired, destroy it, the world is so noisy and it has nothing to do with me.
Indeed, in the face of this box office performance, all those who don't like Little Gilbert can only remain silent.
(End of chapter)