Hollywood Hunter

Chapter 58

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Simon left London the next day for his next stop in Helsinki.

The official schedule of this trip to the UK is basically done, but the other two small things, one did not land, it is the Spice Girls and Harry Potter remembered on the plane when they came.

The Spice Girls combination for now.

About Harry Potter, Simon privately searched the British side of the Facebook social network and other platforms, were unable to find a lady named J. K. Rowling, then remembered that Western women often take their husband's name after marriage, once J. K. Rowling is a single mother, this time not necessarily.

Then searched mainly by J-K prefixes and even some online literary communities, and still came up empty.

Had to give up.

Eventually decided to try it themselves, the next trip to Finland and Italy, Simon took the time to list the outline of the first Harry Potter series roughly from memory, and also wrote a story synopsis, passed it to the Los Angeles side, so that they can find a snatch representative.

As for story inspiration.

Simon also took once said, happened to catch a glimpse of a roadside wizard with black-framed glasses dressed as a small boy or something, and also spent a sketch of Harry Potter.

Of course, in the future, the story is published, Simon does not intend to sign his name, considering the layout of this IP, and does not intend to give the shooter the right to sign his name, but a random pen name, J-K.

The latter is even for Lorraine.

As for what the future holds, that's all Simon can do, let nature take its course.

Los Angeles.

While Simon was bouncing around Europe, it was unknowingly April 18, another Friday, over here.

The Easter season has wrapped up with several previous films still going strong.

Just this past box office week, the new version of "Hurricane Rescue" starring Jett Lee once again won the single week box office, counting from March 28, the release is already the third week, this Chinese kung fu combined with Hollywood template action movie in the first week of $ 31.37 million after the opening, the next week a slightly deeper drop of 43%, into the $ 17.88 million, the third week the drop narrowed to 26%, and collected another $ 13.21 million.

In three weeks, this $25 million low-budget budget film has accumulated $62.46 million at the box office, even if you count the $10 million investment in publicity, it has basically paid for itself.

From the current trend, "Hurricane Rescue" followed by $15 million to $20 million in box office potential, the local gross is expected to reach $80 million in the expected.

Although there is no hope of breaking $100 million, even Simon is not too high expectations for this new version of "Hurricane Rescue", the box office expectations of $80 million, has exceeded everyone's expectations. Successive Jack Seng and Jett Lee were a big success in Hollywood, not only triggering a Chinese kung fu movie craze among the audience again, but also Hollywood studios have turned their attention to the other side of the ocean, and many studios have recently started to approach them there.

Then it turns out that it's still a step too late.

This brings us back to a Chinese kung fu movie that Daenerys Entertainment launched again last Friday, "Young Wong Fei Hung's Iron Horse".

Although the English title of the film was very uncouthly translated as "IronMonkey (Iron Monkey)", but the wonderful display of Chinese kung fu, but still in the "Hurricane Rescue" triggered by the craze, quite a lot of attention.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

With this small miracle, "Young Huang Feihong's Iron Horse" even more than a single week box office list of the second place position.

In the same box office week, the

With such a small opening, the North American box office of "Young Wong Fei Hung's Iron Horse" is expected to reach $25 million, which may not seem like much, however, this old film produced in 1993 over in Hong Kong is actually a package bought by Daenerys Entertainment.

Even though last year's "Peak Hour" made Chinese kung fu attract a lot of people's attention again, most people are eventually accustomed to look forward and not to plunder the old films of the past.

Daenerys Entertainment, on its side, is going in the opposite direction.

On the other hand, the collapse of Hong Kong cinema since last year has left many studios in desperate need of capital, even if they want to sell at a discount. So, in the name of releasing videos, Daenerys Entertainment spent less than $10 million on North American omnichannel rights for a total of nearly 20 films, including "Young Wong Fei Hung's Iron Horse", averaging less than $500,000 per film.

Of course, converted into Hong Kong dollars, the average price of nearly 4 million Hong Kong dollars per film is still quite substantial.

Now, the "Young Wong Fei-hong's Iron Horse" a week into more than 10 million U.S. dollars, the film's Golden Harvest, Asia World and several other producers, suddenly not so 'considerable' again, the feeling of being pitched than last year's "Black Mask" of a producer worse.

If the more than 20 films sold ...... not to mention all, even if only half have such market potential, it is also a blood loss ah.

I thought in the "Police Story 4" such a new project on the strict defense, always will not let Hollywood earn too much cheap, did not expect, have been released so many years of an old film, but still can be sold in Hollywood.

However, the heartbreak, originally because of the collapse of the Hong Kong film market and the prospects of Hong Kong filmmakers, after the success of successive Hong Kong films in Hollywood, and inevitably see a way out, coupled with the Hollywood side of the test, can be described as a one-two punch.

After all, it was the cold period between Easter and summer, after "Hurricane Rescue" and "Young Wong Fei Hung's Iron Horse", the third place, "Ghost of Terror", this week's box office fell back to within the range of ten million dollars.

Also in its third week of release, "Scary Ghosts" narrowed its three-week box office drop by 32% after a 51% cut of $14.51 million the following week, scoring $9.86 million again for a cumulative $53.91 million.

Considering the film's box office curve, the film is expected to gross between $60 million and $70 million locally, not as much as the $80 million expected for a possible "Hurricane Rescue," but once considered satisfactory relative to the $30 million production cost.

The fourth place on the list is "Fae 2".

In its fourth week of release, the sci-fi film with an alien theme in its shape has once again scored $8.16 million, bringing its cumulative box office to $71.55 million, having easily surpassed its first predecessor. Not only that, with the film's remaining strength at the box office at this point, it will have no problem breaking $80 million locally, so it will also be one of the top-grossing films of the Easter season, and certainly the top-grossing of the four films associated with Daenerys Entertainment.

Fifth on the list is "Cable Fixer".

However, also in its fourth week of release, Kim Carrey's comedy has slipped to $4.51 million in a single week, barely exceeding the $4.19 million of second-place "BJ's Lonely Hearts" in its ninth week of release, with a cumulative gross of $52.5 million and expected to struggle to break $60 million locally.

Considering the $35 million production and $15 million investment in promotion, it is clear that Daenerys Entertainment will not be able to recover its costs from local distribution and can only look to overseas.

Beyond the top five, it is worth mentioning the sixth place "BJ's Lonely Hearts".

In its ninth week of release, with $4.19 million in box office receipts, this romance movie has already accumulated $138.26 million at the box office. Although the single week box office is much less than the "cable TV repairman", but the "BJ's Single Diary" box office curve is very smooth, perhaps impact a little 150 million is not impossible.

Daenerys Entertainment executives look back on the entire Easter season with regret.

Except for "BJ's Single Diary", which had to be counted in the Valentine's Day slot, none of the four movies that dominated the Easter slot broke 100 million locally. However, with all four films released, this result is not surprising at all.

If not for the combined impact of "Hurricane Rescue" and "Spectre of Terror" during the Easter week, it would have been no problem at all to break 100 million in China. However, the cake of the movie market is so big that if you take more, others will definitely take less.

Therefore, this Easter season, the four films of internal conflict between each other, obvious.

Of course, considering the increase in box office due to the four films being released together and the extra audience being attracted to the cinema, it's totally worth it. Without Daenerys Entertainment's four films, not to mention the extra share would have been eaten up by other studio films, and it's not necessarily the case that every single week of the two consecutive weeks of the Easter season would have grossed over $100 million, or even reached a high of $130 million in the Easter week on par with the summer and end of the year.

All in all, the pros outweigh the cons.

Daenerys Studios.

Near the end of the week's work, Amy Pascal had a meeting with the heads of several of its studios and returned to her office again to start asking her assistant Vanessa Lind some work matters.

The main thing is that the boss of the family recently explained things down.

Such as a romantic film idea called "My Best Friend's Wedding", intercepting Sony's negotiations with Japan's Toho for the rights to "Godzilla", and, just yesterday, a fantasy novel idea called "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone".

"Ronald Bass has accepted the screenwriting job, in addition, I also forwarded the story idea to Julia, no response from ICM for the time being. As for Godzilla, on Toho's side, their attitude is a bit ambiguous."

"I don't want to hear such ambiguity."

"Sorry, Ms. Pascal, but, apparently, according to the information we got, Sony was already going to talk to Toho, and now, we're stepping in, and with Daenerys Entertainment's appeal in Hollywood, the Japanese, as long as they're not stupid, will know who it's more beneficial to work with. But, they should be waiting for our offer now."

Amy considered it a little and understood it roughly: "Toho wants to participate in the investment?"

"Yes," said Vanessa Lind, who has been working diligently with Amy all these years: "According to the information we got, Toho's cooperation with Sony was not going to invest and only enjoy a certain share of the profits. But, now Daenerys Entertainment wants to take over, in the eyes of the Japanese, the box office will be quite secure, naturally will not miss the opportunity to invest."

"In that case ......" Amy deliberated again for a moment, then said, "Let our copyright team continue to keep in touch with Toho, but, still waiting for the other side to take the initiative to put forward the conditions."

Vanessa nodded, she is also this idea, since the Japanese mind has been determined, there is no need to lose more initiative, let the other side to bring up their own conditions, Daenerys Entertainment is better bargaining, after finishing this matter, Vanessa will hand over a folder: "Also, here are a few writers who specialize in children's fantasy novels information. "

Amy took the information, while flipping it open, said: "You can leave work first, I'll leave after reading these."

Vanessa agreed and smiled again, "Actually, Ms. Pascal, you don't have to be so tired, it doesn't matter if you leave work early."

Amy just smiled, knowing that Vanessa was concerned about herself, but did not explain anything too much.

In general, there are two types of heads of big Hollywood studios, one type is good at creativity and one type is good at management.

When the original Michael Eisner belongs to the very good at creative kind, and even in charge of Disney during the period to add an extra chief creative officer title, but also personally served as the host of a program on the Disney Channel.

As for those who are good at management, often lawyers or accountants, but also to Disney for example, Eisner's deputy Frank Wells is a lawyer, in Eisner control of Disney's general direction at the same time, Wells to help take care of various administrative matters, the two in the 1980s tacit cooperation, Disney quickly revitalized.

If it wasn't for Simon, the butterfly, Disney would still have been a big hit in the 1990s.

Although he started out as an assistant, but as he later moved on to become a producer, Amy Pascale thought she should have been a creative executive as well. Unfortunately, well, it's not regret here, but, with the rapid growth and development of Daenerys Entertainment, and with a boss who is an inspiration, Amy can now only focus on management.

Frankly speaking, with the current scale of Daenerys Entertainment, she is actually a bit overwhelmed, so for her boss to spread her power to Nancy Brill, Robert Iger and even the three studios in the hands of their respective heads of the flat structure design, Amy does not have any complaints.

After all, and her own boss all the way, Amy is very clear that she can still stay in this position at this time, mainly because of the love accumulated over the years, rather than because of her ability, so she is also well placed in their own position to do what they can do.

One of the keys is to take what someone explains down and do it as well as possible.

Like this time "my best friend's wedding" script, "Godzilla" rights, about "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" novel idea, with Amy's experience accumulated over the years, it may not seem like much, but in the end, do it, it often turns out that there are too many things at stake.

The most typical is the DC movie universe.

When the initial DC superhero rights, she was also personally responsible for negotiating down one by one.

Therefore, do a good job of these, even if the biggest credit will still be counted on their own boss, she is still indispensable in it.