I am Hollywood

Chapter 527: Chapter 528: The Frantic Data



[Chapter 528: The Frantic Data]

Because of the disastrous power outage, the plot entered a thrilling phase. Although many viewers realized that something very terrible was about to happen, when the T-Rex stomped into view with its heart-stopping footsteps, countless people couldn't help but gasp.

From this point on, the narrative split into several lines. Multi-line storytelling was often difficult to hold, and if the director mismanaged it, scene transitions during a moment of heightened interest could lead to audience annoyance. However, Jurassic Park faced no such issues. Whether it was the overweight programmer carrying the embryo to the dock, only to be taken out by the Dilophosaurus, or the jeep crew encountering the T-Rex, every moment tightened the audience's grip on their seats.

Countless examples proved that if a film only relied on grand spectacle or stunning special effects, it might not necessarily achieve excellent box office results. Jurassic Park skillfully combined the most cutting-edge special effects technology of its time with a captivating narrative, allowing viewers to enjoy a visual feast of ancient beasts brought back to life while experiencing the thrilling adventure alongside the film's protagonists.

As the two-hour adventure came to an end, everyone seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief when Dr. Sattler, along with her female assistant and the two kids, managed to escape from the dinosaur incubation facility, as if they, too, had just evaded disaster.

...

When the credits began to roll with the end music, most of the audience didn't immediately get up to leave. Instead, they engaged in animated discussions about various plot points with their companions.

Starting from the second half of the film, the three girls stopped whispering and focused intently on the big screen. Initially, they complained about not having gotten better seats, but soon they realized that being closer to the screen provided a more exhilarating visual experience. When the T-Rex lunged with its massive jaws, pursuing Malcolm and the others in their jeep through the forest path, someone instinctively leaned back to dodge.

After the lights turned on, reluctant to leave, the crowd began to trickle out, the three girls joining the flow as they exited the cinema. Upon hearing a nearby couple mentioning they needed to come back for a second viewing, Kate turned to the other two women and said, "Charlie, Penny, how about we catch another showing tomorrow?"

"Sure," Penelope jumped in, excitedly waving her hands. "I saw Twister multiple times last year already! I thought the special effects in that were a miracle. I still vividly recall that level five tornado scene. I can't believe this movie had even more thrilling dinosaur scenes. I absolutely need to see it again, no, twice!"

As they chatted, they made their way to the parking lot. Charlize fished out her keys and opened the car door. "Three times is no problem, but tomorrow is Friday, not the weekend. Let's check the time. If you guys get too excited to sleep, you might just be late."

Penelope quickly glanced at her watch. "Oh, it's already two o'clock!" While speaking, she climbed into the backseat. "We have to hurry. I don't want to be punished with those ridiculous horse stances. They're honestly the most terrifying form of torture I've ever faced."

"What's so bad about that? Didn't you hear Master Yuan say that when he was little, if they slacked off during training, they'd be punished with a whole day without food and also get beaten? Those thick bamboo rods would hit their backs," Charlize started the car, even demonstrating the bamboo rod gesture with her hand.

"He must have been trying to scare us," Penelope shrugged, showing indifference. Though she had grown up fairly poor as the daughter of a hairstylist, she had never experienced corporal punishment in her dance classes, making it hard for her to understand the dire stories shared by Firefly's martial arts instructor.

At that moment, Kate chimed in, "This isn't meant to scare us. I remember when I was in high school, I watched a martial arts film on tape with some classmates. I don't remember the title, but it showed some kids learning fighting in a school. These kids were only six or seven years old and regularly faced beatings and scoldings. There, they seemed to have a saying that a strict teacher breeds outstanding students."

Penelope smirked at Kate's remark and looked at her. "Hearing you say that makes me realize what Master Yuan's look meant when he watched you closely during training. He clearly wanted to lash out at you but couldn't. I bet he was smoldering inside."

"Shut it! I haven't trained as long as you two!" Kate said, playfully reaching to tickle Penelope's sides. After more than a month of training, she had barely met the standards, still feeling a significant gap compared to her well-trained companions. Hence, she disliked being teased about it by Penelope and Charlize.

Although the streets of Los Angeles were still lively at two in the morning, traffic had considerably reduced. Charlize helplessly listened to the two girls fooling around in the back and pressed the accelerator to speed up, wanting to get home to rest without being late for training the next day. While the martial arts trainer wouldn't physically punish them, a staffer from Firefly often supervised their performance during training. Though she didn't voice it, after watching Jurassic Park, Charlize had developed an increased anticipation for their upcoming film, Charlie's Angels.

Since it was a movie scripted by that guy, even if it couldn't compete with Jurassic Park, it certainly had to be excellent.

...

Compared to the three girls who had enjoyed a leisurely outing after the cinema, many others were not feeling as relaxed that night.

On a street in Beverly Hills, Michael Eisner also stepped out of a cinema around the same time. Although he had previously told Eric that he planned to attend a screening of Jurassic Park, he ultimately found an excuse to decline the invitation sent by Firefly. However, not attending the screening didn't mean he was indifferent to the film. He had asked his assistant to secure tickets for the midnight showing as soon as the presale began.

To average moviegoers, watching a film was merely a form of entertainment, leading to a chorus of excitement once the credits rolled. But Michael Eisner discerned a deeper significance in Jurassic Park. The film's plot structure was undeniably impressive, but that wasn't what he was most concerned about. Hollywood had plenty of talented screenwriters and directors capable of crafting outstanding films. Eisner was far more focused on the level of special effects presented in Jurassic Park. Last year's Twister only opened the window to this realm; he confidently believed that Jurassic Park's appearance would fully usher in an entirely new era for special effects films. If Hollywood's big studios wanted to survive and thrive, they had to keep up with this trend, and Firefly was undoubtedly primed to lead the charge.

Lost in thought, Michael Eisner stood on the curb for a moment when a hurried middle-aged man approached, accompanied by another couple.

"Mr. Eisner," the middle-aged man greeted. Just as he was about to introduce the others, Michael waved a hand. "How did it go?"

The man gestured to a young male on his left. The youth opened a folder and handed a sheet of paper to Michael Eisner. "Mr. Eisner, our company has completed a tally of 100 screening rooms for Jurassic Park across Los Angeles, all 200-seat venues. The average attendance per theater was 159 people, resulting in an occupancy rate of 79.5%, with individual theater box office earnings around $1,500," he said, looking up nervously to gauge Eisner's reaction. Seeing no change in the latter's expression, he continued, "Considering the density of theaters in Los Angeles, we estimate this attendance rate to be relatively low on a national scale, so our company predicts the total box office for the midnight showing of Jurassic Park will be around $4.5 million."

With that, the youth paused, waiting for further instructions from Michael Eisner.

Michael Eisner quietly repeated the figure of $4.5 million before uncertainly asking, "What's the highest midnight box office record before this?"

The youth replied without hesitation, "Four years ago, the first Batman movie, with $2.21 million; however, Batman only had 2,200 screens open."

Eisner detected that the last part of the youth's comment was likely meant to appease or comfort him, but he felt no relief at all. A simple calculation showed that the Batman midnight per-theater box office was only $1,000 -- one-third less than Jurassic Park. If fan base sizes were to be compared, Batman's decades-long presence surely attracted far more fans in North America than the Jurassic Park novel. Thus, it seemed unlikely that Jurassic Park's remarkable midnight performance was merely a result of die-hard fan support. Moreover, Eisner vaguely recalled that four years ago, Batman's opening weekend gross was about $60 million. Jurassic Park had already outdone Batman's record by more than double with its midnight results; how much would its opening week's box office tally be? What awaited Jurassic Park's box office potential over the upcoming time frame?

Perhaps a billion dollars wasn't even its upper limit.

After standing still for a few moments, the night breeze brushed past him, bringing him back to reality. He turned to the middle-aged man and commanded, "Mark, have the company's planning department keep a close eye on all details concerning Jurassic Park's subsequent release; I want to see detailed reports daily. Also, within a week, I want them to provide an analysis report on Jurassic Park's initial marketing strategies. Tell Christer that I can overlook his past mischief, but this is his last chance. If the report in a week doesn't satisfy me, he is

free to pack up and leave."

"I understand, Mr. Eisner," the middle-aged man nodded, while the young couple, presumably data analysis staff, smartly averted their gaze, pretending to be distracted to avoid getting caught up in the big corporate strife.

Michael Eisner continued to whisper something further with the middle-aged man before he

hopped into a black sedan and drove away.

...

Meanwhile, similar things were happening in various corners of Los Angeles, the heart of Hollywood. Although other film companies might not have been as attuned as Michael Eisner, they too were concerned about the situation.

After hearing the news, the CEO of Carolco Pictures, Mario Kassar, could only describe his feelings as frustrated. The failure of Cliffhanger had become a foregone conclusion. Initially, Kassar had hoped that Arnold Schwarzenegger's Last Action Hero, set to release next week, would stage a comeback, but with Jurassic Park's astounding midnight performance -- not only smashing Hollywood's previous midnight box office records but also doubling them -- Last Action Hero would likely struggle to find success.

With a combined investment exceeding $150 million, the costs of Cliffhanger and Last Action Hero equaled twice that of Jurassic Park. Even if both films flopped, the financing had come entirely from outside sources, so Mario Kassar's personal wealth wouldn't take a major hit. However, suffering such significant financial losses would likely make it difficult for Carolco Pictures to attract substantial funding from investors in the future.

With a heavy heart, Mario Kassar lost track of time and picked up the phone to call MGM

president Jon Glickman. The dial tone rang, and he suddenly realized it was already past two in the morning. Just as he was about to hang up, someone on the other end picked up the call.

Jon Glickman was evidently in a poor mood as well. MGM had raised $60 million to distribute these two films, betting everything on their success. They never anticipated coming up against the rampaging beast named Jurassic Park.

Having already spent the marketing budget and signed the screening contracts, the decision to open at 2,000 screens had been solidified, leaving no room for delays. After previous warnings from Eric, neither Carolco nor MGM dared employ underhanded tactics again. After all, with a hands-off approach, they could survive a little longer. However, angering Firefly could lead them straight to bankruptcy. Given Jurassic Park's demonstrated box office potential, minor malicious tactics wouldn't bear any fruit. There hadn't been reports of a major film's box office sharply dropping due to scandal during its release.

After a half-hearted back-and-forth on the phone, Mario Kassar and Jon Glickman ended the

conversation feeling discouraged.

...

The next day, the midnight box office results for Jurassic Park rolled in, revealing $4.59 million. The numbers immediately sent waves through the American media. While conservative critics bemoaned Jurassic Park would herald catastrophic changes in film art, over

90% of the media praised the film. It was well-known that neither the quality of the movie nor its commercial appeal could be faulted, and nitpicking would only lead to ridicule. Amidst the buzz, the single-day box office numbers for Jurassic Park continued to emerge over

the following days.

June 4, Friday: $21 million.

June 5, Saturday: $24 million.

June 6, Sunday: $22 million.

This series of box office data could only be described as frantic to industry insiders. More than

80% of major Hollywood films reaching theaters rarely exceeded a total box office of $20

million.

Therefore, when Jurassic Park's opening weekend gross exceeded $71 million (including the

midnight showing), most American media could only be left in stunned silence, emitting a

collective "Wow!"

Simultaneously, reports from the UK indicated that Jurassic Park raked in PS11 million at British box offices during its opening three days, also breaking several records.

With this news breaking, many media outlets that had initially proclaimed Jurassic Park

wouldn't come close to the billion-dollar mark adopted a more cautious approach, with some even brazenly shifting their stance.

...

Entering the workweek, Jurassic Park continued to rake in over $10 million daily across 3,000

North American theaters. Without a doubt, after one complete week, Jurassic Park had

amassed a staggering $114 million in North America.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

At this point, Jurassic Park had shattered box office records across the board.

Record-breaking 3,000 screens at opening! Record-breaking $4.59 million midnight box office!

Record-breaking $21 million opening day box office! Record-breaking $71 million opening weekend! Record-breaking $114 million opening week!

Moreover, as several overseas box office numbers trickled back to the states, hardly anyone in

Hollywood doubted Jurassic Park would not only shatter the $790 million global box office record set by E.T. but also breach the billion-dollar mark, which had nearly become a

certainty.

*****

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