Chasing Stars in Hollywood

In the first week, "Lethal Weapon 3" grossed $42.94 million, slightly below the expected $45 million.

Due to its action-comedy nature, "Lethal Weapon 3" had a production cost of only $35 million.

A $42.94 million opening indicates a big hit relative to its cost.

However, because Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, and director Richard Donner signed profit-sharing contracts that claimed over half of the film's net profits, Warner Bros.' expected earnings from this sequel project are less than those of the main creators.

Considering the increased costs and risks of continuing the sequels, whether "Lethal Weapon 4" will be produced hinges on Warner Bros.' negotiations with Mel Gibson and the other main creators regarding profit distribution.

In Simon's memory, "Lethal Weapon 4" wasn't released until 1998, largely due to these reasons. Moreover, because of the long interval, the production cost of "Lethal Weapon 4" reached $140 million, but its North American box office failed to cover the cost.

Hollywood's trilogy curse sometimes isn't a bad thing for both studios and filmmakers.

On May 22, in the second week of the summer season, Disney released the black comedy "Sister Act," starring Whoopi Goldberg, with a budget of $31 million and opening on 1,430 screens.

A few years ago, a 1,430-screen opening was considered a major production. By 1992, it signified low expectations for the film's box office prospects.

Disney planned to release several films this summer, including the sequel "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid" and the 2D animated film "Aladdin." Even the re-release of the classic 2D animated film "Pinocchio," set for mid-July, had an expected screen count exceeding that of "Sister Act."

Besides "Sister Act," another film released on the same day was "Damage," distributed by New World Pictures, a subsidiary of Daenerys Entertainment.

Directed by the famous French director Louis Malle, "Damage" stars Oscar winner Jeremy Irons and renowned French actress Juliette Binoche, telling the story of an affair between a British MP and his son's girlfriend.

New World Pictures marketed "Damage" as a version of the box office hit "Fatal Attraction," starring Michael Douglas, from a few years ago.

Of course, unlike the thriller suspense of "Fatal Attraction," the main selling point of "Damage" was sex.

Under the operation of New World Pictures' distribution team, mainstream newspapers and magazines analyzed and dissected the plot of "Damage" seriously, while gossip platforms like The New York Times sensationalized its rating conflict with the MPAA.

Due to multiple explicit love scenes in "Damage," the MPAA initially rated it NC-17. After a dispute and some concessions by New World Pictures, the film finally received an R rating.

This rating conflict was a deliberate move by New World Pictures' team.

Hollywood studios have countless disputes with the MPAA over ratings each year, and Daenerys Entertainment is no exception, though most are resolved discreetly.

Therefore, occasionally making a big deal out of it in the media proved very effective.

Opening on 516 screens, "Damage" grossed $5.39 million in its first week, surpassing the $10,000 per screen hot-selling standard.

Considering the limited North American audience for French directors' works and the competitive summer season, combined with a hunger marketing strategy, despite a good opening, New World Pictures had no plans to increase the screen count for the second week.

Nevertheless, a $5.39 million opening ensures "Damage" will earn at least $15 million in North American box office.

Although directed by Louis Malle, known for "Atlantic City" and "Pretty Baby," the film's mediocre reputation meant it only performed modestly in Europe. New World Pictures bought the North American rights for just $2 million, with a promotional budget of another $2 million.

This was also a gamble.

Louis Malle was never a box office director.

New World Pictures initially predicted that the film might only make $5 million in North America.

With a total investment of $4 million, if the North American box office only reached $5 million, the project would have to rely on video and other channels to break even.

The European production companies likely foresaw this possibility and chose to sell the North American rights outright to secure their earnings.

Because it was an outright purchase, "Damage" secured a decent summer release slot. Otherwise, it would have been relegated to a low-demand period like January or September.

A $15 million North American box office forecast was enough to cover New World Entertainment's initial investment and turn a profit.

Previously, many in Hollywood couldn't understand why Daenerys Entertainment, with its DC movie universe and numerous other blockbuster IPs, would venture into low-budget independent films and art house movies.

Now, with Daenerys Entertainment's continued success in this field, other studios realized that even a niche film with a North American box office of $10-20 million could be highly profitable when produced at a low cost.

For Daenerys Entertainment, starting from early releases like "Reservoir Dogs," "Strictly Ballroom," and "Twin Dragons," to the recently released "Damage," New World Pictures and Gaumont Films, its two subsidiaries, have released nine low-cost niche projects with box office earnings exceeding $10 million.

Even if each film only nets $2-3 million, combined with revenue from video and television rights, this could contribute over $100 million in net profit annually.

This is only from low-budget niche projects.

Gaumont Films and New World Pictures also had major projects like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "The Mighty Ducks," and "The Piano."

Overall, these two subsidiaries could easily generate $200-300 million or more in profits for Daenerys Entertainment. In an average year, many of Hollywood's top seven studios only have net profits of $200-300 million.

However, even understanding this, other studios found it difficult to compete with Daenerys Entertainment in the low-cost independent film sector, much like how other studios struggled to surpass New Line and Miramax in their specialties in the original timeline.

Moreover, New World Pictures and Gaumont Films, now subsidiaries of Daenerys Entertainment, couldn't be acquired by other studios.

Even though "Damage" had an impressive first-week box office relative to its cost, it wasn't prominent on the weekly box office chart.

From May 22 to May 28, "Lethal Weapon 3" continued to lead the weekly box office with $32.31 million, a drop of only 24% from its first week.

Disney's "Sister Act," initially underestimated, surprisingly performed well, grossing $16.76 million in its first week with an average of over $11,000 per screen on 1,430 screens.

Before its release, Disney executives had disagreements over this project, but the unexpected success prompted a quick response, increasing the screen count to 1,742 in the second week.

Meanwhile, on May 29, North American theaters welcomed the first big-budget blockbuster of the 1992 summer season: Sony's Columbia Pictures released the $60 million production "Far and Away."

Starring Tom Cruise and directed by Ron Howard, known for "Splash" and "Parenthood," the film depicts the struggles of Irish immigrants in North America in the late 19th century.

In the original timeline, "Far and Away" was a 'couple' film with Nicole Kidman, Cruise's then-wife, as the female lead.

This time it was different.

However, the new "Far and Away" still featured one of Simon's 'acquaintances,' Catherine Zeta-Jones, as the female lead.

The 'man-killer' had parted ways with Columbia Pictures' president Jon Peters but had established good connections in Hollywood.

To protect his interests, Tom Cruise rarely collaborated with other big-name actors, especially female leads, who were typically second or third-tier actresses, making Catherine Zeta-Jones a suitable choice.

Columbia Pictures invested $60 million in "Far and Away" and spared no effort in its distribution, with a promotional budget of $30 million, totaling $90 million for the entire project.

To ensure the film's box office success, Tom Cruise went all out.

Due to the altered timeline, Cruise had divorced his first wife, Mimi Rogers, a year earlier. To generate buzz for "Far and Away," the media hyped Cruise and Zeta-Jones' 'romance.'

This promotional tactic was overused in Hollywood.

However, since it was frequently used, it must have its merits.

The 'romance' between Tom Cruise and Catherine Zeta-Jones garnered considerable attention, boosting interest in "Far and Away."

Nonetheless, no amount of investment, promotion, or scandal could save a film destined to be lukewarm.

After opening on 2,791 screens, "Far and Away" received mixed reviews from the media. Cruise's declining popularity and the audience's lack of interest in the story led to a disappointing $10.19 million opening weekend, far below Columbia Pictures' expectations.

It was a cold splash of reality.

By the end of the first week, "Far and Away" grossed only $15.62 million, ranking third on the weekly box office chart.

Due to "Far and Away"'s box office failure, Warner Bros.' "Lethal Weapon 3" remained the top earner for the week.

In its third week, "Lethal Weapon 3" grossed another $20.02 million, bringing its total to $95.28 million, nearing the $100 million mark.

Disney's "Sister Act," showing signs of being a box office dark horse, ranked second for the week.

With increased screen count, "Sister Act" grossed $16.

29 million in its second week, a mere 3% drop from the first week. In two weeks, the film's total gross exceeded its $31 million production cost, reaching $33.05 million.

If not for the overwhelming presence of "Wonder Woman," "Sister Act" could have enjoyed a long box office run.

Like last year's "The Flash," "Wonder Woman"'s final production and promotional budget totaled $80 million, with a pre-release investment of $160 million.

To break even, the film needed to gross $290 million domestically, based on a 55% North American box office split.

However, as a DC Universe project, the film's profitability didn't solely depend on box office revenue.

Despite lacking heavyweight stars, "Wonder Woman," with its established IP, was the most anticipated film of the summer. Its stunning special effects and Famke Janssen's portrayal of Diana Prince captivated many fans and comic book enthusiasts.

Additionally, Daenerys Entertainment played the feminist card in their promotion.

In recent years, successful female-led films in Hollywood, coupled with three female directors simultaneously receiving Best Director nominations at the Oscars, bolstered confidence in a female superhero film.

Diana Prince's debut in "Batman: The Dark Knight," the DC Universe's crossover plans, and the consecutive successes of "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," and "The Flash" provided a solid foundation for "Wonder Woman."

Confident in the film's quality, "Wonder Woman" had its premiere on Wednesday, June 3, with reviews embargo lifted the next day.

"Wonder Woman" received a composite score of 9.3 from the media, with unanimous praise for its plot, special effects, cinematography, and soundtrack.

The Hollywood Reporter's review typified the mainstream view: "A seamless, thrilling plot, groundbreaking special effects, vivid and well-rounded characters, and skillfully integrated foreshadowing make 'Wonder Woman' a grand opening for the DC Universe."

Variety praised Famke Janssen: "What could have been a superficial role was masterfully transformed by this Nordic actress into a strong, just, and powerful female superhero."

Simon's custom score for Diana Prince, akin to the original "Is She with You," also caught media attention.

After the premiere, a Rolling Stone critic claimed that the "Wonder Woman" soundtrack would be one of the most collectible albums of 1992 and humorously congratulated Simon Westero on possibly securing another Oscar nomination for original score, alongside his directorial achievements.

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!] [[email protected]/INNIT]