I am Hollywood

[Chapter 794: Breaking Through]

In the first week of June, the North American film market saw the release of only one heavyweight film, The Matrix. The other new releases were independent films debuting on around 1,000 screens each. In contrast, The Matrix dominated the box office, receiving excellent word-of-mouth. During its opening weekend, it grossed an impressive $45.7 million. When adding the figures from previous previews and midnight screenings, the cumulative total reached $51.03 million.

In the following workdays, The Matrix experienced a modest drop of only 40% from its weekend box office. By June 7, the film's total earnings surged to $78.45 million, far outpacing the second-place film, A Time to Kill, which earned just $21 million in its second week. Clearly, The Matrix secured the top spot on the box office charts that week.

Once the figures were released, there was no doubt left that the Wachowski brothers had not botched the project; they became Hollywood's hottest new directors and were in high demand.

...

In Burbank, at the Firefly Group headquarters, Jeffrey Katzenberg had just returned from a business trip to New York.

April and May each year were crucial months for North America's television networks and cable channels, as they finalized their plans for new shows and advertising bids. During this time, Firefly's ABC network, Disney Channel, and A&E Network would establish their programming and advertising plans for the entire year.

Having just attended the weekly film distribution meeting and returned to his office, Katzenberg found his assistant had placed the advertising bid data report for Firefly Television on his desk.

After two months of advertising bids, ABC had set a new record with $2.3 billion, driven by its heavyweight shows like Friends, ER, and Survivor. This was a significant leap from ABC's previous high of $1.9 billion in 1992.

Moreover, ESPN, Disney Channel, and Lifetime collectively edged towards $1.97 billion in advertising revenue.

With these two figures combined, Firefly's television segment was projected to achieve $4.27 billion in advertising revenue for the 1996-1997 fiscal year.

Aside from advertising revenue, Firefly's television business generated income through syndication rights, licensing, video sales, and international distribution. Historically, advertising revenue accounted for about 30% of the overall segment income. This calculation suggested that Firefly's television business could reach total revenues of $14 billion for the year, reflecting expected growth of over 35% compared to the previous year.

Katzenberg was not a blind supporter of public listings. During his time at Disney, he had been reluctant to join the board because, as a publicly traded company, Disney was required to disclose the salaries of its board members, and he preferred to keep his financial information private.

However, as he gazed at the advertising bid report, he couldn't help but fantasize about what might happen if Firefly ever went public. The exposure of this advertising data could significantly boost stock prices -- perhaps even a 10% increase would be a conservative estimate, leading to a staggering market value for Firefly.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door. "Mr. Katzenberg, Mr. Kote and the Wachowski brothers are here," his secretary announced as she entered.

Katzenberg nodded and rose to greet Robert Kote, the producer of The Matrix, and the Wachowski brothers who had come into his office.

In light of The Matrix's surprising box office success, the Wachowski brothers eagerly wanted to discuss plans for a sequel with Firefly's upper management. With Eric Williams filming Casino Royale in the Bahamas, Katzenberg took the reins on this meeting to underscore the importance he placed on the Wachowskis.

After engaging in friendly small talk, Katzenberg instructed his secretary to bring in coffee and suggested they move to the small conference room next to his office.

Once seated around the conference table, coffee was quickly served. Katzenberg gestured for the brothers to take their time while sipping his coffee before asking, "So, do you have a complete concept for the sequel?"

Robert Kote glanced at the Wachowski brothers as Andy Wachowski pulled a script from his bag, saying, "Actually, we designed the script with a trilogy in mind. Here are the scripts for the next two films; you can take a look, Mr. Katzenberg."

"Just call me Jeffrey," Katzenberg replied with a smile as he took the script.

Andy nodded, explaining, "We hope to shoot the sequels back-to-back. This would save some production costs and better maintain continuity in style and storyline across the films."

As Katzenberg skimmed through the script, he didn't lose sight of the performance metrics for The Matrix, taking into account the overseas box office results in various territories. He anticipated that the film could earn around $600 million globally. With a production and marketing budget of just over $100 million, Firefly could see a profit exceeding $100 million.

He flipped the script again and stated, "Of course, if possible, filming both sequels back-to-back could work."

Upon hearing Katzenberg's response, both Kote and the Wachowski brothers wore satisfied expressions. They refrained from further interjecting while Katzenberg continued to read. Though they wanted to discuss the director's salary for the sequels, they sensed that it wasn't the right moment.

Katzenberg quickly browsed through the two sequels' scripts but grew increasingly puzzled. Half an hour later, he lifted his gaze toward the Wachowski brothers, shaking his head. "To be honest, Andy, Larry, I don't quite understand."

Both brothers looked taken aback. Andy remarked, "Jeffrey, maybe you're just reading too quickly."

"No," Katzenberg shook his head. As a staunch advocate for high-concept films, he preferred stories that could be summed up in a single sentence. However, as he read the scripts, he felt lost regarding the Wachowski brothers' intentions. If he had to use a somewhat blunt term, it would be convoluted. He observed that issues which could be clearly explained were shrouded in mystery, and certain actions taken by the main character Neo seemed utterly baffling: "I mean, the story of the sequels is too... esoteric."

"But audience loves it, don't they?" Robert Kote countered, saying, "Jeffrey, people praised the philosophical elements present in the first film. I think deepening that aspect in the sequels isn't a bad approach."

"I don't think it's deepening. The philosophical elements in the current release were just right, and audiences were primarily interested in the overall story, along with the film's innovative shooting techniques and explosive action scenes." Katzenberg shrugged before continuing, "While the scripts for the sequels contain similar elements, the entire narrative seems overly complicated. I believe you guys need to revise the script."

Given Katzenberg's fiery and tough nature, his patience in articulating these remarks showcased a great deal of restraint. He wasn't someone who lacked people skills; otherwise, he would have tossed out phrases like "nonsense" without a second thought.

The attention the media had been giving the Wachowskis lately left them feeling a bit irked. Andy Wachowski suggested, "Jeffrey, perhaps we should let Eric see the script; I believe he will appreciate it."

In any corporate structure, it's considered inappropriate to elevate issues beyond one's level directly. Not only did this disrupt the management hierarchy, but it also undermined the authority of the respective management tier. By suggesting letting Eric view the script in front of Katzenberg, Andy practically slapped Katzenberg in the face.

Robert Kote noticed Andy's reckless comment and felt his expression shift slightly, thinking that even if they would submit the script to Eric Williams, it shouldn't have been mentioned in front of Katzenberg. As a producer within the Firefly Group, Kote knew full well that Katzenberg was not the type to engage kindly with his subordinates.

However, to Kote's surprise, instead of erupting, Katzenberg's lips curled into a strange smile. "Of course, that's no problem. I can have my secretary send the script to Eric right now."

Having worked together for so long, Katzenberg was fully aware of Eric's cinematic vision. Although Eric liked innovative projects and occasionally made unexpected investments, his commitment to high-concept cinema matched Katzenberg's. To put it plainly, Firefly's rapid rise over the years was closely tied to its firm dedication to producing high-concept commercial films.

While critically acclaimed artistic films often gained considerable respect from the public in Hollywood, the reality was that both major studios and independent producers cared primarily about the commercially viable films that critics deemed 'lowbrow.'

Knowing that such a cryptic script would likely invite scorn, Katzenberg would gladly consume the assembled script if the Wachowski brothers did not get a rude awakening.

As he noticed that none of the three were speaking, Katzenberg summoning his secretary. He directed, "Sally, please fax this script to the Bahamas immediately."

"Sure, Mr. Katzenberg," she replied, taking the script and leaving the conference room.

Katzenberg did not intend to create a rift, as he understood that despite opposing the Wachowskis' script, the filming of the sequels would still rely on their direction after modifications.

"So, it's nearly noon, and there's a great restaurant nearby. Why don't we grab lunch together? Eric's been quite busy, and he might take a couple of days to respond, so you may have to be patient."

The Wachowski brothers were still trying to process Katzenberg's recent actions, but Robert Kote quickly stood up, suggesting, "Of course, Jeffrey, how about I treat you?"

"No, of course, it's my treat," Katzenberg countered, looking at the Wachowski brothers.

Having enjoyed much success lately, the brothers felt momentarily stumped by Katzenberg's rejection, instinctively wanting to use Eric to pressure Katzenberg. Yet, they were not ignorant and soon regretted their earlier statements.

Seeing that Katzenberg bore no signs of anger, the brothers finally caught on to the offer. Andy Wachowski said, "Of course, it would be our honor."

...

In the Bahamas, on Paradise Island, Eric had not seen Ivanka for nearly three years. The once-proud girl had blossomed into a 15-year-old young lady, inheriting her mother's modeling genes. At this point, she had reached nearly 5'7" tall. Although she still held some baby fat in her face, standing next to future supermodels like Gisele, Alessandra, and Miranda, she appeared equally poised.

Casino Royale had been in production for a week. Managing the extensive crew under the usual double-weekend policy was quite extravagant, especially since they were not in the U.S. The production company had signed agreements with crew members and actors that required six days of work followed by one day of rest.

Gisele and the other girls flew down to the Bahamas two days prior alongside Ivanka and her mother. After just finishing a rest day, Eric had arranged to shoot the four girls' brief scenes today.

As anyone grows older, their experiences and personalities change. Yet in front of Eric, Ivanka had lost her former pride and appeared more bashful instead. Coming from a wealthy family, she certainly understood the power and influence that Eric's considerable wealth represented far better than an average child would.

To him, Eric maintained an air of oblivion. He took the 'props' that had been prepared for Ivanka from the production assistant, seemingly intending to charm and coax her once again.

Outside the ocean park club on Paradise Island, the crew seemingly readied themselves, but most employees curiously watched as their director attempted to charm the film's exclusive 'mascot.' Gisele and the other supermodels donned tennis skirts and stood with their racquets, curiosity evident on their faces. Even Ivanka's mother, Ivana Trump, watched the scene with great interest.

*****

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