The star-studded Regent Hotel on Wihill Avenue in Beverly Hills is even more lavish and inviting than the just-concluded Golden Globe Awards, even though it is also held in the form of a formal banquet, because it is the Oscar nominees' luncheon, which announced the list of nominees for the 68th Academy Awards.

The list of nominees has come to an end, Richard on stage? Dreyfus is reading the Best Picture nominations, "The Postman," "Piggy Run," "Braveheart," "Sense and Sensibility," and "Saving Private Ryan." ”

“yes！”

Despite having guessed this result in advance, the two production managers Charles? Rowan and Robin? Grande still high-fived in celebration, and Duke glanced at them and asked the female assistant sitting next to him, "Tina, do you count how many nominations we have?" ”

Tina? Fei flipped through the notebook and said, "Best Score, Best Makeup, Best Art Direction, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects, Recent Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Picture, a total of eleven nominations!" ”

"What about our opponents?" Robin? Grande leaned over and asked.

Needless to say, Tina? Fei also knew that he was asking about "Braveheart", saying, "Best Score, Best Makeup, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Picture, ten nominations." ”

She added, "Except for Best Costume Design, the rest of the awards are in direct competition with us. ”

Charles? Rowan looked over at Braveheart. Mel, who is being angrily criticized by public opinion and spurned by almost everyone in Hollywood? Gibson didn't attend, and couldn't help but snort, "They can win a few technical awards at most." If you want to win a heavyweight award, ......"

Several people looked at Duke at the same time, and Duke innocently spread his hands, indicating that it had nothing to do with him.

In the past few days, news has been coming, some of the most heavyweight, or is it from Mel? Gibson's original partners Paramount Pictures and Viacom. Probably by Mel? Gibson's words irritated, Summer? Lei Shidong personally intervened in the cooperation projects of his companies. Paramount announced yesterday that the new film project "Ransom Storm" will replace the original Mel? Gibson, the male lead, will also be given up with Mel? Gibson-related programs.

Several other companies, although they have not said it publicly, have been privately circulated. None of them will consider anything with Mel in the short term? Gibson cooperation.

These initiatives are not only made because of Jewish people, but also because racial discrimination is a forbidden area for public figures, and those who get into such trouble will be boycotted by a large audience, and no company wants to make a work that is destined to lose money.

John's at Pixar Studios? Lassett and Steve? After Steve Jobs presented the Academy Award for Scientific and Technological Achievement, this year's nominee luncheon came to an end.

"Robin, we're going to get our dresses ready in advance."

The banquet dispersed, and everyone was in no hurry to leave. Charles? Rowan vs. Robin? "If nothing else, we're going to lift the Best Picture statuette." ”

The specific award work of the crew. The two production managers had been coordinating with the production and distributors, and Duke couldn't help but look at him and ask, "How sure are you?" ”

"The original probability was only 60 percent." Charles? Rowan was full of confidence, "Now there are eight percent!" ”

Robin? Grande patted Duke on the arm, "You should think about who you take with you on the carpet now, this is the best chance to promote the film." ”

Duke knew he was talking about Chicago. The film is sure to miss the Super Bowl halftime commercial, and the Oscars red carpet is also a good promotional opportunity. It is a waste for him to walk on the red carpet alone, and how to maximize the value of the Oscar invitation is also a problem that he, the film investor, must consider.

After thinking about it, Duke still decided to throw this kind of thing at the professionals, Pani? Kelis has a lot more experience than he does.

A few other people were still talking, but Duke's eyes turned to the other side, was that John? Lassett and Steve? Steve Jobs, the ugly duckling of Pixar Studios, finally transformed into a white swan, and also made the latter step into the ranks of billionaires.

I just don't know when he's going to go back to Apple?

After thinking about it for a while, Duke still didn't have any impression, and could only secretly sigh that his head was too stupid, except for some movie-related content and big road goods such as 911, many events that had happened in North America had no memory.

Then, he was relieved, after all, he didn't have Google in his head.

Walking out of the Regent Hotel, Duke called out to Charles as he was about to part in the parking lot? Rowan.

"Charles, Oscar PR has come to the end." He walked up to the other party and asked, "I have learned, you have not worked with Warner recently, are you interested in continuing to work with me?" Starting next year, I need someone I can trust to go to New Zealand and start working on a big project, maybe three to five years there. ”

"Shall I think about it?" Charles? Rowan didn't ask about specific projects.

Until he expresses his intention to cooperate, Duke will not tell him the details.

Leaving Beverly Hills, Duke and Robin? Grande went to Warner Studios in Burbank, but the disturbances from the outside world did not affect the crew, and all kinds of preparations have been carried out, and even the props, sets, rentals and other work have been completed, just waiting for the actors' rehearsals to end.

Lily? Fred's rehearsal of the song and dance was also approved by Duke, and based on the current rehearsal schedule, he tentatively scheduled the film to start shooting after the Oscars.

"Congratulations, Duke."

Just walked into the studio and Duke met Tom? Cruise, whose smile looked unusually sincere, "Congratulations on being nominated for Best Director." ”

"Thank you, Tom." Duke greeted him politely, and the two have maintained a good superficial relationship since Cruise joined the crew. "I'll remember the qiē you did for me."

"You're welcome."

Think of Golden Globe Night and now Mel? Gibson, Tom? Cruise didn't know why, but he always had some fear of Duke. "We are partners and we should work together."

He looked at his watch, "My dance class is over today, and I still have some things, so I'll go first, and we'll talk another day." ”

"Okay." Duke beckoned to him, "Goodbye." Tom. ”

As long as there is Tom? Where Cruise is, there's never a shortage of journalists and paparazzi. When he first came in, there were dozens of people with cameras hanging near Warner Studios, and from the publicity point alone, it was a very good deal to invite him to star in "Chicago."

I went to the dance studio and watched the training of the actresses. Duke went to the Warner Building in front of him and met with the head of distribution at Warner Bros. to discuss some of the future announcements.

What's more, it is too long ago to be in the glory days of the genre of musical and dance films, and even if he is the director of this film, it is impossible to change that "Chicago" will only be shown in North America in the form of small-scale screenings or even on-demand screenings in the future.

How to use limited resources to promote the film has become the focus of recent communication between the crew and Warner Bros.

Tom? Cruise is the shiniest propaganda point. However, frequent use can also cause aesthetic fatigue, excessive bombardment can even make people rebellious, and new propaganda points are particularly important. When leaving Warner, Duke simply gave Pani? Kelis hung up the phone and handed the job to her.

Time is getting closer and closer to the Oscars, and after the nominees' luncheon, the film returns to mainstream commercial theaters thanks to the eleven Oscar nominations for "Saving Private Ryan". By the weekend, the number of theaters had expanded from 115 to 812.

The Oscars of this era are far more effective at the box office than after the Internet explosion. Fans who haven't seen it walked into the theater because of the nomination, and some fans who have watched it also choose to review it again to wait for the Oscars.

Like most of the nominated films, "Saving Private Ryan" rebounded sharply, earning $3.52 million, $2.76 million and $2.11 million in the last week of January and $2.11 million in the first two weeks of February, bringing the total box office in North America to $322.17 million!

The film also completely consumed all of its market potential, and by the last day of the Oscar collection in mid-March, the North American box office was finally fixed at $325.79 million from all theaters in North America.

Duke easily won the second North American box office of the year, and threw out the second place "Toy Story" by nearly $150 million!

Also on this day, "Braveheart" also completed its North American theater tour, and after being nominated for an Oscar, the film also ushered in a small rebound boom, but due to the impact of the Gibson incident, the rebound was always limited, and only held the film's North American box office into the $30 million mark, ending with $31.75 million in North America.

After experiencing screenings in major markets such as the Commonwealth and Europe, Australia, the box office figures of the film are finally no longer so miserable, and the global box office has crossed the $100 million mark on March 15!

If you count the videotape and TV rights income after the Oscars, it won't take long for "Braveheart" to recoup its cost, but CAA, as the leader of the project, is not happy at all, and its competitors who were released at the same time, "Saving Private Ryan" basically got off the global market, and the global box office was as high as 649.27 million US dollars~

This number is only second only to "Jurassic Park", "Independence Day", "The Lion King" and "ET Alien", ranking fifth on the film history list!

"Although Lucasfilm is ready to re-release "Star Wars" again, and the box office after the re-release will inevitably surpass "Saving Private Ryan", but two of the top five films in film history are now from Duke? Rosenberg! Such a director who can be compared to Spielberg, but is an outcast of CAA, shouldn't anyone in CAA be responsible for this? ”

A cold voice wafted through the CAA conference room, and no one could say anything to refute it. (To be continued)