CAA's office floor was brightly lit, even though it was already 7 pm, well past the usual quitting time. But John was still busy in his office, not leaving yet.
"Hey, buddy, I'm going home now. Want to go together?" said a man named Seth, also a CAA agent. They both rented apartments not far from each other, so going home together was convenient.
There were plenty of hardworking people in this world, and Seth was one of those willing to put effort into his career. Their personalities were similar, and they had a good relationship.
"No, I still have a few things to finish up. You go ahead," John politely declined.
"Look at you, you've been really busy lately, drinking this." He pointed to another cup of brewed coffee, saying, "It's not good for your sleep."
"No choice. Even if I sleep later, I can't slack off at work," John smiled bitterly, shrugging.
Another agent who was nearby noticed them and chimed in, "John is different now. He's a busy man."
Why did that statement sound so sour?
John smiled and didn't pay any attention to it.
Although the company's employee handbook stated that everyone was equal within the company, the reality was quite different. Even though CAA promoted a flat management structure, it was hard to achieve in practice. In CAA, there was a hierarchy among agents based on experience and results. John and Seth were stronger than those who were still trying to make their mark; they had successful artists under their management, which naturally gave them more authority and bargaining power, not to mention better compensation.
Their opinions and opportunities would also be more appreciated by the management. After all, people like them were already considered middle-tier agents.
One step higher would be the senior agents, and even partners at CAA.
"Alright, you're busy. I'll head home first."
"Goodbye," John politely greeted.
Just as Seth left, a colleague pushed open the office door from outside. "John, Mr. Lourd is looking for you."
Amidst the envious looks of his colleagues, John got up and left the office.
"He's really successful now." The colleague who had made a sour remark didn't hide his jealousy, "I wish I had signed the director Lyman. But oh well..."
With that, he shook his head and turned away.
Seth, who was still there, felt a bit envious too. Before, his voice was undoubtedly the loudest in this office, but now, the situation seemed to have changed.
However, he didn't sink into negative emotions for long. He quickly reaffirmed his belief: opportunities had to be seized; if he had to blame anyone, it would be himself for not giving it his all.
Back when Lyman was first in talks with CAA, they had discussed who would represent him. Everyone in their office had a chance to compete for it, but in the end, John's determination was stronger.
After all, the terms of service were so demanding, without any room for personal initiative, and that didn't sit well with the middle-tier agents like them.
Their compensation was not low, and in a capitalistic society like the United States, they were already considered to have a foothold. Naturally, they wanted to stand tall and straight while making money.
But now, perhaps he regretted a little.
It's not just Hollywood actors and directors who need opportunities; agents like them need them too.
Who wouldn't want to climb up to the top of the industry?
Watching John, who seemed tired but gradually becoming spirited, Seth shook his head and left the CAA headquarters.
The road was chosen by oneself, and there was nothing more to say.
On the other side, John quickly walked to Bryan Lourd's office, gently knocked twice on the door, and then pushed it open.
"Mr. Lourd..." He stood in front of the desk and asked, "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"
"Just now, the box office statistics and audience word-of-mouth survey until 6 o'clock came out." Bryan's bald head seemed a little brighter than usual, and he said with a smile, "Take a look."
As he spoke, he handed John a well-organized document.
John took it and quickly glanced through it, and his face showed more joy.
With 2,700 theaters opening, "Fury" earned $6.75M. If one were to add in the late-night box office data, it could reach $7M.
As for the audience word-of-mouth, the hired research company randomly surveyed 4,223 viewers, with 82% rating it A+ and 90% rating it A or above, while less than 1% rated it below C.
These data were enough to show that the word-of-mouth for "Fury" was very good on its premiere, and the box office matched this word-of-mouth.
"Lyman really didn't disappoint us."
Bryan asked, "What has he been up to recently?"
"Not much, and I haven't heard of any new film plans."
Bryan shook his bald head, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Regarding Lyman's business..."
He looked at John and said, "You've done a good job."
There was some joy on John's face, but he still restrained himself and said, "It's because of his outstanding potential."
Bryan didn't respond to that. Instead, he said, "There's another office on the fifth floor of the building. Pack your things and move in. Also, you can use most of the company's existing resources and networks as needed."
Indeed, there was no such thing as promotion for agents at CAA, but upon hearing this, John understood that his status in the company was about to be significantly elevated.
The massive investment he made in Lyman was starting to pay off.
With his hands on the desk, Bryan saw that he had finished giving instructions. He casually added that John should handle Lyman's artist services well and then waved him out of the office.
Meanwhile, in the headquarters of Hollywood Paramount Pictures, Sherry Lansing also received similar statistical data on the movie "Fury".
These survey data was not confidential; major film companies could easily obtain them by paying a fee.
After reviewing the market feedback, Sherry sighed with relief. The pressure on her within the company was getting higher and higher.
Her competitors were eyeing her position, and investing so much in Lyman's new work inevitably meant she had to bear some responsibility.
If she failed, her situation would definitely be worse.
But, life, you know, there are no ifs.
The far-exceeding-pre-expectation premiere word-of-mouth and box office of "Fury" may not fully represent the film's ultimate performance, but there is still some basis overall.
Sherry's mood suddenly improved, and she once again proved her vision, silencing those who doubted her.
"Call Charles, the head of the marketing department, over." Sherry picked up the office phone and called out.
In a moment, Charles rushed over.
"Have you seen the movie's statistics?"
"Yes, I have." Charles, a slightly bald middle-aged white man, sat on a chair and earnestly suggested, "I think we were a bit conservative with the 2,700 theaters for the first week. The market potential of "Fury" has not been fully unleashed. Should we try to convince theaters to increase the number of screenings?"
"I understand that it's a bit less, but, Charles, there's no way." Sherry shook her head. "The entire North American market is only so big, and so many competitors are joining the Christmas season. The theaters are also difficult to arrange. Take us and MGM as an example. They and we both invested heavily in films, but there are only so many screens. With them in the mix, we can't get over 3,000 theaters as usual."
"That's true, but they shouldn't think they can get over 3,000 theaters for their screenings either."
Sherry smiled, not saying anything. It was a matter of course.
Competition in Hollywood was everywhere, from scripts to actors to directors, and even behind-the-scenes theaters and production teams—all of these were battlefields that movie companies needed to fight for and snatch. After so many years, they were all familiar with the tactics.
"And how about "Die Another Day"? How did it do?" Sherry thought of the only competitor in the past two weeks.
"2,732 theaters, earned $8.26M." Charles leaned back in his chair and continued, "It's pretty consistent with the first-day data of the "007" series."
Sherry nodded in understanding. After all, the fan base was there. If they couldn't surpass "Fury" in the first week, there would be less hope as time went on. This was also a common problem for fan-oriented movie series. The comparison between the first-week and second-week box office was mostly inverse.
"However, their word-of-mouth isn't good." Charles continued, "According to the feedback from the research company, their rating is 7.5, while "Fury" has 8.6."
"Don't talk about these." Sherry shook her head. "These data are too abstract. The internal evaluations from market analysis have been making jokes every year. I want to hear about the evaluations from the audience at the theaters."
"Yes, "Die Another Day" received 4,632 survey questionnaires from the audience. The A+ rating is 78%, A or above is 82%, and C or below is 2%." Charles expressed his opinion, "The first-day fan phenomenon is too severe. In a few days, their rating will probably drop significantly."
"Yes, keep an eye on it. We need to be ready to grasp this information at any time." Sherry said in a deep voice.
Next, the two discussed some other company affairs.
But with "Fury" performing well, it still attracted more attention.