After carefully reviewing the North American year-end box office rankings for 2003, it's not difficult to notice that sequel films had already dominated the production landscape.
In the top ten, there were already four sequel films, and within the top twenty, there were a staggering eight. Excluding animated films and superhero themes, there were only nine standalone films left.
Keep in mind that just five years ago, standalone films were still ruling the world. In the blink of an eye, sequels had become the kings, and their overall performance was outstanding.
From this, it was evident that making sequels was the foundation for box office success. Thanks to the accumulated popularity of the previous installments, as long as the quality was slightly better, it often sparked a significant trend in movie-watching. This gave sequels an absolute advantage even before shooting began, making theaters more willing to support them. This revelation served as a wake-up call to all Hollywood movie studios, emphasizing the importance of successful sequels with consistent quality.
Going deeper into the analysis, it became clear that apart from the steadily rising superhero market, low-budget comedies had not gone out of style. The influence of visual effects in blockbuster films was gradually increasing.
In other words, apart from ensuring a smooth storyline, moviegoers were increasingly enjoying the visual spectacles created by special effects. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", "The Matrix Reloaded", "The Matrix Revolutions", "Terminator 3", and "Pirates of the Caribbean" were all typical examples of this trend. The breathtaking scenes that portrayed settings impossible to achieve in the real world were enhanced by the continuous advancement of computer technology, creating a profound visual impact.
Conversely, crime films, which had traditionally not been big earners, suddenly produced a masterpiece this year, making it a notable highlight.
As for the tech-savvy geniuses at Pixar, let's not discuss them too much. Their achievements spoke for themselves. If they ever incurred losses, that would indeed be an interesting news topic.
If we continue to delve deeper, among the top ten films, there was a variety of genres, including fantasy epics, animated comedies, dark crime dramas, action sci-fi, and family comedies.
Apart from the dominance of sequel films, the remaining types of films were not monotonous, and it seemed that each had its moments to shine.
This gave people more expectations and a sense of uncertainty regarding the box office trends for the coming year.
...
Of course.
Lyman, who was still on set shooting, was unaware of the heated discussions in the outside world. Even if he did know, he wouldn't care.
After all, when it came to movies, no matter how much you predicted the market trends, if it didn't work, then it simply didn't work. Could the rise of the superhero market guarantee a profitable movie shoot? If that were the case, "The Hulk" wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses, and Ang Lee wouldn't have been shown the door by Universal, only to turn around and collaborate with Focus Features.
So, no matter how much one thought about it, it was all in vain.
For Lyman, all he needed to do was make a good movie. As for how it would perform, that was a matter for the audience and the market to decide.
The shooting continued.
Because the boxing scenes had all been filmed, only the scenes depicting Maggie's injury in the latter part of the movie needed to be completed. For the film crew, this was undoubtedly a good thing, as it eliminated the need for frequent location changes and saved time on set construction. Everyone could shoot more continuous scenes, which facilitated the actors' emotional transitions.
As the absolute lead in the latter part of the film, Hilary Swank deserved her reputation as an Oscar-winning actress. From her performance, it was clear that she had truly immersed herself in the role.
Although lying in a hospital bed all day and not being able to move for long periods was quite torturous, her determination was strong, and the shooting progress gradually accelerated.
In the blink of an eye, it was the first weekend of January.
The weather in Los Angeles was still somewhat chilly, and amidst the intense shooting, something was bound to disturb Lyman.
On the afternoon of January 6th, his agent, John, suddenly called.
"Lyman, how's it going over there?"
"What's going on?"
No need for pleasantries.
"It's like this," John said on the other end of the phone, "The Golden Globe Awards are about to start, and your film "Miscreant" has been nominated for several categories. The chances of winning are quite high, and you need to come and participate."
The Golden Globe Awards, often referred to as the Oscar barometer.
That's what they said, but its authority had never been high. It was more a reflection of entertainment value. As one of the most grand and influential awards ceremonies in the United States, it almost always included the hottest stars and directors in the film and television industry.
Why?
Because nominations seemed to be handed out like candy, with almost everyone getting a bite.
Compared to the Oscars, the Golden Globes seemed to prefer catering to mainstream tastes, which meant awards were given to those with high box office numbers. And then everyone sat together, shared some fruit, had a good time, and enjoyed high ratings. What's not to like?
And "Miscreant" was one of the top films of the year, so it naturally received favor from the judging committee.
Of course, Lyman couldn't refuse.
He still owed several favors to some of the judges. They had campaigned for him during the selection for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, and he couldn't just ignore them and not show up. That wouldn't be respectful to the organizing committee, and it might not be beneficial either.
"About the specific time?" Lyman asked helplessly.
"It's the day after tomorrow, and the location is the Chandler Music Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Make sure you don't miss it."
"Alright, I got it. I'll be there."
With the back-and-forth conversation, it would probably delay him for a day or two. Now that "Million Dollar Baby" had already filmed about 80% of its scenes, there was only a little left...
Well, he could consider it a short vacation. These few days of relaxation would be good for the crew.
The so-called network and influence had their uses, after all.
With this in mind, he found René and told him about it.
"No problem, I'll handle it properly. You can take a two-day break, and we'll start filming when you get back."
René said with a smile, "Winning an award is a good thing, and it's also beneficial for our film company's reputation."
"Why are you more confident than me? Maybe I'm just a tagalong."
"Haha, with so many nominations, they have to give you one. You've come all this way to participate; they wouldn't let you leave empty-handed. Besides, the box office results are there for all to see. Besides "The Lord of the Rings", who else can compete?"
When you thought about it that way, "Finding Nemo" was, after all, an animated film and couldn't compete in the categories for live-action films.
Looking at it this way, it was indeed a battle between "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and "Miscreant", just as René had said.
Thinking of Peter Jackson's plump appearance, Lyman couldn't help but chuckle. That guy looked quite intimidating with that beer belly, but when it came to a real fight, he was no match. After the celebration banquet that day, he had hosted a private gathering and boasted that he was a heavyweight drinker, claiming he had never been drunk before.
As a result, he couldn't even finish a bottle of whisky, and he ended up lying on the ground.
What a braggart.