By the end of the seventh day, which marked one week of its release, the movie had reached an astonishing total box office of $45.86 million.
This was an impressive number, and if the trend continued, "Saw" had a chance to compete for a spot in this year's top ten box office rankings.
Compared to the films on that list, even the smallest investment was in the tens of millions of dollars. In contrast, the profits from "Saw" were sky-high.
In the industry, all the film studios knew Kevin's name. Countless companies were searching for his whereabouts, attempting to sign him for their next film.
However, Kevin had temporarily put a stop to all of that, thanks to his agent, Dawson.
For his next film, Kevin would still prepare a project proposal in advance, and then release some rumors to incite internal competition among the film companies.
In theory, he was willing to continue working with New Line Films since the collaboration had been relatively pleasant this time.
However, if another company offered better conditions, he wouldn't rule out accepting their offer.
In the end, money ruled in Hollywood.
Whoever offered a higher price would be the one he worked with.
...
"Dong dong dong!"
Michael Ovitz, the president of CAA, knocked on Kevin's hotel room door. Inside the room, Kevin was dressed appropriately, though it didn't cost him a fortune. His entire outfit was worth around $10,000, which was considered modest and thrifty compared to the extravagant clothing worn by high-paid celebrities, which could easily cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
Kevin opened the door with a smile, and Michael Ovitz greeted him with a smile as well.
"Kevin, Shaye is already waiting for us. Today, we'll take you to a Hollywood party and give you a taste of what it's like to truly belong to Hollywood," Michael Ovitz said.
Michael Ovitz's words were somewhat exaggerated, but they emphasized the importance Hollywood placed on the parties held in Beverly Hills. These parties were where they conducted business and made deals, both professional and personal.
However, one should not think that simply looking good in Hollywood could sweep everything away. Beauty was just a basic requirement. After meeting this requirement, to become a lead actor or actress in a big production, one had to give much more than their looks.
Angelina Jolie once revealed that after getting the opportunity to be a lead actress, there were instances where actresses offered themselves to producers, directors, and investors. It was no falsehood.
Of course, although Kevin was handsome, as someone at the top of the Hollywood food chain, he enjoyed the benefits of the unwritten rules rather than being subjected to them.
This was also the main reason Kevin had come straight to Hollywood. On one hand, it was his profession, but on the other hand, it was his yearning for Hollywood.
Guided by Ovitz, Kevin quickly met with Shaye. The three of them got into the car driven by Shaye's chauffeur and arrived at an estate.
The entrance was heavily guarded, with security personnel everywhere, preventing unauthorized individuals, paparazzi, and reporters from entering.
A figure who appeared to be the head of security greeted them and allowed Kevin and his party to enter without any hindrance. Although Kevin didn't recognize the security personnel, Ovitz and Shaye were familiar faces, and with acquaintances leading the way, there was no chance for outsiders to enter.
The security personnel confidently let them through.
Once inside, Ovitz patted Kevin's shoulder and said, "Enjoy yourself here. If you take a liking to any female celebrities, go for it. Trust me, they are more proactive than you can imagine. Of course, you have to let them know that you're the director of 'Saw.'"
Ovitz had a smile on his face as he gave Kevin some advice, then he went off to enjoy himself.
After Ovitz left, Shaye turned to Kevin and asked, "Director Kevin, any news about your next film?"
Kevin smiled and shook his head. "I have a few ideas, but I'll wait until 'Saw' finishes its theatrical run before making any specific plans. I'm actually thinking of investing a bit in my next film as well."
Shaye carefully scrutinized Kevin for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course. Once the box office settlement is done, I'll instruct the finance department to pay you your share as soon as possible."
"But, all things being equal, Kevin, you would choose our New Line Films, right?"
Kevin smiled faintly. "Of course."
Shaye nodded and silently cursed, then went off to enjoy himself.
Kevin watched Shaye's departing figure and started to wander freely.
Through their earlier conversation, he had made his intentions clear—once the profit-sharing was settled, they could discuss the opportunity for future collaboration.
After considering it for a while, Shaye chose not to confront him.
In other words, a few million dollars are not enough for him to give up on Kevin, the genius director. He still hopes for both parties to continue collaborating.
Shaye's response also pleased Kevin.
As the owner of a medium to large Hollywood film company, he didn't have the same shortsightedness as the Huayi Brothers did with Director Zhou.
At the party, there were handsome men and beautiful women everywhere, whether Kevin knew them or not. Of course, there were also middle-aged and elderly white elite males.
Their identities could be discerned from their appearance.
99% of the handsome men and beautiful women were celebrity actors, while the middle-aged and elderly white males were either executives of film companies, fund managers, or directors.
These people formed a cycle consisting of investors, directors, actors, and distributors. In other words, they were the upper echelons of Hollywood.
Some could continuously appear at such parties, while others could only attend once.
Kevin looked at the delicious food and wine on the table and his appetite immediately soared. He grabbed a tray and selected several pieces of steak that looked exceptionally tender, then picked up a cup of juice and savored it with great delight.
...
"Look at that person, he looks like he's never eaten before. Look at his manners."
Two models started teasing Kevin.
In this party, the lowest status belonged to the stunning models.
In the modeling industry, it was actually the middle tier that had the most beautiful appearances. Once they reached the top, there were extremely special and demanding requirements for their physical appearance.
In short, they did not fit the typical definition of a beauty in the eyes of ordinary people.
Therefore, for these mid-level models, the best transition was to become part of Hollywood. Having beauty, becoming a Hollywood star was their ultimate goal.
And this kind of party, the cocktail party, was their best opportunity.
The organizers of the party deliberately invited beautiful models to liven up the atmosphere because Hollywood female stars alone were far from enough to satisfy the men's desires at this party.