A week after the final screening of Saw, the film was pulled from wide release. It is now only being shown in small towns and villages where the premiere occurred later than in larger cities, so it will remain in theaters for about another week, but that's minor.
In its final week of release, Saw grossed $6.1 million in North America, a steep decline compared to its initial earnings. It's time to make way for new films.
Global box office earnings this week totaled $20.69 million, and the movie will be taken out of circulation in a week. As of now, its total worldwide gross stands at $237 million.
This same week saw the end of the wide release for Catch Me If You Can and Chicago.
Catch Me If You Can earned about $160 million in North America, with global earnings reaching $350 million, consistent with Steven Spielberg's reputation.
Chicago struggled due to competition from Sharknado and Saw. Despite its Oscar nomination, its North American box office numbers fell short of expectations; instead of the $150 million analysts had predicted, it earned only about $85 million.
The situation was similar in international markets, with total global earnings of $145 million. Given that the film's budget was $45 million, plus significant marketing expenses, it didn't yield much profit.
This was an unfortunate case for Miramax, but after the Oscars, the Weinstein brothers will likely try to recoup losses through DVD sales.
As for the investment negotiations for Kung Fu Hustle, the process went unexpectedly smoothly.
Two days later, Steven returned, and they signed a contract that went into effect immediately.
Eric didn't know that during those two days, Steven had reached out to Sony Columbia again, trying to secure $25 million in investment.
However, Columbia insisted on $20 million and not a cent more, even when he lowered his request to $23 million.
There was no other option: the path in Hollywood seemed to have reached its end. MGM was indeed the best choice.
The contract was lengthy and complex, but the key points were straightforward.
First, all rights to the film fully transferred to MGM, which would also handle worldwide distribution, except for mainland China.
Second, since Star Overseas was fully relinquishing the rights, Steven Chow's profit share was to be increased by 3 percent. As the screenwriter, director, and lead actor, he would receive 12% of the box office profits.
Third, his fixed fee for writing, directing, and acting would be included in the film's $20 million budget.
Fourth, cost control: MGM would send a producer to oversee expenses on set, but since filming would take place in China, their control would be limited. If the budget exceeded the allocated amount, the additional expenses would be covered by Star Overseas, and they would not be entitled to request extra funds.
Fifth, distribution in mainland China would remain under Star Overseas' control. Eric didn't know why Steven insisted on this point, possibly due to personal interests or existing connections.
For MGM, focused on making dollars, the underdeveloped Chinese market didn't matter much, so they agreed to this condition without objections.
According to the contract terms, filming was to begin no later than May 10 of this year. MGM would send its representatives to the set.
After toasting with glasses, Eric smiled.
"Steven, here's to a successful collaboration!"
"To a successful collaboration!"
Eric took a sip of red wine:
"By the way, I have one more question. Do you know anyone in mainland China who could help with opening a branch? I want to speed up the process."
Since MGM had made concessions regarding Chinese distribution, Steven wanted to reciprocate.
"I have good relations with Han Sanping from China Film Group. If MGM needs it, I can act as an intermediary and introduce you."
Hearing Han Sanping's name, Eric nodded mentally. If he was not mistaken, although Han had not yet taken the chairman position, he was already the vice-chairman and had significant influence in the company, particularly in production. China Film Group controlled the import of foreign films, making this a valuable connection.
Eric smiled:
"Great, I've heard of Han Sanping. When you get back, send him my regards and find out how he feels about our idea."
"I don't think he'll have any reason to object, Eric. Expect good news."
After the Star Overseas representatives left, the Olsen twins arrived.
Dualstar Entertainment was also in Los Angeles, and if the roads were clear, it would only take about half an hour to get there.
When the young secretary saw the Olsen sisters, she enthusiastically rushed over for autographs and pictures.
"I grew up watching your shows; you were my childhood idols," she said.
The Olsen sisters were initially pleased to meet a fan, but hearing the word "childhood" brought a fleeting shadow of sadness to their hearts. If they didn't find a way to maintain their popularity, they could soon lose even their long-time fans.
"Ashley, Mary, welcome," Eric said, hugging each sister. One smelled like roses, while he couldn't quite place the scent of the other.
"Haven't seen you in over a week. How have you been?"
Mary Olsen replied bitterly:
"It's been tough. We hired a professional screenwriter to polish the New York Minute script, but it's still not working out."
"Eric, maybe you were right. To make a good film, this script needs a complete rewrite."
"Oh, you're still holding on to New York Minute. Sorry to be blunt, but that's a waste of time."
The Olsen sisters looked embarrassed but agreed with his words:
"You're right. We even brought in top writers for an assessment, but they also think it's trash."
"Then there's nothing more to discuss. You need to change urgently, and Blue Is the Warmest Color is your best shot."
Ashley said:
"Eric, Mary and I have discussed your offer countless times, almost every day."
"But we're sisters, and this is difficult. We don't know if the outcome will be good or bad."
"Really? But I see it differently. You've been in the industry for years, and you know very well that every project is a risk—a risk of money and reputation. If you're not ready to take risks, maybe the career of childhood stars is your limit."
Sisters playing a romantic couple—it's indeed surprising.
But the words "childhood stars" cut into their hearts like a knife once again. Today, they came already leaning toward a decision, but they needed that final push. Eric had to be the hand to give them that nudge.
As they say, madness is like gravity; all it takes is a little push.
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