In Hollywood, the land of glamor, there's never a shortage of dazzling successes and the parties that celebrate them.
"Congratulations, Leo."
In the banquet hall, someone specifically came over to congratulate the radiant Leonardo DiCaprio: "1.8 billion dollars at the box office!"
Leonardo laughed heartily and clinked glasses with the well-wisher.
The 1.8 billion-dollar leading man, the only one in the world!
Walking through the hall, hearing the delightful congratulations and seeing the flattering smiles, Leonardo felt great. He suddenly thought of James Cameron's triumphant "I'm the king of the world" shout at the Oscars...
Shouldn't I be the one shouting, "I'm the king of the world"?
Damn, those conservative old men at the Oscars for ignoring him, for not even nominating him. They must be jealous of his looks, his popularity with women, and how even older women fancy him.
What does an Oscar nomination matter? I am the 1.8 billion-dollar man. The Oscar for Best Actor is bound to be mine eventually. Can you suppress me for ten years?
Feeling bored, Leonardo wandered into a familiar circle, including Bran Milner from Warner Bros., Deokaff from 20th Century Fox, and Chris from Sony Entertainment.
"What are you guys discussing?" Leonardo jumped into their conversation. "Seems lively."
Bran Milner smiled at Leonardo: "A recent hit horror movie that just took the top spot at the box office this week."
"An up-and-coming horror film," Chris added. "Sony Entertainment almost got the distribution rights. Such a pity..."
Deokaff said, "The biggest dark horse of this Halloween season. The producer is quite impressive in writing the script and has great ideas for selecting the director and actors. The director did a fantastic job creating a horror atmosphere, and the actors have a lot of potential."
Another person Leonardo didn't recognize nodded and said, "What's most surprising is that the producer is only twenty years old. Incredible! At twenty, I was drinking and fooling around, still clueless about the film industry."
A twenty-year-old producer? A face flashed across Leonardo's mind.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Leonardo immediately dismissed the thought. Even though he hadn't been following entertainment news closely, a scion turning things around...
In Hollywood, the successful get more successful, and the failures fail even harder.
How could a scion possibly make a comeback?
Curiosity got the better of Leonardo. "Which film are you talking about?"
"The Purge," Chris replied.
Leonardo shook his head: "Never heard of it." He asked, "Which company's film is it?"
Bran Milner answered, "A small company called Seashore Entertainment. I attended a screening and completely misjudged it."
Seashore Entertainment? Leonardo's eyes widened. "Is the producer Michael Davenport, that scion?"
The others were speechless for a moment. Given "The Purge's" box office performance, Michael Davenport couldn't be considered a scion anymore. He was a successful person.
Deokaff from 20th Century Fox tentatively asked, "Leo, do you know Michael Davenport?"
Leonardo's face darkened. "I know his father."
Chris and Bran Milner could see Leonardo's disdain for Michael Davenport. Since Leonardo was currently riding high, it was best not to provoke him.
The two found an excuse to leave.
Leonardo, though a bit overwhelmed by the flattery, wasn't stupid. He asked Deokaff, "Is Michael Davenport's 'The Purge' really that successful?"
Deokaff looked at Leonardo and answered truthfully: "It was the box office champion last weekend, grossing $11.4 million." He tried to align with Leonardo's sentiment: "It only topped 'Halloween 7's' $8.2 million because it expanded to 1,000 more theatres."
Michael Davenport achieving a box office champion? Leonardo almost blurted out. Remembering how Michael had previously rebuffed and publicly humiliated him, Leonardo's gaze turned cold. "Is this his first box office champion?"
"Yes. 'The Purge' is in its second week of release, and it was second in the box office its first week." Deokaff provided more details: "So far, it has grossed $33.44 million in North America."
Leonardo nodded, then fell silent. He subconsciously touched his face.
He had publicly called Michael Davenport a scion multiple times, and many people had heard it. Given his status as the 1.8 billion-dollar man, it was widely noted.
Now that the scion had turned things around, it seemed like he might lose face. People would probably talk behind his back...
Fortunately, being the 1.8 billion-dollar leading man was much more prestigious than a mere multi-million dollar producer. Otherwise, facing Michael Davenport in the future would be pretty embarrassing.
For some reason, since "Titanic's" box office explosion, Leonardo's head, which had been in the clouds, suddenly felt a bit clearer.
Had he been too harsh on Michael Davenport?
But thinking back, the conflict between them was initiated by Michael Davenport.
As Leonardo walked through the hall, Bran Milner asked Chris, "What do you think about 'The Purge'? What's your North American box office prediction?"
Chris said directly, "Around $50 million. These kinds of films don't have long lifespans in theatres, maybe five to six weeks at most."
Bran Milner nodded: "With an open cost of $11 million, a North American box office of $50 million. Lionsgate made a good deal."
Chris rubbed his forehead: "I kind of regret not securing the distribution rights. Didn't Warner Bros. talk with Seashore Entertainment?"
"Because I misjudged it." Bran Milner admitted frankly. "Luckily, I left Warner Bros. last week, or it would have been a small problem if my boss asked about it."
Knowing Bran Milner had resigned, Chris felt free to talk: "I misjudged it, too. I thought Michael Davenport was a nice guy, but I didn't realize he was also competent."
Having left Warner Bros., Bran Milner asked, "Not planning to make amends? Lionsgate has no overseas distribution capabilities."
Chris chuckled: "I already have a meeting with Michael Davenport the day after tomorrow."
Meanwhile, at New Line Cinema, in the distribution department director's office.
"Deron," Director Brian sat back in his chair, looking at the man across from him. "I heard Michael Davenport tried to sell 'The Purge' to New Line several times. Is that true?"
Michael Davenport had come openly to the company so that Deron couldn't deny it. "Yes, he approached me several times."
How did that film become such a hit? This defied logic. According to usual patterns, a person who failed with their previous movie and didn't learn much from it would likely continue to fail.
Brian asked again, "Didn't he send a copy?"
"He did." Deron had to admit. "I watched it once. The quality seemed average, so I shelved it."
"Average quality?" Brian's voice rose.
Sweat formed on Deron's forehead. The company had a history of disregarding the new projects of those who had failed before. Was this really my fault?
But no matter what, it was never the boss's fault.
Like any boss, Brian turned on Deron when necessary: "An average quality film making $33 million? Did you even watch it?"
Deron bowed his head, not daring to speak.
"Seashore Entertainment worked with us before. They probably wanted to continue that partnership." Brian scoffed: "Look at the mess you've made!"
After a pause, he added: "I hear 'The Purge's' overseas rights are still available. Go talk to Michael Davenport."