[Chapter 353: I'm Sure I Didn't See Wrong]
Originally, Robert Shea planned to wait for The Silence of the Lambs to be out for two weeks before its box office dropped to a certain level. At that point, he intended to logically transfer two to three hundred theaters showing The Silence of the Lambs to Sleeping with the Enemy, allowing it to reach two thousand theaters.
After the success of Pretty Woman and Steel Magnolias, Julia's box office draw was undeniable. Therefore, any movie featuring her could certainly support a simultaneous release in two thousand theaters.
Unfortunately, The Silence of the Lambs exceeded everyone's expectations. In its second week, the box office drop was less than 20%. With such strong performance, even if Robert Shea was willing, the theaters that had signed tiered profit-sharing contracts for The Silence of the Lambs couldn't possibly pull it off-screen to replace it with Sleeping with the Enemy. Consequently, Sleeping with the Enemy only premiered in 1,700 theaters.
Of course, the scale of 1,700 theaters in no way impacted Sleeping with the Enemy's performance. Within three days of its release, the film grossed over 18 million dollars, surpassing the standard of 10,000 dollars in average weekly box office for a big hit movie.
While the earlier success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was noteworthy, that victory couldn't be entirely attributed to Robert Shea. Therefore, the first major production film he independently produced had succeeded, and after the weekend's box office results came in, Robert Shea eagerly began preparations for a celebration. It seemed he wanted to announce his status to all of Hollywood.
Regardless, since they had predetermined plans, Eric decided not to have any conflicts with Robert Shea before the end of the year. He readily agreed that the celebration at the Hilton would be entirely funded by Firefly Films.
After Sleeping with the Enemy, Eric stopped going to the Firefly headquarters every day. Though Ghost was entering its final promotional phase, he wasn't running around for last-minute promotions like Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda. If he had just been a film director, he certainly wouldn't have been able to escape such duties. However, as the owner of Firefly, Eric had that privilege.
...
A few cars pulled up outside Dockweiler Beach Park, just south of Santa Monica in Los Angeles. The doors opened, and seven or eight people gradually stepped out. Eric skillfully donned his sunglasses and baseball cap before confidently glancing toward the beach park.
The group quickly gathered, and Katherine Bigelow, wearing a sun hat, simple black T-shirt, and dark denim jeans, remarked, "This is the place. I've been here once before and only took a cursory look. After comparing it these past few days, I realized this really is the best spot. Let's head in."
"Based on the cold and gloomy visual tone of Point Break, this place might be a bit too beautiful," Eric commented, walking alongside Katherine and taking in the surroundings.
"I plan to film here again. Though it would be better if it is cloudy."
"Cloudy? In Los Angeles, it's tough to find this kind of weather," Eric said, shaking his head. He turned to Donald, the cinematographer trailing behind him. "Donald, do you have any good solutions?"
Donald Petereman was a middle-aged man in his forties and an outstanding cinematographer who had worked on several acclaimed films. Given Point Break's ample budget, both Katherine Bigelow and James Cameron's crews opted for the best.
For scouting locations, it was essential for the cinematographer to be involved in confirming that the director's chosen locations were suitable for filming.
Upon hearing Eric's question, Donald squinted at the surroundings, thought for a moment, and replied, "If I want the film's effect to be just right, I would love to shoot here on an overcast day. Unfortunately, Los Angeles doesn't have many cloudy days throughout the year. Shooting in the evening could work, but that means the window for favorable lighting will be brief. If we encounter a few NGs, we would have to wait for the next day for a retake."
...
The group spent quite a while walking around Dockweiler Beach Park, sketching and jotting down notes amidst curious and bewildered surfers on the beach. Donald even used a portable camera to shoot a few scenes at the locations Katherine was excited about. After nearly an hour of work, they eventually wrapped up.
They didn't communicate with the park's management, as shooting was still a long way off. According to the schedule, Point Break wouldn't be shooting until the end of July at the earliest.
After checking out Dockweiler Beach Park, the group quickly drove to their next destination. They spent the entire afternoon driving, and Eric truly experienced just how vast Los Angeles County was. They covered more than a hundred kilometers in one day but still hadn't ventured into the suburbs.
...
In the evening, the group finished dinner at a restaurant in Santa Monica before planning to head home.
"Hey, Kate, can you wait a second?" Eric called out to Katherine, who was about to get into her car.
Katherine paused at the car door and asked, "Eric, is something wrong?"
"Well, tomorrow Firefly is hosting a celebration party for Sleeping with the Enemy at the Hilton. Would you like to come?"
Katherine shook her head directly, "Sorry, Eric, but I'm not really into attending those kinds of parties."
"I mean, you could come with Jim. A lot of top executives from Hollywood will probably show up. It'd be great for networking."
"Jim went to North Carolina to scout locations for Terminator 2," Katherine shrugged. "I can't just go alone, right?"
"You could come with me. I'm sure Jim wouldn't mind," Eric said, trying to sound casual.
Katherine raised an eyebrow and teased, "Little guy, I gotta warn you, don't get the wrong idea."
"Uh, uh..." Eric didn't expect Katherine to be so straightforward. He coughed a couple of times before stating, "Kate, I think you definitely misunderstood."
"I can guarantee you that I did not misunderstand," Katherine replied, opening the car door to leave. Yet, she paused, turned around, and gave Eric a hug, playfully patting his back in a big sisterly manner. "Alright, little guy, tomorrow we'll be picking the female lead for Point Break. Those young, beautiful girls are your target."
Though Katherine had a lovely scent, being patronized like a child made Eric resistfully wriggle free from her embrace. "Okay, okay, but could you please stop calling me 'little guy'?"
"Of course," Katherine laughed as she stepped back two paces, got into the driver's seat, and waved at Eric. "See you tomorrow, little guy."
"See you tomorrow," Eric waved back helplessly, watching Katherine drive away in her Chevrolet SUV. He finally climbed into his own car and glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror, rubbing his cheeks vigorously. He muttered to himself, "I can't believe she was so blunt about that. How embarrassing! But I do like that kind of personality."
*****
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