[Chapter 490: Wrap-up and Preview Screening Bonuses]
In the afternoon, Sophie Marceau, Emmanuelle Beart, and Marion Cotillard visited the film crew. Link got off work early and returned to the hotel to meet up with his girlfriends and check in on the two little ones who were just learning to walk.
...
While filming in Italy, the North American movie market entered the fall season. Guess-MGM had four films releasing this fall: Disturbing Behavior, Final Destination 3, Scream 2, and A Bug's Life.
Disturbing Behavior was a thriller starring James Marsden, Katie Holmes, and William Sadler. Released in mid-September, it had been in theaters for seven weeks with a North American box office of $16.5 million, performing moderately.
Final Destination 3 premiered in early October and had been out for five weeks. It grossed $68.07 million in North America, with a production budget of $21 million. It was a box office hit but fared worse than the first two films.
Scream 2 hit theaters right before Halloween. After three weeks, it had made $67.35 million domestically. The first film earned $110 million in North America. Compared to the original, the sequel's reputation and box office were slightly weaker but still solid money-makers.
A Bug's Life was Pixar Animation Studios' second animated film, telling the story of a colony of tiny ants fighting to free themselves from the oppressive grasshoppers. With circus bugs joining the fight, they unite against the bullying grasshoppers. The film's production cost was $65 million.
In its opening week across 2,686 theaters, it made $51.5 million, topping the box office charts. It was expected to exceed $150 million domestically, clearly a blockbuster hit.
After the strong opening, Pixar's stock price rose steadily from $38 to $42. Although not quite their peak of $53, the stock increase was great news for shareholders and the company.
Link and Glimmer Capital took the opportunity to sell a portion of the shares they had acquired over the past months, earning over ten million dollars.
...
In September and October, MGM's summer releases continued to grow at the box office.
Among them, Tomorrow Never Dies grossed over $300 million domestically, reaching $305 million, with a global total of $724 million. It was expected to cross $800 million worldwide.
Thanks to this film, MGM eased its debt concerns and no longer worried about high-interest payments.
Rush Hour 2, There's Something About Mary, and The Waterboy also saw box office growth. As Good as It Gets came out in early August and surpassed $130 million domestically, climbing steadily in the year-to-date box office rankings.
Additionally, Link's film Armageddon earned $282 million domestically and $358 million overseas, projected to perform just as well globally as Tomorrow Never Dies.
...
Compared to MGM's success, other studios like Universal, Paramount, and Fox had disappointing first halves, with their total box office revenue not even matching the combined earnings of Tomorrow Never Dies and Rush Hour 2.
To save their companies and jobs, several studio presidents decided to follow Columbia and Disney's lead and proactively cooperate with MGM.
...
The Los Angeles Times commented that the six major studios took a step back, no longer seeing themselves on equal footing with MGM.
From then on, Hollywood's landscape shifted dramatically: from seven major studios competing, to MGM as the core powerhouse competing against the other six, while smaller studios struggled to survive in the margins.
MGM became the undisputed hegemon of the North American film industry.
---
"Cut!"
After filming the scene where Ripley kills Dickie, Link called for a break and reviewed the footage carefully.
This scene was one of the film's climaxes and a critical turning point for Ripley's character. It demanded utmost attention and precision. If it came out sloppy, the overall film's impact would suffer.
To elicit the best performances from Matt Damon and Jude Law, Link was extremely strict, shooting the scene twelve times. By the end, Matt Damon was nearly breaking down.
Seeing Matt collapse emotionally, Link knew the scene had become powerful.
Ripley's act of killing Dickie was not a premeditated murder but had elements of accident. He loved Dickie and cherished his current life but had to eliminate the threat to preserve it. His mental state was chaotic and on the brink of collapse.
Matt's portrayal of breakdown and confusion elevated the scene significantly.
...
"Alright, that's a wrap!" Link shouted.
The crew breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Matt Damon, however, remained seated on the yacht deck, blank and dazed.
"He really immersed himself in the role," Julie Delpy remarked with a playful smile, sipping pomegranate juice.
"Matt was so intense, I almost felt like he was choking me," Jude Law said, rubbing his neck nervously.
...
Link finished reviewing the footage and looked at Matt, asking, "Are you alright, Matt?"
After calling twice, Matt regained himself, blinking vacantly and giving a stiff smile. "I'm fine, no problem, just a bit tired."
"Alright, rest for half an hour, then we continue."
Seizing Matt's decent condition, Link pushed the crew to work overtime, aiming to finish the film before December.
...
During filming, Ben Affleck visited the set while traveling in Italy. However, after arriving, he noticed Matt's gloomy eyes, serious expression, and changed speech tone -- Matt seemed unlike the Matt he knew.
Ben thought, this is bad. Having worked with Link five or six times, he knew better than anyone how ruthless Link's methods were.
To capture great performances, Link employed extreme techniques to get actors immersed in their roles, sometimes to the point of psychological distress.
Matt's current state was a clear sign of being deeply affected and lost in character.
"Matt, do you still remember me? It's Ben, your best friend. I came to see you," Ben said sadly.
Matt rolled his eyes, "I'm just in character, not an idiot with amnesia. No need for reminders like that."
Despite Matt's response, Ben remained uneasy.
Matt, previously a straightforward, no-nonsense guy who didn't roll his eyes often, now made the feminine gesture so naturally it felt almost instinctive.
Ben worried: Had Matt been changed by this role?
"Matt, why don't we stop acting? You're a rising star with many offers. You don't need to jeopardize your mental health for a part. It won't help your career."
"What nonsense are you talking about? This is Link's film. Though I've worked with him before, this time I'm truly the leading man. I can't give up such a great opportunity."
Before Ben could say more, Matt waved him off, saying shooting was about to start and they could talk later. Then he put on his black-framed glasses and entered the set.
Ben watched his back, helpless, sensing Matt was becoming more like Ripley -- dark, ambitious, all orchestrated by Link behind the scenes.
Looking at Link in the crowd, Ben thought, it was not a surprise someone tried to assassinate this guy.
---
Link and the crew put in long hours filming in Italy for over two months. By early December, The Talented Mr. Ripley wrapped all scenes and officially wrapped production.
Afterward, Link led the crew back to Los Angeles to continue editing at the studio.
He also attended the private preview screening of Pirates of the Caribbean.
The internal screening was a huge success. After the showing, the audience burst into applause and cheers. Many producers shouted, "Amazing!" "Perfect!" "Best pirate movie ever!" "Captain Jack!"
Michael Ovitz's face flushed with excitement as he shook Link's hand repeatedly, praising him as a genius, a godlike director.
No one else in the world could create such a mesmerizing, exquisitely crafted fantasy film.
...
The system's evaluation of this film was also very high.
Since Link wrote the script, served as producer, director, and executive screenwriter, his involvement reached 75.5%. The film's completion rate was 98.5%, market fit 92%.
He received generous bonuses: 2.9 times box office subsidies; +20% directing experience; +20% physical stamina; +16% movie quality increase.
With these boosts, Link felt visibly stronger.
After the screening, Link returned to his studio to watch the film again, eager to see the effects of the 16% quality boost. He took out his notebook to study and absorb lessons for future similar projects.
...
Knock, knock, knock--
"Link, time to leave."
Just as Link was wrapping up, Lily's sweet, gentle voice came from outside.
"Come in!"
Link took off his headphones and stretched.
"Are you sure you want to leave? Not staying overnight here?" Lily teased, smiling.
She was wearing a sexy office outfit, the blouse revealing a tantalizing silhouette, the collar framing a deep neckline, a pencil skirt hugging an exquisite waist and hips, her legs adorned in sheer hosiery.
She smelled delicious.
Behind her was the beautiful, curvy Aishwarya.
With the two beauties in the room, Link didn't rush to leave. He smiled lightly, closed the door, and got busy at his desk again amid Lily's playful complaints and Aishwarya's laughter.
*****
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