The most anticipated film for the Easter season was originally "Mission Impossible."
During the months Simon spent on maternity leave with the two women, Seagram's Group of Canada managed to secure federal approval for its acquisition of Paramount Communications, despite opposition from many media outlets. The transaction was officially completed in October.
Therefore, "Mission Impossible" marked Seagram's first major Hollywood project.
With the success of box office hits like "Moonstruck" and "Killing Time," Nicolas Cage had become a box office draw among new-generation actors, and the female lead, Demi Moore, was almost as popular and influential as Cage.
In terms of budget, the first "Mission Impossible" ended up costing $65 million to produce, and Paramount and Danarys generously allocated another $35 million for marketing, bringing the total investment to $100 million. They were determined to dominate the Thanksgiving release window.
Then came "The Lion King."
After its strong debut of $70.31 million in its first week, "The Lion King" showed no signs of slowing down. From November 26 to December 2, despite new releases like "Mission Impossible" and "A Perfect World," "The Lion King" only saw a 26% drop in its second week, earning an additional $52.06 million.
In just two weeks, "The Lion King" had grossed $122.37 million, showing clear potential to challenge the annual summer blockbuster "Superman" for the top spot.
Despite "The Lion King's" strength, "Mission Impossible," which had excellent pre-release publicity and strong post-release word-of-mouth, earned $46.35 million in its first week—significantly below the distribution team's initial expectation of $60 million.
A $46.35 million opening week was comparable to "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" four years ago. However, with Hollywood's changing distribution model, "Mission Impossible" was unlikely to reach the $200 million domestic threshold that "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" had achieved.
The final box office total would depend on its performance in subsequent weeks.
Even so, a $46.35 million opening week wasn't a failure by any means. With North American box office revenues exceeding $100 million, the film was guaranteed to make a profit. Given its market appeal and concurrent release in overseas markets, "Mission Impossible" was poised to be profitable through global box office earnings.
In comparison, "A Perfect World," which also had a large-scale release, reinforced the trend of blockbuster movies becoming mainstream in Hollywood.
Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Kevin Costner, "A Perfect World" had a strong cast and a $30 million production budget, earning it an A-level status. Warner Bros. arranged for the film to open on 1,964 screens.
Despite its high expectations, this crime drama about an escaped convict inadvertently "kidnapping" a boy and finding redemption only grossed a disappointing $10.06 million in its opening week.
With Eastwood and Costner leading the cast, the prime Thanksgiving release window, and nearly 2,000 screens, Warner Bros. had hoped the film would be another box office hit. But with an opening week of $10.06 million, it was unlikely to surpass $30 million domestically, leaving its fate in the hands of overseas markets.
However, in the coming months, overseas distributors' focus would be on "The Lion King," "Mission Impossible," and the upcoming DC Universe Christmas release, "Cyborg."
As December began, the North American box office entered a brief lull between major release windows.
From December 3 to December 9, "The Lion King" experienced a significant drop, with its third-week box office declining by 36% to $33.29 million, bringing its three-week total to $155.66 million.
"Mission Impossible," unable to dethrone "The Lion King" in its opening week, also suffered a significant drop in early December, with its second-week box office falling by 37%—a steeper decline than "The Lion King's." It grossed $29.34 million in its second week.
After two weeks, "Mission Impossible" had earned $75.69 million.
Despite the second-week drop, crossing the $100 million mark was certain, but its final domestic total would depend on its performance during the Christmas season.
Among other films released alongside "The Lion King" and "Mission Impossible," "A Perfect World" saw a 32% drop in its second week, grossing $6.86 million and essentially exiting the year-end box office competition.
"Mrs. Doubtfire," which opened the same week as "The Lion King," fared better. After grossing $21.08 million in its first week, it saw a 26% drop in its second week, earning $15.60 million, and another 29% drop in its third week, adding $11.31 million.
In three weeks, "Mrs. Doubtfire" accumulated $47.99 million.
With its timely family-friendly appeal, "Mrs. Doubtfire" had potential for a box office resurgence during the Christmas season, making it a strong contender for the $100 million club.
Moreover, with a production budget of only $25 million, "Mrs. Doubtfire's" $47.99 million gross in three weeks had already recouped its production costs, ensuring a profitable domestic run.
Fox was pleased with "Mrs. Doubtfire's" performance, and the media agreed that achieving such box office results amidst competition from "The Lion King" and "Mission Impossible" was commendable. Only Simon knew that "Mrs. Doubtfire's" box office had been halved compared to its original $200 million domestic gross due to the competition from these two blockbusters.
"The Lion King" significantly increased the box office capacity for the year-end season, but the North American audience base was ultimately limited.
With "The Lion King" potentially grossing $300 million domestically, even "Mission Impossible" suffered collateral damage, not to mention family comedies like "Mrs. Doubtfire."
Comedy films inherently have a certain appeal.
When audiences have no other options and it's a suitable holiday, they become the priority choice.
However, in the face of absolute strength, comedy films are like clowns performing slapstick in front of world-class boxers—one punch and they're out. "Mrs. Doubtfire" faced two powerful "heavyweights" in "The Lion King" and "Mission Impossible."
On December 10, a new box office week began.
Danarys Entertainment's Highgate Films quietly released Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List," a film about the Holocaust during World War II, on an initial 25-screen release.
Despite the strained relationship with the Westeros system, major North American newspapers treated the film with utmost respect and caution. Cinemas showing the film even posted notices reminding viewers that it wasn't suitable for popcorn consumption and asking for a respectful and quiet viewing to honor the somber history depicted.
This was the height of political correctness.
There were, of course, dissenting voices.
Critics who dared to criticize the film were typically Jewish. A Jewish critic in The New York Times openly stated that the most appropriate response to the Holocaust should be silence, not showcasing it on screen for everyone to see.
Perhaps because history often repeats itself, Simon felt a certain numbness toward the past.
It was akin to his inherent pessimism about humanity's future.
Some media outlets hoped to provoke Simon into commenting on "Schindler's List," but their attempts yielded no response.
Simon Westeros was increasingly omnipresent, yet his public appearances were becoming rare.
The Forbes 400 list in September had boosted the stock prices of Westeros concept stocks, and Forbes' global billionaire ranking in November had raised Simon's net worth by another $10 billion.
Simon's continued property acquisitions worldwide, especially the 50 hectares of land around Malibu's Dume Point Estate, which was nearly the same size as Danarys Studios, sparked ongoing criticism of his extravagant lifestyle.
The conflict between the Egret portal and traditional newspapers, sparked by the 58list platform, made many industries within the Westeros system targets for media scrutiny, inevitably shifting the focus to Simon himself.
The second Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in November was a success, matching the viewership of the first season. The rise of the "angel" models led many tabloids to speculate about romantic links between Victoria's Secret Angels and Simon Westeros.
With Danarys Entertainment set to go public next year, "The Lion King's" success further boosted Wall Street's valuation of the entertainment giant. How much wealth Danarys Entertainment's IPO would bring to Westeros became a hot topic in the media.
Despite all this, Simon's life remained largely unaffected due to his overwhelming strength.
After months of vacation, Simon quickly immersed himself in work again.
"The key to 'Suicide Squad' is how to guide a group of villainous characters to complete their mission without making them seem like good guys due to small stimuli like drinking and chatting. This would be too clichéd and illogical, losing the essence of the 'Suicide Squad.' For the story to be compelling, they must remain a group of ruthless villains with no moral stance and no regard for death."
"So, Rick Flag is the key?"
"Exactly. According to the script, Rick Flag kills a criminal pursued by a special team to avenge his fallen teammates, leading to his expulsion from the army and recruitment by Amanda Waller as the Suicide Squad leader. He's valued teamwork and integrity without being overly rigid, making him capable of subtly gaining the respect and following of the unruly criminals, ultimately leading them to complete their mission."
In the second-floor office loft at Danarys Studios.
Terry Semel had spent the afternoon there, watching the final cut of the last installment of the Batman trilogy, "The Dark Knight Rises," with Simon before turning their attention to "Suicide Squad," set to start
filming in January.
Technically, next month.
To prepare for this project, many members of the Suicide Squad had already arrived in Australia, where the project would be filmed.
After listening to the storyboard presentation, Simon and Semel moved to a lounge area to continue discussing the film.
"I've studied the script carefully," Semel said, accepting a cup of coffee from A Girl and thanking her before continuing to Simon, "But is Val Kilmer strong enough for this role?"
Simon chuckled and shook his head, "I know what you guys are thinking, Terry. But if we cast Mel, do you think we can afford his salary?"
Semel sighed, "It's always negotiable."
During the casting process, Warner had suggested Mel Gibson for the role of Rick Flag.
Frankly, Mel Gibson was perfect for the role in terms of star power, appearance, and charisma. If possible, Simon would welcome him to the series.
The issue was the salary.
Mel Gibson's current rate was well over $10 million, making negotiations unnecessary.
If "Suicide Squad" was intended as a single film, it might be possible to collaborate.
But this was a trilogy.
For the "Lethal Weapon" trilogy, starting from the second installment, Mel Gibson took most of the project's profits, leaving Warner Bros. with only the labor costs, effectively working for the main cast.
Moreover, if the salary issue could be resolved and pre-negotiated, Simon might still accept it if it wasn't too outrageous.
The bigger problem was creative control.
Mel Gibson was a strong-willed filmmaker with a controlling personality. If he joined the series, he would undoubtedly strive for project dominance, steering the plot in favor of his character, potentially turning it into a typical "Mel Gibson film."
"Suicide Squad" was an ensemble piece, with the male lead Rick Flag sharing significant screen time with characters like Deadshot and Killer Croc. The female characters were even more prominent, with Nicole Kidman as Poison Ivy and Valeria Golino as Catwoman. Simon even removed Harley Quinn from the lineup.
Deadshot, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and Enchantress meant the film couldn't be dominated by a single actor. Forcing Mel Gibson into the mix could lead to a situation similar to "The Incredible Hulk."
Val Kilmer, on the other hand, was a perfect fit.
At 33, Val Kilmer had made a name for himself in "Top Gun" and later starred in "Willow" and "The Doors." Before "Suicide Squad," he had standout roles in the Christmas release "Tombstone" and the upcoming "Heat," ensuring his popularity and balancing his star power with the rest of the cast.
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