Monday, June 12, 2023
Deadline
June 12, 2023 — By Anthony Evans
The film Good Will Hunting from young producer, actor, and writer Owen Ashford, distributed by Neon, breaks out with massive success in its theatrical debut following its victory at Cannes.
After arriving with major momentum from the Cannes Film Festival, Good Will Hunting turned critical acclaim into immediate box office success this weekend, posting one of the biggest independent openings of the year.
The drama, directed by Derek Cianfrance and starring Owen Ashford, grossed approximately $7.9 million over four days, including $7.2 million during the weekend.
However, the key figure drawing industry attention is the film's exceptional per-theater average of approximately $72,000, one of the highest averages of the year and a clear indicator of audience demand beyond the arthouse circuit.
Exhibitors report sold-out evening screenings in Los Angeles and New York throughout the weekend, with especially strong turnout among younger audiences, an uncommon demographic success for an adult-oriented drama.
Ashford, who also wrote and produced the film, has become an increasingly unique figure in the market: part prestige filmmaker, part internet phenomenon. His Cannes vlog, uploaded less than a month ago to his YouTube channel, surpassed 70 million views over the weekend, while clips from the film's press tour and his late-night show appearances circulated heavily across social media.
Thanks to outstanding reviews, exceptional word of mouth, and its strong early commercial performance, Good Will Hunting is emerging as one of the leading awards contenders and one of the breakout successes of the summer in independent cinema.
...
Variety
June 12, 2023 — By Greg Goldsmith
'Good Will Hunting' From Second Take Films Turns Cannes Buzz Into Box Office Success With $7.9 Million Debut
Cannes acclaim does not always translate into commercial success. But in the case of Good Will Hunting, the leap from festival favorite to theatrical hit appears to be happening in real time.
The Neon-distributed drama, written, produced, and starring 21-year-old filmmaker Owen Ashford, generated an impressive $7.9 million across its first four days of release.
The film arrives with major momentum following its Competition premiere at Cannes, where Ashford won the award for Best Actor. Critics widely praised both Ashford's performance and Bryan Cranston's, and the film currently holds one of the strongest review averages among all releases this year.
The commercial response also reflects Ashford's growing influence beyond traditional Hollywood circles. Already well known online through his film-focused YouTube channel, the actor has managed to build a massive Generation Z audience that now appears to be translating into actual ticket sales, an increasingly rare achievement for an original adult drama.
Industry analysts caution that the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Good Will Hunting can sustain its momentum as it expands nationwide. Still, after just one weekend, the film has already established itself as one of the summer's biggest breakout box office successes.
…
Warner Bros Studios — Burbank, California
Inside the massive Warner Bros Studios lot in Burbank, in one of the corporate buildings with clean, modern facades, a particularly important meeting was taking place.
The conference room was spacious and understated. Professional, yet far from feeling cold. At the center stood a long, wide table surrounded by several occupied chairs. Open laptops, iPads, notebooks filled with quick notes, water bottles, and half-finished cups of coffee rested across its surface.
On one of the walls, a large screen remained lit, and gathered around that table was much of the creative and executive core that would define the future of the new DC universe.
In one of the chairs sat James Gunn. Director and writer of Superman. The main creative force and co-head of DC Studios.
Gunn had a distinctive appearance, blending experience with youthful energy. Naturally messy white hair, a beard of the same color, square glasses, and a comfortable, relaxed style of dress far removed from the traditional corporate executive.
He looked more like an indie creative than someone overseeing one of the biggest multi-billion-dollar franchises in the world.
Beside him sat Peter Safran.
Co-CEO of DC Studios and a veteran producer with experience in both commercial cinema and genre franchises: Annabelle, The Conjuring, Shazam!, The Suicide Squad… massive and profitable projects filled his résumé. Unlike Gunn, Safran projected a far more executive image: immaculate suit, neatly styled brown hair, a lightly trimmed beard, and a more measured presence.
Further down the table, reviewing a stack of printed pages, was John Papsidera.
One of the most respected casting directors in Hollywood. He had worked on both large-scale auteur films and giant blockbusters: collaborations with Christopher Nolan, franchises such as Jurassic World and Venom, as well as series like Peacemaker, Yellowstone, and Wednesday. His appearance was more discreet: short graying hair, thin-framed glasses, simple clothing, and an observant demeanor.
In the opposite chair sat Michael De Luca.
Co-chairman of Warner Bros and one of the true heavyweights of the industry. Producer, executive, and screenwriter, with multiple Oscar nominations throughout his career.
De Luca had a reputation for pushing creatively ambitious projects without losing sight of the business side. He dressed elegantly, though less rigidly than Safran, carrying the confidence of someone accustomed to making major decisions.
And beside him sat Pam Abdy. Another of Warner's most influential figures.
Without question, it was a table filled with heavyweights.
They had gathered to make the most important casting decision of Superman.
Superman was not simply another superhero movie. It was the complete cinematic reboot of the character and, more importantly, the starting point of the new DCU.
That made three decisions absolutely fundamental:
-Clark Kent / Superman.
-Lois Lane.
-Lex Luthor.
The three pillars on which everything else would stand.
The self-tapes had arrived on Saturday. They decided to focus on Clark Kent first.
The absolute priority.
There were fourteen actors in this first phase.
DC Studios had sent the same material package to all of them: four scenes. Two dialogue scenes as Superman and two as Clark Kent. They were not full pages from the final script, but scenes prepared specifically for casting: controlled versions designed to measure presence, vulnerability, charisma, and emotional range.
Since early that morning, they had been watching them one by one. Every tape had been professionally recorded, with high quality, perfect lighting, and off-camera readers delivering the other lines.
There were fourteen actors in this self-tape stage.
Finally, they arrived at the last one.
John, the casting director, tapped something on his laptop and the screen switched to the next file. "Alright, let's move on to the last one," he said in the same calm, deep tone he had maintained for hours.
He made a brief pause that felt completely intentional. "Owen Ashford."
Gunn, who until that moment had been absentmindedly drumming his fingers against the table, looked up at John with a slight smile. "Did you leave him for last on purpose?"
John looked back at him without changing his expression much. "Why do you say that?" he replied.
Gunn picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, then answered, "I'd say because he's the guy of the moment."
There was no need to clarify what he meant.
-Cannes.
-The awards.
-The massive film blogs.
-The online phenomenon.
-And now a dramatic film exploding at the box office in limited release, with insane projections now that it was expanding nationwide and yet another absurd ROI achieved by Owen's films.
John gave a slight nod. "He's the most unpredictable option for Superman and the most interesting," he said. "That's why I left him for the end."
After that, he pressed play.
The energy in the room shifted slightly.
Everyone adjusted a little in their chairs, adopting more attentive postures as the self-tape began.
Owen appeared on screen. The first scene he performed was as Clark Kent. Then Superman, another Clark scene, and finally Superman again.
Four scenes in a row.
Nobody interrupted or commented while the tape played.
When the video ended, the screen froze for a second before fading to black, and the room remained silent.
Finally, James Gunn spoke, "Let's start with the pros."
De Luca spoke first. Even though he was one of Warner Bros' most important executives, he had never been the typical cold executive disconnected from the creative side. He was a producer, a screenwriter, and deeply passionate about film.
"His acting range is the best out of all of them, and by far," he said.
Gunn slightly turned his head toward him, curious. "Did you like him more as Clark or as Superman?"
"Both," De Luca answered without hesitation. "That's how good his level is."
Gunn let out a laugh. "Wow… you're giving him a lot of praise."
De Luca was not someone who handed out compliments easily. Up to that point, the actors he had praised the most during the tapes were Tom Brittney, Nicholas Hoult, and David Corenswet. And he had not praised them this much.
De Luca continued, "I watched Good Will Hunting on Sunday. Now I completely understand why he won Best Actor at Cannes. And honestly, he'll probably end up getting nominated for an Oscar. It's exactly the kind of drama the Academy loves, and on top of that it started extremely strong commercially."
As he spoke, he tapped his pen lightly against his notebook.
"Will, the character he plays, shows incredible range: sarcasm, intelligence, charisma, and vulnerability. The moment where he finally emotionally breaks down felt very real. Probably one of the most honest crying scenes I've seen in cinema in a long time."
"Hey," James Gunn interrupted, raising a hand. "No spoilers. I still haven't seen it."
That drew several soft laughs around the table.
"What do you mean you haven't seen it yet?" Safran asked, amused and somewhat incredulous, considering it was the movie of the moment, even if the demand compared to its limited theater count had been unusually high. Especially now that the expansion was beginning.
Gunn shrugged slightly. "These past few days I've been a little busy rebooting DC…"
More laughter followed. Even John let out a small smile before returning to his usual expression.
"Now…" De Luca said, returning to his point, "I do see some issues related to Owen."
Gunn raised a hand. "We'll get to that in a moment…"
He looked around the rest of the table, and Safran spoke up. "I agree with Michael. And besides, if we get him, he'd practically be a mini-franchise on his own. The marketing he would bring helps a lot."
It was not an absolute guarantee. In the modern industry, there were barely any actors left capable of ensuring massive box office numbers based on name recognition alone, the way it happened decades ago. Not even Brad Pitt or DiCaprio consistently achieved that anymore.
But Owen occupied a very unusual position: he had critical prestige, continuous commercial success, and a gigantic digital audience.
He was the most famous actor out of everyone they had seen in that first phase.
And his social media presence meant something important: massive free marketing.
The film already had a projected budget of over two hundred million dollars before marketing costs were even added. Having someone with that kind of track record brought a certain level of commercial reassurance.
Gunn nodded. "Besides, he genuinely likes superheroes… we had a debate on Twitter not too long ago."
A slight smile appeared on his face as he remembered it. That mattered far more to him than he admitted. He did not want a purely corporate casting choice, someone who accepted the role only for money or exposure. Owen had proven several times, through interviews, tweets, and videos, that he genuinely loved that world.
Pam, the only woman and a senior Warner executive, spoke up. "And physically he fits perfectly. Light eyes, dark hair, strong jawline… He has one of the best faces. What's his height?"
John answered immediately. It was obvious he had every detail memorized, since as a casting director you learn those things by heart.
"Six foot one. Same as Cavill. Weight is around one hundred eighty pounds. That's where he's weakest."
Henry Cavill, at the same height, had reportedly fluctuated between two hundred and two hundred twenty pounds during his time as Superman.
De Luca jumped in again. "The weight doesn't concern me that much. In Good Will Hunting he plays a Boston construction worker and still has physical presence. Good athletic build. He doesn't look fragile or delicate."
Pam added, "Putting on muscle mass wouldn't exactly be a problem. There are several ways…" she said without needing to be more specific. Everyone at the table understood perfectly what she meant.
Then Safran rested a hand against his chin, thoughtful. "Another advantage is the inevitable comparison to Cavill."
Everyone understood what he meant.
"Whoever we cast is automatically going to be compared to Henry," he continued. "And they're also going to receive immediate backlash from a certain section of the fanbase. But out of everyone we saw… I think Owen is the one most capable of coming out of that standing strong."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The situation surrounding Henry Cavill was still delicate.
In October 2022, Cavill had posted a video on Instagram officially confirming his return as Superman, only days after appearing in the post-credits scene of Black Adam.
But two months later, he had to publish a completely different message: ultimately, he would not be returning.
Gunn and Safran had decided to reboot the universe from scratch with a younger version of the character.
The reality was that much of the blame belonged to Warner's previous management, which had promised something that did not fit the studio's new plan. But the internet rarely operated with much nuance.
And the situation became even worse because, almost simultaneously, Cavill also lost The Witcher, being replaced by Liam Hemsworth.
That created a massive wave of sympathy.
Many fans felt that Cavill had lost everything for remaining loyal to the characters and franchises he loved.
The result was a very strong narrative of injustice against Warner… and especially against Gunn.
Hashtags like:
#FireJamesGunn
#RestoreTheSnyderVerse
trended for weeks.
Gunn let out a small laugh. "That part would give me some peace of mind, I'll admit."
Part joke, part genuine.
Because Owen was probably the only candidate who would arrive with a sort of built-in shield. He had a massive fandom behind him and strong critical respect.
The other candidates might be good, but they were also far more vulnerable to the initial wave of hate. Less known, smaller fanbases, and without the aura of genius Owen had built around himself.
"Now let's move on to the cons."
As De Luca had said earlier, there were some.
The first one was obvious.
Owen was already too big.
Out of the fourteen actors who participated in this stage, and that included names like Jacob Elordi, Owen was, without question, the most famous and recognizable of the group.
And that was probably only going to increase. Good Will Hunting already seemed poised to become another massive success, both critically and commercially, with an absurd return considering its budget.
Historically, Superman worked best when the actor had not yet eclipsed the character. When audiences saw Clark Kent rather than a gigantic celebrity playing him.
That was one of the real risks: that the audience would see Owen Ashford before Superman.
Second: Owen was not simply an actor. He was a producer, writer, and financier of his own projects.
He had creative control over almost everything he did.
Yes, he had agreed to send in the self-tape, that much was true. But the bigger question was something else:
How would he function inside a giant studio structure where he would not have control?
With the track record he already had writing and producing successful projects, it was entirely possible that he would want to involve himself too much creatively. Or even negotiate clauses related to a certain level of input or creative control.
That led directly into the next point: money.
The studio's initial plan was relatively standard for a younger Superman:
Between seven hundred fifty thousand and 1.5 million dollars for the first film.
But Owen, with the momentum he currently had, operated at a much higher quote. If they offered him that salary, his agent would probably laugh in their faces.
The realistic minimum started much higher. Four million, as an initial base, was probably the starting point, not including bonuses, backend participation, or additional clauses.
Then came the age issue: twenty-one years old.
Yes, they wanted a younger Superman, but not that young. He was the youngest of all the participants. Most of the others were around twenty-six to thirty-two years old.
But Gunn dismissed that disadvantage.
Actual age mattered less than the age someone projected on camera. And Owen could convincingly play a Clark Kent in the twenty-four to twenty-six range. With his height and presence, he did not feel like a teenager.
Not a complete rookie.
But not someone fully established either.
After reviewing the pros and cons, the conversation continued for quite a while.
There was a lot to gain if they chose Owen. But there were also many risks.
Just as John had said at the beginning, he was the most unpredictable option and probably the most interesting one.
Too interesting.
After continuing to debate, they all ultimately reached the same conclusion:
They wanted to see him in the next phase.
Besides, if what Gunn said was true, that Owen genuinely loved superheroes and that world, then maybe the salary issue could be more negotiable than it seemed.
Finally, they finalized the list of actors who would move on to the second stage. The penultimate round.
It ended up looking like this:
-David Corenswet
-Nicholas Hoult
-Tom Brittney
-Owen Ashford
-Andrew Richardson
After that, they moved on to the next major decision: Lois Lane.
There were ten actresses in that first phase.
After reviewing the self-tapes and debating far less than they had with Superman, they selected four actresses for the next in-person round:
-Rachel Brosnahan
-Emma Mackey
-Jenna Ortega
-Phoebe Dynevor
They did the same with Lex Luthor.
Now came the next step.
Notifying the actors and actresses.
Sending out new scenes and preparing them for in-person screen tests right there at the studio.
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