After an opening weekend of $14.31 million, over the full first week, The Butterfly Effect ultimately grossed $21.69 million, claiming the North American weekly box office top spot without question.
In the apartment living room.
Simon looked at the box office data report in his hand, his first thought still on the upcoming trajectory.
Given The Butterfly Effect's current media reception, most people were highly pessimistic about the film's box office curve, and Simon himself couldn't be too optimistic.
If The Butterfly Effect's second-week drop exceeded 50%, then despite the strong $21.69 million start, the film's total North American gross would only reach around $50 million.
$50 million, relative to the film's production cost and average figures for the era, was absolutely an outstanding box office performance.
The Butterfly Effect had a $10 million production cost, with actual marketing budget typically half that. By this calculation, at $30 million gross, Fox would start profiting—not to mention overseas distribution and subsequent video, TV broadcasts, etc. Fox would rake in a fortune on this project.
However, for Simon, this was absolutely not good news.
The reason Fox and Orion approved the profit-sharing deals for Final Destination and Pulp Fiction was their expectation that Simon would "build on" Run Lola Run's success.
The Butterfly Effect's first-week box office largely relied on the buzz from Run Lola Run.
Now.
The Butterfly Effect's word-of-mouth had collapsed. If the subsequent box office failed to live up to its strong opening, Hollywood would thoroughly dismiss Run Lola Run as a fluke success, and the halo it bestowed on Simon would fade after The Butterfly Effect.
Next.
Though the contracts for Final Destination and Pulp Fiction couldn't be revoked, as Simon pushed Daenerys Films' other future projects, Hollywood studios clearly wouldn't factor in Run Lola Run's halo anymore.
Even Simon's age disadvantage—under twenty—would be magnified again.
No longer interested in other films' box office, Simon tossed the report aside and absentmindedly glanced at the big screen opposite.
Playing on the screen was the Hollywood classic black-and-white film Casablanca.
As a movie ranked high on the original timeline's IMDb Top 250, Simon remembered watching it more than once. When Harry Met Sally referenced this film in many details, so he bought the videotape to rewatch.
Gazing at Ingrid Bergman's sparkling eyes on the screen, Simon suddenly thought of Janet, and Neil's words before leaving.
After a moment's hesitation, Simon picked up the phone, leaned back on the sofa, and dialed a number.
As usual, after a series of beeps, the call connected, and a kitten-like soft hum came through the receiver, carrying obvious impatience.
Hearing the woman's reaction, Simon's lips curved up. He whispered, "Baby, it's me."
In the Palisades mansion bedroom, Janet drowsily curled up on the large bed, the phone cord from the nightstand stretched long, snaking into the covers.
Hearing Simon's voice, Janet perked up a bit, fumbling to grab a nearby pillow and hug it to her chest, as if embracing a certain guy. But her mouth was unforgiving: "Who are you calling baby? Call me Jenny."
Simon complied amiably: "Okay, Jenny."
But Janet immediately grew dissatisfied again, criticizing: "You got no guts, tsk."
Simon smiled. "I just wanted to call and say goodnight."
Janet wriggled in the covers, hugging the pillow tighter, and took the initiative to ask, "What are you doing right now?"
"Watching a movie," Simon glanced at the big screen. "Casablanca."
"Because of When Harry Met Sally?" Janet asked, not waiting for an answer before continuing, "I've seen it before too. But I don't really like the story—everyone's so cautious, not decisive at all."
Simon unconsciously grabbed a cushion from beside him, but just propped it on his knees. "That must be because you didn't understand it."
"Hm?"
"Actually, Casablanca is absolutely the most subtle love story in Hollywood history, and the ending is perfect."
"Hmph?"
Simon's lips curved in a smile. "You see, the story is actually like this. In the chaotic little city of Casablanca, Captain Renault is madly in love with bar owner Rick. To catch Rick's attention, he deliberately disguises himself as a playboy, constantly switching from one woman to another. The arrival of Rick's ex-girlfriend Ilsa poses a strong crisis for Captain Renault. But Renault is very clever—he acts nonchalant on the surface, but secretly pushes things along, not only successfully driving Ilsa away but using the situation to make Rick realize his feelings. In the end, the two leave Casablanca together, hand in hand for life, wandering the world."
On the other end of the line, Janet listened to Simon's narration, recalling the film's plot from memory. Her pretty eyes blinked and blinked, suddenly letting out a small scream: "Ah, you little jerk, Westeros, you little jerk—I'll never watch Casablanca again."
Accusing him like that, Janet suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter, rolling around on the bed for a while. Abruptly realizing something, her joy stopped short, and she quickly grabbed the discarded receiver: "Hey, little jerk, are you still there?"
Simon said, "Yeah."
Janet hesitated a tiny bit, asking weakly, "You—you haven't been pent up too much lately and started getting interested in men, have you?" [TL/N: ???]
Simon felt a black line cross his vision, immediately saying, "What the fuck? No!"
Janet clearly still worried: "Really?"
"Of course it's real," Simon nodded again, not wanting to continue the topic. He shifted: "But without you around, things here have been a bit messy lately. How about coming over sometime to help tidy up?"
Janet refused without hesitation: "No way—just find a cleaner yourself."
"You know," Simon felt the topic derailed but pressed on: "I don't like strangers in my home."
"But," Janet clutched the pillow in her arms, shifting position on the bed: "I hire cleaners for the villa here too?"
Simon hadn't paid attention to such things before, so he could only say: "That—I can't see it, so I pretend I don't know."
"Hehe, then let Kate help you tidy."
Simon said helplessly: "Are you really a good friend like that?"
"Otherwise, handle it yourself," Janet pouted, but added: "Not allowing strange same-species in your territory—like that, you really are like a lion."
Simon was planning to carve out time over the weekend to sort it himself. Hearing Janet, he recalled something: "You keep mentioning lions, so lately I've been brainstorming an idea about lions." As he spoke, Simon got up, rummaged around, found a stack of sketches, placed them on his knees, and flipped through casually. "It's an animated film called The Lion King, using the 'prince's revenge' story template. How about I make it and give it to you as a birthday gift? Oh, when's your birthday?"
Janet's voice was soft, whispering: "I don't celebrate birthdays—thinking about my age just makes me sad."
Simon said gently: "Of course you should—your eighteenth birthday, every year you're eighteen. Come on, tell me when your eighteenth birthday is?"
Janet's tone softened further, murmuring: "March 13th—this year it already passed quietly. Um, if the story's no good, I don't want it."
"You can take a look first," Simon noted the date in his mind and continued: "How about tomorrow? Tomorrow night I have to go to Madonna's for a party—you come as my date, and afterward we can discuss the story together."
"No way—I'm not your girlfriend now," Janet resisted a little, then asked: "What are you going to Madonna's for?"
"I want to invite Madonna and Sean Penn for Pulp Fiction—the opening bunny and pumpkin."
"Hehe, inviting those two," Janet scoffed with a curl of her lip: "I happen to remember that film they did together last year, Reviews said the only good thing about that movie was audiences could enjoy a theater all to themselves."
Hearing Janet, Simon couldn't help laughing too.
Shanghai Surprise was a film starring Madonna and Sean Penn as a couple last year, with a $17 million budget but only $2.31 million domestic.
Before inviting Madonna and Sean Penn, Simon had specifically gotten the videotape of Shanghai Surprise to watch—it was indeed unwatchable. Madonna had even won her first Razzie for Worst Actress earlier this year because of it.
However, Simon ultimately decided to try.
Simon always believed there were no completely hopeless actors in the world—the key was the role. Otherwise, Madonna wouldn't later win a Golden Globe Best Actress for Evita.
Due to that little incident on ABC's Good Morning America last month, after finishing the Pulp Fiction script, Simon's first thought for the opening bunny and pumpkin was the Madonna couple.
Madonna's bold avant-garde style, Sean Penn's explosive temper—perfect for a pair of lovebird robbers.
Most crucially, Madonna's film salary wasn't too high, and Sean Penn wasn't yet an Oscar grand slam winner. If just a cameo, the idea had high feasibility.
Thinking this, Simon pressed: "So are you going tomorrow or not?"
Janet refused again: "No. We're broken up now, and preparing for a litigation war. If I let you take me out so soon, how embarrassing for me."
"Okay then," Simon could only say: "In that case, goodnight."
"Mm, goodnight."
Ko-fi.com/GodOfReader