Hearing Ronald Goldberg's question and feeling Barry Diller's equally probing gaze, Simon smiled and explained, "Ronald, I reminded everyone before filming began that the reputation of basic instinct might not be very good, similar to last year's 'The Butterfly Effect'".
Ronald Goldberg was still somewhat worried. He subtly gestured to the surrounding crowd and said, "Simon, no one left early during the test screening last year".
"This film doesn't have the intricate plot design of 'The Butterfly Effect'. Its selling point is actually its controversial nature", Simon noted that no one else was approaching and lowered his voice slightly to Ronald Goldberg, saying, "Ronald, what Fox needs to do next is control the direction of this controversial public opinion. If we can hold out until the film's release next month, we win".
The marketing strategy for basic instinct had undergone multiple internal discussions, so Simon's words didn't bring Ronald Goldberg much peace of mind: "Of course I understand, Simon. I'm just worried now that we might not be able to control the media's direction at all".
"If it really gets messed up, then I can only say it's a pity", Simon spread his hands, feeling quite helpless about Goldberg's indecisive personality, and said, "Ronald, we both know that the film business has always been full of risks".
Ronald Goldberg somewhat sensed Simon's mood, looked around, and said, "Alright, you two chat. I'm going to say hello to Garrett from Variety, hoping to get another good review".
Simon watched Goldberg leave, then asked Barry Diller, "Barry, has Fox found a replacement for Ronald's position?"
Barry Diller nodded and said, "I plan to make Joe Roth president. Rupert is quite satisfied with him. Simon, do you know Roth?"
"I've heard of him, but haven't interacted with him".
Simon replied, thinking to himself, it really is Joe Roth.
In the original timeline, Joe Roth was the president of Fox during this period. This renowned producer, who entered the industry in the 1970s, achieved his greatest success during his tenure at Fox by discovering the 'Home Alone' series, the highest-grossing comedy films in Hollywood history.
Joe Roth just turned forty this year and is currently running a production company with several partners. He has participated in the production of successful films such as 'Bachelor Party', an early film starring Tom Hanks, and is somewhat well-known in the industry, but not top-tier.
Therefore, strictly speaking, Joe Roth was not qualified to join The Big Seven's game of musical chairs in Hollywood. However, neither Rupert Murdoch, an outsider to Hollywood, nor Barry Diller, who is only forty-six but wants to strengthen his control over Fox Pictures, wanted to find another executive with deep Hollywood experience like Ronald Goldberg to manage the company.
Over his more than ten years in the industry, Joe Roth has accumulated good experience in both production and company management, but at the same time, he doesn't have deep roots in Hollywood, making his employment to lead Fox Pictures seem just right.
"Next time I'll introduce you", Barry Diller said, then added, "Simon, after 'Basic Instinct', I still very much hope we can continue to cooperate. You also said before that you hoped to collaborate with Fox Network, but Daenerys Pictures doesn't seem to have much interest in collaborating with us on these reality shows this time?"
Simon calmly said, "Barry, that's because the terms offered by Fox are no better than those from other TV networks".
Although it is already considered the fourth largest national television network, Fox Network still has a significant gap in strength compared to the traditional Big Three networks: ABC, NBC, and CBS.
Just looking at the basic number of affiliate stations, the traditional Big Three networks each have over two hundred affiliate stations across North America, but Fox Network currently only has over one hundred. Moreover, to save costs, Fox Network currently only operates two hours of prime-time programming, whereas the Big Three networks run three hours, from eight to eleven o'clock.
These factors limit Fox Network's audience base.
Daenerys Pictures had actually pitched several reality show proposals to Fox Network, but the terms offered by Fox Network were not enough for Simon to overlook its various disadvantages.
Barry Diller is definitely a very shrewd and far-sighted business manager. For the final destination project, it was Barry Diller who persuaded the hesitant Ronald Goldberg, leading to Fox Pictures' groundbreaking contract with Daenerys Pictures, from which Fox also benefited greatly.
Out of respect for Simon's continuous creation of many box office miracles, Barry Diller carefully studied Daenerys Pictures' reality show proposals. In his opinion, Survivor' had the greatest potential to cause a sensation, followed by the 'Big Brother' proposal. North America has never lacked quiz-based Variety shows, so 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' was ranked third by him. As for the 'Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills', Barry Diller felt it was entirely the young man's 'personal interest'; he seemed to have just ruined the marriage of the glamorous actress Nastassja Kinski.
Barry Diller also understood that Daenerys Pictures presented four program proposals at once, targeting the current four major TV networks in North America, and Fox clearly had only one chance to bet.
After a moment of thought, Barry Diller said, "Simon, let's be frank. I want to get survivor. What kind of cooperation plan do you want?"
"Barry, the most important thing for Fox Network right now is to expand its audience size. As for profit, that's clearly secondary, right?" Simon looked at Barry Diller, and without waiting for his answer, continued, "So, if Fox wants to get survivor, the cooperation plan is simple: you get the audience, and Daenerys Pictures gets the profit".
Barry Diller shook his head and said, "Simon, that's too harsh. Operating a TV network is very costly. I can't allow the platform in my hands to become someone else's money-making tool, and Rupert wouldn't agree either".
"Barry, let's look at Fox Network as a developing farm, and the programs in Daenerys Pictures' hands are precisely the farmers responsible for pioneering it. If you want this farmer to abandon work on other farms that are already well-established and come to yours, you must pay higher compensation. Only when the area of Fox Network's farm expands rapidly can you earn more profit in the future".
"I understand that principle, of course," Barry Diller said. "But, Simon, I don't know the work capability of the 'farmer' you're recommending to me".
Simon also shook his head, smiling, "Actually, I don't know either".
Barry Diller recalled the pilot episode of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' scheduled for next Monday. This show had been in intensive preparation for some time, and he had even discreetly visited the filming site in New York to observe the recording effect. 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' did give him a special feeling, completely different from traditional quiz shows.
However, this program already belonged to ABC, so Fox obviously couldn't get involved.
The dismal television fall season caused by the writers' strike was an opportunity for Daenerys Pictures, and likewise, an opportunity for Fox Network, which was still very weak compared to the other three. If one or two sensational television programs could be launched this autumn, Fox Network's popularity among North American audiences would immediately increase significantly.
Similar to how internet companies later spent heavily to expand their user base, Fox Network was currently in a money-burning phase. If the reality shows in Simon's hands could achieve great success, Barry Diller wouldn't mind giving up profits for ratings. However, he also didn't want to sign a contract with Daenerys Pictures that might later prove to be a big joke.
With only three days left until the premiere of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?', Barry Diller hesitated for a moment but decided to wait three more days. He couldn't help but feel a bit self-deprecating, recalling how he had persuaded Goldberg to boldly agree to the 'Final Destination' cooperation plan, yet when it came to himself, he too became inevitably hesitant.
However, Barry Diller also made up his mind that if 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' received a good response, he would definitely secure at least one of the two reality shows he was interested in.
Although there was still the idea of using the several reality shows in hand as leverage to exchange for New World Entertainment from General Electric, for Simon, apart from 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' which had already been given to ABC, survivor was undoubtedly the most valuable among the remaining three projects. However, others certainly wouldn't know this, and Simon didn't necessarily intend to give survivor to NBC.
On the contrary, if NBC's ratings situation this fall season were even more dismal, General Electric might be more cooperative with him. After all, no one would think that Daenerys Pictures would only have these four reality show proposals.
The official recording of the first episode of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' was scheduled for this weekend. Simon had to rush to the East Coast early tomorrow morning, so he didn't stay long at the reception. At ten o'clock, he took Janet back to Malibu.
The next morning, as it was Saturday, major newspapers generally released their most substantial issue of the week. basic instinct, having just undergone a test screening, quickly became the focus of media discussion and, as anticipated, sparked intense controversy.
In terms of basic critical reception, 'Basic Instinct' actually fared better than last year's 'The Butterfly Effect', also a collaboration between Simon and Brian De Palma. Overall, it scored around 5 points, not quite passing, but not a complete disaster either.
Variety gave a very positive review: "A slickly stylish, intensely acted, and provocatively intelligent erotic thriller that possesses a strangely powerful allure".
Rolling Stone praised the film as 'a scarlet dream created by Simon Westeros, with Linda Fiorentino's performance leaving a deep impression'.
In addition, important media such as The New York Times and The Seattle Times also gave positive reviews.
However, the negative reviews provoked by the film were even more fierce.
Roger Ebert, in the Chicago Sun-Times, mercilessly criticized the film as 'nothing but useless garbage except for a simple, predictable plot like a guessing game.' Simon wondered if he should feel honoured to have such a master film critic use the word 'garbage' so bluntly.
Terrence Rafferty, a film critic for The New Yorker, also criticized basic instinct as 'a boring story that distracts the audience with sex and violence'.
Other newspapers, including Time Magazine and the Chicago Tribune, also published critical remarks.
Moreover, due to the subject matter of basic instinct, this polarized media reception quickly moved beyond film criticism and rapidly spread to the content of the film itself.
A film critic, who claimed to be a loyal fan of Simon, published a critical article in the Los Angeles Times the next day, fiercely accusing Simon of having just peddled violence through Pulp Fiction and now peddling erotica through basic instinct, then publicly announcing his defection.
Mark Hollington, the independent writer on the East Coast who had publicly questioned Simon during the 'Run Lola Run' period, although not invited to the test screening, jumped out again this time, publishing an article in the Daily News, which was opposed to the New York Post, attacking 'Basic Instinct' for its excessive depiction of sex and accusing Simon of lacking social responsibility.
In the following days, the escalating media controversy grew increasingly intense, even developing into personal attacks.
A film critic from the San Francisco Chronicle published an open letter, questioning whether Simon, who had continuously produced the highly disturbing films 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Basic Instinct', might have had another mental breakdown and should return to a mental institution for treatment. The critic also claimed in the open letter that basic instinct should absolutely be categorized as NC-17 and demanded that the MPAA re-rate 'Basic Instinct'.
After the open letter was published, many film critics who attacked the movie also spoke out again, calling on the MPAA to re-rate basic instinct.
Before the test screening, 'Basic Instinct' had already received an R-rating from the MPAA.
The MPAA's rating committee is actually controlled by The Big Seven, who balance each other out and occasionally use it to suppress second and third-tier film companies. Typically, film companies appeal if they believe their film's rating is too strict, or they re-edit and resubmit for a rating. There has never been a case where a confirmed rated film was re-rated to a stricter category.
The media was in an uproar, but within Hollywood, many people understood that unless there was overwhelming public pressure or other strong interfering factors, 'Basic Instinct's rating would not change. However, to make 'Basic Instinct' have a greater social impact, one could only wait until the film was released.
Evidently, once the film is released, the rating becomes even more irreversible.
Therefore, Daenerys Pictures and Fox were not swayed by this controversy; instead, they secretly fanned the flames, further increasing 'Basic Instinct's controversial nature to attract public attention. Fox even deliberately suppressed a statement that the MPAA rating committee attempted to release to the public.
On the other hand, to demonstrate their own social responsibility, Fox and Daenerys Pictures jointly issued a statement on the new Monday, pledging to urge cinemas screening basic instinct to conduct stricter age verification to ensure that no teenagers who do not meet the viewing conditions enter the cinema.
Of course, whether doing so will actually arouse teenagers' curiosity even more is beyond the control of film companies; after all, teenagers are naturally rebellious.