"47 million..." Tom Rothman gently put down the newspaper in his hand, a bitter smile unconsciously appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Today was Friday, September 29th, exactly one week since Se7en premiered. He vividly remembered that Kazir had once sent the script for this film to 20th Century Fox.
Unfortunately, the production department didn't take it seriously at all.
"Alas, it's no wonder," Tom Rothman couldn't help but ponder, "An investment of 35 million for a film that, at the time, showed no hope of return—how could the production department easily agree? What's more, Kazir also proposed to direct it himself.
Anyone in the production department's position wouldn't agree to such a request, would they?"
Not to mention that the director who later took over was David Fincher! It's important to know that 20th Century Fox held the rights to the Alien series, and David Fincher's previous film, alien 3, was a box office disaster.
Fox had already blacklisted him.
Who could have predicted that Se7en, directed by David Fincher, would become so popular? Tom Rothman felt a pang of regret, feeling as though he had let two rare uncut gems slip through 20th Century Fox's fingers.
Se7en ultimately went to New Line Cinema, raking in 47 million at the box office in just seven days—a truly dazzling achievement for the September film schedule.
September has always been a slow season for movie box office, a stark contrast to the fierce competition and bustling atmosphere of the summer and Christmas seasons, where major film companies scramble for dominance.
In this period, very few films manage to earn significant profits.
Therefore, the 47 million box office earned by Se7en has already received widespread acclaim in Hollywood.
"With a cost of only 35 million, plus distribution and marketing expenses, New Line Cinema should have already broken even with this wave," Tom Rothman silently calculated, "Any money earned from now on will be pure profit.
Clearly, New Line made the right bet this time."
"Now that New Line has been acquired by Warner Bros., they have a strong backing for the future," Tom Rothman couldn't help but exclaim.
At this moment, Tom Rothman had just taken on the role of CEO of 20th Century Fox, filled with the ambition to revitalize the company.
He pondered in his office for a few minutes, then decisively picked up the phone: "Have Nancy Utley come to my office."
"The first fish got away, but I have to catch the second one. Perhaps the second fish will be even bigger," Tom Rothman secretly encouraged himself.
"A comedy film, huh…" Tom Rothman murmured, looking at the documents in his hand.
Unlike a thriller like Se7en, napoleon dynamite was a pure popcorn comedy, but for some reason, this film interested him even more.
Tom Rothman carefully flipped through the script again, pondering: This type of film is too easy to turn into a sequel.
Although the original napoleon dynamite didn't have sequels, Kazir's return had already disrupted the timeline, and this could entirely be seen as another parallel universe.
In this brand new parallel universe, napoleon dynamite might even have three to five installments… "Sir, you called for me?" A few minutes later, Nancy Utley hurried to Tom Rothman's office.
She was one of the Vice Presidents of Fox Searchlight Pictures, primarily responsible for production work.
Recently, she didn't have many projects on hand—after all, Fox Searchlight Pictures had only just started.
"Nancy, have you heard the name Kazier Gray?" Tom Rothman looked up and asked Nancy.
"Sir? No… I haven't heard of him," Nancy replied truthfully, looking puzzled.
Tom Rothman nodded, understanding that Kazir indeed wasn't very well-known yet.
"What about Se7en?" Tom Rothman then asked.
"Oh, that thriller that premiered last week, I heard the box office is almost 40 million," Nancy thought carefully and replied.
"It's 47 million, North America box office," Tom Rothman corrected him.
"This…" Nancy's eyes widened; such a box office performance in the September slot was indeed astonishing.
"Nancy, Kazier Gray is the screenwriter for Se7en. I heard he just finished shooting his new film and is currently in post-production.
Go contact him and see if he's interested in collaborating with Fox Searchlight Pictures," Tom Rothman said.
Since the newly established Fox Searchlight Pictures currently had no projects, it might be a good opportunity for them to try this.
An investment of 500,000 was no big deal for Tom Rothman—20th Century Fox didn't even bother with such small-budget productions.
But who knows? Just like Se7en, how many critics initially disparaged it, only to be proven wrong and now are frantically praising it.
Tom Rothman was worried about such a "what if" scenario.
"Yes, sir, I will do my best to secure this project," Nancy realized that the CEO was quite keen on this comedy.
"Good," Tom Rothman nodded with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, in the editing suite on the other side, Kazir was intently staring at the screen.
"Rekote, use a jump cut for this section," Kazir suddenly said.
"Alright, Kazir," Rekote readily agreed.
Ever since the "spicy" little incident with Reese Witherspoon, Kazir had been even more energized, as if he had an endless supply of strength.
This week, he had spent almost every day in the editing suite, fully focused on the post-production of napoleon dynamite, vowing to make this film even more brilliant than the original he remembered.
The original was already a classic, but Kazir's goal was to make it a "super classic."
As for his relationship with Reese… the girl asked him out again last night, and Kazir naturally didn't refuse.
They had an open and honest discussion, agreeing to a mutually beneficial arrangement without getting involved in emotional matters.
After all, both of them were ambitious individuals, solely focused on making a name for themselves in their careers.
Kazir had just gotten divorced and didn't want to get entangled in new emotional complications; Reese was single-mindedly determined to make it big in Hollywood and had no time for romance.
Occasionally relaxing together was quite comfortable, and their relationship was also good.
"In five more days, napoleon dynamite will be finished editing," Rekote murmured beside him.
The film was now nearing completion, and the soundtrack was also done—Kazir had spent a considerable amount of money on it.
"Congratulations, Kazir," Rekote said with a smile.
"Don't congratulate me yet, it hasn't been released," Kazir humbly replied.
"Don't worry, with Se7en's success, a bunch of companies will definitely come looking to collaborate with you. Besides, your film is funny and refreshing, unlike those vulgar comedies that rely on profanity and dirty jokes to grab attention—it's much better," Rekote said confidently.
Kazir nodded, remaining silent, and continued to focus intently on the images on the screen, silently hoping for the success of napoleon dynamite.