The Hollywood Tycoon

April 4th falls on a Thursday.

Today marks a special occasion as the debut film of Hollywood’s "big" director Kyle, "Run Lola Run," is set for its official release. Naturally, the showing is scheduled for 10 PM, which is an advanced screening, with the official premiere happening tomorrow.

You mentioned there wouldn’t be a premiere?!

Come on, you’re thinking too much!

Do you genuinely believe there would be a premiere for a film made by a novice director, inexperienced actors, and a new company with a mere budget of $800,000? Even if there were a premiere, it’s likely no one would attend.

Kyle and Page Films lack any recognised reputation!

Despite the absence of a premiere, Kyle still financed a screening room and invited the entire team from Page Pictures and SpongeBob House, including key crew members, to view the film. Additionally, Kyle’s mother and some of Kyle’s friends came to offer their support.

For instance, negotiation specialist Br, lawyer Paul Goodman, and Lasseter, the head of R, are present.

"Kyle, I didn’t anticipate there being five reporters."

Charlize pouted, visibly pleased. Even though "Run Lola Run" was made on a small budget, it was her first film in a leading role.

The younger version of Professor X didn’t seem to mind and grinned, saying, "Charlize, just stay composed. You are the star, after all!"

Although James McAvoy is quite young, he possesses strong family values and comes across as both humble and confident, displaying maturity beyond his years.

There are five reporters?

Hehe!

Kyle and Victor exchanged knowing smiles.

These five reporters were hired by Victor. Well, this is dubbed publicity expenses.

Otherwise, what reason would reporters have to attend a film produced by a company with no standing?

"Kyle, congratulations on the release of your directorial debut. I have faith it will be as successful as Pixar’s Toy Story."

John Lasseter dressed sharply for the occasion, looking more polished than he did during the release of Toy Story. Indeed, he is now wealthy, with a net worth in the tens of millions.

"I truly appreciate you coming, my friend."

Kyle is extremely thankful to John Lasseter.

His gratitude stems not only from Lasseter’s attendance today but also from his substantial contributions to the distribution of "Run Lola Run" and his connections with cinema chains. Without him, the cinema managers would hardly pay attention to Page Pictures. With a budget of $800,000, how many screens do you think the cinema chains would allocate?

"I’d take pride in that if you said so."

Lasseter chuckled.

Strictly speaking, "Run Lola Run" managed to secure 355 screens in California and Utah on its opening day, which was quite an impressive feat for Page Pictures. This was largely due to April being filled with low-budget films or low-quality releases from major studios.

Alternatively, considering the summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas schedules, it would be quite remarkable if Kyle could get 100 screens from the big studios.

The film began shortly after.

The "SpongeBob SquarePants" label from Page Pictures made its initial appearance in the film.

....

A cinema in Los Angeles.

The movie being shown was "Run Lola Run." The audience was sparse, with only 12 individuals present.

"Hey, man, you’re not out sleeping, playing video games, or clubbing at night, yet you expect me to come catch a movie? We’re both adults! And what kind of terrible movie is this ’Run Lola Run’? There isn’t a single familiar face in it, and I’ve never heard of the production company, Page Pictures."

A black guy was chatting nonstop to his white friend.

Upon hearing this, the white friend was unfazed and replied, "Tom, you have a point. The director and actors of this film aren’t well-known, but did you notice who produced ’Run Lola Run’?"

The producer’s name?

Tom, the black guy, was taken aback and immediately began to read the details on the movie ticket.

"’Run Lola Run’ Producer: John Lasseter!"

"Oh, my god, the producer of this film is the director of ’Toy Story!’"

In an instant, Tom’s interest was piqued.

Damn producer!

In truth, Kyle was employing the same strategies he had used in his previous life to capitalise on the fame of others and create misleading claims.

Since "Toy Story" was such a hit, Kyle approached John Lasseter and requested that he be credited as the producer of "Run Lola Run" to elevate the film’s reputation and appeal. This practice of crediting has become a common tactic in the 21st century, which regular viewers understand. However, audiences in the 1990s had not been exposed to this kind of influence frequently.

Additionally, Kyle also paid Lasseter 2% of the box office earnings.

Indeed, this is Hollywood; matters must be settled clearly among brothers. Even if it is for assistance, I still expect payment.

Kyle found this quite frustrating, but the market was what it was, and he couldn’t afford to let it slip away.

....

The following morning.

Kyle woke up early and headed to Page Pictures.

At this point, aside from those assigned to outdoor tasks, all employees who were able to arrive at the page had already come in. "Run Lola Run" was the company’s first theatrical release, and since it was directed by the new boss himself, it naturally drew significant attention.

By ten o’clock in the morning.

"Boss, we’ve received the box office results for the advance and midnight screenings, totalling $92,000, placing us ninth among films released during this period," Victor informed.

On the previous day, "Run Lola Run" had screened twice in various theatres, appearing on 355 screens, which averaged out to about $259 per screen; for a single show on one screen, this meant around $130.

This figure doesn’t seem impressive.

At least it’s a far cry from "Toy Story," which raked in $4 or $5 million during its midnight showing.

However, with an average ticket price of $7, it implies that the audience per movie is roughly 18, not accounting for the peak midnight viewing slots. Essentially, for a three-no movie like "Run Lola Run," this is a strong start.

Is it success?!

"Yes, boss. Our Run Lola Run can indeed be deemed a success. If positive word of mouth circulates and screenings increase, we’re looking at a potential gross of at least $3 million."

Victor didn’t complete his thoughts, however. This was assuming no other film posed a threat to "Run Lola Run."

"Ha!"

Upon hearing this, Kyle wasn’t anxious in the slightest. He thought to himself, "I’m a time traveller. I’ve already seen the performance data of these films released simultaneously. Besides Paramount’s ’Primal Fear,’ which landed 28th in the North American annual box office, the other films are merely competing to see who’s the worst."

Are there no poor films in Hollywood?

Not!

When it comes to the sheer volume of poor-quality movies Hollywood produces each year, it ranks number one globally.

Observing the performance of the midnight screening of Run Lola Run, Kyle felt reassured. Run Lola Run boasts an 81 on Douban, making it the top-tier quality among North American films in April. Given a competition where everyone else falters, it can at least ensure against financial losses.

The possibility of substantial profits exists; it’s just a matter of determining how much it can surpass the $3 million target.