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Chapter 251: Winning Early Doesn’t Count as Winning
🕑 Added 2025-01-17 17:52:14 +0000 UTCIn the Duke Studio, Duke was having a discussion with his accountant, David. After the New Year, 20th Century Fox's financial pressures were alleviated. Apart from the $50 million Duke had invested in Titanic, they immediately repaid the remaining $17 million debt, along with interest calculated at the bank's rate.
Warner Bros. wasn't far behind. Due to complications with overseas distributors, Saving Private Ryan had only paid Duke $30 million of its overseas revenue share but guaranteed the remaining amount would be settled within a month.
They wanted to participate in Duke's new film.
There were two reasons for their enthusiasm. First, compared to Duke's previous works, Chicago may not have been a blockbuster hit, but it was undoubtedly a success. Second, Duke's new project was a science fiction film scheduled to return to the summer release window.
"The King of the Summer Box Office is returning to the summer slot. Does Warner Bros. have any reason not to be involved?"
During a Warner Bros. board meeting, CEO Jeff Robinov made this bold statement in front of numerous independent and executive directors.
However, the project was still in its infancy, with only a completed script. Duke had merely instructed Nancy Josephson to release a hint of information to the public.
Although the script's outline and character settings had been registered with the Writers Guild as early as 1994, Duke still purchased the adaptation rights to a related comic. It didn't cost much but could reduce unnecessary trouble later on.
Nevertheless, such issues are unavoidable in Hollywood. Think about the hugely successful films of the past—how many blockbuster hits were spared accusations of plagiarism or individuals seeking a share of the profits?
Even though such lawsuits almost always end in defeat, screenwriters and authors continually emerge, desperately trying to associate themselves with these well-known films to gain publicity and promote their work.
The most typical example was a writer who accused James Cameron's "vulgar" film of plagiarism. After extensive media coverage, his works sold out in no time.
The real reason behind such behaviors is, of course, profit.
With a substantial amount of cash on hand, Duke decided to allocate a portion to Yahoo. After noticing the website through Panny Kallis, he had someone investigate further. Indeed, one of its founders had the surname Yang. Unfortunately, despite uncovering numerous details, it was of little use to Duke since he couldn't recall anything specific.
Duke intended to invest the funds received from 20th Century Fox into the stock market. If direct investment was possible, even better. David and his team would reach out to some of Yahoo's shareholders to see if they could purchase shares or wait for Yahoo's next round of financing.
If all else failed, they'd simply buy as much as they could from the open market.
As for the remaining funds, Duke planned to set them aside. Charles Roven had already agreed to serve as the production manager for another project. Over the next few months, the two would discuss the details, after which significant sums would flow into New Zealand. Tolkien's epic would require two years—or even longer—for pre-production.
All of this constituted Duke's work for the coming months, which would proceed according to plan. Nothing could be rushed.
Recently, not only Warner Bros. and Fox but even Disney had tried to reestablish good relations with Nancy Josephson. The rising box office numbers of Chicago demonstrated that even when Duke strayed from the summer blockbuster model, he could still emerge victorious in a competitive market.
By early 1997, the number of theaters screening Chicago had dropped below 1,000. Weekday box office earnings were often less than $1 million per day. By mid-January, the film's North American box office gross had reached $139.81 million, with theater counts continuing to decline.
Two other films released during the same period fared worse. Star Trek: First Contact had been pulled due to rapid box office declines, ending its North American run at $91.75 million. Compared to Chicago, it vividly illustrated the adage, "Winning early doesn't count as winning."
As for The English Patient, its distributor adhered strictly to the limited-release strategy for awards-season films. Its theater count remained steady at around 500, and its North American box office gross was approaching $28 million.
Due to limited investment in awards campaigns, The English Patient held a clear advantage over Chicago in promotional efforts during this period. However, Duke's primary goal was securing Oscar nominations. While Chicago had a chance to make a splash at the Oscars, the odds weren't overwhelmingly in its favor.
In late January, the 69th Annual Academy Award Nominees Luncheon took place at the Beverly Hills Regent Hotel. Duke did not attend; instead, Nancy Josephson represented him. As widely expected, Chicago and The English Patient emerged as the biggest winners when Arthur Miller announced the nominees.
The English Patient received 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Score, Best Sound, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Miramax scored a massive victory.
Not to be outdone, Chicago garnered 10 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Original Song, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
Thanks to Nancy Josephson's efforts, Naomi Watts received her first-ever Oscar nomination for acting. Meanwhile, the heavily criticized Tom Cruise finally earned his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor after extensive groundwork.
However, Catherine Zeta-Jones, despite delivering a performance on par with Naomi Watts, was overlooked. As a newcomer in Hollywood and with her agent Vivien not part of a major talent agency, Zeta-Jones would need to accumulate more experience before receiving such recognition.
"Yes!"
In his Beverly Hills mansion, Tom Cruise pumped his fist in excitement. He hadn't attended the nominees' luncheon but had just received the nomination list from his agent, Pat Kingsley. He could almost see the Oscar statuette within his grasp.
Nicole Kidman, sitting nearby with a pale face, remained silent. Her mood was visibly sour—for a simple reason. Naomi Watts had been nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars!
Someone who once needed her guidance and financial assistance had suddenly risen to achieve far greater success. Only Nicole herself could fully comprehend the bitterness of the situation.
Watts' ascent was primarily because she had aligned herself with Duke Rosenberg. Meanwhile, Nicole questioned her own trajectory. Was she merely a decorative flower vase dependent on Tom Cruise? What set her apart from Naomi Watts was the man supporting them.
Turning her gaze to Tom Cruise, still basking in excitement, Nicole privately acknowledged that relying on him wouldn't elevate her career further. Even his recent Oscar nomination depended heavily on Duke Rosenberg.
"Hey, honey!" Cruise looked at her. "Aren't you happy for me?"
Forcing a smile, Kidman replied, "Of course I'm happy for you. Congratulations, Tom."
"Resolving past conflicts and collaborating with Duke was absolutely the right decision!"
Still thrilled, Cruise circled the sofa. "The film's North American box office is close to $150 million, and we've scored 10 Oscar nominations. We're the undisputed winners!"
Though his salary for Chicago was only $5 million, and he wouldn't receive a share of the box office, Cruise felt genuinely satisfied. His dream of winning an Oscar for Best Actor seemed closer than ever.
Observing her husband, Nicole temporarily suppressed her jealousy and resentment. Despite escalating conflicts between them over the past year, they remained bound together by shared interests.
"Tom, shouldn't you make a phone call?" she gently suggested.
Startled, Cruise asked, "A phone call? To whom?"
Sighing inwardly, Nicole thought that Cruise still lacked social acumen. While an Oscar nomination itself was a victory, winning the award was challenging. Duke Rosenberg had enabled Cruise to secure one nomination, and a good relationship with him could lead to more opportunities. Wasn't this the ideal moment to express gratitude?
"Don't you think you should call Duke?" she said. "We no longer have any conflicts with him, and surely you see the value in maintaining good relations."
With this reminder, Cruise quickly understood. He rushed to the phone and dialed a private number.
"Hi, Duke, it's me," Cruise began. "I just wanted to say thank you! No, no, no, I must say it—I deeply appreciate the opportunity you've given me and the support you've provided. If I win Best Actor, I'm taking you to Las Vegas to celebrate. It's a deal!"
After hanging up, Cruise turned to Nicole and nodded, silently acknowledging the importance of balancing past conflicts with present benefits.
Meanwhile, Duke had already made up his mind on this matter. As long as Tom Cruise didn't infringe upon his interests again, Duke saw no need to pursue old grievances. After all, there were no irreconcilable differences between them, unlike his disputes with Sean Connery or Mel Gibson.
At present, Duke was more focused on how to leverage Chicago's Oscar nominations to expand its re-release and promote it overseas.
