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Chapter 172: Conflicts Go Public
🕑 Added 2024-12-03 07:12:55 +0000 UTC"Freedom!"
On the television screen, William Wallace, looking like a wild man, let out a shout that resonated powerfully. This word, one of the most ingrained slogans in North America, did not evoke any response from the young people watching. Two of them even curled their lips disdainfully.
"Everyone knows how important freedom is. He's certainly shouting loud enough," said a young man named Christensen, dismissive of the trailer playing on TV. "A traitor and informant shouting about freedom—could anything be more ridiculous?"
"Exactly. I read the media reports and even went to the library to check the facts."
Evans, the bespectacled man, added with more weight in his tone, "Numerous historical records show William Wallace was a dishonorable figure—a traitor!"
"I hate traitors the most!" someone chimed in.
As Hollywood movies often portray, informants—no matter the reason—never meet a good end. In the mainstream culture of this land, traitors and informants are deeply despised.
The group switched to ABC, where, instead of a movie trailer, a history documentary was being shown. The focus was a period of medieval Scottish history, with a particular emphasis on William Wallace, who was clearly not depicted as a hero in this context.
The program had even invited an expert.
"See that? This is Professor Smith from Yale University, a recognized authority on British history," Evans said knowingly. "Did you hear what he said? William Wallace was a traitor!"
"Who cares who William Wallace is!" Atkinson, who had been silent until now, turned off the television and declared nonchalantly, "What does the history of those Europeans have to do with us? To hell with William Wallace!"
"Yeah, exactly," Christensen agreed. "It's not like we were planning to watch some movie about Europeans anyway."
Not far from them, a family was gathered in front of their television, watching a show on CBS, owned by Viacom.
"Although 'Saving Private Ryan' has been rated R by the MPAA, the National Parent-Teacher Association is urging parents across the country not to take their underage children to see the film due to its graphic and violent content…"
As the program continued, the father, Tyrese, turned to his wife and said, "Honey, this movie isn't suitable for us to watch together as a family."
Before his wife could reply, their 17-year-old son, Tyrese Jr., protested, "Dad, this is a Duke Rosenberg film! It's guaranteed to be amazing! Just think about last year's 'Independence Day'…"
"Sorry," Tyrese shook his head, "but based on the media reports, this film isn't appropriate for you."
The media can shape public opinion and influence many people. Even in the age of the internet explosion, this remains true, especially during the heyday of traditional media.
With the summer blockbuster season already underway, promotional efforts were reaching their final stages. As with all competitive releases, both *Braveheart* and *Saving Private Ryan* not only promoted their own films but also worked to undermine their competitor, vying for the attention of potential viewers.
One undeniable fact was that low-to-middle-income audiences were the backbone of Hollywood's box office. Even though movies were a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment, in a country where credit was overextended, even the middle class had limited budgets for fun. Many people who watched one movie during the same period might not see another.
Every ticket sold to a competitor's film represented lost revenue.
The competition wasn't just limited to advertising.
As the chief screening expert for ICM, Lynch had been fielding calls from several companies since attending the test screenings for both *Braveheart* and *Saving Private Ryan*. Paramount Pictures wanted to secure more theaters for *Braveheart* while squeezing *Saving Private Ryan* out of theaters. Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox were doing the same, though their target was *Braveheart*.
"Lynch, where do you think we should allocate our resources?"
Across from Lynch sat Paul, the head of AMG's distribution department, who had significant sway over theater allocations. "Both sides are pressuring us."
"Paul, let's not talk about the themes or the star power."
When it came to matters directly affecting his future earnings, Lynch showed no hesitation. "Let's focus on the directors! What has Duke Rosenberg achieved in the past three summer seasons? And what about Mel Gibson? You know better than I do how crucial a director is to a film's success!"
Paul thought for a moment and nodded slightly. The theaters' resources were also limited, and with two major films being released simultaneously, they would need to prioritize. The audience feedback and theater scores for both films were relatively close, but the previous track records of the directors made for a useful guide. Duke Rosenberg's *Independence Day* from last year had been a huge success for theaters.
Even though Paul had recently attended a CAA-hosted party, when it came to work and his performance, he could only apologize. After all, ICM, where Duke Rosenberg was represented, had also held a reception, so no one could really say anything.
CAA had some very attractive models and actresses at their party, but not enough to make Paul risk losing his job. In fact, Paul was well aware that if he lost his job due to poor performance, he'd have to say goodbye to all those fancy events. Beautiful women were everywhere, and none of them were Sophie Marceau.
Speaking of which, seeing Sophie Marceau at the party—she was truly stunning. No wonder she was called the love of French men by the European media. If only…
Shaking off his thoughts, Paul dismissed the idea. Famous actresses weren't easily swayed, and without tangible benefits, it was too difficult to get close to them.
In Hollywood, the last studio still located on its original lot, Paramount Pictures, was finalizing preparations for the release of *Braveheart*.
"The copies have arrived."
"CAA has promised to fully support our post-release publicity plans…"
In the meeting room, one positive report after another was relayed to CEO Sherry Lansing. However, what the distribution head said next cast a shadow over the room.
"*Braveheart* will only be shown in 2,203 theaters in its opening weekend! The theater chains are refusing to allocate more resources!"
Sherry Lansing's face darkened as she asked in a steady tone, "And *Saving Private Ryan*?"
"2,542 theaters!"
The atmosphere grew even heavier. *Braveheart* was already at a disadvantage before it even opened.
"Also," the distribution head continued, "despite our negotiations, the British side is firm. They won't allow *Braveheart* to be released in the UK anytime soon."
"They're interfering with free trade!" someone angrily exclaimed.
The distribution head shot him a cold look before explaining, "The UK isn't refusing to release the film. They're just delaying it, which doesn't violate the trade agreements between the US and UK. Also, rumor has it that 10 Downing Street is behind this."
That person promptly shut his mouth. Even though both nations were capitalist, no one could ignore the power of 10 Downing Street. Moreover, the film's subject matter likely irritated some key figures in the British government.
"We'll continue lobbying the UK; we can't afford to lose that important market," Sherry Lansing said, frowning deeply. "In North America, we'll ramp up our promotional efforts. As long as the film performs well at the box office, additional theaters won't be a problem."
"And *Saving Private Ryan*?"
"We'll keep pushing back against it. I'll seek help from the parent company to mobilize more resources." After a brief moment of thought, Sherry Lansing addressed the heads of the publicity and PR departments. "CAA has developed a post-release PR strategy targeting *Saving Private Ryan*. We'll support and cooperate with them."
Anything that could dent *Saving Private Ryan's* box office was fair game.
Likewise, *Saving Private Ryan* would need to suppress other films released at the same time to achieve box office success, and 20th Century Fox's PR department wasn't sitting idle either.
They were contacting the media and theaters, stirring up sensitive issues for some people, and using News Corporation's channels to work behind the scenes with the British, weakening Paramount's resources in North America.
*Braveheart* was being held back in terms of theaters in North America, not just due to its theme, cast, or director, but also because Paramount's efforts were being diluted by the UK situation.
This pervasive competition was a testament to the cutthroat nature of North America's most important movie season—the summer box office.
The battles didn't stop there. In the days leading up to the premieres, both films engaged in open and covert skirmishes, from securing premiere venues to inviting high-profile guests.
At first, it was announced that *Saving Private Ryan* would have its premiere at the Shrine Auditorium, but Paramount swooped in and snatched the venue for *Braveheart* on the same day.
Next came the issue of premiere guests. Stars represented by ICM and CAA were, of course, the top choices to invite.
However, CAA was facing internal conflicts. Tom Hanks and another actor had managed to invite several of CAA's top stars to support a rival studio…
CAA's internal strife was becoming more apparent, and the competition between the two films had now become completely public.
*Saving Private Ryan* eventually settled on hosting its premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The two major summer releases were now poised for direct confrontation. The entire North American film industry—from fans to critics, from the media to Hollywood insiders—was watching this fierce competition closely
