From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Anson, it really was Anson. For his first time as a producer in his professional career, he actually chose such a special work, showcasing a unique taste in film.

Moreover, he consistently went against the grain from beginning to end. The entire premiere completely broke away from Hollywood conventions, like a refreshing breeze.

Everything was just right.

Nicholas couldn't control his elation and excitement. Even he was slightly surprised that after so many years in Hollywood, he could still maintain freshness and curiosity.

How many more surprises are there with Anson?

With this feeling, Nicholas stood up, moved through the crowd, and approached Anson amidst the chattering noise.

Clearly, Anson was also the absolute focus at this moment, surrounded by a bustling crowd; while Anson appeared to be handling everything with ease, managing the entire scene with humor and charm—

It wasn't an interview, nor was it a social event, it was purely a conversation between friends.

Reporters, audience members, actors, and even the premiere's staff, stood together without distinction, talking and chatting with each other. Although the topic always inadvertently returned to Anson, the harmonious atmosphere bore no resemblance to a premiere as he knew it.

Nicholas liked this atmosphere, even more relaxed and pleasant than a film festival. It was just a group of friends, coming together on a weekday evening to watch a movie, and then chatting for a while afterward, leaving behind all the fatigue and tension of the workday, enjoying a beautiful evening.

Nicholas stood quietly to the side, waiting patiently, until his opportunity came. He seized the gap and naturally posed a question.

"Anson, aren't you worried that such an ending won't meet market demand?"

Not only Anson, but other gazes around him also gathered.

A hint of a smile appeared in Anson's eyes, "Nick, that's too much of a reporter's question."

Haha, there was a burst of laughter around them.

Clearly, no one believed Anson.

Anson, "I'm serious. I know the audience doesn't like to see tragedies in the cinema. If they want to see tragedies, they can just experience real life, so why bother going to the cinema?"

"What's more, it's Thanksgiving break now. I'm happy to see family wars break out, but that doesn't mean I want to see a complete tragedy in the cinema."

"This will greatly affect the box office."

Hahahaha, thunderous laughter.

Nicholas was no exception, "Then why did you arrange such an ending? I thought… …"

Anson looked at Nicholas, "You thought that since this is my first time as a producer, I wanted to show off my unique and different aesthetic in a distinctive way, and inexplicably believed that tragedies can show a quality that is detached from commercial-type films?"

Nicholas spread his hands, "You've said everything."

Anson also laughed, "No, I know that as a first-time producer, the bottom line is still to make money, otherwise there won't be a next time."

So, why?

Anson didn't wait for the question and continued, "This is the director's cut, a special for the premiere. The real version released in theaters is not like this."

Nicholas: … …

Everyone: … …

Everyone was stunned!

There's actually such an operation?

Nicholas stammered a little, "Generally speaking, shouldn't the director's cut be released after the movie is released?"

Anson smiled, "Or to make another profit when the DVD is released."

"No, we don't plan to do that. We plan to do some unusual experiments in conjunction with the film."

"The movie is called 'The Butterfly Effect,' which means that our every move can lead to completely different results, and all the endings we face are the result of the accumulation of each of our choices."

"Movies are the same."

"In fact, we have edited a total of five different versions of the ending. These versions—including today's premiere director's cut—will all be shuffled and released in various theaters."

"In other words, what version you get to see depends entirely on fate."

Buzz.

The air was churning, and everyone around was in shock and amazement.

In his previous life, "The Butterfly Effect" performed well at the box office, with 57 million US dollars in North America and 96 million US dollars worldwide. For a work with a production cost of only 13 million US dollars, it can be said to have performed well, so New Line Cinema produced a sequel, not only the second one, but also the third one.

However, objectively speaking, purely from the perspective of revenue figures, after deducting various dividends and publicity costs, "The Butterfly Effect" only made a small profit of about 10 million US dollars; what really made New Line Cinema ecstatic was the subsequent sales and rentals of DVDs, which was the big head.

In other words, the influence of the film's theatrical release was ultimately limited. Later, relying on word-of-mouth praise, it successfully captured the hearts of fans in the video market and became a classic.

So, this time, Anson has been thinking about how an excellent film should open up the situation during the publicity stage?

Of course, Anson knew that his idea was very bold and very risky—

99.99% of movies only have one version of the ending when they are released. Whether it is the director's cut or the DVD collection version, that is another story, because the distribution company does not want the audience to see different versions of the work when they enter the cinema, so that the audience will be confused, which will lead to controversy.

Subsequent versions are special versions for hardcore fans.

For example, Zack Snyder has repeatedly released director's cuts, trying to use this method to justify the poor performance of his released versions.

During the release period, consistency, standardization, and unity are very important.

However, Anson believes that the inherent characteristics of the movie "The Butterfly Effect" allow them to take a risk, break the fourth wall, and extend the butterfly effect in the movie to real life—

Everyone may see a different ending.

This is a gimmick that can attract true fanatics.

There is a huge risk of failure here, and Anson accepts it calmly; but Anson believes that, judging from the trajectory of his previous life, "The Butterfly Effect" has always been a work for science fiction fans during its release and DVD release. Only fans who are truly obsessed with science fiction theory and architecture will deeply analyze the entire movie.

In other words, from the beginning, the movie's target audience should be this group of fans.

Then, why not completely abandon the illusion that the movie will be popular with all age groups and take the risk of targeting the target audience accurately?

If it fails, then Anson accepts it calmly; but what if it succeeds?

So, there is the scene in front of you.

Looking at the shocked expressions around him, Anson knew that at least the topic was already there.

Nicholas looked at Anson dumbfounded, "You mean, the movie theaters don't know either?"

Anson shrugged lightly, "At least that's the case for the first round of screenings. In the second round of screenings, the movie theaters already know the content of the copy, and they can choose freely; but in the first round of screenings, we will keep everything secret and ship it randomly. Even we don't know which copy is going to which movie theater."