I’m in Hollywood

If the first week of the "gravity" box office is just beyond everyone's expectations, when the film's second week of box office data is released, whether in North America or overseas, the entire film industry can no longer calm down.

From November 26th to December 2nd, compared with the first week, the weekly box office of "Gravity Gravity" fell only 5.1%, and received another $13.863 million. At this point, "Gravity" has already rushed to the US$ 284.69 million box office in North America in just half a month.

As of December 2, 1999, the entire North American box office has more than $280 million in films, and only "Iron Man" and "Mummy 3". It took only two weeks for Gravity to become the third place in the North American box office rankings.

Moreover, with the box office trend of "Gravity Gravity", "Iron Man" and "Mummy 3" all fell to the ground, winning the annual box office champion is only time.

At the same time, "Geocentric Gravity" is also very eye-catching in the box office data of several overseas ticket warehouses.

Due to the first promotion of 3D and IMAX film screening formats, many overseas cinema operators in the country have maintained a wait-and-see attitude. The Firefly Group finally realized the same period of 1630 3D screens and 63 IMAX screens.

Although 100 overseas IMAX auditoriums that have been operated separately have been completed, in order to match the schedule of different markets, there are 37 other IMAX theaters that are not open yet.

However, it was only the less than 1,700 overseas screens that were opened during the same period. In the first week, it brought a $97.3 million box office to the Firefly Group.

Moreover, with the further spread of the film's word-of-mouth, the overseas box office in the second week of "Gravity Gravity" achieved an 8.3% decline, and received another $105.37 million.

In two weeks, the overseas box office of "Gravity Gravity" has reached 205.67 million US dollars, and the global box office total has reached 408.736 million US dollars!

Half a month, $ 408.76 million, all the Hollywood box office records that have been praised in the face of "gravity" have been dwarfed, even if the "Titanic" three years ago, there is no such crazy box office performance.

Many media have even begun to predict whether Gravity can break the $2.23 billion global box office created by Titanic and become the history champion of the global box office.

In the face of the madness of Gravity, no one has ever questioned the commercial prospects of 3D and IMAX movies.

As a result, although near the end of the year, a large number of production company executives, theater company managers and even the bottom film projection equipment suppliers in North America and overseas began to gather in Los Angeles to try to take a slice of this new film industry revolution.

However, when the entire film industry began to pay more attention to 3D and IMAX movies than ever before, many people gradually realized that the Firefly Group has taken control of the absolute dominance of this industrial change from the underlying projection equipment to the terminal cinema line.

Burbank.

In a screening room at Warner Studios, more than a dozen executives from Warner, Universal, Paramount and other companies in the industry are watching a 3D film.

The sample is a less than three-minute special effect clip taken from Universal's "Mummy 2". It was converted from the 3D team of the Light and Shadow Age. The projection equipment was also assembled by the light and shadow era. It is also a dual-machine polarized 3D.

However, when the sample was finished, the lights in the auditorium lit up, and almost all of the faces of the crowds around the center of the crowd showed an expressionless expression, and the surrounding atmosphere was quite suppressed.

Polarized 3D movies are really not too difficult. As early as 1922, some people have already tried related technologies.

But just like a five-star chef and an ordinary person who can't cook at all, the same ingredients, the result will only be different, compared with the visual effects of Firefly Group's RealD technology, just three minutes. Samples can only be described as garbage.

Richard Parsons took down the 3D eyes in front of him and helped the myopia glasses that had just been placed inside. Although he only wore it for three minutes, this time he really felt very uncomfortable.

Recalling that a month ago, when he and Michael Eisner went to watch the Gravity, the 3D glasses that were very friendly to myopia, Richard Parsons knew it, fireflies. The group has already opened them too far away.

The crowd was silent for a moment, and Richard Parsons, as the host, took the lead and waved to the people around him who were not important.

Soon, there were only a few people in the auditorium, including Michael Eisner, Tom Freston, and the CEO of Autodesk Software, Carol Bartz.

Looking at the few remaining people, Michael Eisner is obviously absent-minded, Tom Freston seems to be calculating, Richard Parsons turned to Autodesk Software CEO Carol Bartz, who asked his most concerned questions, said: "Ms. Bartz, based on our current foundation, how long do you think Autodesk can develop a software that is comparable to the 3D effect of the Firefly Group?"

Carol Bartz is a middle-aged woman with a short, invented and succinct breath. He replied without hesitation: "If it's just software, Autodesk can do it in six months. But Richard. De, you have to understand that what you are facing is not just a software problem. The Firefly Group is creating a whole set of 3D movie ecosystem. If you can't unite to break through the other's ecological barriers, Hollywood can only be a firefly system. Forget it."

After the event in May, Shirley Lansing was forced to leave, and Tom Freston, the co-president of Viacom Group, temporarily took over as the CEO of Paramount Pictures, and did not expect to do it for half a year.

For the past six months, Paramount Pictures has not been able to find a suitable CEO for reasons that are well known.

From the group president to the subsidiary CEO, Tom Freston's authority has actually been weakened a lot. His resentment against the Firefly Group in the past six months has also become more and more serious.

When he heard Carol Bartz, Tom Freston couldn't help but retort: ​​"Although the time is behind some, the resources owned by the Firefly Group are not lacking in the three of us. I don't think things have you. It’s so serious.”

Carol Bartz listened to Tom Freston's obvious emotional words and asked: "If the Firefly Group now invites the film produced by Paramount to join the ranks of RealD and IMAX, will you refuse?"

Tom Freston hesitated, still shaking his head: "No."

Carol Bartz added: "So, in turn, if Warner, Universal, and Paramount jointly launch a new 3D projection system, do you think the four companies in the Firefly System will refuse to provide you with a film source? ”

Tom Freston's lips moved and he didn't answer.

However, the answer is obvious.

In order to protect the interests of its own RealD and IMAX projection systems, the Firefly system will never provide a source for any new system launched by Warner.

Then, this thing naturally shows a clear one-sided state.

Warner III and other Hollywood filmmakers, who want to share the dividends of 3D and IMAX movies, can only succumb to the firefly system. Conversely, the Firefly System will never allow the industry to introduce a second standard that competes with 3D and IMAX systems.

Carol Bartz noticed the expressions of the three men beside him, and suddenly gave birth to a feeling of self-defeating. She wants to stimulate these Hollywood amnesties, but I have never thought of completely destroying their enthusiasm.

As the industry's top design graphics software company, Autodesk's biggest strategic mistake in the past year was to refuse to cooperate with the Firefly Group to develop CG software.

Due to the original mistakes, the film and television special effects industry related to CG production, image rendering, and solutions are basically monopolized by the digital domain of the Firefly Group.

At that time, the Firefly Group also set up a special firefly software company to try to commercialize the software it holds.

Because the market capacity of design graphics software is limited, it is far from being comparable to the daily essential software of the operating system. Even the world's largest graphics software manufacturer such as Autodesk has an annual turnover of less than 2 billion US dollars. The average annual net profit rarely exceeds $500 million.

The Firefly Group's single-field film and television effects software, which wants to conduct commercial operations, will only benefit less. But controlling Hollywood's special effects production industry chain can bring huge potential advantages to the firefly system.

As a result, the Firefly Group quickly abandoned its original strategy and instead controlled more than half of Hollywood's special effects production through a relatively closed commercial authorization method, which made the related software far-reaching benefits for the Firefly Group. Far more than simply selling software to profit.

The end result is that from the amazing "Terminator 2" Mercury to the present, over the years, Hollywood's best CG special effects movies, basically from several companies in the Firefly system.

However, since it has come to awaken, Okett definitely does not intend to give up this part of the market easily.

Organizing the language, Carol Bartz once again told Freston: "Although the ecological barriers created by the Firefly System are difficult to break through, it seems to me that you must do this. Otherwise, Warner, Universal, and Ramon three, will always be able to watch the firefly system continue to get the most lucrative profit of the Hollywood film industry. As far as I know, the total weekly box office in North America last week was 196 million, but only a part of Gravity. The movie, which is divided into $138 million, accounts for 70%, which is already a very dangerous signal."

After Carol Bartz said, the three of Tom Freston did not reveal any excitement that she hoped to see, and could be the executive position of a big Hollywood company. Obviously it would not be the kind of fan that is easy to be fanned. Moving people.

Richard Parsons said: "Ms. Bartz, I think, let's talk directly about what to do."

Carol Bartz said: "It's very simple. First of all, you three must give up the benefits and control of the moment, and get rid of the influence and control of the firefly system as much as possible."

"We have been trying to do this all the time," said Tom Freston: "Otherwise, everyone will not get together today."

"But you can actually do more. Just like movie effects, Autodesk's software is actually very good. If you can completely abandon the technical dependence on the digital field, Autodesk will get more technical improvements and optimization. Opportunities, several of you can completely get rid of the limitations of the firefly system in terms of special effects.

Richard Parsons interrupted Carol Bartz and said: "Ms. Bartz, what we are discussing today should be a problem with 3D movies."

"The truth is the same, isn't it?"

Michael Eisner listened to the three people's arguments, disputes, bargaining, and suddenly gave birth to a few points of interest.

The power of the firefly system is based on Eric Williams' absolute control over the companies in the system.

Even the 20th Century Fox, almost unreservedly obey the interests of the entire firefly system. In May, Eric Williams announced the ban on Paramount's BesTV chain, and Twentieth Century Fox followed up with no hesitation.

But for Warner, Universal, and Paramount, it’s hard to get into the sky with a firefly system that really wants to be unreservedly entangled.

Several people discussed the morning time, and although they came up with some programs, they failed to make any decisions. Because Michael Eisner is not the one who can make a decision.

Everyone had lunch together, and Michael Eisner said goodbye to a few people and got on his own car.

Just after leaving the Warner Studios, Michael Eisner called Kässenberg again.

Instead of spending time with a few well-connected allies, it is better to turn to the one that really benefits you.

Kasenberg is not at the Firefly Group headquarters in Burbank, but in the Firefly Studios in Prea Vista.

With the success of 3D and IMAX theaters, in recent days, Kasenberg can be said to be busy.

At noon, I just had dinner with Richard Gerford, the head of IMAX. I was walking with the other side in the studio and talking about business. Kasenberg received a call from Michael Eisner.

I briefly talked with Michael Eisner and agreed to have dinner together tomorrow night. Kasenberg was right next to Richard Gelford: "You can tell the heads of IMAX studios," The copy of Gravity is definitely not available. It is not too late to make a 2D-IMAX version. However, next month, the company can provide them with a 2D-IMAX copy of The Lord of the Rings, but it must be taken according to the fireflies. 70% calculation, there is no room for bargaining."

With the box office explosion of Gravity, IMAX theaters such as museums and science museums in North America and overseas have begun to hope to share profits in this area.

However, except for the new IMAX theaters of the Firefly Group, which can choose to play both 2D and 3D formats, most other IMAX screens are in 2D form. In addition, many organizations with IMAX screens are not profit-oriented. In the original release plan, the Firefly Group directly chose to exclude this part of the IMAX theater.

But now, because the Firefly Group's own IMAX auditorium is completely difficult to get a ticket, the company has to consider this part of the resources.

Of course, it is not for "gravity", but the "Lord of the Rings" that will be released next month.

Due to the strong box office trend of Gravity, it is impossible to give up too many 3D and IMAX auditoriums in the short term. The first episode of "The Lord of the Rings" to be released next month is facing a very serious problem of platooning.