Hollywood Director 1992.

Chapter 2 Nicole Kidman

Although Link knew that Quentin's movie had good box office performance, with an investment of 120 million, it earned more than 400 million at the global box office.

But he wasn't nervous at all.

After traveling through time, in addition to the scripts and related information of hundreds of classic movies in his mind, he also has a golden finger that has not yet been verified - the box office subsidy system.

According to the system prompt, in order to reward his contribution to the art of film in his previous life, all the films he participated in shooting and producing can receive box office subsidies, and the minimum subsidy is doubled, based on the original box office x2.
The more involved he is in the film-making process, the higher the box office subsidy.

This system only left a message in his brain when he traveled through, and never appeared again. Therefore, whether this system exists still needs to be verified.

He plans to use "Buried Alive" to verify the authenticity of this information.

"Haha, Director Link, congratulations on defeating so many opponents and winning the Jury Grand Prix."

At the Sundance Film Festival party, Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein, with his big belly, squeezed through the crowd and shook Link's hand.

Harvey Weinstein is a famous Hollywood producer, director, screenwriter and film dealer.

In the late 1970s, he and his brother Bob Weinstein founded Miramax Films, which bought films from all over the world at low prices, re-edited and produced them, and released them to the North American film market. He was equivalent to an expert in appraising antiques.

In recent years, the two brothers have successfully picked up excellent films such as the Italian film "Cinema Paradiso", the Irish film "My Left Foot", and the British film "Sex, Lies, and Videotape", earning more than 100 million US dollars, causing a sensation in Hollywood and making Miramax a leader among Hollywood independent production companies.

However, because the prices offered by the two brothers when acquiring the films were very low, even cheap, film directors from all over the world loved and hated him.

What I love is that these two people have a keen eye and are extremely sensitive to the film market. The fact that they like my film is a recognition of its success.

What I hate is that they often edit movies randomly and delete large sections of the original film. For example, the director's cut of "Cinema Paradiso" is 173 minutes, but the version released by Miramax Films is only 123 minutes, with 50 minutes deleted.

Although the film sold more than 5000 million US dollars in North America and won the Best Foreign Language Film Award at the 62nd Academy Awards, the film director Giuseppe Tornatore was not happy.

He cursed Harvey in the media for ruining the movie and vowed never to give the movie to Miramax for distribution again.

Seeing Harvey coming over, Link smiled and shook his hand, "Thank you!"

"Director Link, has Buried Alive found a distributor? How about giving Buried Alive to Miramax for distribution?"

After Harvey Weinstein sat down, he exchanged a few simple pleasantries and then got straight to the point, wanting to obtain the North American distribution rights for "Buried".

Link smiled slightly and asked an off-topic question, "Mr. Weinstein, I heard that Miramax was named after Mr. and Mrs. Weinstein, is that true?"

Harvey was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "Yes, my mother's name is Mira and my father's name is Max."

“They’ve watched Miramax grow and prosper, and they must be very proud of Mr. Weinstein.”

Link said, holding up a glass of champagne.

"Thank you!"

Harvey bumped into him, patted Link on the shoulder and said, "Link, let's get back to the movie. I've seen Buried Alive, and it's pretty good. As a low-budget independent film, it's a relatively novel type of literary and artistic film in recent years, and it has certain market potential.

I heard that you spent $100,000 on making this movie. How about I give you $150,000 and give me the North American distribution rights for this movie?"

Link smiled and said, "President Shay offered $40, but I didn't agree."

"Robert Shea? Can he compare with me? I can help you get an Oscar, can he?"

Harvey Weinstein asked in a strong tone, grinning.

Link shook his wine glass and smiled without saying anything.

Robert Shea is the president of New Line Cinema, one of the top ten independent film studios in Hollywood.

In terms of influence and distribution capabilities, New Line is on par with Miramax.

Harvey is a little stronger in terms of winning an Oscar, but Link will not give up because of that.

For him, making money is the most important thing at this stage.

Link took a sip of champagne and said slowly, "Mr. Weinstein, what is your estimate of the North American box office for Buried?"

Harvey frowned and raised his index finger. "One million, at most. Although your movie is relatively novel, the set is just a small wooden box, there is only one actor, a few simple props, the background is monotonous and boring, and the atmosphere is dark and depressing. How many people are willing to spend $100 to watch a movie like this? I think, definitely not many."

Harvey waved his arms and spoke in a powerful voice, sounding very convincing.

Link also raised his index finger. "Mr. Weinstein, your ability and vision are well known in the industry, and I hope to work with you. I have a suggestion. How about you listen to it?"

"Oh? Say it!"

"As long as a certain number of screenings are guaranteed, if the North American box office is less than 100 million, I will not take a penny. If it exceeds 100 million, I will take 100% of the box office revenue for every additional 40 million."

"40%"

Harvey's brows were furrowed into a vertical line. It was the first time he met such a ruthless person who dared to play a bet agreement when releasing his debut work.

"Link, are you confident about this movie?"

Harvey asked, narrowing his eyes.

Link smiled and said, "Yes, I am very confident in my movie, and I am not afraid of taking risks. You should have heard about the bet between me and Director Quentin."

"Haha, you're really cunning, betting three movies with one trophy."

Harvey scolded with a smile.

Link shook his head, swirling his glass and said, "Everything is voluntary. I didn't force him. The same goes for the release of Buried Alive."

Harvey pinched his chin and thought for a moment, "40% is too high. No one in Hollywood dares to give such a high share. 20%, this is my bottom line."

Harvey estimated the box office revenue of the film to be around 400 million. If it reached 100 million, he would give Link 60 for the part exceeding million. Although it was higher than the purchase price, the distribution company would earn more.

"Mr. Weinstein, since this is a bet, it is inevitable to take a little risk. 35%. This is my respect for Mr. Weinstein."

Link said, raising his glass.

Harvey Weinstein looked at him and offered 25%, but Link certainly didn't want to.

After several rounds of bargaining, the two agreed on a 30% profit sharing ratio.

Harvey Weinstein's additional condition was that if the box office of "Buried" exceeded 500 million, Link's second film must be invested by Miramax, at least 20%.

Link's requirement is that 45% of the share must be paid within 50 days after the end of the film's distribution period, and all of the share must be paid within six months.

Harvey Weinstein agreed.

"Link, how was the talk?"

Nicole Kidman came over and asked.

She was wearing a black ball gown, with blonde hair draped over her shoulders, fair skin, a tall figure, and a pair of long legs. Many short men were afraid to approach her. She was a very charming woman.

When selecting the heroine for "Buried Alive", Link's requirements were that she must be beautiful, have a sexy body and good acting skills.

After much deliberation, he finally chose Nicole Kidman.

Nicole has very fair skin that reflects light under the lights. She has an attractive appearance that people won't get bored of looking at her for two hours. In addition, she is Tom Cruise's wife and is very popular.

He is the most suitable candidate.

At first, Nicole was not interested when she heard that it was an experimental work by a newcomer.

However, after reading the script, she felt that the story was good and the role was challenging, so she agreed to the role. The salary was only 5 US dollars.

Link looked at the beauty in front of him and smiled softly, "Not bad! We have finalized the cooperation."

"You want to give Buried to Harvey for distribution? Harvey doesn't have a good reputation in the industry. You have to be careful when working with him."

Nicole Kidman smiled. "I'll be careful. Nicole, wanna dance?"

Link held out his palm in invitation.

"Of course!"

Nicole Kidman smiled and placed her hand on his chest.

On Thursday, February 2, "Buried" was screened in 15 art theaters in 32.8 first-tier cities in North America. The box office grossed $80 in the first three days, with an attendance rate of %.

The film's critical reception was also very positive.

The film tells the story of a woman who was knocked unconscious by her drunken and violent husband, put in a wooden box, and buried in a pile of sand where no one knows about it.

The woman only had a cell phone and a flashlight on her, and she was only wearing thin pajamas. She called the police, relatives and friends for help.

Through several phone calls, the audience can learn that the woman lives in a very conservative town and her husband is sexually impotent, often drinks and commits domestic violence.

The woman was a lesbian. The reason why she was knocked unconscious and buried in the closet by her husband was because her husband found out that she was secretly dating her lover and was very angry.

After the woman revealed the truth on the phone, she was criticized by her parents, ridiculed by the police, scolded by her husband over the phone, and disgusted and unsupportive by her acquaintances.

Finally, it rained heavily and the police searched in vain. Her husband forgot where he had buried the items because he was drunk, and the woman had to save herself.

At the end of the movie, the woman punched the cabinet again and again with anger and despair.

The rhythm of this movie is great, sometimes slow and sometimes fast, and the emotional tug-of-war is very tense and highly contagious.

Especially at the end of the film, the heroine hits the wooden cabinet again and again with her bloody fist, which makes a banging sound just like hitting the audience's chest.

The audience watched the entire movie almost with tears and shouting.

"This is so great! This is the best movie I have seen this year"

"I cried so hard, I suggest people with a low tear point don't watch this."

"One actor, one cabinet, one movie. Director Link is a genius. He won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, which is well deserved."

"Ms. Nicole Kidman's performance is so wonderful, her role is so powerful, and this is her best film yet."

"Plot? Sorry, I was only focused on Ms. Nicole Kidman. She was so beautiful. She lay in the closet for more than an hour, allowing us to admire her. Haha, the director knows us too well. This is a benefit he gave to all Nicole fans. I decided to watch it again."

“The movie is great and definitely worth watching.”

In a CBS TV interview outside a theater, 80% of the audience gave positive reviews on the spot.

15% thought it was acceptable, with the only drawback being that the production was rather crude. If the investment was larger and the pictures were more exquisite, it would definitely be a classic movie.

5% of the audience gave a negative review, saying that the movie had logical problems. How could a cell phone and a flashlight be in a cabinet? This doesn't make sense.

In film newspapers and magazines such as The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, many professional film critics also gave relatively fair reviews.

90% of film critics gave "Buried" five stars or more.

They believe that this is an extremely bold experimental film with a great plot and structure, which is novel, unique and groundbreaking. The film's themes explore issues such as marriage and family, gender relations, and social discrimination, and are also very profound, touching on sensitive points in today's society.

The performance of the heroine Nicole Kidman in the film is also a breakthrough compared to before. Although she is still a vase, she shows great potential and plasticity through the role.

Director Link received even more praise, with critics believing that he used extremely limited funds and took on multiple roles at the same time, and that his talent was fully displayed in this film.

Driven by the media and film critics, "Buried" earned 100 million US dollars in less than 337 theaters in North America in its first week, ranking 11th in the weekly box office in the deserted February film market.

A movie with an investment of less than 10 yuan earned 337 million yuan in its first week, with a box office revenue ratio of 37 times.

This result cannot be described as explosive, it can only be described as amazing, making many people in the film industry exclaim in disbelief.

American media have called "Buried" the dark horse movie of the year.

With the strong publicity from the media, "Buried" became more and more famous and its box office performance kept getting better and better.

In its fourth week of release, the cumulative box office reached 3081 million US dollars, an astonishing profit ratio of 300:1.

Link and "Buried" became famous in the world film circle.

The media considers him to be "the most anticipated director among the new generation of directors", "the director with the greatest potential", and "the one destined to win the Best Director Award at the next Academy Awards".

"Reservoir Dogs", which was released at the same time, only grossed $33 in its first week, and its North American box office is expected to be less than two million.

"Link, you win!"

Quentin said through gritted teeth on the phone.

"Quentin, don't lose heart, your Reservoir Dogs is also good."

Link laughed.

"Humph, you don't need me to tell you, I will definitely beat you in the next movie."

Quentin said unhappily.

After the fourth week box office results came out, Harvey personally found him and gave him three things.

A $1000 million check from Wells Fargo Bank, the keys to a Rolls-Royce sedan, and a single-family villa in Beverly Hills.

This originally belonged to Link, so he took it without hesitation.

After getting the money, Nicole Kidman called to congratulate him and said she would treat him to a drink.

Link invited her to visit his apartment.

At noon, Nicole, who had been hiding, walked into Link's small apartment in a graceful manner, carrying a bottle of red wine. After drinking, the two of them fell in love with each other again.

"Link, you're awesome."

Nicole said weakly as she laid on his messy bed.

"what you mean?"

“You, your movies are all great.”

Link smiled softly and bent down to kiss her red lips.

"Next year I will tailor a movie for you to help you win the Oscar for Best Actress."

"Really?"

Nicole asked excitedly.

Link nodded.

Nicole turned over and kissed him, moving forward.

Things are getting turbulent again in the small apartment.

dong dong dong!dong dong dong!
Suddenly there was a fierce knock on the door.