456-end

Chapter 456: The Battle of Heavy Metal

In mid-November, the widespread promotion of **"Iron Man"** began, with two teaser trailers being released across the media.

The trailers featured sleek armor, intense fight scenes, heavy metal rock, attractive stars, and witty dialogue. They were a huge hit online, racking up an impressive number of views.

According to **YouTube**, within two weeks, the first trailer had reached **12.2 million** views, and the second trailer surpassed **15 million**.

In addition to this, the film was promoted through newspapers, TV stations, and radio broadcasts. Billboards and digital displays in major cities all featured "Iron Man" movie posters. This comprehensive media campaign made "Iron Man" the hottest movie of the winter holiday season.

“Word is that the production cost of ‘Iron Man’ is **$150 million**, and they spent tens of millions on promotion. Aren’t they worried about losing money?”

George, an assistant in the distribution department of New Line Cinema, frowned as he spoke.

“What’s there to worry about? Just look at who’s backing the movie. **Richard Brad** is the investor. You think he’s short on cash?”

His colleague chuckled.

“True!”

George nodded, glancing out the window at the enormous "Iron Man" movie poster hanging outside. He sighed, “This makes our job even harder.”

What made things difficult was promoting **"The Golden Compass"**, a fantasy movie co-produced and distributed by **Weinstein Company** and **New Line Cinema**.

This movie was a high-budget fantasy blockbuster with tons of special effects, costing a whopping **$180 million** to produce.

As the release date approached, the distribution teams from both companies had set aside **$20 million** for marketing, a standard amount for an A-list film—not too high, but not too low either.

While "The Golden Compass" had gained some attention, it hadn’t fully captured the public’s imagination before "Iron Man" stormed onto the scene. From late November, all media and public spaces were flooded with "Iron Man" posters and trailers, creating a shockwave of excitement.

Turn on the TV, and there’s an "Iron Man" trailer or an interview with the movie’s stars.

Go online, and there’s news about "Iron Man," and heated discussions among users—some eagerly anticipating the film, while others remain skeptical about its quality. Watch any other movie trailer online, and it just doesn't compare—"Iron Man" looks far more exciting.

Even when you close your computer, "Iron Man" is everywhere: on newspapers, radios, streets, and parks. Go to a public restroom, and when you look up, Iron Man is staring right back at you from the poster on the wall.

At home, in school, or even at parties, **"Iron Man"** was a constant topic of conversation. It was like a virus named "Iron Man" had infected the entire world.

And behind this viral invasion was the massive financial backing of **Iron Man's distribution company**.

“They must’ve spent at least **$50 million** on marketing. I heard they teamed up with Fox’s distribution team too. This campaign is massive. I wonder what our executives plan to do.”

George glanced nervously at the conference room behind him.

"Iron Man"’s overwhelming presence had cast a shadow over **"The Golden Compass"**. It felt like "The Golden Compass" was a second-rate film in comparison, completely overshadowed by "Iron Man."

To tackle this issue, the higher-ups at **New Line** and **Weinstein Company** had been holding joint meetings, day after day, without coming up with a solution.

“What can they do? Either they pour more money into the promotion and try to go head-to-head with ‘Iron Man,’ or they do nothing and wait to see how things turn out after ‘Iron Man’ hits theaters. If it flops, our movie might win by default,” joked a colleague.

“What if ‘Iron Man’ becomes a massive hit?” George asked.

“Then there’s nothing we can do. We’ll just have to accept it.”

The colleague shrugged, still managing to smile.

George glanced at him, envying his good mood. The stakes were high—**"The Golden Compass"** had a massive budget, and if it failed, New Line was sure to cut jobs.

The **financial crisis** had already hit, unemployment was soaring, and if they lost their jobs, they’d just join the ranks of the unemployed.

George sighed, about to speak, when **New Line’s president, Robert Shaye**, walked briskly out of the conference room, looking grim. Three of the distribution managers followed him, their expressions just as serious.

Seeing this, George quickly gestured to his colleague to follow them. The group entered the elevator in silence, the atmosphere heavy.

“Ahem.”

The head of distribution, **Clifton**, finally broke the silence. “In hindsight, we never should’ve partnered with **Weinstein**. This project was snatched from **New Regency**, and Weinstein has repeatedly offended **Brad**. ‘Iron Man’ is clearly targeting them, and now we’re caught in the crossfire.”

Shaye shook his head slightly. “The problem isn’t ‘Iron Man.’ The problem is with ourselves,” Shaye sighed. “**New Regency** is taking such bold steps because they have confidence in ‘Iron Man’s box office performance. Do we have that confidence in our movie?”

The other managers stayed silent, and George could only sigh inwardly. The problem was indeed with their own movie, **"The Golden Compass"**. While it had impressive visual effects and was well-made, its story had several issues.

The movie was adapted from the children’s book **"The Golden Compass"**, but compared to something like **"The Lord of the Rings"**, it had a much smaller audience.

This inherent flaw made the film less appealing.

On top of that, the production had its own setbacks. The special effects were incredibly expensive, and by the time they reached post-production, the budget was almost depleted. With costs already at **$180 million**, pushing the budget past **$200 million** was too risky, and both companies were reluctant to invest more.

This resulted in a noticeable difference between the early and later parts of the movie, giving it a somewhat uneven feel.

If the movie had been perfect, with high quality throughout, the companies would’ve had more confidence in it and wouldn’t have hesitated to invest the extra millions to compete with **"Iron Man"**.

But now, both companies had lost faith in the film.

If they increased the marketing budget, and the movie failed, it would be a huge loss. If they didn’t increase the budget, **"The Golden Compass"** wouldn’t be promoted effectively, and it would likely be crushed by **"Iron Man"** at the box office anyway.

It was a no-win situation.

George sighed. This was going to be a tough battle.

——

After leaving the building, George followed Clifton into the second car.

“Back to the office?” George asked.

“We’re going to **Warner Bros.**,” Clifton replied.

“Got it.”

As the car pulled away, George wondered why they were going to Warner Bros.

When it comes to **Warner Bros.**, you have to talk about **New Line Cinema**'s history. **New Line** was founded in 1967 as a small independent production and distribution company, initially focusing on low-budget horror films.

Before 1990, it was considered a second-tier independent film company. However, in 1990, President **Shaye** acquired the **Hong Kong Golden Harvest film "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"** from Fox, who didn’t dare distribute it. When the movie became a huge hit, New Line earned over **$100 million**.

With this success, **New Line** rose to become a major independent distributor, rivaling **Miramax** in influence.

In 1993, New Line was acquired by **Warner Bros.**, becoming part of the Warner Media Group.

However, Shaye still retained a major share of New Line and had autonomy over its operations, with Warner unable to interfere in New Line’s film projects.

With Warner’s financial backing, New Line’s influence grew even larger, standing on equal footing with Disney-owned Miramax in the independent film sector.

From 2001 to 2003, the **"Lord of the Rings"** trilogy was a massive success, grossing over **$3 billion**. In reality, the gross profits far exceeded this number. Some insiders estimated that New Line made as much as **$4.5 billion**, while **the estate of author J.R.R. Tolkien** and the book’s publishers claimed the profits were closer to **$6 billion**.

To avoid paying out royalties and profit shares to various stakeholders, including the Tolkien estate, the director, and some actors, as well as their parent company, **Warner Bros.**, New Line allegedly concealed a portion of the profits.

This led to lawsuits from the Tolkien estate and **HarperCollins**, demanding **$150 million** in compensation.

Warner Bros. was also displeased with New Line’s actions, which resulted in a reduction of collaborations between the two companies in recent years.

So what was **New Line** planning by reaching out to Warner Bros. now?

“Boss, are we teaming up with **Warner Media** to distribute **'The Golden Compass'**?” George asked.

“Not uniting isn’t an option. Add more investment, take on the risk yourself, or don’t add investment at all.”

Manager Clifton gazed out the window at the Iron Man poster on the street, with a Golden Compass poster just below it. Placed side by side, one looked like a ten-foot-long Van Gogh painting, vibrant and grand, while the other resembled an ad for escorts on the street.

“Sigh, the new century's marketing is just insane. All-out bombardment tactics, totally overwhelming The Golden Compass. Teaming up with Warner is the only chance we have to fight back.”

Manager Clifton said.

George nodded slightly, agreeing with him.

Time Warner Inc. is one of the largest media and entertainment companies in the world, with brands like Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Life Magazine, Turner Broadcasting, CNN, and HBO under its belt.

After merging with AOL in 2000, Time Warner became the first fully integrated media and communications company of the internet age.

Warner Bros. Pictures, leveraging its parent company’s marketing channels, also reaped massive rewards in the film market.

New Line Cinema, like Warner Bros., is a subsidiary of Warner Group, but it’s treated differently – one is the biological child, the other is adopted. Still, family is family; their fates are tied together. Warner wouldn’t stand by and let New Line suffer losses.

If Warner gets involved, The Golden Compass might stand a chance against New Century and its ally, Fox, in the marketing battle.

However, handing The Golden Compass over to Warner for distribution is like baking a cake from scratch and then giving it to Warner to sell. New Line would go from seller to supplier.

With Warner as the main distributor, they would hold the power over profit distribution.

Once the box office numbers are in, Warner would decide how much New Line and Weinstein Company get. The reported box office numbers could also be adjusted, just as New Line had done with The Lord of the Rings.

This is why many independent film companies prefer to sell their rights entirely or handle smaller-scale releases on their own, rather than partner with big studios.

New Line's decision to ask Warner for help was a big one, and they hoped it would pay off.

George silently prayed.

His prayers were soon answered. New Line and Weinstein Company approached Warner Bros., and Warner didn’t turn them down. As the distributor, if the film was a hit, Warner stood to gain the most. If it flopped, they would still get their cut.

The three companies met for two days to finalize a new marketing plan.

By the second week, with ten days left before the release, Warner’s marketing campaign kicked into gear.

The Golden Compass quickly appeared on the pages of major newspapers, magazines, entertainment segments on TV, and billboards in public spaces, rivaling Iron Man in scale.

Both movies were heavily promoted, creating a sense of a head-to-head rivalry in the media.

For example, on the big screen in Times Square, Iron Man soared in his high-tech armor, while a massive armored polar bear from The Golden Compass roared skyward. It looked like Iron Man battling a roaring bear. The two films, with such different styles, had become competitors due to their similar release schedules.

This head-to-head showdown also became an interesting news angle.

The latest cover story of The Hollywood Reporter was titled “Iron Man vs. The Roaring Bear: Who Will Win?” The article gave a detailed comparison of Iron Man and The Golden Compass.

With $150 million invested in one and $180 million in the other, both were big-budget productions. Iron Man was adapted from Marvel Comics, while The Golden Compass was based on a popular children’s book, both considered major intellectual properties.

The production and distribution teams also added to the intrigue. New Century led Iron Man's production, partnering with Marvel Studios, while Fox handled distribution. Meanwhile, The Golden Compass was led by Weinstein, produced with New Line Cinema, and distributed by Warner Bros.

There was a long-standing rivalry between New Century and Weinstein, dating back to the release of There Will Be Blood and American Gangster, when the two companies pulled out all the stops to compete, providing plenty of material for the media.

Ultimately, There Will Be Blood grossed $120 million in North America, while American Gangster brought in $96 million. Though both films made back their $100 million production costs with the help of international sales and home video releases, they still lost some money.

Now the two companies were facing off again.

And both brought in powerful allies: Fox for Iron Man and Warner Bros. for The Golden Compass. Fox had the X-Men and Ice Age franchises, while Warner had the Harry Potter series and DC Comics’ Batman.

It was New Century + Fox + Marvel vs. Weinstein + Warner Bros. + New Line.

Both sides were equally matched, making for a highly anticipated box-office showdown this holiday season.

Other media outlets also gave the battle creative names. The Los Angeles Times dubbed it the “Heavy Metal War”—one side was iron, the other gold, both heavy metals. The New York Daily News called it a clash between “Technology and Magic,” with one protagonist relying on advanced tech and the other on fantasy magic.

Whatever the battle, there could only be one winner. The big question was: which film would come out on top in terms of box office—Iron Man or The Golden Compass?

On December 5th, after six months of hype and two weeks of intense marketing, Iron Man debuted in 3,896 theaters across North America.

In its first three days, the film earned $127 million at the box office, with a per-theater average of nearly $12,000.

The opening weekend numbers surpassed those of Shrek the Third, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, and Transformers, making it the second-highest opening of the year, behind Spider-Man 3, which had earned $151 million.

The film received positive reviews, with many critics praising its fast pace, humor, and impressive special effects.

“A fast-paced, laugh-filled, special-effects extravaganza.” – Toronto Star

“As the first blockbuster of the holiday season, Iron Man is flawless in every respect, meeting all the standards of a big-budget film. It’s one of the most dazzling films of the year.” – USA Today

“The special effects are stunning, rivaling Transformers and Spider-Man. Another great superhero blockbuster.” – Variety

The film earned an average critic score of 82, an A- from Yahoo Movies, and an 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Iron Man had a strong start, giving Richard and New Century, along with Marvel Studios, a big sigh of relief.

The movie's original budget was $100 million, but with Hollywood’s rapidly evolving special effects technology, costs had increased. From its launch in 2004 to its completion this year, the budget was revised four times, eventually adding another $50 million.

The final $20 million investment was particularly controversial, with the production companies hesitant to spend more. They argued that the film would still look great without the new effects technology.

But Richard insisted on the additional investment, aiming for a perfect visual experience.

With the added investment, production costs rose to $150 million.

New Century then spent another $60 million on marketing, bringing the total cost to $210 million.

For a movie with a $200 million budget, even with $80 million in brand sponsorships, it would need to gross over $300 million to break even. And, on average, fewer than three movies a year reach that milestone.

New Century’s executives had low expectations for profitability.

But with the opening weekend gross at $127 million, it was estimated that the North American box office would exceed $300 million, possibly reaching $400 million.

Looking back, the additional investment and marketing costs seemed worth it.

Smiling, Jane Wilson raised her glass. “Boss, it turns out your marketing plan worked.”

Richard smiled lightly. “I couldn’t have done it without your support. Cheers!”

“Cheers!” Jane laughed.

Iron Man had a strong opening weekend, showing the potential for massive success.

New Century threw a party to celebrate this new victory.

Meanwhile, The Golden Compass had premiered the day before. As the other side in this “Heavy Metal War,” everyone was eager to see how much it would make.

Would it surpass Iron Man’s $127 million?

Many were waiting for the answer.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 457: This is How Bold We Are*

"Richard, the box office numbers for The Golden Compass premiere are out. Want to take a guess?"

A couple of days later, Gwyneth walked into the office, smiling brightly.

Richard put down his pen and looked up at her, "Seeing you smile so happily, the performance of The Golden Compass must be underwhelming."

"Haha, yes, the opening weekend box office was $47.84 million, a complete disaster."

Gwyneth chuckled.

"$47.84 million?"

Richard frowned, "Are you talking about the first day or the first three days?"

"It’s for three days. The first day brought in $30.9 million, the second day $11 million, and the third day less than $7 million."

Gwyneth placed a folder on the desk.

"That bad?"

Richard glanced at the data. The Golden Compass opened on December 7th in 3,571 theaters, slightly fewer than Iron Man, but still a large release.

The first day’s take of $30.9 million, with an average of $8,200 per theater, was a bit worse than Iron Man's debut but not terrible. However, by the second day, it had plummeted to just over $10 million, a cliff drop. This performance was as surreal as the movie’s fantastical theme.

The movie, adapted from a bestselling novel and considered a big intellectual property (IP), came with built-in interest. The production companies were reputable, the film’s budget was a whopping $180 million, and the marketing campaign was massive. Industry experts had expected its opening weekend to hit around $100 million.

Yet after three days, it hadn’t even reached $50 million.

With such poor box office performance, theaters would naturally reduce the number of showings, replacing it with more profitable films. This would further depress The Golden Compass's earnings.

Given this steep decline, it was unlikely the movie would even hit $100 million over the course of its entire run.

For a movie with production and marketing costs exceeding $200 million, these numbers were devastating.

"Have they figured out the reasons for the loss?"

Richard asked.

"Here," Gwyneth pulled out a newspaper. "There are three reasons and a rumor. The first reason is that the film itself had major issues; second, poor casting choices; and third, Iron Man's strong performance. The rumor is that Warner Bros. tampered with the box office numbers."

"That rumor is interesting," Richard said, flipping open the newspaper to read the first reason.

The Los Angeles Times had dedicated half a page of its movie section to pointing out the flaws in The Golden Compass.

First, the commercial value of the Golden Compass trilogy was far lower than that of Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, or Narnia. From its release, The Golden Compass had been overshadowed by Harry Potter and lacked a dedicated fan base like those other franchises.

Compared to the comic book character Iron Man, it was even further behind.

Low commercial value meant that the movie's box office ceiling was also low.

Second, while The Golden Compass was a children's book, its deep and even frightening worldview alienated both children and adults. The story followed a girl and her spirit animal trying to save her friends and the world. She was abandoned by her parents, her biological mother repeatedly tried to take away her golden compass, and her friends were imprisoned in a research facility. On top of that, she faced persecution from a religious group.

The story was neither heartwarming nor comforting, making it unappealing to both children and adults.

In contrast, the Harry Potter series, which also featured child protagonists, offered a more magical and joyful journey filled with friendship, love, and adventure, appealing to audiences of all ages.

Third, the Los Angeles Times argued that The Golden Compass was a destructive adaptation of the original, losing much of its originality and freshness. The book’s allure lay in four key elements: a dark world set in the early industrial age, a unique parallel universe, the concept of cutting away ‘sinful’ daemons, and its critical stance against religion.

However, the movie removed the parallel universe to simplify the plot and weakened its critique of religion to avoid backlash from religious groups. Only the dark world remained, turning it into a horror story instead of a children’s adventure.

The paper also pointed out two secondary reasons.

First was the miscasting. Director Chris Weitz, who also adapted the screenplay, wasn’t a dedicated fan of the original, unlike The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, who had a lifelong passion for the material. Weitz had even rejected other screenwriters' drafts to rewrite it himself, which many saw as a mistake.

Second, Nicole Kidman, who played a lead role, had been labeled a "box office poison" after several flops following her Oscar win in 2003. Her involvement didn’t help The Golden Compass.

The second major factor was the overwhelming success of Iron Man. The film’s script, special effects, costumes, music, and overall production were all top-notch. Robert Downey Jr.'s charismatic performance, along with the film’s massive marketing campaign, made it unstoppable.

In comparison, The Golden Compass was dwarfed, with no major commercial sponsors and a much weaker box office performance. It was a sad, pitiful loss.

What was originally expected to be a "battle of heavyweights" was decided in the first week.

"Iron crushes Gold!" wrote the Los Angeles Times.

Richard smiled, "Does everyone know about that rumor?"

"Pretty much, the whole industry is talking about it," Gwyneth replied as she brewed tea. "I heard New Line and Weinstein execs even went to Warner Bros. to demand data. Warner provided the numbers, but New Line didn’t believe them and even threatened to sue."

"Really? For a few million in revenue? Ruining their reputation isn’t worth it. Warner must know that."

Richard mused.

Major studios often manipulated box office numbers, but they usually did so discreetly, without going too far or letting it leak. This time, however, The Golden Compass's box office drop was so severe that it was hard to believe it wasn’t tampered with.

But if Warner hadn’t manipulated the numbers, then the movie’s performance was truly dreadful.

Was Warner really so bold as to cheat the box office, or was the film just that bad?

Time would tell.

"Here, have some tea. Tell me how I did," Gwyneth handed him a cup.

"Thanks!" Richard sniffed it and took a sip, smiling. "Very good! Come by more often to make tea for me."

"Sure thing, boss," Gwyneth smiled.

"Have you finished all the promotional events?"

"Nope, still five more next week. I’m exhausted," she pouted, pretending to be pitiful.

Richard chuckled, "Come here, I’ll give you a massage."

"Okay!" she said, smiling brightly.

---

Iron Man earned another $87.02 million in its second weekend, bringing its ten-day total to $241 million in North America, holding the top spot for two consecutive weeks.

Internationally, especially in Europe, it grossed $153 million in its first week, performing just as well as it had in the U.S.

In contrast, The Golden Compass earned only $54.77 million in its first week.

It was a catastrophe.

Some blamed the movie’s poor quality, while others suspected Warner Bros. had a hand in its downfall.

Warner denied the allegations, even holding a press conference to show all original data to an impartial third party. The Producers Guild and multiple law firms investigated and found that while there were minor discrepancies, they were unrelated to the poor box office results.

The investigation temporarily calmed the industry, but rumors still swirled. No matter what, New Line and Weinstein had suffered huge losses.

And after two consecutive flops, people wondered how much longer Weinstein could stay afloat.

A movie with a budget of $180 million and a massive promotional campaign—how could its box office performance be this poor?

Some believe it’s the result of the movie’s poor quality.

More people, however, think it’s related to Warner Bros.' usual practices.

Everyone knows Warner wants to fully integrate New Line under its umbrella, but New Line has been trying to maintain its independence.

Their relationship is like that of a husband and a concubine.

Years ago, Warner took New Line as a concubine, even offering a dowry, and New Line agreed on the condition that they would live separately, not joining the big Warner group.

Warner agreed temporarily but has always looked for a chance to take New Line back.

Over the years, however, New Line grew stronger and more independent, thanks to the success of the "Lord of the Rings" series, which brought in massive profits, with annual earnings sometimes rivaling those of Warner Bros., the legitimate "wife" under the Warner group. This made New Line more assertive, aiming to break free from Warner’s control.

Warner, of course, wouldn’t allow that and has been waiting for an opportunity to completely rein in New Line.

The release of "The Golden Compass" seemed like a good opportunity.

Industry insiders speculated that the film’s already lackluster performance, coupled with Warner’s behind-the-scenes maneuvers, led to such disappointing box office results.

However, Warner completely denied these allegations, claiming it was being unfairly accused.

Warner held a public hearing on Friday, turning over all original data and documents to the Producers Guild for arbitration, stating that if any evidence of box office tampering was found, it would take full legal responsibility.

The Producers Guild and multiple law firms investigated all the records, including box office revenue from theaters, conducted field investigations at numerous theaters, and interviewed audiences in several cities.

The conclusion was that the film’s poor box office performance was genuine, and while there were minor discrepancies in Warner’s data, they had no significant impact on the box office figures.

This result, jointly confirmed by the Producers Guild and several major law firms, was highly credible.

After the investigation results were released, the industry calmed down slightly, but speculations persisted, with New Line and The Weinstein Company still secretly searching for evidence.

Regardless of what they find, one fact remains: both New Line and The Weinstein Company suffered huge losses.

Especially with The Weinstein Company having back-to-back flops on big productions, can they continue to hold on?

The industry continues to watch with interest.

—

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 458: The Beating Continues*

"Iron Man" has been in theaters for 17 days, with its North American box office surpassing $300 million, reaching $308 million.

When "The Bourne Ultimatum" achieved similar numbers, it caused a media frenzy. However, it was soon surpassed by "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," "Kingdom of Heaven," and "Spider-Man 3," making it less impressive in hindsight.

The film has also been released overseas for over ten days, with a cumulative box office of $279 million. As more regions are added, international earnings are expected to outpace North American sales, possibly even surpassing them.

Media outlets predict that North American box office revenues will reach around $350 million, while overseas revenues are expected to exceed $400 million, bringing the global total to over $700 million.

In stark contrast to the success of "Iron Man," "The Golden Compass" is struggling, with a box office income of $63.37 million after 15 days, projected to fall short of $80 million.

This income is split between theaters and Warner Bros., leaving New Line and The Weinstein Company with only a small portion, not even enough to cover their investments.

The North American box office performance has been dismal, and the situation overseas isn’t much better.

After parting ways with Warner Bros., New Line and The Weinstein Company took charge of overseas distribution themselves.

Both companies' executives had previously participated in distributing several global blockbusters, so they were no strangers to the task, perhaps even more skilled than Warner's international distribution team.

There are generally two methods for overseas distribution: selling the rights directly to local distributors or partnering with regional theater chains for co-promotion, sharing the proceeds after release.

New Line and The Weinstein Company chose the latter because the North American box office for "The Golden Compass" was so poor that regional distributors offered very low prices.

However, the second approach also had its challenges, as direct involvement in marketing required funding.

The companies gritted their teeth and invested, releasing the film in three major European countries first. If "The Golden Compass" performed well in Europe, it could even prove that Warner manipulated the data.

After two weeks of preliminary promotion, "The Golden Compass" hit 535 theaters in the UK, France, and Germany at the end of December.

The three-day opening grossed $21.4 million, a decent figure but still underwhelming for a $180 million production.

Furthermore, international audiences gave the movie lukewarm reviews, praising the animation and special effects while criticizing the storyline for being hard to follow. Children didn’t understand it, adults didn’t enjoy it, and it lacked the universal appeal of "Harry Potter."

The film’s poor quality led to negative media coverage, which in turn further hurt its box office performance, creating a vicious cycle.

In just one week, it grossed only $30.27 million.

It was rumored that Harvey Weinstein, upon seeing the numbers, was so enraged that he was hospitalized, while New Line’s CEO, Bob Shaye, saw half his hair turn gray.

“Sigh…”

Richard let out a soft sigh as he looked at the data.

"Don’t you hate Weinstein? Why are you sighing when you see him in trouble?”

On the deck, Ms. Theron approached wearing a bikini and holding two glasses of white wine.

“It’s like a rabbit mourning the death of a fox.”

“What does that mean?”

Ms. Theron frowned slightly.

Richard took a sip of wine, “It’s a metaphor. New Century, New Line, and The Weinstein Company are the three strongest independent film studios. With ‘The Golden Compass’ failing at the box office, New Line and The Weinstein Company are bound to be knocked down. Only New Century will remain among the top three, facing immense pressure from the seven major studios in the future.”

“Do you need to worry about that? You’re a major shareholder in News Corp., which owns 20th Century Fox. You also have Disney shares and collaborate with Universal. Shouldn’t those two companies be worried about getting swallowed up by you?” Ms. Theron chuckled.

Richard smiled, “Having shares in two companies doesn’t affect the competition between the three. The management at Fox and Universal is responsible for creating profits for shareholders. If they could undermine New Century, they wouldn’t hesitate.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Keep making movies, good movies. As long as the company remains financially strong, they won’t have the opportunity to take over New Century.”

The root cause of New Line and The Weinstein Company’s troubles was their own decisions.

New Line's recent business performance had been mediocre, with no big hits since the "Lord of the Rings" series. They’d been coasting on past successes.

This time, they invested too much time and money in "The Golden Compass." With the film's box office failure, New Line was seriously hurt.

Meanwhile, The Weinstein Company, founded in 2005, had seen lackluster returns on several projects. With both "American Gangster" and "The Golden Compass" flopping, they were reportedly facing losses of around $150 million.

For an independent studio with limited capital, this was a significant blow, possibly leading to bankruptcy.

“What will you do about Weinstein?”

“I’ll leave him alone. Let’s see if he can get through this.”

Just a few days ago, actress Rose McGowan filed a report at the NYPD, claiming Weinstein assaulted her at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, repeatedly harassed her, and interfered with her career, severely impacting her life.

Rose presented detailed evidence, leading the police to accept the case and summon Weinstein for questioning.

Rose had starred in numerous films, including "Scream," "Planet Terror," "Machete," and "Monkeybone." The "Scream" series was a global hit, earning her the nickname "Scream Queen" and making her a well-known figure.

After Rose came forward, major newspapers began covering the story. In October, there were already online reports about "Weinstein’s scandals."

However, with no mainstream media involvement and no victims coming forward, the story eventually died down.

This time, as more victims emerged, including several popular second and third-tier actresses like Mira Sorvino, Romola Garai, Ashley Judd, and Heather Graham, news of the "Weinstein scandal" dominated the headlines.

Unlike the indifference shown in October, mainstream media outlets were highly active this time, condemning the perpetrator and sympathizing with the victims.

It became a massive scandal, and the biggest social story at the end of 2007.

After the news broke, Richard found it interesting. He had expected Ronan to gradually expose Weinstein’s secrets.

Instead, some unknown figure acted first, prompting victims to come forward, and the media followed with widespread coverage, making Hollywood look rotten.

As an insider, Richard knew the entertainment industry was a network of shared interests. A scandal of this magnitude would tarnish public perception of celebrities and bring significant negative impacts to the movie business.

After the scandal exploded, many people thought Richard was behind it and called to ask how big he intended to make it.

Richard shrugged, saying they were mistaken—it wasn’t him.

Just last week, after beating Wladimir Klitschko in Las Vegas, he had taken his family to his Hawaiian estate for a vacation.

He spent his days on the beach with his kids or watching the sunrise and sunset from the deck with Gisele and Theron, only occasionally glancing at the newspaper and company reports.

Everyone believed him. If a billionaire wanted to do something, he would do it openly, without hiding.

Next, attention shifted to Warner.

Because of "The Golden Compass," Warner and The Weinstein Company were still in conflict. If the film's box office was truly problematic, Warner would benefit from The Weinstein Company's downfall.

Moreover, Warner is a media giant with vast control over the press. With the scandal blowing up, it seemed unlikely that Warner had nothing to do with it.

Yet Warner's internal sources claimed innocence, stating that Warner and Warner Bros. were separate entities and that the dispute with The Weinstein Company had nothing to do with Warner Group. Would a Fortune 500 company really bother targeting a small film studio? That would be giving it too much credit.

Industry insiders weren’t convinced. Last time, Warner Bros. claimed it didn’t manipulate box office figures, but the declining numbers suggested otherwise.

Initially, Richard suspected Warner because scandal coverage would boost media ratings and circulation, which would benefit a media conglomerate.

However, shortly after the scandal broke, public opinion shifted.

Republican candidate Hillary Clinton, during an anti-violence event, directly named Weinstein and called for new measures to protect women’s rights, subtly mentioning that Weinstein was once part of the Democratic candidate's team.

Photos appeared in newspapers showing the Democratic candidate and Weinstein having friendly conversations, sitting together, or even Michelle Obama kissing Weinstein on the cheek. Although it was just a brief gesture, it could easily be misinterpreted.

Other newspapers published pictures of the Democratic candidate with the caption "He Knew," suggesting that the candidate was aware of Weinstein's misconduct but did nothing.

The Democratic candidate's camp quickly denied the allegations, saying there was no such thing and clarifying that they had cut ties with Weinstein in October.

But regardless of the explanation, it was hard to deny that Weinstein was once part of the Democratic campaign.

Subsequently, Gallup polls showed a significant drop in support for the Democratic candidate, while Hillary Clinton's support increased by 5%, gaining more support from female voters.

Seeing these developments, Richard realized his perspective was too narrow. He initially thought Warner was targeting Weinstein for profit, but Clinton’s maneuvering revealed a more significant motive.

Besides this, Richard also saw Ronan's involvement in the news, who had now become a special advisor on global youth affairs for Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Seeing Ronan, Richard roughly understood the ins and outs of the situation. With his tacit approval, Ronan had obtained plenty of information about Weinstein's scandals. Noticing the connection between Weinstein and the Democratic candidate, he proactively aligned himself with the Republicans, offering strategies and stirring things up.

The kid was clever and ambitious, but he was a bit too impatient.

"Daddy, it's time to go."

"Daddy, are you ready?"

While reading the newspaper, Louis and little Annie came down the stairs, wearing sun hats, short-sleeve shirts, shorts, and little shoes. Louis was carrying a soccer ball, and Annie was holding a small shovel, ready to dig in the sand and collect seashells.

Richard looked at the two kids and smiled. "Where's Mommy? Is Mommy coming?"

"Mommy said you guys go ahead, she'll be down soon. She's putting on her face."

Little Annie pointed to her own rosy cheeks.

"Not putting on her face, putting on sunscreen," Louis corrected.

"Alright, let's wait a little longer for Mommy."

Richard took the two kids to the car.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly with not a cloud in the sky—perfect weather for a stroll along the beach.

After waiting a while without seeing Bündchen and Theron come down, he called out upstairs.

"Stop yelling, we're coming!" Ms. Bündchen replied impatiently from the balcony.

"Okay, we'll wait a bit more."

Richard shrugged.

Louis and Annie shrugged their little shoulders as well.

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 459: The Sun is Beautiful*

After spending over a month in Hawaii, Richard and his family returned to New York at the end of January 2008. By this time, the box office results for the winter holiday releases had started to come in.

"Iron Man" had been in theaters for over a month, earning $343 million in North America and $411 million overseas, bringing the global total to $754 million.

In the 2007 North American box office rankings, "Iron Man" took the top spot, with "Spider-Man 3" in second place at $336 million, "Shrek the Third" at $322 million in third, "Transformers" at $319 million in fourth, and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" at $390 million in fifth.

However, in the global box office rankings, "Iron Man" was only fifth. The top spot went to "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" with $963 million, followed by "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" with $939 million, and then "Batman 3" and "Shrek the Third."

In 2007, twelve films surpassed the $200 million mark in North America, with combined box office revenue for the U.S. and Canada increasing by 5.4% to a record $9.64 billion, while ticket sales remained steady at around 1.4 billion.

Global box office revenue hit a record $26.7 billion, up $1.2 billion from 2006.

The growth in box office revenue reflected a more prosperous film market but also owed something to inflation, as ticket prices in 2007 were 5% higher than in 2006.

Last year, New Century Pictures achieved new breakthroughs with the release of twelve films, including "Iron Man," "Juno," "Atonement," "There Will Be Blood," "17 Again," "Saw V," "The Nanny Diaries," "In the Valley of Elah," "Cassandra's Dream," and "Never Back Down."

Gross profits reached $1.82 billion, with net profits of $780 million, an increase of over $300 million from the previous year.

In terms of film awards, New Century also had a great year.

The 65th Golden Globe Awards were affected by the Writers Guild strike that started in November of the previous year, leading to the cancellation of the usual ceremony.

Instead, the Golden Globe organizers announced the winners during a one-hour press conference broadcast live by NBC on January 13.

Films produced and released by New Century Pictures received 13 nominations in total, with "Atonement" receiving seven, "There Will Be Blood" three, and "Juno" three.

Ultimately, they won three out of the thirteen nominations. "Atonement" took home two major awards: Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Original Score.

Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.

Additionally, Johnny Depp won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for "Sweeney Todd," Marion Cotillard won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for "La Vie en Rose," Cate Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress for "I'm Not There," and Javier Bardem won Best Supporting Actor for "No Country for Old Men."

Following the Golden Globes, the nominees for the 80th Academy Awards were announced on February 4.

"There Will Be Blood" received eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.

"Atonement" received seven nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

"Juno" received four nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay.

"Iron Man" was nominated for three technical awards: Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound Mixing.

"In the Valley of Elah" received one nomination, for Best Actor.

New Century Pictures garnered a total of 23 nominations, once again breaking its own record for Oscar nominations, leading some in the media to jokingly refer to it as an "Oscar nomination machine," while others in the industry mocked it for being a "big shot."

Richard understood the sentiments of his peers. Every additional Oscar nomination could boost a film's box office revenue or home video sales. A Best Picture nomination alone could add at least $10 million in revenue, with other awards bringing slightly less.

Winning an Oscar could lead to even more earnings; for example, Best Picture winners typically saw a revenue increase of at least $30 million, with no upper limit.

Last year, "Kingdom of Heaven" won the Best Picture award, resulting in an additional $180 million in box office revenue, along with a surge in video sales.

Even technical awards could boost revenue by several million to tens of millions of dollars.

This is the value of the Academy Awards—truly filled with "gold." It's no wonder so many films strive to break into the Oscars.

After setting down The Los Angeles Times, Richard picked up The New York Post. Recently, the biggest entertainment news in New York and across North America was the "Weinstein scandal."

At the end of last year, this story gained a lot of attention, not only because it was newsworthy but also due to political factors, as Weinstein had become a tool for media aligned with the GOP to attack Democratic candidates.

When the scandal first broke, it caused a significant stir in the entertainment industry worldwide.

Many actresses who had worked with Weinstein became the subject of media scrutiny.

Journalists became "muckrakers," digging up "dirt" everywhere, reminiscent of the muckraking movement of the early 20th century, filling the entertainment world with negative news and causing a substantial impact on the industry.

Public interest in gossip news outweighed interest in films, affecting the box office market.

The impact on the box office affected the revenue of major entertainment companies.

In early January, Richard, Rupert Murdoch, Viacom's Sumner Redstone, Warner Bros. executive director Crawford, Disney CEO Robert Iger, and Universal Pictures' president met in New York.

After several rounds of discussion, they reached a consensus to limit their news outlets' coverage of the Weinstein scandal—meaning no unnecessary hype, just updates on the case's progress, to prevent further harm to Hollywood films.

The meeting had a noticeable effect, with entertainment scandal coverage dropping by 80% within two weeks.

With fewer scandal reports, many in the industry breathed a sigh of relief. Although Weinstein's scandal wouldn't affect everyone, its expansion would tarnish actors' stardom.

While the entertainment industry felt at ease, one person was not—Mrs. Hillary Clinton.

During this time, she used the "Weinstein" issue as a tool, attacking her opponents with no retaliation, and her approval rating rose from 48% to 56%, overtaking her rival.

She intended to keep using it, but the media stopped cooperating, and she received a warning: stop messing with Hollywood, as it wouldn't benefit her.

The reason was simple: continuously playing the "feminist card" might win female voters but would alienate male voters—not a worthwhile strategy.

So, she wisely let go of the "Weinstein" tool.

By February, reports on the Weinstein scandal had significantly decreased, though the court case continued.

At the first hearing, Weinstein's team pleaded not guilty, arguing for acquittal.

But his time was over, and there was no place for him in the industry anymore, given the severity of his crimes.

From late December to February, more than fifty artists had come forward—some anonymously, others openly—claiming to have been sexually harassed or assaulted.

With clear evidence of his wrongdoings, Weinstein's guilt was certain, and only his sentence remained undecided.

Seeing Weinstein's downfall, Richard didn’t feel the satisfaction he had expected but instead sensed a faint sense of crisis. If one day, Sun Island went bankrupt and he was left penniless, would he face a similar fate?

After thinking for a moment, Richard shook his head. Bankruptcy seemed unlikely unless there were multiple economic depressions or he could no longer throw punches.

“Richard, why are you just sitting there, lost in thought?” Mrs. Bündchen called from the stairs.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, Richard turned to look at her and smiled, "Come here, darling!"

"What for?"

Mrs. Bündchen walked over, her long legs and enchanting fragrance adding to her allure.

"Look, isn’t the sun beautiful today?" Richard said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pointing to the golden sun rising slowly from the east.

She glanced at the sun, then back at him, and smiled, "It is beautiful!"

---

(End of chapter)