As the Halloween season approached, major, medium, and small film companies in Hollywood pulled out all the stops, all for the sake of greater profits.
First and foremost was the battle for more screening slots!
Boston.
A branch of Regal Entertainment, one of America's three major theater chains.
At this moment, two people were talking in the office of the branch manager, Hostak.
"Hostak, we're old friends, you can't just abandon me," said Frank Gusta.
"It's difficult, buddy," Hostak said, looking troubled.
"You're the general manager of Regal Entertainment's Boston region, and a vice president at Regal Entertainment headquarters. Is it really that hard for you to give Lionsgate more screening slots during the Halloween season? I don't believe it!" Gusta frowned.
Frank Gusta, a Canadian banker, entered the film industry in 1997 and single-handedly founded Lionsgate, which would become famous in the future.
He currently serves as the chairman of Lionsgate.
Hostak looked at Gusta, got up, walked around the desk, and completely closed the open office door, adding a latch.
"Let me tell you the truth."
Hostak then sat down and whispered, "It's not that I don't want to help an old friend like you; I genuinely can't do anything. Well, let me put it this way. Just two days ago, Mr. Barry Meyer, the new president of Warner Bros. Pictures, personally met with our boss to discuss the screening arrangements for Warner's new film, 'House on Haunted Hill.' How can I, as a branch manager, resist a decision from above?"
Warner?
"This..."
Gusta, the owner of Lionsgate, said in astonishment, "Barry Meyer actually met with your boss personally? That shouldn't be happening!"
At this moment, he was a bit confused.
'House on Haunted Hill' was Warner's main film for the Halloween season, but it wasn't a high-budget blockbuster. According to usual practice, the president of Warner Bros. Pictures would never personally get involved.
"This is a bit of an overreaction!" Gusta murmured.
"Haha!"
Hostak laughed and said, "If I also told you that Mr. Bill McNich, the president of Page Films, also met with my boss not long ago, would you still wonder why Barry Meyer personally got involved?"
Page Films?
"Holy crap! They're also getting involved. Is it really necessary? It's just a small Halloween season, and they, as group executives, are personally getting involved. Isn't this just being unreasonable?!"
Gusta was furious.
Both Warner Bros. Pictures, one of the Big Six, and Page Films, a rising small giant, have considerable influence in the theater chain, far exceeding that of Lionsgate.
Barry Meyer and Bill McNich personally meeting with the owner of the theater chain, Regal Entertainment, was nothing more than exerting influence to get more screening slots, wasn't it?
"How shameless!"
"Their current screening slots are already several times more than Lionsgate's."
"Yet now, they're still not satisfied!"
"What are they trying to do?"
"Why don't we just not release anything and let Warner and Page Films play by themselves, then!"
"Hmph!"
Gusta was filled with immense anger, his internal fury turning into a towering blaze. However, alongside his anger, he felt more helplessness.
Inferior in strength!
Circumstances are stronger than people!
Gusta wasn't without connections in this regard; he was, after all, a good friend of American President Clinton and knew many political and business figures, making his network extensive.
But... did Warner and Page Films not have connections in this area?
On the contrary, the influence of both companies in the political and business circles far surpassed his own!
"Alas~"
"I was hoping Clinton could help me with this small favor, but alas, with the zipper-gate scandal, he's also entangled in trouble, facing impeachment from Congress. How could he have the leisure to help me?"
Gusta was utterly depressed.
"Buddy, if I also told you that Ms. Sherry Lansing, the female president of Paramount Pictures, will be meeting with my boss this afternoon, wouldn't you be hopping mad?" Hostak suddenly said.
Holy crap!
At this moment, Gusta was completely enraged.
He just wanted to curse!
Page Films;
Warner Bros. Pictures;
Paramount Pictures;
"To hell with God! I can't afford to offend any of them!" Gusta became a bit hysterical.
Hostak said faintly, "Now you know, don't you? It's not that I, as a friend, don't want to help you, but I genuinely can't make the arrangements."
Gusta immediately fell silent... Salt Lake City.
AMC Theatres, one of America's three major theater chains, Salt Lake City branch.
Lovis, a vice president at New Line Cinema, stared intently at the man in front of him with a sincere expression, saying, "Jonathan, you have to help me!"
Upon hearing this, Jonathan, the manager of AMC Theatres' Salt Lake City branch, shook his head and said, "Buddy, didn't I tell you? Page Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Paramount Pictures are too strong. To compete for box office revenue during the Halloween season, they not only personally met with my boss at AMC, but according to news, Regal Entertainment and Cinemark, also two of the three major theater chains, have also made their arrangements."
"Tell me, what can I, a small branch manager, do?"
He paused, then added, "Apparently, Mr. Gusta of Lionsgate is also hopping mad about this."
In the local theater markets, branch offices have the right to adjust screening schedules based on market changes, but that's only when there are no specific instructions from above (the head office).
Now that orders have been given, one must naturally obey them.
Yes, the kind that cannot be refuted.
"Haha~"
Lovis, the vice president of New Line Cinema, sneered, "I'm not Gusta, who has no Hollywood background. Don't forget, New Line Cinema is backed by Disney Group, one of the Big Six."
Jonathan, the manager of AMC Salt Lake City branch, replied, "As long as Disney personally approaches our boss, then I will also adjust the screening schedule for New Line Cinema."
"You!"
Lovis, the vice president of New Line Cinema, angrily said, "Fine, fine, fine, you just wait, I'll inform my boss, Mr. Shea, right away and have him invite Disney to step in."
...The bustling Halloween season, driven by the pursuit of high screening numbers by various Hollywood companies, became a fierce battlefield of overt and covert struggles, with each employing their own tactics.
Hollywood film companies and theater chains implement a tiered, decreasing box office revenue sharing model.
For example: In the first week of a film's release, the production company takes over 90% of the box office revenue, and the theater chain's profit during this week mainly comes from selling snacks and drinks;
In the second week, the production company's share of the box office drops to 80%;
In the third week, the production company's share of the box office drops to 73%;
...and so on, continuously decreasing!
Overall, in the late 1990s American film market, the production company's share of box office revenue accounted for 50% to 60%;
The theater chain's share was 40% to 50%.
Of course, this box office share does not include data for taxes, distribution company commissions, print costs, and other expenses, otherwise the production company's profits would be significantly lower.
Currently, the three major companies—Page Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Paramount Pictures—are constantly squeezing the living space of small and medium-sized film companies in their struggle for screening slots, which has left many feeling sad and angry.
Because of this, they can only resort to dirty tricks!
Dirty tricks?
These are not tricks that harm others without benefiting oneself, but rather reducing one's own share of box office revenue.
"In the first week of the film's release, my movie will only take 70%, giving up a large portion of the profits to the theater chain. I refuse to believe I can't secure more screening slots."
"Theater chains are also driven by profit; I'll just offer more profit."
"You, Page Films and Warner, and other big companies, with your company presidents personally getting involved, are essentially playing dirty, using your immense size and influence to squeeze our small companies' screening slots. Are we not allowed to resort to dirty tricks?!"
It must be said that many small and medium-sized film companies were pushed to their limits.
They would rather give up more profits to the theater chains than fight for more screening slots.