American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 53 Cat and Mouse Team Up to Pull the Sky Curtain

Isabella has been following all developments since the release of "The Secret Chamber".

After all, this is her own movie.

Then, with the release of "Die Another Day," she finally understood why "The Chamber of Secrets" lost to "The Sorcerer's Stone" at the box office despite its explosive pre-release and premiere performances. When a corrupted leech is clinging to you and sucking your blood, it's really not easy to break records, especially when your hands are being held down by your enemy.

Therefore, the box office of "The Secret Chamber" will not be able to break 10 due to the interference of "Choose the Day".

This sounds like a regrettable situation, but...

It's all about timing and fate.

Isabella accepted the fact, and just as she was looking at the calendar, preparing to busy herself with the promotion of the upcoming "The Voice", Warner Bros. suddenly appeared and told her that Warner Bros. wanted to use her "The Voice" to counter "The Lord of the Rings".
Looking at the familiar face before her, Isabella really wanted to yell at him—

'You fucking idiot!'

The next second, she looked at Columbus beside her...

This guy also found Nathan Bailey's appearance rather strange.

Columbus pushed up his glasses and said, “Nathan, I know what’s going on inside Warner Bros., and I know about your infighting with Ted Turner. I know you both want to be the world’s highest-grossing film this year, but the failure of ‘The Chamber of Secrets’ has nothing to do with us, right? And it’s not our job to take down ‘The Lord of the Rings’, is it? So, I think I might not understand what you mean right now.”

"Oh—Chris, Isa, don't panic, let me explain—"

Nathan Bailey knew this wasn't the time to keep things in suspense.

He took out a stack of manuscript papers from his handbag and spread them out in front of the two of them.

This is the plan he wrote on his way here:

"According to our previous plan, The Voice of China will leverage the success of The Secret Room for its publicity and promotion..."

As mentioned earlier, the initial marketing strategy for "The Voice" was simple: to let Isabella ride on the coattails of HP's popularity. Once "The Chamber of Secrets" became a box office hit, "The Voice," starring Hermione Granger, would naturally attract the attention of fans and the general public. This gimmick and this ability to attract new viewers were the first wave of box office success for "The Voice."

As for future growth?
That depends on the quality of the movie.

Because no movie in the world can achieve high box office success solely based on its fan base.

The above plan can still be implemented now, but it won't be very effective if "The Secret Room" fails to dominate the charts. And if the first wave of box office revenue for "The Voice of China" is in trouble, then subsequent growth will depend on God's blessing.

So, in order to change the status quo, Nathan Bailey suddenly had an idea, an idea that came from SW and HP—

Since SW can be forcibly diverted by Spider-Man and Fear Killer;
HP was plagued by nightmares by Crisis of the Day;
Then why can't other movies exploit "The Lord of the Rings"?
Even if the LOTR (short for The Lord of the Rings) IP is strong, it can't possibly be stronger than SW and HP!

So……

When The Voice of China needs box office revenue!

When "The Voice of China" is indeed no match for "The Lord of the Rings" head-on!

Why can't we let "The Voice of China" emulate "Spider-Man," "Fear of Death," and "Die Another Day," and let "The Voice of China" cling to "The Lord of the Rings" and suck its blood?
If The Voice of China were to capitalize on The Lord of the Rings, wouldn't Warner Bros. be able to win twice in an instant?

First win —

That's how "The Voice of China" gets so much money – it's guaranteed to get high box office returns!
Second win —

That's after LOTR was drained of its lifeblood! It's uncertain whether LOTR or HP will be the year's champion!

Furthermore, this solution is very simple to implement.

“Isa, Chris, we’re all on the same side, so I won’t go into the usual rules of the game.”

"As long as a movie has enough hype, it can get more screenings. And if we get more screenings, New Line's screenings will decrease because we don't go head-to-head with LOTR. When our movie's release time is two weeks of LOTR's, the North American theater chains will adjust their screening schedules based on market feedback."

"As for what other gimmicks 'The Voice' has besides HP..."

Nathan Bailey paused at this point.

He smiled and looked at the young girl, "Isha, do you remember the revision suggestions I wrote for 'The Voice' before you signed the contract this summer? Although you didn't accept them, it doesn't matter, because everyone can shout the slogan of striving for the Olympics."

"So, if you just nod your head, Warner Music can immediately portray The Voice as an Oscar contender."

"Then, as long as you nod, Warner will immediately release the fact that you wrote the script for The Voice."

“Isa, as long as you nod, Mr. Mayer will come to fawn over you immediately.”

“Isa, if you just nod, there is hope for us.”

Nathan Bailey's tone was not loud, and his voice was calm, but his eyes were bloodshot.

At that moment, his face looked as if it had been stained with blood, and his laughter was somewhat manic.

Yes.

Besides Harry Potter, The Voice also has the gimmick of competing for the Oscars.

Not to mention that The Voice of China was based on Little Miss Sunshine, and it was an Oscar contender in itself.

Take the road movie theme of "The Voice of China" for example. Since its inception, it has been aimed at winning major awards.

Previously, Warner Bros. didn't mention these things, not because they hadn't thought of them. When Nathan Bailey thought from the beginning that "The Voice" could be modified to compete for the Oscars, how could Warner Bros. not think of using the Oscar gimmick to boost box office?
The reason we didn't do that is because using the Oscar hype on "The Voice of China" would be too outrageous.

Isabella was born in 90, so she's not even 13 years old yet. Is she really aiming for the Olympics at that age?
The last person to do this was Shirley Temple.

too crazy!

Admittedly, such publicity will instantly boost public attention to "The Voice of China." Even Warner Music believes that HP fans will be as excited as a bee doctor on adrenaline after seeing the news.

I'm still in school, and my idol is already aiming for the Olympics?

How about going all out?
However, once everyone rushes in, it actually depletes Isabella's fan base.

Because Warner Music can't guarantee that everyone will like "The Voice".

After the initial excitement, how will those who dislike "The Voice of China" view Isabella?

After the revelry, what's left is just a mess?

Of course, this isn't because Warner Bros. is particularly kind-hearted, nor is it because Warner Bros. genuinely wants to protect Isabella. Rather, the Harry Potter series has seven installments, and when it's difficult to replace the main creative team, protecting Isabella is actually protecting themselves.

But now?
The new line is about to shit on Warner's head!

At this point, Warner Bros. didn't care about protection anymore!

Even if it's an evil cultivation!
They want to fix it now!
This--

"get out."

After listening to the plan, Isabella raised her chin.

Nathan Bailey, understanding her meaning, didn't hesitate, gave a light reply, and promptly left.

As he left, in Livingston, in the producer's office, Isabella and Columbus looked at each other.

After a long silence, Columbus spoke first, "The Ross family and Ted Turner are indeed fighting quite fiercely."

His remark made Isabella raise her eyebrows.

"Director, what do you think of this plan?" the young girl asked with a smile.

Isabella had no interest in Warner Bros.' internal strife, and of course, those were things she couldn't interfere with anyway. She could only focus on her own affairs. So, she pointed to the plan on the table and said, "Director, do you think Nathan Bailey's plan is feasible? For us, is it more beneficial or more harmful?"

"Uh... I think this plan is quite feasible."

Since Isabella didn't want to talk about Warner Bros.' internal strife, Columbus focused on the present.

Looking at the manuscript left by Nathan Bailey, he shook his head and said, "Just as Nathan himself wrote, when SW and HP were being leeched off by their competitors and didn't have high box office returns, LOTR couldn't possibly transcend that."

"So, as long as this plan can be implemented smoothly, then we should be able to win."

As for the pros and cons...

Columbus pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and said, "It's hard to say what the pros and cons are."

"Because there are many kinds of winning."

"But I would say this proposal is quite tempting."

"Once it is successfully implemented, our income will skyrocket, since we will receive a share of the profits from the entire system."

"Then, if this plan succeeds, there's another benefit for you: if you destroy 'The Lord of the Rings,' your commercial value will no longer be just a theoretical estimate, because..."

Columbus raised his head.

His gaze shifted from the schedule to Isabella across the table.

Looking at the little girl listening intently, he said solemnly, "Isa, I don't know if you've ever heard a saying before..."

"Only by killing a god can one become a god."

Regardless of the industry, those who stand at the top have all fought their way out through countless battles and bloodshed.

No industry's number one ranking is achieved by simply shouting it out.

So, when everyone thought that LOTR could reach the top this year, if Isabella could make it bleed and restore its HP, she could become an IP on her own in the future.

It's like all the capital in Hollywood knows that the failed man has been transformed into a successful man.

How can you become a GOAT if you don't kill the GOAT?
Wearing a crown yourself?

Who cares about you?

This is why Isabella ignored everything else and only asked about the solution.

Right now, Warner Bros., or rather, Nathan Bailey's idea of ​​a heretical practice, is really tempting...

"So you want to accept Warner's offer?"

Two hours later, inside the Leavesden dormitory.

Vivian and Catherine listened to Isabella's description.

Although Isabella is currently unemployed, and "Azkaban" is still in the planning stages with the script not yet finalized, they are too lazy to go home. This is not only because Leavesden has excellent facilities, but also because the capital's headquarters are extremely safe.

Most of HP's assets are here!
If something goes wrong here, Warner will definitely throw all those responsible into the Atlantic Ocean!
Isabella nodded slightly at her mother's question. "I want to take it, because the rewards for success are so great."

"Have you thought about the consequences of failure?" Vivian frowned slightly and asked, "What would you do if you failed?"

"Uh...Mom...If I said I don't think it'll be a big deal if I fail, would you think I'm crazy?"

Isabella thought for a moment and said, "Even if I fail, I'll still have HP, won't I?"

"HP is going to have seven movies, so I have unlimited opportunities to try and fail."

“But… what if HP keeps dropping?” Catherine, who had been listening nearby, suddenly interjected.

Vivian nodded at these words.

Isabella smiled at her mother's and sister's hesitation.

"I don't think Harry Potter will continue to decline, because Azkaban and the Goblet of Fire sold very well, and... I believe Aunt Anne will give book fans all over the world a satisfying ending..."

That's right!

In the eyes of Nathan Bailey, Barry Mayer, and even Chris Columbus, Vivian Carlson, and Katherine Heywood, this current hype surrounding an Oscar run is a double-edged sword.

It's done, and the glory is boundless.

If you lose, you might go to hell.

However, when making their judgments, all of these people prejudge the premise that "The Chamber of Secrets" did not surpass "The Philosopher's Stone" in total box office revenue. The Harry Potter series is strong enough, but it is not invincible.

Therefore, when Harry Potter might not be able to escape the Hollywood series curse, it would be unwise to exploit Isabella's popularity for a single victory. Especially since the last three Harry Potter books, *Order of the Phoenix*, *The Half-Blood Prince*, and *The Deathly Hallows*, haven't been released yet, and with no one knowing if J.K. Rowling can give Harry Potter fans worldwide a perfect ending, even Barry Mayer felt that having Isabella sacrifice her future to help Warner Bros. win was... a bit much.

Well, that's why Barry Mayer sent Nathan Bailey to England alone.

Professional managers who are chosen by capital are not fools.

He immediately saw the problem with Nathan Bailey's plan.

These are all problems that Isabella doesn't see as problems at all.

She knew that J.K. Rowling could give Harry Potter fans around the world a reasonably satisfactory ending;

She knew that no matter how the Harry Potter movies were made, they wouldn't end up like Game of Thrones;
When her trump card is unlikely to be exposed, why doesn't she dare to attack "The Lord of the Rings"?

Win and you'll have everything!

Even if I lose, I'm still Hermione Granger!

I can lose seven times!

But you have to keep winning!

So……

“I think you should call Joanne.”

After thinking about it, Mom decided to respect her daughter's opinion.

"I think so."

Catherine agreed with her mother's opinion.

Isabella naturally had to call Rowling, since Rowling was also involved in this matter.

Maintaining Harry Potter's box office champion status is also protecting Rowling's interests. Two consecutive films being the box office champions of the year are two different things from one film being number one and one film being number two. Not to mention, Rowling has been very good to her. When Rowling allows her to revise the script during filming, it would be a bit much to do something related to her without consulting her first.

That's not how people behave.

And after Isabella got through to Rowling on the phone...

Scotland.

Rowling, who was writing in her manor, put down her pen.

I leaned back in my chair.

"Isa."

"Ok?"

Is the situation inside Warner really that serious?

"Uh...yes, their shareholders are fighting fiercely, it's a fight to the death."

"So if you help Warner now... uh... won't Ted Turner hold a grudge?"

“Oh, Aunt Anne, thank you for your concern. But I mean, I already had Ted Turner hate me when I played Hermione Granger, didn’t I? So… anyway, Chris didn’t seem to care when I talked to him about it.”

"Hmm, okay, you're right. So you want to bet?"

"I'm here to ask for your opinion."

Rowling was amused.

I looked up and gazed at the fields and rivers outside the window.

She licked her lips and said, "Isa. Do you remember what you said to me at the premiere of 'The Chamber of Secrets'?"

"Uh... I mean, you said Hermione Granger was better than Rose Dawson?"

“Yeah~ I’ve always thought Hermione Granger is the best~ So, on your question, I’d say, who wouldn’t want their work to surpass Lord of the Rings? It’s just that I can’t say that…”

"hahaha~"

Isabella smiled; she understood what Rowling meant. "Well... thank you..."

"uh-huh?"

Rowling responded softly, "Go ahead and gamble if you want, because if you win, I win. And don't worry, whether you win or lose, I'll let you continue playing Hermione, because you are Hermione."

Since Rowling had already made her point so clearly, Isabella had no more worries.

Even if she loses badly, Warner Bros. can't just abandon her after she's done her bidding.

J.K. Rowling holds the power to cast actors and initiate projects for HP.
Well, Isabella doesn't trust Warner.

Capital has no credibility.

And with the decision made...

"What?"

"Is this related to me?"

An hour later, everyone reunited in the producer's office.

Then, Columbus was astonished when he saw the complete plan.

That's right. The plan Nathan Bailey showed them earlier was just a fragment designed specifically for Isabella.

Only when Isabella nodded and her mother Vivian agreed could everyone see the complete version of the heretical cultivation technique.

Then, the completed part is related to Columbus.

After reading the entire plan, Isabella looked at Nathan Bailey with a mixture of amusement and exasperation at its madness.

"Nathan, can you tell me how long you've been thinking about this plan?"

“I started thinking about things after ‘Die Another Day’ surpassed ‘The Chamber’ at the box office.” Nathan Bailey didn’t mince words, saying, “I felt at the time that the decline in ‘The Chamber’s’ box office could very well affect other plans.”

“Tsk—” Isabella raised an eyebrow.

She admitted that the unfortunate child wasn't entirely without merit.

At the same time, she glanced at Columbus, and seeing him struggling with his decision, she coughed and said, "Director, don't overthink it, just agree..."

"The Voice of China is also your work, and its success will benefit you as well."

"..."

Columbus rolled his eyes.

Staring at the smiling beaver, he suddenly felt that this guy's ambition seemed even stronger than he had observed.

That being the case...

“Okay, Nathan, just follow the instructions you wrote. I will complete my own tasks.”

Columbus returned the new publicity plan.

"Then, if anything goes beyond the plan, or if any unexpected events occur, you must report it immediately..."

Columbus's nod was like pressing the nuclear button.

On the same day the plan was approved, Warner released new promotional information for "The Voice"—

[Shocking! Isabella's new film is aiming for the Oscars!]

“A few months ago, our Hermione Granger graced the cover of People magazine and gave an exclusive interview to the magazine. During the interview, she mentioned that she would be releasing two movies this year: The Chamber of Secrets and The Voice, which we have already seen the trailer for.”

"The trailer for 'The Voice' is indeed good; we can even see that it's a story of bravely pursuing dreams. However, none of that is the focus of our discussion today. What we want to discuss today is the doubt we had months ago."

“I don’t know how many people remember that after the People magazine interview, there was a huge discussion about the lineup of The Voice in North America, the UK and the US, and even the whole world.”

“We don’t understand why Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, and Christian Bale would ignore Hollywood’s hierarchy and join The Voice project.”

"And today, all the truth has come to light. The reason why Anthony, Jude, and Christian joined 'The Voice' is simple: they thought the show could win an Oscar..."

Warner Bros.' publicity capabilities are beyond doubt. Even though they are currently embroiled in internal strife and the Ross family is unable to extend their reach into Ted Turner's private territory, they still managed to release the news that "The Voice" was an Oscar contender as soon as possible.

Then--

Everyone is shocked!

Because every year from December to February or March of the following year is the Olympic qualifying season!
Although the Oscar nomination rules allow films released in the previous calendar year to participate in the selection, films released in December definitely have an advantage over those released in January or February. This is because if a film is released too early, the publicity period will be over by the time the Oscars are being considered, and it is obviously not worthwhile to continue investing money in hype at that time. Therefore, any film that wants to compete for the Oscars will choose to be released in December, or at most November.

Therefore, when The Voice was released at the end of December, Warner Bros. said that the movie originally aimed for the Oscars.

No normal person would find it problematic.

And when everyone believed the news was true—

"Oh! I was wondering why Jude was playing a supporting role in a drama! So he was aiming for the Oscars!"

"That explanation makes sense! Jude received a supporting actor nomination before for *The Talented Mr. Ripley*, and now he wants to go for it again... Although I think it's a bit of a waste, since he could be aiming for Best Actor, he's made this choice... Best wishes." "So Christian Bale is also aiming for supporting actor? What's this 'two supporting actors' situation?"

"Two supporting male actors are normal! Because if a movie submits two supporting male actors, it may take away one of the competition spots! For example, if an award has five nominees, the average probability of winning is 20%, but if two nominees are from the same project, then if one of them withdraws, the probability of the other winning will be 33.33%."

"Huh? So that means one of Christian and Jude will be sacrificed?"

"Uh...yes...although this approach is ruthless, it's very professional..."

"Is Isabella aiming for Best Actress?"

"Honey, have you ever seen a 12-year-old Oscar-winning actress? Isabella's role in this movie is clearly to boost box office! There are only three real contenders: Anthony Hopkins for Best Actor, Jude Law and Christian Bale nominated for Best Supporting Actor (one of them should win), and as for the others… Chris Columbus for Best Director? He should be aiming for an Oscar too; he's already made a ton of commercial films. Finally, let's just say the whole cast is vying for Best Picture…"

cough.

When something becomes too outrageous and exceeds the public's understanding, the public will naturally fill in the blanks with their own explanations for its absurdity.

At this point, Warner Bros. hasn't even started assigning tasks to the lineup yet, and they haven't even announced which person is vying for which award, but the media has already decided who is vying for which award. Warner Bros. is speechless at this reality.

But at the same time, they were also very excited—

That's the benefit of high traffic!

As long as your project gets enough exposure, some brilliant minds will step in to answer all your questions.

The sudden emergence of the Olympic bid made New Line narrow its eyes—

"The Voice of China is an Olympic contender? I've never heard of that before?"

Robert Shea is somewhat confused.

They have an inside man within WarnerMedia.

So he knew that Warner Music didn't have "The Voice" in their Oscar campaign this year!

So……

"Boss, do you think Warner Bros. is trying to leech off us?"

"Just like 007 draining HP, the failed Man and 'Fear Killer' team up to crush SW."

There are indeed capable people within the new line. Or rather, when the general public thinks that capital giants are making stupid mistakes, it may not be that they are actually stupid, but rather that internal struggles are causing them to undermine each other.

Robert Shea scratched his head at the secretary's words.

He felt that what his secretary said was very likely, but not very likely.

Because Oscar contenders are generally perceived as boring and unexciting films, and the audience for Oscar contenders doesn't overlap with Harry Potter fans, Warner Bros. announced that The Voice was an Oscar contender.
This announcement doesn't seem like something that's exploitative!
They're actually raising their hands in surrender!

They're driving Isabella's fans away!
Robert Shea's idea is actually quite simple—put yourself in someone else's shoes. If you were a Harry Potter fan, and you found out that your favorite Hermione Granger's new movie was an Oscar contender, would you go see it?
Most people won't.

Because this movie is definitely not as fun as Harry Potter.

Kids like Hermione Granger because she's cool.

and so……

"I have a feeling that Warner is just trying to find a reason for its impending failure."

“They packaged ‘The Voice’ as an Oscar contender, so that even if the box office was poor, they could explain that it’s normal for an Oscar contender to have poor box office performance, thus negating the attack we launched with ‘Ace vs Ace 3’.”

Robert Shea admitted that he didn't understand Warner's move.

The sudden announcement that "The Voice of China" was going to compete for the Oscars was really bizarre.

Just when he was completely baffled, Warner made another move.

This time, they went directly to Disney, asking them to release a breaking news story for them.

[Breaking News! Isabella may have created The Voice!]

According to sources, the script for the much-discussed "The Voice" project was written by Isabella herself. Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, and Christian Bale all joined the project because of Isabella.

"After learning the news, we interviewed the person involved, and then—"

“Anthony Hopkins said Isabella was the smartest girl he had ever met!”

Jude Law said he received countless surprises while working with Isabella, and he really hopes his children will be as smart, cute, kind, and beautiful as Isabella!

"Christian Bale said in an interview that the story of The Voice captivated him!"

Chris Columbus then recounted the details of his collaboration with Isabella. He said that all children have dreams, and his own dream of writing began in his youth. However, even with his dream and the pursuit of it, it took him a full ten years to perfect his story. Isabella, on the other hand, amazed Columbus with her imagination! When pressed further, Columbus finally offered a comparison, saying that he found the story of "The Voice" more captivating than "Greece."

"..."

The world has come to a standstill.

After a few seconds of silence—

"Aaaaaah—Is the story of The Voice written by Isabella herself???"

"OMG! OMG!! OMG!!! Hermione Granger is really a genius???"

"Oh my god! Oh my god!! Oh my god!!! Mom! Dad! Isabella is so amazing!!!"

"Everyone is praising her!!!!!"

Disney owns many media outlets, not just ABC.

Their own radio stations, such as Disney Radio, are geared towards young people.

It was precisely because Disney's media matrix and HP's fan base overlapped that Robert Iger was so eager to acquire Isabella, and when Warner Bros. and Disney partnered...

Is "The Voice" a project started by Isabella herself?
Did adults like Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, and Christian Bale only run for the Oscars because of her?

Chris Columbus, a director who has proven his talent multiple times, calls Isabella incredibly talented?

If this kind of thing happened directly in the adult world, the tax authorities might just jump out and call it fake news.

But should it appear in the child's world first?
My idol is strong, isn't that to be expected?

If I tell my parents this, will they disagree with me?
will not!

Regardless of whether the news is true or false, my parents will always tell me to learn from Hermione!
Yes, that's the advantage of having a positive public image!
To put it bluntly—

Children who can afford to follow Harry Potter don't necessarily come from complete families, because divorce rates are high in Europe and America, but their living environment is at least normal, because J.K. Rowling writes stories about love, friendship, courage, and responsibility.

The reason why Harry Potter became a global phenomenon is because it conveys genuine universal values.

It's not about the future pollution of the "white left" or anything like "Looking at the subtle influence of Christian spirit on Du Fu through the poem 'Ode to the Goose'".

"Oh, Isabella wrote the 'The Voice' project herself? When my daughter told me this, I really thought it was April Fool's Day, but after confirming the news... I'm not sure how to comment on this because the movie hasn't been released yet, so I don't know what the story is like, but I would say that if a 12-year-old girl's dream can actually be made into a full movie, then that would definitely be something to be praised."

“Because all children have dreams. I had dreams when I was 12, but I wasn’t as lucky as Isa to get investment from Warner Bros. So, no matter what the outcome, I think I will take my daughter to see the movie. I hope the story can be well made, and I don’t want to disappoint my daughter.”

The day after the news broke, people on North American talk shows were already discussing The Voice!

Moreover, USA Today, which had previously criticized Isabella, has been much milder this time!
"Although we don't believe that a 12-year-old girl can write anything outstanding, I still want to say that The Voice may be the first truly meaningful Christmas gift for children since the birth of cinema."

"Because in previous years, Christmas movies were mostly games made by adults for children."

"Take Chris Columbus's own 'Home Alone,' for example. The movie is indeed funny, but Macaulay Culkin's biggest contribution to the whole movie is just his puppet-like performance."

"But The Voice is different, when the story originates from Isabella..."

"If the filming was not good, we would definitely tell the truth and criticize it seriously, but now, we choose to offer our blessings."

"I hope you all have a Merry Christmas."

As soon as the news spread like wildfire, Xinxian felt like he was about to die!

Let children create their own Christmas designs?

What the hell is this tactic?!

Once the children's emotions have been stirred up, the number of screenings for "The Voice of China" will definitely increase!
The screenings of "The Voice of China" have increased...

Whose screenings will decrease?
This is such a hard question to answer!

"So Isabella really the one who wrote 'The Voice'?"

It's still New York.

It's still the New Line headquarters on Fifth Avenue.

This time, Robert Shea was no longer as dashing as before; he nearly smashed the table in front of him to pieces.

His question elicited both nods and shakes from the secretary, who waited for the other party to reveal the inside story of the script deal—

Robert Shea immediately slumped into his seat.

Yes, the investigation by Newline has revealed that the original script for "The Voice of China" was purchased and then modified.

In principle, this is not truly original.

But they can't talk about it.

Because this practice of removing signatures is an unspoken rule in the industry.

Even worse, many big names claim to have unparalleled creativity, but in reality, they just suddenly have an inspiration, then pay a script doctor to expand and revise it, and finally, they erase the original author's name, thus creating their own Oscar-winning original script.

When countless people in the industry have done this kind of thing...

You can break the law, but you can't break the rules!
If his new line uses something like this to attack Isabella, then Ted Turner will have to be kicked out of the industry!
Everyone in Hollywood would say no to Ted Turner!
No matter how much money he has!
"Oh my god! It seems like The Voice is really sucking our blood!"

Robert Shea clenched his teeth, clearly frustrated.

The secretary knew he was telling the truth, but at that moment... all he could do was comfort his boss.

Because the only way to fight back by seizing screen time through public opinion is to withdraw from the release schedule.

And that's why "The Lord of the Rings" was pulled from its release schedule?
Isn't this funny!

How could The Lord of the Rings possibly fear Isabella!

"Boss, I don't think you need to rush, because we've already made preparations. Our movie will be released on Wednesday, and as long as we can get 100 million in box office revenue in the first week, the theaters shouldn't reduce our screenings..."

Yes! Yes! Yes!

To win, New Line has pulled out all the stops this time.

Normally, movies are shown on Fridays, but New Line Cinema has scheduled The Lord of the Rings for Wednesday this time.

The reason for doing this is simple: they want to gross 100 million yuan in the first week. If they do, their movie will gain massive online buzz, because currently, only "The Failed Man" has grossed 100 million yuan in its first week.

But they only offer it for the first three days of the weekend.

New Line didn't have the confidence to do that, so they scheduled "The Lord of the Rings" for five days in its first week.

This approach is actually quite shameless, but history only remembers the victors.

If we can win, in the future, people will only say that LOTR is more valuable than HP, and will not say that the new line has been faking it all along.

Of course, at this moment, no one would actually say that the new line is fabricating data.

Because they did this last year when the first Lord of the Rings movie was released.

The Fellowship of the Ring was released on Wednesday.

Because this arrangement was made in advance, therefore...

"hope so."

Robert Shea leaned back in his chair and slowly closed his eyes.

At that moment, he was at a loss.

Before and after officially launching "The Voice of China," Warner Music seemed to have exhausted all its tricks and stopped its promotional efforts.

This fact gave New Line a much-needed breather.

After waiting until December 8th, The Two Towers premiered at the Siegfried Theatre in New York.

The response was positive, with all comments being positive.

But when the movie is officially released...

On December 18, the day of its premiere, "The Two Towers" grossed $2615 million in 3622 theaters across North America.

This number is already quite high.

Because it's a weekday.

The following day, the 19th, 1387 million was received;
On Friday the 20th, the closing price was 1922 million.
On Saturday the 21st, he earned 2275 million.
On Sunday, the 22nd, box office revenue dropped back to 2000 million...

The fact that the company barely made over 100 million in its first five days is quite ugly.

If you bring HP and SW, they can easily rack up at least 1.5 million.

Not to mention the failed men, they can rack up 2 million.

The fact that the first three days only saw 6197 million in sales directly caused the new line to collapse.

Even Warner Bros. felt confused.

As for the reason?

Very simple.

This achievement would be excellent in other projects, but it's utter garbage when applied to "The Lord of the Rings".

Because this year alone, four films have surpassed it in opening weekend box office rankings, namely—

Spider-Man, The Chamber of Secrets, Attack of the Clones, and Austin Powers.

That's right!

Even New Line Cinema's own "Austin Powers III" had a higher opening weekend than "The Two Towers"!

They received 6300 million!
and so……

Even if The Voice of China doesn't drain the resources of The Two Towers, it seems like LOTR can't surpass HP?

that……

What's the big deal about Warner's previous busy work?

At that moment, Warner wondered if he had overestimated LOTR.

However, they nipped the idea in the bud in the bud after only a second.

Since everyone is an enemy, killing LOTR is Warner Bros.' top priority!

As such, with the arrival of the 23rd, "The Voice" also premiered at the Eurovision Theatre in the UK.

The screening went well, and the audience response was positive. Everyone was looking forward to the release on the 25th, but what was even more explosive was what happened after the screening.

Warner has released new promotional information.

This is also the last wave of promotional bombshells—

[Shocking! Chris Columbus may be embroiled in a mentor-student rivalry with Steven Spielberg!]

Breaking news! Anthony Hopkins and Tom Hanks are engaged in a once-in-a-decade Oscar showdown!

[No prize! Who's the real box office draw: Hermione Granger or Jack Dawson?]

This year's Oscars will be an unprecedented battle!

Ok.

Besides "The Lord of the Rings," "Gangs of New York," "The Hours," and "Chicago," there's another big movie coming out this Christmas: "Catch Me If You Can," starring Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Since they're trying to leech off "The Lord of the Rings," why would Warner Bros. give them even a second screen time?
Putting "The Voice of China" against "The Lord of the Rings" is just mutual traffic-grabbing!
It's a unique kind of beauty for "The Voice of China" to gain attention by using the gimmick of qualifying for the Olympics!

The only way is to let "The Voice of China" compete with an equally matched opponent!
That's the only way to steal everyone's attention!

And now...

In the entire film industry, who could be a better rival than "Catch Me If You Can"?

Yes!
Hermione Granger alone can't take on the Fellowship of the Ring!
But do you think LOTR can beat six traffic pools?
Which of Columbus, Spielberg, Hopkins, and Hanks is a vegetarian?
Jack and Hermione are two of the most popular characters in the film industry before and after the millennium!

So……

"Robert Shea—"

"Die to me!"

After releasing all the information, Barry Mayer's face contorted with rage, his eyes flashing with a cold light!

Robert Shea, at the New York New Line headquarters, was slumped in his seat.

at this moment……

He feels...

The sky is falling!

"So we'll get sucked blood, right?"

He stared at the ceiling and muttered to himself.

Before the secretary could even speak, his neck suddenly stiffened, and he raised his head, staring intently at his subordinate—

"Go and get me tickets for the 25th right away!"

"I want to see Isabella's movie on the 25th!"

"I want to see what kind of movie she made!"

"I hope Isabella writes a masterpiece!"

"otherwise--"

"We'll make her quit the entertainment industry if we can get rid of her!!!"

It's common practice in the industry for actors to outperform their rivals' hit shows by taking down the lead actors of those shows when they can't beat the competition.

This is a tradition that existed even in the very beginning of Hollywood.

The Golden Age of Hollywood, as it's often described by the public, was actually the darkest era for those in the industry. Back then, studios could sign people, so why couldn't rival actors carry the box office? Okay, why not just invite them to make movies for us?
Not coming?

Then let's just send them to feed the fish in the Pacific Ocean.

What? You're saying you have a problem with your partner?
If you have objections, then do it!

When Warner poached talent from MGM in 1933, did they ever imagine that everything they had in Burbank would be burned down in 1934? You want to cut off my livelihood? Then you might as well die!
As for whether this practice demonstrates martial ethics or not?

Only those who survive can proclaim their martial virtue.

Since the secretary knew all this, she was not surprised, nodded in agreement, and turned to leave.

With his passing, Christmas 2002 arrived.

On that day, "The Voice" was simultaneously released in 475 theaters in the British Isles and 3156 theaters in North America.

Of course, it exists in other places as well.

Compared to "The Two Towers," "The Voice" only lagged behind "The Voice" in North American screenings by 6%, which is comparable to "Catch Me If You Can."

That's right.

Since "The Two Towers" was such a flop, and Hermione Granger was a gimmick, why would theaters risk their own revenue? To put it bluntly, kids are way more likely to pay for popcorn and soda than older people.

And the cinemas have all voted with their feet; they've leveled the playing field for everyone...

And so the war officially began.

　Note: ① I didn't adjust the box office figures for *The Lord of the Rings*; *The Two Towers*' opening weekend was just as weak. This series achieved high box office returns because New Line Cinema used two marketing tricks: extended the run and inflated box office revenue through video sales. First, a normal movie runs for two to two and a half months, with blockbusters typically running for five to six months. However, *The Lord of the Rings*, from the first film, ran for eight months, grossing $3.15 million in North America. To put that in perspective, *The Big Ship*, which grossed $6.58 million, only ran for nine months. So why did this extended run inflate box office figures? That leads to the second question. *Spider-Man*, released in May, started selling DVDs in November, selling 7 million copies on its opening day. *The Two Towers*, released in December 2002, didn't start selling DVDs until September 2003, selling only 3.5 million copies in its opening week. When a movie is intentionally shown for an extended period, people who prefer watching at home on DVD are forced to go to the theater because they can't rent DVDs. This leads to a sharp drop in DVD revenue for movies with extended runs. I have already explained why New Line did this: it is to make the financial statements more pleasing to the eye for shareholders.

　　P.S.: Just a side note, New Line Cinema has a terrible reputation in the industry. Almost everyone who works with them ends up suing them and requesting an audit because they don't keep accurate accounts. In the case of The Lord of the Rings project, the film's lead actor, director, and the Tolkien Estate sued New Line Cinema three times because the revenue figures New Line Cinema provided differed from the figures they obtained from third-party investigation agencies by a full 70%.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)