Vol 2 Chapter 453: Who decides the CEO of Warner Bros.

"If the time is right, I will accept your invitation."
Duke did not make any promises, but gave a vague answer.
The other party’s market is indeed very attractive, but it was ten years later, and today’s value is better than nothing. Even if the box office can sell for 100 million US dollars, the share of more than ten percent is completely negligible for his films. .
Unlike traditional Hollywood directors, he knows where the psychological bottom line of the opposite public is. Although he has been shooting standard politically correct Great Americanism films these years, he will not touch places that should not be touched, and the future It will certainly not be touched.
Of course, after 9/11, Sino-US relations have been greatly improved. If the two sides have official film and cultural exchange activities and send him an official invitation, Duke would also be happy to come and have a look.
However, it was just a look. Duke knew very well that, not to mention that he was a ghost, even if he was a Chinese American, he would still be an outsider if he really wanted to do anything.
This is just a small episode of the trip to Europe. After spending the weekend in Cannes, Duke and others flew to London, and the latest weekend box office data was passed to him by the Lord of the Rings studio.
On the first weekend overseas, the UK was still the market with the highest box office. "√, Two Towers" scored US$27.85 million on the first Wednesday, which created the highest weekend box office record in British film history.
In the entire European region, "The Two Towers" almost without exception boarded the throne of the box office rankings of various countries. Duke led the crew through France, the score is second only to the United Kingdom and Germany, with a score of 18.52 million US dollars, enough Dazzling.
In Germany, the second largest traditional ticket market in Europe, "Two Towers" also won the box office list of the week without any suspense, with a box office number of 24.55 million US dollars!
Although the film will not enter other regions such as Asia and Latin America until next weekend. But in Europe alone, "The Two Towers" won an overseas box office of $124.57 million!
At the same time, the film continued to advance in North America.
Among the newly released films in North America this week, only Universal Pictures’ "Single Parent Interview" was opened on a scale of more than 1,500 theaters. However, this low-cost film was affected by "The Two Towers" and the filming rate was not ideal. Even if popular movie stars such as Hugh Grant and Rachel Vichy were assembled to help out, it would be difficult to pose a threat to "The Two Towers".
Universal Pictures is also very low-key in the announcement of this film, obviously lacking enough confidence, otherwise it will not be scheduled to be released the next weekend of "The Two Towers", and the performance of "Single Parent Transfer Student" is also in line with market expectations. , Only 7.8 million US dollars in the first weekend.
On the one hand, the quality of the film is indeed not good enough, on the other hand, it has been impacted by "Two Towers".
The second weekend of "Two Towers" in North America is very strong, compared with the first weekend box office, a drop of only 38%. Cut down the attractive data of up to 63.87 million US dollars!
Even now in 2000, there are many commercial masterpieces whose first week box office can break through the 50 million US dollar mark, but 63.87 million US dollars can not only crush the first week box office of most films, but also create the highest box office in North American film history. Box office record for the next weekend!
"Within ten days of release, the North American box office totaled 249.62 million U.S. dollars and the global box office was 374.19 million U.S. dollars."
In Warner's office, Doug Walter and Jamie Johnson smiled brilliantly. The latter continued, "Do you dare to imagine such an achievement?"
"I dare!" Doug Walter said seriously, "because its director is Duke Rosenberg!"
Jamie Johnson rolled his eyes, "Doug, what about a bet?"
"What are you betting on?" Doug Walter asked curiously.
"Just block the right to use your new villa for one week." Jamie Johnson directly threw out how to bet, "If the North American box office of "The Two Towers" is below 500 million US dollars, count me as a loser; if it exceeds 500 million US dollars. If you lose, how about?"
Doug Walter pointed to his head and said in a joking tone, "Do you think I have a problem here? I will make a bet like this with you. If I change it, I will definitely agree."
"Replace it? No, no..." Jamie Johnson shook his finger, "Then you might as well say that "The Two Towers" cannot exceed one billion dollars in the world!"
"You know, Jamie." Doug Walter put on a serious tone, "Billion dollars is just my lowest global expectation for "Two Towers".
"Duke has never disappointed people, has it?"
The two looked at each other and laughed at the same time.
The laughter gradually stopped, and Jamie Johnson asked again, "How about the sales in the surrounding area?"
"Very good!" Doug Walter directly found a piece of information and handed it to him, "In ten days, North America's peripheral sales reached 187 million U.S. dollars. This is still a conservative statistics!"
Jamie Johnson sighed, "Warner Bros. can't lose Duke."
"He is the largest individual shareholder of Warner Bros." Doug Walter said, "Warner's interests are often his personal interests."
Nodding, Jamie Johnson asked in a low voice, "Does your business matter?"
"Don't mention it to other people."
First exhorted, Doug Walter said again, "The income from the two projects of "The Fellowship of the Fellowship" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" that I was responsible for last year accounted for 100% of the total annual revenue of Warner Bros. Thirty-seventh, the group company is basically determined. Starting in July, I will succeed Jeff."
"Congratulations on becoming the new CEO."
Having said that, Jamie Johnson reminded, "Doug, I think it is necessary to notify Duke in advance."
"Without his support, I wouldn't be able to get this position." Doug Walter gave him a relieved look, "I was informed of Duke yesterday."
In fact, in this battle without gunpowder and smoke, Doug Walter felt that it was easy to win. His biggest strategy was to choose the thickest thigh in Warner Bros. besides mobilizing contacts, and then he did not hesitate. Hugged him.
In the eyes of outsiders, this is simply too technical.
There is even a rumor spreading in Hollywood-the person who can really determine the CEO of Warner Bros. is called Duke Rosenberg!
Duke also heard about these rumors, but didn't care much. Doug Walter became the new CEO of Warner Bros. It can be said that he fits his needs very well. The two sides have cooperated for many years to understand each other's habits and patterns, which is also beneficial to him. Continue to cooperate with Warner Bros.
After staying in Europe for nearly a week, Duke led the crew to the Far East, starting from Tokyo in Japan, passing through Seoul in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taipei in China, Manila in the Philippines, and finally arrived in Sydney, Australia, for "The Two Towers". "Promote the show in the Far East.
Even if Australia is excluded, this trip is far away from the Western world where Lord of the Rings novels are popular, but every time Duke and his team go there, they will set off a wave of enthusiasm. Even when they are doing publicity in Tokyo, Orlando Bloom is out to play. After being recognized, it led to being surrounded by thousands of young Japanese men and women. Even if it alarmed the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, it took quite a long time to rescue this Legolas.
Among the two most popular vases in The Lord of the Rings, Duke has always carried Orlando Bloom instead of Alexandra Ambrosio. Before it happens.
Since Ivanka Trump has agreed to formally communicate, Duke intends to manage this relationship seriously. If it is still the same as before, even if Ivanka can forgive him once, it will never endure unlimitedly. , And no woman will have unlimited tolerance in this regard.
When he was single, he could have as much as possible. Now that he has a girlfriend, Duke has decided to take care of him.
He knows that his restraint is sometimes lower, and reducing getting along is undoubtedly a good way.
Duke’s trip to the Far East led by the crew can be said to be a great success. Everywhere he went, there was a strong response. After the first week of "Two Towers" in Europe, the popularity inevitably declined. The Far East and Latin America have taken over the task of rising overseas markets and performed extremely well.
On the second weekend of "The Two Towers" was released overseas, it won US$189.23 million, and the overseas box office totaled US$372.57 million!
There is no suspense in North America. On the third weekend of "The Two Towers" was released, the number of theaters not only did not shrink, but also increased again, reaching an unprecedented number of 3977 in North America. The average rate of theaters is still close to 8%. Ten. These all ensured that the box office continued to maintain a strong trend this weekend, the decline was controlled at 40%, and it received 38.32 million US dollars.
Counting the $32.11 million earned in the previous four working days, the North American box office of "Two Towers" successfully broke through the $300 million mark, reaching $3020.5 million.
In less than twenty days, the global box office of "Two Towers" has reached 692.62 million US dollars!
At this point, even people outside the circle can see that the global billion US dollars is just a pass for "The Two Towers", it is definitely not the end!
Duke is very clear that the film can achieve such results and harvest wealth at the box office and surrounding areas faster than "The Fellowship of the Ring" is caused by many reasons.
First of all, "The Two Towers" is not a sequel in the traditional sense, but it enjoys the same treatment as the sequels of all the hit movies.
Secondly, the quality of the film, its publicity, and the theater chain are all equally strong, and it took him ten years for the director to establish his own reputation.
Finally, in May, which should have been hot, "Two Towers" did not have enough competitors, and easily achieved three consecutive box office titles.
But this advantage is about to disappear. Next weekend, George Lucas's masterpiece "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" will strike strongly. (To be continued...)