Chapter 184: Kalis's Oscar Strategy

As late June approached, the blazing California sun could not dispel the bitter chill in Mel Gibson's heart. The box-office performance of Braveheart had been a devastating blow. If he had narrowly lost to his main rival, Saving Private Ryan, he might have simply felt a twinge of resentment. But reality was far harsher: after five weeks in theaters, the North American box office for Saving Private Ryan had reached a massive $235.78 million, while Braveheart sat at a pitiful $21.57 million—not even a fraction of the former.

The two simply could not be compared!

Even someone as fiercely proud as Mel Gibson had to admit it now: in this battle against Duke Rosenberg, he had been utterly crushed.

Sitting across from the grim-faced Mel Gibson, Martin Bob's expression was stormy. The Braveheart project had fallen far short of expectations, placing him under immense pressure. Whispers were already circulating within CAA, suggesting that his string of failed package projects was a clear sign of incompetence.

This slander from his rivals had left Martin Bob with a remarkably short fuse lately. He just could not understand why the projects he spearheaded always collapsed so easily the moment they went up against Duke Rosenberg. Was Duke Rosenberg truly invincible during the summer season?

'The most promising commercial director in Hollywood... why doesn't he belong to CAA?'

At the thought, Martin Bob felt his anger flare again. He loosened his tie and sighed inwardly. 'If we had just paid a little more attention to Duke Rosenberg back then, we probably wouldn't be in this awkward situation now. Maybe our projects over the years would have succeeded one after another.'

"Martin, we haven't failed yet!"

Mel Gibson, who had been sitting in silence, suddenly broke the quiet of the office. "The film hasn't seen a wide overseas release yet. Overseas—"

"Mel!"

Martin Bob raised a hand, cutting Mel Gibson off. "Do you honestly think a film that bombs in North America can become a massive hit overseas? Don't forget, with the exception of Scotland, all the major markets in Europe have refused to screen this movie anytime soon."

Mel Gibson opened his mouth to argue, then closed it in frustration. He was well aware of the dire situation the film faced abroad.

Aside from Scotland, Braveheart had failed to secure a spot in a single major Western box-office market. Not only had British Commonwealth members like England, New Zealand, and Australia pushed the film's release back to the relatively dead months of September and October, but even France had jumped into the fray, condemning the film for slandering Princess Isabella and subsequently delaying its premiere.

It didn't stop there. Thanks to its dismal North American box office, distributors in Germany, Spain, and Italy all refused to release the movie during the highly lucrative summer season. Looking at the schedule alone, Braveheart was already an overseas tragedy.

CAA and Paramount Pictures were undeniably powerful, but during the summer season—when commercial performance dictated everything—Braveheart's box-office numbers couldn't convince a single distributor or theater chain.

For that matter, as far as Mel Gibson knew, Paramount Pictures had practically abandoned all major promotional efforts for Braveheart starting in its second week. The writing was on the wall: any further marketing budget they poured into it would simply never be recouped.

Did the film still have any hope? That was the question currently consuming Mel Gibson.

Was there any way to resuscitate this movie? That was the thought turning over in Martin Bob's mind.

Failure brought more than just unrecovered funds. It triggered a chain reaction that would damage their future credibility, tarnish the reputations of both CAA and themselves personally, and deal a severe blow to Mel Gibson's budding directing career and Martin Bob's package projects.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Then, as if sharing a telepathic link, they suddenly looked at one another and arrived at the exact same answer—the Oscar!

Yes! Snagging an award, or even just racking up multiple Oscar nominations, could absolutely salvage a failed movie. The Shawshank Redemption—a film that had bombed spectacularly during two consecutive theatrical runs but was currently exploding in the Videotape market—was the perfect example.

As industry veterans, they both knew exactly why production and distribution companies were willing to burn through fortunes campaigning for awards. For the sake of art? What a joke. They did it because awards generated buzz, drew eyes, and ultimately raked in more revenue!

"Martin, Braveheart could be forcibly pulled from theaters at any time."

Dropping all pretense, Mel Gibson said directly, "I need you to partner with Paramount and put pressure on the theater chains. We have to keep the movie playing, especially in the independent theaters around the Greater Los Angeles area. Ideally, we need to sustain the theatrical run right through the awards season!"

"That's going to cost a fortune." Martin Bob understood how vital these steps were for an awards campaign. "And I seriously doubt Paramount Pictures is willing to sink much more money into this movie..."

Mel Gibson considered Martin Bob's words for a moment before finally making up his mind. "If Paramount throws their full weight behind my push for Best Director, I'm willing to forfeit the remaining third of my director's fee."

He knew that Fox and the other studios were already laying the groundwork for Saving Private Ryan's awards campaign. That included submitting Duke Rosenberg for Best Director. Although the kid's youth was his biggest disadvantage, he was of true Jewish descent. No one could say for certain whether the Jewish influence in Hollywood would rally to crown a young Jewish Best Director.

Having lost to Duke Rosenberg on the commercial front, Mel Gibson fully intended to reclaim his ground in the awards arena, determined to crush his young rival.

More importantly, if Braveheart could sweep the school faction awards, it would entirely vindicate him. A poor box office would simply mean the audience lacked the refined aesthetic taste to appreciate it, not that his directing skills were subpar!

Not far away, in another office, Eno Martin was also discussing Oscar-related strategies with Tom Hanks.

"Tom, you can't win Best Actor three times in a row." He looked earnestly at the man across from him. "But snagging a Best Actor nomination as Captain Miller is entirely possible. It'll be tough, though. After all, this isn't a one-man show like Forrest Gump."

"I understand." Tom Hanks's wholesome, honest face was lined with sharp shrewdness. "Aside from the necessary promotional tours, I'll do my best to stay in Los Angeles for the next six months and attend all the required events."

After seeing Tom Hanks out, Eno Martin picked up his custom-made Mobile Phone and dialed a number.

"Hi, Duke," he said. "It seems I owe you a massive thank you whether I like it or not."

In his Malibu mansion, Duke held his Mobile Phone and waved a hand at Tina Fey and Nancy Josephson. He skirted the floor-to-ceiling windows and stepped out onto the oceanfront terrace.

"Martin, skip the thank-yous," Duke said. "Let's talk about something far more practical."

Eno's tone through the receiver sounded faintly mysterious.

"Mel Gibson is plotting something against you," he said. "I don't have the exact details, but it seems to involve the Oscar."

"Oscar?"

Hearing that, Duke felt mostly relieved.

"I don't have any specific Oscar plans on my end," Duke replied. "Mel Gibson's true competitors in that arena will be the co-producing studios."

Duke hung up and headed back into the living room. Settling into a single armchair, he gestured for Nancy Josephson to pick up where they had left off.

"This is the DCR-VX1000, Sony's newly developed DV camera. It officially hits the market next month."

Nancy Josephson reached for an exquisitely wrapped gift box, pulled out a compact video camera, and slid it across the table toward Duke. "This is a high-end edition custom-made by Sony Electronics specifically for Hollywood directors and stars. It records on magnetic tape."

"Are they trying to use Hollywood for promotion?" Duke took the camera and fiddled with it. Although it was nothing compared to the tech of the future, it was undeniably compact for its time. "Or do they just know that Hollywood stars have a habit of filming themselves, and prepared these gifts accordingly?"

'This little gadget is the ultimate prerequisite for pulling an Edison Chen.'

'Come to think of it, shouldn't I use it to record a few things myself? Decades down the line, looking back at those tapes would definitely be highly entertaining.'

Such thoughts merely circled Duke's mind for a moment before he immediately tossed them aside. He felt secretly filming people was far beneath him. After all, his relationships with those female stars were nothing more than casual flings aimed at mutual physical pleasure—they weren't bitter enemies he was preparing to drag out and slaughter.

Of course, if he were dealing with enemies, all bets would be off. But who would willingly sleep with the enemy?

Putting away the DV camera, Duke handed it to Tina Fey and asked her to set it aside for now. He then turned his attention back to Nancy Josephson to discuss their upcoming priorities.

"Nancy, the script for Chicago has been completed."

As Duke spoke, Tina Fey handed a freshly printed copy of the script over to Nancy. "I'm going to need a phenomenal choreographer. Does ICM represent anyone who fits the bill? If they don't, I want you to reach out to Broadway or wherever else you have to look to find me one."

Nancy gave a firm nod. "I'll handle it as soon as possible."

"Also..." Duke tapped the script. "There's a list attached at the back. I want you to make sure this script gets into the hands of everyone on it. Remember that British actress I mentioned to you before? Make sure you notify her... Oh, and Naomi Watts as well."

He also had Tom Cruise in mind, but Duke didn't mention his name just yet. He planned to speak with him personally when the time was right.

"Nami has been steadily preparing for this film of yours."

Since she was a client on her own roster, Nancy made sure to put in a good word. "Both her singing and dancing, as well as her acting, have improved tremendously."

"We'll see how the audition goes," Duke said, refusing to make any solid promises. "You can let her know she still has six months to prepare."

Nancy Josephson jotted down Duke's instructions one by one in her notebook, looking rather exasperated.

"You're dumping all the work on me again?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously. "Are you getting ready to go on vacation?"

"It's been almost a year since my last vacation," Duke pointed out. Turning his head, he spoke to Tina Fey. "Book me a flight to Spain, and reserve the best suite available on Ibiza Island."

"Are you bringing a date?" Nancy asked, mildly surprised. She knew Duke's entanglements with those female stars were never anything more than casual flings.

"A beautiful princess," Duke replied with a double meaning.