Warner and Page Pictures frequently employed petty tricks. Even Paramount Pictures, as one of The Big Six with extensive experience in problem-solving, saw its short-term box office harvesting significantly affected.
November 9th:
Paramount's new release, sleepy hollow, earned $15.6 million in a single day, ranking 1st on the North American daily box office charts;
In 2nd place, Page Pictures' final destination earned $5.2 million for the day, bringing its cumulative North American box office to $62.1 million;
In 3rd place, Warner Bros. Pictures' the haunted house earned $3.07 million for the day, bringing its cumulative North American box office to $33.9 million;
As for the films in other positions, most were low-budget horror movies.
The prelude to sleepy hollow dominating the market had begun~
However, as the two previously dominant forces, Warner and Page Pictures naturally did not want sleepy hollow to rise so strongly. In addition to creating trouble for Paramount in media promotion, they also caused problems in theater chains, offline markets, and various other fields.
There was no other way; everyone had to eat!
Everything was for the sake of profit.
In the days that followed... although sleepy hollow was an excellent film, it also faced significant limitations.
The Halloween season is, after all, a period for horror and thriller enthusiasts. Compared to family-friendly, sci-fi, or action genres, its overall audience is much smaller.
In short, the box office performance of sleepy hollow was lower than Paramount's expectations!
"Tsk, tsk, tsk~"
"A horror film with a $60 million budget is indeed a grand undertaking, and the movie was made quite well. Unfortunately, the audience for the horror/thriller genre is always limited to those few people. With films like final destination and the haunted house splitting the box office, it's difficult for sleepy hollow to exert its full potential!"
"Even if Paramount's sleepy hollow hits $100 million in North America this year, it won't make a profit."
"Exactly, the peripheral products for horror movies have always been inferior to those of other genres."
"The petty tricks from Warner and Page Pictures, haha, cost Paramount at least $15 million in box office revenue."
"I heard Redstone is about to explode with rage!"
...Page Pictures.
"Boss, it really wasn't easy~ To handle this Halloween season, our Page Pictures and the parent company, Golden Dawn Entertainment Group, both put in a lot of effort!" Kevin Feige lamented.
"Mm!"
Kyle nodded heavily and said, "Fortunately, we had Warner this time. Otherwise, relying on our strength alone, it would have been truly difficult to shake Paramount! After all, the $60 million production cost of sleepy hollow is not something an ordinary genre film can compare to."
"Haha. Boss, regardless, in this Halloween season, our final destination taking the top spot is already an established fact. It's worth celebrating." Kevin Feige's emotions were somewhat stirred.
The opponent was one of The Big Six!
Being able to surpass the box office of one of The Big Six within a single season was definitely a remarkable achievement.
Looking back at Page Pictures since its inception, there had been countless battles large and small, but moments as glorious as this Halloween season were rare.
Kyle felt a bit of pride in being able to suppress the films of Paramount and Warner in the Halloween season in one fell swoop.
Kevin Feige felt the same way.
What young person doesn't have hot blood? Who would fear a fight?
However... at this moment, Bill McNickle, the president of Page Pictures,
Heartlessly threw a large bucket of cold water over Kyle and Kevin.
"It's just a mere Halloween season; what is there for us to be proud of or write home about?"
Mr.Bill said in a heavy tone, "Memorial Day at the end of May every year, as the start of the summer season, has always been a battlefield for all major companies and is one of the best times to harvest box office. But let me ask, since Page Pictures was founded, have we ever made a mark in that season?"
The season marking the start of summer is bound to be crowded with blockbusters and heavy hitters.
Apart from the two Class-A frontline major productions, Harry Potter and Spider-Man, which are currently filming, Page Pictures mostly has low-budget productions. How could they make a move at the start of the summer season?
They would surely be destined to become cannon fodder!
Immediately, Kyle and Kevin were left speechless.
Mr.Bill continued, "Look at the Thanksgiving season; can our company handle that?"
Nonsense~
Since the late 80s, the Thanksgiving season has been the private domain of The Big Six of Hollywood. Even DreamWorks hasn't been able to intervene, and any other films released then inevitably become sacrifices.
How tragic how lamentable
"And finally, the Christmas season; we have no achievements to speak of there either."
Mr.Bill said sternly, "Memorial Day at the end of May, Thanksgiving, and Christmas—these three optimal seasons have always seen The Big Six fighting for every second and using every trick in the book. Page Pictures has not been able to set foot in them to this day."
"Hmph~"
Kyle snorted and said, "What's there to fear? The Spider-Man and Harry Potter movies will be released in the seasons you mentioned. They are the clarion call; I won't always be picking up the scraps of the off-season!"
Kevin Feige also said firmly, "Next year, it's not certain who will win or lose."
Clap, clap, clap!
Mr.Bill clapped in approval and said with relief, "That's the spirit. If you're going to fight, fight head-on. A mere Halloween season victory isn't much to talk about. Only by defeating The Big Six in the three seasons of Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas will Page Pictures truly not be looked down upon by anyone."
Making a fortune quietly is a good strategy.
However, now that Page Pictures has grown to a certain size, continuing to develop stealthily and make money in silence is no longer possible.
The Big Six are not fools.
On the contrary, they are all cunning hunters!
"If we don't catch up and fight for progress, Page Pictures will never have a day of true rise," Kyle thought as he secretly clenched his fist.
Kyle even had an urgent desire to acquire a large company.
As long as he could acquire any of the film companies among The Big Six, then Page Pictures would truly stabilize its foundation and no longer fear the strangulation of other forces.
Petty tricks are always just petty tricks; even if they can have a certain effect, they don't impact the overall situation much.
A frontal sweep is the way of the king!
Crushing strength is true power!
In this Halloween season, the reason Kyle's Page Pictures was able to achieve the highest box office was simply because they held a great advantage and achieved those results while The Big Six were not paying too much attention. After all, the eyes of The Big Six are always on those popular seasons.
To be honest, Page Pictures' victory this time was somewhat unfair!
"Page Pictures still has a long way to go!"
...On this day, Kyle stopped his work and drove to a hotel to attend the wedding of the 82-year-old "Gambling King," Kirk Kerkorian.
Kirk Kerkorian was not only one of the founders of the Las Vegas gambling industry but also the former owner of the Hollywood film giant MGM, with a net worth of billions of dollars.
"MGM~"
Kyle smiled. "I really want to acquire it!"
Although MGM is in decline and far inferior to its contemporaries like Disney, Paramount, Columbia, Universal, Warner, and Fox, it still holds a seat on the screening and rating committees under the Motion Picture Association of America.
Seven seats represent the supreme status of a giant!
How could Kyle not be envious?