America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM

Chapter 54 A little shock

In January, "Sharknado" was almost finished, and only a few theaters were still showing it.

After continuing to collect more than 13 million US dollars, its box office potential has also been tapped, and it is estimated that the final box office result will reach 115 million US dollars.

Since it was released in December, the box office ranking belongs to 2002. It currently ranks 18th on the North American annual box office list, reaching the top 20 in a way that no one expected.

When it is released in Europe, Australia, Africa and other places in a while, it is expected to collect another 20 to 30 million US dollars.

As for the Asian side, they are not too keen on this idea yet, so they simply won’t release it.

At the same time, the list of Oscar nominations was announced, and films such as "Gangs of New York", "About Schmidt", "The Hours", "The Pianist", "Chicago", "Spider-Man" and "Lord of the Rings" were selected.

The announcement of the nominations actually has no impact on the box office of most of the films. It only affects the subsequent sales of discs and copyrights.

But it's not absolute. For example, "The Hours" and "Chicago" are still in the large-scale screening stage, and they are counting on a box office boost after the nominations are announced.

For example, the movie "The Hours" brings together three major movie queens: Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep. It has a strong lineup, but its box office in the first weekend was only a measly US$330,000.

You read that right, it’s 330,000 US dollars, not even a million dollars. Even if it improves in the future, it’s still far from ideal. The North American box office has not yet exceeded 20 million US dollars. The producers are just waiting for this wave to bring back some blood. .

Along with the announcement of the Oscar nominations, the media reviews of "Saw" were also released. Most film critics gave it favorable reviews and recommended watching.

Movie Magazine: "Saw" is one of the top three horror films I have seen in recent years. It is different from other horror films in that it tells a profound story and is superior in terms of script. It is highly recommended. At the end, you will find a surprise similar to "Shock Island"!

Chicago Tribune: I must say that "Saw" gave me a surprise. Before I walked into the theater, I didn't have high hopes. Its slogan "Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you want to truly live?" ?”, I just thought it was a joke, but when I walked out of the cinema, I have to tell you that if you want to understand the meaning of life, you must watch this movie seriously.

The Independent: A movie with a mediocre plot, "Saw" uses seemingly meaningful gimmicks to lure audiences into the cinema, but it has too many loopholes. Perhaps when you watch it for the first time, the blood and excitement The shots will make you forget to think, but as soon as you come back to your senses, you will find that you have been treated as a fool. This is just a mediocre film.

Fox News: This is an amazing work. James Wynn and Leigh Whannell. These two young people gave the 2003 horror movie a good start. When watching this movie, I hope you don’t pay too much attention to it. Those plasma and torture tools, but think more about its intentions. I am very sure that MGM has found a treasure this time. The box office of "Saw" will definitely make this lion a feast!

The evaluation given by the media this time is simply two extremes from that of "Sharknado". Not only did the traditional media give praise, but even the Internet was full of praise.

On IMDB, some bold fans have even crowned "Saw" as the best horror film of 2003 in advance.

Good word-of-mouth naturally drives more people to go to the cinema, and the attendance rate of "Saw" is increasing every day.

Amid the praise, the box office of "Saw" was released on its first weekend, with a three-day revenue of US$33 million. After deducting the production cost of 5 million and the publicity cost of 10 million, it has almost achieved breakeven.

Cooper's house.

Dad took out a bottle of red wine with a glowing face. He has been very proud of himself recently.

First, "Red Dragon" had a good start at the box office, "Barbershop" also made a fortune, and then "Sharknado" also gave him a surprise.

Even "Saw" was a hit at the box office, and "Die Another Day" can also make a fortune.

The money earned is one thing, and the feeling of pride is another. The continuous success allows Charlie Cooper to hold his head high in front of his peers.

Gudong Gudong

The red wine was in the glass, but it was a pity that Joshua was not there. The 49ers' offensive lineman was recently injured and recuperating.

So he played as a regular main player and the training intensity was very intense, but Joshua had to seize this opportunity and had not been home for a while.

"Thank you Lord, who gives us food and keeps us alive. Amen!"

Closing her eyes and clasping her palms, my mother finished praying before meals. She was an enlightened believer and never asked her family to pray with her. She even went to church by herself.

"Eric, where did you find the gold for "Saw"? When you asked me to approve 10 million US dollars in promotional expenses, to be honest, I thought it would definitely be in vain, but it really gave me What a big surprise!”

Eric cut off a piece of tender beef and put it in his mouth, chewing it carefully.

"Dad, you should attend more internal previews. Chen Xing has asked for permission several times. You are always busy."

Charlie Cooper sounded a little helpless: "Aren't you fully responsible for the movie? Frankly speaking, I was very worried at first, but now I can feel completely relieved."

"One success can be said to be accidental, and so is success twice. But every time, it can only be said that you were born to eat this bowl of rice."

"When we get the box office split in a month or two, it will greatly ease MGM's finances."

Eric really didn't pay much attention to financial matters. He paid Kerkorian a lump sum of US$2 billion, but they still had US$1.1 billion in liquidity.

The company has not launched many projects recently, and the only big one is "Transformers". Although it cost a lot to buy the copyright and the like, in Eric's opinion there should be no shortage of money, but judging from his father's appearance That doesn't seem to be the case.

"Dad, is there any financial problem with the company?"

"Not yet, but aren't we going to acquire Hasbro's stock? Now the stock price has risen a lot, and if we continue to eat, we will need more principal. You can't find me because I am trying to find ways to raise money."

“What’s the current stock price?”

"For $1 per share, Hasbro's stock price rose another 7% on the day the movie's leading actors and actresses were announced. Of course, I think the bigger reason is Weta Digital."

Eric nodded: "I remember we took 5% of the shares some time ago, what about now?"

Charlie Cooper held out three fingers: "8%. During this period, I secretly took another 3% share, but the cost was US$300 million. Now MGM has US$300 million locked in the stock market."

"And besides MGM, there are obviously other people who are secretly acquiring Hasbro's shares. The stock price has been rising recently. If you want to continue to eat, there will be great financial pressure!"

"The Hassenfeld family?"

"There must be Hassenfeld. After all, we were the only two who knew the inside information in advance, but after the news was announced, other participants were involved."

Eric knocked on the table slowly, and his mother patted the back of his hand: "Eric, this is rude!"

"Sorry!"

"Dad, since good news can make Hasbro's stock price rise, how much do you think it can fall if there is bad news?"

After thinking for a moment, Eric narrowed his eyes, with a cold tone in his tone.

"What?"

"If the market thinks the Transformers movie will fail, do you think Hasbro's stock price will drop? How much lower?"

Dad hesitated for a moment: "There is a high probability that it will return to the original point, but if a selling wave forms, it is not impossible to continue to decline, but it will not be too much. After all, Hasbro is essentially a toy company."

"Absolutely, that's what I think too. Dad, we are ready to sell the stocks in our hands. It's time to give them a little shock!"

We have advanced to the third round. Thank you readers for your support. Thank you all! I want to drive tomorrow, but I don’t know if I can pass the test. If not, please pay attention to the comment area.