Behind The Spotlight

[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 155


Axel stepped out of his limousine wearing his expensive suit from Diore, a suit tailored so precisely to his body because the designer crafted it with him in mind. After the success of The Frightening Movie, the fashion brand realized Axel's potential and expanded his sponsorship to include their luxury tuxedos designed by a well-known designer.

The flashing of cameras didn't bother him anymore. This wasn't his first time attending a red carpet, although the intensity of the event still reminded him of his early days. He smiled at the fans who attended the premiere and waved his hands, making sure even the fans in the back felt acknowledged, something he always tried to do.

The standard red carpet procedure was monotonous, and Axel had already memorized every detail, from the number of steps before pausing for photos to the expected angle of his jawline and mewing. Nothing significant really happened. Even the reporter hired by Metro Gold Mayer didn't bother him much, they simply asked standard promotional questions.

Metro Gold Mayer might have lost its status as one of the Big Six, but this roaring lion was still alive and dangerous, its claws sharp enough to reclaim prestige. They spent quite a lot on the premiere. When the executives watched the early screening, they couldn't help but feel excited and pumped with testosterone. The movie was pure adrenaline, packed with action sequences that thrilled any man, and even a few female executives admitted the choreography left them breathless.

They had been promoting the movie for a month and successfully caught the audience's attention. The old fans who had read the novels were eager to see the film adaptation, while new fans were drawn in by the action-packed trailer Metro Gold Mayer aired across TV networks.

Being a bestselling book in the 80s, The Born Identity had a high chance of performing well at the box office, especially since nostalgia was a powerful selling point. Metro Gold Mayer found it worth purchasing and promoting. However, they had no idea how influential the movie would eventually become, or how much Axel's fame would rise from this moment.

Axel entered the theater and searched for his son. He smiled when he found John and Collin sitting together.

"Dad!"

"Did you have fun?"

"I'm excited to watch your movie! Collin said it's an action movie!"

"It is. Let's wait for the screening. Collin, thank you for taking care of my son."

"It's alright. He's an active kid. There was never a boring moment, he asked me so many questions." Collin shrugged. Then he stood up to greet and introduce himself to the Metro Gold Mayer executives.

'Even though Metro Gold Mayer has gotten weaker, we can't disregard this roaring lion. They are still a studio worth working with.'

He smiled at the executives and important figures of the company. At this point in his career, Collin was a well-known agent who handled big stars. Someone even asked him about Lawrence and whether the actor was open to a new sponsorship… Collin sensed an underlying meaning in the question, so he simply replied that Lawrence was busy.

With that, The Born Identity began its premiere. The logo of Metro Gold Mayer appeared first, the iconic lion roaring at the audience.

Jayson Born woke up inside a fishing vessel with no memory, the bluish lighting and shaky camera intensifying the tension. He had forgotten that he was a killer trained by the CIA to assassinate a communist leader.

From that moment on, he searched for his memory and his identity. With a single clue, his tattoo, he discovered a safety deposit box filled with multiple passports of his and different identities. Among all those identities, the name that caught his attention was Jayson Born.

While he sought the truth, the CIA began hunting him down, unwilling to let an agent go AWOL and potentially leak their secrets.

Jayson was caught up in a storm he had no awareness of. But thanks to his training, he survived everything the CIA threw at him, showcasing Axel's impressive stunt choreography.

At the climax of the movie, Jayson realized he was a CIA agent who failed to kill his target because the target's innocent daughter was with him at the time.

The movie concluded with Jayson jumping off a building to reach the helicopter pursuing him, a risky sequence that made the entire audience gasp. He killed the pilot, but the helicopter crashed into the sea, exploding.

The CIA believed Jayson Born died in the crash, but he survived. The movie ended with Jayson relaxing on a tropical beach with a woman he recently met, implying temporary peace.

The audience clapped and marveled at the intensity of the action stunts, some even standing to applaud. Axel Gunner's performance as an amnesiac secret agent was convincing. He definitely knew how to act, his performance in Face: Swap was clearly not a fluke.

"Cool! Super cool! Dad, I can't believe you jumped off the building to reach the helicopter!"

John was so proud that Axel chuckled. In the first place, he didn't really jump off the building. He wasn't even the one who performed that stunt, his stunt double handled the dangerous scenes, although Axel wanted to do them but was forbidden by the production crew.

Still, he couldn't help feeling happy that his son was proud of him.

.........
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Being a PG-13 action movie with a huge fan base, The Born Identity grossed $17 million on June 30, 1999, immediately surpassing the studio's expectations.

The next day, July 1st, Saturday, the film sold $29 million worth of tickets.

On Sunday, July 2nd, the action movie earned another $31 million, making headlines across entertainment magazines.

Each day, Metro Gold Mayer realized that ticket sales were increasing so quickly they struggled to believe it. One executive even popped a champagne bottle to celebrate.

With 4,152 theaters screening The Born Identity during its first three days, the movie grossed a total of $77 million!

This was the highest first-weekend performance of 1999. So far, no movie had grossed $77 million in its first weekend, only The Born Identity, making it the king of the summer box office.

The movie was well-received because of its genre, adrenaline-fueled action sequences, and Axel Gunner's convincing performance. It also benefited from a June release, as summer was always the most profitable season for movies. Plus, most films released that year had average storylines, making The Born Identity stand out even more.

With all these factors, The Born Identity earned the love of moviegoers and received their full support. It even received an A rating from Cinema-rating, boosting its word-of-mouth appeal.

Metro Gold Mayer saw these results and believed The Born Identity would be the key to improving their situation. They decided to give their full support to promoting the movie, preparing a second wave of advertisements to capitalize on its momentum.

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[You can read more on my Patreon.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 156


"The Born Identity? Isn't this the movie that was screened in our auditorium?" Greg had seen documents related to the film, but he never got the chance to watch it, despite hearing whispers from staff about its potential.

"Yes, sir. If I'm not wrong, 123 Production was the studio that produced the movie."

Greg Marinero asked his female secretary, and she confirmed his question.

"The movie was first screened here. 123 Production hoped we would buy it," the secretary added. She recalled that someone from Acquisition Department handled the business deal.

"What did we offer?"

"The acquisition department offered $31 million."

"What's the production cost of the movie?"

"Based on what I remember, it was $30 million, sir." She fixed her glasses nervously, sensing Greg's rising fury.

"So let me get this straight: this movie cost $30 million, but our acquisition department only offered $31 million?" His voice trembled slightly from disappointment.

"That's right, sir."

"..."

Greg Marinero was livid. If he were in 123 Production's position, he wouldn't have agreed to sell The Born Identity for $31 million either. The profit margin was insulting. 123 Production could earn that much simply through videotape sales, even if it would take years.

'Who in their retarded mind thought of buying an action movie for a small amount?' He gritted his teeth, unable to comprehend the incompetence.

They didn't even get the chance to compete, which made him even more disappointed.

"Tell me the acquisition department contacted the CEO."

"They didn't contact the CEO."

"No wonder they couldn't offer a higher price."

Greg slammed his fists against the table, causing pens and folders to jump and clatter.

"Who was responsible for buying the movie!? I want him here! The Born Identity has grossed $225 million in just ten fucking days! Ten days! I want that stupid man to explain why he didn't try to contact me or the CEO to buy this movie!" His voice echoed across the office.

Greg Marinero was furious because they let a massively profitable movie slip from their hands, something he considered a sin in business.

For the record, only a few films in North America had ever grossed over $200 million in ten days. This performance was extraordinary. No wonder Greg was mad.

"Are you telling me the acquisition department failed to see the profitability of this movie!? Are you telling me Metro Gold Mayer beat us to it? That dying studio!?" His pride could barely tolerate the thought.

Wash Dismay Studio was the studio that kicked Metro Gold Mayer out of its throne and took over its position. MGM had once been part of the Big Six Studios dominating Hollywood, but Wash Dismay Studio surpassed them over the years.

Greg was the one who led this venture. He secretly sabotaged Metro Gold Mayer, which gradually weakened them. He wasn't alone, the other Big Five also sabotaged MGM to eliminate them.

And now, Greg found it hard to accept that the studio he defeated had learned how to walk again.

'Metro Gold Mayer has huge film libraries, and its main sources of income are the Jamie Bond: 008 franchise and horror movie series like Karrie, Holloween, Foltergeist, Hannival, and Speciez.'

These franchises were the backbone keeping MGM alive.

The Jamie Bond: 008 franchise was hugely popular, while the horror movies were cheap to produce yet extremely profitable through videotape sales and rentals. A horror film could cost around $1 million to produce, making the return on investment incredibly attractive.

And now, Metro Gold Mayer had found another gold mine. Based on what Chairman Greg Marinero believed, MGM would likely turn The Born Identity into a franchise with many sequels, potentially restoring their long-lost prestige.

"S-Sir, you've called me."

A woman in her 30s entered the office, trembling. She was the person responsible for evaluating The Born Identity.

"Miss Telino, I want to hear your explanation for why you didn't offer 123 Production a better price. As you can see, The Born Identity is the fastest-grossing movie of the year so far. Why did you think it only deserved $31 million? You do know how much the production cost is, right?" His glare was sharp enough to make her knees weaken.

"I-It's $30 million. The production cost is $30 million," she stuttered, sweating.

"Then explain to me why!?"

"S-Sir, the movie is boring. It only has explosions, endless action fights, and intense scenes. It doesn't have depth. I admit the actor who played Jayson Born gave a compelling performance, but overall the movie is boring. It only has action," she tried to justify herself.

"Because it's a fucking action movie! What did you expect? A fucking romance? A drama? Did you expect the main character to find a sexy woman and fuck her, is that it?"

"... Yes, sir."

"Is that the reason you didn't contact me or the CEO? You didn't consider this movie worthy of our time?" His tone turned dangerously calm.

For the acquisition department to increase its budget beyond $30 million for an action movie, they were required to contact upper management, a rule strictly enforced to prevent reckless spending.

"Offering 123 Production $31 million was the best thing I could do, sir."

"You're fired. I don't think this company needs someone like you. Someone else should have handled the acquisition."

"Y-You can't do this to me! I was the one who acquired Gorgeous Lady, the movie directed by Director Nelson! Jeremiah may have been Director Nelson's partner, but I was the first to recognize his talent!" She desperately defended herself.

Director Nelson had directed Bride Runaway starring Lawrence and Jolyne.

"You have two choices: write a resignation letter, or I'll fire you. In the first place, you shouldn't handle acquisitions if you can't appreciate action movies."

"If I leave, then I can't work with any studio for the next five years."

"That's right."

There was a clause in her contract preventing Miss Telino from working for any rival studio for five years. Unless she paid a hefty fee to break the clause, she had to find a different career unrelated to movie production. She was essentially blacklisted, trapped by her own contract.

Guards escorted her out of Greg Marinero's office. Wash Dismay Studio reached its status because its employees excelled in their roles, leaving no room for incompetence.

'... I was happy because we exchanged shares with Fixar just to get its 3D animation studio, but now my mood is ruined.'

Fixar was a studio focused on 3D cartoon movies. Their first film was Toyz Story. They had a distribution deal with Wash Dismay Studio, and their partnership grew strong over the years. Now, Fixar and Wash Dismay Studio had become so close that their companies were tied together.

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