The pressure from the media and political circles hadn't significantly affected the colossal Daenerys Entertainment.
As March came to a close, Daenerys Entertainment's employee stock purchase plan for the IPO had wrapped up, with all subscription quotas fulfilled. The company's various divisions—film, television, theater, merchandise, and games—continued to show strong growth in the first quarter.
In the critical film sector, as of Friday, March 18, Daenerys Entertainment's three labels had released nine films within the eleven-week period of 1994.
The Valentine's Day release, "Four Weddings and a Funeral," had grossed $80.76 million in five and a half weeks, with $5.15 million added over the past weekend. It was projected to gross $7 million from March 18 to March 24, coinciding with the Oscars week. With the Easter holiday approaching, it was certain to surpass the $100 million mark, making it the first film of 1994 to achieve this milestone in North America.
By Thursday, March 17, the cumulative North American box office for 1994's first ten weeks was $670 million. Of this, "Four Weddings and a Funeral" alone contributed $75.61 million, accounting for 11.1%.
Films from the previous year extending into 1994, including "The Lion King," "Schindler's List," and "In the Name of the Father," had grossed $43.56 million, $55.39 million, and $18.79 million respectively in the first ten weeks, along with other projects contributing $22.19 million, totaling $129 million or 19.2% of the ten-week box office.
Other than the Mia Kirshner-led "The Sex Club" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral," the remaining seven films, though less prominent, accumulated $51.76 million, representing 7.6%.
Among these were notable highlights.
New World Pictures' "The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre," with a $5 million budget, grossed $23.79 million since its January 14 release.
High Gate Films' January 21 release, "Basketball Dreams," a basketball-themed documentary with a $700,000 budget, earned $7.83 million, adding another success to High Gate's documentary portfolio.
Kevin Smith's "Clerks," bought by High Gate Films after its Sundance debut, was released on February 4. Made for $27,000, it grossed $5.16 million in six weeks, another case of a low-budget film hitting it big.
Ron Howard, previously a steadfast collaborator with Universal Pictures, had recently returned to working with Daenerys Entertainment after shooting "Far and Away" with Columbia Pictures and Tom Cruise.
Aside from the high-budget blockbuster "Apollo 13," Howard also worked with New World Pictures on the low-budget satire "The Paper." With a $6 million budget, it grossed $7.05 million in its opening week on March 11.
The New World Pictures team increased the number of screens from 1,017 to 1,531 last Friday, expecting "The Paper" to gross between $30 million and $40 million in North America, making it a small dark horse.
Simon had casually approved this project last year and didn't expect such a strong box office performance, reinforcing his intention to keep Ron Howard with Daenerys Entertainment.
With successes, there were also failures.
High Gate Films' "Trauma," directed by Dario Argento and completed last year, was released on January 28 in a dead period due to poor reception. It grossed only $930,000 in two weeks, making the $5 million investment a near-total loss.
After signing with "Working Title" producers, Simon personally selected three projects—"Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Romeo Is Bleeding," and "In My Heart." "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was a surprising success.
However, "In My Heart," released on March 4, was an even bigger flop than "Trauma." With a $20 million budget and opening on 523 screens, it grossed only $1.19 million in its first week, barely $2,300 per screen, and $1.81 million in two weeks before being pulled.
As a project Simon personally approved, its failure became a hot topic in the media, suggesting Simon's magic touch was fading.
This was partly intentional on Simon's part.
Despite script revisions post-approval, the film still flopped, but Simon didn't mind. Daenerys Entertainment needed some losses to show he wasn't infallible. A mid-level project like this was just right.
Lastly, New World Pictures' B-grade sci-fi thriller "Puppet Life," about aliens invading Earth and parasitizing humans, had a $5 million budget. Released alongside "Clerks" on February 4, it grossed $5.19 million before being pulled. Though it lost money in North America, it was expected to break even through international distribution and VHS sales.
Overall, "Four Weddings and a Funeral," last year's films, and eight new releases before March 17 accounted for 37.9% of the $670 million total box office in the first ten weeks, leaving 62.1% for other studios.
This didn't include projects like "Mission: Impossible" and MGM, controlled by Simon.
From small to large.
Daenerys Entertainment's dominant position in Hollywood was firmly established.
Simon handled Daenerys Entertainment's affairs in his studio office while the Oscar results continued to come in from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles.
Spielberg's "Schindler's List" swept multiple technical awards like Best Original Score, Best Editing, and Best Art Direction, while the phenomenal animated film "The Lion King" won Best Original Score and Best Original Song.
Around 8 PM, Simon's private phone rang.
It was Kathryn Bigelow.
Kathryn had just finished dinner with friends in Santa Monica and, unable to reach Janet, called Simon.
Having known each other for years and sharing a close, sometimes intimate friendship, Simon, Janet, and Kathryn remained close. Kathryn lived in New York these past two years, often meeting up with Simon and Janet when they visited. Janet, in particular, had been photographed by paparazzi in Manhattan with Kathryn several times.
On the phone, Simon jokingly lamented about working late, being alone and lonely because Janet had gone to Australia.
Kathryn, sensing his mock sadness, offered to bring him dinner.
Of course, he accepted.
Kathryn arrived about twenty minutes later, carrying a takeout box of food.
Simon, buried in paperwork, looked up as she entered. Her long hair framed a face unmarked by time, wearing a light gray turtleneck coat, with the hem revealing a pair of washed jeans and boots. Tall and slender, she exuded a strong mature woman vibe.
Seeing Simon unabashedly eyeing her, Kathryn playfully glared at him. "Why are you working so late?"
Simon closed a file and put it aside, smiling self-deprecatingly. "To be richer, of course."
Remembering the recent media frenzy around him, Kathryn was momentarily at a loss for words. She handed him the takeout. "Salt and pepper shrimp from the restaurant where I had dinner. It's really good."
Simon didn't pretend he hadn't had dinner. He took the box and moved to the seating area, asking, "Who were you dining with?"
Kathryn sat on the sofa, her back straight as usual, and watched Simon eat. "Rockwell and the others."
Simon nodded.
He knew they were part of the New York film scene, including Alexander Rockwell, Alison Anders, Whit Stillman, and Ang Lee, who was probably waiting at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the Best Foreign Language Film award for "The Wedding Banquet."
Ang Lee's Best Foreign Language Film win was almost certain, and by now, the results were likely in. With Kathryn here, Simon didn't call the A-girl outside to check.
Kathryn didn't continue the topic but asked, "Janet mentioned having dinner when I arrived last week. Why did she suddenly go to Australia?"
Simon replied, "She missed home and wanted to visit."
Kathryn gave Simon a skeptical look, cautiously asking, "Did you have a fight?"
Given his recent behavior, especially the group of young beauties in London, she was curious. They were indeed top-tier beauties.
Thinking of his nature.
It was too much.
She would be angry if it were her.
Simon shook his head with a smile. "No, there's no chance for you to take advantage of the situation."
Kathryn glanced around for something to throw but ended up lightly kicking him instead.
Simon didn't dodge, then changed the topic. "How's the script for 'Detroit' coming along?"
After getting an Oscar nomination for Best Director with "Thelma & Louise" based on Simon's recommendation, Kathryn hadn't directed anything in the past two years. She occasionally produced for friends and researched notable recent American historical events, from the 1967 Detroit riots to the 1979 Iran-Contra affair to the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Last year, she even looked into the Black Hawk Down incident in Somalia.
Kathryn was largely a left-wing anarchist.
However, despite the violent imagery in her films, her views weren't extreme.
This probably related to her upbringing in a wealthy middle-class family as an only child, facing little adversity or social injustice. Thus, her early works often seemed like contrived angst.
It wasn't until many years later, with "The Hurt Locker," that Kathryn's style truly matured.
Of her chosen topics, Kathryn most wanted to film the LA riots.
But Simon persuaded her against it, citing the recent nature of the events and the difficulty of objectively assessing them. As for Iran-Contra and Black Hawk Down, they would require overseas shooting, which was too dangerous and sensitive. They settled on
"Detroit," a film Simon remembered Kathryn had previously directed.
When Simon asked about it, Kathryn said, "I've started casting."
"So the script is ready? When can I see it?" Simon asked while picking up a shrimp from the takeout box.
Kathryn shook her head. "I'm not showing it to you."
"Hey, I'm the investor."
Kathryn smiled at his dismay. "If you see it, you'll have a lot of suggestions."
Simon vowed, "I promise I won't make any suggestions this time."
Kathryn insisted, "You're not seeing it."
"…"
Simon understood. Kathryn felt insecure about her Oscar nomination for "Thelma & Louise," intentionally pausing her career to gain more experience and earn recognition for her work.
Refusing to show Simon the script was part of her effort to stand on her own.
Kathryn was a strong-willed woman, but facing someone stronger like Simon, she often conceded.
In filmmaking, Simon, who had inherited decades of filmmakers' expertise, was far ahead of most in Hollywood. Kathryn, just entering the field, would find it hard to ignore his inevitably correct advice if she let him review the script.
Suddenly, Kathryn asked, "Do you plan on directing again?"
Simon honestly replied, "I don't know."
Currently, no project piqued Simon's interest enough to direct. With his status in Hollywood, staying behind the scenes was more beneficial. Directing a film would likely be a costly hassle.
Kathryn felt a small pang at his uncertain response.
Life was like a river journey.
The scenery on the banks might change for better or worse, but it would never remain the same, nor return to how it was.
Simon, however, wasn't melancholic. Even if the recent assassination attempt had succeeded, he felt no regrets about his years of accomplishments.
After finishing the takeout, Simon disposed of the box, washed his hands, and returned. "The awards show is almost over. Come with me to the Melisandre party. It will be lively."
Kathryn hesitated. "I don't know many people there."
"Invite Rockwell and the others, and you know Ang Lee. He might have won Best Foreign Language Film. We should congratulate him."
Simon reached out to help her up.
Kathryn pushed his hand away but got up. "We already planned to meet tomorrow night if Ang won."
"Great, I'm free tomorrow night. Let's go together."
Kathryn walked with him to the door. "You shouldn't come."
Simon smiled. "Afraid our relationship will be exposed and people will gossip?"
Kathryn stayed silent, not wanting to talk to him for the next minute.
There was no need for gossip.
Because of him, no man had dared to pursue her in recent years.
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