The day after attending the wedding of the Gambling King, Corey, Kyle made a grand gesture, informing Page Film that preparations for the movie "The Shallows" were officially underway.
Kyle had already handed the movie script to the company last year, asking the screenwriters to refine it.
Due to a lack of talent, the project had not been launched. Now that "Final Destination" had been released and "The Butterfly Effect" had finished filming, a portion of the workforce could naturally be allocated to kickstart this project.
The movie "The Shallows" is a classic example of a small investment yielding big returns!
Since its establishment, Page Film has gained considerable experience in producing such horror films, and Kyle naturally wouldn't miss out on a money-making opportunity.
"The Shallows" was a film released in 2016, starring Blake Lively, wife of "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds; the film's production cost was $17 million, yet it grossed over $100 million worldwide. Even in the Chinese market, without much promotion, its opening weekend box office in three days exceeded 50 million RMB.
For a non-sci-fi, non-action, non-high-budget Hollywood film to achieve excellent box office performance in the Chinese market is almost incredibly rare.
We know that Hollywood has a genre of horror films that specialize in turning animals into anti-human killers: fierce dogs, bears, giant pythons, bats, spiders... all animals, whether flying, running, or swimming, can be transformed into the most terrifying killers on screen under Hollywood's production.
In the vast ocean, the most chilling killer is, of course, the shark!
It doesn't need to mutate, nor does it need any embellishment; it can tear anyone to shreds, and thus, it has become a frequent guest on screen.
Whether it's Steven Spielberg's groundbreaking "Jaws," the sci-fi-themed "Deep Blue Sea," or the low-budget special effects of "Sharknado," these are all deeply impressive films.
"The Shallows" is undoubtedly one of the best films in this genre!
"A box office exceeding $100 million is its best proof."
"Moreover, because the film's production cost was only $17 million, it wasn't given much importance by the film company Columbia upon its release, with hasty promotion and release... Even so, it achieved considerable box office success."
"Additionally, the timing of the film's release was very poor."
As a transmigrator, Kyle had naturally experienced the film market of 2016.
When "The Shallows" was released in North America, countless blockbusters, action films, and high-budget movies were released concurrently or shortly thereafter.
"Captain America: Civil War," "Now You See Me 2," "X-Men: Apocalypse"... these films were all high-budget blockbusters and sequels with numerous fan bases. One might ask, in a release window crowded with so many fierce films, how could "The Shallows" not become cannon fodder?
"With more refined production, advantageous marketing and distribution, and a suitable release window, all three combined, the film 'The Shallows' produced by Page Film will undoubtedly far surpass the original."
"Even if the distribution market isn't mature enough, I'm still quite confident it will gross over $100 million."
Kyle thought to himself.
Act on impulse!
Soon after, Page Film established a special team for "The Shallows" and set the production budget.
The film's production cost was set at $14 million, lower than the original's $17 million.
Of course, this wasn't due to Kyle wanting to save money.
Inflation, labor costs, and other factors all affect expenditure. Furthermore,
The lead actress in the original, Blake Lively, commanded a salary of up to $9 million for herself alone.
Haha!
Do you think, given Kyle's fully maxed-out stinginess, he would pay more than $9 million to invite an actress to star in "The Shallows"?
...A few days later.
The behind-the-scenes crew for "The Shallows" was assembled.
Director: Zack Snyder, who had been on a break for over half a year.
Producer: Kevin Feige, Vice President of Page Film, personally took charge.
Estimated total production cost: $14 million.
"Zack, sign the contract."
In Kyle's office, witnessed by a group of lawyers, Zack Snyder signed his first director's contract with box office revenue sharing in his career.
That's right, in addition to his $2 million director's fee, he got an opportunity for box office profit sharing.
"Zack, don't underestimate 'The Shallows' just because it's a small to medium-budget film. I'm full of confidence in it; a box office of over $100 million is absolutely no problem."
Kyle said with a smile, "Your 10% net profit share will definitely earn you a huge sum."
Zack laughed, "I'm also optimistic about the prospects of 'The Shallows,' otherwise I wouldn't have readily accepted. In any case, thank you, Mr. Page, for giving me this opportunity."
His agent excitedly said, "I've always known that Zack would become one of Hollywood's leading directors in the future."
A director with box office sharing is a symbol of status.
A 10% share of net box office profit, though not as much as a straight 10% of the box office due to the addition of "net profit," would still easily amount to an extra $3 to $4 million.
Over several years of collaboration, Zack had already directed three films for Page Film: "Hard Candy," "The Purge," and "300"; he had even more films credited to him.
"The Shallows" may not be a large-scale film, but it is undoubtedly a significant step forward in Zack's directing career!
Dude, box office sharing!
A symbol of a great director!
"Thank you."
At this moment, even Zack Snyder, who had already become a somewhat famous Hollywood director, couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Lighting, cinematography, props, makeup, art direction, script supervision... with one command, the entire crew was in place in less than 3 days.
Next, naturally, was the casting process!
The movie "The Shallows" tells the story of a beautiful woman trapped on a beach, fighting wits with a shark alone. Although multiple characters appear, it is almost entirely a monologue for the female protagonist, so the choice of the female protagonist is crucial.
Pretty and in good shape were the primary requirements;
Secondly, she needed a certain level of recognition;
Furthermore, the actress playing the lead role had to possess excellent acting skills;
Most importantly, the fee had to be cheap!!!
Kyle's acquaintances among actresses, such as Charlize Theron, Jessica Chastain, Angelina Jolie, and other stars, Kyle, of course... didn't choose any of them.
Their salaries were not low!
In the end, the one who successfully landed the role of the female lead was none other than Salma Hayek, whom Kyle had recently invited.
As the future boss lady of the Kering Group, she was naturally beautiful enough, with a very explosive figure, and her 'headlights' would naturally attract many young viewers in such a beach-themed story.
The key was that she had just experienced the box office failure of "From Dusk Till Dawn," so her contract was cheap, and she had a certain level of recognition.
She was successfully secured for $3 million!
This was much cheaper than Blake Lively, the actress who played the lead role in the original "Gossip Girl."
Just a few days later, after a low-key press conference, the movie "The Shallows" smoothly began filming.
The speed was astonishing!
Of course, this was also thanks to Page Film's current powerful production capabilities!
November 1st.
Nearly three months after the release of "Finding Nemo," its production company, Waterworld Animation, was officially scheduled to list on the US stock market in a few days!!!