On December 17th, one month after the release of transformers, the box office results for the fourth week were announced.
After earning $52.5 million in its third week, its North American box office for this week came in at $27 million, a normal drop, bringing its total North American box office to $364 million.
Although this figure doesn't seem high, it still secured the box office championship for the week, holding the top spot for a fourth consecutive week.
The Cat in the Hat, the last samurai, Honey, kill bill, and others were no match.
Even Sony Columbia's newly released film, something's gotta give, a romantic comedy starring veteran actors Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, and Keanu Reeves, was defeated.
Jack Nicholson's acting is indeed superb, especially his performances in The Shining and Joker, which left a deep impression, but he is undeniably old, and his appeal to young people is insufficient.
If he had been a supporting actor and Keanu Reeves the lead, the box office would definitely have been much higher.
Ultimately, something's gotta give only earned over $16 million at the box office, placing it third.
Honey was pushed to fourth place, and The Cat in the Hat had already dropped to fifth due to its extremely poor reputation.
On the other hand, the last samurai remained strong, still holding the runner-up position, earning $26.5 million at the box office this week, just a hair's breadth away from claiming the championship.
However, this was its last chance; failure this week meant it wouldn't get a weekly championship, because the lord of the rings: the return of the king was about to be released.
It is foreseeable that transformers will gracefully step down from its throne, handing the crown to the Knights of Middle-earth.
Four consecutive weeks as champion was already a dazzling achievement, and Eric, along with everyone at MGM, was very satisfied.
In terms of overseas box office, the film opened in over twenty more countries this week, with a smaller decline in box office revenue.
After earning $95 million in its third week, it raked in $77 million this week, predictably taking the weekly championship in these countries.
Currently, transformers' overseas box office has reached $805 million, officially breaking the $800 million mark.
the matrix reloaded, which was ahead last week, was knocked off its perch, with transformers leaving the savior behind by a huge margin of over $60 million.
Now, only finding nemo stands in its way, and Disney is still trembling, as the difference between the two is less than $70 million.
Even though transformers' rampage period has ended, with its remaining energy, it might not get $70 million in one week, but it's a sure thing in two weeks.
It is highly probable that Nemo and his father will not be able to withstand the Autobots' assault and will have to relinquish the title of 2003 global box office champion.
But the Autobots shouldn't celebrate too early; the Knights of Middle-earth have already reserved the annual championship, and no one can change that.
Nemo at least held the championship for half a year; transformers will have to abdicate in a month.
However, the good news is that the lord of the rings trilogy has concluded, and the market needs a few years to recover before another film can be made, while transformers has just begun and sequels can be released next year and the year after.
At the lord of the rings: the return of the king premiere, Eric attended with Gadot to show support, immediately drawing cheers from fans, as many people liked both films.
Peter Jackson put his arm around his shoulder: "Look at you, you're much more popular than I am. Anyone would think this was your home turf."
Eric pushed away his beard: "You need to lose weight, Peter, and that big beard makes you look ten years older."
"Do you know why I'm more popular than you? Because I'm young and handsome!"
Beside them, Cate Blanchett, who played the Elf Queen, and Liv Tyler, who played the Elf Princess, happened to pass by and burst into laughter at his words.
Western actresses have always been more uninhibited; things like not showing teeth when laughing, maintaining composure, or not letting makeup get messy don't exist.
Especially at informal galas and ceremonies, they are often caught in candid photos that turn into memes, creating all sorts of jokes, and 'jokes' here is not meant pejoratively.
This kind of behavior actually doesn't diminish their standing in fans' hearts; instead, it makes them seem more down-to-earth and attracts more fans.
Peter Jackson pointed to Gadot's retreating figure and said, "See? To truly become a big star, relying on me isn't enough; you need to rely on this young man."
"Come on, beautiful ladies, I'm giving you the opportunity now. Perhaps you can get the lead role in his next film."
Saying that, he pushed Eric into the embrace of Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler, who were behind him, and then left, his suit almost bursting from his large belly. The two women then stood on either side of Eric and posed.
The bearded man was right; if you asked who the hottest actress in Hollywood was right now, fans and media would undoubtedly tell you it was Gal Gadot.
With just two films, MGM had turned her into a global icon. Countless interviews and invitations poured in, and fashion magazines and brand endorsements followed one after another.
Before, Eric could openly walk into Gadot's apartment and do whatever he pleased.
Now, that's not possible. Since happy death day, paparazzi have multiplied, and now there are paparazzi routinely staking out her place.
The two could only sneak out for dates. Eric was considering that it was time to give Gadot the last house.
"For Frodo!"
"For Frodo!"
Amidst shouts of "For Frodo!", the Allied forces of Middle-earth charged towards Mordor.
As the One Ring was carried by Gollum and fell into the lava of Mount Doom, Sauron's great eye instantly collapsed, the Orc army fled, and the Allied forces achieved victory.
In the White City, at King Aragorn's coronation ceremony, everyone knelt before the four Hobbits in thanks.
Even though he had seen this scene many times, Eric still felt a surge of warmth. Classics truly are timeless; they can move people no matter when they watch them.
A significant number of viewers shared his sentiment, which could be glimpsed from the enthusiastic applause after the film ended.
"Oh no! I have a bad feeling, dear," Gadot whispered.
"What's wrong?" Eric looked at her curiously.
"This movie, the lord of the rings, it's unexpectedly good. Oh my, I don't even like epic fantasy, but I was still drawn in."
"Look at these crazy fans; their shouts are going to rip off the ceiling. It's terrifying."
"Uh, what's wrong? Isn't this normal? I like it too."
"How did you suddenly become so stupid, Eric? I'm talking about the box office, transformers' box office. We might lose."
Eric slapped his forehead, thinking, 'Are you dreaming? You actually think you can win against them.'
He quietly squeezed Gadot's palm: "It's fine if we lose; don't worry about it. Losing to a masterpiece like the lord of the rings, which is destined to be remembered in film history, is not shameful at all."
"You can think of it this way: we are qualified to compete with the lord of the rings for first place. Do other movies have that?"
"So we've already succeeded. Doesn't that make you feel much better?"
Gadot chuckled: "You certainly know how to comfort people."
"Heh heh. Go chat with those people. I need to talk to Peter Jackson."
"Okay."
After the premiere, Eric and Peter Jackson left together and found a quiet, artistic bar to sit down.
Coming to show support today was just on the surface; the real purpose was to plan for the future.
Some time ago, John Adams had already written, and the network issues were ready.
Five days ago, Facebook underwent maintenance and an upgrade, which was actually a preliminary attempt to integrate the network.
The results were excellent; previously, it took two or three seconds for users to load a homepage, but after the upgrade, it was almost instantaneous.
An online survey showed extremely positive user feedback.
If Facebook had no problems, then YouTube and Lionheart Network would certainly have no problems either.
Howard Hughes and Robert Millen, with a team of over three hundred people, had also developed an algorithm over half a year.
After testing, it initially met Eric's required standards, and continuous updates and development would follow.
The backend databases of the three software applications had been synchronized to the same format, allowing for simultaneous login with a single account once they went online.
In other words, all preparations were complete.
In less than a month, MGM would be relisted, and YouTube would go online immediately after the listing.
After YouTube stabilized, Lionheart Network was expected to follow suit approximately half a month later.
YouTube, of course, would not alert other film companies; they might even be seen as a joke.
Lionheart Network, however, would be different and would inevitably face encirclement.
According to Eric's memory of Netflix, many in the industry at the time were aware of the overt and covert struggles between the two sides.
After Netflix burst onto the scene and started with streaming, it quickly faced hostility from several major companies and TV stations.
Several of them united to target it, prohibiting their own works from appearing on the Netflix platform.
Privately, underhanded tactics were rampant, including threatening VFX studios with an ultimatum: if you want to continue working for us, you cannot work for Netflix.
The harsh environment forced Netflix to seek help from organizations in Europe, Asia, and other regions.
It wasn't until it broke through with house of cards, followed by a series of high-quality films and TV shows, that it broke through the blockade and achieved a desperate survival.
But the siege did not end there. When they couldn't block its development in terms of content, major companies put pressure on film festivals and awards ceremonies like Cannes, Berlin, and the Oscars.
They claimed that films released simultaneously online could not be called films and were unworthy of competing for awards with other normal theatrical releases.
Even the three major film festivals had to succumb to this pressure and could only reject Netflix's participation.
If they couldn't stop your development, they would stop your honors.
This blockade had not been broken even before Eric's transmigration.
Netflix went through so many disgusting things, and Lionheart Network would inevitably suffer the same fate.
All Eric could do was plan ahead and make preparations for certain things.
Peter Jackson was just one of the people he needed to talk to. Eric would also approach second-tier independent film companies like DreamWorks, Lionsgate, and New Line Cinema.
One ally was better than none. What if they were willing to cooperate?
They each opened a bottle of beer.
"Eric, congratulations on transformers reaching second place! It's only a matter of time before it overtakes finding nemo!"
"Heh heh. Are you making fun of me? the lord of the rings: the return of the king is of very high quality. I concede defeat in advance, okay?"
The two burst into laughter and chugged a bottle. This bearded man had a hearty and proud personality, not like Spielberg, who drank red wine from a glass.
Burp!
"So, what did you want to see me about?"
"Can't I just come to have a drink with you for no reason?"
"If I were a great beauty, that reason might be somewhat credible. Eric, what exactly do you want?"
"I want to give you money, lots and lots of money."
Upon hearing this, Peter Jackson frowned, his eyes filled with doubt.
"We had a very pleasant collaboration on transformers. I am very satisfied with Weta Digital's technical level and efficiency, so I plan to continue working with you."
"For the next two years, all the special effects for all of MGM's films will be handled by you. What do you think? Isn't that good news?"
Peter Jackson, however, did not show any signs of happiness. Something out of the ordinary usually indicates something fishy.
"I don't understand. Why would you do that? You should know that while Weta Digital's level is top-notch in the industry, our fees are also the highest in the industry."
"Many film effects actually don't need our involvement; ordinary small companies can do them."
"You're wasting your own money, which will cost you tens of millions of dollars more each year. That's completely unreasonable, Eric Cooper."
"I'm not a fool; I don't believe anyone would willingly give money to others."
Eric didn't intend to hide it from him. Peter Jackson wasn't a film company owner and didn't have a competitive relationship with him.
After listening to him, the bearded man's jaw dropped in surprise.
"OMG! Do you know what you're doing?"
Eric nodded gently.
After a moment of stunned, Peter Jackson stared at him intently and then suddenly chuckled.
"Eric, just now, a feeling suddenly arose in my heart, a very complex feeling."
"This feeling was mixed with surprise, admiration, arrogance, disdain, respect, and other indescribable things. That's how I feel about you."
"You want to challenge all of Hollywood by yourself; your courage is admirable."
"I'm 42 this year, and I suddenly had an urge to raise hell with you, as if the feeling of my youth has returned."
Eric curled his lips: "Peter, as long as the contract is signed, if anyone comes to bother you, you can completely claim that you were deceived by me."
"After all, who would turn down money? Right?"
"Hahaha, it seems you've even thought of an escape route for me."
"Of course, I'm always straightforward with my friends. If you're unwilling, I won't force you."
Bang!
The bearded man slapped the table: "I'm in! I can make money and annoy certain people. I'm definitely in."
"Anyway, the lord of the rings trilogy is over, and I also want to rest for a while. I won't touch any big productions for at least a year."
"Tell me, how many films do you plan to start next year?"
Eric thought for a moment. Marvel alone would have at least two films next year, plus the hunger games, inception, transformers, and others.
He spread his five fingers: "At least 5 major productions, plus others. I'm still a bit worried if Weta Digital can handle it."
Peter Jackson patted his chest: "I can do as many as you have; it's just a matter of increasing machines and manpower."
"Alright, then we can sign a contract first, temporarily agreeing to 30 films."
"30 films in two years?"
"No less, only more!"