May 5, 1996.
As of today, Run Lola Run had been playing in North American theaters for a month, bringing in a total of $15.375 million. Although theatrical releases in North America generally enjoyed long runs in the 1990s, films could keep playing for two or three months in remote areas as long as people still showed up. But no one should expect to rake in much more money from that.
$16 million was more or less where Run Lola Run would finish its North American box office run.
So some major Hollywood companies with overseas distribution rights had proactively contacted Wald Pictures to buy the film's international rights.
But their offers were too low.
They were nowhere near what Zucker considered acceptable.
"Mr. Wald, you have to understand that, generally speaking, overseas box office grosses are about 1.5 times the North American gross. Based on Run Lola Run's North American numbers, its overseas box office will top out at around $24 million. Paramount would also have to invest considerable manpower and resources, so $2 million for the rights is a very fair offer."
The person who said this was a distribution department contact at Paramount.
In fact, by any reasonable standard, that price did align with market norms.
But while others didn't know Run Lola Run's overseas prospects, Zucker was a time traveler. He knew the film had made over $100 million overseas. Even without the boost of awards from Europe's three major film festivals, which it had won in the original timeline, its overseas gross might not reach $100 million. But even half that would still mean $50 million.
There was no way Zucker could accept selling it off for a mere $2 million.
And getting a cut of the overseas box office? He could forget about it! Did he think the major studios were charities?
"Thank you for Paramount's generous offer, but we'll need to think it over. I hope you understand," CEO Victor declined politely.
Hearing this, the Paramount contact said regretfully, "All right. If your company reaches a decision, please be sure to get in touch."
No deal, but no hard feelings!
There was no denying that this Paramount contact was a skilled operator.
He showed none of the arrogance of a major studio. Instead, he spoke with a warmth that put people at ease.
"Boss, see that? That's the depth of talent at a major studio. Even an ordinary contact in their distribution department is a rare Hollywood talent. At any small company, he'd be qualified to serve as CEO," Victor said.
Zucker nodded.
What a talent!
The major studios' talent pools really were terrifyingly deep.
Zucker couldn't accept $2 million for the international rights, but there wasn't much he could do.
His company had no overseas distribution network!
Actually, no—that wasn't quite right. Wald didn't even have a complete distribution network in North America. At the moment, it could only reach audiences in California.
Zucker gritted his teeth. "Victor, I'll inject another $3 million into the company shortly. Along with the first box-office payment from the theaters, use all of it to build a North American distribution network. Acquire other companies or build one from scratch—I don't care how you do it. I only care about the results."
"Understood."
Victor nodded solemnly.
Without a complete distribution network, Wald Pictures would remain at the bottom of Hollywood's food chain, ripe for exploitation. Major studios could lose money on every film they made themselves, yet thanks to their comprehensive distribution networks, they still extracted huge profits from small and midsize companies every year.
The major studios with powerful distribution capabilities were the ones at the top of the food chain!
Only $2 million for the international rights to Run Lola Run?
Zucker gritted his teeth and sold them!
He also sold off the rights to Run Lola Run's DVDs, videotapes, television broadcasts, merchandise, and everything else in one go. The deal brought in $4.5 million.
Considering the film had cost only $800,000 to make, Wald Pictures had made an absolute killing!
The set of Hard Candy.
"Departments, get ready!"
Although Zack Snyder was a first-time film director and didn't yet have the deep experience he'd later bring to Man of Steel, he was already a remarkably capable filmmaker. He jumped straight into shooting the film's climactic scenes.
As he put it, "At the start of filming, the actors and crew may need time to get used to one another, but they're also at their most excited. If we can get the climax right then, the rest of the shoot will be a lot easier."
Zucker sat nearby, staring unblinkingly at the monitor in front of Zack.
"Please, please!"
The Hulk—no, Mark Ruffalo, who played the disturbed male lead, was tied to a small bed. His pants had been removed, and ice had been placed over his most vulnerable area.
Cold sweat covered him from head to toe, and tears streamed down his face.
He was about to be castrated!
Meanwhile, the female lead, Hailey, wearing a medical uniform, remained calm and innocent. She was a young Black Widow.
Working the scalpel, she said, "I asked my friend if she wanted to castrate a man. She made this disgusted noise, like I'd asked her to swallow a bug. All right, you might feel a tug, because I'm going to tie it a little tighter, okay? So bear with me."
"All right, we're halfway done. We're almost there."
"Don't pass out. Don't pass out. It's fine."
"Jeff, you know, some men go their whole lives with only one testicle and they do just fine, don't they? That's what I've heard, anyway. I'm sure it's true. Hmm, I'll leave you one, so it won't count as punishment. Don't pass out, Jeff. It'll be over soon. But if I leave you one, you'll walk crooked, won't you?"
"You're about to enter a whole new world."
"Cut. Okay, done. That was a really easy procedure. This is why I think girls should learn useful things instead of camping or selling cookies. This is the kind of skill that matters. For the next eight or nine days, you'll be in more pain than you've ever felt before. Oh, and you might have to remove your own stitches, since you wouldn't want to embarrass yourself in front of someone else. I'll give you a website: Castrated Men Q&A. It has everything you need."
"Oh, right. Want a keepsake? You don't? Then let's see how far this thing can fly."
The 13-year-old Scarlett Johansson delivered the lines in a tone so matter-of-fact, as if she were asking, "Have you eaten yet?" Every man on set felt a chill run through his lower body.
Holy shit!
Zucker heard the crew members beside him muttering curses under their breath.
Man, this was castration!
Just hearing about it made you shudder, let alone watching it happen right in front of you!
Zucker felt himself tense up, too.
"Damn it, I'm not even directing anymore, and producing is still a job for the damned!"
"At least this is only Hard Candy, not The Human Centipede."
That's right. Zucker's imagination had run wild, and he immediately thought of a future Hollywood gross-out film, The Human Centipede. Compared to that, this scene was nothing!
A group of young men and women were stripped naked, injected with anesthetic, and surgically joined together.
That's right: surgery was used to stitch and seal the previous person's excretory opening to the next person's mouth, and then the process was repeated down the line. The person in front ate garbage, while the person behind could only eat the former's excrement. That was the story.
Now that was truly disgusting!
Even so, the castration scene in Hard Candy left every man drenched in cold sweat.
As Zack Snyder had predicted, once they'd filmed the climax, shooting the rest of the movie over the following days went much more smoothly.
"Sure enough, I'm a half-baked director. I'm no match for him," Zucker sighed.
On May 12, Zucker left the set to attend an event in Silicon Valley.
It was an exchange event between old and new internet companies, organized by Silicon Valley.
Of course Zucker had to attend. He might come across some worthwhile investment opportunities.
First update of the day.
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