Opening-Weekend Box Office
"That's not even the most outrageous thing." Stolar picked up another magazine, which featured several exquisite interior design pictures.
Even some home improvement companies have sensed the business opportunity and launched a "gun concealment modification" service. They design various hidden weapon storage spaces according to customer needs, such as hidden doors behind bookshelves, lift platforms under the floor, and even quick-access hidden compartments in bedside tables. Guess what? Business is booming, and the schedule is already booked until the end of the year!
Kalinske was speechless. He rubbed his temples and chuckled softly, "So, we're not just selling games, we're selling a dream of being a secret agent, and incidentally, we're even boosting the home improvement industry?"
"In a way, yes." Stolar shrugged. "People watch the movies, play the games, and want to be John Wick. They might not be able to actually become assassins, but at least they can turn their homes into safe houses and make their guns look as cool as those in the movies."
He paused, then his eyes lit up. "Tom, this isn't just about box office and game sales figures; it's a cultural phenomenon. We've successfully extended the virtual world experience into real life."
The entire United States was swept up in a new wave of interest in firearms.
From street gossip to physical sales figures, and various emerging training courses and home improvement services, John Wick's influence is profoundly changing people's daily lives and consumption habits in unexpected ways.
Sega was undoubtedly one of the driving forces behind this transformation.
On Monday morning, as the sun began to climb onto the glass facade of the Universal Pictures building, Ron Mayer's office phone started ringing incessantly.
He ignored his subordinates who were eager to report the good news and instead dialed Tom Kalinske's number himself.
"Tom! Thirty-two million US dollar!" Ron's voice burst out as soon as the call connected, hoarse from a hangover and extremely excited, "Thirty-two million for the first three days!"
Kalinske on the other end of the phone seemed to have expected this, his tone calm yet tinged with barely suppressed smugness. "I thought it could go even higher."
"God, I should record what you said and play it for the board." Ron laughed so hard his cigar almost fell out of his mouth. "My financial analysts are going crazy. They say at this rate, the North America box office will easily surpass $100 million! A movie that cost less than $20 million! Tom, do you know what that means?"
"This means you can prepare for your dividends."
"Hahaha, it wasn't for nothing that I spent so much money to snatch this project." Ron took a deep drag on his cigar, the smoke seeming to carry dollar signs. "And that doesn't even include the videotape market! You know, these kinds of films are hard currency in video rental stores, they can sell for years!"
Kalinske chuckled, leaning back in his executive chair, and slowly tossed out his haul. "Congratulations, Ron. By the way, here's a small figure: from last Friday to Sunday, we received over eight thousand additional orders for arcade machines. In just those three days, the coins all the John Wick arcades in North America have probably covered the pre-production costs for another sequel."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Ron's even more exaggerated laughter.
"Devils! You game sellers are the real devils!" he laughed and cursed. "By the way, the CEO of Remington called me this morning, wanting to invite me to play golf. He said several of their tactical accessories are sold out, and our movie is simply a great promotion of gun culture."
"Shouldn't the interior design company give me a medal?" Kalinske chuckled. "I just read in the newspaper that the hottest interior design style right now is called Wick style," which features hidden compartments for concealing guns behind bookshelves and under floors.
It seems we've inadvertently turned all of United States's gun enthusiasts into secret agents ready for war at any moment.
The two of them laughed so hard they were doubled over.
As the laughter subsided, Ron's tone suddenly became somewhat subtle, carrying a hint of probing.
"So, Tom —when shall we talk—about the sequel?"
Kalinske smiled and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling city below.
"Ron, of course we'll make a sequel. But we're not just going to make one sequel."
Ron Mayer on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, seemingly pondering the deeper meaning of those words. "What do you mean?"
"Do you remember Mr. Nakayama's initial proposal?" Kalinske turned around and leaned against the window. "From the very beginning, he didn't want to build a story of a lone hero, but a complete Killer World."
Ron's breathing could be heard clearly; he had obviously remembered the project proposal that he had once considered a pipe dream.
"You mean—those High Table in the background settings, the Continental Hotel —you want to film all those things?"
"More than that." Kalinske's voice carried a confident, masterful air. "This world shouldn't just have one John Wick. We can have assassins specializing in blades, elegant snipers, and even squads dedicated to cleaning up the mess. Each character has their own story, their own code of conduct, and their own fighting style."
Ron's mind raced, and he instantly grasped the key point: "You mean—"
"Even without Liam Neeson, could this series continue?"
"That's the most crucial thing, Ron," Kalinske said, emphasizing each word. "We can't put the fate of the entire series on the shoulders of one actor. Salaries will go up, people get old, and accidents can happen at any time. But as long as this world exists, we can keep releasing new stories. Audiences might enjoy John Wick's gunfighting today, but two years from now, they might be obsessed with another character's knife skills."
He paused, giving Ron time to process this massive idea.
"Furthermore, this gives us enough time for game development. One movie, one game, with an interval of two to three years. This pace is just right, maintaining the hype while allowing my development team time to polish something truly innovative. Think about it, if we release a sequel next year, what new tricks can the game offer besides a few different maps? Players will be furious."
Ron Mayer exhaled a long puff of smoke on the other end of the phone, his voice filled with an excited sense of having finally come to terms with things.
"I get it—I fucking get it!" he couldn't help but laugh and curse, "Tom, you game developers just think faster than us moviemakers! We're still figuring out how to make a trilogy, and you've already started planning a whole world!"
"So my suggestion is to make one film every two to three years. It could be a story about John Wick, or it could be a spin-off about other characters. This will enrich the Killer World and keep things fresh for the audience," Kalinske concluded.
"Alright! That's the plan!" Ron declared. "I'll get the writing department to start brainstorming new characters right now. Damn it, I'm going to build a database of assassins!"
"That's right." Kalinske's lips curled into a smile. "Remember, Ron, in the investors' eyes, the real protagonist of this series isn't any one person."
What is that?
"It's all sorts of guns, and the new ways they're used to kill."