Tom Cruise's Goodwill

So that was it?

That young director had succeeded!

CAA was about to gain another important client.

Within CAA, clients had their own classifications.

The five major partners had each become partners on the top floor because every one of them controlled at least one top-tier S-class client.

And among clients of the same level, even with equal status, directors ranked a notch above.

Simply put, an A-class director held the same status as an S-class star.

That was the status directors held under CAA's packaging system.

Here, the packaging system needed to be explained again.

In the past, when a television network wanted to produce a program, it had to find hosts, actors, producers, screenwriters, and a whole series of other people.

Nearly all of those people had agents, which undoubtedly created problems for the network's production efficiency.

Ovitz had developed an entirely new model: prepare the screenwriter, producer, and director in advance, plan out a project that looked highly likely to succeed, then use it to attract stars in reverse.

With nearly everything the project needed already prepared, they could package it up and sell it directly to a television network or collaborate with one.

This approach had practically changed the balance of power between the two sides.

Television networks needed projects that looked destined to succeed, so CAA gained the right to negotiate prices.

Among them, the director was undoubtedly the key to determining whether a project could succeed.

That was also the biggest reason CAA had been so friendly toward Kevin.

They needed genius directors like Kevin. In contrast, Kevin was not nearly as dependent on them.

"Well done, Dawson. You successfully secured an A-class client for CAA."

"If Kevin could make three successful films in a row, he could become a CAA S-class client. You could also move up to this top floor and become CAA's sixth partner."

Ovitz immediately painted him a rosy picture. Of course, it was a picture that could become reality.

It was just extremely difficult.

Dawson nodded, then voiced his idea.

"I hope we can use CAA's high-profile clients to publicly support Kevin. Not only would that raise Saw's box office, it would also make Kevin view CAA more favorably."

"And for a director with such limitless potential, I believe they'd be willing to offer their support..."

Ovitz pondered for a moment before speaking.

"All right, I agree. I'll discuss it with the other partners and communicate with the clients to see who is willing to support this film."

As a CAA packaging project, a small portion of Saw's box office would also belong to CAA.

Promoting Saw was effectively helping CAA make money, so he had no reason to refuse.

The next day, when Kevin picked up the newspaper again, he was startled to see Tom Cruise's support for Saw.

"Best horror film of the year, well worth watching. The film created a killer who used torture devices to punish people who did not cherish life, but even as he killed, he often left his victims a chance..."

"Through this film, I have become a fan of director Kevin..."

Kevin scratched his head. He could not figure out why Tom Cruise had suddenly spoken up for him.

Still, it was a good thing. Although Tom Cruise had yet to receive the boost from Mission: Impossible, last year's Oscar nomination had still elevated his standing.

He was definitely one of the hottest stars in the industry.

Speaking of that, Kevin suddenly thought of Mission: Impossible. The film had been adapted from a television series and would be released in 1996. It seemed he might have a chance to get involved.

In Ireland, on the set of Far and Away, Tom Cruise, the male lead, had only agreed to release that statement of support after his agent analyzed the situation for him.

They were both important CAA clients, and there was no conflict of interest between them.

There was also potential for cooperation between an actor and a director, so there was nothing wrong with extending a little goodwill.

No one who had reached their current position was foolish. Before any conflict of interest arose, no one would rashly offend a promising director.

Along with CAA's actions and the effect of the weekend, Saw's box office continued to rise the following day, taking in $12.13 million.

As the most important character in the film, Clark Gregg had been sent by New Line Cinema to theaters across the United States for promotional events.

Several major cities were the most important battlegrounds for promotion.

Everywhere Gregg went, crowds packed the venue.

The name Jigsaw gained a host of supporters, allowing Gregg to experience fame for the first time. From then on, he was no longer an unknown nobody in Hollywood.

Compared with Gregg, Kevin gained even more.

Having proven himself as a director, his standing in Hollywood was about to undergo a tremendous change, and his position within CAA would also become different.

Of course, most importantly, he had made money.

His five percent box-office share would be paid to him after the film left theaters. It would be an enormous sum, enough for him to buy himself a house.

However, for the sake of his future development, Kevin planned to use the money once it arrived to acquire some copyrights in advance or invest it.

At the very least, he had to get his hands on the Mission: Impossible project somehow.

Only then did he realize why Tom Cruise had helped him. CAA had definitely used its influence.

With that connection, once Far and Away flopped, his chances of successfully inviting Tom Cruise would be much higher.

As a director, who did not want to make blockbusters?

But Saw alone was not enough to prove himself.

He had to make one or two more successful films before he could use his reputation to attract a major star like Tom Cruise.

However, he actually had no choice for his second film.

No film company would support him rashly changing direction. He had to use another horror film to prove that his success had not been a fluke. Only then could he secure a large investment when he changed directions for his third film.

Of course, by then, he could also become an investor and share a small portion of the film's box-office profits.

This was Kevin's plan for his future path. To become a great director, he had to keep his feet on the ground and take every step steadily.

Time passed quickly, and the first week soon came to an end.

After hearing that the opening-day box office had exploded, Kevin, as the director, stopped paying attention to such news.

New Line Cinema and CAA would help him handle everything related to it.

As a director, he did not need to consider anything else for the time being.

After all, New Line Cinema would still take the lion's share of the profits, so they were naturally the ones who should work the hardest.

After the film's success, Salma Hayek also became extremely busy.