Needer getting home and enjoying a restful night, Kyle rested in bed and started contemplating the future.
Hard Candy and Wrong Turn were two films created with realisationduction amounting to $3 million. However, having just these two films in such a short time frame felt a bit sluggish for Kyle's growth.
"Is there a movie out there that is low-cost, quick to shoot, and guaranteed to be a success?"
"Hey~! What was I thinking? How could that even happen?!"
"Huh?"
"It appears there might be!"
While lost in thought, Kyle had a sudden realization. There actually was a film opportunity that was likely to be profitable.
——A knockoff film!
Kyle recalled a Hollywood story from his past life.
"100 Million BC," "Transformers," "The Treasures of Da Vinci," "Around Atlantic," "30,000 Leagues Under the Sea"... Do these movie titles sound somewhat familiar at first glance, yet seem slightly off?
That's correct, they are both familiar and peculiar!
All the movies mentioned above were produced by a film company known as The Asylum. Each year, they release knockoff versions of Hollywood hits to "capitalize on popularity" and produce "copy IP" projects.
Once they took a jab at Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," which sold 100,000 copies, they committed themselves to the principle of "high concept" (great creativity) combined with "low cost" (cheap special effects), focusing on the niche market of knockoff blockbuster films.
When "10,000 BC" became a success, they responded by creating "100 Million BC";
Following the success of Transformers, they produced Transformers;
After the success of Pacific Rim, they launched Atlantic Rim.
....
In summary, they make films based on whatever trends are hot.
Due to the low investment, a little effort to ride the wave of popularity is indeed a foolproof business strategy.
Additionally, taking the Hollywood blockbuster "Battleship" as an instance, while the original film ended up failing miserably at the box office with a loss of $200 million, The Asylum's "American Battleship," a knockoff, not only broke even but also made a profit—$250,000...
Interestingly, many of the company's "copycat films" were finished before the originals were released and managed to hit theaters first.
Naturally, an abundance of knockoff movies can certainly lead to legal issues.
But there's no need to worry!
They have various strategies!
For instance, in 2012, The Asylum's "The Hobbit" was made available and sold on DVD on November 11, just three days prior to the release of the original "The Hobbit" in North America.
The original filmmakers took The Asylum to court, but the company defended themselves by claiming that the Hobbits in their film weren't the Hobbits from Tolkien's writings, but were instead based on a real human sub-species (Homo floresiensis, discovered in Indonesia in 2003)—which is referred to as "Hobbit" in scientific terms.
Ultimately, the court ruled in their favor.
...
"Fantastic, there's no reason for the monks to avoid touching me. The Asylum can produce imitation films in the future, so I might as well do it now!"
Kyle couldn't help but recall this year's leading box office hit "Independence Day."
Your title is "Independence Day," so my imitation film will be named "Not Independence Day."
Who doesn't know how to capitalize on current trends?
If this were to happen to regular people, they definitely couldn't do it. It would be a breach of ethical standards!
But who set Kyle's "moral compass" so low?
.....
the following day.
Kyle, who had been eagerly anticipating a brilliant idea, arrived at the office bright and early, ready to pursue the cloning project to its conclusion.
However, he unexpectedly encountered Charlize Theron.
"Hey, Charlie, I haven't seen you in over a month, and you still look stunning," Kyle effortlessly complimented her.
"Kyle, you're still looking quite handsome."
I must say, Charlize Theron, truly is very attractive. Today she sported a light blue shirt that perfectly accentuated her figure, radiating beauty.
Yet, as Kyle recalled her preferences for partners—"lacking paternal affection and seeking a boyfriend who resembles a father"—he quickly lost interest.
"Uh... what made you think of me today?" Kyle inquired with curiosity.
"oh~~"
Upon hearing this, Charlize adopted a rather disappointed expression: "Kyle, I'm quite let down. We agreed to be friends, but you forgot that I'm the brand ambassador for SpongeBob House, and I came here today to film the promotional advertisement."
"Oh, my apologies! I'll take you out for a meal later to make it up to you," Kyle said with a smile, waving his hand dismissively.
"Alright, I forgive you. After all, you are the boss."
She beamed with happiness.
Clearly, she had enjoyed herself significantly over the past few weeks.
She had never anticipated that the film "Run Lola Run," in which she played the lead, would actually gross over 10 million US dollars at the box office. This was a pivotal milestone for her as a newcomer.
Additionally, she caught the attention of CAA, a major American agency, and successfully became a part of their roster. Rumors suggest that the company is currently searching for an appropriate film role for her.
"Then I must extend my congratulations. Looks like you'll be footing the bill for this lunch."
Kyle is quite the clever one.
A simple congratulatory remark in exchange for a nice meal.
Kyle is quite a sly individual.
With just a simple congratulations, one can enjoy a nice meal.
Naturally, Kyle felt excited for her and took pride in himself upon hearing that Charlize had signed with CAA. The more renowned Charlize becomes, the more advantageous it is for SpongeBob SquarePants, since she serves as the spokesperson under a lifetime agreement.
After that, the two engaged in conversation for a bit.
The mood was quite pleasant.
Not long after, a photographer from World Pictures arrived, interrupting their discussion. After all, Charlize was present that day to film a commercial.
"Let's continue this later," Kyle said with a smile as he waved goodbye.
Upon entering CEO Victor's office, Kyle's first inquiry was about the status of the script adaptation.
"Boss, the script is currently being adapted and should be ready within a week. Of course, after securing a director, I need to confer with him before we can finalize the draft," Victor replied calmly.
Even though Hollywood is centered on producers who have the final say on everything, including the script, smaller companies like World Pictures hold the director's work in high regard. If the director succeeds in becoming prominent, it can lead to greater profits for the company. For instance, Harvey Weinstein earned significant money by bringing Quentin on board.
"That's good to hear. By the way, has anyone been assigned to file for copyright with the trade union and the Copyright Bureau?" Kyle inquired.
"I had Martha handle that first thing this morning," came the response.
"Have we selected a director yet?"
"Not yet, but I've begun the search."
It's worth noting that with Victor's presence, Kyle felt considerably less anxious.
"Haha, Victor, I actually have a few promising candidates in mind," Kyle chuckled at this moment.
"Really...."
Victor's interest piqued. After spending over six months alongside Kyle, he had learned that despite his youth, Kyle was never one to act without a strategic purpose.
Kyle then pulled out several documents from his briefcase, detailing the information of a few potential directors.
Film: Wrong Turn, with a tentative director of M. Night Shyamalan;
Film: Hard Candy, tentatively directed by Zack Snyder;
Film: Juno, with Richard Linklater as the proposed director.
This timscepticismearly aimed to make a significant impact by producing three films simultaneously to penetrate the American market effectively.
...
The residence of director M. Night Shyamalan.
"Page Films? Are you asking me to make a movie?"
Shyamalan, whose features reflect his Indian heritage, regarded Kyle and Martha Hopkins—who had come to pay him a visit—with bewilderment and skepticism.
"Yes, we are confident that you are the filmmaker we need," Sister Martha replied with deference.
???
There is no denyt M. Night Shyamalan is quite bewildered at this moment.
Indeed, he aspired to be a director and was diligently working toward that goal, but he never anticipated that the opportunity would arise so abruptly.
After all, he is only 26 years old this year!
He is indeed quite young. Furthermore, he has yet to officially direct a theatrical film. Well, academic projects don't really count.
Although he was undeniably theatres at that moment, he managed to contain his excitement and inquired, "May I ask why you chose me?"
Upon hearing this, Kyle and Martha exchanged knowing smiles.
"Why not you? Let me introduce myself: I am Kyle Page, the head of our company, and I am also a gifted director, screenwriter, and producer. At just 19 years old, my first film, Run Lola Run, is currently showing in theaters across the United States and has grossed a total of 14 million U.S. dollars. Additionally, our boss highly recommended you as the director for Wrong Turn," Martha articulated clearly.
Genius director?
Or a screenwriter and producer?
Lola, run?
$14 million in box office sales?
Martha's impressive four-point argument struck a significant psychological blow to Shyamalan.
Instantly, Shyamalan's focus shifted to the young Kyle.
Kyle sat on the sofa, a serious look on his face as he feigned irritation at Martha, stating, "I've told you repeatedly that I'm just an ordinary young director, not a genius."
How amazing it feels to act cool!
Indeed, Kyle was genuinely delighted at this moment.
Ultimately, M. Night Shyamalan accepted Page Pictures' invitation to take the helm of "Wrong Turn 1," with an initially negotiated salary of $150,000.
While M. Night Shyamalan is currently very young and has not directed a theatrical film thus far, he happens to be the screenwriter and director of "The Sixth Sense," which was the runner-up in the North American box office in 1999. He is an emerging star.
In essence, if he signs on now, then hundreds of millions of dollars in box office earnings from "The Sixth Sense" will also flow into Kyle's pockets.