Chapter 67: Opportunism

Money, forever the most stimulating element to the common man's senses.

Compared to the more specialized and personal movie reviews, the general public often judges the quality of a film based on its box office numbers, which are also more likely to attract their attention.

The small box office miracle created by "Run Lola Run" with only 207 screens naturally caught the attention of the major print media, which are adept at gauging the public's interest. Furthermore, the news about "Run Lola Run" shifted from entertainment sections to the more widely read current affairs sections.

Due to lifestyle and reading habits, the evening papers in Los Angeles had always been tepid in their development.

In a bid to capture audience attention, "The Los Angeles Herald," an evening paper under the increasingly declining Hearst Corporation, pushed the box office success of "Run Lola Run" onto its front page that afternoon, even adding a sensational headline.

"An average of $26,000 per theater, 'Run Lola Run' completely outshines Stallone's new film!"

"Last Friday, newcomer director Simon Westeros released 'Run Lola Run' on a small scale in various states on the West Coast and in New York. Before this, 18-year-old Hollywood up-and-comer Simon Westeros had already sparked widespread media debate and discussion."

"'Run Lola Run' lived up to expectations and received widespread acclaim from critics upon its release. With the release of the four-day President's Day weekend box office figures, 'Run Lola Run' amassed an impressive $5.51 million, surpassing Sylvester Stallone's new movie 'Over the Top' and securing the fourth place in the 1987 Week 7 weekend box office rankings."

"However, the comparative data between 'Run Lola Run' and 'Over the Top' is even more astonishing."

"'Run Lola Run' was produced on a budget of $650,000, while 'Over the Top,' co-produced by Warner Brothers and Cannon Films, had a production budget of $25 million—38 times the budget of 'Run Lola Run.' 'Run Lola Run' was shown on 207 screens, whereas 'Over the Top' debuted on 1,758 screens—8.5 times the scale of 'Run Lola Run.'"

"Despite such a stark contrast, 'Run Lola Run' easily outperformed 'Over the Top' with a box office of $5.51 million. Its per-theater average reached an astonishing $26,600, far surpassing all other films of the period."

"It is foreseeable that, with its excellent reputation and high level of public interest, as Orion Pictures pushes 'Run Lola Run' into the broader markets of the Midwest, East Coast, and Canada, the box office miracle of this mini low-budget indie film is just beginning. Within the next half-year, it could very well become the first film of 1987 to break $100 million."

"At the same time, with the dual failure of 'Over the Top' in both reviews and box office performance, Hollywood might need to reconsider the ever-increasing costs of movie production."

The article in "The Los Angeles Herald" quickly became the focus of attention in the West Coast media for that afternoon and the days that followed.

With one-sided media commentary and even mockery, Sylvester Stallone, whose rise to fame was itself an inspirational story, temporarily became a tragic example of 'the old wave crashing on the beach.'

During the busiest party season before the Oscars, reporters and paparazzi naturally didn't miss this opportunity. Unable to find Simon Westeros, the other central figure in the incident, they focused their attention on hounding Stallone.

Stallone's status was clearly not something that could be shaken by a single film failure. He maintained his composure in the face of the media's pursuit and inquiries, handling them with propriety.

However, even a clay figure has its limits, and after being chased by a crowd for several days, Stallone finally lost his patience during an evening party in Beverly Hills. Irritated by a particularly sharp question from a paparazzo, he turned away in disgust. The paparazzo, not relenting, blocked Stallone and continued to press.

Unable to bear it any longer, Stallone raised his hand to push the paparazzo away.

Then, as if Rocky himself took over, with just a light push from Stallone, the paparazzo dramatically fell to the ground, 'unconscious.'

Although many could see this was a clear case of opportunism, such sensational news was good for sales, and who would bother with the facts?

Consequently, the next day the media was flooded with headlines like 'Stallone, in a fit of rage, knocks out a paparazzo.' The whole incident was clear, and the already hot topic of "Run Lola Run" seemed to be fueled once more by a splash of gasoline.

As "Run Lola Run" entered its second week of release.

Despite efforts to speed up distribution, the

 number of screens showing "Run Lola Run" in its second week only increased to 265. This was mainly due to additional theaters added by chains that had already signed screening contracts.

Orion Pictures' contracts with these theaters provided only a 43% share of the box office revenue, with Simon's side receiving 15% and Orion Pictures taking 28%.

Given the high interest in "Run Lola Run," Orion Pictures was not content with this revenue-sharing ratio and was negotiating with other theaters. However, since the contracts were for a fixed share, any future increases in Orion's share from theaters would not affect Simon.

Nevertheless, Simon was very satisfied with the current situation. After all, if he had worked with one of the major studios, even if he could negotiate a share, he would likely have received only about 10%.

Moreover, Simon still retained the distribution rights for "Run Lola Run" outside of North American theaters. With the film's success at the box office, the subsequent sale of these rights could yield substantial profits.

Meanwhile, the final box office tally for "Run Lola Run's" opening week came in at $6.97 million, continuing to suppress Stallone's "Over the Top," and even closing the gap with the third-place "Show Off."

Many media outlets began speculating about the specific box office prospects for "Run Lola Run."

Given the current acclaim and popularity of "Run Lola Run," combined with the era's practice of long theatrical runs and multiple screenings, the film's lifespan in North American theaters was likely to reach about six months.

Six months, roughly 26 weeks.

With "Run Lola Run" achieving $6.97 million in its first week on just 207 screens, considering the film's reputation and the box office trajectories of some past popular films, media predictions commonly placed the final North American gross of "Run Lola Run" between an astonishing $150 million and $200 million.