Chapter 334: The Fourth Champion

This weekend, two films were released on a wide scale, but neither Paramount's "Blood Pact Brothers" nor Warner Bros' production could pose a real threat to "Gone Girl."

As for "Superman Returns," which had been out for several weeks, its fourth-weekend box office had dropped to just over $5 million. Although Warner Bros' ambitious film opened with $50 million—a not so poor start—the subsequent steep decline killed all fanciful hopes of the producers.

In contrast, "Gone Girl" surprised everyone.

As anticipated, it continued to dominate the North American box office, securing its second weekend crown post-release. Unexpectedly, the second weekend's box office only saw a 29% drop compared to the opening weekend, grossing $35.4 million and setting a new record for the smallest drop in a wide release of over 3,000 theaters in the past five years.

This remarkable second-weekend performance helped "Gone Girl" smoothly surpass the $100 million mark in North America, reaching a total of $112.7 million!

Murphy and the crew were still on their promotional tour across North America, and 20th Century Fox continued to generate buzz.

"For the remainder of August, aside from Diemen Films' 'The Grimm Brothers,' there are no other films of the same caliber."

In a suite at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, Murphy, holding Gal Gadot wrapped in a blanket, sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan's nightscape and discussed the film's prospects, "This schedule is very favorable for 'Gone Girl.'"

Gal Gadot had returned to North America last week. Since Murphy was promoting all over, she came straight to New York.

She nestled in Murphy's embrace, playfully nibbling on his robust chest from time to time, occasionally responding nasally to his comments.

Hearing Murphy's words, Gal Gadot looked up, pouting, waiting for a kiss from above before saying, "How much do you think it will make in North America in the end?"

Murphy hugged her tighter, as if wishing to merge her into his body, "I hope it's $500 million!"

"Dream on!" Gal Gadot playfully bit harder on his chest, leaving a trail of delicate bite marks, and struggled slightly, "Darling, are you trying to strangle me?"

"How could I?" Murphy relaxed his arms, gazing down at Gal Gadot's delicate features, "Please don't leave me for so long again, okay?"

"I..." Gal Gadot was about to nod in agreement, but the memories of her time in Israel resurfaced, causing her to hesitate before saying, "Um, I also don't want to leave you for so long."

After speaking, she propped herself up, her arms encircling Murphy's neck, and kissed him passionately, igniting another fierce battle of love between them, his hands naturally exploring her long, enchanting legs.

The war between them erupted once more.

Typically, the last two to three weeks of the North American summer season are weak for new releases, and this year was no exception. No memorable new releases in the remaining time of August caught Murphy's attention.

20th Century Fox, riding on the success of "Gone Girl," was almost certain to dominate the entire August schedule.

All cinema-related media and magazines naturally focused on "Gone Girl."

CAA and Stanton Studios, leveraging the current heat, aimed their promotional efforts toward the upcoming awards season.

"In addition to considerable earnings, 'Gone Girl' is also one of the hot contenders for this Oscar season. With an 88% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes, a Metascore of 84, and an IMDB user rating of 8.7, both critics and regular viewers are highly recommending it. Despite being joked about as 'the most likely movie to cause breakups this year' due to its sharp discussion on gender issues, the film continues to draw audiences eager to see for themselves."

To make an impact during awards season, early action is necessary. Strictly speaking, "Gone Girl," due to its earlier promotional and marketing strategies, was already behind other films targeting the awards season.

Hollywood films often set their goals before production begins. Films aimed at commercial success invest heavily and try to release during the summer; those targeting awards season get busy right after the previous Oscars, planning their campaigns meticulously.

Oscar-bait films often debut at Cannes or Venice and then travel through various film festivals or screening events to build momentum.

Strictly speaking, "Gone Girl" was a bit slow starting its awards season campaign.

After the New York promotional events, instead of joining James Franco and Charlize Theron overseas, Murphy returned to Los Angeles with Gal Gadot both to discuss the awards season strategy with Bill Rossis and to prepare for the next stage of "A Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones."

"We indeed don't hold any advantages."

In the Stanton Studios office in Santa Monica, Bill Rossis paced back and forth, "Theme, age, experience, and release timing—we're at a disadvantage in all."

He turned to Murphy, "But we have two major advantages! CAA will support you fully. In the past ten Oscars, CAA clients have won 65% of the nominations and 40% of the Oscars. We have more media resources, richer experience, and a broader network than other agencies."

Murphy nodded in agreement, well aware of CAA's capabilities during awards season, having seen proof in Rossis's words.

"Second, your style has its supporters within the Academy!" Rossis had clearly done his homework as an agent, "Noir films have a firm backing in Hollywood and within the Academy. Although these people can't guarantee you an Oscar, a nomination is very likely with enough effort."

He added, "20th Century Fox will also invest resources into the awards campaign."

Murphy wasn't particularly concerned about this; 20th Century Fox only owned a third of the investment and rights in the film and wouldn't contribute much without a high distribution cut as incentive.

"20th Century Fox is a factor beyond our control," Murphy noted. "I'll have the studio fully cooperate with you and Grace."

To make an impact at the awards, one basic element is necessary—money!

Media promotion, hosting screenings, hiring PR firms, organizing vote-gathering parties, and even giving small gifts to judges all require funds.

Without a suitable investment, it's better not to play the awards game.

"The timing of our film's release is a disadvantage," Rossis added. "I've already spoken with 20th Century Fox. The film will be kept in theaters as long as possible, especially in New York and Los Angeles."

Murphy nodded, "It would be best to keep it until the end of the year. We can give up the North American box office share after ten weeks."

Rossis understood that without tangible benefits, it would be hard to persuade 20th Century Fox and the cinema owners, "I'll communicate with 20th Century Fox and the relevant cinemas."

"The screenings and vote-gathering parties for the awards season…" Murphy reminded, "Try to prepare them as early as possible."

"Don't worry," Rossis reassured confidently. "I've already contacted the relevant companies. Professionals will handle the arrangements, and a dedicated Oscars PR team will be responsible for lobbying on your behalf."

Murphy knew the chances of winning were slim; this was all for an Oscar nomination.

"I need to get back to the company," Rossis said as he prepared to leave, cracking a joke before exiting, "Let's hope 'Gone Girl' doesn't make too much at the box office, or our PR work will become much harder."

Murphy didn't say anything more, just waved him off.

Of course, he understood there was some truth to Rossis's seemingly joking words.

He hadn't studied the Oscars from long ago in detail, but in recent years, high box office earnings often posed an obstacle to winning or even getting nominated. Many Oscar-chasing films with good final box office figures typically earned most of their revenue after securing nominations or awards.

High earnings are often naturally associated with commercial success and mass appeal—labels not favored by the old timers at the Academy.

However, contrary to Rossis's joking words, the box office trajectory of "Gone Girl" in North America could only be described as terrifyingly stable. The third weekend saw a slight increase in the drop to 33%, yet it still garnered $23.7 million, achieving a third consecutive weekend crown.

The fourth weekend saw a 35% drop, but $15.4 million was enough to secure the film's fourth championship in this relatively quiet season.

By September, "Gone Girl" had spent five weekends in North American theaters, each with a drop of less than 35%, even garnering $10.1 million in its fifth weekend.

Including all workdays, after five weeks, "Gone Girl" had accumulated a total of $191.9 million in North America.

Surpassing $200 million in the North American market was inevitable.

Internationally, "Gone Girl" began its rollout in mid-August, gradually premiering in the UK, Germany, France, Australia, and many other markets. Although the response was somewhat less enthusiastic than in North America due to its thematic nature, it had still managed nearly $130 million overseas, easily breaking the $300 million global box office barrier.

Two consecutive blockbuster films had brought Murphy under intense scrutiny.

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