Chapter 74: Unexpected Box Office Success

After signing the autograph in the notebook and watching the brunette girl leave, Carey Mulligan felt better than ever. This feeling wasn't just exhilarating; it was downright addictive. She wanted more of these moments.

"Too bad fans of this era aren't that interested in directors..." Murphy thought to himself. He patted the still-dazed Carey Mulligan on the shoulder and headed towards the car.

Honestly, he also wished to be recognized by fans, to have someone ask for his autograph with a face full of excitement, and then look at him with admiration, treating him like a god.

Just like many people view James Cameron.

Such things could only be dreams for now. A low-budget independent film like "Hard Candy" wasn't capable of creating that kind of impact.

After dropping Carey Mulligan off at Julian Fellowes's place, Murphy returned home to continue watching gore horror films, preparing for his new movie project.

The only difference was that he frequently contacted Jones Butler to get first-hand data on "Hard Candy."

Starting this Monday, "Hard Candy" had expanded to 160 theaters in North America. For a film with a production cost of $300,000 and no large-scale marketing, this was quite good.

Even with Miramax's capabilities, the only way to further expand screenings was if "Hard Candy" achieved solid box office numbers this week.

However, "Hard Candy" was destined to be a niche film. Even with the added B-movie elements, it couldn't escape its niche nature.

In fact, the audience turnout Murphy and Carey Mulligan saw was indicative of the film's overall performance.

One couldn't expect such a film to have a packed house or gross over $10 million in a single week. Even Murphy, as the director, had never harbored such naive and immature expectations.

On Monday, the film, now showing in 160 theaters, didn't see an explosive increase in box office earnings. It grossed nearly $40,000, and on Tuesday, traditionally discount day for North American cinemas, it saw a slight uptick, bringing in nearly $45,000.

By Friday, "Hard Candy" had grossed $210,000 over five days.

Including the $100,000 earned in the previous weekend, its North American box office total had surpassed $330,000, exceeding Murphy's production costs.

The weekend is the golden period for theaters. Over the second weekend, "Hard Candy" brought in another $320,000, pushing its total box office to over $600,000.

However, with an average per-theater gross of only $2,000 during its expanded release, "Hard Candy" wouldn't get a further significant increase in screenings.

Thanks to Miramax's efforts, the film still appeared in more theaters. By the third week, it was showing in 180 theaters.

The box office performance remained relatively steady. It grossed $160,000 over five weekdays and $250,000 over the weekend, edging closer to the $1 million mark.

However, two weeks of relatively stable showings had essentially exhausted most of the potential audience. Starting the new week, "Hard Candy's" box office sharply declined, with daily earnings falling below $10,000. It grossed under $50,000 over five weekdays.

As the new weekend approached, this decline led to a halving of the theater count, leaving fewer than 100 theaters showing the film. The box office continued to slide, bringing in only $60,000 over the weekend, clearly entering its final stages of theatrical run.

In North America, a blockbuster might stay in theaters for over six months, but this was usually reserved for mainstream commercial hits or critically acclaimed award-winners. A niche film like "Hard Candy" standing the test of time with decent occupancy was a pipe dream.

After four weekends, "Hard Candy" had grossed just over $1 million in North America, meeting Miramax's purchase cost.

Of course, Miramax wouldn't get all that box office revenue. Their share would be far less than $750,000 after various deductions.

Murphy, after watching numerous horror films, had started writing the outline for his new script. He also visited Miramax's Burbank office, leaving his email with Jones Butler to receive updates on "Hard Candy."

Jones Butler's attitude towards him had noticeably improved, for a simple reason: "Hard Candy" had met Miramax's $1 million box office target and even had some room for growth.

The theater count for "Hard Candy" continued to drop, soon falling to 80. Consequently, its box office earnings declined, generating only $70,000 over the next seven days.

When Murphy completed the first draft of his new script, "Hard Candy" was showing in fewer than 30 theaters, with daily earnings under $2,000.

However, as Jones Butler mentioned, the film's North American box office had surpassed Miramax's expectations, making it an over-performing title.

By mid-March, as Murphy was revising his script, "Hard Candy" ended its seven-week theatrical run in North America with a final gross of $1.48 million.

Although Murphy didn't know the exact revenue-sharing agreement Miramax had with the theaters, he estimated that after all deductions, Miramax's share of the box office wouldn't exceed $750,000.

By this calculation, Miramax had made a loss on this deal.

Nevertheless, North American box office revenue was only part of the total income. There were still international distribution rights, and with proper handling, video and TV rights could also generate significant revenue.

According to information Murphy had gathered, Miramax sold the international distribution rights of "Hard Candy" to several overseas distributors, earning over $1 million.

Including the inevitable video sales, Miramax could very well turn a profit, potentially netting over $1 million in revenue.

Through "Hard Candy," Murphy had come to recognize the reality that distributors were at the top of the Hollywood food chain.

While this didn't affect him much, the release of "Hard Candy" did bring tangible benefits. He met the entry requirements for the Writers Guild, Directors Guild, and Cinematographers Guild. In one day, he registered with all three guilds, officially becoming a member.