Naturally, there were many people like Kira.
Similarly, countless viewers were drawn in by the glowing reviews from critics, choosing to watch Saw over the dozens of other films playing.
It went without saying that this was especially true for the cinemas near the University of Southern California, Kevin’s own stomping grounds.
The theater occupancy rate near the campus reached over 70%, while other theater chains saw ranges from 20% to 40%.
For an indie horror film relying entirely on pre-release marketing before word-of-mouth could even spread, achieving such high attendance figures was proof enough that New Line Cinema had poured massive effort into its promotion.
…
After grinding through promotional work right up until midnight, Kevin had no desire to sit through the actual screening.
Instead, he headed straight back to his hotel to get some rest.
Utterly exhausted, he didn’t even have the energy to stress over the box office numbers.
By tomorrow, his fate in this industry—whether his career lived or died—would be laid bare before him.
…
The next day, at New Line Cinema.
Dean paced anxiously across the production department, waiting for the exact opening-day box office numbers for Saw.
The film’s initial production budget was only $1.3 million.
Normally, failing to recoup such a small amount wouldn’t be crippling.
However, factoring in the cost of producing 800 film prints and running an aggressive marketing campaign, the total expense had ballooned to four or five times the production budget—roughly $5 million in total.
If the film flopped now, even an executive like him wouldn’t be able to shoulder the responsibility for such a massive loss.
Of course, the chances of his own instincts, Shay’s sharp eye, the test audiences’ reactions, and the universal praise of professional film critics all being wrong at the exact same time were incredibly slim.
Because of this, Dean still maintained a fair amount of confidence.
Even so, until he heard the concrete numbers, he couldn’t completely shake his lingering unease.
Soon, a staff member clutching the latest box office reports from the various theater chains hurried into the department.
Right in front of Dean, they began calculating the cumulative total across all 800 screens.
The brightly lit office was thick with tension when Shay walked in with steady, measured steps.
Unlike the nervous Dean, Shay appeared incredibly composed.
His confidence in Saw was clearly much stronger than his subordinate’s.
Unlike the nervous Dean, Shay appeared incredibly composed.
His confidence in Saw was clearly far greater than his subordinate’s.
“What are the opening day numbers for Saw?” Shay asked calmly.
As the final calculations came together, the staff member looked up in absolute shock.
“800 screens…
a 30 to 40% occupancy rate…
an average of 16 people per screening.
The schedules vary by theater, but they’re averaging 5 to 6 screenings a day…”
Shay calmly cut through the barrage of data, asking directly, “What is the final total?”
Hearing this, Shay’s composed facade and Dean’s tense anxiety shattered in an instant, and both men broke into ecstatic smiles.
For a movie with a mere $1.3 million production budget, an opening day haul of $8.43 million guaranteed an absolutely massive profit.
It should be noted that this year’s undisputed North American box office champion was Terminator 2: Judgment Day, a highly anticipated blockbuster sequel.
Even so, its first-day box office was only around $30 million.
T/N: The author is lost in the Hollywood numbers again!
According to history, Terminator 2 made roughly $31 million during its opening weekend, not on its opening day.
But the point stands—making $8.43 million in one day on an indie budget is insane.
Understandably, Shay’s ego was starting to swell just a little.
“Call Kevin.
Tell him I’m taking him to an exclusive Hollywood party next week,” Shay ordered.
“Also, start discussing the financing for his next film with him immediately.
We absolutely cannot let a director of this caliber slip into someone else’s hands.”
After giving Dean his orders, Shay turned to his secretary.
“Tell the finance department to inject another $2 million…
no, make it $3 million into the marketing budget.
I want the name Saw echoing across all of America.”
…
Ring, ring, ring!
Dragging his somewhat exhausted body out of bed, Kevin stood up.
Bathed in the morning sunlight, his chiseled physique looked as magnificent as the sun god Apollo himself.
Of course, this was entirely from the perspective of Salma Hayek, his biggest admirer.
Stretching his stiff muscles, Kevin dug his phone out of the pile of clothes tossed onto the sofa and hit the answer button.
“Hello?
Kevin, it’s Dean.
We did it!
We succeeded!”
Dean’s ecstatic voice burst through the receiver.
Hearing this, Kevin finally breathed a long sigh of relief, completely casting aside his lingering fear of failure.
He confidently asked, “The opening-day box office numbers are out, aren’t they?”
“Yes!
That’s right.
It’s $8.43 million for the first day!”
“Saw is a massive success!
Kevin, you did it!”
“President Shay wants to invite you to a private party at the Beverly Hills Hotel next week.
It’s going to be packed with many A-listers.”
Kevin nodded, though Dean couldn’t see him.
“I’ll be there.
Don’t worry.”
“Excellent, don’t forget!
We’re going to pump even more money into the marketing campaign over the next few days to make sure those box office numbers keep climbing.”
After hanging up with Dean, Kevin immediately dialed Dawson’s number.
Beside him, Salma Hayek had overheard the call and grew incredibly excited.
She knew exactly what an opening-day box office of $8.43 million meant for a low-budget horror film.
It meant the hardest door in Hollywood had finally been opened for her.
Thrilled, she couldn’t help but press her body closer against Kevin’s.
…
An $8.43 million opening-day box office?!
Kevin had actually succeeded!
Dawson’s face flushed with pure excitement.
After a brief moment of thought, he devised a strategy to push his premium client to even greater heights.
The plan was simple: leverage the immense industry power of CAA to promote Saw on an even larger scale.
He firmly believed that Michael Ovitz, the de facto president and co-founder of CAA, would fully support the move.
After exchanging a few final words with Kevin, Dawson hung up and hurried toward the top floor of the building, where the executive offices of CAA’s five founding partners were located.
Although there was plenty of empty office space up there, currently, aside from the five partners, absolutely no one else possessed the qualifications to work on the top floor.
Standing in the quiet executive hallway, Dawson looked through the glass walls, letting his pent-up excitement finally show.
The joyful, ecstatic expression plastered across his face was impossible to hide.
Michael Ovitz happened to be stepping out to use the restroom when he caught sight of Dawson’s manic behavior.
He frowned, fully intending to scold the agent for his lack of professionalism.
Spotting Ovitz stepping out of his office, Dawson didn’t wait to be reprimanded.
He hurriedly blurted out, “Kevin’s opening-day box office numbers are out!
It’s $8.43 million!”
Ovitz’s expression shifted instantly, his previous intention to scold Dawson thrown completely to the back of his mind.
CAA hadn’t facilitated many major investments this year, and Steve Kevin’s brilliantly laid-out proposal for Saw had already left a profound impression on him.