After the media reviews were released, people finally realized just how bad sharknado was. (っ◔◡◔)っ
But as Eric predicted, a film this bad was unprecedented, and people's appreciation for the absurd began to kick in, ironically drawing many to cinemas.
"Son, which movie do you want?"
"sharknado, of course!"
"sharknado is a terrible movie. Don't you watch TV? All you hear are criticisms of it."
"Yes, I know, but what does that matter? I just want to see how bad this movie is!"
To the reporters' bewildered expressions, many audience members once again entered the sharknado screening hall.
Later, an interesting scene also occurred when many paparazzi followed and interviewed celebrities.
Peter Jackson: "Yes, the box office for the lord of the rings 2 met my expectations, everyone is very satisfied, and we believe it can go even further."
"That's right, the filming of the lord of the rings: the return of the king is also nearing its end. The crew will resume work after the holiday. Everyone is in high spirits, and we will not disappoint the fans' expectations."
"You mentioned sharknado? Of course, I watched that movie. It has an unusual charm; it's indeed terrible, but I found it quite entertaining. I think those young people feel the same way."
Nicole Kidman was photographed leaving a cinema, and she generously stated: "I went to see sharknado. Why the surprised expression? sharknado is highly discussed right now, and I wanted to see what kind of movie it really is."
Johnny Depp: "What's so strange about it? I've always liked watching bad movies. One can't always watch good movies; sometimes, you need a different way to relax."
Quentin Tarantino: "Regarding sharknado, I only want to say one thing—awesome!"
The media's negative reviews completely backfired, and with the intentional or unintentional promotion from various celebrities and big names, sharknado continued its rampage.
In its third week, the box office still rose against the trend, taking in 45.5 million dollars, with the top three still occupied by the lord of the rings, catch me if you can, and sharknado.
As for the newly released movies, they could only tremble in fear beneath the storm. Even chicago's opening weekend box office was compressed to a pitiful 9 million dollars.
It's worth noting that although it wasn't a commercial blockbuster, chicago gathered Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere, a cast of Oscar winners and nominees, and had strong promotional efforts, yet it ended up in such a predicament.
Miramax was already crying in the restroom. It's said that the Weinstein Brothers were furious, constantly smashing things in anger.
However, as an art-house film, it still has a chance: the announcement of the Oscar nominations in January, which will significantly boost its box office.
In three weeks, sharknado, through an unusually unconventional and eccentric path, raked in 93.3 million dollars at the box office, a huge profit compared to its maximum cost of 2.5 million dollars.
However, at this point, its potential is mostly exhausted. It will likely collect another 10 million dollars or so before it's pulled from theaters.
And while the sharknado storm has ended, the box office war continues, with the upcoming saw taking its place.
Although sharknado became an eye-catching hot topic, Eric didn't receive many congratulations, as few people knew that AK Films belonged to him. He was currently in the editing room, cutting the film with James Wan and Leigh Whannell.
"Patrick Wilson, truly an actor who came from the stage. He's excellent."
Leigh Whannell recalled the filming scenes: "Eric, you were right. Wilson's acting is more natural, and he and Wan were unexpectedly compatible."
James Wan also smiled: "It's incredible, but I feel like Wilson and I are old friends who've known each other for a long time. He always understands what I want to express. Eric, thank you so much for recommending Wilson."
"Perhaps it's destiny; he's your go-to actor!" Eric said with a shrug.
"I hope so, but after saw is released, I haven't thought about my next project, and I don't know when we'll be able to collaborate again."
"saw 2, you can continue to direct, and Leigh can continue as the screenwriter. I have full confidence in you two as a team."
Hearing this, James Wan stopped what he was doing and said with a troubled expression: "Eric, actually, I don't plan to direct saw 2."
"Hmm? Why not?"
James Wan scratched his head: "How should I put it? It's for personal reasons. I feel like I've already expressed everything I wanted to. If I continue to direct the second installment, the effect might not be as good."
Seeing his somewhat difficult explanation, Eric said: "Your passion is fading, and there's no freshness left, is that what you mean?"
James Wan slapped his thigh: "Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to say. Since I've done what I wanted to do, it's time to move on. I like new things, new movies, new scripts; they excite me."
Recalling the original timeline, James Wan indeed never directed three consecutive films in the same series. At most two, and he would then step behind the scenes. Perhaps that's just his personality.
Eric laughed heartily: "That's not difficult. Don't forget you have MGM behind you. You'll always find what you want in the script library."
"Or I also have a few good ideas here. After saw is released, we can talk."
"If all else fails, just have Leigh write a new script, and you'll find new points of interest."
Leigh Whannell said: "Then you'll have to give me some time; I'm not a quick shooter."
"Me neither!"
"Me neither!"
The investment for saw was 5 million dollars, and that money wasn't spent in vain. Eric could clearly see that the visuals and props had all become more refined, and the atmosphere of horror and despair was even stronger.
Moreover, a portion of this money was used to hire the master composer John Williams, which further elevated the film's quality.
As one of Hollywood's three greatest composers, John Williams has countless representative works, with over 50 Oscar nominations, making him an undisputed master.
After staying in the editing room for a while and offering some suggestions, Eric left. He trusted James Wan's abilities.
With 13 days left until saw's release, MGM's publicity machine also started running.
This time was different from sharknado; saw's quality was absolutely formidable, capable of holding its own even within the horror genre.
So, in addition to online promotion, buying internet trolls, purchasing ad pages, television promotion was also indispensable. Trailers began to spread on several major TV stations and online.
"There are no mutants, no ghosts, no curses, no zombies here, but there is a different kind of horror."
"Traps, secret rooms, conspiracies, killings—this will show you the struggles of human nature."
"Want to understand the meaning of life? Want to truly live? Then come!"