The Directors Guild moved faster than Murphy had anticipated. Within just a week, they completed the necessary procedures, and Murphy, who had left the Directors Guild to obtain the adaptation rights for "Sin City," was now reinstated as a member after many years.
Although not being in the Directors Guild didn't necessarily mean he couldn't win the Oscar for Best Director, being a member certainly benefited his Oscar campaign.
During this period, the media and the internet were abuzz with discussions about the Catholic Church, "Diego Rose," and the conflict between Murphy and the Church. It had become the hottest news in the entertainment circle. Hollywood was a loosely-knit commercial community, and while it wouldn't speak with one voice, most people dismissed Archbishop Marcos Costello's statements.
"Diego Rose" naturally garnered more attention, and the limited release results in twenty theaters surged. In the first weekend after the New Year, the film achieved its highest weekend per-theater average since it began screening, with each theater grossing $30,000 over three days.
The film's North American box office finally crossed the one-million-dollar mark.
Seizing this opportunity, 20th Century Fox negotiated with several theater chains, expanding "Diego Rose" to over 400 theaters in North America by the next weekend. Influenced by the media controversy, the film's attendance was quite good, with a per-theater average exceeding $15,000 and a total weekend gross close to $7 million, placing it in the top five of the North American box office charts.
Consequently, external expectations for the film rose, particularly from CinemaScore, which increased its North American box office forecast from $50 million to $75 million.
However, Murphy remained clear-headed, knowing that "Diego Rose" still needed to strive to break even on its production costs.
In his view, the number of Oscar nominations would play a crucial role in achieving this goal.
Over the next week, including the weekdays, "Diego Rose" expanded its North American screening to 660 theaters, with a respectable seven-day gross of $11.5 million.
Including previous earnings, the film's North American box office totaled nearly $20 million.
Then came the annual Oscar nominees' luncheon, a must-attend event in every award season.
Unlike previous years, Murphy personally attended the luncheon at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Although there was a red carpet ceremony outside the hotel, he quickly walked past the media and entered the hotel alone.
Though just a luncheon for the nominees, the event was star-studded.
With less than a month until the 84th Academy Awards, the nominees' luncheon, often the most festive and lively event before the "main game," attracted a galaxy of Hollywood stars. Potential nominees like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Rooney Mara, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese gathered, turning the red carpet in Beverly Hills into a focal point.
"Hey, Murphy."
Robert Downey Jr., dressed in a suit and accompanied by his wife Susan, approached Murphy, "I've been out of LA for a while, and you've caused quite a stir."
Murphy shrugged, speaking softly, "Had to come up with something. Otherwise, we might end up with nothing this year."
As a frontrunner for the Best Actor nomination, Robert Downey Jr. understood that without Murphy's strategic maneuvers, his chances of getting a Best Actor nomination for playing Tony Stark in "Iron Man" would be very slim.
He lightly patted Murphy's arm, "If you need any help, just let me know."
"Would I hesitate to ask you?" Murphy responded with a smile.
Given their relationship, he wouldn't hesitate to ask for help when necessary.
"Where's Gal?" Susan Downey looked around, asking, "Didn't she come?"
"No, she's busy with 'House of Cards.' Paul Wilson doesn't have a reliable producer there, so she couldn't make it," Murphy explained as he led them towards the banquet hall.
The producer who previously assisted Paul Wilson was from 20th Century Fox. Given the collaboration with Netflix for "House of Cards," they couldn't bring in a producer from Fox. While Netflix had hired professionals, their lack of experience in film and TV production was evident. So Murphy decided to have Gal Gadot stay with the crew temporarily, given that his new project wouldn't start for the next few weeks.
"How's the preparation going?" Robert Downey Jr. asked, "I heard you got Kevin Spacey for the lead role."
"Overall, it's going well," Murphy replied honestly as they entered the banquet hall, "But we haven't settled on the lead actress yet."
"Mr. Stanton, Mr. Downey," a staff member greeted them, leading them to the left, "Please follow me."
Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. followed him towards a round table on the left side of the second row. From a distance, Murphy saw Margot Robbie, sitting at the table, talking to a brunette girl at the next table.
"Here so early, Maggie."
Murphy glanced at the table marked with the "Diego Rose" crew label, pulled out a chair next to Margot Robbie, and sat down. Margot turned her head and gave a broad smile, "I can't wait to find out if I get a Best Supporting Actress nomination."
The crew had submitted her for the Best Supporting Actress nomination, but given her limited screen time and lack of personal campaigning, her chances depended entirely on luck.
Margot greeted Robert Downey Jr., and the brunette girl she had been talking to waved at Murphy, "Hi, Director Stanton."
"Hello, Rooney," Murphy nodded to her.
The girl was Rooney Mara, and judging by the proximity of their tables, the group next to them was probably from David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
Murphy chatted briefly with her. They had met before during the preparation for "House of Cards." Rooney Mara was a CAA client, and she had recommended her sister, Kate Mara, for the lead role through Paul Wilson.
However, Kate Mara didn't fit the role in terms of age and appearance, so Murphy decided she would continue playing the journalist Zoe Barnes.
Although Rooney and Kate Mara were not yet widely known, they came from prominent families. Anyone familiar with American sports knew that the Mara and Rooney families were synonymous with the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers, two powerhouses in American football.
Given the status of American football as the top sport in North America, their lineage naturally facilitated their Hollywood careers.
But having seen Kate Mara during auditions, Murphy instinctively felt she wouldn't achieve the same level of fame as Rooney Mara. Kate's looks were somewhat peculiar—fine in person but somewhat harsh on camera, which might not appeal to many viewers.
After a brief chat with Rooney, Murphy saw David Fincher approaching.
Murphy admired Fincher's work and stood up first, extending his hand, "Hello, Director Fincher."
Fincher lightly shook his hand, offering a formal smile, "Hello, Director Stanton."
They weren't familiar with each other and had little to discuss. After exchanging greetings, they returned to their respective tables.
"David Fincher, whose works are few but refined."
Seeing Murphy sit down, Margot Robbie shifted her gaze from Fincher and shook her head, "You're just as pitiful."
"Pitiful?" Murphy was puzzled by Margot's comment, "How can we be considered pitiful?"
If he and David Fincher were to be classified as pitiful, then the countless struggling directors and actors at the bottom of Hollywood were even worse off.
"Isn't it obvious?" Margot pointed towards the Oscar statue at the front of the hall, "Two perennial Oscar Best Director runners-up."
Murphy was momentarily speechless. It seemed he had indeed been a runner-up for many years.
In fact, some media had started to refer to Hollywood's three perpetual Oscar contenders: Ridley Scott, who alternated between good and bad films; David Fincher, whose works were few but excellent; and Murphy Stanton, known for his dark, deep style.
Reflecting on this, Murphy couldn't help but glance at David Fincher again. Many of Fincher's films, like "Se7en," "Zodiac," and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," were among his favorites.
Unfortunately, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Diego Rose" were somewhat similar in being critically acclaimed but not box office hits. Sony Columbia Pictures was unlikely to let Fincher continue with "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest."
This was the harsh reality of Hollywood: if a film was critically acclaimed but didn't sell well, it held little value for the studio.
As Murphy pondered Fincher's situation, he heard footsteps. Turning, he saw the crew from the front table arriving, led by a hefty man—his former collaborator, Harvey Weinstein.
This was a direct competitor!
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