However, Friday's criticism was only the beginning. When the North American first-day box office data of Flyboys was delivered to Larry Ellison, who had been closely following the film, even someone as arrogant as him realized that David Ellison's career in Hollywood was likely going to start with a failure.
A first-day gross of 4.12 million dollars couldn't be called outstanding in any sense.
Though not an insider in the film industry, Larry Ellison knew very well that such a box office number was far from enough to top the charts.
"Mr. Ellison…"
Standing across from the desk, the female secretary looked at her boss's unpredictable expression and managed to maintain her composure. This founder of Oracle was never one for subtlety.
After briefly glancing through Flyboys' box office numbers, Larry Ellison looked up at the secretary and asked, "What about Batman Begins?"
At the New York premiere, he had boasted in front of Duke Rosenberg. Though he was used to his words falling flat and countering the awkwardness with thick-skinned indifference, it wouldn't look good if the loss was too overwhelming.
The secretary, aware of her boss's tolerance level, didn't hesitate and answered directly, "Batman Begins grossed 12.13 million yesterday, making it yesterday's top film in the North American box office."
"An 8 million dollar difference?"
Hearing this, Larry Ellison frowned slightly. The gap between the two films was far too big. Next time he met Duke Rosenberg, he would definitely lose face.
That thought only circled his mind once before being tossed aside. Someone at his level wouldn't lose composure over a single success or failure.
Besides, the box office numbers of two movies weren't enough to catch his attention anyway.
What he did regret, though, was that the son he had always considered a genius seemed about to suffer a major blow right at the start of his career.
Still, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing—failure was also a valuable experience.
Of course, no one wanted to experience the bitterness of failure, and neither did David Ellison.
In the Beverly Hills mansion, David Ellison sat silently on the sofa in the living room. Megan Ellison glanced at the report sent over by Walt Disney, then at her brother's expression, wisely refraining from mockery.
Having grown up around astronomical investments, even if the film's box office truly tanked, it wouldn't hurt him financially. But he wasn't someone like Larry Ellison, seasoned and weathered. Recalling his previous confidence and then looking at the first-day box office figures in front of him, how could he possibly feel happy?
Yes, Flyboys wasn't entirely without a chance at recovery, but David Ellison had studied at USC's School of Cinematic Arts and had spent the past two years researching the Hollywood film industry in depth. He knew very well that the odds of a turnaround were incredibly slim.
And… would Duke Rosenberg just stand by and watch him turn things around?
David stood up and paced the living room a few times, muttering to himself, "Is there really no one who can challenge Duke Rosenberg and his films during the summer season?"
That sentence reached Megan Ellison's ears. She blinked, thought for a moment, then started counting on her fingers as she said, "Seems like that's really the case. Robert Zemeckis, Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson, Anthony Minghella, Ridley Scott…"
She listed a series of famous directors, then concluded, "All of them have lost to Duke Rosenberg in direct competition. So your film flopping is actually pretty normal."
"Pretty normal?" David Ellison was so enraged his hair nearly stood on end. "Why can't I just win once?"
Megan Ellison shrugged, as if she hadn't recently quarreled with Scarlett Johansson at all, and said matter-of-factly, "Because he's Duke Rosenberg. He's the explosion maniac. He's the king of the summer box office. He's the number one in Hollywood commercial filmmaking!"
David Ellison's face turned black in an instant. He glared at his sister fiercely but couldn't come up with a single rebuttal—because the data was right in front of him.
If Flyboys had won, he could've gone to Duke Rosenberg and mocked him to his face. But now that he'd lost, even in front of his younger sister who wasn't even of legal age, he had no counterargument…
What could he use to argue back? That 4.12 million dollar opening day number?
According to the projections of Michael Ovitz, Walt Disney, and himself, Flyboys' opening weekend was expected to pull in around 40 million dollars, which meant the first day had to gross at least over 10 million!
But the actual figure was not even half that. And based on current audience feedback, whether the film could even cross 15 million over the weekend was now questionable.
If a film fails at the box office but receives good audience feedback, it can still turn a profit through various post-release licensing revenues. However, Flyboys' audience reception is even more dismal than its opening-day box office.
CinemaScore audience approval rating has dropped below 50%, down to a miserable 43%, with an average grade of C. IMDb rating is 5.6—borderline a flop.
Keep in mind, the film has only been out for one day. According to usual patterns, as screening continues, ratings tend to drop further.
Now look at the competition Batman Begins has been in theaters for over a week, and CinemaScore still shows over 85% audience approval. While the audience grade has slipped slightly, it's still an A, and the IMDb rating is an impressive 8.6!
Audience reception represents more than just numbers it reflects the staying power of a film!
Back in his chair, David Ellison pressed his forehead firmly, trying not to let the depression show on his face. After all, he had a net worth in the billions even if it was inherited wealth, he was still among the richest in North America, wasn't he?
Megan Ellison teased her brother for a bit and then stopped. No matter what that Scarlett Johansson said, she could still tell who her family was.
David Ellison was still deep in thought about the movie. After all, this was the beginning of his career.
A box office flop and poor audience feedback these aren't the end of the world for a film. He understood that very well. Many films that sweep awards season often perform poorly at the box office and don't attract mainstream audiences. Yet after awards success, they still recoup costs and even turn a profit.
"Can Flyboys make a mark during awards season?" David Ellison couldn't help but ask himself.
No one answered him. But he soon shook his head.
The reason was simple Flyboys had equally terrible audience feedback!
Everyone in Hollywood knew Duke Rosenberg was a frequent target of professional critics. Sometimes, the reviews of his films were less criticism and more outright venomous attacks for example, with Batman Begins. Critics gave it an average score of 6.5, and its Rotten Tomatoes score was only 63%. Its professional reception was mediocre at best.
But Flyboys was even worse in terms of professional feedback. David Ellison's eyes scanned the stats report again. Critics' average rating was 5.1, and Rotten Tomatoes freshness was 42%. His film neither pleased critics nor resonated with audiences.
A film like that, even with a heavy investment in PR, would never stand a chance in awards season.
"By conventional logic, David Ellison should be your rival. Professional critics don't like you. They should be supporting Flyboys, right?"
In the villa at Duke's estate, Scarlett Johansson was fussing with a tea set, cheerfully brewing black tea while casually tossing out questions, "But they're tearing Flyboys to shreds. Did those bloodsuckers suddenly grow a conscience?"
She had just gotten back to Los Angeles that morning, and by the afternoon, Scarlett had already come over. Duke was a bit tired, but having someone to chat with felt nice.
There's some truth in the old saying the higher you stand, the fewer true friends you have. In the past, Duke could casually chat with Tina Fey, but now Tina was busy following his orders, teaming up with Warner Bros. to dig a hole for Disney. Scarlett was one of the few people he didn't have to guard against someone he could speak freely with.
Duke took a sip of the black tea Scarlett had brewed, nodded slightly, and said, "Do professional critics have professional ethics?"
Scarlett set down the porcelain pot and tucked her golden curls behind her ear, deliberately putting on a thoughtful expression. "If they had professional ethics, there wouldn't be any conmen in the world."
"But…" She circled back to the earlier topic. "Why did they side with us this time?"
"The critics didn't take our side. They're still standing where they've always stood."
Duke offered a brief explanation, raising one finger. "David Ellison, like most other Hollywood studios, didn't invite any professional critics to the test screening or the premiere of Flyboys. Those self-important jerks never forget that kind of slight."
Then he raised a second finger. "He's a Hollywood newcomer, and instead of backing a niche indie film, he chose to fund a full-blown commercial blockbuster. Of course the critics hate him."
"Makes sense," Scarlett nodded thoughtfully, poured herself another cup of tea, and after a sip, added, "Still, their reviews help us a little."
"Not by much," Duke shrugged nonchalantly. "And without them, we'd still be fine."
These days, the number of viewers influenced by professional critics is tiny. Compared to the massive North American summer movie market, their impact is negligible.
However, with Flyboys flopping both with audiences and critics, the massive negative fallout was inevitable.
.....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(40 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu