As late July approaches, North America's hot summer season gradually cools down. After the box office of "The Matrix" in North America exceeded US$300 million, its popularity has basically subsided and its growth rate has become extremely slow. From the Independence Day holiday to the current two weeks, it has only earned more than US$6 million. Although the North American box office exceeded US$310 million, its market potential has basically been exhausted.

The growth rate overseas has also slowed down significantly. The Far East has become the last box office feast of "The Matrix". Now the global box office combined has reached 585 million US dollars. If you want to break through the 600 million US dollars mark, the remaining screening markets can continue to make efforts in the future.

As the box office heat decreases, the peripheral sales of "The Matrix" has also fallen sharply. As of now, the peripheral sales in North America have reached US$288.5 million, and the peripheral sales in overseas markets have also exceeded the US$200 million mark, reaching US$221.5 million.

However, the peak season for the film has passed, and subsequent peripheral sales have to be accumulated slowly by time.

Even so, according to the 30% sales commission agreement signed by the Duke Studio and major manufacturers, the film can earn $127.5 million, plus $20 million from advertising sponsorship, and $2 million from the global box office of the film exceeds $500 million. Even if the TV copyright and disc and video tape copyright have not been sold, the film has earned nearly $150 million in peripheral and advertising.

This figure seems not high compared to the box office figure of nearly $600 million, but don't forget that the box office will be shared with marketers such as theater publishers, and this income is almost gross profit.

As long as the box office of the film is guaranteed, peripheral products will often become low-investment products and high-income products. Some so-called luxury suits or limited-edition collection versions such as Neo's limited-edition windbreaker have eliminated the collection value brought by the film's hotness. In fact, the cost is extremely low for merchants, and the profits created are often very amazing.

It is not unreasonable that major merchants actively participate in the peripheral production of the film, spend a lot of money to obtain image authorization, and also accept the commission from the film production and distributor.

The most typical example is that several manufacturers involved in "The Matrix". After hearing that Duke's new project passed the review of Warner Bros., he immediately took the initiative to find Warner Bros. and Duke Studios and asked to sponsor the film again.

As long as it meets the overall requirements of the film, Duke will not reject these manufacturers.

"I can't help but want to invest in Hollywood when seeing your videos always sell well, and all kinds of peripheral products create huge profits."

On the long pier at the small pier on the manor beach, Mrs. Leah looked at Duke and Scarlett Johnson holding fishing rods and said, "But reason tells me again. You are just an individual phenomenon."

Duke smiled and said nothing. He knew that his mother was just feeling a little emotional.

Mrs. Leah looked at the time, stood up and walked out of the sun umbrella, "I'll make a call."

The gentle sea breeze blows from the west, bringing a rare refreshing feeling to the hot weather in Southern California. Duke pulls up his fishing rod, looks at the empty hook, and re-hangs the bait. He throws it back into the sea.

“No harvest?”

Scarlett Johnson sat on the other side of the sun umbrella, took off the sunglasses stuck on his face, picked up a cold drink, took a big sip, and said, "You are so lucky. You haven't caught a single fish yet."

Hearing the girl's words, Duke turned to look at her, "The fish don't like me."

The blonde girl next to her whispered and said nothing.

Time is indeed an invisible killer. Every year, when his mother comes, he only meets Scarlett several times, and the relationship between the two inevitably becomes unfamiliar. This fourteen-year-old girl not only becomes taller, but also begins to develop her body, and she develops very quickly, gradually becoming what she once remembered.

Corresponding to her appearance, there is also the expression on her face. Scarlett Johnson's eyes were always obviously cold when looking at her mother. The problem of chattering when she was a child almost completely disappeared, and she was silent most of the time.

Duke knew what the cause of all these changes was, but the pain of family breakdown, and it could only be gradually eliminated by time.

"What are you looking at?"

Perhaps because he noticed Duke's gaze, Scarlett turned his head and asked, "Don't you know me anymore?"

Duke shook his head and pointed to his nose. Scarlett immediately understood what was going on. He raised his hand and touched it. "Last year, I was in a very bad mood and went to play one with a few classmates. However, my godmother didn't like it, so I took off the nose ring and threw it away."

Hearing Scarlett's words, Duke sighed in his heart and comforted, "Dear, everything will pass."

"Yes, everything will pass."

Scarlett gently shook his blond head, and suddenly smiled bitterly, "I just can't figure it out. Even if he wants to divorce his mother, he can leave. Do you have to go to court to divide the property? It's obviously he cheated, but he made a mistake..."

"Can anyone who makes mistakes be so righteous?" Scarlett seemed confused.

Duke shook his head at her and said, "Dear, you must understand that many times children only distinguish right from wrong, and adults only look at the pros and cons."

"Oh..." Scarlett thought for a while, just nodded.

She suddenly scratched her face and asked, "Is this the same thing about your cooperation with Warner Brothers?"

"What do you think?" Duke took his drink, took a sip, the cool feeling penetrated his chest and abdomen, and then changed the topic, "Ska, you performed very well in "The Horse Whisperer."

Speaking of the movie, Scarlett Johnson smiled, "Yes, when I saw Sophia some time ago, she also said that, and she invited me to star in her new movie."

The sun gradually moved to the west and was getting closer to the sea level. Duke packed up his fishing gear and walked towards the villa with Scarlett Johnson who was carrying his net bag. There were still a few small fish jumping in the net bag.

Fishing is a rare leisure that Duke has during his busy work.

My mother was also busy with work and did not stay in Los Angeles for too long, so she returned to New York. Duke's Duke Studio also ushered in an important moment. Major investors and marketers will settle the North American income of "Titanic" until the end of June.

Although the film is still screened in North America, starting from July, the production and distributor will no longer participate in the North American box office share of the film. The box office produced during this period will be owned by the theaters.

How can a film be screened in theaters for such a long time? How can it not cost a certain price?

Not to mention "Titanic", even "Star Wars", which has the most large-scale screenings, in the last few screenings, Lucasfilm can only say that the share of the money that can be obtained is better than nothing, but every large-scale screening will bring about a craze for sales of peripheral products.

The Duke Studio has taken away $40 million from the last North American box office share. This time it was the post-production share that the theaters had dominated. In addition to the promotional and promotional expenses of the film, it also paid some of the directors of James Cameron. The Duke Studio only received $15 million from it.

At this point, the North American box office share settlement was settled, and the Duke Studio received $55 million.

But overseas revenue is destined to be the big deal. In this settlement, the Duke Studio received a $125 million overseas box office share and a $75 million share in peripheral aspects including TV, discs, video tapes and other areas that have been negotiated.

Even if there will be a large amount of income in the future, Duke's $50 million investment has generated several times the profit.

According to the forecasts of relevant institutions, in the next year, "Titanic" will also generate at least $1.5 billion in peripheral revenue in addition to $665.62 million in North America and $1.215.2 billion in overseas box office.

Duke's accountant David also made some predictions, saying that Duke's $50 million investment will generate about $400 million to $550 million in pre-tax profits.

After entering late July, Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox jointly released the DVD and videotape of "Titanic", and the influence of this film is amazing!

DVD sales reached $35.25 million in the first week of release; videotapes sold $300,000, and the combined two were as high as $67.55 million.

In addition, there is the first round of TV broadcasting rights of the film. It was sold by CBS at a sky-high price of US$8 million!

Facts once again prove that the power of the big ship is infinite and the market potential is unlimited.

After August, "Titanic" continued to sail in North American theaters, and "The Matrix" released for three months has gradually come to the time to draw the next painting. The film will be released for 14 weeks after the screening is about to be released, which is related to the rapid box office decline, and the Duke Studio and Warner Bros.'s attempt to launch DVDs as soon as possible and videotapes make money as soon as possible.

Since the end of July, Duke has re-edited the theater screening version, added appropriate editing plots, and cut out a shooting and production stunt, which is also increasing the attractiveness of DVDs and videotapes to the audience.

VCD has never been popular in North America. Video tapes have always dominated the market in the past few years. It was not until 1996 that DVD appeared in 1996, and after the vigorous promotion of Sony and many other manufacturers in the past two years, the video tape's status was shaken. Especially since 1998, with the increase in sales of DVD playback equipment in North America, the sales of DVD versions of the video gradually caught up with the revenue brought by video tapes.

Hollywood initially resisted DVDs, but after seeing the huge storage volume and low cost, major companies that have been born to pursue profits immediately invested their greatest enthusiasm, and DVDs have already emerged in North America.

Duke remembers very clearly that in the next ten years, DVD will become the basis for Hollywood movies to make profits. Many movies that failed box offices can finally recover costs and even make profits by relying on DVD's low costs and high profits. (To be continued...)

ps: Jinan continues to barbecue mode. I guess I stand in Quancheng Square at noon, with cumin and chili noodles. I can eat barbecue after standing for a while... Please give me monthly tickets and recommend tickets. Students, you can come to Jinan to try homemade barbecue.
Chapter completed!