Behind The SpotLight

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 42

October 19, 1995. Thursday.

Today was a bit special and unusually tense for some people.

The CEO of Uni-versus Pictures, Berry Cruz, was having a meeting with the producer of The Accidental Wedding Crashers, Collin East.

"Last week, we spent $1 million on promoting the movie. We bought a commercial slot on the radio. We also posted posters in every major city in the country, including LA, New York, and even Chicago."

Someone from the Marketing Department announced firmly while standing in front of the executives. Berry nodded, and Collin was also satisfied with the initial report. He knew he didn't have any real authority regarding these matters, despite being the producer on paper. He was merely attending the meeting as a courtesy, perhaps to observe the business side of things.

He also understood that Uni-versus wasn't obligated to promote the movie on television, since that medium was significantly more expensive and required separate contracts. The best they could do was include the trailer in theater previews to attract some attention.

As for the flyers, posters, and traditional advertising, Collin was thankful that Uni-versus was taking the movie seriously enough to invest in its marketing, even though they didn't own full rights to the project.

Did they see something in the film? Perhaps some unexpected brilliance. Maybe they sensed the potential of The Accidental Wedding Crashers.

"If the movie performs better than expected, we'll invest more and intensify the promotion across other states and possibly on TV if necessary."

Another person, from the Distribution Department, stood up. He wore a neat gray suit and held a clipboard.

"On our side, we spent $3.6 million to print over 2,000 35mm film copies of the movie to distribute across our partner theaters."

That amount made Collin wince internally, as though he'd swallowed something bitter. Still, his expression remained unreadable. He didn't care if the others in the room were staring or silently judging him, he maintained his composure like a true professional.

He understood why some of them were glaring at him with subtle disdain. Uni-versus Pictures had to shoulder all these expenses because Collin's side was dirt poor and couldn't contribute a dime.

These employees didn't like spending money on a film they didn't even own and had minimal control over. From a business standpoint, it made them uneasy.

If not for the CEO's decision, they likely wouldn't have agreed to this deal or pushed it this far.

Of course, all expenses the studio incurred would be subtracted from the box office share before any profits were distributed.

So far, the money spent on the movie was around $4.6 million and counting. That figure could still rise, depending on how the film performed.

Even though the executives didn't fully support the deal and were skeptical, all of them hoped the movie would turn a profit so their gamble wouldn't look foolish. After all, if the movie flopped, they wouldn't recover the money they'd invested. It would go down as an expensive mistake.

Every one of them hoped the film would succeed.

"There will be no red carpet or premiere, since not everyone in the cast is well-known or has box office appeal. We'll just release the movie at midnight and promote it intensively through local outlets and cinema partnerships."

Berry Cruz listened quietly and nodded once the updates were finished, a slight furrow forming on his brow. Honestly, even he wasn't sure why he had supported the movie so aggressively. Perhaps he'd been star-struck by the film's charm. He decided to trust his gut.

"Let's end this meeting here and prepare for the weekend release."

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October 20, 1995. 12:00 AM.

The movie was released in 2,100 theaters simultaneously across North America. Uni-versus Pictures didn't have any other films scheduled for release around this time, so they used the opportunity to launch this comedy starring an unknown cast and an equally unknown director.

The Cinema Alliance was skeptical of the film's potential and had expressed quiet concerns. But since Uni-versus Pictures was distributing it, they gave it a slot anyway.

Sure enough, the first day box office results were meager, only $1.4 million across all locations. For a Friday release in 2,100 theaters, this was abysmal and deeply disappointing. The kind of result that could cause heart palpitations for anyone invested in its success.

Even Berry Cruz began to question whether his decision might cost the studio more than he anticipated. He frowned and contacted the marketing department, instructing them to pause all promotional efforts until they could reassess the situation. Perhaps he should have released the movie in a smaller number of theaters before expanding it nationwide.

'Was I hypnotized by the movie? I think I'm losing my grip. Maybe I should visit a doctor, what if I'm suffering from a mental illness?'

For a moment, he regretted the decision more than anything else in his career. He should've listened to the others and gone with limited screenings first to test the waters. Launching in 2,100 theaters right away was the wrong move or so he thought at the time.

Collin also heard the news and was so anxious that he couldn't sleep. After some thought, he decided to watch the movie again, just to help increase the box office by one ticket, even if it felt like a drop in the ocean.

Wyatt received the news in the middle of the night via a call from Uni-versus Pictures. He turned pale and began sweating as if he'd seen a ghost. He didn't know what to say or do. This was his directorial debut. The thought of it flopping after all the hard work he poured in was unbearable.

He started calling friends, relatives, and former classmates to promote the movie.

"Grandma? Yes, Grandma, don't worry. You and Grandpa will love this movie. It's amazing! You want to bring the younger cousins too? As long as their parents are with them, it's perfectly fine, they'll enjoy it."

Wyatt said this over the phone with desperate enthusiasm.

The cast also jumped in and did everything they could to help promote the movie. Especially Collin's clients, who knew just how much was at stake. This movie could be their big break, an escape from obscurity. As long as their director friend found success, their futures looked promising too.

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October 21, 1995. Saturday.

The movie grossed another $6.9 million, a surprising jump. It was higher than expected, but still not enough to convince executives that the film was a hit.

Then came the third day. The day that changed everything.

The day that confirmed the movie's trajectory and silenced every doubt.

The day everyone realized they were witnessing the rise of a Master Director of Comedy, a hidden genius with untapped brilliance.

October 22, 1995. Sunday.

The movie grossed another $18.3 million in a single day. Yes, in just 24 hours, it pulled in $18.3 million and that figure wasn't final. Late-night reports could boost it further, and updates from regional theaters were still trickling in.

In only three days, with 2,100 theaters, The Accidental Wedding Crashers had grossed over $26.6 million.

It was a box office success. A first-weekend performance that no one saw coming.

Uni-versus Pictures was stunned. Collin and the rest of the team were speechless. Even the other five major studios were caught off guard and scrambling to understand how an obscure film, made with no stars, no hype, and no expectations, had managed to dominate the box office so decisively.