The Berlin Film Festival's exclusive Film Palace will not be completed until 2000. The current main venue of the Berlin Film Festival is located in the Zoo Cinema south of the Zoo in the center of Berlin.
Although the name of Zoo Cinema does not match the style of the film festival, the screening hall is very luxurious, and the spacious hall can accommodate more than 700 spectators.
Simon walked across the red carpet and was led into the hall by film festival staff.
There are still more than ten minutes left before the opening ceremony, and most of the guests are already in the hall.
Simon's seat is in the ninth row. There is an aisle between the seat and the first eight rows, and it goes up a step. It is the most prime viewing position in this large screening room, and it is also the easiest position to be scanned by the camera.
Knowing that the opportunity to contact Westeros is rare, many guests at the scene put down their reserve and took the initiative to chat with Simon.
It was not until 7:30, when the opening ceremony began, that the commotion in the hall subsided.
Yes, just like the weather in Berlin in February, the Berlin Film Festival has a cold style that is incompatible with other film festivals. The opening ceremony was chosen at 7:30 in the evening when the sky was completely dark.
If it were Los Angeles or Cannes, this time point wouldn't matter.
However, don’t forget that this is Berlin, and it is still Berlin in February, the coldest time of the year. Simon paid special attention to the weather when he arrived in the morning. The recent night temperature in Berlin reached minus 9 degrees.
Including the red carpets that Simon has walked before, they only began to appear in recent years due to the pressure of the gradual decline of film festivals.
In previous years, there was no red carpet at the Berlin Film Festival.
Fortunately, the atmosphere of the opening ceremony was lively, different from the seriousness of the Cannes opening ceremony, and even a bit like the Oscars. A blonde female host from a local German TV station was very relaxed on the stage, making various jokes one after another. Finally, she left the stage and came to Simon's side for some interaction, which made the atmosphere more lively.
After the opening, there were routine reviews and introductions to this year's participating films, with several performances mixed in during the process.
Perhaps finally taking into account the mood of the audience, the opening ceremony only lasted about 45 minutes and ended at 8:15.
The opening video will begin at 8:30.
With the opening ceremony over, many guests will go to some parties and receptions in advance, or return directly to their residences.
Although Faye Dunaway, the heroine of the opening film "Arizona Dream", sat next to Simon during the opening ceremony and the two chatted about many topics, Simon did not stay to watch the movie.
Mainly because I have other arrangements.
There is currently no official opening reception dinner at the Berlin Film Festival, but there will be no shortage of similar parties and receptions.
In order to promote the two films "Hoffa" and "Toy" that were shortlisted for the main competition unit this time, Fox specially arranged a reception after the opening ceremony at a hotel near the Zoo Cinema.
The budget cost of "Hoffa" starring Jack Nicholson is US$35 million, and the budget cost of "Toy" starring Robin Williams is US$43 million. Since its release in 12 editions last year, the North American box office of both films has only been With a price tag of just over US$20 million, Fox can only hope that overseas markets will make up for the losses as much as possible.
As for the return of capital or even profit, it is unlikely.
During this period, the attraction of the overseas film market has basically fallen on "Jurassic Park" released at the end of last year.
As of last week, the overseas box office of this sci-fi dinosaur blockbuster produced by Daenerys Entertainment has exceeded US$380 million. Counting the US$330 million in North America, the global box office has reached US$710 million. According to predictions from Daenerys Entertainment's publicity department, "Jurassic Park" can recover at least another US$200 million overseas, and the global box office will eventually reach a high of US$900 million.
Because of the strength of "Jurassic Park", overseas markets almost instinctively focused more resources on this super blockbuster. "Hoffa" and "Toys" failed to cause much response in North America. After "Jurassic Park" Park" is rampant, and the possibility of performing in overseas markets is even lower.
However, what needs to be done still needs to be done.
The cooperation between Daenerys Entertainment and News Corporation is still very close.
Rupert Murdoch personally made several phone calls in New York to invite him, and since Simon was in Berlin, he stopped by to join in.
The reception was hosted by Nicholas Walsh, Fox's vice president in charge of overseas theatrical distribution. As soon as Simon arrived at the hotel where the reception was held, Walsh personally welcomed him out.
It sounds helpless.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the time chosen for this promotion reception is obviously inappropriate. A more suitable time should be the following weekend.
However, the two Hollywood celebrities who participated in "Hoffa" and "Toys", Jack Nicholson and Robin Williams, did not give Fox much timetable. Both of them only agreed to stay in Berlin for one day. Speaking of this incident, Nicholas Walsh, who was in charge of organizing the reception, was extremely depressed.
Daenerys Entertainment can put a lot of pressure on its co-stars. Even the top celebrities will basically cooperate with Daenerys Entertainment's various promotional activities.
Fox has no confidence in this regard and can only accommodate big names such as Jack Nicholson and Robin Williams.
Of course, another reason is that Fox does not have much overseas promotion budget for the two films.
If you are short of money, you can only save what you can.
Fortunately, this cocktail party was only held for press release, and it is not like Fox has never encountered this kind of situation. When publishing relevant publicity articles next, you only need to formulate a reasonable media strategy to avoid the hot spots of the opening ceremony.
Although it was not as lively as the opening ceremony, the media lineup invited by Fox was not bad at all.
Simon cooperated very well and was bombarded with flashes in front of the photo wall with posters of the two films before entering the reception hall with Nicholas Walsh.
Jack Nicholson, Robin Williams and others have also arrived.
I greeted them as usual, but some of them were cold and not warm.
Traditional Hollywood studios need to lower their profile and meet various harsh conditions in order to invite these big names. Daenerys Entertainment has not done this since its establishment.
With the rise of special effects blockbusters, 3D animated films and the DC Cinematic Universe, there is no need to do this now.
Special effects, 3D and superhero IP are the "A-level celebrities" of Daenerys Entertainment. Moreover, these celebrities will not only not ask for high salaries, but also will not ask for things like only filming for 5 hours a day, no memorizing lines, and no outdoor scenes. Such harsh conditions.
Although Daenerys Entertainment does not refuse to cooperate with traditional superstars, the premise of such cooperation must be reciprocity, or Daenerys Entertainment must maintain its dominant position. Celebrities who don't want to put in enough effort will never get a chance from Daenerys Entertainment.
Jack Nicholson and others were also not enthusiastic about Simon.
This young man has obviously changed the power structure of Hollywood in recent years. Because of the strength of Daenerys Entertainment and the rapid rise of a large number of new stars under the support of Daenerys Entertainment, the status of these established celebrities has been seriously affected. threaten.
If it weren't for the fact that Simon's current power and wealth were too terrifying, enough to directly crush the crooked thoughts of too many people, his current life would definitely not be easy.
Veteran celebrities like Jack Nicholson can still put on airs, but other guests at the cocktail party will not miss such an opportunity.
In fact, many people come here just for Simon.
Fox is also happy to be able to invite more stars to support the two films and increase the attention of the following news.
Reception hall.
Simon had just chatted with Denzel Washington about the ongoing filming of "Philadelphia Story" when Michelle Pfeiffer, wearing a black evening gown, came over.
"Evening, Simon."
"Hi, Michelle," Simon looked at the woman's outfit and smiled: "I still think red suits your style better."
Michelle Pfeiffer raised her eyebrows slightly. She had previously worn a red dress at the opening ceremony and had just changed into this one. She was not able to say hello to the little man in front of her at the opening ceremony. Unexpectedly, the other party noticed: "But, that dress is too thin, and it's very cold now."
"Oh, indeed," Simon nodded and said, "But black is also very beautiful."
"Thank you," Michelle Pfeiffer said, taking a sip of red wine, but her eyes were still on the man in front of her. She suddenly noticed something and said, "Didn't your wife come with you this time?"
Simon smiled and shook his head: "No, she is also a person who is very afraid of the cold."
"So," Michelle Pfeiffer's expression became more charming: "You are alone now?"
"Obviously," Simon shrugged and asked, "What about you?"
"I am also a person."
This hint is already very obvious.
Simon suddenly remembered that it seemed like a long time ago, when he had just arrived in Los Angeles and met Courteney Cox by chance. Courteney said that she wanted to be a big star like Michelle Pfeiffer. Simon said I hope to invite Michelle Pfeiffer to star in my own movies in the future.
Speaking of which, Michelle Pfeiffer is only at the top of her second tier and has yet to reach her first tier.
In the original timeline, Michelle Pfeiffer rose to prominence with her role in Brian De Palma's "Scarface" and reached her peak after her role as Catwoman in "Batman Returns."
Simon's appearance caused many things to change.
The role of Catwoman goes to Valerie Golino.
In recent years, Michelle Pfeiffer has still achieved A-list status with films such as "Witches of Eastwood", "Dangerous Liaisons", "Sleeping with the Enemy", "The Baker Brothers", etc. The best-performing film, "Sleeping with the Enemy," only had a box office performance of just over $100 million, far from being comparable to Catwoman.
Coupled with the rise of the new generation of actresses in Hollywood, Michelle Pfeiffer's current position as a first-line celebrity is not stable.
For Hollywood stars, if they want to stabilize their status, they must have box office or awards, just like Meryl Streep. Although she has not participated in many super-hit movies, she has a series of halo as a movie queen. Meryl Streep is one of the few A-list actresses in Hollywood who can earn a steady salary of $5 million.
After a second thought, Simon suddenly understood why Michelle Pfeiffer came over and acted quite proactively.
Michelle Pfeiffer came to Berlin this time because of the film "Field of Love" in the main competition.
"Field of Love" is a drama film produced by Orion Pictures. It tells the story of a housewife who insists on rushing to Washington to attend her husband's wedding after Kennedy was assassinated. The film is intertwined with various elements such as politics, race, and murder. Michelle Pfeiffer stars as the heroine in the film.
Unlike "Toys" and "Hoffa," which have already been released on a large scale, "Field of Love" only had a small-scale screening at the end of last year to qualify for the awards season.
However, the film's reputation is not satisfactory. When the Oscar nomination list was announced at the beginning of the month, "Field of Love" only received one nomination for Best Actress, Michelle Pfeiffer.
Counting "Dangerous Liaisons" and "The Baker Brothers", this is Michelle Pfeiffer's third Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
Already having the first two nominations, this year’s other nominees’ works and strengths are not as expected. Therefore, this should be regarded as the class in which Michelle Pfeiffer has the best chance of winning the Oscar.
The Oscar-winning actresses in the 1990s still have higher gold content.
If she can win the Best Actress Award, Michelle Pfeiffer will be able to completely secure her status in the next few years. Even in the longer term, with the Oscar Best Actress title next to her, she doesn't have to worry about lack of film contracts.
However, it is actually not easy to get this award.
Michelle Pfeiffer discovered that without other help, this year's best actress, Emma Thompson, the heroine of "Howards End", has a much higher chance of winning than she does.
Because "Howards End" is a film produced by Daenerys Entertainment's High Gate Pictures, Emma Thompson has successfully won the Best Actress in a Drama Series at the previous Golden Globe Awards. Compared with last year, Daenerys Entertainment also performed very strongly during this year's awards season, and its research efforts are far beyond what the declining Orion Pictures can compete with.
The Oscar nominations have been announced, and this month is key for awards PR.
Noticing the understanding in Simon's eyes, Michelle Pfeiffer no longer concealed herself, stepped forward slightly, raised her head slightly to look at Simon, stretched out a hand to put on Simon's arm, and said: "Simon, I'm here That hotel is really bad. You must have a place to stay in Berlin. How about we go to your place and have a chat?"
Simon faced the woman's gaze, raised his hand to hold the small hand that the woman had hit, and shook it, but then let go. There was some playfulness in his smile, and he shook his head slightly and said: "It's a pity, Michelle, this time the Oscar winner is I can’t give it to you, so do you still want to go to my place to have a chat?”