Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion

Chapter 715 - 520: Oscars Nomination

Despite Lionsgate Films doing well with their movie releases last year, Link would not become complacent. The reason why Lionsgate Films was able to break into the top three in terms of market share in North America's film industry mainly included the domestic box office performance of "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1."

This opportunity only comes once, and it would be extremely difficult to reach the top three next year.

This year, the main releases from Lionsgate Films included "Texas Chainsaw 3D," "The Wolf of Wall Street," "The Expendables 2," "The Hunger Games 2," "Dallas Buyers Club," "Snowpiercer," "World War Z," "Madea's Big Happy Family," "Mama," "Insidious: Chapter 2," "Now You See Me," and "Rust and Bone."

Palm Beach Films released movies such as "The Heat," "August: Osage County," and "Identity Thief."

Summit Entertainment had four, including "Battlefield Earth 2," "The Informer," and "Warm Bodies," as well as a couple more in collaboration with Annapurna Pictures: "Her" and "American Hustle."

In total, 20 films, averaging two film releases per month.

How well Lionsgate Films does at the box office this year will depend on the performance of these 20 films.

Entering the new year, Lionsgate Films, Palm Beach Films, and the production department of Summit Entertainment are also preparing new film projects.

Lionsgate Films has tentatively confirmed 12, including "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1," "Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas," "We're the Millers," "John Wick," "The Grand Budapest Hotel," "Annabelle," "The Conjuring 2," "The Neighbor," "Escape From Planet Earth," "Whiplash," "Fatal Call," etc.

Palm Beach Films has so far established two film projects: "Gone Girl" and "Birdman."

Summit Entertainment currently has three confirmed: "Ender's Game," "Insurgent," and "Step Up: All In."

This year, the three film companies have a total budget of six hundred million US Dollars.

Last year, Lionsgate Films' total income from the film sector was 1.6 billion US Dollars, including North American box office revenue sharing, international box office revenue sharing, television division income, film rights revenue sharing, and subsequent box office income.

Last year's investment in the film sector was 1 billion US Dollars, including the cost of film production, promotional expenses, acquisition of Summit Entertainment, acquisition of multiple best-selling book adaptation rights, and other expenditures.

Net income was about 600 million US Dollars.

After paying off over 300 million in loans and leaving aside the film production and promotional costs, Lionsgate Films had a financial deficit of about 300 million US Dollars last year.

For a large enterprise like Lionsgate Films, with a market value of over 20 billion US Dollars, a 300 million deficit isn't a huge pressure.

On the contrary, Lionsgate Films is considered one of the best financially situated companies in the current film industry.

According to Hollywood Reporter, last year 20th Century Fox had a loss of about 1 billion US Dollars with a cumulative financial deficit of over 50 billion, almost one-eighth of its total market value. Paramount Pictures had a loss of about 850 million and a current deficit of over 40 billion.

Additionally, Universal, Warner Bros. Pictures, Disney Pictures, and Sony Columbia Pictures did not match up to Lionsgate Films in terms of total income last year.

Lionsgate Films was also rated by the media as the most profitable film company in Hollywood last year.

Ivanka ranked first in the latest 'Hollywood Power List' published by Hollywood Reporter, as she is the chairperson of Lionsgate Films, a representative figure.

Link, as an actor, ranked third.

Harvey Weinstein fell to the twelfth place this year.

Leon Cavano ranked eighth, higher than Harvey.

Catherine, as the president of Palm Beach Films, ranked fourteenth.

After the Golden Globes ceremony ended, the nominees for the 85th Academy Awards were announced. "Argo" received 7 nominations, "Zero Dark Thirty" 5, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" 4, "The Master" 4, "Untouchable" 1.

Link's starring role in "Buried" was shut out from the Oscars.

The film with the most nominations this year was "Lincoln," with 12 nominations, "Life of Pi" was second with 11, and "Les Miserables," directed by Martin Scorsese, was third with 8.

This year's Oscars competition is fierce, and it will be difficult for several of Lionsgate Films' movies to snatch more awards.

"The main competition this year is for Best Picture, where 'Lincoln,' 'Life of Pi,' and 'Django Unchained' are also highly favored," said Goldsmith, COO of Lionsgate Films.

"Just do our best," Link said as he browsed through the newspaper.

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Since 2010, the number of movies nominated for Best Picture has increased from 5 to 10.

This year, the films nominated for the award include "Amor," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Argo," "Zero Dark Thirty," "The Master," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Django Unchained," and "Les Miserables."

Lionsgate Films distributed four of the nominated films, a significant proportion, but the quality of all the nominated films this year is very high. For example, "Lincoln," "Life of Pi," and "Django Unchained" are all considered classics.

The advantage of "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Argo" over some other films is that they conform to the mainstream narrative.

The Academy Awards are the most important film award in the North American Region, with more than 90% of the judges coming from the United States. During the awards selection, they also pay more attention to whether the content of the movie conforms to the mainstream narrative, such as "All Quiet on the Western Front," "Forrest Gump," "Crash," "The Hurt Locker," and other films that fit the mainstream narrative.

Therefore, the chances of "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Argo" winning an award are relatively high.

Considering this, Link and the PR department decided after discussion to intensify their PR efforts in order to win the award.

Additionally, in terms of other important awards such as Best Director, Best Actor and Actress, Best Adapted/Original Screenplay, etc., they also plan to increase PR efforts to win as many as possible.

This kind of investment is like gambling.

If you bet right, you can make up for it at the box office.

If you lose, you lose millions.

Lionsgate Films made a good profit last year and can afford these millions, so Link's order to the PR department is to do their utmost in PR and not be afraid to spend money.

There will be rewards for successful PR.

Even if they lose, it's okay.

While the PR department of Lionsgate Films was working hard, the PR teams of other film companies also began to make an effort, including the Weinstein Company, all starting to cheer for their own movies and at the same time not forgetting to belittle their competitors' films.

Since Lionsgate Films received many nominations this year, the chances of winning are high.

They are being trampled on frequently and intensively.

Some media exposed that Ben Affleck allegedly had extramarital affairs with other women, labeling him a good director, but not a good husband or father.

Other media outlets reported that 'hard-working sister' Jessica Chastain was unfilial to her elderly father, and even when her biological father passed away, she did not attend the funeral, trying to damage her good reputation with such news.

Some media also accused the crews of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and "The Master" of damaging the local environment and harming small animals during filming.

There were even media fabrications claiming that Jessica Chastain and Amy Adams both had ties with Link, and that was why Lionsgate Films strongly supported the two.

Lionsgate Films also promptly countered these negative comments, issuing timely clarifying statements where needed, sending lawyer letters when appropriate, while also not missing opportunities to disparage the competition.

In the time leading up to the Oscars ceremony, the American entertainment circle could be described as utter chaos.

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While the American entertainment circle was in constant uproar, the Huaxia region began celebrating Chinese New Year, and Link arrived in Capital City a week before the New Year's Eve to attend the spring festival rehearsal, visit Chris Liu who was more than eight months pregnant, and spend the New Year with her, Jennifer Shu, and little Shunan.

Chris Liu got pregnant last May and was less than two months away from her due date.

After being pregnant, Fairy Sister became a bit plumper but still looked exquisitely beautiful, also exuding a more mature charm.

Link was not sure if he would have time to be there when she gave birth, so he tried to spend more time with her when not busy, attempting to show some responsibility.

And little Shunan, who is nearly one year old, was only held by Link a few times during a movie shoot in Hong Kong Island last May and when he released an album at the end of last year. Now with some free time, he also spends time with the little guy.

Another year passed by, and the executives of Goldbeck Investment Company from Hong Kong Island also came to report their work.

Currently, Goldbeck Investment holds 11.6% of Wanda Film Industry shares, 4.2% BYD Auto shares, 3.4% JD Shares, 0.35% Maotai Shares, 0.22% Ali investment shares, as well as shares of Dolphin Bay Entertainment Company and Property Management Company, with a total value of about 80 billion RMB.

The income and stock dividends from these companies last year amounted to 6.5 billion RMB, with a net profit of over 2.5 billion.

From this money, Link allocated 20 million to Chris Liu and Shu for living expenses, reinvested the rest in real estate and company stock acquisitions, and also transferred 300 million US Dollars from the United States to acquire additional shares in BYD Auto, JD Shares, and Maotai Shares.

He increased his investment in BYD Auto to 5.1%, entering the board of directors, JD Shares to 4.1%, and added 0.45% to Maotai Shares.

Now his total assets in the Huaxia region have reached 100 billion RMB.

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