Chapter 1934： New year is coming

In 1997, I walked the rest of the time silently. Before people had time to sigh that time flew by, the dawn of 1998 was shrouded above their heads. The historical moment of the turn of the century is gradually approaching, making people excited. stand up.

Although the rumors about the "millennium bug" have gradually heated up, for most people, the rumors of the end of the world sound too far away. Relatively speaking, people are more keen to discuss that in the past 1997, the world has been turned upside down-it seems that there is no need to wait for the wheel of history to enter a new era from the 20th century to the 21st century.

After the North American film industry ushered in a full-blown year in 1994, independent films headed by "Pulp Fiction" formally entered the stage of history; the following 1995, although it fell slightly, can be regarded as a small film year; but then In 1996, with an "Independence Day", it became a year of groundbreaking in film history. This year, it continued the glory of last year and truly announced that the North American film market has entered the "blockbuster era."

Since the birth of "Independence Day", people have been curious about a question: Is this the norm or an exception? Can computer special effects really bring the film industry into a new era? Isn't it a distortion of the art of film that the investment is getting higher and the cost is getting more and more expensive? Most importantly, can "500 million at the North American box office" really become a dream within reach of every movie?

In the first three-quarters of 1997, or to be more precise, before the last week of 1997, the answers to these questions were negative. It seemed that "Independence Day" became a meteor, which was fleeting. , The brilliance of the film industry was permanently fixed in 1996, and it was impossible to get one step closer. But history is so interesting. Before 1997 was about to end, a completely different answer was given.

"Titanic" turned out to be not only a slap in the face of the media, but also a strong announcement of the arrival of the era of blockbuster films.

The unprecedented high investment cost of 200 million US dollars, and the "Titanic" in exchange for the North American box office of 600 million US dollars, from 300 million to 500 million, and then to 600 million, the North American box office market was completed in just three years After the triple jump, the brilliant momentum is almost astonishing. "Titanic" not only easily surpassed the highest box office memory of "Independence Day" in film history, but also raised the original benchmark to another level, achieving supreme glory.

The great success of "Titanic" has officially brought an end to the debate in the entire film industry. Even though only two works have created such a brilliant result, this is enough to attract major production companies; even with the current use of computer special effects. It's still not mature enough, but the film company is very willing to explore in depth.

Invest one million U.S. dollars in exchange for 100 million U.S. dollars in box office; or invest 100 million U.S. dollars in exchange for 300 million U.S. dollars in box office. In fact, this is a very easy math problem. Everyone knows that the profit of the former is much higher than that of the latter. If it is said that "interest is paramount," then it is wise to choose the former; but business is not only a math problem, but also There are many additional factors, most Hollywood studios will choose the latter.

Because high investment also represents a hot topic, this is a huge boost to the personnel of the entire company and the entire film industry chain, and its additional benefits are far higher than the low-cost production; because although small and big can be a big win, But the probability of victory is too small, far more than the lure of high investment and high return. Doubt, if ten works with a $100 million investment can produce a work with a cost of 300 million U.S. dollars, then a work with a cost of less than 100 million U.S. dollars may have a work with a cost of 100 million U.S. dollars.

Therefore, the success of "Independence Day" and "Titanic" has given Hollywood a major enlightenment. It is not only high investment and high return, but also a new stage in the film industry represented by computer special effects. This is undoubtedly a strong one. Xinzheng has truly changed the operation mode of the entire industry.

With a strong momentum of 600 million US dollars, "Titanic" undoubtedly became the annual box office champion in 1997, igniting all the enthusiasm of the North American film market for the second year in a row, even for professionals who have no interest in box office numbers. The film critics also have to admit that the huge box office success of the two previous and subsequent works has allowed the film market to enter an unprecedented boom, which is a good thing for the entire film industry-not only can attract more funds to enter the industry, but also attract more Multi-talented participation in movies can stimulate more outstanding genres of movies. After all, this is an outcome where the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

In addition to the "Titanic" dominating the show, the "L.A. Confidential" is not inferior to the annual North American box office runner-up position, which is even more shocking than the $600 million box office.

Because "L.A. Confidential", as a suspenseful plot film, has almost no computer special effects, relying entirely on the meticulousness of the script and the outstanding color of the characters, it has won super support, which can be said to be a retro tradition. A work that has been carried forward by the film makes people deeply aware that the reason why the film can entertain the public while also bringing thought shock is because the film itself is a kind of artistic level!

Even more frightening is that "L.A. Confidential" was released in the autumn file, which is bound to become another miracle in film history and truly ignited the enthusiasm of the autumn file.

The third place in the annual North American box office list is "Men in Black". This work unexpectedly surpassed many competitors. With a score of 250 million US dollars, it only lags behind the final box office of "L.A. Confidential" by 10 million. , Climbing to the third place at the end of the year is really a huge surprise, which also made Will Smith appear in the North American market as a "box office superstar" for the first time.

"Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World" under the expectations, failed to refresh the history, regrettably came to the third place. Although the performance is still outstanding, it is still less than the surprise of the previous work. Despite this, I heard that Universal Pictures submitted the plan for the third episode to the table, but whether Steven Spielberg will return is temporarily unknown.

After that, Kim Kerry’s "Big Talker", Harrison Ford’s "Air Force One", Jack Nicholson’s "Perfect", Matt Damon’s "Mind Catcher", "Star Wars" "Replay version" and "My Best Friend's Wedding" respectively occupy the remaining six positions in the top ten.

In the top ten of the North American year-end box office rankings, we can see many interesting things. First, although there are as many as 17 works with a box office of more than 100 million in North America this year, as many as four works with more than 200 million US dollars. , Shuangshuang set a new record in film history, but the high hope works such as "The Empire of Tomorrow", "The Face Changing", and "The Prison in the Air" all fell off the horse. They performed well but were far from reaching expectations or even making it into the year. The top ten, especially the menacing "Batman and Robin", only earned only $107 million at the box office, ranking 14th on the year-end list, which is disappointing.

The second is the failure of George Clooney’s plan to rise. The two works "Batman and Robin" and "Peacemaker" both encountered Waterloo. Under the circumstance that the media continued to pursue them, they failed to achieve corresponding results. In the end, Dingy returned to the field of TV dramas, looking for psychological balance on the small screen.

The star-making project has never been so simple.

However, the two newcomers Will Smith and Matt Damon relied on their outstanding performance in their starring works, and not only ranked among the top ten in the year-end box office list, but also became the first line capable of impacting the top presence. actor. In particular, Will, who played a small role in "Independence Day" last year, left a deep impression, and this year was soaring. He has faintly surpassed George and became a challenge to Hugo and Tom Cruise. , Brad Pitt and others are the most preferred candidates.

However, it was Leonardo DiCaprio who really turned out to be born. This handsome young guy relied on the "Titanic" to soar into the sky. It can be said to be red and purple. In the New Year For a period of time, even Hugo could not compete with Leonardo. The super high popularity made Leonardo almost swept to the top and ranks among the top actors, even more than the delay. Brad has formed a new iron triangle with Tom and Hugo.

This is really a huge surprise The competition in the North American film market has changed again, and no one can predict the next development curve-can Leonardo continue to be strong? Can Brad return strongly? What kind of results will Tom and Hugo deliver? In addition to Hugo, who is currently in the lead, the duel between Tom, Leonardo and Brad has become more and more passionate! All this is exciting.

Then there is the strong return of a group of veteran actors. Kim Kerry relied on the outstanding performance of the "big talker" to sweep away the decline. Harrison Ford's "Air Force One" once again proved that he is not old, and Julia- After five years of silence, Roberts re-entered the ranks of top actresses with "My Best Friend's Wedding"-Cameron Diaz's success at the top was also a surprise, which also opened up competition for the seat of American sweetheart.

In addition, Robin Williams, Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg and others have always maintained a consistently high standard, continued their previous strong performance, and once again ranked in the year-end list. The list occupies an advantageous position.

But if we discuss the biggest winner in 1997, no one can ignore the existence of Hugo except "Titanic". Compared with the strong rise in 1994, the explosion of acting in 1995, and the box office breakthrough in 1996, in 1997, For Hugo, it was a year when his career took a higher level, because this year, Hugo, as the producer of two works, occupied an irreplaceable position on the year-end list!