Chapter 116 Global Madness

Cao Kun thought to himself, "Can I say that?"

If such propaganda were to be launched, Jigsaw would surely destroy all the evidence.

Unless he arrests Jigsaw, locks him up, and then hands him over to the police in country M.

But that would be too fake, and he would also be easily targeted.

Cao Kun: "Isn't the effect the same now? This kind of sudden announcement creates a stronger sense of surprise."

“That’s true.” Sivis said excitedly, “I’ll go arrange a new round of publicity right away.”

Not only were the people involved in the distribution at Universal bewildered, but the audience was also bewildered, and James Wen and Ray Warner, who wrote the script and created the film, were even more bewildered.

In the restaurant, James Wenger and Ray Whannell sat blankly opposite Cao Kun, not speaking for a long time, as if they had forgotten how to speak, and even their movements became much slower.

After a long pause, James Wen said, "Master Cao Kun, we can assure you that this is a fictional script we created."

This is not based on a true story; there was no real person named Jigsaw.

Ray Warner nodded repeatedly.

Cao Kun calmly replied, "Either this is a coincidence, or it's a publicity stunt by Universal Music. It doesn't matter."

Importantly, the commercial success of Saw will further boost [the film's popularity].

And you can acquire even greater capital.

If all goes well, a film company should have already contacted you in the last couple of days, right?

"Is it for movie promotion?" James Wan thought for a moment and accepted this explanation.

However, I was somewhat shocked.

I think Global Times' promotional tactics are completely shameless.

They actually fabricated fake news.

This is because he had just arrived in Hollywood and didn't know much about the place yet.

After a while, he'll know what the bottom line is.

Fake news is the norm.

James Wyn sighed and said, "In the past few days, several companies have indeed approached me, asking me to direct their film projects."

However, I'm not very interested in those scripts, and I'm still hesitating.

Ray Warner said, "I've also received several script offers and am considering them."

Cao Kun asked, "Do you have any other scripts that have already been written?"

The two shook their heads, and James Wan said, "We never imagined that this movie would be such a success."

We thought it would be a long time before other job opportunities came along.

Or, they might as well just go back to their hometown.

"You can contact me when you have an idea."

Cao Kun extended an olive branch.

James Wan is quite talented.

In particular, the Conjuring universe, which he created single-handedly, made Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema a fortune.

Of course, things are probably not that simple in this world.

But if James Wan were to create a film that doesn't exist in another world, and the budget isn't too large, Cao Kun would be willing to take the risk.

“We will,” James Wynne agreed.

…………

With Universal's increased promotional budget, Saw is generating even more buzz.

Global Times also sent an interview team to the prison to interview Jigsaw, and broadcast the interview live on television.

Although Jigsaw did not give an interview, he still managed to generate a lot of buzz.

Jigsaw has become an idol for many people.

Some people are even clamoring to establish a Jigsaw cult to carry on Jigsaw's legacy, purge those who do not cherish life, and awaken the world's respect for life.

Every day, major newspapers will definitely have pages with vertical cuts, and these pages are not small.

Jigsaw never imagined that one day he would be so successful.

Fueled by this level of popularity, Saw experienced an explosive box office surge.

Another week has passed, and Saw has grossed $60 million at the domestic box office.

It grossed over $70 million at the box office worldwide.

The global box office is approaching $300 million.

Major cinema chains have also urgently extended the screening time, and "Saw" will be pulled from theaters for an extended period.

"well……"

Looking at the box office statistics for "Saw" in The Hollywood Reporter, Cao Kun sighed.

Ultimately, the story and setting of "Saw" are too thin, relying solely on a bit of gore and the final twist to grab attention.

Despite such a promotional campaign, the box office only reached $300 million.

If this were a blockbuster, like "The Mummy," it could potentially rake in 600 million, 800 million, or even 1 billion worldwide.

But Cao Kun only went to promote "The Mummy" after he had eaten his fill.

He didn't get a single cent in return.

Another week later, it had been a full month since the release of "Saw".

At this point, its global box office reached an astonishing $320 million.

Such box office figures left countless people dumbfounded.

Previously, the hugely popular "The Blair Witch Project," which relied on the gimmick of a real witch and profited from human tragedy, only grossed $360 million worldwide.

Saw grossed a whopping $320 million.

Although there is still a $40 million gap, Saw is still showing in theaters.

There is a good chance that it will surpass The Blair Witch Project.

In the reception room of Universal.

Cao Kun shakes hands with Sivis.

Sivis looked at Cao Kun with eyes full of admiration: "Master Cao Kun, you are truly a super genius."

Previously, your idea for a mockumentary made "The Blair Witch Project" a huge success.

Now, a Saw movie has a lower total cost but achieves just as good commercial success, and may even surpass it.

I admire very few people, but you are definitely one of them.

Cao Kun: "But I am not the biggest beneficiary; you and Global Times are."

Speaking of this, Sivis couldn't help but laugh.

With two consecutive films being huge successes, Universal naturally made a fortune.

And for him, Sivis, a promotion and a raise were, of course, indispensable.

He had already spotted the position of the global president, which was beckoning to him.

It took Sivis a while to wipe the smile off his face: "But it would be difficult to make a sequel to The Blair Witch Project."

This kind of mockumentary gimmick can be used once, but using it again would seem too contrived, and audiences wouldn't buy it.

Cao Kun nodded. As the production manager, Sivis had a clear understanding of this matter.

Cao Kun recalls that in another world, the first "Blair" movie, although not as successful as the one in this world, still grossed over $200 million.

However, in the second part, it wasn't just cut in half; it was cut off from head to toe, leaving only a toe.

Cao Kun doesn't remember the exact amount, but it was less than 10 million US dollars.

This box office performance won't even cover the marketing and distribution costs; the only way to break even is through offline household income.

Moreover, it requires a time frame measured in years to achieve this.

Cao Kun asked, "So, are you still planning to film?"

Sivis: "Personally, I don't recommend making it. Even if we were to make it, we would have to wait two years, but the higher-ups don't agree. They want to capitalize on the hype and release a sequel as soon as possible."

Cao Kun fell into thought.

The Blair Witch has been killed by him.

If they continue making sequels, then they probably won't reflect reality.

In other words, this is just a regular horror movie.

You can take pictures anywhere from there without any problems.

Just like with "Saw," they filmed whatever they wanted afterward, even making up stories about things that the real Jigsaw never did and attributing them to him.

Anyway, he's already inside, so he won't care.