[Chapter 436: Annual Box Office Rankings]
After finalizing the Lord of the Rings project, Link began shooting a new movie. After over a month of casting, the lead cast for the next James Bond film was confirmed. Pierce Brosnan returned as James Bond, Michelle Yeoh was cast as the female lead, and Diane Lane played the secondary Bond girl. The rest of the cast remained largely unchanged.
After finalizing the cast, Link and his crew moved to London to shoot indoor scenes, while outdoor shots were to be filmed after studios were built in China and Japan.
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[T/N: The Sino-Dutch War 1661 was released in North America. In its first week, it played in 12 theaters, earning $215,100, exceeding expectations. In the second week, it expanded to 87 theaters, grossing $1.38 million, a solid performance. Due to good reception, theaters increased showings, and by the third week, The Sino-Dutch War 1661 played in 774 theaters, earning $6.39 million. The North American box office was projected around $40 million.
In China, where the film had been playing for two months, the total box office accumulated to about $67.36 million.
Outside China and North America, The Sino-Dutch War 1661 screened in 38 countries and regions for 1 to 6 weeks, earning a total of $12.14 million. Currently, The Sino-Dutch War 1661's total box office reached approximately $87.49 million, making it the highest-grossing Chinese-language film to date. Based on its growth trajectory, the global box office was expected to exceed $150 million.
This is almost about the total box office of China the previous year.]
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[T/N: Next part is about the reactions from the Chinese directors about the box office. And many directors wanted to take this path and began preparing similar projects to capitalize on the trend.]
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By March, The Hollywood Reporter released the 1996 North American box office rankings and overall industry revenue report. The previous year featured 336 movies released, 42 more than 1995, a 14% increase. Total box office revenue hit $5.6 billion.
Sixteen films grossed over $100 million domestically, with 34 earning at least $50 million.
The top box office title was Warner Bros' Batman Forever, with $336 million domestically and $657 million worldwide.
Second was Fox's sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day, grossing $306 million domestically and $782 million globally.
Third was The English Patient, with $225 million domestic and $481 million worldwide.
Fourth place went to Toy Story, with $196 million domestically and $314 million worldwide.
Fifth was Paramount's Mission: Impossible, earning $183 million domestic and $457 million globally.
Sixth was The Net, with $183 million domestic and $376 million globally.
Seventh was Columbia's The Mask of Zorro, with $156 million domestic and $250 million worldwide. Eighth was Rush Hour, with $148 million domestic and $244 million worldwide.
Ninth was Columbia's Jerry Maguire, $144 million domestically and $273 million globally.
Tenth was Disney's Ransom, with $122 million domestic and $309 million globally.
Eleventh was Guess Pictures' Final Destination 2, with $122 million domestic and $265 million worldwide.
Twelfth was Disney's 101 Dalmatians, with $110 million domestic and $320 million globally.
Thirteenth was Scream, with $109 million domestic and $187 million worldwide.
Fourteenth through sixteenth were Universal's The Nutty Professor, Warner Bros' A Time to Kill, and MGM's The Birdcage, all surpassing $100 million domestically.
Of the 100-million-dollar domestic films, six were made or distributed by Guess Pictures, including Jerry Maguire and The Mask of Zorro, accounting for half the films crossing $100 million.
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The Hollywood Reporter also listed box office performances by major Hollywood studios last year. Guess Pictures released 13 films, earning $1.393 billion domestically (up $100 million from $1.281 billion the previous year), and about $2.63 billion worldwide, a 9% increase.
Second was Warner Bros., with $733 million domestic and $1.825 billion global earnings.
Third was Disney, with $619 million from hits like Ransom, 101 Dalmatians, The Usual Suspects, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Fox was fourth, with $626 million domestic, followed by Columbia at $583 million, with 55% of that from collaborations with Guess Pictures.
Paramount, Universal, and MGM all earned below $500 million domestically.
The dominance of these major studios led to struggles for independent filmmakers, with more than 60 small and mid-sized companies going bankrupt early last year.
Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter unveiled a new list titled "Person of the Year." The top spot went unmistakably to Link, whose three films all surpassed $100 million domestically, ranking first, third, and sixth. In box office numbers, artistic quality, and international impact, no one else in the industry came close.
Tom Cruise took second place, fueled by Mission: Impossible and Jerry Maguire, making him Hollywood's highest-grossing male star, with his global influence soaring.
Third was Sandra Bullock, starring in The Net and A Time to Kill, earning her the title of highest value for money actress, with a rise in both fame and salary.
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