Chapter 119
Behind The Spotlight Chapter 119
July 1998.
Days passed, and the North American box office of Face: Swap climbed to $147 million. It was an impressive feat, considering that the summer was crowded with competing blockbuster films that had larger budgets and more popular stars. Yet, despite the odds, Face: Swap managed to carve out its own audience. By now, however, the movie had already lost its momentum in North America.
Its international performance, on the other hand, was only just beginning.
Because of its strong showing in North America, Touchpebbles Pictures decided to release the movie overseas. The executives held long boardroom discussions, weighing the numbers and potential risks, before unanimously agreeing that the film had enough power to succeed internationally. This was the standard practice in the 90s, movies were first tested in the domestic market before being released abroad.
After all, shipping thousands of film reels cost millions of dollars. Each reel was heavy, expensive to transport, and required delicate handling. If a film flopped, the losses could cripple a studio. Only those movies that performed exceptionally well domestically were given the privilege of an international release. Face: Swap was one of them.
Now, Axel was in Europe. His role in Frightening Movie had already been filmed, and he wasn't particularly busy anymore since he didn't have many scenes. Still, he would need to return once post-production began to dub his lines. That was usually the process.
For the time being, the actor was busy promoting Face: Swap in Paris. The film had just premiered in Europe, and the cast was tasked with promoting it. Axel appeared on a local talk show.
Collin was also in Paris, though his purpose was different. His focus was on finding brands that could sponsor and hire his clients. He was constantly on the lookout for opportunities that would bring in revenue.