"Mr. Cao, Saw is yours now. We'll do whatever you say and wait for good news."

"We're a little tired, so we'll go back and rest first."

After James and Wen took their leave, Seiko Yamashita said to Cao Kun, "Master, they don't seem to trust you very much."

"It's not that I don't quite believe it, it's that I don't believe it at all."

Cao Kun wasn't stupid; how could he not see through it? "It doesn't matter; they'll find out the truth eventually."

Cao Kun didn't waste any time and immediately called Sivis's phone: "Sivis, my movie is finished filming, do you want to take a look?"

"So fast?" Sivis exclaimed in surprise. "It hasn't been that long, has it been a month?"

Cao Kun: "More or less."

Sivis fell silent.

He had originally been looking forward to the first film by Cao Kun, the founder of mockumentary films, but now he's not so excited anymore.

But considering Master Cao's other identity, he decided to give him face: "Come to Universal Studios tomorrow morning. I'll find a few cinema managers and organize a small screening."

The next day, in a Universal Studios movie theater.

Seeing Jigsaw, who was supposed to be "dead," suddenly stand up from the ground, everyone in the room showed a look of shock.

"He's still alive?"

"He's the mastermind behind it all?"

"Oh my god, what a plot twist!"

Even though these people have seen countless films, they were still taken aback at this moment.

Soon, the film ended, and the credits began to roll.

The lights in the audiovisual room came on, and Cao Kun turned his head to look, noticing that the look of surprise still lingered on their faces.

Sivis said to Cao Kun, "Master Cao Kun, you have surprised me once again."

Cao Kun smiled and asked, "Are you satisfied?"

Sivis: "At least, at this moment, I am very satisfied. Whether I am ultimately satisfied or not depends on the box office."

Sivis knew that Cao Kun disliked beating around the bush, so he spoke very directly.

Cao Kun: "You won't be disappointed."

Sivis stood up and said to the others in the room, "Gentlemen, let me introduce you."

This Master Cao Kun is not only an outstanding and powerful exorcist.

He is also the founder of mockumentary films.

The overall concept for the upcoming film *The Blair Witch Project* was conceived by him.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Cao Kun with shock once again.

First, it shocked people to discover Cao Kun's identity as an exorcist master.

Secondly, I was shocked that "The Blair Witch Project" was actually written by him.

Adding to the impact of the movie "Saw" they had just seen, Cao Kun's image suddenly became much more impressive in their minds.

Correspondingly, the weight of "Saw" has become extremely heavy.

Sivis originally didn't have high hopes for "Saw," which Cao Kun produced in less than a month.

This small screening was entirely out of respect for Cao Kun, the exorcist master.

Therefore, only five cinema managers were summoned.

None of these five are from major cinema chains.

The five men stepped forward and shook hands with Cao Kun one by one, expressing their admiration for "Saw".

I was quite surprised that Cao Kun, a master exorcist, would venture into making a horror film.

For a time, kind words kept pouring out of their mouths.

Anyway, saying nice things doesn't cost money.

When Sevis mentioned scheduling and releasing the film, they pretended not to understand and said they would have to go back and discuss it further.

After seeing the five people off, Cao Kun asked Sivis, "What did you think of the movie?"

Sivis: "To be honest, Master Cao Kun, I was very surprised that you produced such a high-quality work in just one month."

In my opinion, this movie deserves a B+.

Cao Kun: "So, Universal has agreed to release 'Saw'."

Sivis responded with actions, extending his hand and saying, "It's a pleasure working with you."

Cao Kun shook hands with him, and the cooperation between the two parties was thus established.

Next came the wrangling and bickering.

Cao Kun asked, "Is 'The Blair Witch Project' going to be released on Halloween?"

Sivis: "No, it's taking too long, we'll miss the hype."

Moreover, releasing the film on Halloween would make the atmosphere we create seem too deliberate, conflicting with our focus on documentary style.

"The Blair Witch Project" will be released nationwide in about a month.

Cao Kun: "So, is it okay if 'Saw' is released during Halloween?"

Sivis: "It's not difficult, it's just that we'll be competing with other horror films. In terms of scheduling, it all depends on the occupancy rate of each theater, so the pressure will be immense."

Cao Kun: "I have confidence."

Sivis: "That's fine then. Now, we can talk about the distribution fees."

It's inevitable that a large company like Universal Pictures would take a high commission from the issuance.

You can't expect someone to charge low fees when you already have access to their extensive distribution channels; that's impossible.

In North America, box office revenue is typically split among four studios.

First, there are taxes and other fees that the government takes, which are generally not much, around 8%.

Second, the cinema chain takes a cut.

This calculation is quite complex because cinemas take a tiered cut of revenue.

Film companies can take 70% to 80% of the box office revenue in the first week.

By the second week, it had dropped to only 60% to 70%.

Then, it declines a little each week, and after four weeks, it's down to about 25%.

Specifically, the details will be discussed in detail based on the film's popularity.

For example, movies produced by big companies like Disney, 20th Century Fox, and Universal tend to be more assertive and demand a larger share.

Among them, Disney is the most aggressive.

Especially during the Marvel craze, the first week's rating could reach 80% to 90%, and the total revenue would not be less than 60%.

In other words, for a movie that grosses $1 billion, they can get $600 million.

This shows just how powerful they are.

Third, the issuing company.

Fourth, production companies.

Generally speaking, after deducting the money from theaters and the official revenue, the production company and the distribution company together can receive about 30% to 60% of a film's box office revenue.

The exact amount will vary depending on the circumstances.

It took Cao Kun three days to reach an agreement with Sivis on the commission rate for the distribution.

After handing over "Saw" to Universal, Cao Kun didn't have to worry about anything.

Cao Kun didn't have to be responsible for anything else, such as film rating, film promotion, and finalizing release dates and screening schedules with theaters.

He doesn't need to spend a single penny more.

Of course, Universal also takes the highest distribution fee, which is 30% of the box office.

But Universal also guaranteed that the film would open on at least 1,000 screens.

For a film with a production cost of only $1 million, this is already an S-level treatment.

Cao Kun didn't know the original number of screens for the opening of "Saw," but it was definitely less than this, much less.

After Universal takes 30%, Cao Kun will only get about 10% to 20% left.

It seemed like a small amount, but Cao Kun suffered a great loss.

But in most cases in Hollywood, they will spend a few million dollars to buy the movie outright.

Ultimately, all the copyrights and other revenue go to them, and you only earn the difference.

What? You're saying you won't sell? You insist on going through a distribution channel?

See if they'll even acknowledge you.

This is why Cao Kun, with his identity as an exorcist master, was able to talk to Global Times.

This is why James Wan and Cao Kun were so skeptical when Cao Kun said he had Universal Publishing distribute the product.

Of course, he could also force Sivis to lower the issuance fee.

But with so many people at Global Times, he can't force everyone to do the same.

Moreover, if the box office reaches 100 million, then you'll get at least 10 million, which is a return of more than ten times.

This only includes box office revenue; there's also family income.

For example, videotapes, VCDs, and television broadcasts all generate income.

For horror films, however, family income is often the biggest source of revenue.

After Global takes 30%, the rest, apart from taxes, all goes to Cao Kun.

In short, Saw is definitely a movie that will make money, and a lot of money at that.

However, this will take time.

Swish swish swish...

Cao Kun signed a distribution contract with Universal in the presence of his lawyer, Mia.