Rebirth of America, this is my era

Chapter 183 Duet

A few minutes later, we were in the car back to Los Angeles.

Lucas looked at Gary Kurtz, who had a complicated expression, and asked, "Did you get scolded?"

"Yeah," Gary Kurtz responded with his nose and a slight nod.

"What did Ethan say?" Spielberg asked with concern.

"He said... he only gave Columbia a week to resolve the issue. If they are still unable to resume work by then, then we will have to change our partners." Gary Kurtz repeated his boss' words. Of course, he omitted those domineering oaths.

This decision made Spielberg turn his head decisively. Lucas, leaning on the nanny car, opened his mouth and wanted to speak, but after a while, thousands of words turned into a heavy sigh.

"Ugh--"

In fact, when they learned from far away John Bull that their good friend David Beigelman of Columbia Pictures was involved in a check forgery case, which led to all projects within the company, big and small, being investigated by Foberle, they knew that this incident would definitely make Ethan very unhappy.

So, in order to calm Ethan's emotions and explain the whole thing to him, they immediately decided to fly from John Bull to San Francisco overnight, hoping to limit the problem to a controllable range.

The reason for doing this is simple.

Because the way things are done in Hollywood is obviously different from the way things are done in the video game industry.

The latter is very unrestrained in sales channels. Any merchant with a store is willing to provide a home for excellent game arcades, and the production process of electronic games does not require forming cliques or factions. Ethan Jones, who can produce excellent games with his personal ability, can naturally complain to everyone.

But the former is just the opposite. The release of a movie depends on the North American theater alliance split from the film industry giants. The promotion of a movie depends on the personal connections between you knowing me and me knowing you. The production of a movie requires the cooperation of everyone. When the entire process of a movie from inspiration to screening requires tacit understanding and agreement between people, a good social circle becomes very necessary.

If Spielberg didn't know Sidney Sheinberg, he would never have been able to get a long-term contract from Universal Pictures; if George Lucas didn't know Francis Coppola, he might have to waste some time before he got the help of a noble person and made "American Graffiti".

When a single person can burst out huge energy, the personal connections held by a film industry giant that has been operating for decades cannot be underestimated. After Ethan Jones has publicly declared war on Warner Communications, threatening another film industry giant is an extremely unwise thing to do. They made this trip just to let Ethan calm down and wait a little longer.

But judging from the current situation...

"Columbia Pictures will explode with rage after hearing what he said."

Lucas closed his eyes helplessly while leaning back in his chair. He said, "They are already overwhelmed by David Beigelman's matter, and then Ethan suddenly told them that he didn't want to wait? And he also asked them to deal with the matter as soon as possible on the grounds of changing partners?"

"Oh - I can't even imagine the faces of those Columbia executives now -"

"Think about it differently. If it were me, my cheeks would turn red with anger."

Since the itinerary had been communicated to Universal before departure, the security guards who picked him up at the airport yesterday and the nanny car that left today were all business vehicles provided by Universal. The privacy was very good, and the driver and bodyguards were their own people, so Lucas did not mean to hide anything when he spoke.

As he sighed, Spielberg also shook his head.

"They'll be so angry their cheeks will turn red and that's what they deserve!"

"Since they have no ability to cover up this kind of thing, they should resolve it quickly!"

"George, you think Columbia Pictures will be angry after hearing what Ethan said, but what if you look at the whole incident from Ethan's perspective?"

"The cooperation on a project was going well, and then it suddenly stopped! The reason for the suspension was not a natural disaster or force majeure, but the person in charge of the film company was playing some bullshit check forgery! The most disgusting thing is that the film company knew about this for a long time, and then they covered it up! In the end, they didn't cover it up successfully and were exposed!"

"Don't you think these things are a little weird?"

"To be honest, I think Ethan's self-restraint is good!"

"If I could make 100 million a year, I would have kicked Columbia Pictures out long ago!"

"Hollywood moguls? What's so great about that? Why should I pay for your illegal behavior? You guys can't make as much as I do in a year even if you work for ten years!"

The sudden rise in the voice made Lucas smile bitterly. Before they went to London to look for a director, they had actually seen the report on Ethan in Fortune magazine. The fact that the company made 300 million that year and the net profit was more than 30% shocked them.

Although they always knew that Ethan was rich, they didn't expect Ethan to be so rich.

What does it mean to have 100 million in cash a year?
Damn, all the Hollywood film companies combined may not be able to come up with a cash reserve of 100 million!
Not to mention the actual profit earned in a year!
When a company's annual revenue exceeds the total of all other industries...

Warner Communications threatens to ban Destiny game?

Columbia Pictures might be kicked out ruthlessly?

Then other film companies will continue to move forward!

In front of the green dollar, all favors are meaningless!
Only making money is real!

"Alas - it is precisely because we know that this matter is too confusing for Ethan that we came here directly after it happened, right?" Lucas opened his eyes again and cast a helpless look at the two people beside him, "According to our original intention, we have to stabilize Ethan."

"Although Columbia Pictures did a terrible job in this matter, they still have a very good relationship with the Columbia Broadcasting System..."

"When Warner Communications has decided to fight the game of Destiny to the end, it is a very unwise decision to provoke Columbia Pictures, which has media relations."

The idea of ​​coming to the Greater Bay Area first was proposed by Lucas.

His original intention was not to speak up for Columbia Pictures, nor to speak up for his good friend Beigelman who had helped him many times, but to hope that Ethan, who had set foot in the traditional entertainment industry, would not make enemies again.

If the temporary postponement of the project can stabilize a media, then in his opinion it is an acceptable wait. As people in the entertainment industry, they know better than anyone what public opinion attacks are and what it means to be afraid of what people say.

Big Brother Francis Coppola was praised after making "The Godfather", but was criticized for being boring after the second part was released. Even though the character of Mike was portrayed perfectly, and the sense of difference between the times and the loneliness of the character could even be said to be top-notch in Hollywood, there are still countless people who are not satisfied.

This also caused Paramount to urgently stop the production of the third film.

When "The Godfather" was making money, Paramount was licking Francis Coppola's DYZ and allowing him to continue making sequels. However, after "The Godfather 2" received polarized reviews and its box office plummeted, Paramount immediately turned its back on it and frantically shifted the blame in the media.

Lucas still remembers this capitalist behavior.

If we look at today's events from Paramount's perspective, on the surface, this incident is all Columbia Pictures' responsibility. Ethan's idea of ​​terminating the contract is reasonable, but humans are never rational. From Columbia Pictures' perspective, they would definitely think that Ethan is adding insult to injury.

Since you left decisively when I was in trouble?

Then don't blame me for smearing you!
"George, although your original intention is good, I think Ethan did the right thing." Spielberg said: "After all, this time David Beigelman and Columbia Pictures did too much."

"It's perfectly normal for Ethan to want to cut ties with them."

"and……"

"When Columbia Pictures has already offended the FBI, they want to use the power of the media to attack us? Wow - they definitely have the idea, but do they have the ability?"

"I do not know then."

"George, I agree with Steven," Gary Kurtz said. "From an employment perspective, my boss did the right thing. From a friend's perspective, David went too far."

"We racked our brains to help him boost sales, but he ended up going bankrupt first?"

"If I had known that he had the idea or behavior of forging checks, I wouldn't have done Close Encounters of the Third Kind with him! Every minute I spend with him means one more minute of bad luck!"

"We are all family, I have made it clear."

"George, David may have helped you with Star Wars, but that doesn't mean we have to go down the same path with him. There are limits to what you can get out of this, okay?"

Although Gary Kurtz had just tried to appease his boss, he just hoped that his boss would not offend all the Hollywood giants. Since his boss had made the decision, he would not say much. Besides, even he himself felt that... 'What the hell is this! '

"Okay, Okay, Okay..." Lucas took a deep breath and said, "I don't mean to help David, and I don't want to help him in this kind of thing, Okay? He is really unlucky, obviously The thing that was pressed down was turned up again, but I don’t know who the guy who reported him is?”

"We can't control this matter too much." Spielberg said, "He has so many enemies, who knows which one it is? And this time the momentum is too big, Columbia, Fox, Universal, and Warner are all affected. If we judge it based on who benefits and who is the mastermind, then the report must be Paramount, Disney, and MGM... But investigating the case is not our business, right? We will wait for the result."

"... Forget it! Let's not talk about this anymore!" Not wanting to continue talking about something that would lead to no results, Lucas decisively changed the subject. "Since we have reached a consensus, who will be the next buyer for Alien?" he asked the two of them about their opinions.

"Universal," Spielberg said decisively, directly naming his base.

"If Alien is put at Universal, I can copy all the terms previously discussed with Columbia. Sidney will sign with his eyes closed like David, as long as it is a contract given by me."

"As for Fox..."

"The FBI's investigation into them will definitely be more ruthless than the investigation into Universal."

"I also think Universal can be a backup, but before that we can talk to Paramount and MGM to see what their conditions are." Gary Kurtz expressed his opinion, "Even though Ethan may not care about the film's revenue, we have to show our professionalism."

"Okay, Gary, I'll leave this to you."

Lucas slapped his thigh and said decisively: "Notify Colombia first and give them seven days, then contact each company and ask for their price. Oh, by the way, you must pay attention to safety when you go to Colombia. I really think they will be furious and beat people up..."

Lucas was right. When Gary Kurtz went to Columbia with the will of his boss Ethan Jones, Columbia Pictures, which received the unilateral notice, was immediately furious.

“What the fuck???”

"Ethan Jones only gives us seven days to resolve this matter?"

"This is not fair!"

"Anyone with a bit of common sense knows that once the FBI gets involved in a case, they can't close the net quickly! No matter how hard we try to communicate, it will take some time to resolve this matter! And even if we don't resolve the whole thing, but just restart the project that hasn't been officially filmed, it won't be done in seven days!" The chairman of Columbia Pictures stood up from his desk, propped up his hands on the table, and said, "Go and tell your boss to give us a month, okay?"

"Alien hasn't even confirmed its director yet! Neither of us has even put any money into it! Under such circumstances, pushing it back a month won't cause you any loss at all! At most, the movie will be released a little later! And this kind of thing is very common in Hollywood, isn't it?"

He leaned forward, eyes wide.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with anticipation and pleading.

Although the two parties have known each other for many years and have long been friends, Gary Kurtz still shook his head decisively at this moment and said, "It is precisely because neither of us has injected funds into it that now is the best time for us to separate, right? After we leave, you can handle the case with peace of mind and no longer have to worry about the project. The start-up funds for the project can also be used for public relations."

"No!——"

The ruthless words caused the chairman of Columbia Pictures to roar.

"It won't take us too much energy to handle this kind of case! We at Columbia Pictures have the ability to operate on multiple fronts! Besides, Steven's Close Encounters of the Third Kind is still in our hands, right? We will pay him on time, and we will give him dividends on time. I think this should be able to reflect Columbia's ability to resist risks, right?"

At this point, he seemed to remember something and continued, "Is your boss worried that we in Columbia will implicate him? Can you help us tell him that everything is fine here! The so-called check forgery was just an accident!"

"Really? Was this really just an accident?" Gary Kurtz stared at the other person with burning eyes.

"Of course!" The chairman of Columbia Pictures said in an affirmative voice with his neck stiffened.

"Then please tell me, how did you let this accident happen?" Gary Kurtz said mercilessly, "This is not something that has just happened! This is a case that the IRS discovered last February! You had already completed your self-inspection last year, but you were reported this year!"

"Tell me, can this be called an accident? Someone is clearly targeting us on purpose!"

"And now you may not even know who reported it!"

“How do you expect us to continue cooperating with you under these circumstances?”

"Bam—"

Gary Kurtz slammed the table and stood up suddenly.

His eyes were as wide as those of an ox, staring at the other person intently.

Under his gaze, the chairman of Columbia Pictures suddenly began to breathe heavily, and his right index finger kept trembling. He wanted to poke Gary Kurtz's chest angrily, but he couldn't do it.

"Okay, okay..." the chairman of Columbia Pictures murmured, "One week, one week..."

"We will definitely find out the truth within a week!"

"We will definitely find that rat-headed guy!"

"Just wait and see!" He growled with veins bulging in his neck.

"Let's wait and see." Gary Kurtz twitched his lips with a forced smile.

Without saying anything, he turned and left Columbia.

After Gary Kurtz relayed the Columbia incident to Ethan, Ethan didn't take it seriously at all. Whether he can find the real culprit behind the scenes is a matter for Columbia, and it has nothing to do with him. What is important is not the end of the case, but the beginning of filming.

As long as the film can start on time, everything will be fine!

What if it can’t be opened?

Then get out of here!

Although Ethan was too lazy to take care of these trivial matters, starting from the 1st, Steve Ballmer, the media news manager of Destiny Game appointed by him personally, would report to him the latest situation of Columbia Pictures every day, from media response to the progress of the incident, from police investigation to stock price fluctuations. The big bald guy went to great lengths to put all the public information he could find in front of Ethan.

The first three categories don’t have any highlights, but the fourth category is very interesting.

Because after the check counterfeiting case and Columbia cover-up case broke out, Columbia Pictures' stock price plummeted, but even so, there are still a large number of retail investors buying it frantically every day.

On March 6, a new piece of news reached his ears.

"Boss! Kirk Kerkorian, the actual controller of MGM Pictures, announced through the media today that he has acquired 5.5% of Columbia Pictures' shares! He is ready to make a takeover offer to Columbia Pictures and bring Columbia Pictures under the name of MGM!"

This news made Ethan quickly take the newspaper.

After he finished reading the contents, his brows instinctively frowned.

"Why did MGM suddenly acquire Columbia?"

"Could it be that they were responsible for the report this time?"

That's a question Steve Ballmer can't answer.

But while Ethan was puzzled, the bald man also left the company and rushed to the archives in San Jose to look for all the information related to the MGM boss. When he returned to the company on the afternoon of March 6, the dozen copies also showed the whole picture of the matter to Ethan.

"Boss, I found out that after Kirk Kerkorian acquired MGM, he did not carefully manage their film business. Instead, he built casinos and hotels in Las Vegas in the name of MGM. This unprofessional behavior also put MGM into a financial crisis."

"So, starting in 1970, he has been constantly selling MGM's own assets, including but not limited to commemorative props from filming, the production rights of major films, as well as MGM's record companies, the company's location locations, and equity in theaters in overseas cinema chains..."

"These sales were to raise funds for the construction of the Las Vegas hotel and casino. After the hotel was built, the cash flowed back and they wanted to resume the movie business. They wanted to buy back what they had sold before, but no buyer was willing to let them buy it back, so..."

“That’s probably why they’re targeting Colombia.”

When Steve Ballmer told Ethan the facts he had linked together, Ethan, who was sitting in his office chair, suddenly looked confused, "You mean... we are the ones affected?"

He organized his words and said, "MGM wanted to acquire Columbia, but didn't want to accept their high price, so they spread the dirty laundry of Columbia? We just happened to be cooperating with Columbia, so when they took action, we were affected?"

"...uh...I don't know about that either." Steve Ballmer didn't dare to guarantee it.

But the more Ethan thought about it, the more he felt it was okay.

Because MGM boss Kirk Kerkorian was famous in his previous life. When he died, he was the second oldest billionaire in the world, second only to David Rockefeller who lived to be a hundred years old. The thing that made him famous is that he single-handedly built a super resort in Las Vegas.

According to media reports, he bought MGM because he thought that a casino-style hotel must have a high degree of public awareness, so that tourists can play with confidence. The MGM brand is very well-known in America, and the golden lion is very suitable for the extravagance of the casino, so he bought MGM and turned a film company into a hotel company.

His behavior made MGM synonymous with casinos and also brought him huge profits. After he achieved great success in the hotel industry, he did return to Hollywood. After all, MGM had "007" in its hands, and it would be a pity not to shoot it.

"Special code!"

"Is this a case of the fire in the city gate causing harm to the fish in the pond?"

"Capitalists are fighting each other and the fight ends up falling on my head?"

"Grass!"

"Why am I so unlucky!"

Ethan felt that he seemed to have discovered the truth, so he called Destiny Pictures and asked the company's president Gary Kurtz to prepare to leave Columbia with the "Alien" project.

When check fraud and hostile takeovers were linked, Ethan didn't want to be involved in this mess. Not only were these craps disgusting, they were troublesome.

But after he told them about his plans, Gary Kurtz on the other end of the phone said bitterly, "Boss, I have talked to Paramount and Disney in the past few days, and they are not interested in our film project at all now."

"With Columbia and MGM temporarily unable to cooperate, our only options are Universal and Fox, where Steven and George can decide everything."

"What?" Ethan was surprised.

"Why?" He was very puzzled.

"Weren't they eager to cooperate with us before? Why are they not interested now?"

"Is this impossible?"

Ethan's question made Gary Kurtz silent for a while, because he didn't know the reason. Just as the two were about to analyze the whole incident, the sound of rapid knocking on the door drilled into Ethan's ears.

Before Ethan could say "Come in", a loud shout came from outside the door -

"Boss! Something big happened!"

"Philips held a press conference with Disney, Paramount, and MGM!"

"What the fuck?——" Ethan screamed.

"Fuck it! When did it happen?" he asked loudly.

The next second, he realized something was wrong, "Steve, come in and talk!"

Note: ① In reality, after the Columbia incident, MGM's boss bought a large number of shares when its stock price was falling. But in the end, the merger was not successful because of suspected monopoly. Columbia was unable to operate after this disturbance and was finally acquired by Coca-Cola. ② MGM's film business was indeed dragged down by the hotel plan. In order to build the hotel, they even sold all their shares in North American distribution channels and global distribution channels. ③ There is another very interesting point in the whole thing. After David Beigelman left Columbia Pictures because of check forgery and embezzlement, MGM's boss invited him to join MGM. To put it in a more conspiracy theory way, the real business war is high.

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(End of this chapter)