Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 392 Strength is Face
Cao Yang never expected that Disney CEO Robert Iger would personally drive to Los Angeles International Airport to pick him up.

Disney's headquarters are in Burbank, which is about 20 kilometers north of downtown Los Angeles and about 20 kilometers away from Los Angeles International Airport as the crow flies.

However, if you drive, you usually have to take the highway, which will actually take more than 30 kilometers and about half an hour.

Cao Yang bought a house in Arcadia, which is about 20 kilometers northeast of Los Angeles, and also 20 kilometers away from Los Angeles International Airport as the crow flies.

If you drive on the highway, it will actually take more than 30 kilometers.

Burbank is only a dozen kilometers away from Arcadia as the crow flies.

Arcadia is located at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. It has a beautiful environment. Although it is a small town, it is known as Arcadia Hills and is a famous wealthy area, mainly for residential purposes.

Cao Yang thought that after Robert Iger picked him up, he would go to Burbank to discuss the promotion of "Pirates of the Caribbean".

He was thinking to himself that the other party was being too hasty. He had been on a plane for so long and had traveled a long way. It was rather unreasonable of them not to let him go and adjust to the time difference and rest first.

Unexpectedly, after asking Cao Yang's address, Robert Iger had his driver take Cao Yang to Burbank, and during the half-hour drive, he used the opportunity to finalize some ideas and plans for the film's promotion with Cao Yang.

Robert Iger's arrival certainly surprised Cao Yang, but it also reflects that Disney's CEO is genuinely anxious.

Indeed, with less than half a month until the release of "Pirates of the Caribbean," the main force behind the film's promotion is Duan Yihong!
Due to the writers' strike, most talk shows and interview programs have been suspended—not because the comedians and interview programs wanted to stop, but because no one was writing scripts for them; the writers were on strike!
Talk shows and interview programs are one of the main ways to promote a movie. Without these channels, and with the main actors unable to refuse to participate in promotions, only the internet and advertising remain as options.

This is also why Robert Iger is anxious.

Pirates of the Caribbean has already flopped once. If this reboot, with a budget of $1.6 million, flops as well, this major IP will probably be shelved forever.

Actually, sealing it up isn't the most crucial thing.

The main concern is that if this rebooted film fails, it will prove that Robert Iger's reboot strategy has failed, which will be seen as a major mistake in his leadership of Disney, and Disney's stock will certainly plummet.

Add to that the uncertainty surrounding the Oscars caused by the troublesome writers' strike, and if ABC, as the Oscars' broadcaster, has to pay a large sum of money in compensation, Disney's stock will fall again.

Robert Iger has only been Disney's CEO for a little over a year, so he can't possibly have absolute power within Disney.

On the contrary, he has quite a few rivals at Disney.

If he makes two major mistakes in just over a year, it will be uncertain whether he can still hold onto his position as CEO.

Cao Yang took a shower first, but didn't rest immediately.

He checked the recent movie schedules in North America and found that the competition for the Christmas season was still very fierce.

Will Smith's "I Am Legend" will be released on December 14th.

"National Treasure: The Secret Life of a Mastermind," starring Nicolas Cage, is a sequel to "National Treasure" and will be released today, December 7th.

National Treasure: The Secret Life of a Masterpiece is also a Disney production. As a sequel, it was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, one of Hollywood's most famous and successful producers, and they have been striving for a December 21 release date.

This release date is, after all, the Christmas season. December 21st is a Friday, the closest to Christmas. Releasing the film on this date is definitely much better than releasing it on December 7th.

Of course, unless Disney is crazy, it would be impossible for them to release their own films, "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "National Treasure: The Lost Tomb," on the same day.

Jerry Bruckheimer and the crew of "National Treasure: The Secret of the Ark" intended for "Pirates of the Caribbean" to be released on December 7th, while they would release it on December 21st.

Jerry Bruckheimer even made comparisons to convince Disney CEO Robert Iger.

National Treasure: The Secret Life of the Ark is a sequel, while Pirates of the Caribbean is a reboot.

As we all know, sequels come with their own publicity and are the easiest genre to succeed.

And what about rebooting movies? Why is it called rebooting? Because it was shelved before, because it flopped at the box office. There's too much uncertainty about rebooting movies.

In this respect, National Treasure: The Secret to Treasure Hunt has an advantage.

The budget for "National Treasure: The Lost Tomb" was approximately $1.4 million, while "Pirates of the Caribbean" had a budget of $1.6 million, which is quite similar; both are A+ level big-budget productions.

That makes it a tie.

The producer of "National Treasure: The Secret of the Treasure Hunt" is the world-renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and the main producer of "Pirates of the Caribbean" is Cao Yang.

That makes it a tie.

The lead actor in "National Treasure: The Secret Life of a Mastermind" is Nicolas Cage, and the lead actor in "Pirates of the Caribbean" is Johnny Depp. Both of them are Oscar-winning superstars and box office draws.

That's a tie.

By the way, before 2008, Nicolas Cage was a superstar. He hadn't started taking on a lot of low-budget commercial films due to personal financial problems, and he wasn't the "King of Bad Movies" he would later become.

In short, Jerry Bruckheimer's meaning is clear: as a sequel, National Treasure is obviously superior in all aspects, so why give a better release date to Pirates of the Caribbean?
Despite Jerry Bruckheimer's superior data, Robert Iger told him without hesitation that it was because the director of "Pirates of the Caribbean" was Cao Yang.

Jerry Bruckheimer remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I don't believe he'll always be successful!"

Then, he slammed the door and left.

Cao Yang hadn't paid attention to the box office of "National Treasure: The Secret to Treasure Hunt" in his previous life, but as a sequel, the previous film must have been a huge success, otherwise there wouldn't have been a sequel.

Furthermore, Nicolas Cage still has considerable box office appeal, making this film a formidable competitor.

And then there's "I Am Legend," which will be released a week later. This movie is considered one of Venice Smith's masterpieces, and he is currently the most bankable Black actor.

In short, the competition during this Christmas season is extremely fierce.

Cao Yang thought for a moment and then called Depp.

"Director, you're in Los Angeles?"

Depp answered the phone after it rang only once.

"Just got back to Arcadia. Are you feeling better? Robert said you were sick and receiving treatment. Should I visit you?"

Cao Yang joked with a smile.

In fact, Cao Yang already knew about the situation here. He also had a team in the United States. The team leader, Bellman, used to be the manager of Sony Classic Marketing Department and had a wide network of contacts.

In addition, Duan Yihong, in accordance with the contract, came to the United States to promote "New Pirates of the Caribbean," and he would tell Cao Yang everything that happened there.

"Haha, director, I apologize. You know this wasn't directed at you."

Depp apologized first, then continued, "It was my agency's idea. They said the Screen Actors Guild is fully supporting the Writers Guild, and they told me not to stand out so as not to offend the Screen Actors Guild."

Actually, I think the agency is overthinking it. How can promoting a movie starring themselves be considered offending the Screen Actors Guild?
Will Smith was busy promoting his new movie recently, and Nicolas Cage eventually joined in as well. I think the Screen Actors Guild can understand.

Cao Yang smiled.

Hollywood superstars are generally not afraid to offend production companies, even the Big Six studios, but they usually give face to big producers and directors.

Cao Yang suddenly remembered something interesting. Previously, Jeff Robinoff, the president of Warner Bros. Pictures, had called him and said that they wanted to create a gimmick together for the Christmas season. He thought it was a joke.

I didn't expect Warner would actually do that.

"Depp, I remember after you finished filming 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' you went to Tim's set and filmed his 'Sweeney Todd,' right?"

Depp gave a wry smile. He understood Cao Yang's meaning and his perverse sense of humor.

After filming "Pirates of the Caribbean," Tim Burton had a new movie called "Sweeney Todd," and all the preparations were complete, just waiting for him to play the male lead.

To be honest, Depp didn't want to take on "Sweeney Todd." He'd played too many roles like that; they were too neurotic and too gloomy, and he didn't like them.

Although his character in "Pirates of the Caribbean" was also a neurotic type, he wasn't gloomy. I don't know why, but he really dislikes gloomy male protagonists these days.

Unfortunately, Tim Burton had done him a favor; he was essentially made famous by Tim Burton. Even if he didn't like this kind of character in movies, he still had to accept the roles.

Coincidentally, this movie was also released during the Christmas season, specifically on December 21st, the same day as "Pirates of the Caribbean," which greatly upset him.

This is also why his management company, in conjunction with the artist management company UTA, made him fake illness.

Even without the writers' strike, how would you promote two movies released on the same day? And to whom would you promote them?
Tim Burton was the benefactor who made him famous, and Cao Yang was the benefactor who made him a superstar. Neither of them is easy to offend.

However, it is clear that Depp has already made his choice.

"Director, I heard from Tracy that you seem to be in some trouble? Are you alright? Is there anything I can do for you?" Depp suddenly remembered what his agent, Tracy Jacobs, had said and quickly asked.

"It should be fine."

Cao Yang joked with a smile, "Don't be surprised if you see me on the news one day as one of the leaders of the writers' union strike."

"Huh? What?"

Depp didn't understand Cao Yang's meaning for a moment.

"It's nothing, just kidding. There's a high chance that such a thing won't happen."

Cao Yang continued, "Just focus on promoting your movies. When you encounter media interviews, just say that your two movies are being released on the same day. That'll be a good publicity stunt."

"Okay, okay, director, I understand."

The production company behind "Sweeney Todd" is Warner Bros. Pictures. Cao Yang is currently working with them on the "Batman" series, as well as the sequel "Joker," which has already been greenlit.

He now understands what Warner Bros. Pictures president Jeff Robinoff meant by "joining forces to create hype."

Waiting here.

To be honest, it's certainly a gimmick for an actor to have two movies released on the same day, but whether it ultimately benefits both movies or makes one stand out more is uncertain.

It's estimated that only the "crazy" Warner Bros. at this time dared to do this; other film companies wouldn't dare to go so crazy.

But thinking about it, it makes some sense.

As an art film, "Sweeney Todd" was made to win awards; as long as we don't have high hopes for its box office performance, we won't be disappointed.

Furthermore, the film was directed by Tim Burton, a well-known eccentric director who has a small but loyal following but is not popular with the general public.

It's almost impossible for the movie to become a huge hit.

Instead, it would be better to link them with Cao Yang and create a buzz; that might attract more viewers to the cinema.

After hanging up with Depp, Cao Yang called Jude Law again.

"Jude, I heard you went back to England? Is your uncle feeling better?"

"Director, my uncle has fully recovered, and I just returned to Los Angeles yesterday."

"Great, about the movie's promotion?"

"I'm fine with that. I can cooperate with the film crew to promote the movie later."

……

After hanging up with Jude Law, Cao Yang called Eva Green again.

"Eva, I heard you sprained your ankle. Is it feeling better?"

"Oh, director, you're back in Los Angeles? I'm fine."

Eva Green was visibly pleased to receive Cao Yang's call.

Cao Yang heard her whisper to someone, "Honey, an important phone call from Director Cao Yang," followed by a "snap" sound, like a door closing.

"Yes, I just got back to Arcadia."

Eva Green explained first: "Director, is it about the film's promotion? My agency is worried that the Screen Actors Guild will have a problem with me. I'm French, and they're afraid of being targeted by the Screen Actors Guild, so they're stopping me from promoting the film. I'm sorry, Director."

"Yes, yes, I understand. If it's inconvenient for you, you don't need to come along to promote the movie..."

Before Cao Yang could finish speaking, Eva Green quickly said, "It's not inconvenient at all. My agency said that as long as you call, I can cooperate with the movie promotion."

Actually, even if they try to stop me, I'll definitely be there whenever you need me.

After saying that, Eva Green asked in a low voice, "Director, are you in Arcadia? I'm not far from you. Do you want me to come over tonight?"

Are you coming here?
Cao Yang couldn't help but recall the first day of filming for "Pirates of the Caribbean," when Eva Green invited him to give her acting advice in order to better understand her character.

Then, out of gratitude, the actress began to repay Bowen, uh, for his kindness.

This is because they still want to repay a debt of gratitude.

"Let's skip today, I need to adjust to the time difference."

Cao Yang declined Eva Green's offer.

After such a long flight, I definitely need to get some rest.

Next, Cao Yang called Casey Affleck, who was "going through a divorce," and as expected, the couple had reconciled.

Furthermore, Casey stated that he would actively participate in the film's promotion.

With Cao Yang's arrival, all the main characters in the film had time to participate in the promotion.

Let Robert Iger handle the publicity plan.

Cao Yang called Robert Iger and told him about it.

Robert Iger was overjoyed. What was the point of making a publicity plan? He already had countless plans ready, just waiting for the actors to be in place.

The main actors of the production team started promoting the film without stopping, and Cao Yang also participated in several promotional events.

The box office results for "National Treasure: The Secret Life of a Mastermind," a film highly anticipated by Disney and, more specifically, by renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer, are in.

The box office grossed a little over $1100 million on Friday, $1510 million on Saturday, and $1420 million on Sunday, barely breaking $4000 million over the first three days of the opening weekend.

It wasn't as visually appealing as I'd imagined, but it wasn't a complete flop either. As a sequel, it was just average.

This result still surpassed "The Golden Compass," which was released on the same day, and ranked first in the weekend box office charts.

Jerry Bruckheimer was somewhat disappointed; given Nicolas Cage's current popularity and box office appeal, this result was certainly below expectations.

On the contrary, Disney CEO Robert Iger was quite satisfied with the box office results.

Based on the current trend, it should be no problem to get 6000 million in box office revenue in a week.

As long as the word-of-mouth doesn't collapse, it will most likely gross over $1.5 million at the North American box office.

As long as the sequel doesn't lose money, it's a win.

Subsequent merchandise, DVD rentals, and streaming services on new media platforms are secondary. As long as we don't lose money, and we mention the expected revenue of the film, even a slight increase of one or two points in the stock market will make us money.

However, Robert Iger's focus remains on "Pirates of the Caribbean".

I called Cao Yang a while ago, and he said that "New Pirates of the Caribbean" might gross no less than $8 million worldwide, which Robert Iger definitely didn't believe.

If this movie doesn't lose money and can achieve similar box office results to "National Treasure: The Secret of the Treasure Hunt", then it will definitely be a big hit.

The sequel should be ready to be put on the agenda soon.

If this movie grosses $5 million worldwide, Robert Iger would dare to slam his fist on the table within the Alliance of Film Producers, and he would absolutely not allow those despicable and foolish people to use Cao Yang as a fallback plan.

If "Pirates of the Caribbean" grosses $6 million worldwide...

Robert Iger didn't just bang on the table; you know, Cao Yang said there were at least four plans for "New Pirates of the Caribbean"—four!

Anyone in the league who dares to use Cao Yang as a scapegoat is either going against Robert Iger, or having a grudge against him.

Robert Iger never goes easy on people like that.

As for whether it really is the 8 million that Cao Yang mentioned...

Cao Yang was Robert Iger's half-brother, the kind of brother he'd risk his life for.

Anyone who dares to mess with Cao Yang is slapping Robert Iger in the face, defecating on Robert Iger's head, and is an irreconcilable sworn enemy!
(End of this chapter)