Hollywood starts with an agent

Chapter 351 The Biggest Rival
With the release of "Con Air", the next film to be released at the end of the month is "Waterworld".
As the most expensive film ever made, Waterworld is of paramount importance to Universal.

Is Michael Crichton's novel, *Jurassic Park II: The Lost World*, about to be published?

In Burbank, in the Dawn headquarters office, Aaron questioned Dawn Steele.

"Yes, it's estimated to be released by the end of the year. We've already contacted Steven Spielberg, and he's very interested in adapting a sequel!"

Aaron nodded. "Alright, let's revise it as soon as possible."

Actually, Aaron was a little unhappy, mainly because Steven Spielberg's share of the profits was too high;
Amblin and Universal co-produced the film, with Amblin receiving a share of the box office, video sales, and the Jurassic Park theme park at Universal Studios!

However, since Steven Spielberg is both the producer and director, Aaron had nothing to say.

Dawn Steele thought for a moment, then asked, "What do you think of 'Waterworld'?"

Aaron smiled. "Actually, Kevin Costner's work, both in its concept and the message it conveys, is quite good."

"However, post-apocalyptic environmentalism is a bit ahead of its time. Modern audiences prefer thrilling and exciting scenes, not dirty and grimy characters."

"I estimate the North American box office won't be too high!"

With a production cost of $1.75 million, it is indeed the most expensive film ever made.

"However, it doesn't matter anyway; Universal's Apollo 13 is stunning enough."

"With several works by Shuguang, this summer will still be our main stage."

Aaron wasn't really worried, after all, Dawn's performance was good enough.

"By the way, you could try to get to know Shirley Lansing better. Paramount has a lot of co-productions going on right now, and if there are any suitable projects, Universal could also invest!"

Dawn Steele nodded. "I understand."

With the release of "Con Air," which grossed $2400 million in its opening weekend, Tom Cruise's star power is absolutely undeniable.

The Rush Hour production team also successfully signed Will Smith, who will star alongside Jack Singer.
Meanwhile, Mexican Latina beauty Salma Hayek has also joined the cast, making it a diverse mix of Asian, Black, White, and Latino people!

The annual Sun Valley Summit was held as scheduled in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Aaron brought Wang Zhuxian here specifically to broaden her horizons!

"Hey, isn't that Warren Buffett, the stock market guru, ranked second on the Forbes rich list?"

At the party, Wang Zhuxian was quite excited as she linked arms with Aaron.

"Yes, it's this old man," Aaron glanced at him briefly, "It's a pity the richest man didn't come!"

This year, Bill Gates of Microsoft topped the Forbes rich list;

Aaron knew that this guy was about to dominate the charts.

Wang Zhuxian kissed Aaron on the cheek. "You're on the list too. It says your net worth exceeds $30 billion!"

Aaron narrowed his eyes. "Next year, my net worth will increase significantly."

Once Dawn goes public this year, Aaron's net worth will explode, and his ranking will rise significantly. "Good evening, Aaron!"

Suddenly, Michael Eisner walked over.

Good evening, Mr. Eisner.

As Aaron spoke, he patted Wang Zhuxian's hand, indicating that he was going to walk away for a while.

Then, Aaron and Michael Eisner went out onto the balcony.

"It seems I should congratulate Disney. Mr. Eisner had a very pleasant chat with Warren Buffett and Tom Murphy!"

Tom Murphy, Chairman and CEO of Metropolitan/ABC;

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is a major shareholder of Metropolitan/ABC.

It's clear that Michael Eisner came to Sun Valley for the summit to discuss Disney's acquisition of Metropolitan/ABC Group!
Michael Eisner smiled. "I should be congratulating you. In just a few short years, you've successfully acquired Universal Entertainment."

"Lou Wasserman, who has dominated Hollywood for over a decade, is now your employee!"

As he spoke, Michael Eisner took a sip of his wine. "What's even more remarkable is that Pixar's animated feature film, Toy Story, was a huge success."

Toy Story has now grossed over $1.2 million at the North American box office and over $1 million overseas.
Meanwhile, Disney's animated feature film "Pocahontas" has just surpassed $1 million in North America, but has already surpassed $1.2 million in the international market!
Pixar Studios, which released "Toy Story," made a stunning debut; its new 3D computer animation was incredibly eye-catching.

Disney, which has long been the dominant force in the animation market, is known for its 2D hand-drawn animation. Now, Disney is facing its biggest challenge yet.

Moreover, Michael Eisner also had to guard against resistance from DreamWorks, and Jeffrey Katzenberg was determined to dethrone Disney from its position as the animation giant!
“Pixar,” Aaron couldn’t help but smile, “They were lucky. Back then, Pixar was in a difficult situation and almost became a contracted animation studio with Disney.”

"My acquisition of Pixar from Steve Jobs was also on a whim."

“Oh, just a whim?” Michael Eisner nodded. “Luck is also part of skill.”

"Besides, Aaron Anderson has never lacked strength, has he?"

Aaron knew that Disney now considered Dawn its biggest competitor;
After all, Disney's most important business, the animation and theme park market, has welcomed its biggest competitors, the rising stars Pixar and Universal Studios!

Next, Disney plans to acquire Metropolitan/ABC Group, further expanding its size.
ABC is currently the second largest broadcasting network after TBS Group, and it also owns ESPN, the most profitable sports cable network.

CNN is the dominant cable news channel;

MTV is the dominant cable entertainment channel;

ESPN, on the other hand, is the undisputed king of cable sports channels!

Aaron shook his head, somewhat modestly, "Dawn is still very young, and we still have some disadvantages in television distribution."

Sometimes, Aaron really thought about using AMC and USA Cable Networks to build a wireless broadcasting network belonging to Dawn.
Just like Paramount's UPN and Warner Bros.' WB television network.

However, developing such a nationwide radio and television network is extremely difficult. Not to mention the local and affiliated television stations, Dawn also has no advantage in terms of content.
News Corporation was able to establish the FOX wireless broadcasting network not only because of its funding, but also because of the support of its vast newspaper news system!

(End of this chapter)