Hollywood starts with an agent

Chapter 459 Fox's Troubles
Evening, at the Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Aaron and Kate Beckinsale attended a Hollywood party!

The Star Wars trilogy, produced by Lucasfilm and re-released by 20th Century Fox, achieved good results.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope grossed $130 million at the North American box office;

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back grossed $60 million at the North American box office;

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi also grossed $40 million!

At the party, Aaron and George Lucas clinked glasses. "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is about to start filming, right?"

George Lucas nodded. "We'll be taking the crew to the set in England in June or July."

"Aaron, are you looking forward to it too?"

Aaron nodded reluctantly. "What American doesn't like Star Wars?"

In the Star Wars prequels, Liam Neeson, star of Schindler's List, and Ewan McGregor, who rose to prominence last year with director Danny Boyle's Trainspotting, play Jedi Knights.
Natalie Portman, the young actress who rose to fame for her role as the little girl in "Léon: The Professional," plays the Queen!
It's worth noting that the start of filming for the Star Wars prequel series this year has caused a huge sensation in the United States:
The Star Wars series itself is a cultural symbol with a wide influence. Now that the official start of filming for Star Wars prequels has been announced, major media outlets in the United States have reported on it extensively. Newspapers, magazines, television and other media have conducted extensive follow-up reports and special discussions on the matter, detailing the filming plan, cast and plot speculation.

Furthermore, because the Star Wars series has a huge fan base with extremely high enthusiasm and loyalty to the series, fans were filled with extreme excitement and anticipation upon learning that the prequel was going to be filmed.

Many fans even planned ahead to go to the vicinity of the filming location, hoping to catch a glimpse of the filming scenes or meet the actors.

Furthermore, with the re-release of the Star Wars trilogy, fans have been buying a large number of Star Wars merchandise, such as models, posters, and books, to express their love and support for the film series!

What Aaron envies most is the merchandise industry surrounding the Star Wars series, which has always been a model of commercial success.
Stimulated by the news that Star Wars prequels were going to be filmed, the market for Star Wars merchandise, such as toys, clothing, and models, saw a significant increase in sales.
Meanwhile, movie-themed tourism, exhibitions, and other activities have attracted a large number of visitors and generated considerable commercial revenue. Businesses have also launched new products related to "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" to meet consumer demand.

"George, you have to understand, Star Wars is a cultural symbol of America. It's not just about making a movie, but about the continuation and return of a cultural phenomenon!"

The Star Wars series was born in the 1970s and 1980s and has always been an important part of American popular culture, carrying the youthful memories and emotional attachments of a generation.

With its unique science fiction setting, exciting plot, and profound cultural connotations, the Star Wars film series has become an important symbol of American popular culture!
The start of filming for "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" signifies the continuation and expansion of this cultural phenomenon, filling people with anticipation for its future development, while also evoking Americans' nostalgia for the good old days and triggering collective emotional resonance.

Therefore, many people are looking forward to Star Wars prequels continuing the classic storyline and making innovations and breakthroughs in terms of plot and special effects.

Aaron certainly coveted Star Wars, but there was nothing he could do; George Lucas wouldn't let go of such a golden egg.

George Lucas smiled. "Aaron, I didn't expect you to think so highly of Star Wars?"

Aaron shrugged. "There's nothing I can do about it. Too many people are paying attention, and of course I'm quite interested in the Star Wars prequels too."

"Especially the innovation of visual effects in film, and the application of virtual photography technology." George Lucas nodded in agreement. "This is indeed a challenge we need to solve; audiences have very high expectations for our special effects!"

George Lucas's Star Wars series is already known for its groundbreaking visual effects;

Special effects technology is constantly evolving, and George Lucas faces technical challenges in showcasing grander interstellar scenes, alien creatures, and intense space battles in the Star Wars prequel series.

"George, you, along with James Cameron and Steven Spielberg, are pioneers and trailblazers in the application of special effects in film."

"I believe you won't disappoint your fans who are looking forward to you, will you?"

Aaron smiled and patted George Lucas on the shoulder.

Aaron then went to the party's lounge area with Peter Chernin, chairman of Fox Entertainment!
"Aaron, Titanic is expected to be released during the Christmas season. We hope to see a glimmer of hope in the North American market and increase our promotional efforts."

Aaron frowned. "We've budgeted approximately $3000 million for North American marketing of 'Titanic'."

"You think this isn't enough?"

Peter Chernin patted Aaron on the shoulder. "That's not what I meant. I just hope you can be more involved in promoting the film."

"After all, you are Hollywood's golden boy, America's youngest billionaire, and you are extremely popular among the people!"

Aaron sighed inwardly. It seemed that the executives at 20th Century Fox had been influenced by the media and had no confidence in James Cameron's "Titanic".

It seems they were already prepared for losses and are now only thinking about minimizing them.

“Peter, don’t be influenced by those newspapers and magazines. How many times have their predictions been accurate?”

"James Cameron made a groundbreaking film like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, so you should have more faith in him!"

Besides, James Cameron helped you make "Titanic" without taking a penny for screenwriting or directing fees; all the funds went into production costs.
Okay, if it were Aaron, he would definitely have paid him a normal salary. After all, whether or not someone receives a salary makes a huge difference to the revenue sharing agreement after the film's release.

"Is that so? I hope it's as you say!"

Peter Chernin wasn't really confident, but Dawn wasn't too worried, since Dawn currently held the top spot in Hollywood's box office market.

The profitability of Dawn Films is even more astonishing; the failure of one film has virtually no impact...

(End of this chapter)