Hollywood starts with an agent

Chapter 612 The Gap Between the Seven Majorities

The seven major Hollywood film studios now consist of Time Warner, Dawn Universal, Disney, and News Corporation Fox, each of which owns its own television broadcasting network.
While Viacom Paramount owns several cable television networks, it certainly lags behind in content distribution.

Meanwhile, Sony Columbia and Scramble MGM, which are at the bottom of the pack, are having an even harder time. At least Sony's current consumer electronics products can provide a steady stream of cash flow.
The worst off in Hollywood was undoubtedly Seagram, which had just acquired PolyGram. With the impact of MP3s on records, PolyGram's record sales gradually declined.

MGM has just spent a lot of money to restructure its international distribution channels, but in the end, its box office market share is still at the bottom, and Seagram is heavily in debt, leaving Edgar Bronfman Jr. in a terrible predicament!

Santa Monica, MGM headquarters.

Edgar Bronfman Jr. sat in his office, opposite MGM CEO Frank Marcuso and MGM President Ronald Meyer.

"Gentlemen, besides the 007 series, does MGM have any other works that can truly impress us?"

So far this year, MGM has not had a single standout film, except for the recently released "The World Is Not Enough".

Frank Marcuso reassured everyone, "Next month, we have the Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring horror action blockbuster 'The End of the World' coming out, something to look forward to!"

"The End of the World" cost $1 million to produce, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's salary alone was $2200 million.

This guy previously earned $2500 million for his role in "Batman & Robin".

……

Aspen, Colorado.

Aaron took Sophie Marceau to this famous American ski resort for a vacation and to celebrate Sophie Marceau's birthday!

"Aaron, what are you looking at?"

At the spa resort, Sophie Marceau saw Aaron Anderson sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper after taking a bath.

"Nothing much, just that MGM's blockbuster 'The World Is Not Enough' has been released, and it grossed $35 million in its opening weekend!"

Aaron smiled. After 10 days in theaters, "The Talented Mr. Ripley" had grossed $3900 million.

"This performance is even worse than Universal's summer blockbuster, Rush Hour 2!"

As Sophie Marceau spoke, she sat in Aaron's lap, bringing with her a fragrant breeze.

Rush Hour 2 grossed $2.2 million in North America and $1.2 million overseas, bringing its global total to $3.4 million!
Aaron kissed the woman and began to grope her body. "It's different," he said. "The 007 series is far too well-known."

"We have too many brands to work with, and the advertising fees are enough to offset the filming costs."

Sophie Marceau stood up, walked to the side, and poured two glasses of whiskey. "No matter how good other companies' movies are, they can't compare to Dawn. 'The Sixth Sense' grossed $6.7 million worldwide this year, second only to 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace' with its $9.2 million global box office!"

"Here, have a drink."

“Ha, that’s true,” Aaron walked over, picked up his glass, and took a sip. “But this year, there was also a low-budget mockumentary called ‘The Blair Witch Project’ that really shone!”

Sophie Marceau also shook her head, "Indeed, I simply cannot understand how a movie like 'The Blair Witch Project' could have grossed over $2 million worldwide?" The summer movie "The Blair Witch Project" grossed $1.4 million in North America and another $1 million in overseas markets, for a total of $2.4 million worldwide.
This allowed the distribution company, Artiz Studios, to make a fortune, considering that Artiz Studios' investment was only tens of millions of dollars in marketing and distribution expenses.

"Ha, the combination of marketing tactics, sensationalism, and a mockumentary horror film format is eye-catching, coupled with over half a year of viral online marketing;"

"With the right timing and location, the success model of 'The Blair Witch Project' is so perfect that it could be included in film school textbooks!"

Whether it's the mockumentary format or viral online promotion, "The Blair Witch Project" pioneered a new approach.

Even though this approach is criticized, the tangible benefits cannot be faked, and Artisan Pictures is envied by almost all independent distributors.

Aaron glanced at the alluring and seductive Sophie Marceau before him and asked about something else:

"By the way, Luc Besson's big-budget film 'The Sacred Woman' suffered a double flop at the box office and with critics this year. What's his plan now?"

Sophie Marceau shrugged, "Joan of Arc was a box office and critical flop, which was a significant blow to Luc Besson."

"I heard that he'll be taking a break from filmmaking for a few years, and that he's co-founded EuropaCorp with others to develop commercial films specifically to counter the impact of Hollywood;"

"Luc Besson will be appearing more behind the scenes in films as a screenwriter and producer in the future!"

Sophie Marceau is now one of France's top stars and has always paid close attention to the French film industry.
After the success of "The Fifth Element," the most expensive film in French history, Luc Besson received a large investment from Gaumont for "Joan of Arc."

Unfortunately, the large investment in "Joan of Arc" did not continue the success of "The Fifth Element";

The film "Joan of Arc" had a budget of over 4 million francs, or more than 8000 million US dollars, but its global box office was only 6600 million US dollars, and its North American market box office was even more pitiful, with only 1400 million US dollars!
Aaron's lips curled into a smile. "Founding EuropaCorp, huh? Luc Besson really is trying to fight Hollywood with Hollywood methods. He wants to be the vanguard of European commercial cinema."

"The idea is very good. In the French film industry, only director Luc Besson can understand the essence of Hollywood commercial films."

Sophie Marceau laughed, "Now, the EU has also established a film fund, in addition to the film support programs in various European countries."

"European cinema has made very thorough preparations to compete with Hollywood films!"

"Really?" Aaron hugged Sophie Marceau from behind and reached into the woman's pajamas to feel its softness.

"Europe mainly produces art films, and the language is different, so the threat isn't significant."

"However, film tax rebates in some European countries and regions may attract some Hollywood films to be shot there."

"Germany, in particular, offers not only generous discounts but also the most lenient conditions. You don't even need to go to Germany specifically for filming or spending money; all you need is German capital participation!"

"Hmm," Sophie Marceau closed her eyes, pressed herself tightly against the man's chest, and let him do as he pleased, her breathing becoming rapid.

"Mmm," Aaron kissed the woman's lips directly, while taking off his pajamas.

Soon, Sophie Marceau turned around and hugged Aaron, collapsing onto the sofa beside her...

(End of this chapter)