America: My Time

Chapter 598 We Must Stand on the Side of the Weak

Chapter 588 We Must Stand on the Side of the Weak

After James Cameron and John finished their conversation, no one else stepped forward. At this point, the Hollywood bigwigs were already waiting for John in that corner. If anyone else stepped forward, it would be considered short-sighted, and they would be resented by these Hollywood bigwigs. Some petty people might even take it as a provocation.

In fact, before John, these Hollywood giants had already reached a tacit understanding and made their choices. However, some people were still uneasy and felt that they should wait for John, the real bigwig, to admit it. This was naturally Disney, which had always been John's enemy. They were unwilling to let John get away from this matter.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting!" After greeting everyone, John sat down. Sophie Marceau wisely moved away from John at this moment. This was not something she should be involved in, nor was it something she should be eavesdropping on. After all, there were no beautiful women around other Hollywood big shots. Sophie Marceau was not foolish enough to think that she was special and had to steal the limelight and make herself an enemy!
“Mr. John, we all want to know your decision. After all, you are a screenwriter and a member of Hollywood. We will all feel uneasy if we don’t know your thoughts!”

John calmly replied, "You're overthinking it. The decision made by Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media is my decision. I personally don't accept any of their demands. Hollywood is our Hollywood; we are its owners. There's no reason for a bunch of employees to leech off us. If they want a certain amount of profit or power, they must bear the corresponding responsibility. If they can shoulder their due responsibilities and accept accountability for failure, then we can talk. Otherwise, it's off the table. They don't represent Hollywood, nor do they represent all screenwriters. If some people insist on forcing us, then we can leave. California is big, the United States is big, we have more choices!"

Everyone present knew who John was referring to. They hadn't expected him to be so forceful, so ruthless, and to make such a reckless decision. If the other side wanted to use other methods, Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media would choose to leave Los Angeles, or even leave California altogether.

“Mr. John, you’re exaggerating. Things haven’t come to that. This is just an internal struggle within Hollywood. It won’t escalate to that point. If such a situation were to occur, I believe none of you here would accept it!” At this moment, George Lucas stepped in to smooth things over. He knew that if such a situation were to happen, the entire Hollywood would be shaken, California would be shaken, and even the United States would be shaken. If Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media were forced out, Hollywood would cease to exist. No one could bear such consequences, and Donkey didn’t have that kind of confidence.

John glanced calmly at George Lucas and said, “I don’t want this to happen either, but we all have to prepare for the worst. After all, it’s an election year, and anything can happen. If those guys refuse to compromise, we can’t stand by and watch them. They can disregard the lives and livelihoods of those at the bottom of Hollywood, but we, the owners of Hollywood, cannot. We can’t watch Hollywood head towards destruction. Of course, this is a decision for you all to make. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix are in a much better position than you all, and everyone knows that. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix will only give them another week. If they refuse to back down, they will start a new project. We can’t let these ignorant and foolish guys affect our own interests. We’ve already given them face; whether they accept it or not is their business.”

Upon hearing John's words, everyone present gasped, turning their gazes to Robert Iger and Barry Diller. Seeing their calm expressions, they understood that this was something they had already decided. The two media conglomerates were unwilling to continue with everyone indefinitely; they had their own plans.

"Don't be confused, this is my decision and has nothing to do with anyone else. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group both need to consider their own interests and deal with their own debts, so we will not back down because of others. When it comes to interests, no one can make us back down!" At this moment, John took all the responsibility upon himself, not putting any pressure on Barrydile and Robert Iger, and keeping them unaffected by all of this.

When it's time to take responsibility, John will proactively shoulder it, not letting his subordinates bear the burden. Moreover, John can't let outsiders perceive him as weak and easily bullied. As a Hollywood and media giant, if he can't even control the Writers Guild, what development or profit can he expect? If the Writers Guild succeeds this time, they'll make even more outrageous demands next time. Even the actors will become restless. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, determined to dominate the big-budget film scene, won't give their enemies any chance, so they must decisively suppress everything.

“Mr. John, there’s no need to go to such extremes. We can negotiate with those guys slowly! You may not care, but Disney, and the other companies here, won’t!” At this moment, Disney jumped in again. “Heh, if Disney thinks it’s negotiable, that’s your own business. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media won’t. You, Disney, can disregard the interests of your shareholders and continue to lose money, but Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media will not accept losses. Tomorrow, the two media groups will convey their latest decision to the screenwriters. Whether they accept it or not is their business. Those who violated the contract will also bear the consequences. If you do something wrong, you have to bear the corresponding consequences.”

As soon as John's iron-fisted voice fell, everyone gasped. To dare make such a decision at this moment showed just how firm John's resolve was. This guy truly lived up to his reputation as Hollywood's 'tyrant.' He didn't care what others thought or what their opinions were. As long as his own interests were threatened, he would resolutely suppress them.

“Mr. John, this will provoke resistance and make things spiral out of control!”

"Interesting. Is this the end of the matter? Have they shown any signs of compromise? Since they haven't, we don't need to worry about a more aggressive reaction from them. We need to consider our own interests and the lives of those at the bottom of Hollywood. We can't let the interests of a few dozen or a few hundred people harm the interests of thousands, or even more. We must stand with the masses and the vulnerable. The Writers Guild is not a vulnerable group. Writers in the US are among the highest earners. In comparison, those at the bottom of Hollywood are the most pitiful. They are suffering undeserved misfortune. It's not their fault. We cannot let them be affected by the greed of a few. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media firmly stand with the vulnerable at the bottom. We will not accept any demands from the Writers Guild."

Everyone was stunned. No one expected John to take up the cause and use the excuse of protecting the vulnerable to fight against the Writers Guild. As long as Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group were happy to use this banner, the Writers Guild would be no match for them, and these guys could carry out their projects with even more impunity.

While other Hollywood giants also wanted to emulate Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, and to champion the protection of the vulnerable, they couldn't. Their writers were almost all involved in the strike, leaving them with no way to cope; they lacked the powerful influence of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media.

"Shameless! This guy is utterly shameless. He's clearly acting in his own self-interest, yet he's using the slogan of protecting the vulnerable. And it's actually damn feasible! After all, the working class in Hollywood is suffering from the massive strike, and their lives are being severely impacted. Many of them risk bankruptcy if they don't start working again. If Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media were to consider their needs, start new projects, and protect their interests and livelihoods, these guys would naturally approve. Even a donkey wouldn't dare to stand up and oppose them at this time."

In an instant, everyone was stunned by John's madness and ruthlessness. It was infuriating that Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media could remain unaffected while they themselves could not. This was the helplessness of many people present. They were all in Hollywood, so why were they so 'outstanding' while they were powerless to do anything about it?

“Mr. John, we are all part of Hollywood and should stand together. It’s not right for Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix to leave us behind. It will only put more pressure on us!”

"Oh! When did Disney become aligned with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media? Haven't you always been on the opposite side of us? Besides, we're all adults, and we all have to consider our own interests. And just because Disney can't do it doesn't mean others can't. Many people don't have this problem, and not all screenwriters participated in the strike. I believe many of you here have ways to deal with it. Just because those guys are unwilling to compromise doesn't mean Hollywood can't function. They can't influence Hollywood. Things aren't like they used to be. We have fax machines and telephones!"

As soon as John finished speaking, everyone's eyes lit up. They understood John's intention. It was indeed a good idea. As long as they were well prepared, they could minimize their losses. What was so great about the writers' strike?
(End of this chapter)