American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 120 Concealing Killing Intent and Delaying Tactics
"We've been targeted by Fox News."

London time.

Night of May 3, 2004.

Isabella met with Chris Columbus and Michael Barnason in a meeting room in Leavesden.

At the very front of the conference table sat a HP computer.

Connected to the screen, it brought the West Coast view to the three people present.

That's the chairman's office at Warner Bros.

Barry Mayer is sitting in front of the camera.

His expression on the screen was solemn, as if he were pondering a problem, yet also as if he were attentively listening to Barnason's story.

“Mr. Meyer, this is the situation.”

"Fox is now an investor in Fantastic Four, and with half of the investment, they share full investor accountability with Constantine. We don't know when they reached this agreement, but we have good reason to suspect that Fox, or News Corp., Rupert Murdoch, is actually after us."

"Their goal is to destroy Harry Potter."

A fool can't survive in this industry for decades.

Therefore, as soon as Tom Rothman, chairman of Fox Studios, showed up, Columbus realized that he had been set up.

Furthermore, he was quite certain that Fox wasn't targeting him, or rather, that he was merely a conduit or a springboard for Murdoch to attack Harry Potter.

As for why Murdoch attacked Harry Potter?

Isn't this common knowledge?
For this reason, Columbus contacted Barry Mayer immediately.

After listening to Barnason's account, Mayer nodded, "I think your judgment is correct."

"Murdoch is definitely targeting us."

"Furthermore, their methods are extremely disgusting, and they now occupy the spotlight of public opinion and the moral high ground."

"This turns all the conspiracies into unsolvable open schemes."

"Ha~"

"It's interesting~"

Back when Steve Ross was alive, Barry Mayer wasn't his most capable lieutenant. But after Steve Ross's death, Barry Mayer eliminated all his competitors. When he was able to firmly control Warner Bros. for decades in the post-Ross era, he was able to figure out Murdoch's attack patterns from just a glimpse of events.

Then, in his eyes, Murdoch at the moment is extremely insidious.

Because once Murdoch painstakingly portrays himself as a victim, he can condescendingly criticize everyone, even if such criticism is biased or incorrect, and the accused cannot refute it.

There is no other reason.

It's simply because the person being accused is in the wrong.

"So what are your thoughts?"

After a pause, seeing that no one in the meeting room spoke, Mayer took the initiative and asked, "Do you have any good solutions?"

"Uh...not yet..."

Columbus sighed and shook his head, saying, "Barry, although I was already thinking of a solution while I was looking for you, the situation is indeed quite tricky. I thought of several plans, but in the end, I felt that none of them would work."

"Tell me about it?" Mayer extended an invitation.

Columbus nodded—

"Well...ok..."

"In my opinion, Murdoch's ambush has two layers."

"The first layer is that the problems with the Fantastic Four crew called me back to California, making it impossible for me to film Goblet of Fire. Faced with this problem, I thought of two solutions: the first was to cut ties and leave, and the second was to solve the problem."

"Let's start with the first one. I don't think the plan of losing money and leaving the market is feasible."

“It’s not that I can’t afford the breach of contract penalty, but that the act of ‘paying money as soon as something happens’ would make me look very guilty. This would allow Fox to openly spread the news that I left the project because of internal strife, and then attack my actions and attack Harry Potter by attacking me.”

"Secondly, the solution of going to California to resolve the issue is also not feasible."

"Because once I return to California, Fox will keep me in California with all sorts of compliance meetings."

"This will seriously affect the filming of 'Goblet of Fire'."

"Then, if I refuse their meetings, or even just show the slightest impatience, they can say that I look down on Marvel and that in my world, Harry Potter is the best."

"Then, Fox can stir up conflict between us and Sony."

"Of course, the first plan could also incite conflict in the end."

"I had already looked through the film schedule for this summer before the video conference started."

"Murdoch is insidious."

"Because their second layer of ambush was to drag Sony out of the game."

At this point, Columbus sighed heavily, looking quite helpless.

"Hehe~"

Barry Mayer laughed.

On the surface, it seems that he was saying that Columbus's ideas coincided with his own.

But actually...

"Chris."

"Ok?"

"I think I understand why you became the king of children's films."

"Why do you say that? Oh, I didn't mean I'm the king of children's films."

"Okay, okay, I understand, I understand. Because your mind is simple, not as complicated as Steven's."

"Oh—Barry—are you insulting me or praising me? Or are you insulting Steven along with me?"

“Oh my god—Chris—how could I have cursed you guys—I just wanted to say that you might be overlooking something.”

"what's up?"

Columbus was very curious.

Barry Mayer did not answer immediately, but instead carefully examined the computer screen in front of him.

Due to hardware limitations, video calls in this era were far less clear than in the future. Therefore, he could only see Columbus and Barnason looking up at the video screen in the Livingston conference room because of his words, while Miss Beaver...

"Pfft pfft—Your Highness?"

At this moment, Isabella was leaning back in a leather chair, resting her chin on her hand.

His languid demeanor suggested he was detached from the world.

"Ok?"

Maye's call made the little beaver raise its arm. "Barry? Did you call me? I'm here, I'm not asleep."

Her adorable answer made the other three laugh. Maye then said, "Isa, why do I feel like you're not nervous at all? Although Murdoch is attacking Harry Potter right now, the person he really wants to destroy is you."

"Oh—you mean this? I know, but this isn't the first time."

Isabella said, "Last year, before The Voice aired, people who wanted me dead included Michael Eisner, Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, Steve Keys, and Edgar Bronfman Jr. So, this time, Rupert Murdoch is targeting me again? Isn't that perfectly normal?"

"And then, I want to say that this time only Murdoch made a move."

"Last time, I took on five opponents and won."

"So what am I afraid of?"

“Hahahahaha~~~” Miss Beaver’s words dispelled the gloom in the conference room.

Isabella wasn't lying.

She was indeed somewhat flustered and surprised to learn that she had once again been targeted by capital.

But it wasn't long before she calmed down.

The reason was the same as what she said.

Habit is second nature.

Furthermore, she personally felt that if she had to be shocked for a long time every time she encountered an accident, she would not be able to live her life in the future.

Because the higher you climb, the more and stronger your enemies become.

Since the main parties involved in the incident hadn't gone offline, Barry Mayer stopped dawdling and said to Miss Beaver, "Okay, Isa, so you know what I'm thinking?"

"Barry, are you asking me if I've noticed that thing Chris overlooked?"

"Yeah~"

"Oh, if that's the question, then I would say no."

"What? Why?"

"Because if I said I found out, wouldn't I become the person you're talking about with ulterior motives? But I'm clearly a clueless 13-year-old... uh... 14-year-old girl..."

“…” Barry Mayer fell silent.

Columbus and Barnesson chuckled softly.

This situation prompted Isabella to clap her hands and say, "Okay, okay, things are tricky, so let's stop joking."

“Barry, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but personally I think the director of Fantastic Four is a big problem.”

"Because he's a Black man..."

Upon hearing this, Columbus and Barnason, who had been smiling, instantly narrowed their eyes and frowned!
Barry Mayer, on the other hand, who had been silent, raised the corners of his mouth and nodded!
Yes!

In Barry Mayer's view, Murdoch's current scheme is far more complex than just two layers.

Because when the director of Fantastic Four was Black, Fox said Columbus wanted to replace him.

Oh--

If such remarks were to appear, wouldn't Fox News be able to conveniently accuse Columbus of racism?
Right?

As for why Columbus and his men overlooked this point?
It's very simple.

Although the West also talks about political correctness now, the issue of political correctness today is far less serious than it will be in the future.

Or perhaps the one who truly reigned supreme using black magic and spread it throughout the world is still a member of parliament.

so;
now;

Columbus would have subconsciously overlooked the potential for immense disaster from the hatred directed at them by Black directors.

Of course, Spielberg's insensitivity to such issues was also related to Columbus and his contemporaries.

Spielberg is Jewish.

Furthermore, he commissioned a gilded statue of Schindler's List.

When the whole world knows that Columbus is one of his men, who the hell would want to engage in a magical duel with such a great mage?

You say Columbus was racist?
Spielberg said my students aren't that kind of people!

Are you going to keep bothering me?

Spielberg would then accuse you of questioning or discriminating against Jews!
You are anti-Semitic!
Game Over.

but--

The current situation is different from everything Columbus had encountered before.

The differences are even as many as two points:

1. The interests involved in "American Idol" are so vast that Fox is willing to openly use magic to circumvent the rules.

2. Anyone who knows Murdoch knows that this old guy is also a great magician.

While in Australia, he said he was a native Australian and the pride of Melbourne;

While in England, he said that his ancestors had served the British for generations.

While in the United States, he described himself as an English, Irish, and Scottish American.

During his pilgrimage, he said he was one-eighth Jewish...

Well, in Isabella's previous life, during the years when Jewish identity was useful, Murdoch always claimed to be Jewish. But when Jewish identity no longer worked, the first thing he said when he turned to Murdoch was: "My Jewish blood comes from my great-great-grandmother. I am not a Jew; I am a proper Christian."

When a shameless person like that tries to mess with you, personally confronting Spielberg is something he's capable of doing!
And once Columbus loses his magic resistance, wouldn't it be a quick, accurate, and ruthless way to disgust Harry Potter by using magic against him?
Or...

After Isabella learned that Tim Storey was Black, a media storm was already brewing in her mind:
'Oh my god! Chris Columbus is a racist?!'

'So how can someone like this be allowed to direct a Harry Potter film about universal love?'

'We strongly demand that Warner Bros. fire Chris Columbus! We strongly demand that J.K. Rowling no longer work with him!'

'Otherwise, we'll boycott Warner Bros.! Boycott J.K. Rowling! Boycott Harry Potter!'

cough.

No one in this world knows magic better than Miss Granger.

"M-Fxxk! Murdoch is trying to kill me???"

Columbus, who was usually good-natured, started swearing.

"Oh! Sxxt!! This is a very big problem!!!"

Barnason's forehead is so thick it could plow the ground.

These two weren't idiots, so the moment Miss Beaver revealed the answer, they understood.

then--

Murdoch's treachery disgusts them!
Murdoch's ruthlessness gave them a headache!
"So, Barry, do you have a solution?"

Columbus stared intently at the curtain; he didn't want to be entangled in such disgusting things!

And this...

"Chris, to be honest, I have no clue."

Barry Mayer shrugged and said, "Don't be fooled by my laughter just now; I was actually... trying to find humor in hardship?"

"Because Murdoch's plan this time is far more ruthless than the last one, so..."

"We must treat this matter with caution."

"And this caution does not refer to our sitting here talking."

"Instead, we should use whatever connections we have."

"Okay, Chris, Michael, we'll have two hours to figure something out."

"See you in two hours? Okay?"

As people in the media industry, we all know how disgusting the label of racial discrimination is. So, at this critical moment, we all need to use our unique abilities to try and overcome this difficult situation.

If anyone is still hiding things at this point, then...

May God bless you.

Even if everyone brainstorms and seeks advice, racking their brains to come up with a solution.

Two hours later, when they met again, the three of them still hadn't come up with a concrete plan that seemed feasible.

This is causing everyone a lot of headaches.

Just as Columbus was pulling open his collar, ready to start cursing, Miss Beaver, who hadn't moved much, quietly raised her hand.

"Chris, Barry, Michael, I have an idea, but I don't know if you're interested in hearing it?"

Swah——

Almost simultaneously, all three of them looked at her.

"Isa, you speak!"

Columbus was straightforward!
He was so anxious he was practically on the verge of a fire!
"Oh—Your Highness—"

"No matter when or under what circumstances, I will always be attentive to what you have to say."

Barry Mayer smiled.

He was anxious too, but he knew that being anxious wouldn't solve anything; it would only turn him into a frantic king.

As for Barnason?
He transformed into a fanatical follower of Miss Beaver, hoping that the King of Yellow and Black, who wielded good fortune, would bring miracles to everyone. And Isabella...

"I don't have a specific plan."

"But I personally believe that there are ways to break through these two traps set by Murdoch."

"Let's talk about the first trap. Do you think Murdoch wants to provoke a conflict between us and Sony?"

"On this point, I'd like to say, isn't Iron Man a Marvel character?"

"We seem to have some Marvel characters on hand, right?"

"So, we look down on Marvel? Oh—Chris—do you remember what you said to me last year when we were talking about Fantastic Four? Who disrespected Marvel first? It wasn't us, was it?"

Miss Beaver stopped talking at this point.

He winked at Columbus.

At that moment, Columbus's previously frowning face broke into a huge smile!

"Oh! Sxxt! Isha! Your idea is indeed very novel!"

Columbus's "Get" made the little girl shrug.

Without dwelling on that question, the girl continued, "And then there's the second trap, uh... Barry?"

"Huh? I'm here." Barry Mayer didn't understand why the little girl suddenly called him, but he still responded decisively.

And she said with a smile, "I wasn't sleeping."

"..." The little girl pouted at the act of replicating the joke. "Is Nathan Bailey here?"

"exist."

"Let him show his face."

"Okay, Nathan?"

Although there were four people in the meeting, five people actually participated throughout the entire meeting.

As Barry Mayer's assistant, Nathan Bailey was listening in the conversation.

Uh... I can't not sit in on it...

Barry Mayer is an old-fashioned guy; he doesn't know how to use a computer.

Therefore, after the boss waved, Nathan Bailey immediately jumped onto the screen, and then...

“Nathan, I have a question for you. Do you remember what you said to me when we met two years ago?”

“Uh…” This question caught Nathan Bailey off guard. “Your Highness, we met a lot the year before last…”

"At the end of the year before last, after the release of 'The Secret Room' and before the release of 'The Voice'," Miss Beaver reminded her.

“Oh—” Nathan Bailey remembered, “You went to kill Lord of the Rings?”

"Yeah~ I'm going to take down 'The Lord of the Rings'~"

The little beaver clapped its hands and laughed, "Why did you guys send me to take down 'The Lord of the Rings'? Was it because 'The Chamber of Secrets' didn't do as well as expected at the box office? And why didn't 'The Chamber of Secrets' do as well as expected? Was it because of '007'?"

"If I remember correctly, our WarnerMedia television station once aired a cartoon called 'Jackie Chan Adventures'."

There's a line in it that goes like this: "You have to use magic to defeat magic."

"Fox wants to accuse us of racism? Okay, is Murdoch's ass clean?"

"I don't believe he's clean."

"But I have no evidence."

"But I believe you can get the evidence, can't you?"

“Ohhhhhh—” Nathan Bailey exclaimed instantly.

"M-Fxxk!!! I've got an idea!!!"

Before Miss Beaver could finish speaking, Nathan Bailey had already roared.

"Boss! I know how to handle this situation!"

"We can stall for time! If we can hold out for three days, we're sure to win!"

"And it was a huge win!"

Nathan Bailey's roar was like an invisible hand, pushing the world to spin wildly.

Fox News had already taken action on May 3rd.

Inviting Columbus back in a gentle manner would be a classic case of diplomacy before resorting to force.
So, at 7:00 AM London time the following morning, a private plane bound for Los Angeles took off from Great Britain.

Furthermore, there is a time difference between the two locations.

Therefore, the plane arrived in Los Angeles at exactly 10:00 AM Pacific Time that day.

That is, 10:00 AM on May 4, 2004, Los Angeles time.

This is a great time; it's perfect for discussing business.

Therefore, upon landing, the people from Britain went directly to Fox's headquarters in Century City.

then--

"Oh—Michael! Welcome, welcome!"

"It's been so long since we last met! It's so wonderful to see you all today!"

"Huh? Did you come alone?"

Where is Chris?

At this moment, a welcoming line has formed at the entrance of Fox Studios' headquarters.

Leading the group was Tom Rothman, chairman of Fox Studios.

After a warm embrace with Chris Columbus's right-hand man, Michael Barnason, his face was immediately filled with confusion, because there were many people behind Barnason, but Chris Columbus was not among them.

His words made Barnason's lips curl into a smile. He said, "Oh Tom, here's the thing. After learning that Tim Story might have a misunderstanding with us, and that this misunderstanding could seriously hinder the production of Fantastic Four, Chris was quite anxious and wanted to rush back overnight. But I stopped him."

"Why? Why did you do this?" Tom Rothman frowned slightly.

Because Murdoch's task for him was to call Columbus back to California so that the Goblet of Fire could be halted!

and so……

What good will it do you if Barnason comes back?
Barnason then smiled and said:
“Oh, we’ve all encountered and dealt with conflicts, so we should all know that whether in life or at work, if there are misunderstandings between the two parties, meeting directly might cause even greater conflicts. So I suggested to Chris that I come back first to see what’s going on, to appease Tim, and of course, most importantly, to understand the situation.”

"As you know, because of 'The Goblet of Fire,' we've been using remote command for the production of 'Fantastic Four.' Since the transmission of information is indeed somewhat inconvenient, some problems can arise. If there's a misunderstanding between Tim and us, and it's our fault, then we will definitely apologize."

"But to avoid pointless arguments, Tim can vent his frustrations on me first, so that when Chris comes back, we can all sit down and calmly resolve the issue."

"Oh, by the way, Chris asked me if you'd be willing to be the middleman?"

"Oh—this is really great—"

"So, Tom, can you tell me what's wrong with the Fantastic Four project?"

"When exactly did you invest?"

"We're all friends, so you can just tell me directly, is your behavior of concealing investment information because you thought that after the news of investing in 'Fantastic Four' was released, the capital market might think that you would abandon the mutant project? Because if I remember correctly... your 'X-Men 2' box office did not meet market expectations?"

"..." Roseman was a little dazed by the waves of words.

At that moment, he just thought, "Wow, Barnason is such a smooth talker! How come I didn't notice before?"

It wasn't until Barnason, who had put his arm around his shoulder, took the initiative and led him into the elevator at Fox headquarters that he realized Barnason had completely forgotten about Columbus's absence!

This made him very irritable!
However, since Barnason's words were indeed very reasonable, and since they had already occupied the moral high ground, they could not vent their anger indiscriminately. So Rothman could only go along with Barnason's wishes and explain everything to him.

then……

West Coast, May 4th.

Everyone sat down together and held a large meeting.

During the meeting, all parties fully explained the problems that the Fantastic Four project had encountered.

Barnason carefully noted down any problems that did exist and said he would resolve them immediately afterward.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the conflicts arising from the production of "Fantastic Four"—

When faced with unfounded accusations, Barnason will offer kind explanations; when faced with genuine misunderstandings, Barnason will sincerely apologize.

The smooth, effortless maneuver caused Rossman's pupils to shrink in shock.

Because the scene he was seeing was not what he wanted to see.

Story's insistence reassured him somewhat.

Well, no matter how good Barnason's attitude was, it couldn't hide the fact that Columbus had disappeared.

Therefore, in Story's eyes, Columbus was deliberately avoiding the issue of changing personnel.

Furthermore, even if Barnason greeted him with a smile and denied everything, Story wouldn't buy it and insisted on confronting Columbus.

And this...

“Okay, I have noted down everyone’s requests. I will communicate with Chris as soon as we get back to the hotel.”

"Shall we meet here again tomorrow, at the same time?"

"I will relay the details of the communication to you at that time."

"Oh, by the way, Tim, don't worry, we will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation."

"You're also a director, so you know that there's a process involved in producing films."

"Where there are processes, there will be data, and where there is data, there will be archives."

"So I'll let Chris speak with facts, hmm?"

As the saying goes, don't hit the smiling person.

Barnason has already made his stance clear, so Story can't really get back at him.

As the second day arrived...

On May 5th, everyone held another meeting.

At the meeting, Barnason relayed to everyone the methods and opinions on how to handle each matter.

When Story asked when Columbus would arrive for the confrontation, Barnason laughed and said, "Tim, sorry."

“The earliest time Constantine contacted us about the Fantastic Four project was in the middle of last year, when we were working on Azkaban. Therefore, we always thought that the communication documents for the Fantastic Four were at the London company. So after we learned of the discrepancy, Chris sent someone to look for them there.”

"But he searched all day yesterday and found nothing."

"Then we remembered that the collaboration agreement for Fantastic Four was signed in Los Angeles, and all the contact information might have been brought back from London. So, I'll go to the company in Los Angeles later."

"I'll bring Chris back once I find him."

"most……"

"Tomorrow, what about tomorrow? Will we meet here again tomorrow?"

Story reluctantly accepted this explanation.

But when the third day arrived...

On May 6th, Barnason stood him up.

After waiting in the conference room for an hour without seeing Barnason, Tom Rothman pulled out his phone and dialed Barnason's number. Then, the sound of howling wind came through the receiver—

"Oh! Tom! I'm sorry! I can't make it today!"

"Please tell Tim! I went back to the office to look for the documents after the meeting yesterday, but I couldn't find them!"

"Last night! After talking with Chris! He told me! Our company headquarters is in San Francisco!"

"The thing might be there!"

"So I'm on my way to San Francisco now! I'm going there to look through some files!"

"Wait for me! We'll definitely come tomorrow!"

"..."

"Dxxn!!! This guy is playing me!!!"

Tim Storey screamed!
At that moment, he became even more certain that Columbus never intended to use him in the first place!

and so……

He looked at his boss, Tom Rothman.

And Tom Rothman...

He had actually seen it from day one that Barnason was stalling for time.

Because the current situation is unsolvable for Warner.

1. Columbus did not want to use Story, a fact that no one can refute.

2. The production of "Fantastic Four" has been thrown into complete chaos by them, a situation that no one can change.

Therefore, the most advantageous tactic for Warner Bros. right now is to stall for time. As long as Warner Bros. can delay the problems until after the release of "Azkaban" before they erupt, they will have ample time to process everything.

This logic should be easy to understand, right?
If the plot holes in Fantastic Four explode right now, then Azkaban will definitely be affected.

If the "Fantastic Four" plot hole explodes again after "Azkaban" is released, then regardless of whether the "Fantastic Four" plot hole can be resolved, Warner Bros. can minimize the impact of the plot hole on HP.

Because "The Goblet of Fire" won't be released until next year, honey!

Even if Ray from Fantastic Four blew Columbus up, Warner Bros. would have a year to distance themselves from him.

but……

'snort--'

'How could we possibly let you keep dragging things out like this?'

Since Warner is already on its death throes—well, anyone with enough critical thinking skills should know that when your only way of dealing with a problem is to procrastinate, that problem will definitely blow you up, because you lack the ability to solve things and can only pray that future generations will have enough wisdom.

Then Fox will not hold back.

After reassuring the hardworking assistant, Tom Rothman returned to his office and immediately called his boss. As he delivered his report, Murdoch's face broke into a smile.

"Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Murdoch summoned his assistant.

He gestured with two fingers, and the assistant, understanding the meaning, immediately nodded.

Murdoch's assistant communicated with people from News Corporation and Fox Broadcasting one by one, sending them the smear articles he had prepared in advance. After receiving accurate responses from all parties, the assistant finally sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Chris...you're so unlucky...to run into something like this..."

"But... who told you to stand with Warner..."

Yes, Murdoch's assistant actually quite likes Chris Columbus and his work.

However, those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.

When he was Murdoch's man, he could only watch helplessly as Columbus died.

However, just as he was lamenting that within four hours, news of Columbus's disdain for Marvel would spread throughout America, and then they would try every means to get Sony to attack Warner...

"Jingle Bell--"

The landline on his desk suddenly rang.

Pick up a can—

"Oops! Something happened!"

"Fantastic Four has been attacked!"

'? '

Murdoch's assistant frowned, not understanding what the caller meant.

After he followed the other party's instructions and opened Yahoo...

Yahoo's front-page headline made his pupils widen instantly!
Because it says on it—

[A tragedy from ten years ago is repeating itself! Production of "Fantastic Four" may be a complete flop!]

(End of this chapter)