It's hard to keep news secret in Hollywood circles, let alone when it comes to Disney, which has been run by Michael Eisner for ten years.
When Michael Ovitz heard Eisner's initiative to ask, his tone was indifferent. Knowing that Eisner had already looked away, he nodded and said honestly: "I'm still hesitating."
Eisner took a sip of red wine and said, "I can publicly support you if you decide."
Historically, after Katzenberg left, Eisner invited Ovitz to join Disney. Due to a power struggle, the two completely turned against each other within a year.
Now, many things have changed, and this friendship that lasted for more than ten years has been maintained.
During Eisner's heart surgery a few months ago, as a close friend, Ovitz flew to New York with his family and stayed by his bedside for more than a week. Even Eisner's last generous compensation agreement with Disney It was Ovitz who came forward to help fight for it. In order to avoid irritating Eisner, Ovitz would firmly deny it whenever he was asked whether he would join Disney again during that period.
Such a friend is enough for Eisner to let go of his heart and support him.
Ovitz was very aware of the stubbornness in his old friend's character. He thought it would be good to get Eisner's understanding. Unexpectedly, he said this and looked at the other person in surprise. He quickly smiled and said: "Thank you, Mike." .”
Eisner also smiled and then said: "Leave aside the fact that I was kicked out of Disney, Mike, purely from the perspective of a friend, I actually don't recommend that you join Disney right now. You want to hear the reason? ?"
Ovitz made a please say expression.
Eisner pulled the blanket covering his knees, seemed to organize his words, and said: "I am a bystander now, so I should see some things more clearly than you. Just like this time, do you think Vivendi Is the acquisition of Disney too smooth? Oh, I mean going through the Department of Justice review process."
With Eisner's reminder, Ovitz quickly reviewed various details about the acquisition during this period and discovered the problem.
When Sony acquired Columbia, it caused a great deal of public outcry in the United States.
At that time, most American media opposed the deal because Columbia Pictures' factory logo was the Statue of Liberty. Newsweek also published an issue with the Statue of Liberty changed into a kimono on the cover to remind the federal government to be wary of Japan. The invasion of foreign capital. It was under this pressure from public opinion that the Japanese had to state that Colombia would continue to be managed by local professional managers, which resulted in a disaster.
Later, MGM was acquired by Australian capital. Everyone knew that Simon Westeros was behind this transaction, and it was ultimately in their own hands. Seagram Group acquired Paramount because the United States and Canada are neighbors and have a strong sense of cultural identity, so the backlash is not that violent.
However, the French takeover of Disney is completely different.
The contradiction between the United States and France has always been on the table in recent years. The anti-American sentiment in France can be seen from the local media's unanimous booing at the opening of Disneyland Paris a few years ago.
Moreover, compared to Columbia, MGM and Paramount, Disney's attributes as American cultural icons are also stronger. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck have been accompanying the childhoods of several generations of Americans, and the Disney parks in Los Angeles and Orlando are even more powerful. An important place that most Americans will visit in their lifetime.
For such a company with many special meanings, it stands to reason that even if the Ministry of Justice passes the acquisition review, in the face of fierce public opinion, someone in Congress should jump out to oppose it. As long as this is done, many voters who do not want their childhood memories to be sold to the French will In my eyes, this is capital.
As it turned out, everything went smoothly, which seemed a little unusual.
Eisner looked at his old friend's expression and said after a moment: "You feel it?"
Ovitz nodded and looked at Eisner: "There are people behind the scenes promoting this transaction."
Eisner said: "If you think about it again, you will understand who did it."
Ovitz thought for a moment, and the shadow of a young man quickly flashed in his mind, but he was a little uncertain: "Simon Westeros?"
Eisner nodded and added: "I don't have any evidence, but based on various signs, this should be the truth."
Ovitz subconsciously asked: "But why does Westeros do this?"
Eisner noticed the gaffe in his old friend's tone, smiled bitterly, and said, "So, this is the most powerful thing about that young man. If I hadn't noticed the dynamics of Daenerys Entertainment's recent batch of cooperation projects, I would have I almost didn’t understand it.”
Ovitz had a good memory, and when Eisner talked about it, the corresponding information immediately came to his mind.
Daenerys Entertainment's latest batch of external cooperation projects has been finalized for a total of four: "Charlie's Angels" and "The Bourne Supremacy" with MGM, "Jumanji" with Warner Bros., and "Jumanji" with Warner Bros. "The Mummy" with Fox.
At first glance nothing seems wrong.
Ovitz also knows that this is a means for Daenerys Entertainment to alleviate the pressure that its own overpowering exerts on other Hollywood studios.
However, after Eisner's awakening, looking at it now, a problem emerged.
Of the ten projects, four will be released in the first batch. This is no problem. They are all blockbuster-level films. There are too many films coming out at once, and the schedule cannot accommodate them. However, Daenerys Entertainment would rather give MGM two projects at once, without letting the remaining three Disney, Sony and Paramount get a share of the pie. This is obviously not in line with Daenerys Entertainment's early cooperation strategy.
You know, Disney only released "Sleepless in Seattle" with Daenerys last year. The relationship between the two parties had been very harmonious before, and there was no reason for them to suddenly become cold.
Obviously, this arrangement was intentional by Daenerys Entertainment.
So, here comes the problem.
Why did Simon Westeros do this
Eisner looked at the hesitation in Ovitz's expression and took the initiative to help him uncover the answer: "It's normal for you to not understand for a while. From the rise of the Los Angeles film industry at the end of the last century to now, in a century, everyone has We are used to the situation where many major studios in Hollywood coexist. However, in recent years, the pattern of Hollywood is undergoing fundamental changes, and the city can no longer accommodate the coexistence of seven major studios."
Ovitz suddenly understood something, and felt a bucket of cold water poured down his heart. Some truths were just a thin layer of paper away, but he was reluctant to expose them himself. He subconsciously asked: "This has nothing to do with Westeros secretly pushing Vivendi to acquire Disney." what is the relationship?"
Eisner showed a wry smile again on his face: "It's very simple. If Disney is still in the hands of the Federation and Daenerys Entertainment suppresses it too hard, we will definitely rebound and everyone will make a fuss. Neither the White House nor Congress will Sit back and do nothing. Now that Disney has been sold to the French, things are different. Whether this company goes bankrupt or closes down in the future, Washington is unlikely to actively come forward. So, in my opinion, cutting off cooperation is only the first step. Hollywood is still one of the top seven. In the next five to ten years, it may become five or even three. Moreover, the big studios that can survive will definitely not be able to compete with Daenerys Entertainment."
After the words fell, the atmosphere was silent for a moment, except for the occasional slight crackling sound of burning wood in the fireplace.
After a while, Eisner finally sighed: "Hollywood is no longer our world."
Ovitz also had a rare feeling of depression. He took a sip of the red wine in his hand, looked up at Eisner, and asked, "Mike, what are you going to do in the future?"
Eisner is only 52 years old this year. For the social elites of his class, he is in the prime of life. In addition, his heart is recovering very well. Ovitz does not believe that his old friend will be willing to enjoy retirement life.
Hearing this question, Eisner shook his head slightly to get rid of some of the emotions he had just felt, and said: "I was recently reading information about new technology industry investment, and I also hired a computer teacher. I plan to try this aspect in the future. invest."
"New technologies, we are not familiar with these, and many media are now saying that the new technology bubble is very serious and may burst at any time."
"Nothing is familiar from the beginning, and I will not put all my wealth on it," Eisner said, smiling again: "Besides, you can never go wrong by following the footsteps of Westeros, Victoria The Stroll system has been increasing its deployment in new technology fields, which shows that the bubble is not as serious as the outside world describes. I can't play on such a big scale, so it's okay to invest in some small projects, which is better than sitting idle."
In the past ten years, Eisner has made the once tepid studio once prosperous, and was eventually bought by the Vivendi Group for close to tens of billions of dollars in cash. In fact, it can be considered a beginning and an end. As a professional manager, Eisner There is no doubt about ability. Therefore, companies have actually sent invitations these days, most of them to serve as directors or consultants, and there are also some temptations from core executives.
However, after the twists and turns of the past few months, Eisner has become disheartened about continuing to work as a professional manager for others. Apart from some idle positions such as director consultants that he is considering, his future plan is to invest and take care of the past. With a net worth of tens of millions of dollars accumulated in ten years, he can be regarded as his own boss.
When Ovitz heard Eisner talk about investing in new technology, he couldn't help but think of his contact with Bill Gates last year.
The two sides almost reached a cooperation at one point. Ovitz hoped that CAA would become Microsoft's exclusive agent in Hollywood in entertainment, advertising, media, etc. However, he could only raise US$50 million for this cooperation. This was actually a problem for CAA. It was a large amount of money, and most of it came from external investors. As a result, Gates didn't like it at all and quickly transferred to DreamWorks.
Already hesitant about joining Disney, Ovitz became even more hesitant after fully understanding a certain young man's plan.
Perhaps, you should also consider new technology.
He has always been a person who dares to try new things, and he has actually accumulated a good fortune over the years. Think about the gossip I saw about the creation of the Instagram website some time ago. It was just a photo sharing website established by a maid in Westeros and a few vases with an investment of millions of dollars. In just over half a year, its valuation has reached several figures. 100 million US dollars, a huge profit.
However, Ovitz is not a fickle person either.
He had been secretly planning to join Disney for some time, but suddenly changed his mind, which was not in line with his code of conduct.
Eisner had been paying attention to his old friend's expression, and then said: "Mike, if you insist on joining Disney, I can give you some advice."
Ovitz looked over.
Eisner did not sell out and said: "First of all, sign a long-term contract as much as possible, with sufficient compensation agreement to ensure that Vivendi cannot fire you easily."
Ovitz nodded, having thought of this.
According to federal and California laws, in order to avoid conflicts of interest, if Ovitz wants to join a major studio and become an executive, he first needs to sell his shares in CAA and completely sever ties with the talent agency. For Ovitz, once he takes this step, it means that it will be difficult for him to turn back. If he cannot succeed at Disney, he may only have the option of early retirement.
Therefore, during the negotiation process with Vivendi Group, Ovitz's first thought was to ensure his own interests through strict breach of contract clauses.
Historically, this is what Ovitz did.
Later, Ovitz turned against Eisner and stayed at Disney for just over a year. When he left, he took away a huge compensation totaling more than 100 million US dollars. However, in an interview afterwards, Ovitz was not excited at all because he He gave up the talent agency he founded and was fired by Disney. His personal career was completely ruined. In comparison, the difference between a net worth of tens of millions of dollars and a net worth of one to two hundred million dollars is really not that big.
Seeing Ovitz nod, Eisner continued: "The second thing is to wait."
Ovitz was confused: "Wait?"
"Yeah, wait, wait until the day Vivendi can no longer hold on and is forced to choose to sell Disney again. By then, with the lifting of the ban on media integration, I think the possibility of federal domestic investors taking over will be very high. Big. At that time, if you can still hold the position of the person in charge of Disney, you may have room for action."
Ovitz understood and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Mike, how long do you think I need to wait?"
Eisner said: "It won't be too long. I think three to five years is enough."
"When the time comes, do you think the new Disney boss will continue to let me be the person in charge?"
"After all, as I just said, try to sign a long-term contract. By then, you will have one to two years. As long as you can prove your strength, it is not a big problem to stay."
Ovitz just smiled and was speechless.
If he gave up CAA, which had been founded for many years, to join Disney, if he could put it to good use, even if the final conditions given by Vivendi at noon still failed to meet expectations, Ovitz would agree.
However, the current situation is that Disney is destined to be suppressed by Daenerys Entertainment. Ovitz does not feel that he can compete with Simon Westeros after joining. Awkward relationships get worse.
After a final moment of weighing, Ovitz finally made his choice.
Reject Vivendi's invitation.
Eisner also saw Ovitz's final choice at a glance, and simply said: "Mike, I hope you won't complain about me telling you this tonight."
Ovitz smiled: "If you don't tell me this, I will blame you in the future."
Eisner raised his glass to Ovitz and said: "How about this, let's set up an investment company in the new technology field together. You can still run CAA, you just need to help me maintain my connections in Hollywood. The specifics I'll be in charge. Although it's an emerging industry, we can't be worse than those young guys in Silicon Valley."
Ovitz did not hesitate this time. He was already a little tempted just now. Now that he has decided to give up the opportunity to join Disney, he must find other interesting things to do, so he nodded and smiled again: "It seems I’m also going to hire a computer teacher.”
"We don't need to spend too much thought on this. Professional things only need to be left to professional people. Westeros doesn't necessarily have to be computer experts."
"It's hard to say. From what I've heard in the past few years, I haven't found anything that the young man is not good at."
Eisner thought for a while and had to nod in approval: "I really don't understand how such a freak could appear in this world. I often wonder whether the rumors about him, such as psychics, aliens, etc., are true. real."
"Who knows, but the profession of psychics has become very popular in recent years. Streisand quietly asked me to help her contact a psychic some time ago."
"Do you believe?"
"I haven't tried it, but it's said to be very effective. There are always things in this world that we can't understand."
The two old friends began to talk more and more sideways, and gradually began to chat aimlessly.
There is no way the two of them know that because of their decision tonight, the entire history of Hollywood is increasingly deviating from the track in Simon's memory.