"Let's talk about the future."
Eric shook his head and smiled, but he was not too worried about this issue. The fundamental problem of MGM was still in its business philosophy.
Until now, MGM still maintains the vertical business philosophy handed down from the era of big studios, but since the 1980s, several other major Hollywood film companies have successively begun to try to diversify their development, and strive to open up film-related audio-visual, books, Peripheral industrial chains such as records, toys, and theme parks maximize the "locomotive effect" of the film business, and increase the film company's ability to resist risks through the development of profit channels.
But at the same time, MGM fell into the hands of the casino tycoon Kirk Kerkorian, who preferred to play capital operations because of being unkind. The casino tycoon was obviously more interested in transforming MGM into a hotel than Making movies is much bigger, causing the established film giant to miss the best time to turn around.
But now, the Hollywood film company that has opened up the industry chain has started a new round of integration with the media group. Once this trend is completed, MGM will be completely left behind, and there is no chance to catch up with those who have integrated with the media group. the pace of colleagues.
In this case, Eric provides MGM with some high-quality film projects, which will only make this film company prosperous for a while, ≡∵, when everyone divides up the benefits in the future, MGM will still be the same MGM in decline.
After saying goodbye to Chris, Eric went back to his room, changed his clothes, and then drove to a restaurant in New York City on the Seine. What he was going to meet tonight was a vice president named Marcel Noiré of the investment department of Lyon Credit Bank, and John Carley, the current president of MGM Pictures.
Kirk Kerkorian sold MGM to Italian investor Giancarlo Peretti for $1.3 billion in 1990, but it didn't take long. The US Federal Securities and Exchange Commission found that there were major problems with this transaction. Giancarlo Peretti, the Italian investor's company, is just a shell. The entire transaction process was completely defrauded by the empty-handed white wolf to acquire funds for the acquisition of MGM.
Giancarlo Peretti ended up in jail for the fraud, but the biggest bitterness was swallowed by Credit Lyonnais, the bank that financed the deal, which ended last year. The verdict was pronounced, and Giancarlo got the punishment he deserved, but the transaction was still declared valid, and Giancarlo Paretti's 75% of MGM shares from Kerkorian were transferred to Credit Lyonnais. under the name. Credit Lyonnais organized an auction to sell MGM, but no one dared to take over the mess. Credit Lyonnais could only reorganize the management of MGM and recruited Frank Macasso and John Carley Form a new management team, hoping to improve MGM's performance, and then successfully find a successor.
But the result now is that the two new helmsmen had a bad start, and the two films released in the summer, "Bearing Mountain" and "The Last Action Hero" all ended in failure.
Eric was thinking about a plan to bring together European film companies and MGM all the way, after the hotel car stopped. As soon as Eric got out of the car, he saw two white men warmly greet him.
Eric immediately recognized John Carley, a gray-haired man in his sixties. Eric had met each other at some events in Los Angeles before, but the two hadn't had any interaction until the celebration reception of "Fang Fang". John Carley was originally an executive of the production department of Warner Pictures. He started working at Warner in the late 1900s. He was an old man in the era of Steve Ross. After Steve Ross passed away, the two co-presidents of Warner gradually intensified their infighting for the position of CEO. Invited, John Carley left his old club where he had worked for many years to become the president of MGM Pictures.
Eric blamed the unlucky CEO of Carlock Films for the hype of "Jurassic Park" last time, so he didn't know that it was actually the two helmsmen of MGM What a moth. However, even if he knew, Eric would not care too much now. Anyway, the two films of MGM have now ended in disaster, and it has not had any impact on "Jurassic Park".
Seeing John Carly leading another 40-50-year-old French guy with a big nose to greet him warmly, Eric also walked up quickly with a smile on his face.
"Eric, I am very glad that you can come tonight." John Carly hugged Eric very familiarly, and then introduced: "This is Mr. Marcel Noiré from Credit Lyonnais Bank .”
"Hello, Mr. Novaret," Eric held out his hand to the other party.
Marcel Noiret exchanged pleasantries with Eric, and the three of them walked towards the restaurant. The waiter guided the three of them into a quiet corner, and after ordering food, Marcel Noiret couldn't wait to get straight to the point.
Although MGM ranks last among the seven major Hollywood companies, compared to any European film company, MGM's scale can be said to be the largest.
What surprised Eric but felt reasonable was that Credit Lyonnais actually wanted Firefly to take over MGM.
After Marcel Novaret made this suggestion, he noticed Eric's slightly surprised expression, and continued: "Eric, as long as you agree to take over MGM, Lyon Credit is willing to give a very reasonable price. Moreover, we will also be responsible for lobbying the US Federal Securities and Exchange Commission to pass this transaction request."
Firefly Films has now reached a peak in Hollywood, and if it continues to expand in the film business, it will definitely involve monopoly issues. It is conceivable that if Firefly Films acquires several other major Hollywood film companies again, it will definitely receive feedback from various companies. However, Eric is very clear that among the film companies other than Firefly Pictures, other goals are difficult to achieve under the current situation, but if the acquisition of MGM is the only one, the resistance will be much smaller , There will even be people who secretly contribute to this matter.
The ruling of the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission is also greatly affected by the influence of capital forces, and if Firefly acquires MGM at this time, it is equivalent to taking a big burden into its arms. This big burden will definitely drag down the pace of Firefly's expansion. It will also affect the evaluation of Firefly Films by investment institutions.
If it is other time. Faced with MGM's rich film library resources, Eric does not mind taking over MGM and slowly adjusting it, but in the next few years, Firefly will increase the pace of expansion without stopping. It is absolutely impossible to take over the mess of MGM.
Since Marcel Novaret was so straightforward, Eric didn't beat around the bush, and refused bluntly: "Marcel, I'm really sorry, but I can't agree to your request. Because I can't think of any successor to MGM right now. reason."
Of course, it is impossible for Lyon Credit to guess Eric's strong interest in MGM's film library. Therefore, Eric's reaction did not exceed Marcel Noiret's expectations. He had promised Eric I don't have much expectations for this matter, and this suggestion to Eric is more out of the idea of going to the doctor in a hurry.
Lyon Credit is one of the three major banks in France. It not only operates traditional banking business, but also involves investment banking and insurance fields. Because of the European economic recession caused by the turmoil in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the early 1990s, Lyon Credit Bank All suffered huge losses. This year's loss is expected to be as high as 11 billion francs (equivalent to 2.2 billion U.S. dollars), of which MGM, which was taken over by the fraud case, accounts for a large part. Crédit Lyonnais is now eager to cash out this hot potato.
Because he didn't have any expectations in his heart, after Marcel Novare heard Eric's refusal, he stopped pestering him. After the waiters in the restaurant served the dishes one after another, Marcel Novare gently turned to John Card Leigh winked.
John Carley nodded slightly, put down the knife and fork, turned to Eric and said, "Eric, I wonder if you are interested in the 007 series?"
Eric smiled slightly, thinking that this is still the case, but speaking of it, MGM really has no leverage to cooperate with him, and the only thing Lyon Credit Bank wants to do now is to send MGM Make a living, and do not want to invest in the Firefly film business like other European film companies.
For MGM, the 007 series is like a life-threatening ginseng. Whenever the patient is terminally ill, he can cut a slice, and then he can linger on for a few years.
Before the sixteenth 007, whether it was the United Artists era or the MGM era, the production cycle of 007 was two years. The reason why this long-lasting series was suddenly stopped four years ago was that MGM In addition to the reasons of continuous turmoil and copyright disputes, the main reason is that the box office and word-of-mouth of the sixteenth "007: License to Kill" were too high. It only earned more than 33 million at the box office. If it hadn't been for the loss made up for by the world, "Made to Kill" would have almost become the first loss-making sequel of the 007 series.
For a classic series of Legendary Agent, the loss of an investment is of course nothing, but what MGM is even more afraid of is that the reputation of this series will be completely destroyed. If it is not recognized by fans, then this series is likely to be completely suspended. Therefore, MGM has hesitated for several years in the process of starting the production of the seventeenth 007 film, and there has been no result until now.
"Speaking of the last "License to Kill", although the reputation of this sequel is very bad, I think one of the settings is still very interesting," Eric replied, and he couldn't help but think of the story in "Sleepless in Seattle". Kelly Lowe, who played Sam's dead wife in ", is the Bond girl of "License to Kill". Eric and Kelly Lowe had a happy night in Seattle, but that The girl left after the evening, and Eric never saw each other again.
John Carley heard Eric say this, and asked naturally: "What setting?"
"The setting of two Bond girls, "License to Kill" is the only 007 movie in which two Bond girls are jealous of Bond's rivalry and shed tears because of it. It's a pity that the plot conceived by the screenwriter of the previous one is more focused on revenge. On the contrary, it lost the essence of the Bond movie, so the two points of the two Bond girls were not highlighted, and I also think that there are some problems with the setting of the two Bond girls."
John Carley hesitated for a moment, but chose the first point in Eric's words, and asked, "Eric, what do you think is the essence of the 007 movie?"
Eric smiled mischievously. Said: "Of course it is to save the world."
Both John Carley and Marcel Noiré on the other side were taken aback. Then he laughed along with Eric. But after laughing. Only then did John Carley realize that although Eric's words just now were a bit ironic, they hit the core of the 007 series, so he immediately asked again: "Then the two Bond Girls settings you just mentioned There is a problem, what do you mean?"
Eric also became interested, put down the tableware, and said: "In the traditional production idea, Bond girls have always played the role of Bond's assistant or lover. Even if there are two Bond girl protagonists in the sixteenth part, still We can’t escape this kind of thinking. But why don’t we do the opposite and set up two Bond girls, one good and one evil, one to assist Bond, and the other to be Bond’s enemy. Just like Warner’s two recent " Like Batman, although Batman's actor Michael Keaton is very popular, but whether it is the first or the second, the villains in it have attracted more attention from the audience. The clown played by Jack Nicholson Needless to say, it will definitely become a classic imitated by latecomers, and the catwoman and penguin played by Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito have also left a deep impression on the audience. This shows a problem, I have seen too many protagonists with a strong sense of justice in movies. The audience is still looking forward to the villains with distinctive characters on the screen, which gives the 007 series a big breakthrough."
Marcel Novaret listened to Eric's words, but subconsciously felt that it made sense, and didn't feel too deeply, but John Carley, who had been a film producer for more than 20 years, had a bright spot in his eyes. John Carley, a former executive of Warner's production department, also experienced the joy of "Batman" after the success of the first film, but inside Warner, he only attributed the achievements of the "Batman" series to decades. The popularity accumulated by time's manga serialization, but did not think in a too profound direction.
Eric's chatty words at this time made John Carley feel a sense of enlightenment. Perhaps it is not too wrong for Warner to pay more than 50 million US dollars for the role of Jack Nicholson as the clown. At the same time, John Carley couldn't help admiring Eric's sharp thinking and vision, and secretly sighed that it was not unreasonable for this young man to achieve such dazzling success at such a young age.
Although he sighed in his heart, John Carley did not forget to strike while the iron was hot: "Eric, since you have such an idea, why don't you just be the director of the seventeenth 007? MGM will definitely come up with one that will satisfy you." quote?"
Eric took a sip of the red wine beside him, but did not directly answer John Carley's invitation, but said, "John, is MGM willing to maintain its strong focus on the 007 series?"
John Carley's heart moved slightly, but on the surface he remained calm, sighed softly, and said, "Eric, you know, we don't have many choices."
"There is a very good opportunity right now," Eric put down his glass, looked at Marcel Noire again and said, "However, this requires Lyon Credit Bank to make a bridge."
Although Marcel Noiret doesn't know much about movies, he is also sensitively aware that Eric's next words will definitely have a great impact on MGM's current situation: "Eric, if Lyon Credit If we can help, we will definitely do our best, let’s talk about your thoughts.”
Eric said: "Recently, several film companies and film foundations want to invest in Hollywood, but more than half of Firefly's production plan within two years has been determined, it will be very inconvenient to adjust, and it will not be able to maximize the benefits. , so I think maybe everyone can cooperate. I am responsible for selecting suitable projects and participating in the production appropriately. European film companies and foundations are responsible for investment, and MGM is responsible for production and distribution. This can solve the current operating dilemma of MGM. , and can also make full use of the financial advantages of Europe.”
Marcel Noiré kept nodding throughout the whole process, listened carefully to Eric's words, then turned to look at John Carley, who also had a look of excitement in his eyes, but compared Serge Novaret and John Carley are more aware of the difficulty of implementing Eric's suggestion. Although Eric's personal contribution seems to be the least in this cooperation proposal, but in fact his personal participation is the part with the highest gold content, just like the original time and space, because of Steven Spielberg's powerful call Power, not long after DreamWorks announced its establishment. Investors from all over the world came forward and donated more than one billion US dollars of start-up capital. And at this time. If it wasn't for Eric to come forward. Perhaps those European film companies will never consider cooperating with MGM at all, after all, the two blockbusters in the summer file have scared them.
But at the same time, MGM's current situation is the most clear to the major European film forces. Even if Eric takes the lead, the possibility of them agreeing is still very slim.
"Eric, personally, I am looking forward to this kind of cooperation, but..." John Carley was about to continue. Noticing Marcel Novare winking at him, he stopped talking. After all, his identity is just a professional manager of MGM. Seeing that Marcel Novare seems to be very enthusiastic about this plan, John. It's not good for Cali to pour cold water immediately, so he can only change his tone and say: "But we still need to negotiate with all parties."
Marcel Novare also interjected immediately: "Eric, we will give you an answer as soon as possible. In addition, Lyon Credit will try its best to facilitate this matter."
"Then I'll wait for your good news," Eric nodded.
The next topic is much easier. John Carley curiously continued to ask about Eric's opinion on the role of the villain on the screen, and Eric was not stingy. Shared some theories I saw in my previous life with John Carley. It was not until half past nine that the three of them finished the dinner.
After paying the bill, John Carly and Marcel Novare sent Eric towards the outside of the restaurant and left the restaurant. Eric was standing on the side of the road saying goodbye to the two when he saw the bright restaurant hall coming out Another beautiful figure is Sophie Marceau who I haven't seen for a few days. At this time, the girl is accompanied by a tall middle-aged man in his forties, with a typical French appearance. The middle-aged man is talking to Sophie. Walking outside, chattering about something.
John Carly and Marcel Novare followed Eric's eyes almost at the same time. John Carly also attended the "Fang Fang" celebration at Seydoux's house that night, and knew a little bit about the inside story. After winking at Marcel Novaret, John Carly said to Eric, "Eric, in this case, let's take our leave first."
Eric didn't mind the teasing and ambiguity that both John Carly and Marcel Novare showed at the same time, so he said goodbye and walked over to Sophie.
When they came close, although Eric couldn't understand French, he could clearly recognize Sophie's impatient look. After adapting to the dim light outdoors, Sophie also saw Eric at a glance. The girl's expression was a little surprised at first, and then she winked playfully at Eric, and then gave a small gesture to the middle-aged man beside her. mouth, obviously signaling Eric to rescue her.
The middle-aged man noticed the change in Sophie's expression and looked forward, only to find a young man in his twenties walking towards him. The young man was wearing a decent black suit, his face was sharp and angular, and his demeanor was calm and calm. It also gives people a faint sense of oppression that is hard to ignore. Although the young man's appearance seemed familiar, the middle-aged man failed to recognize Eric's identity for a while, but instinctively felt a little vigilance.
Seeing Eric walking in front of the two of them, the middle-aged man took a slight step forward, stretched out his hand to Eric, and said in French, "Hi, my name is Frederick Bloom, may I ask who you are?"
To the surprise of the middle-aged man, there was a look of confusion in the eyes of the young man in front of him. He looked at his outstretched hand, but there was no intention of responding, and he just turned his gaze to Sophie.
Sophie knew that Eric couldn't understand a few words of French, so she smiled narrowly, but now she had to test Eric to make a rescue, so Sophie had to quickly say to the middle-aged man: "He can't understand French, you can use English." .”
When Frederick Bloom heard Sophie's words, a trace of contempt flashed in his eyes, but he still introduced himself in English again.
Eric reached out to him and shook his hand: "Hi, I'm Eric Williams."
If it was just a little familiar, after Eric said his name, Frederick Bloom immediately remembered his identity. He is also a person in the film industry. Of course, it is impossible for him not to know Eric. Thinking of the young Hollywood tycoon who created the miracle of the Firefly film industry in just a few years, Frederick Bloom immediately put away the scorn that had just surfaced, and said eagerly: "Mr. Williams, it is a pleasure to see You, I'm a producer at TF1 film production company."
"Oh, tf1, I know," Eric nodded, and was about to blurt out names such as "Paddington Bear", "Air Rescue", and "Super Body", but immediately realized that these are more than a dozen Looking at the movie after the year, I felt a little embarrassed when my thinking stopped. I looked at Sophie and said, "Well, Sophie's "The Feeling of Heartbeat" belongs to your company, right?"
Sophie noticed Eric's awkward look, and burst out laughing. Frederick Bloom did not dare to be so unscrupulous with Sophie, nodded and said: "Yes, it was jointly invested by us and Gaumont Company."
"Oh," Eric nodded, not intending to continue talking with the other party, pointing to Sophie, who was still grinning in a very disfigured way, and said: "I haven't seen Sophie for a long time, don't mind if we are alone Shall we talk?"
What is long time no see? Am I familiar with you
Thinking so in her heart, the girl rolled her eyes at Eric, but did not deny it.
"Of course, if that's the case, then I'll take my leave first," Frederick Bloom said a few more words to Sophie, said goodbye, and walked towards the parking lot.
"Huh, it's a good thing I met you, otherwise I don't know how to get rid of this annoying guy," Sophie waited until the figure of the middle-aged man disappeared into a white BMW car, and then said relaxedly.
Eric gestured to the hotel driver not far away, and pointed to the Seine River on the other side of the road: "Let's walk over there."
"Ah, that, okay," Sophie seemed to realize something, but did not refuse Eric's invitation, and followed him across the road to the Seine River, and the two walked down the steps to the On the embankment of the Seine, the night was dark, and there were many couples walking on the embankment, but no one paid attention to the two of them.
Glancing at Sophie, who seemed to be shrinking her neck slightly because of the coolness of the night, Eric asked, "Since you hate that guy, why would you eat with him?"
"My agent just picked up a movie for me." Sophie seemed to recall the unpleasant experience just now, and said angrily: "I suddenly received an invitation tonight, saying that I wanted to talk about the script. As a result, the director Both I and the screenwriter left early, and I was left with that annoying guy just now who has been pestering me. If I had known, I wouldn’t have come here. I only accepted this script for Dumas’s sake.”
Listening to Sophie's arrogant tone, Eric smiled lightly and said, "Which one is Dumas's work?"
Sophie said: "The sequel to "The Three Musketeers" tells the story of D'Artagnan's daughter. Hmph, if he pesters me again, I won't accept it. It's not that I can't find a movie." (To be continued..)