"How could this be! Tell me why this is happening? Didn't you say James Wan was just a flash-in-the-pan director? Didn't you say he had run out of inspiration?"
"Now, who can tell me what's going on? Open your eyes and look, the conjuring, that movie with a budget of just over $10 million, has already grossed over $40 million. Who can tell me what's happening?"
"James, you tell me, what's going on?"
James Ryan, whose name was called, gulped and looked at Michael Eisner with some trepidation.
The boss's temper has been a bit volatile lately, he gets angry at the slightest provocation, and if he's even slightly displeased, he'll berate people mercilessly.
Of course, he could understand where Michael Eisner's anger came from; not only was Harvey Weinstein sent to prison, but Miramax was also thrown into chaos, with multiple projects stalled.
This situation was already giving everyone a headache, and then, unexpectedly, safety concerns were exposed at the California amusement park, leading to a month-long closure for rectification.
Not only were there continuous setbacks in reality, but on the big screen, he was also beaten badly by frozen, with Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal successively trying to stop it but failing.
Finally, just when the momentum of frozen began to wane, unexpectedly, the conjuring and mean girls, which no one had paid attention to, exploded, like pressing down one gourd only for another to pop up.
The continuous setbacks also put Michael Eisner under immense pressure; he had to answer to the board of directors and to the shareholders.
"Boss, this is an accident. the conjuring and mean girls don't seem to have the potential to be blockbusters. This really is just an accident."
"An accident? One movie is an accident, can two also be called an accident? Are the analysts all useless? Why is your judgment so poor? Why does MGM always get these good resources?"
"I don't understand, what exactly went wrong? And Andrea, the director of mean girls, someone told me she once studied and worked here. Why did no one notice her? What are you all doing all day?"
"Do you have to wait until all the good projects, good actors, good directors, and all the excellent talents are poached by MGM before you wake up?"
Michael Eisner tried hard to restrain himself, finally holding back words like 'bitch,' 'mule,' 'shit,' and 'pigs who only know how to mate.'
If there weren't women in the conference room, and if the feminist movement wasn't so strong in Hollywood right now, he definitely would have let loose.
Seeing everyone silent, Michael Eisner couldn't help but roar again: "Speak up, why aren't you speaking?"
Everyone looked up at him, thinking, 'You're like a hand grenade, who dares to speak?'
"What should we do? Give me your opinions, we cannot let the situation worsen. I need to curb MGM's progress."
Someone timidly said, "Boss, actually there's no need to rush. Although the conjuring and mean girls have commendable aspects, they are not top-tier good movies. A horror film and a campus teen comedy have limited audiences."
"The reason they became popular is simply because we didn't pay attention to them. As long as we bring in two blockbusters, they will definitely fizzle out."
"Just like Million Dollar Baby, it was excellent enough, but under siege, it also had to fall."
"the aviator, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, would work, and Universal's Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, the first part of which also had a good reputation."
"But it requires a temporary schedule change, and the early promotion hasn't been done well, which might have a certain negative impact on the box office."
"Moreover, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio hope to use the aviator to contend for an Oscar, so forcibly changing the schedule will certainly incur their displeasure."
Michael Eisner pondered for a moment, thinking that getting back on track meant either the big screen or dirty tricks.
The blow Disney suffered must have been The Coopers' retaliation, so the dirty tricks route was temporarily out of the question.
Otherwise, if he really lost his temper and made an irreversible mistake in a moment of passion, the result would not simply be a loss of money; no one could bear that.
As for the big screen, Old Martin and Leonardo DiCaprio were nothing to him, but the key was that The Big Six were a bit chaotic internally right now, and he needed to quickly stabilize the situation and launch a counterattack, otherwise, the outside world would think they were vulnerable.
As August began, frozen grossed $71 million globally, once again breaking a major barrier and officially entering the $1.1 billion club.
Its global box office of $1.111 billion also surpassed Jurassic Park, leaving only a $30 million gap from the lord of the rings: the return of the king.
It will definitely be surpassed next week, no big problem.
Of course, this $71 million was global box office; in North America, there was actually only over $17 million left, ranking 5th this week.
Ranking first was James Wan's new film the conjuring, second was Lionsgate's fahrenheit 9/11, third was DreamWorks' Collateral, and fourth was Andrea's mean girls.
Lionsgate and DreamWorks also seized the opportunity, seeing that there were no blockbusters in these two weeks, and quickly scheduled their own films.
fahrenheit 9/11 was very interesting; it was a documentary about the US-Iraq War and exposed the intricate relationship between the Bush family and the Bin Laden family.
It revealed why the United States always easily gets involved in wars, with greed for oil being one of the reasons.
It also showed the harm of war to ordinary people, including not only Iraqi civilians but also American soldiers who hated the war.
The crew even secretly infiltrated Iraq and secretly interviewed a large number of US government officials there, extracting a lot of information.
This very controversial film was originally promoted by Disney and Sony, but after being warned by the government, both companies withdrew, and then Lionsgate took over.
Now, after one week of release, the box office indeed exploded, making it very likely to become the highest-grossing documentary, but it also drew warnings from the government.
Because Bush was running for election in November this year, there were concerns that the film would affect votes.
Indeed, the younger Bush in the footage made many suspicious moves, such as when he was at an elementary school event, upon hearing about the terrorist attack, he nonchalantly continued to read a fairy tale, as if he had known everything beforehand.
And immediately after 9/11, dozens of people from the Bin Laden family left the United States by plane, and they were allowed to leave the country just like that.
Why do people always say that 9/11 was a self-directed and self-acted event by the US? This movie certainly provided many clues and talking points.
Hilton Hotel, MGM rented an entire floor for a celebration party for the two film crews. There was no need to differentiate; everyone could mingle.
"Eric, when are we filming the second season? This is the first time I've felt like a big star."
Paris Hilton said with a beaming smile. Beside her was her equally cheerful sister, Nicky Hilton.
After The Simple Life aired, it really made these sisters popular, and relatively, there were more negative news, but neither of them was a docile character.
"The second season will be next year at the earliest."
"Next year is too late. By then, our popularity will have dropped. Let's start filming now. There's no law saying we can only film one season a year."
"Paris, do you want to listen to what you're saying?" Eric said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"But we're hot right now. Businessmen should strike while the iron is hot. Plus, my sister only trusts you now. All the shows from Fox and Paramount are a waste of time. You're the most reliable."
"Yeah, yeah, just help Nicky and me out. We'll repay you."
"Hahaha, are you going to offer hotel discounts or halve the pay?"
"Either is fine, as long as I can do it, or this isn't bad either."
Paris Hilton said, bending slightly. Summer clothes are already light, and this made the scene even more revealing.
Eric took a look, not too big, not too small, medium-sized.
Pfft!
At this moment, a muffled pop sounded, and the crowd in the distance cheered excitedly; Daddario had just popped open a champagne bottle.
Eric's gaze was involuntarily drawn to her. Even from a distance, her exaggerated figure and captivating blue eyes were still clearly visible.
Although she was wearing ordinary casual clothes, the sexual tension she exuded was undeniable.
Looking at Paris Hilton, who was deliberately showing off her cleavage beside him, Eric didn't want to discourage her, but the comparison was indeed not on the same level. Her only advantage was her wealth and good background, but this was ineffective on Eric.
"Starting a second season is definitely not going to happen. I don't want to break that rule for now, but starting another show is possible."
"For example, it could be called The Hilton Family, mainly filming stories between you sisters and your girlfriends. As long as there are arguments and catfights in the process, there will be ratings."
Paris Hilton nodded happily: "That's fine, as long as you decide it, it will definitely succeed. I completely trust you now."
"Alright then, I'll discuss the content with the screenwriters, and then I'll contact you. It's settled."
"Mhm, it's settled."
Looking at Eric's retreating figure, Nicky Hilton shook her head slightly: "Paris, it seems you still don't have much appeal to him."
"Hmm? Bullshit! Eric definitely saw my beautiful breasts, that's why he agreed to produce a new show for us."
"Tsk tsk. I don't think so. That girl over there, look over there, the one with blue eyes, Eric is clearly going for her. Maybe the show is just an excuse to get rid of you."
"Bullshit! That's impossible! Where am I not better than that little bitch? She's just a fledgling star."
"Yes, but as long as MGM is willing to promote her, a small star will quickly grow into a towering tree, unlike you who can only take on variety shows."
"Aren't you the same?" Paris Hilton glared at her sister.
"Of course not. I never intended to be in entertainment. I'm just messing around with you. Just look at Eric Cooper; making a business big is far more interesting than appearing on a TV show."
"Daniel, I've read the reviews, and your performance is excellent, and audience recognition is also very good."
Eric praised Daniel Wu, patting him on the shoulder. He played an assistant in the conjuring.
"Director James Wan's skill is really impressive; he directed very well. And I'm very grateful for your continuous support, I toast to you, Boss."
Although America doesn't emphasize competitive drinking at the table, toasting is still common as a means of showing respect and friendliness in social settings.
The two clinked glasses and each drank a little less than half.
Daniel Wu felt very grateful to Eric. In Hollywood, there weren't many bosses like him who were willing to give opportunities to Asian people.
Including rampage, he was also given an important role, playing a racer from Hong Kong, with more screen time than in the conjuring.
"Daniel, how old are you this year?"
"30 years old."
"You're 30? You don't look it at all."
"To be precise, 29 years and 10 months."
"Alright, 30 is not too late. Work harder, show your face more often. the walking dead Season 2 will be airing soon, and your opportunity will come."
Daniel Wu nodded somewhat excitedly, wondering what those words meant. Could it be that the boss was going to give him a chance to be the lead?
"You're right. I just acquired the rights to fallout. Do you know fallout?" Eric seemed to read his mind.
"Is that the computer game? The famous one? I've seen it in magazines, but I haven't played it."
"Yes, that's it. fallout has a great theme; it can be adapted into a post-apocalyptic style TV series. When spin-off series are developed, you can try to be the lead."
"Really? Oh my god, this is what I've been dreaming of! Thank you, thank you so much, Boss."
Watching him excitedly babble, Eric chuckled: "Anyway, do well. I'm optimistic about your future. Also, when you have time, learn about fallout, including its background knowledge and game features; you'll need them."
Into the Badlands, the only American drama where Daniel Wu played the lead before crossing over, unfortunately, it was canceled after three seasons due to low ratings.
This drama was adapted from Journey to the West, but aside from the kung fu, other aspects were not particularly outstanding, at least not captivating to American audiences.
But even with the kung fu gimmick, it was already 2015, so it was somewhat outdated.
However, if it were 2005, due to the influence of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, many foreigners were still crazy about Chinese kung fu, and this gimmick would have been much more attractive.
Moreover, transplanting the background to the fallout world, the wasteland setting would make it easier for audiences to accept, and the possibility of success would be much greater.
After encouraging Daniel Wu and chatting with James Wan, Andrea, and others, Eric turned his attention to Daddario.
His presence at the celebration party tonight was somewhat for ulterior motives.
The beauty in front of him had just turned 18 this year, and even with Rachel McAdams beside her, she couldn't completely overshadow the radiance she exuded.
As he observed her, he noticed that the Husky Girl was also looking at him, her blue eyes adding particular charm.
As if by telepathy, the two exchanged smiles.
Immediately, Daddario quickly left the scene. Seeing this, Eric understood her meaning and naturally followed without hesitation.