"Crazy! 'frozen' box office breaks $1 billion, becoming the 6th film in history to surpass $1 billion, and also the fastest to achieve this goal."
"To clarify, the films with over $1 billion at the global box office, in chronological order, are 'Jurassic Park' ($1.1 billion), 'titanic' ($1.84 billion),'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace' ($1.03 billion), 'harry potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' ($1.02 billion), 'the lord of the rings: the return of the king' ($1.15 billion), and the newest member of the $1 billion club, 'frozen' ($1.04 billion)."
"Now, standing in 'frozen's' way are dinosaurs, Middle-earth knights, and that big ship. Jedi knights and Hogwarts wizards have all fallen."
"With 'frozen's' momentum, it will be in wide release for at least two more weeks. Spielberg and Peter Jackson will have to concede defeat, but surpassing James Cameron is definitely out of the question."
"Surpassing the big ship is impossible, but from another perspective, the economic value created by the big ship is actually far less than 'frozen'. The latter's merchandise sales in just over a month have already surpassed the big ship's sales over several years, and with Hasbro joining, it will create even more."
"MGM used 'frozen' to break through Disney's defenses. According to insiders, Mickey Mouse's executives were furious, especially about 'frozen' adopting Disney's song-and-dance model. It is rumored that Disney plans to launch multiple princesses like Snow White, The Little Mermaid, and Mulan to counter Elsa and Anna."
"Eric Cooper is absolutely a business genius. He seems to have anticipated many outcomes early on. Securing Hasbro at this time provided a strong boost to merchandise sales."
The external discussion about 'frozen' remained heated, while Eric, along with Judy, Chen Xing, and others, was at Weta Digital, toiling over special effects with Peter Jackson.
"Very good, you've done a great job. This is the effect I wanted, but there's still a small discrepancy. I hope it can be made even more exquisite," Eric said, pointing to the special effects for 'Inception' on the screen.
Although Weta Digital's work was already excellent, almost rivaling the complex dynamic textures of 'transformers', Eric still wanted the best in terms of detail.
"You're not satisfied?" Peter Jackson looked over.
"I'm quite satisfied with the other plot points, but I hope this particular segment can be better, especially the folding effects of these buildings, which are a key part of the film. I want it to be even more breathtaking."
"You want special effects that people remember for a lifetime after seeing them once?"
"Exactly!" Eric nodded emphatically.
"Sorry, that's impossible."
"Uh..."
Peter Jackson shrugged: "Technology will always develop and improve. Special effects will eventually become obsolete. What you see now is Weta Digital's best effort. We've already used our newly developed technology."
"Alright then, since you've done your best, I can't ask for more."
"Actually, it's not entirely impossible. There's a method we could try." After a moment of silence, Peter Jackson suddenly changed the subject.
"What method?"
"I've watched 'frozen' several times. The scene where Elsa sings alone in the mountains encapsulates the essence of the entire film's special effects, especially the beautifully rendered details. So..."
"So what? Peter, you're not usually so hesitant."
Peter Jackson let out an awkward chuckle: "Alright, I'll say it. Your relationship with DreamWorks isn't bad, right? Could you ask them to share the technology they used for that part of the special effects? If we combine it with Weta Digital's technology, I'm sure we can make it even more perfect."
Eric rolled his eyes. So that's what this guy was after.
"Peter, I'm afraid I can't ask for that. That's a new technology DreamWorks just developed, and they definitely won't release it."
"Where there's a will, there's a way. How will we know if we don't try? And it's not for free; Weta Digital is also willing to share some of its technology. We can definitely complement each other's strengths."
"Is that what you call complementing strengths? I think you're planning to drain DreamWorks dry. They're not a dedicated special effects company; they definitely can't compete with Weta Digital."
"I'd rather the special effects be slightly worse than to face that big glare. If you want it, you can develop it yourselves. DreamWorks managed to pull it off, so don't tell me Weta Digital can't."
The bearded man chuckled: "Being able to do it and how long it takes to do it are two different things. The market demands efficiency. Who wants to spend a lot of effort on R&D when they can just pick up something ready-made? And do you think R&D is simple?"
"I consider myself stronger than Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic in terms of special effects, but technological iteration is also a very costly endeavor."
"Don't you have preferential subsidies from the New Zealand government? You're a national treasure director of New Zealand, a true icon!"
"Why do I feel like you're not being sincere, but rather sarcastic? An icon can't feed you. The country does provide subsidies, but the amount is limited."
"And ever since the conflict started in the Middle East, funding has been cut. Who knows how much will actually be deposited this year? Who would complain about having too much money?"
"By the way, you're a billionaire now, about to break into Forbes' top ten. How about lending some money to Weta Digital? What do you say?"
Eric refused without hesitation, because he knew very well that Peter Jackson's talk of "lending money" was purely about borrowing, not about letting him invest.
As a company with New Zealand government backing, Weta Digital wasn't something you could just walk into, and the bearded man didn't have that authority.
Moreover, the company wasn't solely run by Peter Jackson; besides him, there were two other decision-makers, and such major matters required all three to discuss.
Eric had always wanted to establish MGM's own special effects department and had been working towards it since he took over the company, but progress had been slow.
The special effects field was too specialized, and most of the talent was monopolized by Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital.
Even if MGM procured the most advanced hardware in the world, without software technology to support it, the equipment's potential couldn't be realized, and it was still far behind these two professional companies.
The best way to build one's own special effects department wasn't to start from scratch, but to acquire existing ones.
Just as the bearded man had just said, who wants to spend a lot of effort on R&D when they can just pick up something ready-made?
However, acquisitions were also not easy. Weta Digital was ruled out first; it was sold once, as far as I remember.
The game company Unity acquired its hair and fur rendering special effects system for $1.6 billion. Note that this was only for this specific technology, not the entire company.
Don't even complain about the price; it's a seller's market, and you're lucky they're willing to sell at all.
Relatively speaking, acquiring Industrial Light & Magic was easier. Lucas was genuinely willing to sell if the price was right.
Disney bought Lucas's company, including Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound, and a game company, for $4 billion.
However, Lucas had accepted a cash-plus-stock acquisition model back then, so it was impossible to completely kick him out. After the acquisition, Lucas also became Disney's second-largest individual shareholder.
The largest was Steve Jobs from Apple, as Disney had acquired Pixar Animation from him.
After leaving Weta Digital, this thought lingered in Eric's mind.
"What are you thinking? You look a bit off."
"Hmm?"
"You've been spacing out for several minutes, like a dummy."
"Cough, cough. Be careful how you speak, or I'll fire you."
"Do you dare?"
"You can try!"
He noticed that after the last incident, Judy had become increasingly brazen, gradually disregarding him as her boss in private.
Damn it, she knew he couldn't do anything to her, so she was acting tough with confidence.
"Alright, I'm just thinking about the special effects company. Relying on others isn't a long-term solution. We need to have our own cards."
"Isn't MGM already working on it?"
"But it's too slow."
"Then buy one, acquire an existing one."
"I don't want junk."
"If you want a good one, there are no other options left. The only one before you is Industrial Light & Magic, but Lucas definitely won't be willing to sell. Is he 70 yet?"
"I don't know, but he doesn't look it. Maybe 60."
"Heh heh. 60 is still a long way from retirement, unless you can make him seriously ill too."
Eric pointed to her mouth: "Watch your words, lady."
Unexpectedly, Judy leaned forward and bit his finger, sucking on it playfully.
Watching her lick the corner of her mouth with a seductive gaze, Eric cursed her silently as a little bitch.
"Don't pretend you don't know. Although that press conference seemed sincere, there's a rumor that you poisoned Allen, forcing him to retire."
"Bullshit! I never even met him, how could I poison him?"
"Huh? That's not right. Didn't you say you knew him well? Even flew specifically to visit him, practically inseparable."
"Uh..."
"You let it slip, didn't you? Then why don't you also think of a way to make George Lucas retire quickly? He'll naturally sell Lucasfilm."
Eric snorted: "Judy Newhouse, I find you a bit too lively, full of energy, aren't you?"
"Alright, if work isn't tiring, I'll leave the task of contacting Lucas to you. Try every possible way to persuade him, ideally to acquire the entire package."
"'Star Wars: Episode II' fell far short of expectations, both in terms of box office and critical acclaim. I don't believe Lucas has no thoughts on it. Go sound him out."
Judy's face fell: "Are you serious? You're giving me more work! I'm already juggling two departments; I can't even squeeze in time for dating."
"Heh heh. Isn't it even better if you can't squeeze it in? Don't forget you promised your parents to be a good girl. Maybe they've sent someone to keep an eye on you in secret. Don't let them find out."
"But I'm a young person; I have desires to release."
"Use your hand then. At most, I'll send you a few toys. I'll prepare a set of various materials and models, guaranteed to satisfy you."
"Screw you! I haven't fallen that low yet. You can give me work, but if you're going to squeeze my time, don't blame me for retaliating."
"What? What retaliation?"
"Hmph, the relationship between the Olsen Sisters is definitely not normal. Every time I see them, my radar buzzes. Don't forget I'm also the producer of 'blue is the warmest color'. Their every move can't escape these eyes. No, I should say, none of you three can escape."
"If I don't have time to date, I'll just have to go after your women. That way, I can also throw people off the scent, and my parents won't find out."
"Uh, young people have no martial ethics!"
"Cindy, this is a movie based on a true story. Do you know the Warrens? They were very famous psychics and demonologists in the last century."
"Stop the nonsense, Brenda. How can there be ghosts in this world? And demonologists? That's ridiculous. I heard this movie is based on a novel."
"No, you can't disbelieve it. I watched the TV interviews from back then; it's all true."
"TV stations will say anything for ratings. Don't forget 'the blair witch project'; it proved that everything was marketing, a scam by the film company."
"Alright, we won't argue about it, but 'the conjuring' is James Wan's new work. I trust that director; he has a unique taste."
"'saw' and 'get out' are both very good, but 'dead silence' was really bad. However, I also think he has a lot of flair, and 'the conjuring' will definitely be a comeback."
"Very likely. Haven't you noticed? His collaborations with MGM are always successful, but his collaborations with Lionsgate fail. And this time, Eric Cooper is the producer again, so the film quality is guaranteed."
Inside a Los Angeles movie theater, James Wan's new film, 'the conjuring', had just premiered on the big screen.
Among the excellent directors Eric knew, he was the second fastest, always balancing quality and efficiency.
As for the fastest, that was naturally Clint Eastwood, the old man of the East.
And in the adjacent Theater 2, another new MGM film, 'mean girls', directed by Eric's former assistant director, Andrea, also premiered.
Both films had modest budgets. 'mean girls' cost $15 million.
Since the Olsen Sisters dropped out, the lead roles went to Rachel McAdams and Daddario.
The former had been cast early, and the latter was chosen through auditions. When Andrea submitted the list to Eric's desk,
Seeing those beautiful blue eyes and that alluring face, Eric agreed without a second thought.
As for Lindsay Lohan, who was on the other candidate list, what kind of trash was that? How could she compare to the Husky Girl?
Compared to 'mean girls', 'the conjuring' cost even less, only $13 million to complete. James Wan was truly a Greek god of saving money.
Since both were low-budget, original screenplays, without big stars to support them, Andrea was a new director, and James Wan had just stumbled, The Big Six didn't pay much attention, not even having the desire to target them.
But they would soon regret it. 'the conjuring' would show people how wonderful the most popular horror film series could be.