Chapter 190: Her Taste Really Had to Be That Bad?
Chapter 190: Her Taste Really Had to Be That Bad?
“How could I possibly be happy? Michael Eisner just pressured me into giving up another movie,” Eric said helplessly.
Although Eric did not explain directly, Jeffrey quickly understood what he meant. “Then… what terms did Disney offer?”
“We haven’t discussed them yet,” Eric shook his head. “I only made a verbal promise to Michael Eisner.”
Jeffrey let out a sigh of relief. “That’s fine then. It’s only one movie anyway. You churn out films like a hen laying eggs.” After joking for a moment, he continued, “But I happened to hear something a couple days ago. Disney plans to terminate its overseas distribution partnership with Warner and transfer all operations to its own Buena Vista International.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Eric ignored Jeffrey’s teasing and asked directly.
“Of course it has something to do with you. After cutting ties with Warner, Disney’s overseas distribution is definitely going to fall into chaos for a while. Buena Vista International will probably need at least half a year to fully integrate those operations. If the film you promised Disney gets scheduled for the first half of next year, there’s a good chance Buena Vista will use it as cannon fodder to open overseas markets. It would be much better if it’s released in the second half of the year.”
Eric frowned in confusion. “Disney wouldn’t really use my movie as cannon fodder, would they? Don’t they want to make money?”
Jeffrey stuffed his handkerchief into his pocket and motioned for a nearby waiter to bring him a glass of red wine before continuing, “A giant like Disney doesn’t care all that much about the box office profits from one or two films. What they value more is expanding distribution channels. And the influence your previous movies accumulated worldwide is the perfect tool for opening those channels. Disney can use your film’s reputation while giving up part of the profits to overseas distributors, and that’ll make negotiations much smoother. By the time one movie finishes its distribution run, Disney could very well establish entirely new distribution channels in several countries. Compared to those long-term profit-generating channels, sacrificing some profit from a single movie is nothing.”
Eric nodded in understanding. If Disney used his film as a path-clearing tool, then due to incomplete distribution channels and related problems, a massive portion of the overseas box office would inevitably be lost during the process. In that case, Disney would expand its channels, but neither he nor Firefly would gain much benefit from it. Although overseas revenue-sharing percentages were not high, based on the overseas performance of his previous films, that still amounted to profits in the tens of millions of dollars. He had no intention of sacrificing himself to benefit Disney unless Disney compensated him in advance for the losses.
Having figured this out, Eric made up his mind internally before asking again, “Jeffrey, earlier you said there was nothing left to discuss with Robert Shaye. What exactly did you mean?”
“It means exactly that. Robert Shaye is absolutely refusing to budge from 15% stock plus sixty million dollars in cash. Not one step. That’s why I hurried over to find you. This decision needs the chairman himself to make it.”
Eric considered it for a moment before asking, “Are you sure that’s really his final bottom line?”
Jeffrey nodded. “I’m sure. Robert Shaye made it very clear himself. That’s his absolute limit, and he won’t retreat another inch. Also…” Jeffrey suddenly revealed a strange smile. “Robert Shaye specifically told me that unless you agree to that price, he won’t accept any more meeting invitations from you.”
“Uh… what’s that supposed to mean?” Eric looked completely baffled.
Jeffrey did not leave him confused for long and burst into laughter as he explained, “That first dinner meeting you had with him must’ve left too deep an impression. He’s afraid that if he faces you again, he’ll end up backing down once more. Mm, I’m pretty sure that’s what happened. Although I wasn’t present at that meeting, from what I heard, by the end of it, your instigation got Robert Shaye so fired up that he directly made a huge concession, right?”
“How is that instigation? Everything I said was the truth, okay?” Eric retorted with a laugh.
“Anyway, that’s how things stand. Honestly, I think the price is pretty reasonable. New Line has been an established company for twenty years after all. I need to devote more of my attention to preparing Sleepless in Seattle, so I’ll leave the New Line acquisition to you. I’ve already organized all the relevant documents. My secretary will send them to your office tomorrow.”
“Alright, I understand,” Eric nodded before looking somewhat worriedly at Jeffrey. “Jeffrey, you know that if the acquisition succeeds, you might…”
Jeffrey patted Eric on the shoulder and gave him a calm look. “I already figured that out days ago. I’ll hand the CEO position over to Robert Shaye. I’ll just serve as a president in charge of production. Even vice president would be fine.”
“Thank you, Jeffrey,” Eric looked gratefully at the stout old man who had supported him wholeheartedly ever since Home Alone.
“Do we really need to say things like that between us?” Jeffrey raised his wineglass and clinked it with Eric’s before suddenly remembering something else. “By the way, can Jonathan Demme handle Venice alone? Should I go too? Actually, if possible, it would be even better to send Kapoor. He has more connections in Europe. Unfortunately, he’s an agent and has no intention of changing careers.”
“Before you came, Michael Eisner already talked to me about it. He’s going to use some of Disney’s resources to help operate things there and try to secure an award at the Venice Film Festival. One of the nine jury members this year just happens to be the Hollywood director John Landis.”
Jeffrey frowned thoughtfully. “John Landis? The director of last year’s hit Coming to America?”
“Yeah. But John Landis is actually more skilled with horror films. So you understand—The Others already has the advantage of being a horror film plus the Hollywood label. That’ll definitely earn extra points in his mind. Disney will also send people to make contact with him.”
“Then when are you heading to Venice?”
“Probably around the opening ceremony. The awards ceremony won’t happen until mid-September. I definitely can’t stay there that long, and I don’t plan to attend the awards ceremony either. I suddenly realized my schedule for the rest of this year is ridiculously packed. September, October, maybe the first half of November at most—I have to finish both Sleepless in Seattle and Home Alone 2. On top of that, I still have to deal with the New Line matter, and I definitely need to monitor the post-production of Al’s Scent of a Woman. Looking at it like this, I don’t even have a single free day left,” Eric rapidly calculated while complaining.
“Well, whose fault is it for taking on so many things at once?” Jeffrey laughed. “Most directors are lucky if they can direct two films a year. You lined up four projects at once and are producing two more.”
“Next year you definitely won’t be this busy, right?”
“Even if you beat me to death, I won’t do this again. Next year I’m going to take a proper break. I’ve lived this long and never really enjoyed life properly.”
“Yeah, all nineteen years of it,” Jeffrey’s teasing voice carried a trace of envy. He glanced around before patting Eric on the shoulder again. “If you’re tired, head home early. I spotted a few acquaintances. I’m going over to say hello.”
“Mm,” Eric responded without making any move to stand up. Jeffrey did not mind and walked away carrying his glass of wine.
Eric slowly sipped the remaining red wine in his glass, planning to leave and go home once he finished it. But soon, a tall woman in a silver fishtail strapless evening gown appeared before him.
“Eric, I’ve wanted to come say hello for a while, but there were always people around you,” Brooke Shields said openly as she sat down beside him.
“You look beautiful tonight, Brooke,” Eric said with a smile, raising his wineglass toward her.
“Thank you. Though some people never seem to appreciate it,” the woman replied with a resentful expression, clearly still bothered by Eric rejecting her several times previously.
Eric chuckled softly and did not respond. Brooke Shields had always been extremely skilled at using expressions like that to tease men. But perhaps before Running Out of Time, she still wanted to attach herself to him. Now, however, with the stunning femme fatale role she played in Running Out of Time, she no longer needed to trade her body for roles.
As he leisurely admired the woman’s beauty, Eric honestly wanted her to stand up and turn around in front of him so he could appreciate the view better.
“I heard you recently accepted a big-budget Warner production. What was it called again? Don’t tell me it’s the sequel to Batman?” Eric asked. The sequel to Batman was definitely going to bomb, but in this era, simply participating in a blockbuster with a hundred-million-dollar budget was enough to significantly increase one’s fame.
Brooke Shields shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. “No. Things fell apart with Warner. I chose to work with Disney instead, which is why I can appear here tonight.”
“Oh? Then that’s… not exactly unfortunate. What Disney movie? Can you tell me?”
Brooke Shields nodded. “I can’t say too much, but the temporary title is The Rocketeer. It’ll probably be renamed later anyway, so I can tell you.”
“The Rocketeer…” Eric nearly spat out his mouthful of wine.
In his memory, that movie was supposed to release in 1991, meaning filming should not even begin until next year at the earliest. Eric knew that because of his appearance, many Hollywood films had not disappeared, but their production and release schedules had already become a complete mess.
However, none of that was the important part.
The important part was that Eric happened to remember this movie very clearly.
This was the catastrophic box office flop that caused Jennifer Connelly to disappear from Hollywood for five years in his previous life.
Eric sized Brooke Shields up and down again. The woman still maintained the softer image from Running Out of Time, clearly having realized that this style suited her Hollywood career development far better than her previous aggressively glamorous appearance.
Still, Eric clicked his tongue internally.
Just how terrible did this woman’s judgment have to be to step straight into such an enormous pit?