Chapter 135

Beverly Hills.

In a meeting room of MGM headquarters, Tony tomopoulos, chairman of United States, leans on the sofa, holding the coffee just delivered by his secretary, and says to Michael owitz sitting on the other side, "have you heard? The guy was at a party hosted by Warner Bros. last night to see if Semel could sell himself a DC. Pascal seems to be still talking about the copyright of a TV play with Colombia for him. Colombia offered him $10 million, but it didn't scare him away. Tut tut. Now young people, just making some money, are going to buy the world. "

Michael owitz listened to the obviously unbalanced tone of tomopoulos, who was over sixty years old. Although he didn't feel that Simon westero began to forget himself because of his sudden wealth, he still agreed with the purpose of today's meeting with a smile and said, "that's what Hollywood needs. Otherwise, how can we make so many movies every year We can get all the investment. "

Tony tomopoulos heard the words, flashed a shrewd look in his eyes, and said: "Michael, I know you've always wanted to promote the Rain Man project. However, that boy is greedy in the cooperation with fox. A screenwriter even asks for 10% of the box office share, which has never happened in Hollywood history. As for this cooperation, even if rain man continues to drag on, it should be in the interest of the United States, and I will certainly not give in. "

Michael owitz nodded: "I understand, Tony. As a matter of fact, I always highly value the idea of sharing profits. If we make money together, business can last for a long time. "

As they were chatting, tomopoulos' secretary came in with Amy Pascal.

After greeting, the three sat down on the sofa. Michael owitz asked Amy with a smile, "how was the conversation with Robin?"

Before Amy Pascal came to MGM headquarters, she had just met with Hollywood actor Robin Williams because of the death poetry club. Although she is a CAA customer, she is only a second tier Robin Williams, not owitz himself.

However, Amy was not surprised by owitz's sudden problem. Like spiders, this CAA boss who likes to control everything always makes people feel that he knows everything about Hollywood.

"Robin is very interested in the play of the dead poets club. We are going to sign the contract tomorrow."

Michael owitz was surprised: "in such a hurry?"

"Simon hopes it will be finalized years ago, and he can start the preparations when he comes back," said Amy

Tony tomopoulos couldn't understand what Amy and owitz were talking about. He said, "isn't westrow in Los Angeles?"

Amy turned to tomopoulos and said, "Simon's gone to New York. Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve. His girlfriend is over there."

While the Secretary served Amy coffee, Tony tomopoulos waited for a moment and said, "in that case, Amy, let's talk about your development plan for the Hobbit first? This is a very classic novel. Lianmei will not hand it over to others rashly. "

"Tony, Denise pictures didn't immediately start the Hobbit project. We want to get the copyright first, and spend two to three years to design and improve the special effects technology needed for this fantasy epic, and then start production."

"Three years is too long, and it sounds like an excuse to get the copyright," Thomopoulos said, shaking his head

Amy retorted: "Tony, if I say Denise pictures will be in production immediately, that's the real excuse. "Hobbit" is such a fantasy novel involving the elements of dragons, elves and dwarves. If it is not prepared carefully enough, it will only fail in the end

Tomopoulos said, "well, Amy, what's your offer?"

"Tony, I've made an offer to United States for $1 million. Now, as a supplement, Denise pictures can invest $10 million in rain man. "

Although he's just made a fuss about the Hobbit, Tony tomopoulos doesn't care much about the copyright of the novel.

It has been nearly 20 years since the United States obtained the copyright of the Lord of the rings and the Hobbit in 1969. Although the novels were very popular at that time, the Sino Turkish series did not show any remarkable commercial potential in film and television. Otherwise, the United States would not transfer the copyright of the Lord of the rings to Saul zaenz in 1976.

At this time, listening to Amy's readily agreed to invest $10 million in rain man, and then thinking about the wealth of some little guy, tomopoulos quickly shook his head and said, "no, it's not enough, Amy. If you want to get hobbit, you need to invest at least $15 million."

Amy smelled the words and turned to owitz doubtfully: "Michael, you didn't tell me that on the phone."

Michael owitz was also surprised by tomopoulos's temporary change of his mind. He couldn't help frowning and said, "Tony, you can't do this. It will only make the rain man run aground again."

Tony tomopoulos just looked at Amy and said, "since westloken has offered $10 million for a TV series of Columbia Pictures that is no longer valuable, and the films starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, he should not mind an additional $5 million, let alone the copyright of the hobbit."Amy, slightly annoyed, retorted, "Tony, we didn't offer $10 million for a TV show."

Tony Thomopoulos thought for a moment, sat up straight and said, "Amy, I think it's better for vestero to come and talk to me in person."

Amy shook her head and said, "I just explained that. Tony, Simon is in New York."

"It's not 200 years ago, so just make a phone call," Tony tomopoulos said with a smile

Amy picked up the satchel she had just placed beside her and said, "if you insist, Tony, I'll go back and discuss with Simon."

"No, I mean now," Tony tomopoulos insisted, not wanting to give Simon and Amy too much time to prepare, "we can have a temporary conference call."

Amy looked at her watch and said, "it's five o'clock in the afternoon in New York. It's Simon's private time."

"Amy, I hope it can be solved today, so call him. Or, you can tell him tomorrow, during his working hours in westero, that's all

Amy looks at Tony tomopoulos, and after a moment of stalemate, she sits down again and dials a series of numbers through the landline on the coffee table.

In the hands-free mode, Simon's voice soon rings in the speaker: "hello?"

"Simon, it's me," Amy looked up at tomopoulos and said, "I'm at MGM headquarters. Mr. tomopoulos wants to talk to you in person."

"Tomopoulos?"

"Chairman of United States."

"Oh."

Tony tomopoulos listened to the casual voice in the loudspeaker. He felt a little uncomfortable, but he took over the conversation and said, "Simon, I'm Tony tomopoulos."

"Hello, Tony."

Tony tomopoulos didn't say much. He said, "Simon, let's be direct. The Hobbit is a very precious copyright asset of United States. If you want to get the copyright of the novel, Denise pictures needs to take on at least $15 million of investment in rain man. "

After a brief pause for a few seconds, Simon's voice rang out again: "Tony, is the budget of Rain Man 25 million dollars? If Denise pictures invested $15 million, whose movie would it be? "

Tony tomopoulos said: "Simon, United States has developed the whole project, and the copyright naturally belongs to us. However, Denise pictures will definitely be able to get its due share of revenue in the future. "

"I'm sorry, Tony. I'm not used to giving enough and not getting the initiative. If the United States wants $15 million, the project has to go to Denise pictures, just like instinct. "

Tony tomopoulos declined: "Simon, it's impossible unless Denise pictures takes on the full investment."

"Tony, I'm not interested in this project. I just want hobbit. Ten million dollars is enough for the United States. It's not a big problem for you to raise another 15 million dollars. "

"15 million dollars, Simon, since you want hobbit, it has to be 15 million dollars."

Another moment of silence on the other side of the phone, Simon said: "that's 25 million dollars. Denise pictures is responsible for the production, and United States is responsible for the distribution. At the same time, you have to guarantee the schedule, marketing strength and the number of minimum screens."

Tony tomopoulos thought he was going to quarrel with Simon on the phone for several minutes, but he didn't expect this result.

Lianmei has bought the copyright of the screenplay "Rain Man" before. Tony tomopoulos's production and publicity strategy is to seek external investment as much as possible, but it can't do so. It will raise some funds through copyright pre-sale and loans. Finally, Lianmei will produce the screenplay and MGM will be responsible for the development.

With Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise as the first-line stars, although they are generally not optimistic, compared with most of the Hollywood projects, the business prospect of rain man is still guaranteed.

In the current situation of United States, high-quality film projects can not fall on their own side.

According to this operation strategy, our company can earn a stable issue fee in the future. If the film is successful, as the producer, United States can reap some more profits. The project failed, and the company did not lose much.

Now.

A wealthy little guy suddenly put forward a plan that he had never expected before.

25 million dollars.

It's so easy to take it out. You know, Warner, universal, paramount and other companies all rejected the project before. Even Spielberg couldn't get enough money for the film, so he quit under the pretext of shooting "Raiders 3".

Who would have thought that things would turn so suddenly.

A series of emotions flashed through his mind, and Tony tomopoulos couldn't help asking, "Simon, 25 million dollars, danelis pictures takes all the responsibility. Are you sure you're not kidding?""Tony, do you think I'm joking?" Simon said with a little impatience, "OK, that's it. Amy, let's talk about this. I'm going out to dinner with Jennie. I'll have a chat when I'm free. Goodbye

With that, the phone was cut off.

After a slight click, the reception room quieted down.

Amy noticed that Tony tomopoulos was a little silent and soon began to flicker. She quickly got up and said, "Tony, we'd better talk about this later. Simon's decision is too hasty. I need to talk to him."

When things change, there will be demons.

Tony tomopoulos has been in Hollywood for so many years, and he's a veteran.

Although Simon felt very unbalanced with his wealth of more than one billion dollars at a young age, he absolutely agreed with the young man's talent in film. In addition, tomopoulos also has a general understanding of Simon's previous brilliant cooperation plans with Orion, Fox and Disney, which are bold, smart or adventurous.

So Tony tomopoulos doesn't think Simon westero is going to be a guy who's going to spend $25 million on a bad play for the copyright of a novel.

The current situation.

Or, Simon westero is actually very optimistic about the script, so he just pretended to take the whole project. Or, the huge amount of money makes a brilliant young man become a dandy with brain short circuit.

Hearing Amy's voice, tomopoulos added another reason. Or, Simon westero's previous series of business operations were all planned by this woman, whose nature was just like that on the phone.

I wanted to see if Amy was playing hard to get. When she got up, Tony tomopoulos quickly stood up, reached out to the woman again and said, "well, that's all for today, Amy. I need to think about it again. We'll, uh, make another appointment next week. "

Amy shook hands with tomopoulos, nodded to owitz, and turned to the reception room.

There was no way to go on talking about it. Michael owitz, who had just been quietly watching, immediately stood up and said goodbye to tomopoulos.

After leaving the MGM office building, he noticed that Amy's car was just driving out of the parking lot. Owitz walked over and knocked on her window. When the glass slid down, he asked with a smile, "Amy, can you explain to me, what's going on?"

Amy showed a helpless expression on her face and said, "Michael, as you can see, Simon recently..." With that, Amy shook her head and sighed, "I don't know how to persuade him now."

But Michael owitz kept smiling and said, "Amy, if I remember correctly, when you called on Monday, you complained that the $10 million investment was too much, but today you didn't mean to reduce your share at all."

Amy didn't show any flaw in her expression and said, "it's Simon's decision."

After a few words of conversation, owitz watched Amy drive away, but the smile didn't change. He realized that, in any case, the Rain Man project must have a place.

Maybe.

According to the vision and ability of a young man, this film will bring you some surprises in the future.

After all, Michael owitz doesn't believe that young people who feel like their own kind when they meet for the first time will be so easily lost by huge amounts of money and become reckless.

With that in mind, Michael owitz suddenly remembered a detail Amy Pascal had mentioned at the beginning of the meeting.

There was a little more smile on his face.

Boy, since you are in a hurry to sign Robin Williams, I can't let you succeed.

Let's see if it's a surprise.

Yeah.

Robin Williams.

Michael owitz recalled that the brain with the best memory soon provided him with a series of information.

Robin Williams, who has entered the film circle with the real-life version of Popeye, has no outstanding works in recent years, and can only be regarded as a second-line comedian. There seems to be a new film released recently, "Good Morning Vietnam", which is a popular reflection type of Vietnam War and a satirical comedy style. It's a bit like Robert Altman's "army field hospital" which was nominated for best picture in those years.

The internal audition has a good reputation. It's scheduled on December 25, the day after tomorrow.

However, it seems that Disney intends to make the film go the route of prize charging similar to army field hospital, adopting the long-term strategy of small-scale painting and accumulating public praise, with only a single digit screen in the early stage.

The driver brought the car over.

After Michael owitz got in the car, he picked up the car phone and called his friend and Disney CEO Michael Eisner. The two families are neighbors. Maybe we can arrange a family show in the evening and watch a comedy together.