Chapter 1047： Aftermath

Although the transaction contract was signed, it will take a month or two to complete the various cumbersome assets and business delivery between Firefly Investment and Sony Group.

However, through Bill Michalnik, Eric quickly completed control of the Columbia Film Company. A week later, Colombia basically resumed normal operations.

In the hands of 曰 I have been tossing for so many years, Eric does not expect Colombia to have too obvious changes in the short term, as long as the size of a major film company should be restored in the next one or two years. In all fairness, in Hollywood, as long as you don't toss and make movies seriously, it is not too easy for a big movie company like Colombia to lose money.

Sony has not been able to clarify the rules of operation of Hollywood in the past few years. It has made a series of stupid decisions before and after, coupled with the instinct of local strength, which has made the situation of Sony Pictures worse and worse.

In fact, if you can give Sony Pictures a few years, even if there is no such big sale as "Spider-Man", the other party can gradually adapt.

Now, Sony naturally will never have this opportunity again.

Completed the acquisition of Sony Pictures, the Firefly system included more than half of Hollywood's major movie companies. Although the remaining three major film companies did not seem to have any indication on the surface, the performance of this incident in private was not calm.

The first week of October is also the 11th week of the "Midnight Ring".

This horror film that everyone has unexpectedly created a phenomenon-level movie trend, this week, the box office once again harvested 6.74 million US dollars, and still maintained a very weak 16.9% single-week decline.

What makes everyone even more amazed is that while continuing their miraculous box office trend, "Midnight Rings" this week, the total box office in North America also reached 251 million US dollars, successfully broke through the $250 million mark, becoming the final box office in 1998. The third place in the film.

"Midnight Ring", "Jianjiao 3" has become the only film in the North American box office that broke through the $300 million mark so far this year. The total box office in North America reached $322 million.

The next "After the Day", the North American box office is 256 million at this time. However, compared with the "Midnight Ring" still maintains a very impressive single-week box office, whether it is "Charlie's Angel 3" or "After the Day", the single-week box office has entered the final stage of only a few hundred thousand dollars. The total box office data in North America will basically not change much.

It's not hard to imagine that maybe only the next week, the North American total box office of "Midnight Ring" may surpass "The Day After Tomorrow." Before the release of "Star Wars Prequel" and "Mission Impossible 3" at the end of the year, this horror film will remain in the second place in the box office rankings for a long time.

With the production cost of "Midnight Ring" only 30 million US dollars, the return on investment of this horror film is even more astounding.

On a good weekend, on a yacht off the coast of Los Angeles, Michael Eisner, Edgar Bronfman, Lei Shidong and Gerald Levin rarely gathered together and carelessly surrounded. There was a bridge at the round table on the deck. I don’t know how long it took, Gerald Levin suddenly said: “I heard that the fireflies will hold a second celebration party for “Midnight Rings” this evening.”

Lei Shidong calculated the cards in his hands and arbitrarily received one sentence: "Oh, it should be, if Paramount can produce such a movie, let me hold ten celebrations."

Gerald Levinton said, "I just want to say that I can't continue this way."

Edgar Bronfman puts the cards in his hands and looks at the people seriously. He suggests: "Perhaps, we can also form alliances, like the four."

Lei Shidong squinted at Edgar Bronfman: "Of advantage, what advantages can we bring to our alliance?"

Gerald Levin shook his head and laughed at himself: "We don't have Eric Williams here."

Edgar Bronfman nodded, not knowing whether it was intentional or unintentional, muttering to himself: "If there is no Eric Williams over there."

Several people at the table suddenly quieted down.

After a moment of silence, the longest grade of Lei Shi squinted at Edgar Bronfman and warned: "Ed, seeing that I have some friendship with your father, tell you, this It’s a well-regulated world, and you should never give birth to this idea in the future. If you don’t have Eric Williams, you can naturally have no you, or you can, without everyone, you can just disappear, the world. It’s messy.”

Edgar Bronfman is certainly not a gimmick. When he said something, he regretted it. He said solemnly: "Thank you, Summer, I remember."

Lei Shidong nodded with satisfaction and looked at Michael Eisner, who had just had no openings. He said, "Michael, you also say a few words."

Michael Eisner said: "It is already the limit of firefly expansion to win Sony Pictures. We can't eat any of them, no matter which one, the federal government can't be there anymore. Allow Eric to do this. The key is how we should gain more market share in the next competition."

Lei Shidong realized that Michael Eisner had his own ideas and asked: "Speak carefully."

Michael Eisner smiled and said: "In fact, this is not difficult. Because the template of the firefly system is there. Since Eric Williams has proved his vision in ten years, then the fireflies do What, we can follow up quickly. Like the Japanese horror film "Midnight Bell", I have already found several scripts during this time."

Gerald Levin said: "It’s just been behind the fireflies. In fact, everyone has been doing this for years."

"So, we should keep up. As long as the fireflies start to start certain projects, we don't have to wait for the results, we must follow up as much as possible so that we can not be opened." Michael Eisner continued: "Another We must also increase our investment in special effects films, although the three alliances will not give us any advantage. However, if we can combine them to create a special effects company similar to the digital field, then we can make up for it. The shortcomings in special effects technology. In recent years, this aspect has always been our shortcoming, which has limited the scale of our special effects film. You should be able to find out that only the Firefly Group has not released a special effects movie project. Projects, such as the big production of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Iron Man", "Spider-Man", "Decapitated Valley", as well as the medium-production "Teddy Bear", "The Legend of the Night", "Resident Evil" "Wait, add up more than all of our three special effects movies."

After listening to Michael Eisner, Lei Shidong agreed to nod and said: "Perhaps, we can strengthen the support of industrial light magic."

Michael Eisner immediately shook his head: "Industrial light can't help, it has been pulled too far down by the digital field, and Lucas has no ambitions in the movie, the recent "Star Wars", Many CG effects are entrusted to the digital field. Looking at the digital field, it already has three branches in North America, California, and New Zealand. I heard that they may also establish branches in Canada in the next year or two. So, We'd better start immediately and integrate the resources of our special effects companies in our hands."

Stimulated by the digital realm, although the scale is not large, but several major Hollywood film companies have also set up their own special effects film department.

Several people briefly negotiated and finalized their ideas. Gerald Levin again said: "That, the '4200' plan of the fireflies, what do you think, do we need to follow up?"

Quiet again for a moment, or Lei Shidong first said: "The investment is too big, the risk is too high."

Michael Eisner said: "The last time I went to Firefly Studios to see the effect of the RealD system, it was very shocking. Just, don't talk about the previous investment. If you want to implement it, it will only increase the cost of copying each movie in the future. The IMAX format has a higher copy cost, which is about ten times that of a normal film copy. According to the flowering scale of 2000 screens, a film that originally cost only $4 million in copying costs is distributed in 3D and 3D-IMAX formats. With 2,000 3D screens and 100 3D-IMAX screens, the cost of copying will increase to $12 million."

A few others took a sigh of relief. In the film era, the most important factor limiting the size of the film production of independent filmmakers was the cost of copying. Even for the Big Seven, the cost of copying a movie is equally an expense that cannot be ignored.

The cost of copying a movie for $12 million is equivalent to directly excluding all low-cost films. Even if it is a big film production, the studio needs to have a more box office prospects, and consider whether it should be issued in this way.

"Perhaps this is why Eric Williams is determined to eat Sony Pictures. After all, the film source that is worthy of the 3D and IMAX formats is a big problem," Edgar Bronfman said, remembering Michael Eisner just suggested, look to him: "So, Michael, do you think we should follow up?"

"If the fireflies allow us to join this program, I think that follow-up is a must. The key is that since Eric has invested so much in the early stage, he is unlikely to allow us to enter the market immediately."

“It’s just 2100 3D and IMAX screens in North America. I think that on average, a new source every month is the most reasonable, at least not less than two months. Even if the Firefly system has four major film companies, It’s impossible to distribute all movies in this way. We certainly have the source of the fireflies in our hands."

"Let's let this thing go," Lei Shidong suddenly said: "Michael, after going back, you can talk to Shirley and Richard on Warner, first to integrate the special effects department in our hands. As for the '4200' plan on the firefly side, if they can succeed next year, the theater will automatically increase the number of 3D screens. If it fails, we don't have to worry about it."

Lei Shidong said this, everyone remembered that the Lei Shidong family started out through the operation of the theater, and no one was more familiar with the cinema business than he was.

The fact is that, as Lei Shidong said, if the firefly's ‘4200’ plan is successful, the theater will definitely increase the number of 3D screens. At that time, there will definitely be extra resources for the other three films. If it fails, the major theaters will definitely avoid the fireflies' 3D projection system, and then there is no need to pay attention to this matter.

The only trouble is the IMAX theater. The Firefly Group has already purchased the IMAX company in Canada and plans to build the theater itself.

However, this does not seem to be a problem. After all, compared to the cinema scale of more than 30,000 screens in North America, 100 IMAX screens will basically not affect the overall situation.

......

At the same time, Firefly Studios.

In the studio of "Gravity", although it is Saturday, in order to solve some small problems in shooting, Eric is still coming over and working with Robert Byron and others to study the solution to the problem.

In October, the filming of this film is finally coming to an end. According to the current progress, it only takes another ten days. After October 20th, the crew can be rushed to Arizona to shoot only a few games. The outside scene, while the crew can also relax.

When I was busy in the morning, Eric received a call from ICM. It wasn't long before ICM's gold medal female agent Michel Simmons came over with Charlize Theron, which was a class visit. Also discuss the things about "The Soul Girl."

Walking into this state-of-the-art studio, which is said to be the most advanced in Hollywood, Michelle Simmons and Charlize Theron looked curiously around and saw Erik waving to himself, and they quickly walked over.

"Hey, Eric, I haven't seen you for a long time," Michelle Simmons embraced Eric with enthusiasm, and Charlitz also stepped forward and hugged Eric.

After greeting, Michelle looked at the huge mechanical arm and complimented: "Eric, maybe the whole of Hollywood, only you can come up with so many wonderful ideas."

Eric sent a staff member to give the two women a coffee, and smiled and nodded: "Thank you, Michelle, and Charlie, come and sit down."

Putting the two women on a large console, Eric himself sat down and opened the door to see the mountain: "So, the script of "The Soul Girl", have you seen it?"

Because Eric had reprimanded Kate last time, Charlize was inexplicably restrained in front of Eric. Michelle had to voluntarily replied: "Well, this is a very good script. Both I and Charlie feel great. It."