In the conference room of the Relativity Building, Garcia and Jerry Katzenberg each signed a new contract with DreamWorks Animation Studios on behalf of Embassy Pictures, then stood up and shook hands.

There was no applause, no tension, no tension, everything was very peaceful and natural.

The contract was executed in full accordance with the terms agreed between Ronan and Spielberg.

Subsequently, Ronan signed an equity transfer agreement with Jared Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg on behalf of Relativity Entertainment Group.

Relativity Entertainment acquired all of the shares of Jerry Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg, as well as Walt Disney, held by DreamWorks, at the market price on the date of negotiation.

Most of Hollywood's companies tend to hold shares in each other, especially the Big Six.

However, DreamWorks has been around for a relatively short period of time and has a very low stake in Disney, all of which add up to less than one percent of the shares.

The relationship between DreamWorks and Relativity Entertainment has also entered a new era.

Spielberg shook Ronan's hand: "Ronan, thank you for your support of DreamWorks. ”

Ronan smiled and said, "We're a win-win. ”

Spielberg also smiled and said, "DreamWorks will always be the strongest ally of Relativity Entertainment. ”

Ronan said nonsense that he didn't even believe: "I've always believed that. ”

Today, Relativity Entertainment and DreamWorks have common interests on a larger level, but who can say what will happen in the future.

Steven Spielberg is not a pure director, and Ronan is not a pure producer.

In addition to their respective famous professions, the two also have a common identity - businessmen!

Spielberg asked: "In terms of the director's contract, I will go to Shahai Entertainment to sign it when I have time another day." ”

Ronan nodded slightly: "Steven, I look forward to the day when we work together." ”

"I'm looking forward to it. Spielberg's words about the scene were equally good: "Ronan, with you in charge of the subject matter and script for me, my confidence can come back." ”

In the past two years, Spielberg has actually been going downhill, and the media and the audience seem to be tired of Spielberg's filming and production style of drawing a frame and filling in the content.

But Ronan is well aware that Spielberg's ability is still sufficient: "We are a strong combination. ”

Spielberg asked curiously, "Can you know what the subject is?"

How could Ronan say the specific content of the project when Spielberg hadn't even signed the director's contract, and said vaguely: "I haven't thought about it yet, our cooperation is the future plan of Relativity Entertainment, and after determining the specific theme and content, I will definitely send it to you as soon as possible." ”

Spielberg saw that Ronan was not leaking, and he couldn't find out anything at all, and said politely: "I'm looking forward to it very much." ”

Jared Katzenberg, who had been chatting with Garcia, walked over and said, "Steven, Ronan has always had a unique vision in his choice of movie themes. ”

Ronan laughed: "Speaking of vision, Javifer, you're really visionary in Shrek." ”

Jared Katzenberg pushed down his glasses: "The contract has been signed, and the distribution cooperation between DreamWorks Animation Studios and Embassy Pictures will end next year. ”

Spielberg said: "This is an agreement that benefits all three parties. ”

Ronan said, "Jerryvor, we're friends, and Relativity Entertainment and I can't stop DreamWorks Animation Studios from coming home. ”

This was said beautifully, and even Spielberg was a little moved, and he also had a new understanding of Ronan's thickness.

If you really want to send DreamWorks Animation Studio home, why do you want to ask him to sign a director's contract?

As for Walt Disney's shares, Spielberg didn't pay attention to them, Walt Disney has been in civil turmoil recently, and the stock price has not been very good, if it wasn't for the fact that no one could take over, he and DreamWorks would have sold that stake a long time ago.

Jerev Katzenberg said, "Ronan, thank you for your help to DreamWorks Animation Studios. ”

In any case, Embassy Pictures has played a great role in the development of DreamWorks Animation Studios, and those animated feature films can sell well, although they are excellent and meet the needs of the market, but no one can ignore the efforts made by Embassy Pictures in publicity and distribution.

"You're welcome. Ronan smiled and said, "We are friends. ”

"Yes, we are friends. Jareven Katzenberg added in his heart: I hope we can be friends in the future.

Spielberg didn't interject, but he knew very well that the relationship between Ronan Anderson and Jereif Katzenberg was long gone.

There's a famous iron triangle in Hollywood: Ronan Anderson, Will Smith and Tom Cruise!

Jerry Katzenberg, who first mixed with the three of them, later moved away from the small group, which is actually very revealing.

Jared Katzenberg glanced at the time, exchanged a look with Spielberg, and said, "Ronan, it's not too early, it's time for us to take our leave, and we have to rush back to Glendale." ”

Ronan smiled and shook hands with the two of them one by one: "I won't keep you." ”

The two sides shook hands and said goodbye, and Ronan sent Jared Katzenberg and Spielberg all the way to the elevator hall.

The two got on the elevator satisfied.

Garcia said at this time: "Isn't it a pity to give up DreamWorks Animation Studios like this. ”

Ronan walked towards the office, waited for Garcia to catch up, and said: "DreamWorks Animation Studios has invested extremely high in the three projects after "Shrek", and it will inevitably require Embassy Pictures to invest in publicity and distribution to match the funds, but DreamWorks Animation is not the style of pursuing the ultimate picture after this kind of big investment......"

"Risky?" Garcia understood what Ronan meant.

"The main thing is that we don't have to take that risk. Ronan said slowly: "Shahai Entertainment Animation Studio has been launching animated feature films for the past two years, and our resources and strength also need to be tilted towards our own production company, and after the end of this year, the pattern of Hollywood animation production may have new changes." ”

Garcia had a vague guess, but didn't say it.

Ronan smiled: "The distribution rights of films such as the "Shrek" series and "Madagascar" are still in our hands, and they will continue until 2008, you have to find some way to mobilize the market as much as possible, and try to squeeze value in the past few years, without thinking about the negative impact of future sequels." ”

"Embassy Pictures is working on plans," Garcia said. ”

Except for next year's "Shrek 3", the sequels of the rest of the cartoons are no longer distributed by Embassy Pictures, so naturally there is no need to think about long-term plans and long-term operations in the future.

The income that popular animated movies can bring is much stronger than that of live-action movies.

In the first half of this year, even if no movies were released, DreamWorks Animation Studios generated $247.1 million in revenue on "Shrek" and "Shark Gang."

Embassy Pictures is the distributor and knows a lot about the data.

All of this revenue comes from offline operations and related commercial copyright licensing.

Because of this, Spielberg and Jared Katzenberg have also repeatedly expressed to Ronan that they want DreamWorks Animation Studios to come home.

Compared with the former DreamWorks Animation Studio, Jared Katzenberg has an advantage in terms of distribution channels and company platforms.

Once DreamWorks Animation Studios had been working on its own — a content producer that derives most of its revenue from the box office itself, unlike Pixar, which was bought by Disney at the time, had a steady distribution and distribution channel for spin-offs.

So, Jared Katzenberg has been looking for external collaborations, and DreamWorks Animation Studios has high-quality content resources and also needs a bigger company to ensure future development.

At that time, Jereif Katzenberg, this road has not been smooth.

DreamWorks Animation Studios has changed distributors several times, and Jared Katzenberg even wanted to sell the studio at one point, similar to the rumors that Hasbro is going to buy DreamWorks Animation, and Hasbro is not buying DreamWorks Animation.

First Hasbro, and then SoftBank in the island nation, but these acquisitions all failed.

Selling DreamWorks Animation Studios, former Jared Katzenberg talked to various companies for nearly a decade before finally joining Universal Pictures.

The reason?

Ronan didn't know about it in the past, but Ronan has been in a relationship with Jared Katzenberg for many years now, and through Katzenberg, he can guess a little.

Katzenberg is not a good talker, and has a very strong desire to control DreamWorks Animation Studios, even if he sells a controlling stake to another company, he still controls DreamWorks Animation, and he is still the boss of the studio.

It is estimated that there will be a large conflict with the acquirer in this regard.

In addition, after an outsider's field trip, they will find that Hollywood is extremely unfriendly to newcomers.

One thing is recognized, Hollywood has investment value, but there aren't many opportunities for new entrants.

Relativity Entertainment can be bigger, there is one thing that cannot be ignored, Ronan and the early Shahai Entertainment, no matter how you measure it, are Hollywood's "own people".

Hollywood is a system of large corporations, and distribution companies are at the top of the food chain, and even if latecomers join, they will be firmly stuck in the distribution channel.

Relativity Entertainment lets go, DreamWorks Animation Studios goes home, and Ronan thinks about Jared Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg, the former DreamWorks Big Three, after many contradictions and a series of power struggles, with the exit of David Geffen, it has become a pattern of the Big Two.

What Spielberg wanted was a dream factory with a complete industrial chain, strong strength, and controlled by him.

But DreamWorks is complex internally, and the shareholding structure dictates this.

Katzenberg was once forced away by Disney's controls, and it was difficult to be controlled by others.

I wonder if two monks can carry water to drink?