Chapter 236: Each Has Its Own Scheme
"It's a nice place. Le Wen Novel |
Daniel and Bill meet at a resort hotel in Santa Monica, not far from the Annenberg Estate, but the hustle and bustle of the hotel doesn't bother at all, and the dense greenery keeps the little-known hotel out of the crowds. And in a big city like Los Angeles, that means upscale and expensive.
Daniel hadn't been to Santa Monica before, and it was a great place to spend time and relieve stress, but Daniel never had a chance to do so.
"You should come here often to relax, you're too busy at work." Bill took a sip of Cuba Libre — a cocktail made from rum and cola, and Daniel lacked appreciation for it, so he had a glass of pure wine in front of him.
"However, you are not like an old man like us, we are already in the dark, and we can only enjoy a little more of this beautiful thing in the limited time. You still have a lot of time, and that makes me jealous. ”
"Successful people are concerned about not having more time to enjoy success, but I think you are a little greedy."
"It's like you're not one of the successful people." Bill pouted, "There are so many actors in Hollywood, Europe and Asia, you are already the top among them." ”
Daniel arranged a whole day for recreation here.
So the two of them didn't rush to talk about business, and when the sun was not too hot, they lay outside for a while and chatted casually about industry gossip. Then I had a meal of the hotel's specialty. Smoked salmon with wasabi sauce, hazelnuts and feta cheese, and a glass of vanilla yogurt. After a short break. The two began to talk about the main topic of the trip.
"To be honest, I didn't expect you to be so interested in this script," Bill looked really surprised, "you know, it's a children's story, a female writer from Croatia." Michael. Barnathan found it interesting, so he approached us. ”
Bill mentions Michael. Barnathan. Many people may not have heard of it, but one of the series he produced is definitely the most well-known film series in the world - "Harry. Potter. He Chris. Columbus Bob. The three Dukes have produced the two parts of "Harry Potter" that have been released so far, namely the Philosopher's Stone and the Chamber of Secrets.
Chris, as a director, of course, has both fame and fortune. The same. Michael. Barnathan also has a lot of face in the major studios.
He likes the book, and it is understandable that Fox is willing to invest.
What's more, in addition to him, the other two of the trio are also willing to be the producers of this film.
This gives the movie a strong insurance.
"In fact, in my opinion, the story is interesting, but not new enough. The revival of living things in museums is not a new idea. ”
"Just like you, Bill. I also think that Chris they can be trusted, and for DD, the investment amount of this film is relatively low, and it is suitable for new ways of promotion. Also, if all went well, I was in my first year of college. Choose a film that is more relaxed and simple. A little more suitable for me. You know, I couldn't have made a film with the depth of The Pianist when I was a student. ”
Bill nodded knowingly. It seems to agree with Daniel's statement.
"I think after 2006, I should be able to invest in some more painstaking films. Fox, are there any good or suitable projects? You know, I'm the bully I'm bringing money into the group right now, haha. ”
"Oh, Fawkes couldn't ask for it. It's not easy to do movies now, and this year's box office is estimated to be worse than last year. ”
"Wars are always uncontrolled."
"Aren't you trying to control it? Seriously, Daniel, how would you have made an accurate prediction of war? Is it true that the U.S. team can't win in Iraq?"
Daniel shook his head, "It's too early to say that it is accurate to predict, but it is not so easy to achieve a complete victory in the far Middle East. However, the gap in strength between the two sides is too large, so the war that has lasted for many years is not beneficial to anyone, and the president cannot think that he is wrong, so as long as he is still in the White House, the US-Iraq war will not end, and it will be a big quagmire that makes people fall deeper and deeper. ”
"Hmm......" Bill tried to get Washington out of his mind, and he was really hesitating. Every time Cameron makes a big move, it will make Fox frightened, always delayed, always over budget, always novel and unpredictable, in this way, dragging Daniel in may be a good way, with the volume of DD, with an investment of more than 250 million blockbusters, they will eat at most 20%, presumably cooperating with Paramount, of course, it is more beneficial to Fox.
Although DD and Paramount can't be compared, they are a little more complementary to Fox.
Bill is not a short-sighted man, according to Rupert of News Corp. Murdoch is even less so. As time drags on, the Internet will go hand in hand with actual materials such as television, newspapers, magazines, posters, etc., and there is little doubt about this, except when that time will come.
At this time, DD Pictures, which took the first step, was very competitive, and it could also let Fox steal a lesson or two, of course, this is not the point, DD Pictures and MBBLOGGER Google and other Internet companies are the most interesting. Since "Greek Wedding", there has been no film that has been able to repeat the miracle of the Internet that it has achieved.
Some blame the limitations of this type of propaganda, which is occasionally unstable and irregular. Others, however, believe that it is the operator who lacks the password to master the weapon.
So many people are staring at "Pirates of the Caribbean", hoping to see if DD Pictures can repeat the miracle. But the news that came out two days ago made everyone frown. Even though DD Pictures is still the company that promotes "Pirates of the Caribbean", this is completely different from DD's own projects in which it has a major interest, and no one, including Disney, will expect DD Pictures to go all out on "Pirates of the Caribbean".
"That's right, Daniel, you should know about Fox and James. Cameron's cooperation has been good. James wrote a script in the 90s, and it was very fantastical. He felt that the special effects technology at that time could not meet the conditions, so he never did it, but filmed "Titanic" first. But recently, the "Lord of the Rings" series, the new "Star Wars" work, made him feel that the time may be ripe, so Fox intends to push it, and we actually plan to invite Weta Digital to join in the project demonstration. Your skills are fantastic, and seriously, Daniel, you're going to make a lot of money on this investment, and Weinstein must have regretted it. ”
The allusion here is more tortuous, and it is not just Weta Digital that Weinstein regrets.
In the beginning, the film adaptation rights of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and the prequel "The Hobbit" were all Miramax's, but later, the Weinstein brothers did not make it. Jackson's running contact led him to sell to New Line and MGM, half and half on both sides. Miramax retains the rights to dividends from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit. That's why the Weinstein brothers are among the producers of The Lord of the Rings.
The two sides will have a lawsuit to fight in the future over this unsolved case.
Among them, Weta Digital, which was also part of the project, as part of the remuneration paid to Peter Jackson, Weinstein and others jointly gave 10 million for the development of the company. The first funding from Taylor's special effects company also led to the birth of a new company, Weta Digital.
Daniel didn't expect Bill to mention it directly, although this is news that Fox can't hide, but talking about it publicly should also be restricted, after all, this is still a project in its infancy.
"James' new film?"
"Yes," Bill must have regretted a little, "but all projects related to James are the highest level of the company, in other words, Rupert personally decides. ”
Daniel nodded knowingly.
"If it's another "Titanic", it's really not too cautious."
"It's not that easy." Bill doesn't talk about it anymore, "We gave Kusa a number before, what do you guys think?" It's Night at the Museum. ”
Of course, Daniel will not show an eager attitude, otherwise Bill will immediately know that he is optimistic about that film, and now Daniel's vision for movies is also quite well-known in Hollywood.
"0 pay, I haven't tried this yet."
"You can also choose to invest 20 million and then take that money back as your salary." Bill laughed, "It's the same, isn't it?" We are very sincere, we even gave the big head, and now it is not unreasonable to say that the studio is working for the big stars. Thankfully, you and Tom. There are still a handful of stars at Hanks' level. ”
"You should be glad you didn't live in a golden age."
MGM filmed "Cleopatra" that year, giving Elizabeth a record salary, but in exchange for a mess, the company that lost money was almost unstable.
"If this film can maintain your 'breaking 100 million gold body', Fox thinks it can be done, but the profit is limited, so we think this is an opportunity to make friends, Daniel, we are really full of sincerity."
"I feel it, Bill. Well, I'm basically okay with that, I'll ask Kusa and Melissa to contact you for specific things. ”
Bill raised his glass and touched Daniel gently, "It's a pleasure to work together, and so has a nice trip to Kenya." ”
"I can't be happy with the refugees ——, cooperation, and I feel guilty when I think of them."
"Don't be like this, Americans are overweight, and people in Africa are still starving to death every day, so there is no need to be harsh on yourself. The water was so good that we could go for a swim and then do a spa treatment to relax before your busy schedule. (To be continued)
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