In the middle of the spacious dining room is a long oak dining table, opposite which is a floor-to-ceiling window made of tempered glass that offers stunning views of Malibu Beach.

Several people sat on opposite sides of the table, constantly talking and laughing, and Sandy's occasional fairy tale would cause bursts of laughter.

You don't need to look too much to know that the atmosphere of the banquet is very harmonious, and it is obviously not held for simple entertainment.

Sitting across from Ryan and Nicole is George? Lucas and his girlfriend Meledy? Hobson, the former goes without saying, while the latter is a Disney executive, she is the chairman of the animation department at DreamWorks Animation Studios.

George? Lucas and Melody? Hobson has been dating since '06 and surprised many people at the time, for the simple reason that Melody? Hobson is a pure black man, and although the slogans against racism are loud and loud, Hollywood can be regarded as one of the most racist circles.

Good thing about Miledie? Hobson is not a black person from the black community in the traditional sense, she is well-born, highly educated, and her own family is also the mainstream middle class, perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe it as a black-skinned and white-hearted coconut person, otherwise George? Lucas and his sons and daughters would not accept her either.

Like Will, of course? Like Smith or Okuheitan, the blacks who can really step into the mainstream are basically coconut people.

"Good French food," George? Lucas looked at Meledy, who was talking to Nicole? Hobson, to Ryan, said, "It's authentic. ”

"This is a chef that Nicole hired from Paris."

Putting down the knife and fork, Ryan asked George? Lucas raised his glass, "I don't have any special hobbies in food. ”

"yes." George? Lucas agreed, "Hollywood is all about it, Ryan? Jenkins only loves movies. ”

"Commercial Films."

Ryan added deliberately. Both laughed.

After the laughter, George? Lucas added, "It is business that makes movies the most important form of cultural entertainment in the world, and it is also business that makes Hollywood movies conquer the world." ”

"I couldn't agree more." Ryan put down his knife and fork.

So ...... "George?" Lucas gestured, "You're investing in James again?" Cameron, want to create a cinematic miracle again? ”

"Five hundred and fifty million dollars," George? Lucas seemed to sigh with emotion, "Looking at the whole world, you are the only one who dares to make such a big investment, Ryan." ”

"Because I'm sure James won't let me down." Ryan didn't say much. Him and James? Cameron's joint achievements on "Titanic" are the biggest proof of this.

"For every dollar added to the investment in a movie," said George? Lucas seems to think of himself, "The pressure on investors and makers will increase by 10 points, and 550 million dollars is enough to crush a lot of people." ”

"Haven't we been living under pressure all the time?"

Ryan seemed relaxed, and it seemed that the huge investment in "Avatar" did not put him under much pressure, "Before the film was released, we had to worry about whether the film could be completed on time; When the film is released, we have to worry about whether it can be a big hit at the box office; After the film is released. You also have to worry about whether the peripheral products will be unattended. ”

In this circle, the pressure on investors is no less than that of first-line actors, directors and producers.

"I've been under pressure for forty years." George? Lucas seems to have thought of just having a conversation with Francis? When Coppola started his business, "In 1969, I co-founded Diora Films with Fran. Under his guidance I completed the film section. The female novel "Five Hundred Years Later" has been surrounded by pressure since then......"

He shook his head, "From the days of independent directors against big studios. Later, when I worked with Twentieth Century Fox, I always felt like something was pressing on my shoulders. ”

"Maybe it's older," George? Lucas seemed a bit self-deprecating. "I can't take the pressure anymore."

"So you want to retire again?" Ryan was joking, see George? Lucas nodded slightly, frowned, and said, "George, I remember you told me a few years ago that you were ready to retire. ”

"I'm really going to retire this time." George? Lucas didn't seem to be joking, "I'm no longer directly involved in commercial films in the future, and I'll turn most of my energy to real films." ”

This was not what Ryan expected, and he invited the Lucas family to be guests, because from Catherine? Kennedy heard George there? Lucas wants to retire again.

Ryan didn't extend the conversation any further, moving on to other things, with a few people discussing Hollywood's current shape and DreamWorks Animation's upcoming "Despicable Me" and "How to Tame Your Dragon."

Subsequently, Nicole picked up Sandy and took Meledi with her? Hobson went to visit the rest of the villa, Ryan and George? Lucas went to the study.

"George, we've been friends for years."

Sitting on the two sofas in the study, Ryan didn't turn around, and said directly, "I don't know if you're interested in becoming a shareholder of Disney?" ”

No one will say 'NO' to this kind of thing, who doesn't know the development and strength of Disney, especially the terrifying profitability, and it is difficult for the whole world to find a second media group with a higher profit than Disney.

George? Lucas didn't answer, knowing that Ryan had nothing else to say, and made a 'please continue' gesture.

"George," Ryan asked very seriously, throwing away his previous joking tone, "what are you going to do with Lucasfilm if you retire?" ”

"Disney...... "George"? Lucas still didn't answer, but asked, "Ryan, you're interested in Lucasfilm?" ”

"I don't think there are many people in this world who don't have an interest in Lucasfilm." Ryan spread his hands and said, "If you want to sell Lucasfilm, please give priority to Disney, okay?" ”

Probably thought about it for half a minute, George? Lucas said slowly, "Ryan, all I can say is that I am personally still very interested in becoming a shareholder of Disney, but you understand that this is not something I can promise alone, and I can't give you any promises. ”

From these words, Ryan clearly heard George? Lucas did have plans to sell Lucasfilm, nodded his head, and said unhurriedly, "I think Disney's board of directors can add one more member." ”

This kind of multi-billion dollar deal, careful and long-term argument negotiation is a necessary process, and no one will finalize the intention to cooperate in a few words, Ryan and George? Lucas is no exception, and Lucas's attitude behind it is clear that if he sells Lucasfilm, and the conditions are similar, Disney will be given priority.

If someone bids much higher than Disney, then all that can be said is sorry.

Of course, some of Ryan's faint words, George? Lucas was also interested, for example, in exchanging Disney shares for his shares in Lucasfilm at a premium and bringing him to the Disney board of directors.

In short, the two did not reach a clear intention, but they were very interested in each other.

In fact, Ryan is very clear that in George? Under the premise that Lucas and other shareholders are interested in selling Lucasfilm, the biggest obstacle does not come from Lucasfilm itself, but from the possibility of external competitors, and there are several hurdles that Disney cannot bypass.

Lucasfilm has three key profit projects, one is Industrial Light & Magic, the second is the "Star Wars" series, and the third is the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" series.

Needless to say, ILM is the most powerful film special effects company in the world, and there is no one! Moreover, although the profit of industrial light and magic is not too much, it is relatively stable, and the business is relatively independent, without too many external factors like the movie.

Paramount has a more active say in the Raiders of the Lost Ark franchise — Paramount co-produced the series with Lucasfilm and has the distribution rights — and given the nature of the series, Ryan doesn't mind Disney sharing the revenue.

The biggest trouble is Lucasfilm's most profitable "Star Wars" series, even after the financial crisis hit in 2008, the "Star Wars" series of toys and peripheral products excluding DVD and TV network on-demand rights still brought Lucasfilm more than $231 million in net profit!

If Disney takes Lucasfilm, it will definitely reboot the Star Wars franchise, and Twentieth Century Fox will be the biggest obstacle.

Twentieth Century Fox owns the perpetual distribution rights to Star Wars: A New Hope, as well as theatrical, post-theater and disc rights to five other Star Wars films until May 2030, as well as on-demand television network rights.

It's not impossible to share the proceeds of "Star Wars" with Twentieth Century Fox, but the question is whether Twentieth Century Fox and News Corporation, which he just turned down, will watch Lucasfilm fall into Disney's pocket like this?

"Lucasfilm has shown extraordinary imagination, excitement. Mood and visual effects, as well as from its founder - George? Lucas has a consistent ability to tell stories. If Lucasfilm, a world-class film archive, is combined with Disney's unique and inexhaustible creative power in terms of platform, business and market operations, it will bring long-term, visible and significant driving force and benefits to Disney. ”

This was the previous meeting of Disney's top trio, Robert? What Iger said to Ryan, the Disney CEO, like Ryan, makes no secret of his desire for Lucasfilm.

In addition to getting Industrial Light & Magic, Disney's much-needed special effects department, Lucasfilm's series of classic movie images are an effective addition to Disney's character library. (To be continued......)