America: My Time

Chapter 1030 Favors

Chapter 1020 Social Interactions

When John had said all that, George Lucas and Jack Valentine couldn't say anything more. The matter had indeed reached a point beyond their control, and all the methods they had prepared beforehand had been useless. John had no intention of calling the other party at all; his mere 'sincerity' was enough to leave them speechless.

If we're just talking about Hollywood issues, there's a lack of 'sincerity' right now. Someone from California should at least step forward, but John hasn't seen any. Donald should at least send someone, but that's not there either. What kind of 'sincerity' is that?! Wanting to reconcile without sincerity is a huge joke. Is this a disregard for John's intelligence, or a belief that he's too young and easily fooled? Just from this point alone, John despises Donald and his ilk!
“Mr. John, all of this happened so suddenly. California hasn’t had time to react yet. You know it takes time to reach a conclusion. I believe they will give you a satisfactory explanation!” Jack Valentine, the president of the American Film Institute, had to explain, no matter how embarrassed he was. If this matter were to reach a deadlock, he wouldn’t be able to explain it to everyone when he got back!

“John, that’s true. We’re just the first group to advise you not to rush into a decision, at least give everyone some time to prepare. It’s not like there’s no reaction from California!”

John smiled calmly and said, "George, I know those guys better than you do. They didn't take much time to launch their targeted attack on me before, but now you're telling me they need time. If they're really desperate, they don't need time, so I don't agree with your statement. However, for your sake, I can give them some time, but I hope it's quick. My patience has its limits. The level of 'sincerity' they can show will determine the scale of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group's next actions!"

John paused, shook his head, and continued, "To be honest, it's only the two of you who came this time. If it were anyone else, I'm afraid I wouldn't have given them the time. I deeply admire everything Chairman Jack has done for Hollywood; not everyone can do what you have. As for George, we're good friends despite our age difference. Since you've come forward, I have to give you some face. I just hope you won't be taken advantage of!"

John was fully aware of the situation in the United States. The Democrats were in big trouble now. The faster they passed their decision, the more trouble they were in now. California wasn't a place where the Democrats could have a say. The Elephants would definitely undermine them and not give them time to resolve the issue quickly. Therefore, John felt that it was impossible to get a result in the short term.

Of course, this will also affect the prestige of the Donald. After all, he has just taken office and has already encountered such resistance and counterattack. If the Donalds compromise with John so readily, then the price they pay will be too high!

The enemy is in a hurry, but John is not. Besides, he is currently in China and has plenty of time to play with these guys. Although he is giving these two face, he still has to do what needs to be done. The British won't stop.

“John, we don’t want to be taken advantage of either, but favors have to be repaid. You know our situation. Jack has so many favors to rely on, and I’ve been in this industry for so many years, so many favors to rely on too. There’s nothing we can do about it. We know you’re in a difficult position, but we have to come and discuss this with you.”

“I understand, how could I not understand? My conflict with Youtai Capital has lasted for years, you could say it started the moment I stepped into Hollywood. So of course I know about their situation! Alright, since you two are in China, why don't you stay and enjoy a vacation? There's no point in you going back now. Things won't be resolved quickly over there. I have some time, so let's tour the capital together!”

The issue of interests is the most difficult to resolve. If it's just one side, it's easier, like Mitsui, who can make a decision quickly. But when more people are involved, it becomes much more difficult. Nobody wants to suffer a loss, so it's naturally hard to get any results. If an enemy intervenes and causes trouble, it will take even longer!
Faced with John's invitation, George Lucas and Jack Valentine readily agreed. Just as the man had said, there was nothing they could do going back now; getting a result in California wouldn't be easy. Moreover, after seeing John, they both felt that everything was under his control; those guys had shot themselves in the foot this time. "John," John said, "do you think constantly suppressing the agency like this will work? They've been complaining all along. If this goes on, I'm afraid many problems will arise. As far as I know, stars who have partnered with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media won't choose to continue working with you. If this continues, your development will be affected! This isn't the era of big-budget studios anymore; constant pressure isn't a good thing. I think you should seriously reconsider!"

“George, you’re wrong. As long as Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media continue to develop according to their established plans, there won’t be any problems. Perhaps Hollywood stars still have value in the next few years, but that may not be the case in the future. And don’t you think Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media have been promoting our own philosophy to the audience? Produced by these two major groups, our films are bound to be high-quality. Our film production has a strict process. As long as we follow this process, there won’t be any problems, provided that we can keep the stars’ salaries under control and not let them increase the production costs!”

"We have also studied Mr. John's statement, but not all Hollywood companies can be as powerful as Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media, so this is not suitable for Hollywood as a whole. Moreover, there are obviously benefits for stars, at least the risk will be reduced. As long as the salaries can be controlled, Hollywood can still develop smoothly!"

"I disagree with Chairman Jack's statement. Human nature is greedy. Just look at the situation with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media. Those who became famous by leveraging the two major media groups, who would continue to work with us after their contracts expire? So once the issue of actor salaries is liberalized, it will be unstoppable. Moreover, Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media are pursuing blockbuster and series productions. Most importantly, with the development of technology, blockbusters don't need stars, they need special effects! Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media control two major Hollywood special effects companies. Do you think we need to care about their reactions?"

When John mentioned special effects companies, George Lucas sighed. Other Hollywood giants had been studying Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media for a long time, but they had always lagged far behind in special effects. After all, they were unwilling to invest such large sums of money. But Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media were different. They were willing to invest, and they also cooperated with each other. Most importantly, their hardware was updated very quickly, which was something many Hollywood companies could not afford.

Between the two major media conglomerates, there is no need for the two special effects companies to make money. In fact, they even subsidize a portion of their funds each year to research and develop new technologies. One of them does not aim to make money, but only to develop more advanced technology and more sophisticated special effects. The result is predictable. Moreover, both major media conglomerates have their own blockbuster plans and their own animated films. Therefore, they can afford to support these two special effects companies and spend money on them, which other Hollywood giants cannot do.

Phoenix Media Group has global distribution capabilities and a global cinema chain, so they don't care what those stars think. If they don't want to cooperate, they can get lost. There are many actors in Hollywood who want to become famous. One more or one less won't make a difference. Moreover, every time they select new talents, countless people frantically accept contracts from the two major media groups!
“John, you also need to consider our situation. Our companies don’t have the backing of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media. Those talent agencies don’t dare to make things difficult for you, but they are making things difficult for us film companies!”

“George, you can actually be tougher. If you don’t limit actors’ salaries and don’t sign multiple contracts, can your film series still proceed smoothly? Each one is more outrageous than the last, and the production costs are rising higher and higher. Those agencies are just leeching off you. Actors don’t bear any burden; they only think about getting more pay and even want to share the box office profits with us producers. Don’t you think they are too greedy? Take my advice: you can be tougher. If you want to make a film series, it’s best to sign multiple contracts. At least this has never caused any problems for us! This is also why the two major media groups have developed so smoothly. The risks we take are very small, and we can bear the risks ourselves. But would other Hollywood giants dare to do this?”

"You're absolutely right. Other Hollywood giants don't have your financial backing. They can't afford the failure of a blockbuster. One failure can cripple them, and two failures could even bankrupt them. But that's not the case for Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media. You've never failed; it's just a matter of how much you make. It's a pity that no one can emulate your tough stance. After all, they don't have the same well-established internal systems as you do, so no matter how many ideas they have, they can't be implemented!"

(End of this chapter)