America: My Time

Chapter 600 Unexpected News

Chapter 590 Unexpected News

John smiled calmly and said, "It can only be said that the guy's vision was poor, too short-sighted, and too eager for quick success. Of course, this is also related to the overall environment. Without a good environment and enough connections, it is difficult for such a film to achieve corresponding box office results. Even though we acquired 'Once Upon a Time in America,' we have no intention of re-releasing it. That's just how the market is. Theaters will not give it strong support because it takes too long."

“Yes, the environment has changed, and it’s become somewhat unfamiliar to us old folks. Perhaps we old folks are going to be phased out. Our ideas can’t keep up with the times. Sergio Leon, that guy, left Hollywood. Even though he didn’t fail, he knows he’s been left behind by the times!” Francis sighed and shook his head slightly as he said this.

"Alright, stop lamenting. Paramount is preparing to start the final installment of 'The Godfather,' so you can't back down. Instead of wasting time lamenting, you should be thinking about how to film it. You'll be busy soon!"

If someone else had said such a thing, Francis might have had doubts, but coming from John, he had no doubts whatsoever. He did indeed need to be prepared; such a project couldn't be prepared for in a short time. It required a lot of time to make arrangements and discuss things in advance.

Although John didn't pay much attention to Jennifer Connelly, it still alerted Sophie, because the woman in front of her was also a great beauty. It would be a lie to say that she didn't attract attention. It would be hard for anyone to refuse such a beautiful woman throwing herself into their arms, and she didn't think John could refuse such a beauty!

John paused, thought for a moment, and then said, "Francis, if you have time, you should also persuade James not to be so stubborn and to try to reduce the investment budget!"

At this point, John still decided to help James. Although he really wanted to screw over Fox, he didn't want to see James affected, since a failure would also have some impact on him.

“John, if you can’t persuade this guy, do you think I can? I can only do my best. I’ve also heard about the failure of Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Group’s audits, but for James, as long as he doesn’t fail twice in a row, it’s not a big problem. He’s not like us old guys!” Francis shook his head as he spoke.

"Francis, you're not old, you just can't let go of the past and haven't adapted to the changing environment. You have to look forward. The future of Hollywood will be the era of commercial films. So-called art will have to give way to commerce, and this will become increasingly obvious. Without commercial success, no matter how well you make a film, it's useless. Everything is about commerce and the market. Don't be influenced by those old guys from the Academy. They can control the Oscars, but the Oscars can't influence Hollywood. Hollywood belongs to the giants, not the Oscars. Hollywood can do without the Oscars, but the Oscars can't do without Hollywood. Hollywood made the Oscars, not the other way around! If companies don't make money, why will they continue to invest? There are indeed good films that balance art and commerce, but such films are rare. More often, there's a clear distinction between commerce and art!"

John sees Francis as indecisive and hesitant, always trying to balance commerce and art. The more he tries to do this, the more confused he becomes, and the bigger his problems become. This is the main reason why Francis's films have been performing poorly at the box office these past few days.

John believes James is currently in a predicament, though he may not realize it. Perhaps he's trying to achieve an artistic breakthrough, which is why he created a script like "The Abyss" with so much romance. It's fine for a director to pursue art, but it's best not to risk large investments. With a budget of nearly 70 million, what people want isn't romance, but a blockbuster effect. Using such a large budget to film a lot of romance will inevitably result in a disappointing box office performance.

Upon hearing John's words, no one dared to say that John didn't understand movies, or even that he was more knowledgeable than many of his Hollywood colleagues. At least John was better at grasping the film market than many others. Perhaps some would say that he was just an outsider with a clearer perspective, but a great director like Francis would not have such a foolish idea.

“John, you actually have a real talent for producing. Maybe you should give it a try!” Francis joked, because he knew that a big shot like John wouldn’t do that, much less put his energy into such a thing.

At this moment, John shrugged and smiled calmly, "I'd like to, but unfortunately I don't have the time. You know I can't dedicate a lot of time to movies; if I did, the company would be in chaos!" "Hey! What are you all talking about, so happily!" Suddenly a voice rang out. When everyone turned around, they saw Steven Spielberg walking up behind them. Beside him was a beautiful woman, his future second wife, Kate Capshaw.

When Steven Spielberg joined the conversation, the topic gradually shifted to the launch of the project. At this point, it's likely that Steven Spielberg was also somewhat interested, and Indiana Jones 3 was included in their plans.

When the Academy executives learned from Lucas that John was willing to attend the Oscars, they breathed a sigh of relief. With this little fox participating in the Oscars, they no longer needed to worry about viewership ratings. After all, this guy was the owner of NBC, and he would definitely promote the Oscars.

Although some people were dissatisfied with John's position in the Writers Guild and even more angry at his threats, the Writers Guild had the power and confidence to strike, and the Academy naturally had its supporters. However, those guys didn't dare to offend John. If Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media really moved out of Hollywood, things would be serious.

When John unleashed such a trump card, no one dared to confront him, and no one in Hollywood dared to take the risk. Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media's influence was too great, so great that everyone had to be wary of harming them. No matter how angry they were, they had to suppress their anger; this was no joke, and if it happened, someone would have to pay the price.

"John, have you heard? Panasonic of Japan is interested in acquiring Disney!" Steven Spielberg's words startled John and surprised everyone present.

Goodness, I thought that after I acquired Universal, Panasonic wouldn't make any moves. I didn't expect these guys to have their eyes on Disney. It's a bit crazy, but thinking about it, it's understandable. There aren't many targets in Hollywood right now. After all, there are only MGM and Disney. Compared to MGM, which is now an empty shell, Disney is more worthwhile to target. After all, Disney still has Disneyland, which is a pretty good project.

“This is quite surprising. It seems these guys are really good at keeping things secret. Even a friend like me didn’t know! However, I have to admit that the timing of their acquisition was quite good, giving them ample reason to drive down the price.” John shook his head slightly, not finding anything wrong with Steven Spielberg’s words. If Panasonic really wanted to acquire it, this Japanese director would naturally be able to get the news. After all, those guys have always been behind Disney, and it’s understandable that they want to sell Disney, a money-losing company.

Aside from the Japanese, almost no one was willing to take over Disney. Those familiar with Hollywood know about the feud between Disney and John F. Smith, as well as its grievances with Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media. Perhaps only these Japanese guys felt they could resolve these grievances, which is why they dared to step in and choose this time to acquire Disney.

John believes that the Panasonic guys chose to make their move at this time because they saw an opportunity in the Hollywood writers' strike. This situation also made John think of the old man Akio Morita. Did he know about this? Was Sony cooperating with Panasonic's acquisition of Disney?
However, this is not important to John. Disney Studios is no longer what it used to be. The current Disney Studios is similar to MGM. Apart from Disneyland, it has been completely suppressed and is no longer what it used to be. The animated films that should have belonged to them have long been snatched up by Legendary Entertainment and Phoenix Media.

"Just as you think, these guys are desperately trying to drive down the price, making the Disney shareholders grit their teeth in anger, but they can't do anything about it. Perhaps your suggestion can relieve that pressure and force those guys at Panasonic to compromise!"

Upon hearing this, John shook his head and said, "Impossible. We all know what Disney is like. They simply don't have the capacity to start new projects. Besides, they make animation, and their ability to withstand risks is limited. Even if we take action, they still won't see any improvement!"

John disagreed with Steven Spielberg's words. He knew all too well how cunning those Japanese guys were. If they were determined to drive down the price, they must have some understanding of the situation in Hollywood, and with an inside man like Columbia Pictures, how could they possibly compromise? If Panasonic compromised, that would be a problem! In John's eyes, if this was a pre-planned acquisition by Panasonic, they were bound to succeed this time. Disney's shareholders would have no choice but to compromise, since Disney's current situation was extremely precarious, and dragging it out would only cause them greater losses!
(End of this chapter)