American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 103 The Secret Bet is Eagerly Welcomed

Century City is located on the south side of Santa Monica Boulevard, west of downtown Los Angeles, and is one of the bustling centers of the City of Angels.

This area contains many famous landmarks, such as Century Square, Fox Square, and the headquarters of 20th Century Fox.

That's right, the reason Century City is called Century City is because this area used to belong to Fox.

The reason this space was used by the developer is purely because of "Cleopatra".

Back then, the disastrous failure of "Cleopatra" left Fox with nothing but losses, so they had to sell land to survive. Then Century City sprang up, and they unexpectedly made a fortune.

Because Fox initially sold land that comprised only 81% of what is now Century City, the annual rent they receive now, after acquiring the remaining 19% of the property rights, is more than what they earn from film and television investments.

This is why people inside and outside the industry keep saying that Sony, Panasonic, and Edgar Bronfman Jr. are idiots.

These people spent billions to acquire Columbia and Universal.

Rupert Murdoch acquired Fox for a total of only $5.75 million.

Without comparison, there are no fools.

At this moment, Bernard Eisinger and Gail Berman are sitting by the window in the corporate cafeteria at Fox headquarters.

After reminiscing with Esinger about his boss's illustrious achievements, Berman smiled and said, "Mr. Esinger, if I were you, I would embrace Fox right now without hesitation, because Fox is your best choice right now."

"The reason is simple: right now, only Fox is interested in Resident Evil."

"The word 'only' here refers not only to the fact that ABC, CBS, and NBC have clearly rejected you, but also to the fact that they will not change their decision for a long time to come, because they only have 'The Voice' in their eyes right now."

"The success of The Voice has impacted the entire industry, which will lead everyone to focus all their energy on developing talent shows, but we at Fox will not, because we at Fox have our own talent show brand, American Idol."

Berman paused at this point.

He raised the coffee in front of him and gently offered it to Eisinger. Even though he didn't get any response, he still smiled and withdrew his hand, taking a sip. Eisinger narrowed his eyes slightly at his confident look.

Eisinger understood Berman's meaning.

Although everyone knows that "The Voice of China" has the ability to dominate the talent show market, various TV stations still flock to the talent show scene one after another. This is not because they are brainless and insist on competing with the invincible "The Voice of China," but because they are caught up in the situation and have no choice in the world of talent shows.

For example—if you were the president of CBS, and the whole world knew that talent shows were the current ratings secret, would you not follow the trend? Would you not produce them? Impossible!

If you don't follow the trend, okay, you'll have to explain to the board why you're not.

If you say that "The Voice of China" has already taken over the market share of talent shows, okay, you're fired.

Because you have problems with both your ability and attitude!

If you have a problem with your abilities, do you think you can't create the next "The Voice of China"?
Having a bad attitude means saying you can't do something if you don't even try.

Did the board of directors spend millions to invite you over just to watch you take a dump?
So, nowadays, anyone who has risen to a high-level executive position through their own abilities will follow suit and produce talent shows.

Then they had no time to do anything else.

Because any normal person knows that competing against "The Voice of China" will inevitably result in losses.

Therefore, how to minimize losses, how to shift blame when things go wrong, or how to let the board know the difficulty of producing talent shows—and by "know" here, we mean leaving a report—are things that executives at various television stations need to think about deeply.

When a company's executives are focused on protecting themselves, how much energy do they have left to develop other things?

Right?

Even if Eisinger knew Berman was right.

No matter which country or company you're in, finding a job isn't easy.

He is unwilling to admit any of this at the moment.

Because if he admits it, he is telling Berman that he also knows he has no other choice.

Because if he shows weakness, he will be at a disadvantage in the ensuing conversation.

therefore……

"Mr. Berman, I disagree with your analysis."

Aisinger laughed and said, "Because the media group is a very large, very strict and very professional organization. After The Voice became a hit, they will indeed increase their efforts in developing talent shows. But at the same time, they will not give up on exploring drama series projects, because variety shows can drive viewers to drama series. For example, The Voice brought a lot of viewers to ABC's drama series."

"This is a positive ripple effect."

“Oh—you’re right—” Berman nodded with a smile.

The upturned corners of his mouth seemed to be admitting his mistake, but it also seemed to pierce through Isengard's heart.

As for the reason?

“Mr. Isengard, may I call you Bernard?”

"Of course, because I'd like to call you Gail too."

“Okay, Bernard, since you know so much about the television industry, does that mean Constantine really wants to get involved in television? Right?” Berman raised his eyebrows at Eisinger with a smug look on his face.

This question made Isengard's face twitch.

He found himself at a disadvantage.

He wanted to save himself, but before he could speak, Berman coughed lightly and preemptively said, "Okay, Bernard, I'm here in good faith, so let's not say anything more and make a bet, shall we?"

Isengard didn't want to bet.

He even wanted to leave.

He had already realized that Berman had gained the upper hand in the conversation.

Unfortunately, he couldn't leave.

That being the case...

"What do you want to bet on? How do you want to bet?" Isengard pursed his lips.

This question made Berman lean back in his chair with a smile, and he said in a relaxed tone, "The bet I'm making is very simple. If NBC and CBS don't announce any variety shows they're developing, or at least don't express any intention to develop them, by January 1st next year, then I lose. Otherwise, I win. And the stakes..."

"Let's bet on how well Resident Evil is developed?"

"If I win, Fox will give you $2 million directly. You can use that money to produce a pilot episode of Resident Evil. If the ratings break 200, Fox will subscribe for the entire season."

"12 episodes per season".

“价码则是按照收视率来走，2个点200万，3个点300万，4个点400万。”

“If you win, I will subscribe directly to the first season of Resident Evil on behalf of Fox.”

"The price will still be based on the ratings, but if the ratings are below 2 points, we will still give you 200 million."

"No need for a trial broadcast."

"how?"

The sudden offer made Eisinger tremble.

Because Berman's offer was very sincere.

In the television industry, there aren't many people who can earn a guaranteed minimum plus a variable income.

Or rather, only those who have produced the year-end champion are qualified to negotiate such terms with TV stations.

Will I actually get it?
That's another story.

And don't think that a guaranteed acquisition price of 200 million per episode is too low.

In this day and age, the production cost of TV dramas is not high. If the acquisition price is 200 million, the production company can usually make around 50.

The revenue for one quarter is around 500 million.

The case of Band of Brothers, which burned through $1.25 million in 10 episodes, is an exception.

If it weren't for Steven Spielberg as the director, no company would have been willing to invest in "Band of Brothers." It was precisely because Spielberg was the director that he was able to create the first TV series in history with a budget exceeding $100 million.

Because Fox's offer was so outrageous, Eisinger felt like he was Michael Arndt at that moment—although the anti-good alliance's operation was secret, anyone who knew the details could deduce the truth, right? And Eisinger, with his powerful connections, was the kind of person who could hear the details.

Therefore……

"So, Berman, what is the price?"

Eisinger took a deep breath.

To be honest, Fox's offer has already tempted him.

He believed that as long as he sat at Fox's gambling table, he could report back to his new boss.

but! ! !
He was even more convinced that Fox made this offer because they wanted to use him to deal with Warner Bros., Disney, Barry Mayer, Robert Iger, and of course, most importantly, Isabella Heywood.

As for what exactly Fox saw in Constantine?

Could these guys be eyeing the Fantastic Four?

Eisinger's thoughts were racing.

“Oh, Bernard, you seem to be thinking a bit too much…” Berman shrugged, spread his hands, and shook his head with a laugh: “We at Fox just really like your Resident Evil and want to work with you, there’s no price involved.”

"Let's end our casual conversation here for today. We can discuss cooperation based on the outcome of the bet."

"You can do whatever you want during this time..."

Since Berman had chosen to see his guest off, Eisinger decided not to linger any longer.

As he left, Berman took out his phone and sent a text message to his boss, Rupert Murdoch.

The content inside is very simple; it's just a comma.

This information brought a smile to Murdoch's face.

I put down my phone with a feeling of complete relief.

A multi-billion dollar business just vanished?

At that moment, only one of us could survive.

Murdoch's actions may mean that the anti-government alliance is now defunct, and the organization that is about to emerge may be called Umbrella, but the preparations hidden in the dust will not affect the glamorous appearance under the sun.

While Fox was discussing the project with Constantine.

"The Voice" continues to shine like a little sun, telling its legendary stories.

On October 11, 2003, the fourth episode of the first season of "The Voice of China" was officially broadcast.

With the accumulation of the first three episodes and the story of 'growth', the fourth episode attracted 3700 million viewers as soon as it aired.

Although his performance declined somewhat later, with Bruno Mars's official debut...

"Shh-"

That alluring performance directly boosted the viewership of "The Voice of China" to over 4!

It landed at 4190 million!
That's right~
Nowadays, people in North America can find out who the contestants are for each episode in advance.

There's nothing we can do about it; secrets can't stay hidden forever.

When the recording of "The Voice of China" cannot be completely isolated from the world, and the public's attention to "The Voice of China" is very high, it is normal for the contestant list to be leaked once or twice.

cough~
The fact that "The Voice of China" has surpassed 4% in viewership is exciting.

What's even more exciting is that the viewership of Bruno Mars's 'growth' segment has reached 3.

This result means that Bruno Mars may be the most popular contestant this year!

This result suggests that Warner Music may have some regrets.

"Isa, let's talk about something. How about you sell Bruno Mars' contract to Warner?"

During the recording of the fifth episode, Barry Mayer made a surprise appearance on set.

He first treated the whole group to a meal, and then he started looking for Isabella.

The kind face, resembling that of Maitreya Buddha, made the little girl happy. She nodded and said, "Sure." "Really?" Barry Mayer's eyes lit up.

Because, based on their assessment, Bruno Mars definitely has the potential to become a superstar.

“Of course.” The little beaver nodded again, but a greedy look appeared on its face. “One billion.”

"Give me a billion and I'll release him immediately."

“…” Barry Mayer stopped laughing.

Don't ask why!
The answer is simply that I'm naturally not fond of smiling!

"If you don't want to sell, then don't sell!"

He waved his hand.

"I'm too lazy to care about you!"

gone away.

His yo-yo-like figure made everyone chuckle, while at the same time, Nathan Bailey, who remained behind, made the little girl blink, "Your boss is gone, why are you still here?"

“Oh, Isa, I’m staying here to finish what the boss didn’t say.”

Nathan Bailey's words sounded like a tongue twister.

But Isabella understood, and raised her chin, asking curiously, "What did you say?"

"AOL Time Warner will officially change its name at the end of this month, at which time AOL will become history."

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent.

Uh……

Ok……

The only people Barry Mayer could talk to privately were Isabella's family.

So everyone understood what he meant.

"Is Steve Case still the chairman of your group?" Vivian asked.

“No.” Nathan Bailey shook his head. “It’s Richard Parsons.”

“The one from the Rockefeller family?” Catherine chimed in.

“Yes.” Nathan Bailey nodded. “Steve Case will continue to serve the company as a director, and Jeffrey Bewkes will become the de facto controller of our Time Warner. He was Mr. Mayer’s deputy and a friend of Mr. Parsons. With him there, Mr. Mayer will no longer need to be on the board.”

"Okay, I know."

Isabella gave Nathan Bailey an "Okay" sign.

After AOL officially became history, Warner became the most powerful voice in the entire company.

Although they may still not be able to directly command Turner Broadcasting and AOL.

But those people can no longer maliciously slander them.

Then, when the actual controller of Time Warner was Barry Mayer's deputy, Warner's next target became very clear: as long as Steve Skye and Ted Turner were still in the company, Warner would not let them go.

Weeds must be eradicated at the root!
On the surface, these things seem to have nothing to do with Isabella, since she doesn't own any Warner Bros. stock, but in reality...

"Nathan."

"Ok?"

Call me Princess.

"Princess... Your Highness?"

"Yes, kneel down and leave."

Isabella waved her hand, while Nathan Bailey's face turned ashen.

After a two-second pause, he nodded with a wry smile and took his leave.

Isabella couldn't stop laughing at her helpless expression, which made Vivian poke her head in annoyance on the way back, "Isabella—you—you—you—sigh—"

Time continues.

On October 18, 2003, the fifth episode of the first season of "The Voice of China" was released on schedule.

Perhaps it's because Bruno Mars met the public's expectations?

The average viewership for this episode immediately stabilized at 4.

For outsiders, this is an explosive achievement, a piece of good news worth celebrating.

But for Isabella...

Stanley Gold will officially resign next month.

"Once he formally submits his resignation, Disney must hold a shareholders' meeting within six months."

"At that time, shareholders with voting rights will gather in Philadelphia."

"Although I'm not confident that I can get rid of him directly, Eisner is definitely not going to be able to keep his position as chairman this time."

"I swear."

The day after the fifth episode aired, Iger arranged to meet Isabella.

The straightforward question prompted the little girl to act cute, "Oh—Bob—I don't think I understand what you mean—"

"I'm just a little girl who's about to turn fourteen."

Aiger's lips twitched, almost choking on Isabella's words.

He rolled his eyes and stared at the nearly five-foot-four-inch figure in front of him for a long while.

After reorganizing his thoughts, he finally said, "Thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome!"

Isabella isn't pretending this time.

She accepted Egger's thanks quite naturally.

She understood what Robert Iger meant. Michael Eisner couldn't be kicked out all at once because he held too many Disney secrets, and no one would want to go down with him.

But if the shareholders can remove him from his position as chairman, then Robert Iger will be in charge of the entire Disney company.

This is easy to understand, right?
Disney's media business is essentially Iger's private domain.

The Jerusalem that Disney couldn't afford to lose is now also in Iger's hands.

Once shareholders clearly indicate that they no longer trust Eisner, Disney headquarters will completely side with Iger.

Now, apart from his own boss Warren Buffett, his allies Roy Disney Jr., his strategic partners Steve Jobs and Isabella Heywood, no one can give him the time of day.

Don't be intimidated by the length of this list.

Winning over five people makes you the king of Disney? That's an easy game.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing I want to tell you."

"what?"

Does your little beaver have a name?

"What little beaver?"

"...Your Highness, there are no outsiders around..."

"Okay, okay, I haven't named her yet, what's wrong?"

Do you have any development ideas?

"Why do you suddenly ask this?"

"because……"

At this point, Robert Iger paused for a moment.

He exchanged a glance with Isabella, and after catching the teasing look in her eyes, he immediately shook his head with a smile and abandoned the topic.

On October 25, 2003, the sixth episode of the first season of "The Voice of China" was officially released.
As the final elimination round, it garnered 4396 million viewers as soon as it premiered.

She already had a certain level of popularity before the show even started. As the show aired and public discussions grew, the viewership for the elimination round finale performance soared to 4500 million when Lana Del Rey, hailed as one of the three giants of the first season of "The Voice of China," made her appearance!
The wild numbers have silenced countless people!
This also brought Isabella to Los Angeles International Airport.

"Hey—Isa—long time no see—I've missed you so much—"

Before Isabella could even greet them, the young master, who had darted down the gangway, shouted out first.

His screams caused the people behind him to look up one after another, like a hamster.

Then, shouts arose from all sides:
"Oh—Isa—thank you for the invitation—"

“Isa! I love you so much—you practically saved my life, you know? Wasn't 'The Goblet of Fire' supposed to be filmed next year? Then my mom forced me to go back to school, and I didn't want to go, but now I really don't have to—”

"Oh no! Radish! Your mom's right behind you! Do you want to get a beating?"

"Hahaha—Isa—I miss you so much~~~"

“Isa, I read the New York Times, they said you made history again? Oh—you’re so cool!”

"Isa—"

"Isa—"

"Isa—"

Although The Voice is now just an American talent show.

But who can blame them when the United States of this era is the center of the world, the beacon of democracy and freedom?
Therefore, when "The Voice" became a hit in the United States, related topics spread around the world in an instant.

The discussion was heated, and then Isabella was 'harassed' by her friends.

That day, she simply opened her MSN to see if anyone in the group was discussing her.

Then, she was overwhelmed by the torrent of news and turned into a chicken.

The young master sent her 99+ messages, just wanting to know where in the UK he could watch "The Voice";
Neville sent her 99+ messages, constantly bragging about how awesome she was;
Radish was the funniest; he sent Isabella over 99 messages, and about 80% of them were pleading for help.

You said you'd take me to America today, but I really don't want to study anymore;

Tomorrow I'll tell you to invite me to a vacation in America soon, because I've already been scolded by my teacher countless times;

The day after tomorrow, he said if I don't invite him to America soon, I won't see him again, because I'm so ashamed of getting D- grades every day that I'll kill myself...

When the guys in the group became more and more outrageous, Isabella suddenly felt that if she didn't bring them along to join in and rescue them from their predicament, she might become a sinner in history—or so she thought!
So she sent out invitations to everyone.

Sure enough, they came over as a team right after filming wrapped on "Azkaban".

Yes, Isabella sent the invitation a while ago; they've been waiting for Egg Girl to arrive.

With a smile, Miss Beaver accepted everyone's thanks, and the overwhelming enthusiasm made her feel like a savior.

Wow, I'm so awesome! I can even ride a broom now!
While greeting everyone and welcoming them onto the bus, the little girl hugged Ginny and then asked, "Isaiah, did you really not make your little beaver into a toy?"

"My friends all want one!"

Such words attracted the attention of those nearby.

Radish nodded in agreement, "Yeah, yeah, Isha, do you know why I wanted to come to America? It's because your little beaver is super popular online! Super, super popular!"

"I feel like I can see you a thousand times in just one hour of internet browsing!"

"This makes me eager to come to the United States and see just how amazing The Voice really is!"

(End of this chapter)