American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 112 The Ever-Changing Goblet of Fire

Bernard Eisinger eventually signed it.

Because he had no choice.

As he yielded, Gail Berman laughed.

Raise your glass and clink it lightly with the wine.

He wished them a Happy New Year amidst the crisp sound, and said that the Resident Evil series could be started in the spring of next year.

Since the die was cast, Isengard stopped overthinking.

He nodded in agreement, then got up to take his leave.

Their separation signified the end of 2003, and as 2004 officially arrived, the killing intent instantly surfaced...

Okay, the previous sentence was nonsense. Fox won't make a move that quickly.

Fox will not appear as long as Goblet of Fire is not in production.

Because attacks within the rules are designed to be fatal with a single blow.

What if their form is revealed prematurely?
Then I'm sorry, all your plans will vanish in an instant.

Fox is waiting for the right opportunity, but the right opportunity takes time.

In this process, the world will belong to someone else.

For example, the arrival of 2004 allowed the date for Disney's shareholders' meeting to be set.

That was at the end of the first quarter, on March 3rd.

The agenda item for this Disney shareholders' meeting was to remove the chairman.

Therefore, as soon as the news broke, it immediately made headlines on the front pages of major media outlets.

Because Disney currently has a market value of over 60 billion.

So everyone wants to know, who will get their hands on this vast fairytale kingdom? Will the Disney family regain control? Or will it become a public company? Or will it be stolen by some other monkey?

In short, in the eyes of the public, this is a dramatic power struggle.

Then, while the infighting at Disney was raging, Warner Bros. was also making moves.

With Robert Shea's departure, the position of chairman of New Line Cinema has become vacant.

His successor was officially confirmed on January 6, 2004.

That's Alan Horn, president and CEO of Warner Bros.

That's right, this is Barry Mayer's second-in-command.

Alan Horn's takeover of New Line means that New Line Cinema is now officially under the control of Barry Mayer.

It's only one step away from completely disappearing: having its plaque removed.

This……

Just a matter of time.

Furthermore, this issue is no longer important at this moment.

Because the moment Barry Mayer put Alan Horn into the new Lineage, the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit IPs were already his. They were the most valuable things in the new Lineage!

As for the rest?
It's fine if it gets lost.

Barry Mayer's control of Middle-earth is the most prominent symbol of Ted Turner's failure.

However, he wasn't the only loser in the anti-good alliance.

After several months of back-and-forth negotiations, Bodman officially rejected Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s acquisition offer.

They decided to continue embracing Sony.

The reason is simple.

This is not only because Sony raised its offer in the acquisition bid, that is, increased the valuation of their Bodman, but also because the transaction between Bodman and Sony was carried out through a merger and share swap.

This approach allows Bodman to enter a state of detachment where he can both attack and defend.

The main reason the BMG Group wanted to sell its music company was because they felt the traditional record industry was declining.

But they didn't want to sell out completely, because Apple's iTunes Store gave them a glimpse into the future of music.

Yes, the iTunes Store is now available.

They officially launched on macOS on April 28th last year.

In just six days, North American consumers bought one million songs on the platform.

This speed is simply amazing.

Because Apple's market share is pitifully low these days.

Then, on November 16, the iTunes Store was launched on Windows.

then……

explosion.

Although Apple hasn't released its financial report yet, the five key pieces of information we can glean from its sales figures suggest that Apple is poised for takeoff. And if Apple does take off, especially with the iTunes Store, it would mean the golden age of pop music is about to begin.

That's why Bodman rejected Bronfman's offer.

Because selling the company to Bronfman Jr. was a one-off deal.

Selling to Sony would mean continuing to hold the shares and potentially reaping even greater rewards.

This fact disappointed Bronfman Jr., but only for a second before he set his sights on EMI.

Cough cough cough...

There's nothing we can do; they're just rich and can do whatever they want.

Of course, Bronfman Jr.'s money didn't just appear out of thin air.

Back in January 2004, while Bodman was embracing Sony, Vivendi also reached a formal deal with General Electric.

Vivendi sold 80% of Universal Pictures to General Electric for $50 billion.

In exchange, they received $40 billion in cash plus a number of shares in General Electric.

Following the transaction, Vivendi's financial situation will improve instantly, while Bronfman Jr....

He will also officially bid farewell to the global empire he built with his own hands.

Then, in this deal, the value of Universal Pictures was revised downwards.

The original estimate was $54 billion.

The missing 4 million was due to DreamWorks announcing that they would not be renewing the contract.

Frankly speaking, capital has a significant impact on the public, but news from the capitalist world has a relatively small impact on the public, unless it's a major feud like Disney's... wouldn't it be better to be happy?

That's why, right now, what's really capturing the interest of North American audiences is the awards season in the entertainment industry.

That's right~~~
The annual Golden Globe Awards and Oscars are about to take place!
And these...

On the surface, this year's awards season has nothing to do with Isabella.

But actually, there is still some connection.

Because New Line was taken over by Warner.

Therefore, Warner Bros. wants to win an award for "The Lord of the Rings".

When Isabella heard the news, she almost died laughing!

Just two weeks ago, "The Lord of the Rings" was universally disliked by Warner Bros.!

In two weeks, Warner Bros. will be aiming for the Oscars for "The Lord of the Rings"?

Oh~~
Is this the true face of capitalism?
That's fucking ugly!
Frankly, Isabella didn't care whether *The Lord of the Rings* won an award, but after learning that Warner Bros. was going to put *The Lord of the Rings* in the Oscars, she still called Barry Mayer.

"Barry, are you absolutely certain you'll win the Oscar?"

"Uh... if the work is strong enough, and the hype is strong enough, then we are 100% confident. Take 'The Lord of the Rings,' which we are about to work on, for example. The slogan we designed for their Oscar campaign is 'Youth only comes once, vote now.' We want to use the idea that 'the judges' youth is priceless' to hold those judges hostage to their votes, so... why are you asking this?"

As I said before, judges are human too.

They also have emotions and desires, and they also have their own youth.

Therefore, when most of the Oscar judges had read the original Lord of the Rings and were deeply attracted by its descriptions, the current The Return of the King is the final chapter of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

If you don't vote for them, isn't that like your youth dying out?

So, in this game, Warner has a 99.99% chance of winning.

As long as they're not playing Tencent games.

Although this idea is insidious, history is always written by the victors, therefore...

"Okay, now you owe me two Oscars."

"..."

Barry Mayer was somewhat suffocated.

Although he already knew that Isabella wanted to win an Oscar, he didn't understand why the little girl wanted two.
After he asked what was on his mind, Isabella replied, "Because I want an Oscar for Best Actress and a Best Picture."

"The former means I'm a great actor, and the latter proves I'm a strong producer."

"..."

Barry Mayer took a deep breath. "Okay, if that's how you put it... I'm fine with it..."

"Hehe~~"

Miss Beaver hung up the phone with a smile.

ok~
She's currently on the 2/4 mark in her Olympic aspirations!
The existing '2' represents Rowling and Warner.

The missing '2' has two meanings: one represents Disney, and the other represents... Spielberg.

Well, in the past, everyone said that Miramax's Weinstein brothers were the biggest driving force behind the Oscars, but at the Oscars ceremony, people actually thanked Spielberg the most, and the Weinstein brothers could only rank second.

The media doesn't report it because they dare not report it incorrectly.

Isabella's name may not be on this year's Oscar nominations list, but she is still on the list for other awards, such as the Grammys, which are also held at the beginning of each year.

Then, unlike the Oscars, which defines the scope of reporting based on the calendar year.

The Grammy Awards are awarded based on the US government's fiscal year.

That is to say-

即将举办的04年格莱美的评选作品乃是在02年10月1日至03年9月30日期间发布的作品。

This is also the real reason why Isabella Leong didn't receive a Grammy nomination in 02, even though the movie "The Voice" was a huge hit and was released in 03. It was all because of the problem with the Grammy's scheduling.

But this is not important.

Given Isabella's current popularity, the Grammys wouldn't dare deny her award. If they did, they'd be met with a storm of angry protesters.

Therefore, with the announcement of the nominations, Isabella naturally made the list.

"Party in the USA" was nominated for Song of the Year;

"The Climb" received a nomination for Best Original Song for Film or Television.

"Love Story" received a nomination for Best Country Song;

The Voice Original Soundtrack received a nomination for Best Original Film Score Album;

Her solo mini-album, *Isabella Haywood*, received a nomination for Best Record Packaging.
She herself received a nomination for Best Newcomer.

Yes, the Grammys gave her six nominations in one go!
Then, because the Grammy Awards are just as rigorous as the Golden Globes, when the invitations were sent out, the staff of the Recording Academy of Arts and Sciences made it clear that she would win five awards.

Aside from Best Original Music Album for Visual Media, which will be awarded to "The Lord of the Rings," all the other awards belong to her.

Regarding this…

Miss Beaver didn't react much.

Because she had no intention of attending the Grammys at all.

"What?"

"You said you're not planning to go to the Grammys?"

On the morning of February 19, 2004.

Isabella and Rowling were traveling by car to Warner.

Rowling went to Warner Bros. to attend a script workshop for "The Goblet of Fire".

When Little Beaver went to Warner, he accompanied Rowling to sit in on the proceedings.

Yes ~
Although Rowling had previously made a bold statement, saying that the end of the celebration party would be the start of her new job, but...

They're all just lies to fool kids.

The end of the celebration banquet marks the start of the New Year holiday, and few people will work during a time of family reunion.

So everyone went on vacation.

Perhaps it was because Miss Beaver hosted Rowling first? Or perhaps Rowling really likes Miss Beaver? In any case, while others parted ways, they didn't. For the past two weeks, both families have been traveling together to Hawaii, and Rowling was the one who treated them.

The whole process was enjoyable...

Well, when you have money, you can have fun no matter what you do...

Therefore, after feeling refreshed, they can talk about work in a very relaxed tone.

"Oh~ because I'm too lazy to go~"

Rowling's question made the little beaver yawn and lean lazily back in its chair.

"Too lazy to go?"

Rowling frowned slightly, not understanding what the little beaver was saying.

"correct."

Miss Beaver nodded and said, "Attending an awards ceremony is a hassle. You have to wear a glamorous dress, ride in a limousine, and walk the red carpet. Although I'm familiar with all of that because the premiere goes through the same process, a premiere and an awards ceremony are different, aren't they?"

"The premiere is like watching a movie; you can relax and lean back in your seat."

"But award ceremonies are a show, so you need to pay attention to your appearance."

"Imagine sitting there in gorgeous clothes, smiling for hours on end, wow~"

"Isn't this going to kill me?"

The little beaver made a "I'm dying" face.

His adorable appearance made Rowling laugh out loud.

“Oh—Isa—you really are—”

Rowling shook her head.

Somewhat emotional.

After a pause, she added, "So you're not going to the UK either? They should be giving you an award there, right?"

The BRIT Awards, also known as the British Grammys, are held annually at the beginning of the year.

So, along with the announcement of the nomination, an invitation was sent to Isabella.

And clearly stated—

She was last year's British Newcomer of the Year;
"Love Story" was the UK's Song of the Year last year.

but……

"I'm not going over there either."

Miss Beaver decisively shook her head.

"Is it also because of laziness?"

Rowling's lips curled into a smile, her eyes sparkling.

The girl pouted at the seemingly all-knowing look in her eyes and said, "Okay, Aunt Annie, I'll tell you the truth."

"The reason I don't attend these award ceremonies is because I haven't attended a single one so far."

"Therefore, if I were to attend an awards ceremony, the first one I would definitely attend would be one of my own people."

"Hahahaha—" Rowling burst into laughter.

Isabella's words may have been a bit convoluted, but Rowling understood them.

The girl's meaning was simple: if she had attended all sorts of award ceremonies before, then whether she went to the Grammys or ran around the UK, it would be a piece of cake.

Hmm, what do you mean it's tiring to sit upright in a formal dress for hours?
That's all nonsense.

She attends any award ceremony now just to show off. Since it's all about showing off, how could she possibly feel tired?

But when she never showed up at the awards ceremony...

The first awards ceremony she could attend was the British Academy Film Awards.

Don't ask why.

If you ask, then it means she's willing.

If you ask again, then it can only be under the direct control of the royal family.

When Isabella used someone else's connections, she, who never attends award ceremonies, was invited to one.
Isn't this the best illustration of power?

This is really not making a mountain out of a molehill.

Isn't the point of living to save face?

It's not about fawning over the other person.

They've already helped you, so what's wrong with you giving them a little praise?
Right?

Since these are all unspoken rules, Rowling didn't delve into them further.

We continued chatting about random things, such as the Emmy Awards.

Upon learning that the awards ceremony was held every September, and that Robert Iger had guaranteed that "The Voice" would win Best Variety Show and Best Competition Show, while "Party in the USA" would win Best Original Song and Best Music, Rowling's smile widened even further...

Amidst the commotion, the car arrived at Warner.

Nathan Bailey had been waiting at the door for quite some time.

Led by the other party, they entered the conference room.

After greeting Warner Bros. President Alan Horn, HP series producer David Heyman, director Chris Columbus, and screenwriter Steve Klover, who had already arrived, the group then formally began discussing work.

Preparations for "Goblet of Fire" actually began a long time ago.

To date, the entire project is in a state of near completion but also unable to be completed.

The reason it's said to be nearing completion is because all the costumes, props, and other related matters for "Goblet of Fire" have been finalized.

For example, the uniforms for Beauxbatons, a magic school in France, have already been finalized and prototyped.

For example, the casting process for Cheung Chau began last year, and a candidate has already been chosen: Katie Leung.

The reason it's considered impossible to complete is that the script for "The Goblet of Fire" has not yet been finalized.

Yes, it's already early 2004.

The start date for "Goblet of Fire" is set for spring or summer.

However, the script for "The Goblet of Fire" has not yet been finalized.

This is really...

Magic.

The reason it hasn't been finalized is simple:

After chatting for a while, Columbus said loudly, "Okay, okay, I'll put my stance here: I can't accept this script because too many things have been cut and changed, and it's completely different from the original story! If you insist on filming according to this script, then I can only say... I can't guarantee the final result of the movie!"

"But this is the best script we've produced after revising it more than fifty times!"

Screenwriter Klose banged on the table and said, "Chris, I've tried my best to connect all the plot points!"

"The reason there were so many cuts was purely because..."

At this point, Klose paused for a moment.

He glanced at Rowling, and seeing that her expression was normal, he continued to yell at Columbus: "The reason so much was cut is because 'The Goblet of Fire' is too long! It's a full 734 pages, you know that?"

"This much content can't be made into a movie!"

"Even God couldn't do it!"

"That's why I suggest splitting 'The Goblet of Fire' into two parts! Make it into two parts!"

At this point, Columbus's gaze shifted to Warner Bros. President Alan Horn and HP series producer David Heyman, saying, "If there are two movies, the story will be told very clearly!"

"And it's not difficult to operate, just like The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions!"

"Film the entire story in one go, then edit it, and release it all in the same year!"

"I personally think this move is fantastic!"

"so……"

"What do you think?"

Ok.

The reason why the script for "The Goblet of Fire" was not finalized was that Columbus wanted to make "The Goblet of Fire" into two parts.

(End of this chapter)