America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 141. You're just lusting after her body, you despicable person!

After leaving Studio 6, Eric returned to the set of "Blue Is the Warmest Color".

By this time, he had obtained Charlize Theron's private phone number and urged her to quickly open a Facebook account.

Silently memorize the phone number, recite it several times, and then firmly remember it.

Eric then tore the note to shreds and threw it away; otherwise, it would have been unprofessional.

And if the Olsen twins, Gadot, and Nicole find out, there will definitely be another round of questioning.

The image that comes to mind is Charlize Theron, not the villainous Charlize Theron, but her sexy performances in films like Fast & Furious, Snow White, Paris, and Dior Gossip Girl.

Having started as a dancer and model before moving to Hollywood, she has been in the industry for eight years, and her beauty has spread throughout the world.

However, don't assume that goddesses are always goddesses; Charlize Theron's childhood was actually not easy.

During her student days, she was slightly overweight, wore thick glasses due to nearsightedness, and her teeth were ruined by antibiotics.

Charlize Theron was once introverted, had low self-esteem, and didn't fit in with others. She faced setbacks at school and didn't have many friends.

Even more unfortunately, his father had an alcoholic disorder and enjoyed abusing Theron and his mother.

When she was 15, Theron's father got drunk again and started firing indiscriminately with a machine gun, threatening to kill his daughter.

To protect her daughter, Theron's mother shot and killed her husband, and Theron witnessed the whole thing.

Fortunately, the court ultimately ruled it was legitimate self-defense, and the mother and daughter were safe.

These experiences fostered Theron's independent and resilient character.

Later, as her body began to develop and Theron recovered from her illness, she finally began to train herself to become a queen.

Starting with "The Italian Job," her queen-like aura began to emerge.

Standing at 177cm tall, with a perfectly sculpted face reminiscent of ancient Greece, a long neck, a stunning back view, and impossibly long legs, when Theron grew up, even God was amazed that a human could be created so perfectly.

Eric had to admit that Charlize Theron was the most beautiful and coolest woman he had ever seen.

In terms of beauty, Nicole and she each have their own unique characteristics.

But when it comes to charisma, Theron has the edge.

Moreover, Theron was born in 1975 and is 28 years old this year, a full 8 years younger than Neeko. It goes without saying what age means for a woman.

Unfortunately, Theron now has a boyfriend, a minor celebrity named Stewart Townsend.

This guy doesn't have many works, and those few aren't particularly outstanding. His most striking label is that he's the boyfriend of the sexy goddess Charlize Theron.

Compared to Charlize Theron's career, the woman's strength and the man's weakness are obvious, which makes him seem somewhat like a tiger in the serious crimes unit.

Moreover, this kid has a bad temper and a tendency towards domestic violence, although it hasn't shown up yet.

Eric recalls that in 2022, Stewart Townsend was arrested for domestic violence against his wife.

For Theron, her father's domestic violence left an indelible shadow on her, and to then have such a boyfriend was truly bad luck.

As a champion of justice, Eric felt it was his duty to appear like Superman and save her from her predicament.

Who cares if this fire is burning now or not? Since it will burn in the future, wouldn't it be better to put it out in advance?

That's right, that's exactly how it should be!

We need to find a way to kick that Stuart out of here. You son of a bitch, do you think you deserve to enjoy a woman as good as Theron!

However, this cannot be rushed; we need to proceed gradually to avoid losing more than we gain.

The best approach is to let Stuart Townsend reveal his bad character, and then Eric can take the opportunity to wield the hoe.

If you wield your hoe well, there's no corner you can't dig down.

With that thought in mind, Eric returned to Studio 4.

Seeing him return, Ashley handed him a peeled orange: "Eric, where have you been?"

Eric didn't hide anything: "I went to visit the set. They're filming 'Monster' in Studio 6 next door. I went to check on the progress."

"Monster? I know that movie, the crime film starring Charlize Theron, right?"

"Yes, the director was my assistant director when I was filming 'Transformers,' and I also promoted him."

Eric completely ignored Theron's offer. He knew exactly what the little girl was thinking; she was still too green to use such a tactic of getting information out of her.

As he spoke, he looked at Neil Blomkamp: "Neil, Patty is filming in Studio 6. Go check on her when you have time."

"Really? Has her movie started filming?" Neill Blomkamp rushed over and asked.

"Yes, filming just started recently, and I invested $800 million."

"OMG! So many! Director, when will I be able to direct independently? I don't mind if the pay is less."

Eric chuckled coldly: "Have you forgotten what I said last time? You still need more experience."

"After we finish filming 'Blue Is the Warmest Color,' I'll start filming a political thriller, and you'll come back to be my assistant."

"For the next project, we'll see how things go. If it's suitable, I'll let you try being an assistant director first, and then we'll consider the possibility of directing independently."

Neill Blomkamp clenched his fist: "No problem, you're fast at filming anyway."

Eric glared at him: "This isn't about how fast or slow I shoot, it's about how efficient you are at learning. Put in more effort in your spare time and try to get the director's microphone next year."

"Of course, I will try my best!"

"Neil, if you were to become a director, what kind of movies would you like to make?" Mary asked curiously.

"Science fiction movies, I think science fiction movies are the best way to showcase imagination. You can make movies about aliens, robots, superpowers, it's all very cool!" Neil answered without hesitation.

Eric chuckled inwardly. His tastes had remained consistent; his two most famous later works, "District 9," featured aliens, while "Chappie" featured robots.

"Science fiction films are difficult to make, and they're also very expensive," Mary said, shaking her head slightly.

Everyone knows that even if Eric was brought up by him, MGM would never invest a huge sum of money in a science fiction film for a newcomer.

Eric glanced at the time, finished his orange, and said, "Alright, now's not the time to discuss sci-fi movies. Besides, sci-fi movies don't necessarily need big budgets."

"We can start with a small budget. If we just change our perspective, nothing is impossible."

"There's a very unique sci-fi film sitting in MGM's script library right now. If you're up to the task, we can let you make it next year."

"Really?" Neal Blomkamp asked in surprise.

Have I ever lied to anyone?

"Director, what's the script? What's it called? Can I take a look?"

"Sure, the movie is called 'Chronicle.' I'll have Judy find it for you another day."

"Chronicle, the name sounds amazing!"

Time flies, and ten days have passed in the blink of an eye. Today is June 12th.

The battle continues on the big screen, with Finding Nemo continuing its runaway success, raking in $6500 million in its opening week.

While this figure is already quite strong, it still falls short of top blockbusters like The Matrix Reloaded, Spider-Man, and The Lord of the Rings by tens of millions.

But the scary thing about animated films is that they are suitable for all ages, so a whole family can watch them at once.

Moreover, Finding Nemo received widespread acclaim from film critics, with rave reviews on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

It even boosted sales of clownfish in the pet market.

So, as the second week was about to end, its decline was only 34%, far lower than the typical 45% for blockbuster films, which is quite alarming.

The Purge grossed $2700 million in its second week in North America and $1100 million so far in its third week, both within acceptable ranges.

The global box office also increased by nearly ten million US dollars, with the total overseas box office reaching 18 million US dollars. The global cumulative box office is currently 1.01 million US dollars, just over 100 million.

Compared to the cost, AK Films has undoubtedly succeeded in making a big profit with a small investment and has created a sustainable cash cow.

Director Anthony Ferrante has now become a hot commodity for many companies.

A few days ago, when Béma came to report on her work, she mentioned the issue of Anthony Ferrante.

"Boss, Anthony is a hot director right now, especially after the success of 'The Purge.' He's received offers from Lionsgate, Warner Bros., and Paramount. He's a real star."

Eric chuckled. "And then? Did he agree?"

"He has ideas. He came to talk to me and wants to improve his compensation. For 'Sharknado 2' in the second half of the year, he hopes to get a share of the profits like Ryan Reynolds and increase his fixed salary to $100 million."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Upon hearing this request, Eric grinned and said, "It's normal to have ideas, after all, he directed the film. It's just that he doesn't quite recognize his own contribution."

"The key to the success of these two films lies in the script and the concept, not the director. Even if anyone else had been in charge, the result wouldn't have been any worse."

Bemahadi nodded: "That's right. Even I, who don't understand filmmaking, can see the truth, but Anthony seems to be lost in hype and box office success."

"My opinion on his demands is that they can be partially accepted, with the fixed salary increased to $50, since some fans still recognize his brand."

"However, a profit-sharing arrangement is impossible, especially since he's demanding a 5% share of the gross profit; he's practically drunk and joking."

"The contract Ryan Reynolds signed for Sharknock 2 was only 2% of the net profit, and Reynolds and his agent were already very satisfied with that figure."

Eric hummed in agreement. He knew that Transformers hadn't been released yet, and The Hangover was about to start filming.

Ryan Reynolds' fate for the next few years is in his own hands, and at this point, the company is already being very generous in giving him a share of the profits.

Even if he doesn't get a share of the profits, Ryan Reynolds would still obediently comply if he were given only a symbolic dollar as payment.

Otherwise, we'll cut your scenes out in one go and see if you cry!

After a moment's thought, Eric said, "Let's do it your way. If Anthony Ferrante is a smart man, he'll accept the terms."

"If he's an idiot, then let him go. There will be plenty of frustrated directors who want to take his place."

"Okay, I understand."

Facebook is also doing very well. It just updated its first version a few days ago, adding features such as real-name authentication for public figures and Bluetooth image transfer.

The first feature is alright; it only targets celebrities and doesn't have much impact on the general public.

The second feature received positive feedback from all users. Many people had previously complained that uploading images was inconvenient, but this issue has now been resolved.

As for the lack of Bluetooth functionality, you can't expect me to replace both your computer and phone for you.

In less than two weeks, Facebook's user base has been growing at an average rate of 80 new users per day, and has now reached the tens of millions.

This emerging social network has frequently appeared in major newspapers and online news, and even privately it has attracted many reporters who have requested to visit and interview it.

This includes influential media outlets in North America such as NBC, ABC, and The New York Times.

Fitzheisenberg gave several interviews, but faced with this new user who suddenly appeared and swept the market with overwhelming force.

Most media outlets did not offer praise, but instead expressed concern.

The criticisms are particularly focused on Facebook's censorship and user privacy.

CBS even produced a special interview program featuring three journalism and sociology professors from Harvard and Yale Universities.

Ask them to publicly discuss their views on Facebook on the show, but who in the industry doesn't understand this stuff?

It's called a free interview, but the questions are actually all pre-arranged. The TV station might even give you a draft of the answers beforehand, which you just need to memorize and read in front of the camera.

Negative news is always the most attractive, so this interview program didn't say anything good about Facebook; it was all about concerns about the future and worries about the online environment.

Conversely, Silicon Valley is very optimistic about Facebook, and almost all of its comments are positive.

This includes Elon Musk, the future world's richest man and Silicon Valley's Iron Man; Steve Jobs, who was brought back to lead the company; Bill Gates, the current world's richest man; and Larry Page, one of the founders of Google.

They all said that Facebook is a highly innovative new form of social network that will completely revolutionize the relationship between people, as evidenced by its skyrocketing user growth.

These Silicon Valley elites are also very interested in Facebook's current user base and hope it can be made public.

However, the company strictly adhered to Eric's request and would not release user data to the public for any time, at least until the balloon had grown big enough.

Many people are now very interested in who is behind Facebook, and almost everyone knows that Fitzgerald is just a puppet who has been pushed to the forefront.

His resume is so simple that a quick check reveals it's impossible for him to have so many Hollywood stars endorse him. Some have already speculated that his backer might have deep connections with the entertainment industry.

Eric hasn't been to Silicon Valley recently; there are too many reporters camped out there, so it's best to keep a low profile.

He stayed on set and at the company, and when he had free time, he would go shopping around the "Monster" filming location, where he and Patty Jenkins made a cameo appearance together.

It wasn't a cameo appearance, but rather each director directing scenes in the other's films. Cameo appearances between directors are quite common in the entertainment industry.

(End of this chapter)