America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 181, Section 180: The Release of "Happy Death Day," Gal Gadot's Inner Thoughts

Through the window, Eric could see the two arguing as they got into the car and drove away.

It's likely that Avi Arad's impolite attitude and words just now displeased Isaac Perlmutter.

One conversation was enough to show that these two people were completely different.

The former are typical businessmen who believe that nothing is more important than money. Such people are actually easier to deal with because they can clearly put a price tag on everything in their minds.

The latter is more difficult to deal with; it involves getting an old otaku to sell his treasured collection of figurines and cards.

Unless the sky falls, no one should try to step in.

Since it was difficult, Eric decided not to handle it himself and simply handed it over to Isaac Perlmutter.

For his own benefit, he would probably stop at nothing.

As for his proposed equity swap, it's not unacceptable, but the degree of acceptance needs to be carefully considered.

MGM's current shareholding is divided into five parts, with MGM holding 98.2%, Judy holding 1%, Billy and Bordeaux each holding 0.3%, and Warren holding 0.2%.

The four of them initially followed Eric in betting on the World Cup, and each won some money, investing a total of $2000 million.

Although the number of shares was small, they were all worth tens of millions of dollars when MGM relisted a few months later.

If Isaac Perlmutter and Avi Arad reach an agreement, Eric's desired exchange rate is that the former can exchange for no more than 4% of the shares, and the latter no more than 2.5%.

He could then acquire 27% of Marvel's shares, becoming the largest individual shareholder.

Then, MGM would acquire 20% of the shares held by Beechcraft Toys, thus giving them a direct and indirect controlling stake of 47%.

It neither violates the rules nor fails to turn Marvel into its own personal fiefdom, leaving no one with the right to challenge its position.

After seeing the two off, Judy came over to report on her work.

She now serves as the vice president of both the scriptwriting and production departments, and everyone at MGM knows that she is Eric's most trusted and capable lieutenant.

"Boss, Christian Bale has accepted the offer to star in Inception. His asking price is $650 million."

"Heath Ledger was also very willing to take the role, and perhaps worried that he would be rejected if he asked for too high a price, he lowered his fee to $200 million, which was below market value."

Upon hearing this, Eric laughed heartily: "It seems you are all discerning people who recognize the excellence of this film."

"That's right, Heath Ledger hasn't been having a good time lately. The commercial and artistic performances of 'The Kelly Party' and 'The Sin Eater' haven't been great."

"He had hoped to solidify his position as the leading actor of Australia's new generation with these two films, but unfortunately he failed."

"In short, he desperately needs a critically acclaimed film to turn his career around."

Anyone in the entertainment industry knows how devastating a series of box office flops can be for an actor; they can easily be labeled as box office poison.

"When we were casting for the male lead in Transformers, I said I would work with him, and this time I've kept my promise."

"I'll accept their salary demands, and I'll personally talk to Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron."

"In person? It seems you have a really good relationship with these two women," Judy suddenly teased.

"Watch your tone, ma'am. If you have nothing else, please leave."

"And another thing, Clint Eastwood has agreed to direct and star in 'Million Dollar Baby,' for a total of $1400 million."

"So expensive? Is its market price really that high?" Eric asked, somewhat surprised.

Judy explained, "Because this old man gave up his share of the box office revenue, he probably thought that sports-themed films didn't have much box office potential."

"Hilary Swank also agreed to play the lead role, and her salary was much cheaper, only $400 million."

At this point, Judy suddenly frowned: "Actually, I've always felt it's a bit unfair. Christian Bale hasn't won any prestigious awards, yet he can ask for $650 million."

"Hilary Swank is an Oscar-winning actress, yet she only dares to ask for $400 million. This is really unreasonable. The difference in pay between male and female actors is too big."

Eric chuckled and said, "What are you trying to say? Sexism?"

Judy waved her hand: "Forget it, I'm just a woman venting my frustrations. Ultimately, the amount of money paid is determined by the market, and the market's choice is the audience's choice."

"The audience naturally includes both male and female viewers, so half the reason why actresses' pay is low is due to the women themselves."

"Those of us who study finance understand that it is women who choose to lower themselves."

Eric shrugged: "Yeah, it's my own choice, so I can't blame anyone else. In fact, for the vast majority of actors, the pay standards for men and women are the same, so there is no discrimination at all."

"The standard pay for extras is $100 a day, and newcomers playing supporting roles for the first time will not be paid more than $2. Everyone starts at the same level."

"These actors make up more than 99% of all practitioners, so the pay for male and female actors is very fair."

"As for the less than 1% of big stars, these people are victims of survivorship bias and do not represent the entire acting community at all."

"As for the unequal pay of big stars, the audience should honestly ask themselves why."

"The same applies to the modeling industry. Why do top female models earn far more than male models? Men should ask themselves why."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Anyway, I've agreed to the salary. Get in touch with Clint Eastwood as soon as possible. I hope the project can start within five months."

The reason for giving such a long preparation time is mainly to allow Hilary Swank time to train and learn boxing.

This is a film vying for an Oscar; it needs to be perfect in every aspect to have any hope.

Furthermore, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the actual filming time for this type of movie will not exceed two months.

Clint Eastwood is known in the industry for his efficiency in filmmaking; it's normal for him to finish a project within a month and a half, and it's guaranteed to be released next year.

Judy noted down the request: "Then there's The Passion of the Christ. The film is finished, and Mel Gibson wants to invite you to an internal screening."

"Also involved were evangelical Christians from Colorado Springs and religious leaders from Pennsylvania to ensure that the film's content did not violate the Bible."

Upon hearing this, Eric refused without hesitation. He had no interest in this kind of purely religious film and did not want to get involved in anything other than distribution.

Although Monica Bellucci is among the main cast, there's no need to make a special effort to get to know her.

Ball flowers?

But in Eric's mind, Bissellon was still inferior.

"Just send anyone with no faith. Judging from the plot and art alone is enough. Also, set the release date for February next year."

"Okay, lastly, there's the issue of 'Mean Girls.' The Olsen twins don't want to be in it, so what are your thoughts?"

"Should we personally intervene and persuade them, or choose other actresses?"

After a moment's thought, Eric said, "Let's have an open audition then, and we'll choose Andrea as the director."

"Her basic skills are very solid, and she has a good sense of both business and art. Moreover, she has worked on two projects with me, and her ability to independently guide others has greatly improved."

"After filming for 'House of Cards' wraps up, she'll probably really enjoy this new job; it's much more exciting than making short films."

Judy chuckled mischievously: "Every assistant director on your project has improved their skills quickly. It's because you like to be a hands-off manager."

"Hahaha... I guess this is a way of indirectly nurturing talent."

Time flies, and it's already the end of August. After a month of fighting, Get Out has raked in nearly $1.35 million at the box office, an absolute super success.

It's about two weeks away from its full potential, and it's expected to gross over $1.5 million in North America, with a possible breakthrough of $1.6 million.

However, its overseas box office performance was far inferior to that in North America.

Eric believes that France should be the country with the highest overseas box office, after all, there are quite a few black people there.

In another ten years, they'll almost have taken over Paris and will drive the old Parisians out of France.

Unexpectedly, the highest-grossing film was in South Korea, where it grossed over $900 million despite being released simultaneously in Europe.

In contrast, the highest grossing film in Europe was from the UK, followed by France, which only earned a little over $700 million at the box office.

Is it because of class oppression in South Korea and the superiority of the US military stationed there that Koreans resonate with racial discrimination?

The company's total overseas box office has just surpassed $4500 million, and it is expected to reach $6000 million globally by the end of the year.

While Get Out continued to rake in box office revenue, Happy Death Day was also due for its release.

As Gal Gadot's first starring film, although it was a low-budget production, Eric still decided to hold a premiere.

The event wasn't very large; it mainly invited media from Los Angeles and nearby cities, as well as some well-known film critics.

After all, she's my woman. If I don't pamper her, who will?

Moreover, promoting it now will also boost the box office of Transformers two months later, so Eric made an unprecedented appearance at the premiere.

It's worth noting that he hasn't attended any such events since the premiere of "Red Dragon" last year.

The red carpet wasn't very long, and most of the fans were hired. The extras created a great atmosphere, making it look like a big movie premiere on the surface.

After the formalities were completed, the movie segment began.

The original plot of "Happy Death Day" is very melodramatic. The female protagonist shares the same birthday as her mother, and after her mother dies, she begins to indulge herself and distance herself from her father.

She transformed herself into a "bad girl," stopped celebrating her birthday, and eventually, after experiencing a time loop, she redeemed herself, reconciled, and became a good girl.

What utter rubbish logic!

Your mother wasn't killed by your father, so is that your reason for turning bad? You even became a mistress and seduced a married man. You're a complete green tea bitch, you deserve to be killed.

It's basically just a time loop premise; otherwise, this kind of melodramatic movie would definitely have been a flop.

With such a terrible plot, Eric definitely needs to make some major changes.

First, remove the character of the female lead's father and change her to someone who lost her father at a young age and then caused her mother's accidental death due to her own mistakes.

That's why she closed herself off and gradually fell into depravity, using it to numb her pain—that makes more sense.

But there's a limit to decadence. While "Happy Death Day" may seem like a horror film, it's actually more like a teen comedy.

In particular, the various ways the female lead dies create an effect that is not scary at all, but rather a bit funny. Coupled with cheerful music, it gives you the feeling of watching something entertaining.

So Eric also deleted the plot where the female lead was a mistress and changed it to her seeking help after being killed repeatedly.

The story follows her teacher and friends who ultimately decide to help her, only to be killed repeatedly by the serial killer.

All of this made her feel the warmth of human kindness, which helped her to redeem herself and achieve reconciliation.

On the big screen, after the lion's head roared, the movie officially began.

Gadot quietly squeezed Eric's hand and whispered, "Honey, I was so nervous walking the red carpet and doing the interviews."

Amused by her charmingly naive appearance, Eric grinned and said, "You'll get used to it. Just adjust your mood; you have an interview coming up."

"Did you notice my shoes? Aren't they too flat? I should be wearing heels."

"Forget about that idea. You're already taller than Benjamin McKinsey. If you wear high heels, how will he feel about going on stage?"

"Hehe, you're right. Come to my place after this is over."

"Itchy? Want it?" Eric teased.

Gadot scratched his palm and answered without hesitation, "Yes, I miss you so much! I need you to fill my heart and my body."

As he spoke, he licked his lips, his eyes practically brimming with tears.

The movie ended a little over an hour later.

Many audience members and media personnel spontaneously stood up and applauded. MGM didn't pay for this segment; it was their natural reaction.

After all, they are new directors and actors, so film critics and journalists won't have too high expectations of them. The quality of the film has already exceeded many people's expectations.

Directors and actors including Gal Gadot, the Russo brothers, and Benjamin McKenzie went on stage to continue their interviews.

During the interview, when questions about screenwriting came up, the media's attention was drawn to Eric.

He didn't want to go on stage, but he still had to go up and answer a few questions.

The Q&A session ended more than half an hour later, and the cocktail party continued, but Eric left early.

They went straight to Gadot's apartment, and Wonder Woman finally finished her social engagement and returned to her room around 11 p.m.

After washing up, they lay in bed and began to make love, expressing their longing for each other during this time.

The constant shouting made it impossible for the neighbor, Barrefali, to stop, so she simply walked out of her house.

She was devastated.

"This is never going to end! I've put up with you for an hour, and you've gone on for another hour."

"I thought things would finally stop, but you're still going on. Are you trying to kill us all?"

"I'm tired of listening, but not tired of doing it! That's too much!"

"Lust is a steel blade that scrapes your bones; sooner or later, it'll scrape you two bastards to death!"

(End of this chapter)