America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 246, page 245: Hollywood, a land of Jews, let's give them a little trouble.

"Why does it feel like I'm the one who was solicited?"

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching Zhou Wenqiong get into a taxi and leave without looking back, Eric muttered to himself.

He initially thought the other person was like Liu Xiaoli, but it didn't seem so.

Zhou Wenqiong is more like someone who pursues opportunities and is eager to climb the ladder through her own abilities rather than through nepotism.

In contrast, Liu Xiaoli was more innocent, trading purely to obtain resources, and Eric was simply venting his desires on her. Both of them were innocent.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that Zhou Wenqiong is playing hard to get, deliberately appearing carefree in order to attract his attention.

But upon closer reflection, that shouldn't be the case. Does a 40-year-old woman have the qualifications? Does Eric lack women around him? Moreover, during their several hours of conversation, Zhou Wenqiong did demonstrate a thorough understanding of the industry.

"Or, as Ms. Valentine suggested, give her a managerial position to try it out, a one-year trial period, a small gamble."

"Damn it! That bitch really knows her tricks; I'm actually considering this."

An idea popped into his head, and he picked up his phone and dialed the number.

"Eric?" Zhou Wenqiong was a little surprised, probably not expecting the phone to ring so soon after she left.

"Don't be surprised, I've considered your suggestion."

"So fast? So the answer is no?" The other person sounded somewhat disappointed.

Why?

"Because affirming someone always requires careful consideration, while denying someone often only requires three seconds of thought."

"An interesting conclusion, but it doesn't apply to me. You've got the position you wanted, ma'am."

I paused for a moment, then a few seconds later a soft laugh came from the phone.

"Did you smile happily?"

"Yes, good news always makes people smile, but can I ask? Never mind, I won't ask."

"You want to know if you got your position because you slept with me?"

"right."

"you guess."

"Well"

After teasing her for a bit, Eric stopped joking: "Joan, you have to pay the price for what you gain. I'll give you a year to prove yourself, but you must first complete a test."

"I'm going to fire 70% of the original cast and crew of the theater. You can decide who stays and who leaves, but I don't want anyone to cause trouble. Can you do that?"

"No problem, give me a week, and I'll get rid of those incompetent people immediately!" Zhou Wenqiong promised right away.

"You control the process yourself. I know you've been suppressed and it's understandable that you harbor resentment, but don't drive away capable people just to settle personal scores."

The other person sneered: "Eric, do I look like a child who can't distinguish between public and private matters? At least wait until the theater is back on track, then it won't be too late for revenge."

"Very good. I hate you but I still need to use you. That's the quality a qualified leader should have."

"Also, coordinate with my secretary Carol. You can choose any MGM film to adapt into a stage play. I just want to see the results."

"Any more questions? If not, I'll hang up."

"Thank you, boss!"

Laying off employees is always a challenge, especially when you take over a new company that's on the verge of bankruptcy.

Distinguishing between capable employees and lazy ones has always been a technical challenge.

Instead of wasting a lot of time doing this, it's better to let Zhou Wenqiong play the villain. Outsiders can't understand the inside story as well as insiders.

After hanging up the phone, Eric got dressed, wiped the faint lipstick stain from his neck, and left.

This week, "The Hangover" grossed $1230 million, ranking 5th on the weekly charts.

The film grossed $2.13 million in North America and topped the box office in several countries overseas, reaching $1.33 million.

With a global box office of $3.46 million, it strongly topped the 2004 box office charts, but this was only temporary, since commercial blockbusters are generally released during the summer and Christmas seasons.

The Hangover continues to dominate theaters, with BOX predicting a global box office of $4.5 million, exceeding countless people's expectations.

Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate, Fox, and other major studios are already sifting through their script libraries for these kinds of scatological movies, picking and choosing the ones with the most sleazy and vulgar content to film.

The tendency to follow trends is a global problem in the film industry. Many Chinese people believe that their country is full of bad movies, rampant internet traffic, and garbage, while Hollywood produces high-quality blockbusters, and even commercial films have special effects and grand scenes to guarantee quality.

This idea isn't exactly right, but it's also ridiculously wrong.

The illusion is simply due to the environment, like an information cocoon, where Hollywood's bad movies are kept out of the country.

Those who get in are all screened; otherwise, how would they make money from your box office? No fool would fall for it repeatedly.

Even in the DVD market and the pirated disc market, they will choose some famous movies, otherwise the discs will lose money. And the probability of bad movies among famous movies is much smaller, so this misconception is created.

The film ranked 14th is Warner Bros.' "The Hangover," which had a budget more than double that of "The Hangover," starred Ben Stiller, and was directed by Todd Phillips.

However, Phillips rejected his offer, and he instead chose The Hangover.

The two films were released a week apart. "The Hangover" was undoubtedly a huge hit, and "The Dumbbells" also had a good start, winning the box office champion for a week.

However, the subsequent drop was significant, and the second week was overshadowed by The Hangover's third week.

Both movies are comedies; eat more in "The Hangover" and less in "The Double."

As a result, the analysis agency revised its forecast, initially predicting $1.5 million in North America and $2.7 million globally, but now it has been revised to $1 million in North America and $2 million globally.

It is still profitable, but Warner will definitely earn less than the $8000 million investment.

In comparison, the outside world can't help but praise Todd Phillips's eye for talent, and he has already received many invitations.

As dawn broke, a black Lincoln sedan was driving on its way to Los Angeles International Airport.

"Carol, you don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I just went to bed a little late. I'll be fine after I go back and rest for a bit."

Eric nodded: "Zhou Wenqiong will contact you in the next few days. She will be in charge of the Hassend Theater for the time being. You will coordinate things well."

"Okay, boss."

"By the way, where did Judy Newhouse go? It feels like I haven't heard her voice in a while?"

"Judy took leave a week ago, which coincides with your return to China. It will expire in two days."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I'm not sure, I only know it's a family matter, and she needs to go back to New York to deal with it."

Eric gave a soft "hmm" and didn't ask any more questions.

Last night I battled Gal Gadot for half the night, leaving her exhausted. The price was that I haven't recovered yet and only slept for less than three hours. I need to get a good night's sleep before I board the plane.

The car slowly came to a stop. Eric opened his eyes and got out, with Carole following behind carrying some things.

"Alright, Carol, you can go back now."

Eric took the bag and prepared to board the plane, but noticed that the other person seemed hesitant to speak, which puzzled him.

"Is there anything else?"

"Boss, even though the premiere is canceled, are you not even going to the premiere screening?" Carol asked.

"There's no need for that. Although The Passion of the Christ is a good movie, it will definitely be criticized. We won't be the target."

"But Mel Gibson and the others will be there, and it wouldn't be good if none of us showed up?"

Eric thought for a moment: "Your consideration makes sense. Here's what we'll do: the distribution company is AK Films. You can inform Warren to attend."

"Anyway, MGM can just stay behind the scenes and collect the money for this movie. Go back and warn everyone in the company not to say anything out of line. I don't want to cause any trouble in the media."

"clear!"

Watching the white dot gradually disappear on the horizon, Carol couldn't help but think to herself, "Eric left at the perfect time. Filming is one reason, but getting away for some peace and quiet is probably another."

The journey was quite long. By the time the plane landed, it was already 3 p.m., and by the time we arrived at Snow Castle, there wasn't much time left for filming today.

On set, watching the orderly filming, Eric couldn't help but nod in approval.

This scene is a highlight for Tom Hardy's character, Eames. Following the pre-arranged fighting moves, he swiftly and decisively takes down each enemy, performing the action beautifully.

boom!

The prop gun fired, the stuntman fell to the ground, Neil yelled "Cut!", and that was a good take.

"Well done! Looks like you're adapting well to your new position." Eric walked over and clapped his hands in praise.

Neill Blomkamp chuckled a few times: "Director, if you saw my first day in the film, you definitely wouldn't applaud."

"It's thanks to everyone's cooperation that I've gradually become familiar with things, but the progress is much slower than when you were here. I've only completed two-thirds of the expected goal. I'm sorry."

"Everyone has an initial adjustment period. Send the footage you've shot these past few days to my room tonight."

Knowing that Eric wanted to check his work, he confidently said, "I guarantee that it was shot exactly according to your storyboard, down to the last detail."

"Eric, didn't you say you'd be there by three? You've dragged this out so long, everyone's thinking you've already graduated!" Nicole's tone was filled with worry and reproach.

"That's right, this is Chile, and we're worried you'll pull off an Andean miracle." Theron and the others came over to greet them.

Eric looked speechless: "I just forgot to factor in the time it would take to get to Snow Castle after landing, but the plane did arrive at 3 o'clock sharp."

"Andean miracle? If something really happens, I'll be the first to eat you all!"

The Andean miracle mentioned here refers to a real plane crash that occurred in the 1970s.

The plane crashed while flying over the Andes Mountains, killing 21 of the 45 passengers instantly and leaving 24 survivors.

Subsequently, these 24 people faced extreme cold, injuries, and hunger in the boundless snow-capped mountains, and 16 of them miraculously made it out of the snowy region alive, a feat known as the Andean Miracle.

However, later investigations revealed a cruel reality: the survivors were able to survive by feeding on the flesh and blood of the victims.

After the truth was revealed, public opinion began to waver, and criticism followed.

Ultimately, some of these 16 people could not bear it and committed suicide, while others disappeared without a trace, their whereabouts unknown. Behind the so-called miracle lies a cruel tragedy.

"Okay, but I don't have enough meat. Theron should be more delicious," Nico chuckled.

"Hmm? Is she saying I'm fat?" Upon hearing this, Theron immediately started to make connections and smiled, preparing to retaliate.

Eric keenly sensed something was wrong and broke the conversation first.

"Speaking of cannibalism, I suddenly remembered a novel, *Life of Pi*. Have you read it?"

Bell's eyes lit up: "I've read it, Yann Martel's work, a very good novel."

"Yes, especially the analysis of human nature, which contains metaphors, struggles, sacrifices, and transcendence, is captivating."

Bell nodded: "I think this is a book about how people should get along with the world. After reading it, I felt that this journey was not about covering up the bestiality of mankind, but about having more faith in humanity."

Look, this is what an actor who loves learning looks like. What do actors ultimately rely on? It's their cultural foundation, and reading is the best way to accumulate that foundation.

Seeing that the two were talking about a book they had never heard of, the others couldn't get a word in edgewise and had to leave.

"Eric, I think 'Life of Pi' is a great film to make. It's the kind of film that you can tell at a glance is an Oscar contender."

"I agree with that, MGM will launch this project."

"Um?"

"Hehe. I've already got the novel's copyright, but I need to find a suitable director to start it. It has to be a director who is extremely good at controlling emotions and the mind."

"Could I have a cameo role?" Bell asked excitedly.

"I know there isn't a main role that suits me, but I'm happy with just a cameo role. I really love this novel."

"no problem."

Midnight, Los Angeles, Kodak Theatre.

Today is the premiere day of "The Passion of the Christ". Due to the special nature of the film, even the Arc Cinema that MGM has always used has been abandoned, and the premiere has been scheduled here.

The film has been in development for two years, from its initial planning stages to its release today, and has been the subject of constant controversy.

The main group opposing the film was Jews, because Jesus was betrayed by Judas, who was Jewish. This is why the film struggled to find distributors, as the Jewish community still makes up a significant portion of Hollywood's population.

For example, many well-known celebrities such as Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Robert Downey Jr., Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Ben Stiller, Adrien Brody, Orlando Bloom, and Scarlett Johansson all have Jewish ancestry.

Besides celebrities, many of the top executives at Disney, Universal, and Warner are Jewish. While they haven't been completely controlled, they can still influence company decisions.

Other large and medium-sized companies also have Jewish employees to some extent, but so far only MGM and Fox seem to be relatively clean.

But when Mel Gibson approached Fox, the company was very cautious and hesitant. Only Eric approved it, but then passed the hot potato to AK Films, their front man.

Although the movie is controversial, it also has its advantages, namely saving on publicity costs. You don't need to fight back; those who criticize and boycott you will naturally fight for you.

MGM treated it very well, opening in 3100 theaters, a number that many of its own films couldn't achieve.

The reason is not complicated; Eric also hates those Jews who are hypocritical and like to jump around!

Why not cause them some trouble?

As for Gadot, she agrees with whatever he does.

She had never served in the military and did not believe in any religion; she only felt a sense of belonging to her family.

As for Jewish ancestry, I have absolutely no connection to you, so don't try to claim kinship with me!

(End of this chapter)