America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 251. Six Major Moves Unleashed, the First Battle Begins!

"MGM has gone completely mad. First they backed Mel Gibson, and now they're going to get into this streaming thing. I still don't understand what streaming means."

At a private party, Charlie Sheen drank and complained.

Elton John sighed, "Charlie, I thought you threw another party like last time, and I flew all the way back from abroad to attend. Turns out it was just drinking and chatting."

"Uh, I originally hired a dozen or so actresses from the San Fernando Valley, but now everyone's talking about it, so I've lost interest and sent them back."

Charlie Sheen's penchant for throwing slut parties is well-known in the industry. His group of cronies always have a blast. Isn't the reason everyone likes to be friends with a scoundrel like you just because of this hobby?

You've actually stopped doing it? You can't even recognize your place!

Elton John shook his head, inwardly cursing, "You're not interested, but I am. Don't let my age fool you, I've got my medicine with me, and I'm ready for another three hundred rounds."

James Franco was lying on the sofa, puffing on a cigarette and chuckling to himself.

Since rising to fame for his role as Harry Osborn, the Green Goblin, in "Spider-Man," James Franco received an invitation to join this secret party.

He has a bad reputation and is a complete scoundrel at heart. It's just that he hasn't been famous for long and has hidden it very well. At least it hasn't been exposed yet.

At Charlie Sheen's party, everyone had to hand over their cell phones, recording was forbidden, and absolute secrecy was required. Here, James Franco completely let loose and revealed his wicked nature.

"Hahaha. Eric Cooper, a guy who's been lying on his father's laurels, this little brat is definitely not mentally sound."

"Lionheart is a load of rubbish, streaming media is a load of rubbish. All I see is that it has offended the six major companies and all the TV stations in the United States at the same time. It's finished, and MGM is about to be finished too."

"Can you imagine? This idiot is completely out of his mind. I would have fared much better as the president of MGM."

John Mayer gulped down a glass of brandy and looked at James Franco with a mocking expression: "I think you're just jealous. He didn't give you the lead role in Transformers, but he gave you some nobody."

"I heard you were the most famous person to audition that day, but you lost to Chris Evans. Now he's not only Sam, but also Captain America, while you're still the Green Goblin."

"Frank, so you're really upset, am I right?"

James Franco blew a puff of tobacco at the other man: "Shut your stinking mouth, John! He even won a Grammy!"

"And is that guy a musician? They say he can't even read sheet music, yet he beats all of you professionals. You should be ashamed!"

"Alright, stop arguing and help me think of this problem." Charlie Sheen paced back and forth anxiously.

"What's the problem?"

"The question I just mentioned."

"Charlie, you haven't said anything yet."

"Huh? Fuck! My head is getting more and more confused. MGM has several big productions coming out recently, and my agent got an audition spot."

"But now Eric Cooper is clearly going to take the company to its doom. Should I still go for the interview? If I act in an MGM movie, will the Big Six hold a grudge and affect my future career? I'm really torn."

Elton John rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "Everyone knows about your mess, it's all infamous, why would anyone hire you?"

However, since Charlie Sheen participated in the Sony Columbia sitcom "Two and a Half Men" last year, his superb acting skills and hilarious plot have indeed made this scoundrel popular again, and his salary once approached one million US dollars, which is considered a top salary in the American TV series industry.

James Franco waved his hand: "If it were mine, I definitely wouldn't audition again; I'd just find an excuse to turn it down."

"On one side is MGM, on the other are the six major national television networks. Even a fool should know which to choose."

"James, but we are actors. This is a battle between film and television companies. Neither the guild nor the agency has expressed support for either side. I don't think it will have much impact even if I participate. There is a role that I really like."

Seeing Charlie Sheen's conflicted expression of "I'm worried but I want it too," James Franco felt nauseous and vomited.

"Wake up, Charlie Sheen. I've received information, top-secret information that won't be released to the public."

"If you're not going to disclose it to the public, how did you find out?"

"Well"

"Okay, hurry up and tell me."

"The top executives of the six major companies held a meeting a few days ago to launch a surprise attack on MGM. They have to teach that kid Eric Cooper a lesson. This plan has a code name: Operation Leo. Do you know what that means?"

Charlie Sheen shook his head. He lived each day in a daze, his brain unable to hold much more than drinking, taking drugs, and having sex.

"Idiot, you're from the 60s, don't you know what the name Leo means? MGM, Leo, don't you know?"

"That lion, I mean that lion!" Charlie Sheen belatedly realized.

It's well-known that MGM's opening logo features a roaring lion, but many people don't know that in the early days, this lion wasn't a special effects composite, but rather a live-action shot.

In the 20s, you couldn't do special effects, so in order to create this opening sequence, the company had to rent a real lion and film the moment it roared.

It's said that they went through several photographers, and the lion's belly was almost bursting, but of course, that's a joke.

MGM has used a total of seven different lions for its opening sequences, each with its own name. For example, the first one was called Cairbre, and it was later renamed Slats.

The second lion was named Jackie, and the third was named Telly.

However, MGM refers to them collectively as Leo, which is also the company's symbol.

James Franco nodded: "That's right, it's that lion from MGM. Although the Big Six haven't issued any further statements, it's clear that Eric Cooper's protection of Mel Gibson and his involvement with Lionheart have angered them. Now it's six against one; they're targeting this lion!"

"And I've heard that the various TV stations are also negotiating, and they'll probably give us a result soon. My friend, now is really not a good time to get close to this lion."

"Okay, if your information is accurate, now is indeed not a good time."

James Franco's so-called top-secret information was of course not top-secret at all. The Sixth Group intentionally released it, and it spread not only within the entertainment industry but also quickly became known to the general public.

Two days later, Disney took the lead in announcing that the release dates of many of its films would be changed.

This year, Mickey Mouse's carefully crafted blockbuster animated film "The Incredibles" has been postponed from its original release date of August 5th to December 7th, clearly targeting the Christmas release of "Inception".

The adventure blockbuster "National Treasure," starring Nicolas Cage, has been rescheduled to June 11, more than two months earlier, with its target being "Frozen."

The film adaptation of the bestselling children's book, "The Hidden World," has also been rescheduled for September 17th, aiming to compete with "Don't Breathe 2."

Anne Hathaway's breakout film sequel, "The Princess Diaries 2," has been postponed to September 24, also targeting "Don't Breathe 2."

Even movies like "The Chronicles of Narnia," "High School Rising," and "Twins of Magic," which were originally scheduled for release next year, have been rescheduled, with announcements stating that production will be accelerated and they will be released this year if possible.

Following Disney's announcement of massive rescheduling of its films, Warner Bros. quickly followed suit.

The release date of the super IP "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" has been postponed from August to November, aiming to compete with Gal Gadot's "The Hunger Games".

Robert Zemeckis's "The Polar Express" has been rescheduled to May 21, simultaneously competing with "The Purge 2" and "Million Dollar Baby".

After more than a year of meticulous filming, the epic film "Troy," starring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom, has postponed its release date from May to June 17, joining forces with "National Treasure" to compete with "Frozen."

Universal Pictures then announced its rescheduling plan.

First, the genre-mixing blockbuster "Alien vs. Predator" was postponed from April to September, aiming to challenge MGM's "Happy Death Day 2"—a clash of titans.

Then, the hit IP "The Bourne Identity 2" was moved up from July to June, joining the ranks of those trying to take down "Frozen".

The popular comedy "Meet the Parents 2" has had its release date canceled, possibly in preparation for competing with "The Hangover Part II".

The film "Van Helsing," starring Hugh Jackman, has been postponed from May to November, in search of "The Hunger Games."

The Fast and Furious 3 has also announced that it will be produced ahead of schedule, which is obviously aimed at the similarly racing-themed Fast and Furious 3.

Sony's blockbuster "Spider-Man 2" was moved from the summer release to the Christmas release, joining forces with Disney's "The Incredibles" to compete against "Inception".

Major productions from 20th Century Fox, such as "The Day After Tomorrow" and "I, Robot," have also had their release dates changed.

Paramount's films such as "Pretty Woman", "The Devil", "Tomorrowland", and "Suspect Zero" also joined the fray.

These are just some examples. For instance, MGM has several films in production that haven't announced release dates yet, and the Big Six studios are holding a lot of cards up their sleeves, waiting for MGM to make its move.

We're all numb!

The market was instantly filled with tension, and small and medium-sized companies such as Lionsgate and New Line Cinema were on edge, announcing their rescheduling one after another.

Although they secretly reached an agreement with Eric, they publicly declared that they would remain neutral, neither taking sides nor siding with any party.

The rescheduling was also intended to avoid direct confrontation, but after looking around, it was found that there were no good slots available. Almost every slot was filled with fierce competition, so the only option was to join a weaker battlefield.

DreamWorks has three big-budget films releasing this year: Shrek 2, which has been in development for over two years, Shark Gang, and Spielberg's The Terminal.

《鲨鱼黑帮》紧急提档，从8月改到了马上到来的4月15日；王牌《怪物史莱克2》则退出6月，改到了10月。

After lingering for a while, "The Terminal" realized it couldn't get into the mainstream and had to announce that its release date was yet to be determined.

Unlike small and medium-sized companies struggling to survive, movie fans were excitedly cheering.

Although some movie release dates have been postponed, there are more good movies available this year overall.

The cinemas are also very happy. The more movies there are, the hotter the market will be. They won't care about your competition, as long as they can make more money.

Just after the six major powers sounded the call to attack, the long-awaited response from across the United States finally arrived, with major television stations jointly issuing a statement.

This statement is almost identical to that of the other six, and it also openly points the finger at Mel Gibson, making it hard not to suspect that the two sides communicated privately.

"Given the enormous controversy surrounding The Passion of the Christ and the extremely negative social impact it has caused, Mel Gibson has demonstrated strong racist and anti-Semitic tendencies."

"This kind of thinking is undoubtedly dangerous, and it is even more threatening and aggressive to a television station, which is a public mouthpiece."

"Therefore, after discussion, we have decided that we will no longer establish or maintain any working relationship with Mel Gibson. This is a formal statement!"

The signature is a long list of TV station names, but you can ignore the smaller, local ones at the end; just focus on the first two lines.

These include public broadcasters such as CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, WB, and UPN, as well as cable channels such as FX, AMC, CNN, HBO, and Showtime.

From now on, neither Mel Gibson nor MGM will ever get another GG, nor will they ever see a positive report about themselves on television.

Eric had nothing to say about this, and he still issued a statement in response, saying that whoever backs down is a coward!

At the MGM Grand, Eric hasn't been to the set these past few days, leaving the filming to Neil and instead staying at the company as usual, going to and from get off work every day.

There was no other way; morale was low, and only my presence could stabilize the troops.

"Thank you, Eric, thank you so much, you're my benefactor."

Over the phone, Mel Gibson kept expressing his gratitude, saying that when everyone else has abandoned you, you can only repay the kindness of the person who is willing to lend a helping hand.

"I wouldn't abandon my partner. And don't worry, Mel, if we can't go on TV, we can always go online, right?"

"YouTube and Facebook can be used for promotion, and they can give you a voice. With the Passion of the Christ doing so well at the box office, those guys can't stop it."

Mel Gibson sighed: "Eric, your mentality is just too steady. It's unbelievable that you're only in your twenties."

"May I ask you something? Aren't you worried at all? To be honest, our situation isn't very good right now."

Eric chuckled lightly: "Since I've taken this step, I expected this day to come. Now I just need a resounding victory to boost morale!"

Mel Gibson remained silent because he didn't know how to win this battle.

On Saturday, March 31, Lionheart.com officially launched.

Because it was the weekend, millions of users flocked to the website, and the interface, personally designed by Eric, immediately stunned many people.

Unlike the simplicity of Facebook, Lionheart.com is quite the opposite. It is meticulously categorized and very elaborate, similar to the interfaces of a decade or more later. With just one interface, it presents a trend of overwhelming superiority.

Among these users, a significant portion went straight to the variety show section and clicked on the first recommended show, "The Voice of America".

Today is also the airing day of the second season of Fox's "American Idol," and everyone wants to see who wins and who loses.

MGM vs. Fox, the first battle begins!

(End of this chapter)