America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 261, Section 260: Starting to Use Underhanded Tactics

Bang bang bang bang

The movie theater erupted in applause, with everyone, from the audience to the celebrities on stage, standing up to cheer.

I thought "Million Dollar Baby" would be a high-energy sports movie like "Rocky," but it turned out to be a sad and tear-jerking film.

The stunning plot twist in the last half hour completely overturned the traditional formula, instantly elevating the film's message to a whole new level.

Rocky is definitely a good movie. Stallone led the way in sports movies for decades to come. It's old-fashioned but classic and useful. Audiences love to see the protagonist win.

"Million Dollar Baby" is also very good, but its appeal lies not in the boxing ring, but in Maggie's indomitable spirit in fighting against fate and her sincere relationship with Frankie.

The former represents more action-packed movies, while the latter is more realistic.

Life is inherently unpredictable, and accidents can happen at any time. Moreover, boxing is a high-risk sport. The key question is what to do after an accident occurs.

Although there weren't many scenes featuring Biao's acting skills, they were all showcased to their fullest potential by Fuyuki and Hilary Swank, and that's enough.

Not only did the word "Oscar" come to mind for Nicole, but all the celebrities present also thought of it.

A good story + great acting + a tragic ending – that's what the students at the academy love most.

The creative team went on stage to express their gratitude, and everyone cheered them on; some even whistled.

"Eric, I think it's dangerous. You really shouldn't have made this movie. What will happen to 'La Vie en Rose'?" Nicole sighed helplessly.

She's also hoping to compete for the Best Actress Oscar again with "La Vie en Rose," and to win it for the second time in a year—it's exciting to think about.

With the added bonus of Eric's guaranteed blockbuster "Inception," Nicole's reputation will undoubtedly rise to a whole new level, achieving both commercial and artistic success.

To be modest, I wouldn't dare say I'm on par with legendary figures like Hepburn and Garbo, after all, they were senior figures.

But at least she felt confident enough to compete with Meryl Streep, who was arguably the top actress in the industry.

Perhaps I'm a little less talented than you in art, but I'm better than you in business! We're about evenly matched.

But after watching "Million Dollar Baby," Hilary Swank's performance made her feel very threatened; the competition was too strong!

Eric smiled and reassured them, "Even if I don't invest, other companies will. There are still some discerning investors in the market."

"And don't worry too much. Clint Eastwood is indeed very strong, but Lang Howard is no weaker than him."

"As for the script, 'La Vie en Rose' is a biographical film, which is also one of the Academy's favorite genres."

"Besides, I had already considered your concerns, so I've given you an extra layer of protection."

"What?" Nico asked curiously.

"The release date for 'La Vie en Rose' is set for December, which is the month for winning awards. It will be delayed until the Oscars."

"Even if 'Million Dollar Baby' is excellent, it's been more than half a year since the Oscars, so the judges' impression of it is definitely not as deep as that of 'La Vie en Rose,' which was just released."

"At that time, more publicity resources will be allocated to you. As long as your acting skills are up to par, I think you have a high chance of defeating Hilary Swank."

Nicole's face lit up with joy, and she felt a warm and sweet feeling in her heart, thinking how considerate her man was.

If it weren't for the fact that they were in a public place, surrounded by a group of beautiful women, I would have loved to immediately jump into their arms and have sex with them.

She glanced around, and taking advantage of the fact that everyone's attention was on the creative team, tilted her head and whispered, "Come over tonight, I'll give you something good."

"What good stuff?" Eric asked without looking up.

You'll know when you get here.

Damn it, back in the day, we were like tigers, charging across the land with our swords and horses!

It seems we must sneak across Yinping tonight, traverse the narrow mountain paths, and head straight for Shu Han!

After the premiere, Eric bid farewell to the celebrities who had come to support him, his clothes inevitably tinged with countless perfumes.

He's handsome, rich, talented, and incredibly arrogant. It's no wonder young girls are attracted to him; even seasoned women who've seen countless handsome men can't resist.

Taking advantage of the hug, the women tickled Eric's palms and pinched his soft flesh, and Eric's ears were constantly warmed by their breath.

Some, like Cameron Diaz, are bolder and take the initiative to invite others to spend the night together.

Several of these women could have been on Eric's list of women he wanted to date more closely, but he had already agreed to date Nicole.

I can only smile slightly for now, and my main approach is to neither nod nor refuse, but when I have time, I'll have a go and see if it tastes good.

Although Orlando Bloom, Hugh Jackman, and others have never appeared in MGM productions, they have seen Eric quite often and become quite familiar with him.

Ask him if he has any new projects, and make sure to give priority to the guys if they are suitable for the roles.

Hugh Jackman, in particular, is eager to change his acting style and hopes to try his hand at an art-house film.

Eric agreed. Although Hugh Jackman is best known for his role as Wolverine, he is also quite accomplished in art films and has excellent dramatic skills. He is a very strong all-rounder.

Wolverine is so iconic that audiences have almost forgotten his other roles.

You could say that Wolverine made him successful, but he didn't really lose either.

He was eventually discovered and won a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for his role in "Les Misérables." He is one of the few men who can simultaneously handle both Hollywood and Broadway.

If a suitable role comes along, Eric wouldn't mind showing the audience Hugh Jackman's artistic side ahead of time. He truly admires this man who has been married for 27 years without any scandals.

I can't stand being flirted with, but this guy can remain unmoved. The more of a scumbag a man is, the more I admire this kind of good man.

After seeing Hugh Jackman off and saying goodbye to Brad Pitt and his wife, with her husband by her side, Jennifer Aniston naturally didn't hug Eric.

"Jennifer, is 'Marley & Me' almost finished filming?"

"Well, Director David's filming pace is a bit slow, but according to the schedule, it should wrap up in about half a month. Are you planning to release it this year?"

"I think so. I'm having a big fight with those people right now. Marley & Me could be a surprise hit, and I think the box office will exceed many people's expectations."

"Really?"

Jennifer Aniston wore a Rachel-esque look of confusion. The two had made a deal at last year's Emmy Awards, and MGM subsequently cast her as the lead actress.

But after taking on the role, Aniston discovered that it was a heartwarming romantic comedy, albeit with the addition of pet elements.

There are many films like this on the market, so they're not particularly novel. Therefore, she didn't have high expectations for the box office.

However, if it were Eric Cooper who said it, that would be a different story. He said Transformers would make 7 million, and it turned out to be true.

"Of course, I plan to have Marley launch a surprise attack on those guys, and preferably bite their asses off!"

"Hahaha. If the box office really explodes, I have to start thinking about how to thank you from now on."

"Jennifer has been working hard to reinvent herself, you know that," her husband Pete added.

"Everyone wants to step out of their comfort zone. Is Friends coming to an end?"

Jennifer Aniston looked around and whispered, "I can't reveal the secret, but I can tell you that May 6th is the final episode."

"OMG!" Eric exclaimed.

As his absolute favorite American TV series, he would still sit in front of the TV to watch it whenever it came on time after he came into this world, because he had never experienced this feeling before.

It feels like just yesterday that Friends was about to end, and he's already been in this world for two years.

"What are your plans after the TV series ends?"

Aniston shook her head: "Not for now, but Matt has a solo show called 'Joy.' To be honest, we're all tired. We've been playing the same character for ten years, and everyone's exhausted."

"So you're planning to take a break for now?"

"That's probably true. At least for now, I don't plan to return to the small screen. I think the others also prefer to develop their careers on the big screen. You're not thinking of bringing us all back together, are you?"

"To be honest, I really want to. I'm a huge fan of Friends, and I love every single one of you. Of course, it's precisely because I love you that I respect your decision even more."

Pete rolled his eyes: "I like it too."

Hahahaha

Watching the two walk away, who would have thought that this seemingly perfect couple would separate and eventually divorce next year?

Brad Pitt allegedly had an affair with Angelina Jolie while filming "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." The production team tried desperately to deny the rumors, but they couldn't stop the paparazzi from getting in.

The golden couple broke up, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were criticized for more than a decade until their marriage also failed to withstand the test.

This further highlights how admirable Wolverine is; those who can control their desires are truly remarkable.

Late at night, Eric and Nicole rolled around passionately together.

"Robert Zemeckis delivers a superb performance. The Polar Express is definitely one of the best animated films I've ever seen, and it's undoubtedly the best choice for the whole family to go to the cinema right now."

"The Polar Express boasts unparalleled visual effects, marking the first time in film history that motion capture and facial capture have been combined. Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks deliver another perfect collaboration after Cast Away."

"If you're not religious, then once you've seen The Polar Express, you'll definitely think it's the best movie of the year. You'll find emotion and warmth in it, and it will make your heart beat faster."

"The marketing for 'Million Dollar Baby' is misleading. It's not an inspirational movie at all. All you'll find in it is failure and pain. If you want to relax in the cinema, I suggest watching 'The Polar Express' instead."

"Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman are still excellent, but the script clearly needs more polishing. It's too bland and a waste of their acting skills."

"There was too much gore in 'Million Dollar Baby.' The bloody scenes should have been rated R; they were too cruel for teenagers."

"If your life is going well, I don't recommend watching 'Million Dollar Baby,' because it will make you feel down. If your life is going badly, I also don't recommend watching 'Million Dollar Baby,' because it will make you feel even more down!"

As MGM and Warner Bros. engage in their battle, major television stations and newspapers begin to exert their influence.

"The Polar Express" has received rave reviews, praising its technology, plot, and themes. It's as if not seeing it would be missing out on a cinematic spectacle and a great loss in one's life.

As for "Million Dollar Baby," they didn't just criticize it harshly, but rather looked for flaws from different angles, advising viewers not to watch it in a way that they thought was for your own good.

Damn it, there's no such thing as a perfect movie in the world. You can always find a bad angle if you want to.

Eric could only use YouTube and Facebook for positive publicity, but the overall effect was still weaker than his opponent's.

Fortunately, Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb are not competitors' strongholds, especially IMDb, which uses a very complex algorithm, making it difficult to manipulate votes.

Only those who have logged into IMDb for a certain number of days and have watched and commented on movies for a certain period of time are eligible to rate them; in short, there are many restrictions.

This is why IMDb is considered the world's most authoritative movie rating website.

Good is good, bad is bad, and the score is entirely determined by the audience, especially since IMDb is still operating independently.

In comparison, Douban is much simpler. You can register an account and rate a movie. The final score is also a crude addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, which is one of the reasons why Douban is criticized for its conservative approach to authority.

Million Dollar Baby opened with an 8.3 rating on IMDb, immediately crossing the threshold of being an excellent film.

In contrast, The Polar Express only scored 6.8 points, a difference of 1.5 points, which is the gap between excellent and passing.

This is where the film's true reviews come in.

One has been stripped of its perfect exterior, the other has been given an inspirational elegy.

However, the promotional efforts are different, and the film is more suitable for family viewing than the PG13 rating, so the box office results for the first week were...

"Million Dollar Baby" grossed $3850 million in 2887 theaters, setting a record for the lowest box office gross for a film shown on a large scale by MGM.

Meanwhile, The Polar Express grossed $5900 million in 3370 theaters, taking the top spot by a huge margin of $2050 million.

After Fox suffered a crushing defeat in the first game, Warner Bros. won a game.

But did Warner really win? Did MGM really lose? Not necessarily, at least not reflected in the stock price.

MGM's stock price still rose by 0.5%, while Warner's stock price remained unchanged.

The difference in budget between the two films was simply too great: "Million Dollar Baby" cost $3000 million, while "The Polar Express" cost $1.65 million.

According to BOX's predictions, "Million Dollar Baby" will ultimately gross $1.85 million, and "The Polar Express" will gross $3.2 million, making it clear who will truly make money.

A new week begins at the MGM Grand.

Warren was reporting on AK Films' operations over the past period when Chen Xing rushed over in a panic.

Carroll knocked on the door to report, and Warren tactfully stood up: "You go first, I'm not in a hurry."

"What's wrong?"

"Boss, something's happened on The Walking Dead! Barrefaeli's gone missing!"

(End of this chapter)