America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 290, Chapter 288: Don't Blame Me for Going After Your Girlfriend

"Insane! Frozen has surpassed $1 billion at the box office, becoming the 6th film in history to achieve this milestone, and also the fastest film to reach it."

「科普一下，现在全球票房过10亿美元的电影按照时间顺序排列有《侏罗纪公园》11亿美元、《铁达尼号》18.4亿美元、《星战前传1幽灵的威胁》10.3亿美元、《哈利波特与魔法石》10.2亿美元、《指环王3王者归来》11.5亿美元，以及新近10亿美元俱乐部的《冰雪奇缘》10.4亿美元。」

"Now, standing in the way of Frozen are dinosaurs, Middle-earth knights, and that great ship; Jedi Knights and Hogwarts wizards are falling one after another."

"Given the impact of Frozen, it will likely continue to be shown on a large scale for at least two more weeks. Even Spielberg and Peter Jackson will have to admit defeat, but it certainly has no chance of surpassing James Cameron."

"It's impossible to surpass the big ship, but from another perspective, the economic value created by the big ship is actually far less than that of Frozen. The latter's merchandise sales in just over a month have already surpassed the big ship's sales over several years, and with Hasbro's involvement, it will create even more."

"MGM broke through Disney's defenses with Frozen. According to insiders, Mickey Mouse executives were furious, especially about Frozen's adoption of Disney's song and dance format. It is rumored that Disney plans to launch multiple princesses, such as Snow White, The Little Mermaid, and Mulan, to fight against Elsa and Anna."

"Eric Cooper is an absolute business genius. He seems to have foreseen many of the outcomes. Acquiring Hasbro at this time has provided a strong boost to peripheral sales."

The buzz surrounding "Frozen" remains high, while Eric, along with Judy, Chen Xing, and others, is working with Peter Jackson at Weta Digital on special effects.

"Great job, you guys did a fantastic job. This is exactly the effect I wanted, but there's still a small gap. I hope to make it even more refined," Eric said, pointing to the special effects he had done for Inception on the screen.

While Weta Digital has done a very good job, approaching the intricate textures and dynamics of Transformers, Eric still hopes to achieve the best in terms of detail.

"You're not satisfied?" Peter Jackson looked over.

"I'm quite satisfied with the rest of the plot, but I hope this part can be done better, especially the folding effect of these buildings, which is a key part of the film. I hope it can be more breathtaking."

"You want special effects that people remember for a lifetime after just one look?"

"That's absolutely right!" Eric nodded emphatically.

"Sorry, that's impossible."

"Well"

Peter Jackson shrugged: "Technology will continue to develop and improve, and special effects will eventually become obsolete. What you see now is the best Weta Digital can do; we've already used the latest technology."

"Alright then, since we've already done our best, I can't ask for more."

"Actually, it's not entirely impossible. There's a way we can try." After a moment of silence, Peter Jackson suddenly changed the subject.

"What method?"

"I've watched Frozen several times. The scene where Elsa sings alone in the mountains encapsulates the essence of the entire film's special effects, especially the beautifully detailed scenes."

"So what? Peter, you're not one to beat around the bush."

Peter Jackson chuckled a few times, somewhat embarrassed: "Then I'll say it. You have a good relationship with DreamWorks, right? Could you ask them to share the technology they use for this part of the special effects and integrate it with Weta Digital's technology? I'm sure that would make it even more perfect."

Eric rolled his eyes; so that's what this guy was planning.

"Peter, I'm afraid I can't make that request. After all, it's a new technology that DreamWorks has only recently developed, and they certainly won't release it."

"It's all about human effort. How will we know if we don't try? Besides, it's not like we're using it for free. Weta Digital is also willing to share some of their technology, so we can definitely learn from each other's strengths and make up for our weaknesses."

"Is this what you call leveraging strengths to compensate for weaknesses? I think you're trying to squeeze every last drop out of DreamWorks. They're not a dedicated special effects company, so they definitely can't compete with Weta Digital."

"I'd rather have slightly worse special effects than get this kind of disdain. If you want it, you can develop it yourself. DreamWorks can do it, don't tell me Weta Digital can't."

The bearded man chuckled and said, "Being able to do something and how long it takes to do it are two different things. The market demands efficiency. Who would want to invest heavily in R&D if they could just pick up something ready-made? Besides, do you think R&D is simple?"

"I believe I am better than Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic in terms of special effects, but iterating on technology is also a very expensive process."

"Don't you receive subsidies from the New Zealand government? You're New Zealand's national treasure director, their face of the nation!"

"I feel like you're being sarcastic rather than sincere. You can't put food on the table. The government does provide subsidies, but the amount is limited."

"Furthermore, since the fighting started in the Middle East, funding has been reduced, and it's uncertain how much will actually be received this year. Who would complain about having too much money?"

"By the way, you're a multi-billionaire now, about to break into the top ten of the Forbes list. How about lending some money to Weta Digital?"

Eric refused without hesitation, because he knew very well that Peter Jackson meant a loan, not an investment.

As a company with New Zealand national background, Weta Digital isn't something you can just get into casually; even Big Beard doesn't have that kind of authority.

Moreover, the company isn't run by Peter Jackson alone; there are two other decision-makers besides him, and these are important matters that all three of them need to discuss.

Eric has always wanted to establish a special effects department for MGM, and has been working towards this since he took over the company, but progress has been slow.

The field of special effects is too specialized, and the vast majority of talent is monopolized by Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital.

Even though MGM has purchased the most advanced hardware in the world, without the support of software technology, it cannot fully utilize the equipment's capabilities and is far inferior to these two professional companies.

The best way to build your own special effects department is not to start from scratch, but to acquire existing ones.

Just like Big Beard said, who would want to put in a lot of effort to develop something that's readily available?

However, acquisitions are not easy to carry out, so Weta Digital was ruled out first, as I recall it was indeed sold to an external party once.

The game company Unity acquired the hair and fur rendering effects system for $16 billion. Note that this only applies to the technology itself, not the entire company.

Don't complain about the price; there's no market for it. It's good enough that people are willing to sell it.

Acquiring Industrial Light & Magic would be relatively easier, as Lucas is genuinely willing to sell if the price is right.

Disney acquired Lucas's companies for $40 billion, including Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Studios, and game companies.

However, Lucas accepted the acquisition in cash and stock, so it was impossible to kick him out completely. After the acquisition, Lucas became Disney's second-largest individual shareholder.

Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was the one who led Disney to acquire Pixar Animation Studios.

Even after leaving Vita Digital, this idea kept nagging at Eric's mind.

"What are you thinking about? You look a bit off."

"Um?"

"You've been spacing out for several minutes now, acting like an idiot."

"Ahem. Be careful what you say, or I'll fire you."

"Do you dare?"

"You can give it a try!"

He discovered that Judy had become increasingly audacious since the last incident, and was gradually no longer taking him, her boss, seriously.

Damn it, knowing he can't do anything to her gives him the confidence to act arrogantly.

"Okay, I was just thinking about the special effects company. Relying on others all the time isn't a long-term solution. We need to have our own cards to play."

"Isn't MGM doing that?"

"But it's too slow."

"Then let's buy it, acquire an existing one."

"I don't want garbage."

"There are no better options left. All you have left is Industrial Light & Magic, but Lucas definitely won't sell. Is he even 70 years old?"

"I don't know, but he doesn't look like it. Maybe he's 60."

"Hehe. 60 is still a long way from retirement, unless you can make him get a serious illness too."

Eric pointed to her mouth: "Watch your words, ma'am."

Unexpectedly, Judy leaned over and bit his finger, sucking on it repeatedly.

Seeing her lick her lips with a seductive look in her eyes, Eric cursed her under his breath as a little bitch.

"Don't pretend you don't know. Although that press conference was very heartfelt, there are rumors that you poisoned Allen, forcing him to retire."

"Bullshit! I've never even had contact with him, how could I poison him?"

"Huh? That's not right. Didn't you say you were very close to him? You even flew there to visit him, you were practically inseparable."

"Well"

"Did you let it slip? Well, why don't you think of a way to get George Lucas to retire soon? He'll naturally sell Lucasfilm."

Eric scoffed, "Judy Newhouse, I've noticed you're a bit too energetic, aren't you?"

"Here's what we'll do: if the work isn't too tiring, I'll leave the task of contacting Lucas to you. Try your best to persuade him, and ideally, acquire the whole thing."

"Star Wars Episode II: Phantom Menace fell far short of expectations in terms of both box office and critical reception. I don't believe Lucas had no thoughts on this. Go and talk to him about it."

Judy's face fell: "Are you kidding me? You're still assigning me work! I'm handling two departments now, I don't even have time to date."

"Hehe. Isn't it better if you can't squeeze it out? Don't forget you promised your parents you'd be a good girl. Maybe they've sent someone to keep an eye on you. Don't give yourself away."

"But I'm a young man, and I have desires that I need to release."

"Use your hands if you want. At worst, I'll send you a few toys, all kinds of materials and models, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"Fuck you, I'm not that pathetic. You can give me work if you want, but if you take advantage of my time, don't blame me for using dirty tricks on you."

"What? What methods?"

"Hmph, the relationship between the Olsen sisters is definitely not normal. Every time I see them, my radar goes off. Don't forget I'm also the producer of 'Blue Is the Warmest Color.' Their every move is under my watchful eye. No, I should say none of the three of you can escape my notice."

"I don't have time for dating, so I can only target your women. That way, I can keep it a secret from my parents."

"Ugh, these young people have no sportsmanship!"

"Cindy, this is a movie based on a true story. Do you know the Warrens? They were very famous mediums and exorcists in the last century."

"Don't be ridiculous, Brenda. How could there be ghosts in this world? And exorcists? That's a joke. I heard this is a movie adapted from a novel."

"No, you can't not believe it. I watched the TV interview from back then, and it was all true."

"TV stations will say anything for ratings. Don't forget 'The Blair Witch Project.' It turned out to be all marketing and a hoax by the film company."

"Okay, let's not argue anymore, but The Conjuring is James Wan's new film, and I trust that director; he has a unique taste."

"Saw and Get Out are both good, but Dead Silence is really bad. However, I also think it has a lot of talent, and I think The Conjuring can definitely turn things around."

"Very likely, haven't you noticed? His collaborations with MGM were successful, but his collaborations with Lionsgate failed. And this time, Eric Cooper is the producer, so the quality of the film will definitely be guaranteed."

James Wan's new film, The Conjuring, had just hit the big screen in a Los Angeles movie theater.

Among the excellent directors Eric knows, he is the second fastest shooter, always able to balance quality and efficiency.

As for the fastest gunslinger, it is naturally Clint Eastwood.

In the adjacent Theater 2, another new MGM film, "Mean Girls," directed by Andrea, Eric's former assistant director, also hit the big screen.

Neither film had a large budget; Mean Girl cost $1500 million.

Because the Olsen twins declined, Rachel McAdams and Alexandra Daddario were chosen for the lead roles.

The former was decided long ago, while the latter was selected through interviews, as Andrea presented the list to Eric's desk.

Seeing those beautiful blue eyes and that alluring face, Eric agreed without a second thought.

As for Lindsay Lohan on the other shortlist, what trash is she? How dare she compare to the Husky Girl?

Compared to Mean Girls, The Conjuring cost less, only $1300 million. James Wan is truly the Greek god of saving money.

Because they were all low-budget, original scripts, and lacked big stars, with Andrea being a new director and James Wan having just done his splits, the Big Six studios didn't pay much attention to them, and didn't even have the desire to target them.

But they'll soon regret it; The Conjuring will show just how amazing the most popular horror franchise can be.

(End of this chapter)