America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 291, page 289: The Husky Girl

"How could this happen! Tell me why this happened? Didn't you say James Wan was just a flash in the pan director world? Didn't you say he'd run out of inspiration?"

"Can anyone tell me what's going on? Open your eyes and look! That movie, *The Conjuring*, which only cost a little over $1000 million to make, has already grossed over $4000 million at the box office! Can anyone tell me what's happening?"

"James, tell me, what's going on here?"

James Ryan, whose name was called, swallowed hard and looked at Michael Ianas with some fear.

Recently, this boss has had a bad temper. He gets angry easily and berates others harshly for the slightest dissatisfaction.

Of course, he could understand where Michael Ainas's anger came from. Not only was Harvey Weinstein sent to prison, but Miramax was also thrown into chaos, with multiple projects coming to a standstill.

This whole affair was already incredibly stressful, but then a safety hazard was exposed at an amusement park in California, forcing it to close for a month for rectification.

Not only did it suffer setbacks in real life, but it was also defeated by "Frozen" on the big screen, with Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal all trying to stop it.

Just when the momentum of "Frozen" finally subsided, "The Conjuring" and "Mean Girls," which no one had taken seriously, suddenly exploded in popularity, like trying to suppress one problem only to have another pop up.

The series of setbacks put Michael Ianas under immense pressure; he was responsible to the board of directors and the shareholders.

"Boss, this is an accident. Neither 'The Conjuring' nor 'Mean Girls' seemed to have the potential to be a huge hit. This really is just an accident."

"An accident? One movie is an accident, but two? Are all analysts useless? Why is your judgment so bad? Why does MGM always manage to get these good resources?"

"I don't understand, what exactly went wrong? And Andrea, the director of 'Mean Girls,' someone told me she used to study and work here, why is nobody paying attention to her? What are you all doing all day long?"

"Do you really have to wait until MGM has poached all the good projects, good actors, good directors, and all the talented people before you wake up?"

Michael Ainas struggled to restrain himself and managed to refrain from using words like "bitch," "mule," "shit," and "pig that only knows how to mate."

If there weren't women in the meeting room, and if the feminist movement in Hollywood weren't so popular right now, he definitely would have been able to bring himself to say those things.

Seeing everyone remain silent, Michael Ainas couldn't help but shout again, "Speak up! Why aren't you talking?"

Everyone looked up at him, thinking, "You're like a hand grenade, who dares to say a word?"

"What should we do? Give us your opinions. We can't let things get worse. I need to stop MGM's expansion."

Someone timidly said, "Boss, there's really no need to rush. While 'The Conjuring' and 'Mean Girls' have their merits, they're not top-tier movies. A horror film and a teen comedy both have limited audiences."

"The reason they're so popular is simply because we didn't take them seriously. If we just bring in two big-budget movies, they'll definitely flop."

"Like 'Million Dollar Baby,' it was excellent enough, but it still fell victim to a barrage of attacks."

"Martin Scorsese's 'The Aviator' starring Leonardo DiCaprio is good, and Universal's 'Bridget Jones's Diary 2' was also very well received."

"However, the release date needs to be changed at the last minute, and the pre-release publicity has not been completed yet, which may have a negative impact on the box office."

"Moreover, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio hope to use 'The Aviator' to compete for the Oscars, and forcibly changing the release date will definitely provoke their dissatisfaction."

After a moment's thought, Michael Ianas realized that the only ways to get revenge were through the big screen and dirty tricks.

The blow Disney suffered was undoubtedly retaliation from the Coopers; resorting to underhanded tactics is no longer an option for them.

Otherwise, if you really lose your temper and make an irreparable mistake in a moment of anger, the result will not be as simple as just losing money; no one can bear that.

As for the big screen, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are nothing to him. The key is that the Big Six are currently in a bit of chaos and need to quickly stabilize their situation and launch a counterattack, otherwise the outside world will think they are easily defeated.

As August arrived, Frozen grossed $71 million worldwide, breaking another major barrier and officially entering the $11 billion club.

With a global box office of $11.11 billion, it surpassed "Jurassic Park" and is now only $30 million away from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King".

It will definitely surpass that next week, no problem.

Of course, this $7100 million is the global box office; in North America, it's only a little over $1700 million, ranking 5th this week.

The top spot goes to James Wan's new film "The Conjuring," followed by Lionsgate's "Fahrenheit 9/11," DreamWorks' "Collateral," and Andrea's "Mean Girls."

Lionsgate and DreamWorks also seized the opportunity, taking advantage of the lack of major releases in the past two weeks to quickly release their own films.

Among them, "Fahrenheit 9/11" is very interesting. It is a documentary that tells the story of the Iraq War and reveals the complicated relationship between the Bush family and the Aladdin family.

It reveals why the United States is always so easily drawn into wars, with greed for oil being one of the reasons.

It also shows the harm that war inflicts on ordinary people, including not only Iraqi civilians but also American soldiers who are disgusted by war.

The film crew even secretly infiltrated Iraq and conducted covert interviews with a large number of US government officials in Iraq, extracting a great deal of information.

This wildly popular movie was originally driven by Disney and Sony, but the two companies withdrew after being warned by the government, and Lionsgate took over.

Now, after a week of release, the film has indeed become a box office hit, and it is very likely to become the highest-grossing documentary. Of course, it has also attracted warnings from the government.

Because George W. Bush is running for president this November, he is worried that the movie will affect his votes.

Indeed, the footage shows young Bush making many suspicious moves. For example, while he was at an elementary school doing an activity, he casually continued flipping through fairy tales after hearing about the terrorist attack, as if he already knew everything.

Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, dozens of Aladdin's family members boarded a plane and left the United States; they were simply allowed to leave the country.

Why do people always say that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by the United States? This movie has provided a lot of clues and talking points.

At the Hilton Hotel, MGM rented an entire floor to host celebration parties for the two film crews, so there was no need to distinguish between them, and everyone could move around freely.

"Eric, when are we going to film season two? This is the first time I've ever experienced what it's like to be a big star."

Paris Hilton said with a big smile, with her equally smiling sister Nicky Hilton beside her.

After "Walking with Paris" aired, it really made the two sisters famous, but also brought them more negative news. In any case, neither of them is easy to deal with.

"The second season won't be until next year, will it?"

"Next year is too late. By then, our popularity will have faded. Let's start filming now. There's no law that says we can only film one season a year."

"Paris, don't you want to listen to what you're saying?" Eric said, both amused and exasperated.

"But we're on a roll right now, and businessmen should strike while the iron is hot. Besides, my sister only trusts you now. Fox and Paramount's shows are all a waste of time. You're the most reliable one."

"Yes, yes, just help me and Nikki out, we'll repay you."

"Haha, are you planning to offer a hotel discount or have your salary halved?"

"Anything is fine, as long as I can do it, or this is also good."

Paris Hilton bent down slightly as she spoke, her summer clothes already thin, which made her even more revealing.

Eric looked at it; it was neither too big nor too small, a medium size.

puff!

Just then, a muffled thud was heard, and the crowd in the distance cheered excitedly as D'Addario opened a bottle of champagne.

Eric's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it; even from a distance, the exaggerated proportions of the figure and the captivating blue eyes were still clearly visible.

Although she was wearing ordinary casual clothes, she couldn't hide the sexual tension she exuded.

Looking at Paris Hilton next to him, who was deliberately showing off her cleavage, Eric didn't want to discourage her, but the comparison was indeed not in the same league. Her only advantage was that she was rich and had a good family background, but this was useless against Eric.

"Starting a second season is definitely out of the question; I don't want to break that rule for now. But starting another show is an option."

"For example, it could be called 'The Hilton Family,' and it would mainly be about the stories between you sisters and best friends. As long as there are arguments and conflicts, it will generate viewership."

Paris Hilton nodded happily: "Sure, whatever you decide will definitely succeed. I have complete faith in you now."

"Alright then, let me discuss the content with the screenwriter and then contact you. It's settled then."

"Okay, it's settled."

Watching Eric's retreating figure, Nikki Hilton shook her head slightly: "Paris, it seems you still don't hold much appeal for him."

"Huh? Bullshit! Eric must have seen my beautiful breasts, that's why he agreed to produce a new show for us."

"Tsk tsk. I don't think so. Look over there, that girl with the blue eyes. Eric is obviously after her. Maybe the show is just an excuse to get rid of you."

"Bullshit! That can't be! In what way am I not better than that little bitch? She's just a rising star."

"Yes, but as long as MGM is willing to promote her, the little star will quickly grow into a towering tree, instead of being limited to variety shows like you."

"Aren't you the same?" Paris Hilton glared at her sister.

"Of course it's different. I never intended to be in the entertainment industry. I was just messing around with you. Just look at Eric Cooper. Building a business is much more interesting than appearing on a TV show."

"Daniel, I read the reviews. You acted very well, and the audience's approval was also very high."

Eric patted Daniel Wu on the shoulder and praised him, saying that he played the role of an assistant in "The Conjuring".

"Director James Wan is really talented. He directed very well. I'm also very grateful for your continued support. I'd like to toast you, boss."

While the United States doesn't place much emphasis on drinking contests at the dinner table, toasting is still practiced as a way to express respect and friendliness in social situations.

The two clinked glasses and each drank a small portion.

Daniel Wu was quite grateful to Eric, because there aren't many bosses in Hollywood like him who are willing to give opportunities to people of Asian descent.

He also gave himself an important role in "The Conjuring," playing a race car driver from Hong Kong, with more screen time than in "The Conjuring."

"Daniel, how old are you this year?"

"30 years old."

"You're 30? You don't look 30 at all."

"To be precise, she is 29 years and 10 months old."

"Okay, 30 isn't too late. Keep working hard and getting more exposure. Season 2 of The Walking Dead is coming soon, and your chance will come."

Daniel Wu nodded excitedly, wondering what those words meant. Could it be that the boss was going to give him a chance to be the lead actor?

"You're right. I recently acquired the rights to Fallout. Do you know Fallout?" Eric seemed to read his mind.

"Is it that computer game? The really famous one. I've seen it in magazines, but I've never played it."

"Yes, that's it. The Fallout theme is great and can be adapted into a post-apocalyptic TV series. When we develop spin-off series, you can try playing the lead role."

"Really? My God, this is exactly what I've been dreaming of! Thank you so much, boss!"

Seeing his excited, incoherent state, Eric chuckled and said, "Anyway, do a good job. I have high hopes for your future. Also, when you have time, learn about Fallout, its background information, game features, and so on. You'll need it."

"Into the Badlands" was the only American TV series in which Daniel Wu played a leading role before his time travel, but it was unfortunately canceled after three seasons due to low ratings.

This show is adapted from Journey to the West, but apart from the kung fu, it is not particularly outstanding in other aspects, and it fails to capture the hearts of American audiences.

But even if it's a kung fu gimmick, it's already 2015, so it's somewhat outdated.

However, if it were 2005, due to the influence of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, many foreigners were still enthusiastic about Chinese kung fu, and the appeal of this gimmick would be much greater.

Moreover, by grafting the background onto the Fallout world, the wasteland mode will be more easily accepted by the audience, and the chances of success will be much greater.

After encouraging Daniel Wu and chatting with James Wan, Andrea, and others, Eric turned his attention to Daddario.

His attendance at tonight's celebration banquet was somewhat motivated by ulterior motives.

The beauty before me had just turned 18 this year, and even with Rachel McAdams by her side, her radiance was completely undiminished.

As he observed the other person, he noticed that the husky girl was also looking at him, her blue eyes particularly captivating.

As if they were telepathically connected, the two looked at each other and smiled.

D'Addario then quickly left the scene, and Eric, seeing this, naturally understood what she meant and followed without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)