America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 318, Section 316: Even optoelectronics might not know where to begin.

"Well done, Eric. You've done a remarkable job," Spielberg praised.

Eric waved his hand modestly, "Steve, you don't need to flatter me."

"No, this is not a compliment. It has nothing to do with the collaboration between MGM and DreamWorks. Inception is truly an excellent film."

"Hahahaha. Steve definitely wasn't joking, because I feel the same way. It's fucking awesome. How did you manage to make such an amazing movie?" Peter Jackson chimed in.

Although Big Beard did special effects for the movie, I only know about the parts that required special effects; this is the first time I've seen the whole movie.

"Eric, all I can say about your film is that the special effects that Weta Digital poured their hearts and souls into did not go to waste."

"That kaleidoscope mirror took a long time to make, didn't it?" Spielberg asked.

Peter Jackson sighed: "It took you a lot longer than you'd expect. Three minutes took us a full eight months, which was eight months with one-fifth of Weta Digital's staff."

"I'm not bragging, but this special effect is the best in the world right now, the undisputed number one, even surpassing the snowy night monologue in Frozen."

Spielberg agreed, saying that although DreamWorks is his own business, it was truly breathtaking; he didn't even realize his glasses had slipped off his nose.

The closer you are to the industry, the more you understand just how difficult it is.

"Phew, I'm suddenly a little worried about Sam Remy. My old buddy has run into a tough opponent this time, and he's probably in trouble."

Spielberg shook his head helplessly: "And Brad Bird, the performance of The Incredibles will probably be seriously affected as well."

After the two left, Nolan came over, his tone low, as if he hadn't yet come out of the movie.

Eric smiled and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Amazing, that's the only word I can think of. Those images are still replaying in my mind."

"Eric, how did you write this script? There are some parts I didn't understand, maybe I need to read it a second time."

"Screenwriters rely on inspiration, of course, not plagiarism, right?"

Nolan chuckled: "You're right. I've actually had some inspiration about dreams before, though certainly not as detailed as yours."

"It's just dream theft, changing someone's mind by implanting ideas, this idea is so cool."

"But now that Inception has been made, it seems I can abandon my own ideas."

"Come on, everyone in Hollywood knows you're a recognized genius. Memento was fantastic, and Day and Night was great too."

Nolan shook his head with a wry smile: "No, I don't think I can surpass Inception in this concept, so there's no point in making another one."

"But I must thank you, Bale's performance was fantastic, and you can imagine how much fame Inception will bring him."

"This is great for the upcoming release of 'The Batman,' and it might even help boost the box office by tens of millions of dollars."

Speaking of Batman, Eric glanced at Heath Ledger and Tom Hardy, who were talking to someone.

"Nolan, how about I give you a suggestion?"

"OK."

"Heath Ledger and Tom Hardy are both excellent actors, and through this filming, I saw even more potential in them."

"I remember there was a really interesting villain in Batman, the Joker, and Bane who broke Bruce Wayne's spine."

"If you're planning to bring these two villains into the sequel, why not try Heath and Tom? They'll exceed your expectations."

Nolan glanced at the two of them, but couldn't see anything special at first, and he didn't have any ideas about a sequel.

"Eric, I don't know if there will be a sequel, it's too early to talk about that now."

"There won't be a sequel? Why?"

Nolan shook his head: "To be honest, this collaboration with Warner wasn't very pleasant. They had too many demands and were constantly pushing us to hurry up."

"My creative freedom has been greatly restricted, which is not a pleasant feeling. Perhaps this is the only film I will ever direct."

Eric gave a soft "oh," indicating that, strictly speaking, this matter was ultimately related to him.

If it weren't for the Big Six's aim to target MGM, everything would have proceeded as planned, but unfortunately, everything has been disrupted.

Just like Martin Scorsese complained that he didn't even know his movie was released, there are always unlucky people out there, and Nolan is clearly one of them.

Patting Nolan on the shoulder, Eric comforted him, "Directors always encounter all sorts of unpleasant things. Don't let your attitude become negative."

"Heh. Anyone can say that, but you're the only one who doesn't have the right to say it."

"Hahaha. That's right. After all, I'm the boss myself. Like I said, Nolan, if you want to switch companies, MGM is a perfect fit. At least I have more empathy for the director position and can guarantee that I won't interfere with your creative process."

"OK, I'll think about it. It's too late today. I need to find some time in the next few days to watch Inception again. Eric, you've captured everything in my dreams."

After receiving compliments and flattery from a group of people, I didn't get home until 4 a.m.

Feeling exhausted after taking a shower, Eric lay on the bed, just as his eyelids were about to close.

He was surrounded by four soft, round bodies that were close to him from both sides.

Immediately, the back of the neck and the front of the chest were attacked, and it was obvious who was behind it.

He hugged Nico and Theron: "Honey, did it have to be now? It's getting late, let's get some rest. We can play tomorrow after we wake up."

"But I'm still full of energy. Inception is definitely the coolest movie I've ever been involved in. I almost couldn't hold back in the theater, but there were too many people."

Eric pinched her cheek: "Honey, didn't you say 'Monster' was the best movie you've ever been in? Are you betraying me?"

"Hehe. 'Best' and 'coolest' are two different things, Patty will understand, hmph!"

"what!"

Why are you pinching me?

"Because you deserve it. Why am I Mel? Look at my scenes, I'm either jumping off buildings or getting shot, while Neeko gets to act like a magician. Why don't I have those kinds of scenes?"

"But have you forgotten? During filming, you were all laughing at Nicole and Belle's silly moves, and you even complained when you were asked to act in it."

"Uh, that means we won't see the finished product. I don't care, I want some cool scenes too."

"Okay, okay, once I acquire Warner Bros., I'll make all the DC and Marvel comic book movies you want, and you can have any role you want."

Unlike the two of them who were talking and chatting, Nicole was quietly working and entangled behind Eric's back.

Before Eric's desire was fully aroused, she had already started writhing and thrashing about like a water snake.

"Honey, are you failing me?"

"Hmm? I'm warning you, ma'am, you can say anything to a man, but you can't say he's impotent!"

"Theron, how about we team up to take on Neeko?"

"Huh? What do we do?"

"You sit on top, I'll sit on the bottom."

Considering that Neeko got all the exciting scenes, Theron pouted and said, "Maybe... it wouldn't be bad to give it a try."

"An unparalleled film needs to have many qualities, and Inception clearly has most of them."

"MGM's biggest bombshell has been born. I finally understand why Eric Cooper slowed down this year. It turns out he dedicated most of his time to Inception."

"Novel concept, ingenious structure, suspenseful plot, perfect montage, and unparalleled special effects—these are the elements that Inception presents to the audience. The best film of 2004, without a doubt!"

"Inception is absolutely amazing, but it left me a bit confused. Even after watching it, I still felt like I didn't understand anything. But it's fucking amazing."

"Inception is a film that requires careful and thoughtful viewing, yet it also possesses all the elements of a commercial film. Undisputed, it's the best movie of the year!"

"How exactly does Eric Cooper train actors? Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Heath Ledger, Tom Hardy—everyone gave their best, and everyone's acting was amazing."

"Nicole Kidman is so cool, bold, calm, and strong. As a 15-year-old boy, I finally understand why so many men are obsessed with her."

"I watched Spider-Man 2 and Inception. I think they are both excellent movies, but if I had to compare them, I would vote for Inception because Spider-Man is just commercial, while Inception has transcended commercialism."

With the release of reviews, the evaluations of "Inception" have also come out, and they are almost unanimously positive, making it difficult to find any negative comments.

Two of the comments received the most approval.

"Inception is such a good movie that even if you know it's just a gimmick, you'll still give it a perfect score without hesitation."

"Inception will put censorship agencies in various countries in a difficult position, because they won't know where to begin!"

Eric couldn't help but burst out laughing when he saw the second one, because censorship has always been the mortal enemy of movies.

However, for a suspenseful and excellent film like "Inception," cutting a single frame could result in the loss of crucial information, which is arguably a hidden benefit.

Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 100% top rating, and IMDb gave it an initial score of 8.8. After three days of fermentation, the number of ratings increased, and instead of decreasing, it surged to 8.9.

The most professional MTC (MediaTek Inc.) has received lavish praise from film critics, with a score of 9.2, which speaks for itself.

With only three months left until next year's Oscars, some people have already started calling for a series of awards, including Best Director, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Visual Effects.

Although it seems like just a slogan at the moment, putting aside other awards, winning Best Original Screenplay is almost a certainty.

Eric's screenwriting ability has once again been recognized by the public. He may not be the best director, but he will certainly become the best screenwriter in film history.

Along with the positive reviews, discussions about the plot also emerged. It seems that at some point, being able to understand "Inception" has become a standard for testing one's intelligence.

How many layers are there in a dream? Who is the dreamer on each layer? Why did Mel commit suicide? Is the fourth layer the same space as Limbo?

The most discussed topic is the spinning top that's still spinning at the end of the movie. Does it mean that everything was Cobb's dream, and that he actually returned to reality?

For every person praising Eric, there's someone criticizing him. I hate guys who try to cause trouble even in the finale. Do they have to make the audience uncomfortable?

This cannot be allowed to continue! It is outrageous!

With such excellent word-of-mouth, Inception naturally achieved impressive box office results, even when facing the hugely popular sequel Spider-Man 2 at the same time.

It grossed $72.8 million in its opening weekend in North America, while Spider-Man 2 grossed $60.5 million, giving it a significant lead of over $10 million.

Remember when Sam Raimi said in an interview after the release of "Transformers" last year that he would reclaim his glory with "Spider-Man 2"?

But given the current situation, it's impossible to take it back; just being able to follow behind and bite it would be a success.

On Tuesday evening, Eric and Elizabeth were spotted by sharp-eyed paparazzi as they walked out of the movie theater.

Unlike other women, Elizabeth was only 15 years old and had no worries about scandals.

Everyone knows that Eric is a major shareholder of DoubleStar Entertainment and has a close relationship with the Olsen family. He often takes Elizabeth to Neverland Ranch.

The events of the first half of the year further proved that Eric was not a juvenile sex offender.

So when people see the two of them playing together, like an older brother taking care of a younger sister, no one would suspect that they have an improper relationship. It has to be said that this is a case of the devil being blind to his own shadow.

"Mr. Cooper, Elizabeth, it looks like you just finished watching a movie."

Thinking about the ordeal she had just suffered, Elizabeth blushed slightly: "We just finished watching Spider-Man 2."

The reporter was somewhat surprised: "Spider-Man? Does that mean you're aiding the enemy?"

Eric laughed heartily: "Don't put it that way, it's just that I like it, just like I liked watching the first one too."

"What do you think of the filming?"

"It's great. I think it's better than the first one in terms of the core story and its message. Sam Raimi did an excellent job."

"Especially when Spider-Man pulls the train to a stop and everyone lifts him above their heads, that scene will become a classic, giving Spider-Man a touch of divinity."

"Wow! Looks like you really watched the whole movie. MGM is also releasing Iron Man and Captain America next. Do you think they can surpass Spider-Man 2?"

The question was rather disgusting, and Elizabeth tugged at Eric, signaling him not to answer.

Just then, a man carrying a little boy walked over, followed by a woman; they appeared to be a family of three.

"Honey, don't you love superheroes? Mommy and Daddy will take you to see Spider-Man."

The little boy nodded firmly, "I will muster my courage, and I'm not afraid of the surgery."

"You're the best, darling."

Upon seeing the family of three, an idea flashed through Eric's mind, and he immediately went over to them.

(End of this chapter)