America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 346, 344. PUA: A Crazy Girl, Six Eras

"OMG! OMG! Catch me! Catch me!"

Elizabeth yelled as she did a 360-degree somersault in the air, finally landing face-first on the ground.

Eric and Ashley quickly slid over and helped her up.

"Elizabeth, how are you? Are you alright?" Ashley asked with concern.

Bah Bah!

Spitting out the snow from her mouth, Olsen patted herself off: "It's nothing. It seems skiing isn't as easy as I thought."

At this moment, Nicole approached and said, "You're too fast, Elizabeth. I can't keep up with you. You'd better stay by my side for now."

With a pained expression, Olsen said, "I don't want it to be this fast, but I can't stop!"

"It's nothing, beginners are all like this. We'll take it slowly. Do you want to continue?"

"Of course, a fall won't make me give up. Actually, I've practiced boxing and wrestling in my spare time, so this little bit of pain is nothing."

Eric brushed the snow off her hair: "Relax, don't hurt yourself. You still have to film a movie when we get back."

"That 'Juno'?" Nicole asked.

"Yes, I carefully selected the script. It's a very novel perspective. If Elizabeth performs well, she might get a nomination at this year's Oscars."

"Really?"

Upon hearing this, Elizabeth Olsen's voice instantly rose several octaves.

"Trust your husband's judgment; I'm never wrong!"

"But at most you'll get a nomination, but even a nomination would be historic for someone your age of 16."

"So please don't hurt yourself, our movie needs to be released during the Christmas season."

"Otherwise, you'll have to wait until you're 17 to break this record."

The youngest nominee for Best Actress in history is Quvenzane Wallis, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in 2012 at the age of 9 for her role in "Beasts of the Southern Wild".

The second youngest is Keisha Castle-Hughes, the lead actress in "Whale Rider," who received a Best Actress nomination at the age of almost 13.

Eric bought The Whale Rider from the Sundance Film Festival, but that year MGM's focus was on Ashley, Mary and Theron.

There wasn't much promotion for "Whale Rider," so naturally, no Best Actress nomination didn't happen.

And it will be several years before "Beasts of the Southern Wilds" comes out, so if "Juno" is successful, Elizabeth will have made history.

Ellen Page from the original timeline received an Oscar nomination for her role in "Juno," and Eric believes that with his guidance, Ellen Page can do the same.

"Are there any roles in the movies that would suit me? I could do a cameo," Nicole said.

"It's too late, darling. The actors have already been cast, unless something unexpected happens to them."

Charlize Theron slid over too: "By the way, didn't you promise me you'd write another script for me and help me win another Oscar?"

"What! You want to help Theron win another Best Actress award!" Ashley's eyes widened.

She waved and called out, and Mary and Gadot quickly approached.

"Are you kidding me? Ashley and I only got nominations, while Theron already has a trophy. You should compensate us; we're the ones who need Oscars."

Gal Gadot shrugged: "Hello? Have you all overlooked me? I'm the one who needs the Oscar the most."

"At least you two have a Globe Award, I don't even have a Globe nomination. Whoever wants those popcorn trophies can have them."

"If that's the case, then I also need an Best Actress award," Nicole said, pursing her lips.

Theron frowned immediately: "But you already have two."

"Yes, but although I have two, the first one was brought to me by 'The Hours,' and the director wasn't Eric, nor was the film from MGM."

"Your 'Monster' was specially crafted by Eric. If he writes another script for you, I want one too!"

"No, I'm the one who needs it the most."

"But your box office is the highest, isn't that enough?"

"It's precisely because I've already achieved box office success that I now crave recognition even more."

"You're too greedy, Gadot. You can't have it all."

Eric smiled helplessly as he watched the six of them start arguing over the little golden statuette.

Then, he asserted himself and showed his strength, it was time to display his masculine aura.

He pulled Ashley and Mary close and kissed each of them hard on the cheek: "Your Oscar-winning actresses will have babies, but I need you to focus your energy on the company first."

"I just acquired Lucasfilm. Now we have Indiana Jones and Star Wars, you hear me? Star Wars."

"Star Wars, which has sold like hotcakes worldwide and generated billions in merchandise profits, hurry up and help us make money."

"Once we acquire Warner Bros. at the end of this month, there will be a huge number of copyrights to develop. I don't think you'll have time to make movies for the next year or two."

"Billions of dollars versus an Oscar, which would you choose?"

He softened his tone as he spoke, "You know, a Best Actress award is given out every year."

The two sisters looked at each other and finally nodded: "OK! We'll manage the company well, but remember you owe us a trophy!"

"Of course, go and enjoy your vacation. You won't have time once you get home. Bring Elizabeth with you too. The two of you can protect her together, and I think nothing will happen."

After seeing the three sisters off, Eric looked at Theron with sincere eyes: "Darling, you just heard it too, I have too much on my shoulders right now."

"After finishing Dragon Ball, I simply couldn't find the time to start a new film for the next six months."

"This vacation was hard-won; I definitely wouldn't have come if it weren't for needing to discuss work with Peter Jackson."

"And why am I doing all this? Of course, it's for our family, can you understand?"

Under his intense gaze, Theron quickly gave in: "Okay, but remember you also owe me an Oscar."

After saying that, she kissed Eric on the cheek and lightly chased after the three sisters.

After winning over Theron, Eric opened his arms and hugged Gadot, gently stroking her hair like he was brushing a dog's fur.

"Look at you, look at you, you little rascal."

"A Best Actress award is nothing. What does that prove? Box office success is the true proof of popularity."

"There are so many actresses who, even after winning the Best Actress award, are still forgotten by the audience."

"And what does an actor really need? You know what, baby?"

Gadot looked up at him with her big eyes.

"I'm telling you, it's about being remembered by the audience, about storing your image in their memory, so that they can recall your face just by seeing your name."

"The Oscars happen every year, but a blockbuster movie doesn't necessarily happen every year."

"You envy them for having trophies, but actually they envy you for having box office success even more."

"But...but I still want the trophy," Gadot said softly, pouting.

"Darling, you just haven't understood what I mean yet."

"Listen, I'll make you the highest-grossing actress in the world."

"What does 'the highest' represent? It represents that there is only one in the whole world, it represents the pinnacle."

"And since at least one Best Actress is awarded every year, which of these two honors would you prefer?"

"Once things settle down with Warner, I'm going to start developing the DC Extended Universe. Do you remember what I promised you? On the plane that took you back to America."

Gadot recalled for a moment: "You mean that character!"

"Yes, I said that every actor has his destined role, and yours will be Wonder Woman."

"So why do I have to acquire Warner? Because I want to give it to you as a gift."

"oh"

Hearing this, Gadot felt her heart melt and immediately hugged Eric tightly, saying, "Thank you! You're so thoughtful, darling."

"Okay, go play now."

Having dealt with another one, he turned to look at Nicole, who was also watching him with an air of amusement.

"Your methods are getting more and more sophisticated, you've completely fooled them."

"But you're not so easily fooled. You actually said that being a Best Actress winner doesn't mean anything? Then what about my two trophies!"

Listening to Nicole's mutterings, Eric remained silent, then suddenly reached out and grabbed her.

"Come with me!"

"What! Wait, where are you taking me?"

"Shulin, I'm going to make your belly grow big!"

After a moment of surprise, Nicole quickly glanced at the departing figures and said, "Hurry, we have to hurry."

As early July arrived, the Jedi Knights craze slowly subsided in movie theaters.

But audiences won't get bored, because new blockbusters will fill the gap.

Following the disastrous failure of "Mulan 2", Disney has once again poured its efforts into another animated feature film, "Chicken Little".

This film cost even more, with a production budget of $1.5 million, and has recently undergone a large-scale promotional campaign.

It's clear that Mickey Mouse desperately needs a strong comeback.

But the more anxious Disney became, the more MGM tried to suppress it.

Eric sent out Twilight characters to snipe.

Also choosing this release window is DreamWorks' new film "The Island," a big-budget production starring Michael Bay, Ewan McGregor, and Scarlett Johansson, with an investment of $1.2 million.

On the big screen, on one side, a 3D chick goes through its own adolescence, looking at its heroic father, its deceased mother, and its weak self, searching for a way to become stronger.

On one side, McGregor, who looks remarkably like Jude Law, and Scarlett Johansson unravel the mystery of the clones, staging a spectacular scene of luxury cars, beautiful women, and explosions.

There's also a melodramatic love story between a handsome vampire and a sweet campus girl.

The three films each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and belong to completely different categories.

Traditionally, anime suitable for all ages are more likely to gain recognition, and given its core theme of depicting the confusion of youth, it is definitely the first choice for family viewing.

The trope of luxury cars, beautiful women, and explosions may be old news, but it never fails to become popular.

Especially for men, Scarlett Johansson, even though she hasn't played Black Widow yet, is already the dream goddess of many.

This is her first attempt at a commercial blockbuster, and it's also a highly anticipated publicity stunt, with everyone eager to see how the artistic goddess performs in the commercial arena.

As for the love between vampires and humans, please, it's even more clichéd than Michael Bay's movies; this kind of story has been made for almost a hundred years.

Apart from "Interview with the Vampire," none of them have been a true global blockbuster.

Why was Interview with the Vampire both entertaining and a box office success?

That's bullshit. If you can get Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt at their peak, you can have a huge hit too.

The problem is that you can only find Henry Cavill and Blake Lively, please, I've never heard of any of the other actors. Where did this little Karami come from?

Therefore, before the release of the three blockbusters, most analysts believed that "Twilight" would be the first to flop, and the competition would revolve around "The Island" and "Chicken Little".

However, as the week's box office results were released and audience and critic reviews were lifted, a startling scene unfolded.

The first flop wasn't Twilight, but The Island.

The audience and the media have surprisingly united in their condemnation of the film, saying it is incredibly boring and unwatchable.

Leaving aside the harsh reviews that used profanity, even the San Francisco Chronicle, which had a milder tone, commented that "this is a mediocre story."

Shell seems to have lost his former magic, and people miss his "The Rock".

However, since Pearl Harbor, he has been relying on his past achievements and declining in popularity, wasting Scarlett Johansson's good looks.

With a dismal $1210 million at the box office in its first week, DreamWorks, which made a lot of money last year, has clearly misjudged the situation this time.

With the box office flopping to this extent, all subsequent promotional activities were halted.

Scarlett Johansson also stayed home, and although not many people blamed her, this was, after all, her first attempt at a commercial blockbuster.

If the first attempt fails to gain traction, the road ahead will be difficult. Focusing solely on acting skills without considering box office success is not a viable strategy.

She was finally caught by reporters on Friday. She looked embarrassed and gave a few perfunctory words before changing the subject.

"Although the movie had some impact on me, it's okay. I will focus all my energy on the role of Black Widow from now on, and I hope the audience will give me another chance."

After the failure of "The Island," "Chicken Little," which was highly anticipated by the market, was not spared either.

The box office was decent, grossing over $4000 million, but the critical reception was poor.

The show was heavily criticized by viewers for its overly clichéd plot and the inclusion of too many cringeworthy jokes, yet it failed to achieve the desired effect.

The children weren't amused, let alone the adults.

Fortunately, the media reviews were quite good, but unfortunately, the media coverage didn't translate into high box office returns.

The biggest winner was actually Twilight, which no one expected to succeed.

Its treatment is the exact opposite of that of "Chicken with Four Eyes".

The criticism from the media and film critics was almost unanimous.

Melodramatic, clichéd, derivative, with stiff and artificial acting and rough composition, these are all labels attached to "Twilight".

But the audience, especially teenage female viewers, really liked it.

The reasons given by those who like him are consistent: Henry Cavill is fucking handsome.

Look at his charming face, the melancholy that occasionally appears when he frowns, the nobility of his British heritage, the emotion in his eyes, and his perfect physique.

Every little detail touched the little girl's heart.

Handsome!

So incredibly handsome!

Countless girls fantasize about kicking the heroine Bella aside and lying on Edward's chest that night.

Even if he's a sap-sucking monster, he might still bite himself.

But who can blame him when he's both handsome and knows how to use drugs?

With the help of this group of crazy girls, Twilight took the top spot in its week and grossed $6550 million.

The film's budget of only $3000 million shocked everyone.

Just as various institutions and media outlets were analyzing why "Twilight" was such a huge success, another major event that shook the world film industry was about to unfold.

Warner Bros. Pictures officially changed hands, marking the beginning of the Sixth Era of Hollywood.

(End of this chapter)