America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 38, Section 40: My Goal (Please continue reading)

Rhodes Island, Hasbro headquarters, press conference venue.

Alan Hasenfield casually pointed, and a reporter from the New York Entertainment Daily immediately stood up and asked, "Mr. Hasenfield, it's rumored that Paramount is also seeking the rights to Transformers. Why did Hasbro choose MGM instead of Paramount?"

Hasenfield's face darkened. What kind of person is this, coming right up to cause trouble? Are all entertainment reporters so blind?

However, he still replied, "MGM and Paramount are both excellent film and television companies. Actually, I could have chosen either one. The reason I finally decided on MGM is because my family really likes Tom and Jerry."

"So, this is a choice that leans more towards nostalgia than production capability?"

Hasenfield chuckled: "Isn't nostalgia a plus? Otherwise, why are you all standing here today? Transformers itself is a symbol of nostalgia. Of course, Paramount is also a very powerful company, as I've already said!"

"But Tom and Jerry now belongs to Warner Bros., and all those classic MGM shows now belong to Warner Bros., so why not go to Warner Bros.?"

What kind of stupid question was this? It was clearly meant to cause trouble. Not only was Alan Hasenfield furious, but everyone at MGM was furious too.

Kerkelien resold MGM many times back then, although he would buy it back every time he sold it.

However, after some transactions, Warner Bros. chose to retain some classic films and television series to add to its own film library, while only selling the inferior ones back to Kerkorian.

This includes classic works such as "Tom and Jerry", "Waterloo Bridge", and "Gone with the Wind".

This incident is a permanent pain for MGM. To bring back these classic works, the only way is probably to acquire Warner Bros., but for MGM now, it is nothing short of a pipe dream.

Alan Hasenfield ignored the reporter completely: "Sorry, you've asked enough questions. One question per person, next!"

A reporter from the Long Island Herald raised his hand and asked, "Transformers is a part of children's childhoods all over the world, and countless people are waiting for its live-action adaptation. Is MGM confident they can make it a success?"

Eric nodded to himself. This was a normal question. Was that guy just now bribed by Paramount to cause trouble?

Eric turned on the microphone: "That's a redundant question. We are absolutely confident in making a great Transformers movie. We will find the best directors and screenwriters, and cast the most suitable actors. It will be a big production!"

"Could you tell me about MGM's investment costs and projected box office revenue?"

Since the other party was very understanding, Eric didn't mind answering one more question.

"MGM plans to invest no less than $1.5 million, I'm talking about production costs. To bring the Autobots to the big screen, we'll need a lot of special effects, and we're ready."

"As for the box office, I estimate it to be around $7 million, but that's just my expectation. We'll have to wait until the movie is released to know for sure."

This statement immediately caused a stir in the room, as everyone there was involved in the entertainment industry and was very knowledgeable about movie box office figures.

Keep in mind that this was only 2002, not yet the era of box office boom. What does $7 million mean? It's a standard that only top-tier blockbusters can achieve.

Even Hollywood can only produce one or two films a year that gross over $7 million at the global box office.

The highest-grossing film of 1998 was "Armageddon," which grossed $5.53 million worldwide.

The highest-grossing film of 1999 was "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," which grossed $10.27 billion worldwide.

However, the runner-up, The Sixth Sense, grossed $6.72 million worldwide, falling short of $7 million.

The highest-grossing film of 2000 was Mission: Impossible 2, which grossed $5.46 million worldwide.

The highest-grossing film of 2001 was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which grossed $9.74 million worldwide.

The runner-up was "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," with a global box office of $8.98 million.

The third place went to "Monsters, Inc.", which failed to gross $6 million worldwide.

From 2002 to the present, only Spider-Man has grossed over $7 million, reaching $8.35 million, even surpassing the traditionally strong Star Wars.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Axes only grossed $6.53 million worldwide, far less than the first film and falling short of George Lucas and 2th Century Fox's expectations.

In five years, Hollywood has only produced four films that grossed over $700 million at the box office. You can imagine how terrifying this number is; they were aiming for the top spot of the year.

Eric's bold statement not only made Hasbro frown, but also made Sharon Cooper's heart skip a beat.

That's an overstatement. Even Cameron wouldn't dare to boast about 7 million in box office revenue.

The reporters immediately focused all their cameras on Eric, and some even started asking questions, disregarding the rules.

Eric smiled and remained silent. He knew that saying the answer once was enough; saying it again would be a waste of breath. Anyway, his words would definitely be in the newspapers tomorrow. As for whether people would praise or criticize him, the market would give them their feedback.

After pressing the reporter for a while and seeing that it had no effect, the scene gradually returned to calm.

The press conference continued, and more than half an hour passed. More and more questions were raised until the host announced that time was running out and there was only one question left.

Eric pointed to an Asian guy standing in the back row. He had been raising his hand for a while, but he was too short to get noticed.

"Hello Mr. Eric, I'm a reporter from American Entertainment Online. I'd like to ask about MGM's plans regarding actors. Do they already have candidates in mind, or are they preparing for auditions?"

Eric took a sip of water and said, "Both are acceptable. The actress and the second male lead have been chosen; MGM has already found the most suitable people."

"But the other roles haven't been decided yet. We welcome all actors to audition, but for the male lead, I have one requirement: the age should ideally not be over 24, or at least he should look youthful."

The reporters' eyes lit up, and they quickly jotted down their notes—this was big news! The Asian guy immediately pressed on, "Mr. Eric, could you reveal who the female lead is? I think many Transformers fans want to know who she is?"

"I cannot disclose this information at the moment. All I can say is that she is the one MGM has been searching for for a long time, and she will definitely not disappoint everyone's expectations."

After Eric finished speaking, he shut up, and the press conference ended. Everyone began to leave, but the reporters continued to ask questions loudly.

"Mr. Eric, is this Natalie Portman?"

"Keira Knightley, is that her?"

"Kristen Dunst, it must be her, right?"

"Charlize Theron? Is it Charlize Theron?"

"Angelina Jolie?"

Writing a book is not easy, so please support me, brothers!

(End of this chapter)