America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 63, Section 64: Wait for me for half an hour.

With Sergei Hasenfield gone, it's time for Eric to leave Park City as well.

He came here mainly to avoid trouble; finding movies was secondary. Besides, he had already studied the movie catalog, and apart from "Whale Rider," there weren't any particularly outstanding ones.

Once the deal for this movie is finalized, he should leave.

Eric contacted the organizing committee and asked them to inform the director. He then found a coffee shop to wait for him.

The plot of "Whale Rider" is not complicated. A little girl from an ancient tribe saves a whale, which is considered a sacred totem of the tribe. Therefore, the little girl is elected as the new chief of the tribe.

The plot is simple. Eric watched it for a while in the theater and found that the director's use of the camera was excellent. The film, especially the underwater parts, was beautiful and gave people a pleasant visual experience.

The core message of this film is immediately apparent: environmental and animal protection. This is precisely what made Eric think it had potential for financial success.

In the United States or the Western world, environmental protection and animal rights have always been firmly politically correct, and there are always a group of mentally unstable people who go crazy and carry out movements.

Since some people enjoy sports, Eric naturally wants to cater to them. So even though it's an art film, if MGM releases it, the box office should be decent.

The wait was short, and a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, who looked to be around 30 years old, walked into the coffee shop.

After entering, she looked around and saw Eric smiling and gesturing to her. She immediately took off her thick coat and handed it to the waiter, then walked over. Her tight-fitting sweater showed off her great figure.

"I never imagined that the director of this film would be such a beautiful woman." Eric stood up from his seat and gently shook hands with her.

"I never expected that the vice president of MGM would be such a handsome young man."

"Hehe. Don't you read the news? If you follow the entertainment section, you should have seen me a lot lately."

The woman shook her head slightly: "I'm from New Zealand. I came here specifically for the Sundance Film Festival. I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had time to pay attention to gossip and entertainment."

Upon hearing this, Eric understood why the other person didn't recognize him; it turned out the other person didn't even work in the US.

"Nice to meet you, Eric Cooper!"

"Hello, Nikki Caro!"

After sitting down again, a waiter brought her a cup of coffee. Nikki Caro remarked with some emotion, "American winters are so cold. After staying here for a few days, I'm already missing New Zealand, where it's the perfect season."

"That's right, it's summer there now, but it gets just as cold in winter, doesn't it?"

"No, it rarely snows in New Zealand winters, except in the mountains, where it's always warm. I never need to wear a thick down jacket there."

Eric agreed: "I don't like down jackets either; they make us look bulky."

"Men don't like that!" Nikki Caro joked.

As an experienced veteran, Eric immediately understood. The two laughed together; they were both people in the industry and knew all too well the unspoken rules here.

After chatting for a while, the two became familiar with each other, and good-looking people have a huge advantage in this regard.

"Niki, I've seen 'Whale Rider,' it's a very delicate and emotional film, and MGM is interested in buying it."

Nikki Caro took a sip of her coffee. "Eric, you're the first to express interest in buying the film, but I'd still like to know, after MGM buys it, do you plan to release it in theaters or on television?"

Niki Caro knew in her heart that the DVD market was definitely not suitable for her film, and since it was an art film, she was not confident about making it in theaters. The most likely option was to go through the TV movie route.

However, as a director, deep down she still hopes that her work can be shown on the big screen. Even if it doesn't get high box office returns, she would be satisfied just to see it.

Eric understood her idea very well, and it was also the common idea among directors. Moreover, since they wanted to capitalize on the environmental and animal protection issue, the big screen naturally couldn't be overlooked.

"Nikki, I understand what you're thinking. I promise to go to the big screen. If things go smoothly, you can see your work in February, but it will only start with small-scale screenings. I hope you understand that."

Upon hearing this, Niki Caro's voice became somewhat excited: "Of course, 'Whale Rider' is more of an art film, I completely understand."

"Let's talk about money then. I've inquired about the film's budget; it's around $350 million, right?"

Nikki Caro nodded, inwardly marveling at the other party's extraordinary abilities, having grasped the crucial information so quickly.

"Then I'm planning to buy out all the rights to this movie, and you and your team will receive $600 million. Think about it."

The copyright Eric mentioned here means that after "Whale Rider," apart from still having Niki Caro's name on it so that people know she directed it, everything else is unrelated to her.

The film's revenue has nothing to do with her team, and she and her team are no longer allowed to use the film for any commercial purposes, otherwise it would constitute copyright infringement.

Upon hearing the offer, Nikki Caro felt a surge of joy; reputation was important, but money was equally important.

The $350 million budget is definitely inflated; that's a consensus in the industry. The film's actual budget was less than $300 million.

This also includes her director's fee and other expenses, meaning that Niki Caro and her associates have already received payment once.

For an art film, $600 million is already quite a lot. After deducting the money given to investors, she can still make a profit.

"Eric, I have no objection to buying out the copyright, but this is not a decision I can make on my own. Please give me some time."

"Okay, but I'll be leaving Park City tomorrow. If you can't give me an answer tonight, you'll need to contact the company."

After Eric finished speaking, he stood up, shook hands with the other person, and left. The other movies didn't have much potential, so instead of wasting time searching, he might as well give that little rascal Colossevini another good beating!

Sweetwater Estate: A phone call brought Colossevini back.

The other person rolled their eyes at him, somewhat annoyed: "I'm busy with promotions, what's the rush?"

Eric pointed to his underling: "I'm leaving tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, the little girl immediately understood and obediently knelt down.

bell.

Just as they were having a great time, the phone rang. It was Nikki Caro; it seemed she had come to her senses.

"Nikki, I didn't expect you to contact me so quickly."

"Eric, I've already spoken with everyone, we can sign the contract now. Huh? What's that sound?"

Hearing the phone call, Crocevini moved even more vigorously, howling like a madman.

"It's nothing, let's meet at the coffee shop then, but you'll have to wait for me for half an hour!"

"Only half an hour?" a teasing voice came from the phone.

"You can give it a try!"

(End of this chapter)