Ron Mayer pushed open the door and walked into the conference room. The buzzing sounds of discussion suddenly stopped. He glanced at the heads of the various departments, sat down, and said bluntly, "Tell me your opinions, everyone."
Even so, no one spoke for a long time. After all, they had no say in this kind of thing. Just a few days ago, a week after the Cannes Film Festival, AC Media publicly announced that it would acquire Universal Pictures from Seagram. Anyone who knew about AC Media's style knew that once they publicly announced the acquisition of a company, it was almost done. It was the same when they acquired TBS and ABC.
In fact, as the current president of Universal Pictures, Meyer, who had been in this position for many years, had good connections in Hollywood. Naturally, he had heard about the actions of AC Media. But what could he do if he knew? He couldn't make the decision on this kind of thing. Among the major media groups, Warner and Disneyland were planning to jointly establish a television network. Viacom's acquisition of CBS was in the final stage. News Corporation was temporarily unable to expand. As long as AC Media didn't make any big mistakes, Universal Pictures was basically in the bag.
If that was the case, why did he call the heads of the various departments here to hold such a meeting after the other party publicly announced the acquisition of Universal?
"At least it won't be worse than the Japanese or the Canadians. AC Media knows how to make movies." After a moment, someone finally spoke. With this opening, the others began to speak one after another.
"AC Media is very powerful. Although it is expanding very fast, it is also very stable. It also has TBS and ABC under its banner. It is quite powerful."
"Adrian Kewell is not very capable as the chairman, but as a producer and director, he is very good. In addition to movies, many of the reality shows and TV series under its banner are said to have been guided by him."
Although the heads of the various departments spoke at once, Ron Mayer remained silent, his eyelids drooping as he maintained his silence. In fact, it was not difficult to guess what he was thinking. Since WA Zelman sold Universal to Panasonic in the 1980s, the ownership of the film company changed every few years, which greatly affected Universal's performance. If not for this reason, with Universal's qualifications, it would not be ranked at the bottom of the seven major film companies.
Even so, under the leadership of Ron Meyer, Universal Pictures still maintained a considerable amount of profit. Even if the emergence of Adriaan divided some of the good works that originally belonged to them, or if Spielberg, who had always been a good partner, founded his own DreamWorks with his friend, he was still quite capable.
But this was also the reason why he was a little worried. Once Universal was acquired by AC Media, what kind of situation would he be in? Just as one of the directors had said, although they had not heard of Adrian Kewell's specific achievements in management, when it came to the production of various shows, he was unparalleled. Not only did he have the title of "Miracle Director" and a very forward-looking vision, but several of the most popular TV shows and reality shows were produced according to his ideas. Not only did he promote the development of various reality shows, but he also indirectly encouraged various media companies to start planning their own television networks.
Such a person with a huge capital and media group could certainly make Universal develop rapidly, but what would happen to Meyer's position? Universal was neither Bosworth, New Line, nor Miramax. Anyone with a discerning eye would know what AC Media lacked. So once Universal Pictures was acquired, they would definitely hold it firmly in their hands. So … just a few weeks ago, when the Cannes Film Festival opened, Ted Turner suddenly announced that he would no longer be the vice president of AC Media. Although this announcement was simple and sudden, and AC Media's spokesperson publicly praised Turner's contributions over the years, many people knew that he had already been eliminated.
So, how could Meyer not consider his own interests?
While Universal was discussing the upcoming situation, AC Media was also discussing the matter. The difference was that there were only two people participating in the discussion.
"The internal management of Seagram has already given in. Now, they just want to sell Universal as much as possible. They know what we're thinking," Claude said lazily as he leaned back in his high-back chair.
"Of course. After we made our move to Universal, everyone knew that we wanted a film company with a lot of weight in Hollywood. So, it doesn't matter if the price is a little higher." Adriaan flipped through the things in his hands and paused for a few seconds before adding, "You know, we have to prevent 'long nights' and 'bad dreams.'"
"Here we go again. Can't you say it in English?" Claude said with dissatisfaction, but Adriaan just smiled and didn't respond. Claude sat up resentfully and said, "It doesn't matter. At most, we'll buy Seagram and sell off the assets that have nothing to do with media. The funds in Southeast Asia have been recovered, and we have enough capital for financing."
Suddenly, he noticed that his partner was a little lost in thought. He immediately waved his hand in front of him and said, "Hey, what are you thinking about now?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing. " Adriaan, who recovered, smiled. "The Canadians aren't stupid. They know our determination. Even if they don't want to, they have to think about the consequences."
In the beginning, Seagram had no intention of selling Worldwide, but AC Media immediately dealt a heavy blow to them in the market at a small price. Seagram, who was already struggling to make ends meet, was in even more trouble. In the end, he agreed to negotiate and had been at it ever since. Although the timing was good, allies, enemies, and neutrals had their own things to do and couldn't care less about them, Adriaan still wanted to buy Universal as soon as possible just in case. Universal was a very important part of his plan.
"If there's nothing else, I'll leave first. I'll wait for your good news." Adriaan said and stood up.
"Oh, hell, where are you going?" Claude sighed, pretending to be annoyed. "We only talked for a few minutes, and your office is above me. Can't you stay a little longer?"
"Because I have other things to do." Adriaan shrugged.
"Yes, yes, you have other things to do. I don't know which woman you're looking for." The corner of Claude's mouth twitched. Of course, the last sentence was whispered. Then he thought of something and said, "By the way, since this matter has been made public, New Line and Miramax are fine, but you have to say a word or two about Bosworth, right?"
"Of course. Don't worry about what they will think. I have my own arrangements." Adriaan nodded. "Including Universal."
Claude raised his hands and didn't say anything else. By now, they had quite a tacit understanding. Adriaan had the final say in film and television production. After all, he had such great achievements and fame in this field. But that didn't mean he would let things go. Just like how Adriaan handed over his other businesses to him, he wouldn't interfere, but he wouldn't stop asking questions or investigating.
The foundation was finally going to be laid. After leaving Claude's office, Adriaan let out a long sigh. Yes, even if he acquired Universal, he was only laying the foundation. The stronger the foundation, the harder it would be to build a castle on top of it, and the faster it would be built. Now he just had to wait for the opportunity in two years!
Thinking of this, his brows suddenly furrowed slightly, and then he sighed softly in his heart. As usual, the Southeast Asian incident broke out in May. He specially arranged for a young man with a sense of justice to be the local reporter for CNN, so the bloody scenes of the riots were immediately transmitted back to the United States.
Although this was after the Gulf War in 1992, CNN once again fully demonstrated its timeliness and left its competitors far behind, but the reaction it caused was far less than the Gulf War. This was not surprising, after all, the Gulf War was a war where the Americans fully demonstrated their military strength, and the Indonesian riots had nothing to do with them.
Although some charity groups came out to say that this was a humanitarian disaster, and some people, under Adriaan's arrangement, called for Congress to intervene — most of the big shots in the company like Adriaan were manipulating and exchanging behind the scenes, and publicly expressing one's own political views was the most despicable thing to do — but all of this was to no avail. Most Americans, other than expressing sympathy, immediately turned their attention elsewhere.
This was the best they could do. Faced with this situation, Adriaan could only helplessly shrug his shoulders. As for the government on the other side of the Pacific, he was neither interested nor necessary to blame them. After living two lives, he had become very calm and rational. He knew very well that there were many reasons for something to happen, and only people with ulterior motives would latch onto one point.
This matter was quickly thrown to the back of Adriaan's mind. He still had many things to do, and the acquisition of Universal was only one of them, and he didn't need to worry too much about it.
"Oh, I have to apologize about this. They are all very good candidates, very outstanding." Sam Raimi took off his hat and scratched his head, then waved at Tobey Maguire not far away. "Hey, Tobey!"
"What's the matter, Mr. Director?" Maguire immediately ran over, with a camera around his neck. His slightly shy appearance did indeed resemble Peter Parker.
"Nothing, this is Mr. Adrian Kewell, I was praising you to him." Raimi immediately introduced Adriaan.
"Hello, Mr. Adriaan, it's my honor to meet you!" Maguire immediately shook hands with Adriaan, a little excited. Although he knew that it was Miracle Director who asked him to star in "Good Will Hunting" and "Spider-Man," this was the first time they met, and naturally, he wanted to express his gratitude. Everyone knew what Adriaan's favor meant.
"Do a good job, young man. You know, Sam and I had an argument about whether or not to use you. Of course, he has now admitted his mistake." Adriaan smiled and patted him on the shoulder. Raimi coughed next to him.
"Tobey, you need to read the lines … Eide?!" A voice full of surprise sounded at this time, and then Kirsten's round face appeared in front of Adriaan.
Her red lips were slightly open, but the corners of her mouth were curled up, forming a pure and charming smile, and two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. Her grayish-blue eyes gently blinked, with a look of surprise, but occasionally there was a flash of slyness that was well hidden. If one did not look carefully, they would really be fooled by her.
"Hey, Chi-Chi, wow, long time no see. You are getting more and more beautiful," Adriaan smiled and praised Kirsten after looking at her.
This compliment was sincere. Kirsten was wearing a small red cheongsam embroidered with azaleas, and a red shawl. Although the skirt covered her knees and split halfway up her thighs, her well-maintained figure was vividly displayed, very sexy. Her golden hair was also dyed wine red, and there were two hairpins at the back of her head, which matched the cheongsam very well. Even though her face was big, it did not diminish her attractiveness.
"Thank you, it's really nice to see you here." Kirsten smiled sweetly, but immediately turned her head and pulled Maguire to go through the lines, but occasionally glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.
Adriaan chuckled in his heart and did not pay attention to her. He pulled Rémy and said a few more words, then stood to the side after the director announced the start of the shooting.
"I've already explained this scene once. Now, bring out your best side!" Rémy said loudly on the sidelines, then waved his hand to signal for everyone to get ready. Everyone immediately began to move.
Adriaan nodded slightly, agreeing with Rémy's arrangement, but then he was stunned. When Kirsten passed in front of him, she suddenly opened her mouth, stuck out her tongue, and curled it up and down. Coupled with the unscrupulous seductive look in her eyes, he could not help but gasp. Although everyone around them was busy, and she immediately returned to her previous expression after turning her head, this little vixen was a little too bold.
But if she was not bold, she would not be a little vixen. Maybe the "little" part could be removed, and it was indeed very exciting. Looking at the graceful figure, Adriaan could not help but smack his lips.
The content that was being filmed was Spiderman's first encounter with Green Goblin in Times Square. He watched his best friend and the girl he had a crush on in the square from afar. In addition to some necessary scenery, green curtains had been hung around. Of course, such a scene could not be filmed in Times Square. Even if the crew was willing to spend money, the New York City government might not agree. However, the advancement of CG technology was making up for this shortcoming. Now they only needed to build a model and shoot in the green curtains, and when the shot of Times Square was moved in later, it would be done.
This kind of comic book hero movie did not actually require too much acting skills. As long as the emotions were in place, the audience mainly wanted to see all kinds of more realistic special effects than before. Thinking of this, Adriaan could not help but sigh in his heart. It would not be long before the screen would be filled with movies with special effects.
As early as when "Titanic" was released, he was very clear about this point. Making a movie was actually no different from gambling. In gambling, one would only know whether one won or lost when the cards were turned over, while in movies, one would only know whether the audience liked it or not after it was released. The producers had been racking their brains to avoid the risks of making a movie, just like many gamblers racking their brains to calculate the cards in each other's hands, but it had not been very effective.
Now, they had finally found a good way to avoid risks. Yes, that was special effects! After "Titanic", all kinds of special effects would attract the attention of the audience for a long time. Before the appeal of special effects was completely squeezed out, and before the audience got tired of big scenes, the producers would not let go of this way to make money.
This was one of the reasons why in his previous life, there were all kinds of big scenes in the 21st century. Even if the audience got tired of it a few years later, there was still a big market for special effects movies.
It didn't matter, don't worry, some things could not be changed. Adriaan shook his head and stopped thinking about it. This could not be changed not only meant that the story was the core of the movie, but also the trend of special effects in commercial movies in the next few years.
After the initial blind following, after continuous losses, film production would still return to storytelling. The audience wanted to see the complete story, not just the gorgeous fights and scenes. So why should he care about this? Seizing this opportunity to make a fortune was the right thing to do.
This part of the content was quickly filmed. Remy announced a few minutes break, and then began to film the battle between Spiderman and Green Goblin. Adriaan, who watched silently from beginning to end, once again expressed his affirmation of Sam Remy in his heart.
"Hi, Eide." Kirsten's voice rang in his ear.
"Hi, Kiki." Adriaan immediately turned his head, then raised his eyebrows slightly. The little goblin in front of him had a shy expression, as if she was a little embarrassed to talk to him, but only he knew what kind of lascivious heart was hidden under this shy expression.
"What's the matter?" he asked gently.
"Yes, but can I talk to you in private? It's in the trailer over there. " Kirsten bit her lip and looked at him with pleading eyes. "There's no scene for me in the following shooting."
What first-class acting skills. Adriaan secretly praised her, then raised his hand and made a gesture of invitation. Kirsten didn't say anything. She immediately turned around and walked to the nearby trailer. At first, she was walking well, but when she reached the trailer, her plump buttocks, which were stretched tight by the cheongsam, began to shake vigorously. Adrian, who was following behind her, was shaken. A thought suddenly came to his mind. She seemed a little uncomfortable when she was performing. Could it be …
"Hey, Lawrence." After entering the trailer, Kirsten closed the door, leaned half of her body out of the window, and shouted to a nearby staff member, "I want to rest here. Tell Wyman that when the director needs me, come and call me."
Listening to her voice, Adriaan found a chair nearby and sat down. Just as he sat down, his throat could not help but move. Kirsten, who was leaning over the window, not only raised her buttocks high, but she also slowly picked up the skirt of the cheongsam with her hands. Then, a pair of snow-white buttocks were completely exposed to Adriaan. More importantly, there was no underwear under the skirt. Sure enough!
"Thank you, Lawrence. You are a good person." Kirsten, who was at the window, said to the people outside with an innocent smile. At the same time, she put her hands behind her back and moved her pair of wonderful buttocks away from Adriaan.
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