Chapter 479

With the arrival of the latter half of June, all the schools in the United States began their summer vacation one after another. A new round of competition for the popular schedule had begun. This time, it was "Men in Black," which was jointly invested by Columbia, Bosworth, and DreamWorks.

This rather mediocre novel became a hot topic after it was adapted into a movie. The hidden theme of placing humans in an extremely insignificant place, the humorous presentation, and the idea that aliens were around, all attracted the attention of many people. The two leading actors, Tommy Lee Jones, pretended to be serious, and Will Smith, with his rich body language, were quite good to watch. Although Monica's performance in the movie was average, there were occasional moments that made people's eyes light up. For example, in the final scene where she killed the big bug that wanted to sneak attack her, and later when she joined the Men in Black, she looked very handsome in her suit.

Therefore, the movie got off to a pretty good start, with a PG-13 rating. It had an interesting story, good performances, and the marketing methods of the three companies. Although it was not released on a weekend, with the support of 3000 cinemas, it still earned 80 million in the North American box office within five days. As a result, Will Smith became more and more popular, and Monica's position in Hollywood became more and more stable.

Moreover, it was quite well-received among the film critics. Many of them thought that it would be one of the most interesting sci-fi movies of the year. Of course, this was all a comparison. The mediocrity of the original novel made the movie stand out. Therefore, the critics added that it would also be one of the best sci-fi adaptations of the year.

However, the most anticipated movie was still "Titanic," which appeared frequently on various media outlets and whetted everyone's appetite. Ordinary people wanted to know what was so special about this movie, which was claimed to be the most expensive movie so far. Those who were optimistic about the movie wanted to know if it was worthy of their praise, and those who were not optimistic about the movie wanted to know what the flaws of the movie were so that they could criticize it more severely.

Just as they had hoped, on the last weekend of June, Titanic was finally released.

As night fell, there was a sea of people outside the China Theater in Hollywood. A grand premiere was going to be held there. Countless reporters and fans had been waiting early in the morning, hoping to catch valuable news or see the stars they wanted to see and ask for autographs.

They were not disappointed. Hollywood celebrities came one after another. There were several big-name directors. Not to mention Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, Francis Coppola came with his daughter. If Martin Scorsese came as well, the four major directors of the year would almost all be present. Other than that, there were also quite a number of new directors, especially those who had been promoted by Adrian. Jane de Bont, David Fincher, Michael Bay, and so on. Not a single one of them was left out.

The actors were not bad either. Almost all the Oscar winners of the past four or five years were here. Anthony Hopkins was said to have come from England to support. Although Nicolas Cage came separately from his uncle, he was only a few minutes apart. Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, and his wife were all here. There were even more, such as the live-in couple Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, the three brothers Revan Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, and Silver Phoenix, as well as Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe.

Unfortunately, Denis Knight came alone, which disappointed many reporters. They had heard that after breaking up with Winona, he had officially gotten together with his sweetheart from "Friends."

Many famous couples also appeared on the red carpet of the premiere, such as Bruce Willis and his wife. Although rumors of their discord had spread, they still pretended to be intimate in front of the camera. There were also Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Tom Cruise and his wife, and so on.

More senior executives of various film companies had arrived, but the reporters' attention didn't stay on them for long. They were nothing compared to a certain person, and that person was Rupert Murdoch. When he appeared on the red carpet, holding his wife's hand, the camera flashed non-stop.

"I can't believe Murdoch actually came to support us," a reporter exclaimed in a low voice. A reporter exclaimed in a low voice. Although the News Corporation had just come out of the doldrums and had not completely gotten rid of the terrible situation, it was still a formidable behemoth. Reporters could disdain those stars, but they still maintained a little bit of awe for these big shots of media companies.

"It's not surprising. It's 20th Century Fox that distributes the movie." The companion next to him shrugged. "If you are willing to invest 300 million dollars in a movie and own a large media company, Murdoch will also support you."

"I heard that Kewell is obsessed with making movies and rarely asks about the company's affairs. His friend has almost taken over the company," another companion interrupted.

"Don't joke. If that's the case, why would he sit in the position of chairman of AC Media?" the first reporter retorted disdainfully.

"I don't know if he has been taken over, but I know that the energy he spends on women is definitely no less than that of making movies," the second reporter joked at this time.

The three suddenly chuckled together. The gossip about Adriaan had never stopped, but it was basically only circulated in the tabloids. The regular media would not publish this news unless there was conclusive evidence. Even if they wanted to follow the trend, they would only understate it and put it in an inconspicuous corner. As for the reason...

"Guess how many women who walked the red carpet today have slept with him?" the first reporter asked at this time.

"I don't know how many, but Julia Roberts is certain. There are photos as proof. Only a fool would believe that he entered her house and quickly came out."

"Monica Bellucci is also certain. There are also photos, although they are only photos from a few years ago."

"Hey, do you think it's possible for Nicole Kidman? Don't forget, she and Tom Cruise have been rumored to be in a cold war recently. "

"Come on, if that's the case, it's more likely that it's Demi Moore. The news that she and Bruce Willis are separated can be confirmed."

"No, no, no, think about it. Nicole's performance in 'Eye Opener' was so explicit, and it was in front of the director. Is Kewell really not tempted? Oh, maybe with that man... "

"Okay, okay, instead of guessing that, why don't we talk about this?"

As the third reporter spoke, the three people looked out of the theater together, and then after seeing clearly, they all showed a look of disappointment. "Oh, obviously, it's confirmed."

On the red carpet, Adriaan held Gwyneth's arm. She was wearing a pink strapless dress, and her hair was coiled behind her head, revealing her white goose neck. As they walked, they nodded to the people around them.

"The investment will get bigger and bigger, there is no doubt about it, especially after the success of this movie." Adriaan smiled and said to the old man in front of him, "Even big companies will choose to co-produce more and more often. Just like the 'Men in Black' that was released not long ago, including the publicity costs, the cost is basically more than 100 million. Although the profits are not that high, the risk is greatly reduced."

"You always seem to be so confident, Eide." Murdoch smiled and said noncommittally.

"Too much faith in intuition will make people blind." Anna also spoke for her husband.

Next to Murdoch was his second wife, Anna. As for the shrewd China woman, she had not appeared by his side yet, but it was estimated that she would appear soon.

"I don't deny that I do believe in my intuition, but every decision I make is made after combining a lot of information. Just like 'Titanic', I believe that after watching the movie, most people will agree with me." Adriaan shrugged.

"Maybe. Then I will wait for the movie to start," Murdoch said. He suddenly changed the topic. "What do you think of the current media industry, Eide?"

"This topic seems too big, Rupert." Adriaan did not answer directly.

"Oh, I mean the relationship between the traditional media industry and the emerging Internet." Murdoch did not intend to let him off the hook.

"It's still a bit big. In my opinion, the Internet has great potential. People's ability to collect information has greatly improved, but there is still a long way to go to replace the traditional media industry." Adriaan said in general terms, then patted Claude next to him. "I think it is better to leave this issue to Krau. After all, he is responsible for the main affairs of the company and knows better than me."

"Why did you drag me into this?" Claude deliberately showed an unhappy expression. "Rupert is asking, not me."

"Come on, you know that I only have a general understanding of these things, and I have said enough. What's wrong with giving you a chance to show yourself?" Adriaan spread out his hands.

"It doesn't matter who you say it." Murdoch, who saw Adriaan's plan, did not force it.

"Well, then... Eide and I think..." Claude cleared his throat and began to speak. Although Adriaan seemed to be listening attentively, most of his attention was on the crowd around him.

A gathering of stars. This was the best portrayal of a premiere. Anyway, so much money had been spent, and some things had already been settled. If they did not make the premiere grand, how could they be worthy of this classic?

Although anyone walking alone on the street would cause a scream, at this moment, they all came to support him. Even Tom Cruise, who had little contact with Adriaan after the Oscars, came after receiving the invitation. Tom Cruise was said to have complained that Adriaan did not help him. Unknowingly, Adriaan had such a big influence in Hollywood.

Of course, there were also regrets. For example, Martin Scorsese. Adrian didn't have much of a relationship with him and had only met him a few times. Although Fox had also sent him an invitation, the old man had still declined. Therefore, the grand occasion of expecting the four directors to appear at the same time was aborted, and there were also several who declined.

However, Adriaan did not take it to heart, because... this was just the beginning.

"Rupert doesn't seem very satisfied with my answer," Claude said to Adriaan after Murdoch left.

"Of course, after all, I am also famous." Adriaan shrugged. Although he tried to create a situation where he did not care about the company, it was not a secret for people like Murdoch.

Although News Corporation and AC Media had cooperation, they were still competing in many areas. If Murdoch could get some information from him and take it back to analyze, it would be troublesome. Therefore, even if the other party knew about his little trick, Adriaan still tirelessly pulled Claude to the front as a shield. You can see that it is your business, and it is my business to do so.

"Speaking of which, have you thought about..." Claude suddenly opened his mouth and made a few gestures, but he did not finish his words.

"No, I am not interested." Adriaan shook his head.

"Oh? Why? " Claude looked at him with interest. "You have to know that News Corporation has several powerful print media companies, and that's where our weakness lies. What's more, they also have 20th Century Fox and FOX TV. Now is a good time. We can take this opportunity to get in. If they wait for a few years, when they are completely stable, we will not be able to get in. "

"Yes, I know." Adriaan nodded. "But I also said..."

"I also know." Claude interrupted him. "Although the development of the Internet is gradually verifying your words, I still have reservations about this. You know, I have to consider the overall situation."

"I understand, but News Corporation is not suitable for us, or a family business like theirs is not suitable for us. It is fine when Murdoch is in power, but once he falls, his media empire is likely to be torn apart," Adriaan said meaningfully.

Previously, he was still wondering if his wings would slap that shrewd woman off, but now it seemed that it was better to maintain it. The family business was destined to be weaker from generation to generation, not to mention that it was a family business that might have internal strife. Even powerful families like Rockefeller and Morgan have now chosen to disperse and hide behind the scenes.

Although Claude could not see the future of News Corporation like Adriaan, he was also aware of the problems of family businesses, which was why Old Lohenlys supported him and Adriaan to start a business.

"Okay, but we have to solve our weaknesses. Although the newspapers and magazines we acquired have good sales, it is not enough compared to those well-known print media companies. And among the top ten magazines in the United States, at least four are under Warner. "Claude was already familiar with this data.

"Cooperation." Adriaan smiled. "Cooperation with those who need us, such as —"

The two of them looked at each other and said in unison, "Newhouse Group."

"As expected, you thought about it when you gave them the advice, right?" Claude said with a smile.

"No, I didn't think that much at the time. I just gave them a suggestion, a foreshadowing." Adriaan shrugged.

Newhouse Newspapers was a relatively powerful media group. They owned a series of famous magazines such as Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Architectural Digest. They also had many newspapers and limited television stations, especially Vanity Fair. This magazine was the most influential in Hollywood, or rather, the entertainment industry. However, although they had a great advantage in print media, their development in television, movies, and other media was somewhat unsatisfactory, not to mention the emerging Internet. Moreover, they were also a family business. Unlike News Corporation, they had been in business for three generations. Although they still held the power of the company, and although the momentum of development was not bad, it was inevitable that they would decline.

AC Media, on the other hand, had an advantage in television and movies, but the traditional print media was not so good. Therefore, the two parties had a good foundation for cooperation. Moreover, because of Adriaan's suggestion, Vanity Fair's influence had more than doubled, and the relationship between the two parties had always been good. Of course, all eggs could not be put in the same basket, so...

"Hearst Newspapers is also good." Claude was also aware of this.

"Indeed." Adriaan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "But they are giants in the publishing industry, and we will soon have a big development in this area, so we have to be careful."

Hearst Newspapers was also a well-known media group like Newhouse Newspapers. They were quite powerful in the publishing industry, and had a good relationship with AC Media, but they could only be ranked behind Newhouse Newspapers.

"I will be careful," Claude promised.

"Okay, let's not talk about this now. The movie is about to start. Perhaps you would like to accompany me over there?" Adriaan changed the topic.

"If you... You can go by yourself, I will not accompany you." Claude, who was about to agree, immediately changed his mind when he saw where he was going.

"Hey, Krau, it's just..."

"I have my own female companion to accompany."

Claude quickly disappeared into the crowd. Adriaan shrugged and muttered before walking in the same direction.

"Hi, ladies, you seem to have a good chat." He began to greet them when he was still two steps away.

Five pairs of eyes suddenly fell on him. Some were calm, some were dissatisfied, some were proud, some were angry, and some were annoyed.

"But I'm sorry, the movie is about to start, so I have to bring the female lead in." Adriaan smiled and bent his arm, and the owner of the proud gaze immediately held it. He then smiled and glanced at the others. "It was a pleasure to chat with you, but I have to leave now. Let's talk later."

Without giving Monica, Julia, Blanchett, and Nicole a chance to speak, Adriaan actually wanted to know what Nicole would say, but it was clearly not the time. He led Gwyneth to the theater where the movie had already begun.