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Michael Ovitz shook his head and said: "I don't know, but if I were you, I would definitely start fighting for a few movies under Daenerys Films that have not yet confirmed their distributors. At least, I will try my best to Great relationship with Daenerys Films."

Michael Eisner nodded, but suddenly said: "However, in your current position, you don't seem to be doing this."

"That was a very ambitious little guy," Michael Ovitz said with a look of reminiscence, "You know, when we met for the first time, he revealed a certain wish, he hoped that Hollywood would return to the era of big studios In the era of big studios, stars were only employees of film companies at that time, and there was no room for brokerage companies to survive. How could this be possible? Therefore, we are destined to only become rivals."

Chapter 157 The Last Compromise (Revised)

On April 4, three other new films also joined the competition for the Easter schedule.

Outside of Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice," neither of the other two new films poses any threat to "When Harry Met Sally."

Simon is very aware of the box office potential of "Beetlejuice". In the original time and space, it was because of the success of "Beetlejuice" that Tim Burton got the job of director of "Batman".

However, now Warner obviously doesn't have much expectation for "Beetlejuice". Although it gave the Easter schedule, it only provided the film with an exact 1000 yuan for the opening screen, which is much lower than the previous two weeks. The 5 yuan of "Gold Medal Police Academy 1700".

As a result, during the week of Easter, "When Harry Met Sally" received another US$13 million with a slight drop of 1549%, bringing the cumulative box office to US$3705 million."Beetlejuice", which followed "When Harry Met Sally", had a box office of 1324 million US dollars in the first week, almost twice the box office of "Gold Medal Police Academy 5".

Immediately, Warner's profound background as one of the seven major Hollywood studios was immediately revealed.

Due to the success of the box office in the first week, the screen size of "Beetlejuice" was directly expanded to 1523 yuan in the second week.

In comparison, entering the third week of large-scale release, the number of screening screens for "When Harry Met Sally" is still 1077. Although Disney did not refuse to increase the film schedule for this movie, it said that the process would take at least four weeks. .

It is not difficult to find out by paying a little attention to the data of movies currently being released in North America. Disney would rather give more than 2000 screens to "Good Morning Vietnam", which has only more than 1500 US dollars per week, rather than free up more canvases for the audience. "When Harry Met Sally" for more than $13000.

this is the truth.

If it weren't for the 1000 yuan screen guarantee clause specified in the original contract, the situation of "When Harry Met Sally" might have been even worse.

4 month 11 day.

Today is the day when the 60th Academy Awards ceremony will be held, and the Hollywood screenwriters' strike is still going on. The Oscar Awards ceremony, which was supposed to be held at the end of March, has been postponed until now.

Although he will attend the awards ceremony in the evening, Simon is still busy all day.

The fifth week of release, the third week of large-scale painting, and the end of the Easter holiday.

4月8日到4月10日的周末三天，《当哈利遇上莎莉》的票房相对于此前同期跌幅不可避免地扩大到了25%，三天时间再收811万美元，累计票房4516万美元。

Counting from this week, Disney will then receive 18% of the North American box office of "When Harry Met Sally" as a commission.

Burbank.

The time is already afternoon.

Simon and Amy left Disney's headquarters together. After getting in the car, Amy looked at Simon who was leaning on the back of the chair with his eyes closed and meditating. After waiting for a while, he said, "The company does have a lot of projects now, Simon, I think We should consider Eisner's suggestion."

Since the release of "When Harry Met Sally", the box office and word-of-mouth have settled, and Simon has also begun to consider the follow-up release.Due to the priority clause in the original contract, this must be agreed with Disney.

Simon and Amy came to Burbank to discuss this matter with Michael Eisner.

According to the box office curve of "When Harry Met Sally", calculated based on the box office of US$1 million in North America, the contract signed between Disney and theaters is [-]-[-], which naturally contains moisture, and Daenerys Pictures only acceptable.

Then, in the future, the 5000 million US dollars of production and distribution rights, minus the 18% commission of Disney and the 1000 million US dollars of publicity expenses that are destined to be mixed with water, Daenerys Pictures will probably be able to recover 2200 million. dollars, which has ensured that Daenerys Pictures has recouped production costs and generated some profits.

There are actually not many Hollywood movies that can recover their full cost in the stage of local theater release.Of course, for a movie whose North American box office is expected to exceed [-] million yuan, it will become a joke if the cost cannot be recovered.

As for distribution through other channels, after bargaining with Michael Eisner, Daenerys Films successfully retained the distribution rights for local videotapes and television broadcasts.Overseas theaters, videotapes and TV rights, Daenerys Films sold to Disney for a package price of 3000 million US dollars.

The 3000 million US dollars is basically the same as the 3500 million US dollars sold out price of the corresponding overseas distribution rights of "Run Lola Run" last year.

Back then, Simon's foundation in Hollywood was too shallow. In order to raise funds for the operation of the stock index futures market as soon as possible, the follow-up distribution rights of "Run Lola Run" were completely sold at a low price. Only the overseas box office of 2 million U.S. dollars made him buy " Warner, which owns the overseas omni-channel distribution rights of "Run Lola Run", has made a lot of money.

Although the box office performance of "When Harry Met Sally" was not as good as that of "Run Lola Run", Simon is no longer the rootless young man he was last year, so it is naturally impossible to give in blindly.

However, the sale price of 3000 million US dollars is still the result of Simon's compromise.

As long as "When Harry Met Sally" did as much overseas as it did in North America, Disney would basically be able to make a profit, not to mention lucrative video and TV distribution.

Daenerys Pictures transferred the overseas distribution rights for US$3000 million, so Simon was able to retain the local videotape and TV channel distribution rights of "When Harry Met Sally".

After negotiating the follow-up release of "When Harry Met Sally", Michael Eisner also proposed to continue to act as an agent to distribute several other films in the hands of Daenerys Films, which is something Amy just thought was worth considering .

When Simon heard Amy's words, he came back to his senses, glanced at his female executive beside him, shook his head and said, "Amy, I have made too many compromises during this time, enough is enough. So, I want to let You know, the negotiation just now was the last concession I made to Hollywood. After this time, no one can take advantage of Simon Westero at will."

Amy felt certain emotions in Simon's tone, and said: "These two things do not conflict, Simon, Daenerys Pictures is still very small, and we must establish our own distribution channels as much as possible. But considering the company's situation, we must maintain certain cooperation with the Seven."

Simon didn't deny it, nodded and said: "Of course, Amy. However, in the next films of Daenerys Pictures, the distribution rights of "Pulp Fiction", "Instinct" and "Rain Man" have already been released in other films. It is impossible for me to give up more from the company. Eisner offered a 10% commission, which seems very generous. But if you look at "When Harry Met Sally", "Beetlejuice" can be the first It’s easy to expand the size of the show by 50% in two weeks, and we can only passively wait for Disney to hand out more screens. I don’t want that to happen to other Daenerys films.”

Amy said: "Simon, if we release it separately, the number of screens we get from theaters may not be as many as Disney."

"Theatrical chains also want to make money. I don't believe that after a series of blockbuster films such as "Run Lola Run", "The Butterfly Effect", "Death Comes" and "When Harry Met Sally", the North American theater chains will continue to make money. Reject the film produced by Daenerys Pictures. What's more, the screenwriter's strike has been going on for more than a month. If it lasts for another month or two, the summer file may not be affected, but the schedule for the second half of the year, the seven major studios will definitely It is impossible to provide sufficient film sources for theaters, and that is our opportunity."

Thinking of the so-called reality shows that the company is preparing, Amy felt a little more worried, and said: "The screenwriter union has restarted negotiations with the producer union, and a settlement may be reached before the end of the month. Next month But in the new year's TV program promotion season, neither party should want to mess up this matter, it will only hurt both sides."

Simon just shook his head slightly, and said: "Amy, if you feel that you are too busy, you can continue to recruit people. We will do many things by ourselves in the future, and this is not discussed."

"Okay," Amy nodded, glanced at her watch, and said, "It's already 02:30, and the Oscars will be presented tonight, don't you plan to prepare?"

Simon said casually: "I can wear this suit, and there are still things to deal with later."

Amy hesitated, and said, "What about McMillan?"

Simon nodded helplessly.

Back at the headquarters of Daenerys Films in Santa Monica, seeing the busy scene in the office building after the expansion again, Simon planned to choose a more spacious office space for the company, and soon came to the second floor own office.

The producer Ron McMillan, who assisted Simon in completing "Run Lola Run", was already waiting in the office.

With the cooperative relationship established by "Run Lola Run", after Simon established Daenerys Films, Ron McMillan naturally became the company's first contracted producer.

After working with Wes Craven on "Death Comes" last year, Ron McMillan is now also in charge of "Scream" with Wes Craven.

What Simon wanted to talk to Ron McMillan happened to be about Scream.

Seeing Simon coming in, Ron McMillan, who was obviously much richer than the Luotuo two years ago, got up and shook hands with him enthusiastically, and said, "Simon, how are you talking with Disney?"

"It's settled," Simon and McMillan shook hands, turned to sit behind their desks, turned out a folder, and said, "Ron, we must have a good talk."

Ron McMillan sat down opposite Simon, and saw that his face became serious, and he felt a little nervous unconsciously: "Is there any problem?"

Simon handed over the folder in his hand, and said: "About "Scream", I remember that I said at the first production meeting that the role of Cathy, who was killed at the beginning, is crucial to shaping the horror of the whole movie. The tone is crucial. To increase the impact on the audience, we need to cast a high-profile actress."

Ron McMillan opened the folder and saw a profile of an actress inside, a guilty expression flashed across his face.

However, under Simon's gaze, he still said in a relaxed tone: "Simon, doesn't Amanda Wise meet your requirements? She made her debut ten years ago and has played roles in many movies."

"They're all small characters. If I didn't see her information, I wouldn't know who it is." Simon shook his head, stared at McMillan, and said, "Ron, this is not the most important thing. The initial stage During the casting process, I selected Phoebe Cates and asked you to contact her. You told me that Phoebe Cates rejected, and then bypassed all other options and gave you the actress' information Sent it over. But, Ron, you're missing the point. I'm not one of those outsiders who want to invest in a movie or two in Hollywood after making a fortune. Phoebe Cates is a WMA entertainer, and it's just a phone call away. And then, Jonathan told me that Phoebe Cates and his agent hadn’t gotten any offers to do with Scream at all.”

After being exposed by Simon in person, Ron McMillan's expression suddenly became a little embarrassing. After hesitating for a while, he still argued, "Simon, this is just a small role."

Simon frowned and said, "Ron, I don't dislike you guys using your positions to have fun in private. This is the case in Hollywood. However, the premise of all this is that you must be responsible for the projects in your hands." Scream cost $1000 million to make, do you know what that means? In any city, just $1000 is basically enough to find a woman of really good quality, $1000 million, you can find 1 10. If the standard is lowered, this money can even find 10, 1000 that you can't sleep in your whole life. So, no woman is worth risking a 1000 million dollar project, and I will not allow others Risk my ten million dollars, you understand?"

Ron McMillan's face changed for a while, and finally he whispered: "I'm sorry, Simon."

Simon continued to look at the middle-aged man on the opposite side for a moment, then said in a slow tone: "Ron, I cherish our experience of completing "Run Lola Run" together, and I also hope that we can continue to work together. So, re-cast Phoebe Let’s talk about Katz. As for this woman, you can give her another small role, I don’t want any messy things to come out. Remember, it’s only this time, not the next time.”

After dismissing Ron McMillan, Simon leaned back on the leather chair wearily.

These days, as Daenerys Pictures' presence grows, so do the questions.

At the beginning of the month, Simon visited the crew of "Rain Man" in Palm Springs, eastern California, and found that the entire crew was in a light state of 'letting go'. Simon could clearly feel Tom Cruise and Dustin The main creators such as Hoffman already have the mentality that this movie will screw up from the bottom of their bones, so they are shooting with an attitude of having fun on vacation.

In order to prevent the already loose budget from being overrun again, Simon has sent an accountant to stay on the set of "Rain Man" all the time. He still insists on checking the filming samples of "Rain Man" twice a week, and made up his mind to personally participate in the film Post-production, making sure this movie doesn't have surprises.

For the other films that are in preparation, many of the filmmakers who received the invitation had a mentality of not killing the fat sheep before they were killed, and the remuneration prices offered were generally higher than the industry level.

Simon also began to understand why Carlock Films in the original time and space frequently produced films that broke budget records, and even produced the first "Terminator 2" in Hollywood history with a production cost of over [-] million. Capital's film company is obviously also regarded as a fat sheep.

What Simon said to Amy on the way back from Disney was completely the result of his accumulation of various emotions during this period.

Because of the indifference deep down in his bones, Simon didn't have any resentment toward those who took him for a fool.However, Daenerys Pictures will naturally not easily cooperate with them again.

Mastered a large number of copyrights of Tolkien Middle-earth series, "Superman" and "Batman", "Fast and Furious", "Forrest Gump", "Dancing with Wolves", "Pretty Woman", etc. Coupled with many other popular movie scripts in memory, Simon has now accumulated enough chips.If he wants, he can even produce a North American box office champion every year in the future.Therefore, Simon has no intention of giving Hollywood the illusion that he is a fat sheep.

If you want to eat a big family, no problem, first try whether your teeth are hard enough.

Chapter 158 Awards Ceremony (Revised)

Tonight's No.60 Academy Awards ceremony will start at [-]:[-] pm Western time.

Janet rushed over from Malibu before five o'clock, helped Simon tidy up in the office of Daenerys Films headquarters, and the two of them took the extended concierge car that had been prepared in advance and rushed to Los Angeles. The Holy Citizen's Hall in the center.

Due to the screenwriter's strike, although it is the Oscar's 05th birthday, many aspects of this awards ceremony have been simplified. At around 30:20, Simon and Janet rushed outside the Holy Citizen Auditorium. The red carpet in front of them was only a short section of less than [-] meters, leading directly from the side of the road to the entrance of the auditorium.

The concierge car stopped at the entrance of the red carpet. Just as Simon and Janet got out of the car, the media reporters and guests on both sides of the red carpet noticed the two. The dense flashing lights accompanied by shouts from the stands on both sides will hover on the red carpet. The eyes of many guests on the carpet were attracted.

Pat Kingsley, who arrived ahead of time, also came over at this time, and accompanied Simon to remind him and Janet to stop and take pictures with the media.

After a while, Simon heard some voices from the stands on both sides again, turned his head and looked, and Sandra Bullock, who was wearing a white off-the-shoulder evening dress, was walking towards Simon and Janet step by step with the corner of her skirt.

The media reporters who had already filmed enough footage saw Sandra appearing, and suddenly became commotion again.

Noticing that Simon just hugged Sandra lightly, and was about to take Janet forward, a reporter immediately shouted: "Simon, Sandy, let's take a photo together?"

Before Simon spoke, Sandra nodded in agreement, and then looked at Janet who was holding Simon's arm.Janet smiled and let go of Simon's arm, and stepped back, Sandra immediately pulled her up.

Coordinating with the reporters to take pictures with a stiff smile, Simon twitched the corners of his mouth slightly and said to Sandra in a ventriloquic voice between changing positions: "Do you really want to see Jenny cook me?"

When Sandra heard the words, she leaned closer and even leaned her head on Simon's shoulder. Facing the obviously more excited shouts of the reporters, Sandra responded heartlessly: "Yes."

Simon can only lament that it is not nice to meet people.

After finally taking the photo, Simon didn't stay any longer, and led the two women quickly through the red carpet and directly into the auditorium. He was still a little glad that the red carpet was short enough tonight, otherwise it was uncertain what would happen.

Although it was last year's box office champion, "Run Lola Run" only received a dispensable nomination for best editing.Therefore, only Simon and Sandra were invited to the entire crew, and they will also be the presenters of the Best Photography Awards tonight.

Oscar's important guests can naturally bring their partners. Simon brought Janet, but Sandra came alone.

Entering the auditorium, Simon once again found that the Oscar organizers, who were obviously afraid of chaos, deliberately connected the seats of the three of them together, with Simon in the middle, Janet and Sandra on the left and one on the right.

There was still some time before the awards ceremony began, and Simon spent more than ten minutes chatting with some familiar guests in the auditorium, but he still had to return to his seat.Originally wanted Janet to sit inside, but the woman shook her head with a smile and pushed him to the seat.

When Simon sat down, Sandra immediately approached with a nonchalant look: "Simon, are you ready for your acceptance speech?"

Simon was a little puzzled: "Huh?"

"Nominated for Best Editing?" Sandra reminded, and lightly patted him on the shoulder: "You're pretending to be stupid, right?"

Simon really didn't expect this. He shook his head and said, "There is nothing to prepare for this kind of nomination with almost zero chance of winning."

"Maybe you can win an award," Sandra said, and quickly said with a bit of aggrieved tone: ""Run Lola Run" could have received more nominations, but those are old-fashioned."

Simon smiled and made a silence gesture, winked around, and said, "Keep your voice down, I won't be nominated even if I'm heard."

"Hehe," Sandra smiled indifferently, but added: "If you really win the award, remember to thank me."

"no problem."

Sandra nodded in satisfaction, and said, "By the way, what will you do after the awards ceremony?"

Simon said: "Go home and sleep."

"No way? So boring, like an old man," Sandra said, and couldn't help but glance at Janet on the other side, and said, "Why don't we go to Warner's party together?"

"Ok?"

"You know, I took Warner's Dangerous Liaisons."

"Oh."

Simon nodded, thinking of the movie that was adapted from a French epistolary novel and was also a favorite for next year's Oscar nominations.

Sandra let him read the script some time ago, and Simon remembered that the role she got should have belonged to Michelle Pfeiffer, and Michelle Pfeiffer was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

After a few casual inquiries, Simon learned that Warner had originally intended Michelle Pfeiffer to play that role.It's just that things have to go back to the beginning of the year when Ed Limato, vice president of WMA, took a large number of stars such as Mel Gibson to switch to ICM.Then, WMA easily used resources to grab this role. Warner compared the popularity of Sandra and Michelle, and made a decisive choice.

Of course, as a costume drama and a supporting role, Sandra naturally couldn't ask for too high a price. This kind of script is just for earning qualifications and getting nominations.

Sandra didn't respond after hearing Simon's oh, and put his shoulder on him again: "Go?"

Because only one nomination was received, Daenerys Pictures did not prepare a party. Simon also received invitations to after-party parties from Warner, Orion and other companies, but he didn't plan to attend.Listening to Sandra's questioning at this time, Simon had no choice but to look at Janet on the other side, and repeated Sandra's question: "Going?"

"Go," Janet frowned and gave Simon a white look, and looked at Sandra who had been treating her like air just now: "Sandy, haven't you thought about finding a boyfriend?"

Sandra said without any concealment: "I'm working hard."

Janet leaned sideways against Simon, baring her white teeth and threatening in a low voice, "You'll get scratched if you do this."

Sandra shrugged indifferently, and moved closer to Simon, whispering: "In that case, I will have to rely on Simon for the rest of my life."