Chapter 414 Steven's ambition
"Congratulations, Steven! Breaking through 100 million in the first weekend! First in history!"
"Thank you, Paul! I was really surprised to receive your call at this time!"
"What? Do you think I'm the kind of person who doesn't care about my friends? Oh! Am I usually that indifferent?"
"No! No! No! I just think you should be in Portland now, watching the Trail Blazers all the time. Didn't you draft Zach Randolph this year? Under the guidance of Shawn Kemp, He will definitely grow up quickly. I believe that in a few years, Portland will have its own Shaq O'Neal!"
"Hahahaha~ Steven, do you like him too? It seems that we have the same vision!"
"of course!"
...
"Oh! Steven! You passed me again!"
"Hey! George! What do you mean? Isn't it normal for me to pass you?"
"Normal? Normal?! You actually think it's a normal thing to surpass me? God! Let me tell you, it's the most abnormal thing for you to surpass me! Believe me, your record won't last long! Next year! When "Attack of the Clones" is released next year, your record of 110 million in the first weekend will become the second in history!"
"Really? Then I'll wait!"
"Humph~ we'll see~"
...
"Hi, Steven! I've already seen your "Harry Potter" in the cinema, and the effect is amazing! Especially the scene where Hagrid takes Harry and the others to the school, Hoo Gwartz, it's so beautiful!"
"Oh, thank you! Tom, there will be more and more CGI made with computers in the future."
"Huh? What you said made me want to incorporate CGI into "Mission: Impossible". If the audience finds out that Ethan on the screen is fighting aliens and is surprised by it, then I will definitely tell They, this is your suggestion."
"Hahaha~ If you are interested in these things, then come to Industrial Light and Magic to take a look. The post-production of "Minority Report" is almost done, and you can know in advance what your void manipulation looks like in the movie. How cool!"
"Wow? So fast?"
"certainly!"
...
"Steven? Congratulations!"
"Oh ~ Robert, thank you."
"What? I hear your voice, and I feel that you are tired?"
"Hey, of course I'm tired! Ever since the box office data came out, I haven't stopped calling. Martin called and Leo called. I think you should have more experience than me about this?"
"Hahahaha~ yeah, I called for a long time, and the line was always busy."
"No way, every time this happens, the phone is not our own."
"Okay, since you are tired, I won't bother you, go to bed early."
"Oh! Your words are what I like to hear the most! Bye~"
"Bye~"
As the phone was hung up, Steven Spielberg quickly took apart the back panel of the phone.
When the dark lithium battery hit the mahogany tabletop and made a clacking sound, the world finally became quiet.
After all this was done, the grey-haired old man looked relaxed, took a long breath, and picked up the water glass on the table. If the sound of gurgling is the sourness of a long drought and nectar, Then when he rested his hands on the pillow and leaned back comfortably, the excitement on his tired cheeks was the joy after a big victory.
Although he has won the box office record many times. Since the 1970s, the box office game between him and George Lucas has become the nightmare of countless Hollywood directors. But since he left Universal and determined to become capital, After a huge change in his mentality, he never touched the highest palace once occupied by him again.
The production of "Jurassic Park" and "Schindler's List" in 1993 seems to be his last glory, although he launched "Jurassic Park 2" and "Broken Lock and Rage" in 1997, However, the decline in the box office of the former and the collapse of the word-of-mouth box office of the latter made him a little embarrassed. Even though "Saving Private Ryan" released in 1998 brought him back praise, the ensuing silence and this year's The fiasco of "Artificial Intelligence" made him questioned again.
When most people think that the super director who monopolized the box office records in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s may officially favor capital and gradually lose his market sense and talent as a director, hey! "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" scored 125 million in three days, allowing him to declare his status to the world again!
What "Planet of the Apes" 68 million in three days?
What "Rush Hour 2" 67 million in three days?
What "X-Men" 65 million in three days?
What "Monsters Inc" 62 million in three days?
All special codes are younger brothers, okay?
In the field of film, there is no such thing as a situation where talents are waiting to emerge, each leading the way for hundreds of years!
There will be no situation where the back waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves, and the front waves die on the beach!
Because as long as he makes a move!
That's three days to break 100 million!
First in history!
What?
You mean James Cameron?
Can the guy who doesn't talk about martial arts score count?
The "Spiderman" trilogy and "Titanic" were all shot with Roland Allen in their arms!
In the case of tens of millions of crazy fans, even if James Cameron has two records of breaking 100 million in one day, so what?
No one will count these things on his head!
And "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is different.
When he is the best in the whole group, all the results are his!
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Thinking of this, Steven Spielberg, who was in excitement, clenched his fist and waved it twice in the air.
While he was venting his joy, the sound of knocking on the door suddenly appeared.
"Come in."
Cleared his throat and issued an order.
But when he saw that it was his wife who came in with a tray containing late-night desserts, her leaping figure and brisk steps forward conveyed the spontaneous happiness to the world.
"Oh honey, what have you got for me?"
Taking the initiative to take the plate, he glanced slightly, and the oily bun made him smile.
Randomly picked one and stuffed it into his mouth. While chewing, he also commented in a vague tone: "My God, this is much better than the dinner snacks after the Oscars!"
"As long as you like it." Listening to her husband's joyful voice, Kate Capshaw also showed a bit of joy on her face, and while pushing her to sit down again, signaling him to chew slowly, she was concerned. Words are also revealed.
"Seeing that you have been on the phone all night and haven't eaten much, so I made some for you, do you like it?"
"Of course! I'm starving to death!"
In addition to the buns, there is also a thick soup and a pasta in the pan.
Although there are some simple home-cooked snacks, the old man still eats happily.
No way, who made him feel good?
Not only that, while gobbling it up, he also happily shared the happiness of the day with his wife, "You don't know, in the past four hours, I have answered the phone calls that usually last a month, if I didn't pick up the battery Now, I think I’m probably still here to say ‘Congratulations’ and ‘Thank you’ to them!”
"Hahahaha~"
When Steven Spielberg pinched his throat and imitated the voices of Jerry and Tom to congratulate and thank him, Kate Capshaw was immediately amused by the funny appearance of the weasel giving the chicken New Year's greetings.
Rubbing her eyes, resting her cheeks on her hands, she looked at her funny husband. Even though she knew that the results of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" were very important to him, she still cooperated knowingly and said: "This movie Is your success really that exaggerated? I mean, your previous films were actually big sellers."
"Of course!" Steven Spielberg replied without hesitation: "Although 100 million a month and 100 million a week are both 100 million, the division of accounts is different at different times!
Moreover, if a work can get a lot of box office in a short period of time, it proves that this work and the main creative team of this work are deeply loved by the audience! Is the embodiment of popularity! It is the embodiment of value! When people are willing to spend money for you, your status will continue to improve with people's love, and this kind of thing cannot be measured by long-term historical data!
The success of "Jaws" can only prove that audiences in the 1970s liked me in the 1970s!
The success of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" can only prove that audiences in the 1980s liked me in the 1980s!
The success of "Jurassic Park" can only prove that audiences in the 90s like me in the 90s!
And now...
The success of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" proves that audiences in the 21st century like me in the 21st century!
In the past forty years, there have been people who like me in every era!
This is the real exaggeration! "
Since he was talking in front of his wife, the old man stopped hiding it.
And when he raised four fingers and kept drawing strokes in front of his wife, Kate Capshaw saw the overflowing pride in his eyes, "Exaggeration! Exaggeration, okay? How old are you?" , still like a child!"
"There is a problem with what you said. No matter how old I am, I have the right to be happy!" The old man refused to accept it.
"Yes yes yes, you have, you have..." Kate Capshaw raised her hand in surrender.
"Hey!" Amidst his wife's perfunctory surrender, the guy who was about to celebrate his fifty-fifth birthday was like a general who had won a battle, arrogantly... eating the leftover noodles.
Looking at that old urchin-like guy, Kate Capshaw was also very helpless.
Although the old man is very normal on weekdays and can take care of his family while he is busy, but when he is really happy, the sand sculpture that tore off the disguise is quite a headache.
but…
This is actually okay.
It’s not a big deal for a person who is almost sixty years old to indulge once in eight years.
While watching her husband eat happily, Kate Capshaw, feeling bored, asked again: "Steven?"
"Um?"
"How much do you think the box office of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" can go?"
"According to the current situation, if it does not break one billion, it will be a failure."
"One billion? Wow! Then you have two billion-dollar movies?"
"Yes what's the matter?"
"That is to say, if you continue to make sequels, you will soon be able to tie Roland's record? Although he has four movies with a box office of more than one billion, but now that he has passed away, you can use "Harry Potter" If you catch up with him, it will be very fast, right?"
As soon as this remark came out, Steven Spielberg, who was still happy, suddenly fell silent.
Slowly raised his head, his eyes were fixed on his wife, and nothing could be seen on his neither happy nor sad face.
But it was because he was too calm that Kate Capshaw was a little alert. When she found that there was an ambiguity in what she said just now that the teacher was chasing the students, the panic she wanted to explain immediately appeared, "Oh, Steve Wen, I mean..."
However, before she finished speaking, the old man put down the fork, shook his head and sighed.
"Honey, I actually don't want to think about this today..."
"Huh?" Kate Capshaw, who didn't understand the situation, asked doubtfully.
The old man who understood that his wife did it unintentionally didn't mean to pursue it, but shrugged and explained: "Continuing to shoot "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is indeed a safe decision for me, but...
Judging from the current situation, I can't schedule the time at all. "
When the old man said this, Kate Capshaw was a little strange, "Can't make the time? No way?
You and Tom's "Minority Report" has been filmed, and Leo's "Cat and Mouse Game" will start filming early next year, and the filming will be closed in a maximum of 60 to 70 days. After that, there will be only one "Happy Terminal" with Hanks .
But according to Hanks' schedule, the film will start shooting at the end of 2003 at the earliest, so you can shoot "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" after "Cat and Mouse Game" is over, and then make it Let it be released in the summer vacation of 2003..."
As a director who refuses to work overtime, his wife, of course, knows her husband's schedule.
But after hearing his wife's detailed analysis, the old man's face was filled with great helplessness.
"Things are actually not as simple as you think."
At this point in the speech, the old man paused for a moment, as if he was organizing his words, but more like weighing the pros and cons. After a while, when he spoke again, the previous happiness was gone, replaced by incomparable snobbery.
"Whether I have time to shoot "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" actually doesn't depend on the shooting time of "Cat and Mouse" and "Happy Terminal", as long as I want, then "Cat and Mouse" can start tomorrow , because Leo has already finished filming Martin's "Gangs of New York", and he can join my group at any time, but the real headache for me is actually DreamWorks.
Given the opportunity to swallow Sony Pictures Entertainment, I intend to develop the company's TV business.
"Band of Brothers", you know?
This is a TV series derived from "Saving Private Ryan".
When we were doing this show, it was just Hanks and I who thought it was interesting and wanted to do it, so we did it.
But after Band of Brothers hit theaters this year, I thought, now that Dreamworks Television is established, then…
We simply did the TV business together.
In order to ensure the normal operation of the TV department and let them have a good start, I am going to watch them personally and control the output of the next project, and their next project "Hijacking" has an investment of up to 4,000 Wan, where do I have the time to do Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets under the circumstances?
After all, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" has to be filmed in the UK, while our TV series can only be done in Los Angeles. "
Youdao means how bold a person is and how productive the land is.
In October last year, when Sony Pictures Entertainment was still invisible, Steven Spielberg, who introduced Microsoft, dared to think about acquiring MGM and becoming a real member of the Film Association. This year, when Sony has been divided up by them, it has become a matter of course to continue to plan for the future!
And in the case that Sony Pictures Entertainment can be 100% taken by DreamWorks, what is the future?
Of course it is the media!
And what is the content that supports media profitability?
Of course it is a TV series!
So, at the beginning of October, after participating in the spoils conference, Steven Spielberg returned home and his mind became active. He wanted to make persistent efforts after the hit of "Band of Brothers" and launch new episodes to the market.
Trying to use this method to preemptively start their own banner in the field of TV dramas!
After DreamWorks acquires Sony Pictures Entertainment, it will be able to seamlessly connect with their TV drama department!
At that time, stepping up efforts to promote production in an industrialized way will become their winning way to occupy the market!
If it is difficult to understand, then change the way, everything will suddenly become clear.
That is to make a TV IP first!
When the public accepts TV IP, it's time for Sony to take the blame!
And after Sony has taken the blame, DreamWorks will be able to borrow complete equipment, venues and manpower to carry out large-scale pipeline development of TV series IP. After entering this stage, the old man can let go!
Of course, even if Kate Capshaw can understand the meaning of her husband's words, in her opinion, her husband's real purpose is not the TV drama market, but NBC, "You want to get Microsoft's attention in this way." to your efforts on the cable network, and then push for a merger between DreamWorks and NBC?"
Such words made Steven Spielberg laugh, "Wow! Wow! Wow! You are so accurate!"
He didn't mean to hide anything, and said frankly: "Yes, what I'm thinking about now is NBC.
When we have the ability to eat Sony Pictures Entertainment, it is swallowing NBC, which is the best choice.
When Disney has ABC, Time Warner has Turner Broadcasting Network, Fox has FOX, and Paramount's parent company Viacom has MTV, VH1, BET, and CBS, if DreamWorks wants to develop, it can only Take down NBC.
Because the media group is the only way out for Hollywood studios! "
As a guy who has worked hard in Hollywood for forty years, the old man can certainly understand that times have changed.
If it is said that before the rapid development of television, the major Hollywood studios could make a lot of money by monopolizing theaters, then now that people's entertainment methods have been expanded, movies are no longer the only ones.
Under such circumstances, if Hollywood, the holy land of entertainment, is still clinging to movies, then what is ushered in will naturally be eliminated.
Therefore, when News Corporation invaded Hollywood and Fox vacated the broadcasting and television network, various companies rushed to divide up the domestic and international markets in an attempt to strengthen their own competitiveness through buying, buying, and buying.
Compared to the big six with a high starting point, Dreamworks, a production company born in the 1990s, has no advantages, but precisely because they have no advantages, they have to be more aggressive!
Can you buy MGM?
Then do everything possible to buy MGM!
Can swallow Sony Film and Television Entertainment?
If the shares shrink, you will have to swallow Sony Film and Television Entertainment!
And when there is only one media company in the market that has not yet merged with an entertainment production company...
To complete the negotiation with GM before another production company, Universal, became what the old man wanted to do most!
Although compared with Vivendi, DreamWorks with Microsoft's relationship is closer to NBC than Universal, but before the negotiation, the old man still wants to strengthen the core competitiveness of DreamWorks!
If DreamWorks has a big-selling TV IP, who will GM prefer?
The answer to this question is clear at a glance!
Therefore, getting NBC while swallowing up Sony Pictures Entertainment is what Steven Spielberg wants to do most at the moment. Wangdi had negotiated a merger with GM's NBC before, so for the old man, it was actually a good thing.
because-
“If the merger is successful, the market landscape will be completely rewritten.
Time Warner, Disney, Fox, Paramount, DreamWorks, the five of us have broadcast and television networks.
In this way, Universal and MGM, which lack global publicity means, will be completely left behind.
Under the situation that Vivendi, the parent company of Universal, is not in a good operating condition, they will most likely sell Universal if they can’t get NBC.
What is the concept of anti-eating global?
The copyright I once sold to Universal will be mine again!
And in the case of dual holdings of Amblin and DreamWorks, I will be a more successful businessman than George!
Because George just held "Star Wars" and didn't play it, but I sold the copyright and bought Universal!
DreamWorks, which has successively swallowed Sony Pictures Entertainment, NBC, and Universal, can be promoted to the top three in Hollywood in an instant!
I'm Steven Spielberg! On par with Time Warner and Disney! "
That's right!
This is the real ambition of the old man!
If the success of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" allowed him to prove once again after eight years that he can still do it, then this kind of happiness he once had is simply not comparable to the rise of capital!
Why continue to shoot the "Harry Potter" series and have the opportunity to produce more than one billion movies than Roland Allen?
Does this thing make sense?
Recording something like this may be broken at any time!
But the capital standing behind the record can obtain eternal life at the same time as the record is refreshed!
The director is a dream-making tool full of fantasies in front of the public, but in front of capital, he is just a profit-making tool!
And now that he has been enough of a tool man, he stands on his own for the purpose of flying high!
And so, when he found out that Dreamworks could one day be as big as Time Warner and Disney...
Of course he will choose the latter between screen dreaming and capital promotion!
After all, the former is his previous dream, while the latter is his present dream created while realizing his previous dream!
It's that simple.
Not to mention…
Those films sold to Universal in 1993 were actually his children's dreams!
How could he give up when he had the opportunity to get all these things back?
When the old man excitedly expressed to his wife that his ideal was far more ambitious than four billion-dollar movies, Kate Capshaw, who understood, opened her mouth, not knowing what to do.
But after a long silence, she actually discovered a problem.
"Steven."
"Um?"
"Your idea is great."
"Thanks."
“But it’s hard to execute.”
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you can't guarantee that Microsoft will listen to you."
This remark made the old man laugh, "Yes, Microsoft will not listen to me, but I don't need them to listen to me.
Because I just need to convince Roland.
Did you just pay attention? When I said that Dreamworks could enter the top three in Hollywood, how many companies did I mention?
Time Warner, Disney, Fox, Paramount, DreamWorks, MGM.
These six companies are all members of the Film Association.
Not only that, Time Warner and Disney are also partners of Roland.
The former counted on Roland to help them shoot DC movies, while the latter directly handed over the live-action movie business to Roland.
Coupled with the fact that Time Warner’s major shareholder Ted Turner started his business with old bushes, and Disney’s animation film business was completely taken over by Pixar. In this case, as long as DreamWorks can be promoted to Hollywood The top three, the top three companies will be directly or indirectly controlled by him!
In this case, do you think he will not accept my proposal?
Because even if Warcraft Film and Television lacks the membership of the Film Association, he can refute all the decisions of Fox, Paramount and MGM in the way of Time Warner, Disney, and DreamWorks!
And if he's buying MGM, then...
What movies can and cannot be shown in the North American market, we decide behind closed doors!
Because of 4V2!
And the scariest thing is that with the cash in Roland's hand, he can get an MGM!
Can you imagine?
A leather bag company with only the chairman's office, the president's office, and the financial office can run over all first-line companies!
I don't know how he developed to this point, but I know that he will not miss this temptation! "
Note: ① In reality, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" was filmed before the release of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". I don't know where Warner got the courage, but they just dare not Shoot before watching the box office. ②"Hijacking" is a sci-fi American drama with ten episodes and 900 minutes. It tells the story of three families and four generations. The pace is very slow, really slow, slower than my book.
(end of this chapter)
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