I’m in Hollywood Chapter 483: The confusing situation
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After Barry Diller resigned from Fox, he received dozens of cooperation invitations in a short period of time, but they were rejected by him. In the end, the reason why he chose QVC is that in addition to optimistic about the prospects of TV shopping, the most important thing is that QVC agreed. Conditions for Barry Diller's shareholding.
Hearing Barry Diller ’s words of “will not sign an employment contract” again, John Malone just shrugged: “Well, Barry, I will cancel the plan of remote communication to acquire Paramount and fully support you. , But what are you going to do with the current situation? "
Barry Diller glanced at John Malone and said lightly: "When I want to do something, long-distance communication only needs to be supported."
John Malone yelled, waiting for Barry Diller to continue, but Barry Diller just thrown out this sentence, then looked down at the document in front of him. John Malone also quickly realized that Barry Diller had lost his trust in him, smiled pretendingly, knowing that there would be no gain for him to stay, and stood up and said: "Since this, then I will wait for your news."
After John Malone left the meeting room, Barry Diller patiently read the documents in his hand, tapped his finger on the desktop for a while, and then pressed the phone call button on the desktop: "Jack, help me book a ticket to Hawaii . "
"Okay, Mr. Diller," the assistant's voice quickly came from the speaker.
After the Barry Diller commanded, I was about to end the call, thought about it, and suddenly said: "consider as finished. Let ’s go to Los Angeles first."
"No problem, Mr. Diller," the assistant responded again. After a short pause, I didn't hear Barry Diller continue to speak before asking: "Is there anything else?"
"No, for now," Barry Diller cut off the call and was once again caught in consideration of the current situation.
Although not willing to admit it, though. Barry Diller also had some pessimistic premonitions about the prospect of acquiring Paramount. Barry Diller had known John Malone in the early 1980s. He is very clear that John Malone is a person who has no position at all and is good at seeing the wind and rudder.
That is, where can I get the benefits. John Malone will choose which side without hesitation. If it were not a series of actions of Redstone and Martin Davis, he saw that the opportunity for remote communication to acquire Paramount alone is slim, Barry Diller is sure that John Malone will not appear in his office at all today.
With a sigh in my heart, Barry Diller once again opened the material in front of his eyes. This is the relevant evaluation of the cooperation between Firefly and the two Film Studios in the film when Japanese acquired Columbia and Universal successively.
The "Basic Instinct" in cooperation with Universal did not cause much obstacle to Panasonic, but it also had a positive impact on the stock price of Universal parent company MCA, and then forward, Sony issued a wholly-owned acquisition offer to Columbia The transaction is completed, just across the release period of the two high Box Office movies "Home Alone" and 《Running Out of Time》. During this period, the market value of Columbia skyrocketed from 2.2 billion to 5500 million, anyone can see. The two films have played a very important role in it.
Thinking of Eric, Barry Diller always has a feeling of powerlessness in his heart. He spent more than 20 years to pursue the peak of power of Hollywood, but he wandered around in the end, but got out of that circle and tried his best. Want to go back. The success rate is also low, but the young man only spent four years. I easily have all this. Moreover, judging from the shoots plan of a series of special effects of Firefly, he did not mean to stop expanding and wait for his opponent to catch up.
......
“…… Firefly Pictures CEO Michael Lynn said at the latest press conference that Paramount will cooperate with Firefly Pictures, but said that according to sources, Eric Williams and Martin Davis are already negotiating on the details of the final cooperation. It will be announced soon. "
"... It is rumored that Firefly's attempt to cooperate with Paramount is the" Star Trek "series of big movies. Both parties attempt to use the advanced CG Special Effects technology of Firefly's digital field special effects company to create an interstellar legend beyond 《Star Wars》."
"... Summer Redstone publicly claimed that it will acquire Paramount in the near future, and said that this acquisition, Viacom is bound to be acquired."
"... Barry Diller, which has been rumored to have quit Hollywood, suddenly appeared in Los Angeles and had lunch with Bruce White, one of Paramount shareholders. The purpose of the unknown QVC media acquisition of Paramount was clear."
"..."
Martin Davis put down a thick stack of newspaper in his hands, with anxiety in his expression, he had been on Kauai Island for more than a week, although during this period, the stock price of Paramount rose by 5.7% because of his Hawaii trip , And since he disclosed the news of the cooperation between the two parties to the media, some of the original shareholders of Paramount were on his side. The overall situation looks good, but Martin Davis is very clear, if the cooperation between Paramount and Firefly can not be discussed Together, the stock price that appears to be improving will definitely fall back again, and those shareholders who have just leaned towards him will certainly centrifuge again.
On the Eric side, although Martin Davis has already handed over the relevant project information to the other party, it has not received any response. He can see that Eric is not eager for this cooperation. Martin Davis is not like the two helmsmen of Columbia. Even if he finally had to choose to sell, he could not make the Columbia kind of move that is almost thirsty.
Although many people who do not know the insider envy the five movie contracts signed by Columbia and Firefly Pictures, Martin Davis knows how much the price paid by Columbia. It can only be seen from the "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and "Twister" in the same period of Firefly in 1991 and 1992.
Last year "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" was released overseas. Firefly Pictures took half a year to complete. It was originally a summer film. Many Europe ticket warehouse countries were not released until the end of the year. Although the quality of "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" is good enough, the long distribution process and the impact of piracy, as well as the weakness in the share negotiation. Let the benefits that Firefly Pictures should have gained shrink a lot.
But only one year later, integrating the overseas distribution resources of Columbia and Disney's, "Twister" North America was released in less than a month, and it successively appeared on the screens of Europe countries. Not only that, "Twister" is even closed Japan The market got the end of the summer period, which is definitely the treatment that makes most Hollywood movies envious and jealous.
So far. The overseas Box Office of "Twister" has reached 180 million USD, while the overseas Box Office of "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" of the same period last year can even be ignored.
Thinking about these things. Martin Davis's assistant Danny Kirk hurriedly walked into the cafe: "Mr. Davis, something happened."
Martin Davis subconsciously wanted to reprimand the assistant's gaffe, but finally suppressed the idea, but frowned slightly.
Danny Kirk noticed the look of Martin Davis. Quickly put away the panic expression, took a deep breath silently, calmly said: "This is the news revealed by Viacom, Redstone has planned to make the first offer to the company."
Martin Davis did not doubt the accuracy of the message given by Danny, but asked: "How much?"
"6.5 billion USD," Danny Kirk gave a number.
Martin Davis sneered: "Redstone is this where you want to fall from, do you get up from here?"
Danny Kirk froze for a moment, and I don't know how to answer. Just stood aside quietly.
The figure of 6.5 billion USD happens to be the transaction value of Firefly's acquisition of Disney's.
After the failed acquisition of Disney, Redstone learned its lesson. The equity structure of Viacom has been reformed again, confirming that there will be no internal objections in the next acquisition.
At the same time, Redstone did not repay the previous financing for the acquisition of Disney to investors, but turned to start negotiations with the video rental industry giant Blockbuster, as a video retail rental company similar to retail. The biggest advantage of Blockbuster is its abundant cash flow, which can provide a lot of capital for Viacom to acquire Paramount.
Although pure Paramount Pictures is definitely not worth 6.5 billion USD. However, the acquisition target of Viacom is not simply Paramount Pictures, but Paramount Pictures ’s parent company Paramount Communications. The main assets of Paramount Communications include not only Paramount Pictures, but also a series of assets related to TV, publishing, music and other fields. It is much larger than the original Disney.
Martin Davis did not get an answer from the assistant and did not pursue it. He signaled Danny Kirk to check out and left the cafe in Lihuye Town.
The time is close to noon, "Jurassic Park" is still closed shoots, although Martin Davis knows that if you really go to the studio, it will not be stopped outside, but doing so also seems to be anxious for itself, leaving Williams Negotiations.
But after so long, Eric has not given any intention of cooperation, Viacom is on the verge, Martin Davis also knows that he cannot continue to consume in Hawaii.
The driver drove the car over. Danny Kirk pulled the door for Martin Davis and asked, "Mr. Davis, where are you going now?"
"People book a ticket back to Los Angeles, the sooner the better, now we go to the" Jurassic Park "set."
"Okay, Mr. Davis," Danny Kirk agreed, closing the door for Martin Davis, instructing the driver to drive to the destination, driving another car by himself, and rushing to book the ticket.
......
Eric and Nickel are watching the footage just through the monitor. A staff member hurried over and said to Eric: "Director, Mr. Davis is here."
"I know, take him to the rest area, and let me know, the crew will eat lunch in advance," Eric seemed to have expected it, and commanded skillfully, and discussed the scene with Nickel casually.
Five minutes later, Eric appeared in the rest area temporarily created by the crew and got into a tent.
"Sorry, Mr. Davis, let you wait a long time," Eric said.
Martin Davis still has a smile on his face. Hearing this sentence, he could n’t help but said with a finger: “It ’s been a long time, Eric, I might be going back soon, so I had to come over.”
"Mr. Davis, why not continue playing for a while at Hawaii?"
"Haha, if you continue to play, Paramount will become someone else's," Martin Davis said bluntly.
Eric also realized that the old guy ’s patience had been completely exhausted, and he asked the assistant to come over for two lunches, and then sat down with a table around Martin Davis, explaining half-truly: “I ’m sorry, Mr. Davis, you know, I ’m too busy recently. "
"It's okay," Martin Davis shook his head, he didn't want to go around with Eric anymore, and he didn't have that time: "Eric, I just want you to give me an accurate answer."
"Now?" Eric asked.
Martin Davis nodded decisively: "Now!"
Eric hesitated for a moment, as if he could n’t bear to disappoint the old man, but in the end he said: “I have read the information given to me by Mr. Davis and Paramount, but to be honest, it did n’t make me think Very promising project. "
"Are there any of the sixty-five selected scripts?" Martin Davis showed an incredible expression.
Eric nodded honestly, and Paramount gave him information about 65 reserve projects. However, there were no movie projects in Eric's memory that would sell big. In fact, this is also understandable. During the entire nineties of the Paramount, the Box Office performance has not been so good.
Although some of these projects do not appear in the memory, Eric seems to have a very potential script, but without the memory reference, the movie prospects are completely unpredictable. After all, it looks like it has a lot of potential, but in the end there were too many movies that failed in Box Office, not to mention that Eric was not too interested in himself, and he had no intention of taking risks.
Seeing the determined expression of Eric, Martin Davis looks a little embarrassed. Of course, he cannot think that all the projects are rubbish, but thinks that Eric is probably perfunctory, or fancy some projects, and wants to wait After Paramount gave up, Firefly took another shot, and this kind of thing was not happened in Hollywood. (To be continued)