Heads Up Hollywood

If you want to select the best manager in Hollywood in the past 30 years, there is no doubt that it must be Michael Eisner!

In the 1970s, ABC Group's performance declined and it suffered losses year after year. It was the appearance of Michael Eisner who turned the tide and turned losses into profits.

In the early 1980s, Paramount Pictures was almost bankrupt, and its performance was the worst in Hollywood, even worse than MGM, which was played by capital. It was Michael Eisner again, leading Paramount and taking the studio from the bottom of the Hollywood Big Six to the top in just a few years.

At that time, Disney was in a downturn for many years, the company was in a chaotic state without a leader, the theme park gradually lost its vitality, and Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck almost became a distant memory.

It was Michael Eisner again. After saving two big companies in a row, he came to Disney in 1984!

He adopted a series of drastic reforms, including frantically developing brand-driven product sales, upgrading Disneyland, and opening a film and television department that produces non-G-rated movies. In just a few years, Disney movies began to recover. , became the industry leader.

Not only that, he also made Disney expand into the TV industry and publishing industry through step-by-step acquisitions, becoming a giant cross-media group!

If Disney is a beautiful Sleeping Beauty, then Michael Eisner is the prince who awakened Sleeping Beauty and saved the Magic Kingdom.

The continuous success naturally allowed Michael Eisner to form a kind of imperial domineering and absolute power within Disney.

Not only is there no one inside who dares to challenge him, even in Hollywood, Michael Eisner is hard to come by.

Although the performance of Disney Animation declined after Jeffrey Katzenberg left, he recruited the new generation of animation studio Pixar.

Disney's animation influence is still the only one!

Moreover, with the efforts of Touchstone Films, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax, and Jerry Bruckheimer Production Company, Disney has gradually expanded its voice in the field of live-action movies.

Until this summer, a major change occurred.

Disney invested in the blockbuster "Sixty Seconds", which was instantly killed by "Spider-Man" produced by Hollywood's emerging power Tang En Pictures!

This made Michael Eisner, who has always been smooth sailing, feel an unprecedented humiliation!

A kid in his twenties, dare to be arrogant with him?

If it wasn't for Joe Ruth's good performance in the past ten years, and he couldn't find a suitable replacement for a while, Michael Eisner would definitely make a decisive move and fire him!

The departure of Jeffrey Katzenberg has led to the silence of Disney's animation department, which has caused dissatisfaction among shareholders.

The lesson was so profound that Michael Eisner had to proceed with caution. In case Disney's live-action movies go from bad to worse after Joe Ruth's departure, that's going to add insult to injury.

And with "Scary Movie" coming to the summer file as a dark horse, this somewhat eased the pressure on Michael Eisner from shareholders.

As a result, Joe Ruth was lucky enough to escape, and issued a military order to Michael Eisner: the next movie "Undead", will definitely be able to make back the money lost in "Sixty Seconds"!

Disney's Joe Ruth narrowly escaped death, but what about 20th Century Fox? They can't come up with a movie like "Scary Movie" to put out the summer fire.

Is Tom Rothman taking responsibility?

No, he already had an emergency mechanism.

...

With "Spider-Man" fading in the entertainment papers, Disney finally had a chance to save face by covering "Scream" as if it had already topped the weekly box office charts.

At the same time, another piece of news came out that the new work "Undead" by director Nate Shyamalan of "The Sixth Sense of Spirituality" was officially finalized, and it will be released in North America on November 15 this year!

Tang En's reaction to the huge sales of "Scary Movie" was very calm.

Harvey Weinstein's personality is extremely poor, but his ability is excellent. It is not surprising that any miracle will happen in the movies he supervises. To get rid of Harvey Weinstein, it will take a longer time to accumulate contacts and influence.

But the movie "Undead"... made Tang En's heart skip a beat.

Although Bruce Willis has a bad reputation now, the director of "Undead" is Nate Shyamalan, who has outstanding abilities, is good at creating suspense, and can grab the audience's appetite.

And with the reputation of "The Sixth Sense of Spirituality", "Undead Tribulation" is likely to be a big hit. This is not the situation Tang En wants to see.

He called Nina Jacobsen.

With the box office explosion of "Spider-Man", Marvel Studios has risen, and Nina Jacobson, as the president, is also at home. Recently, she has participated in many top parties in Hollywood and has been raved about.

And the source of all this was because she accepted Tang En's invitation to take charge of Marvel Pictures, which was still a shell at that time.

Looking back at the beginning, I was also full of happiness and very fortunate.

Nina Jacobson was very grateful to Twain, came to his office, and asked, "Is it about Undead?"

Tang En put down the newspaper in his hand with a smile, "I can't help it. Disney has been doing a lot of promotion lately. The movie won't be released until 4 months ago. They're already promoting "Undead"."

Nina Jacobson couldn't help laughing and said: "That's because the Disney production department is under too much pressure! My son's "Sixty Seconds" summer file was suppressed so badly, but it was my godson's "Scream" The box office is a big hit, they must be holding a sigh of relief in their hearts, just want to use "Undead Tribulation" as a counterattack."

"Counterattack?"

A swipe of disdain crossed the corner of Tang En's mouth, and he snorted coldly, "By the way, have you contacted that director yet?"

"Nate Shyamalan?" Nina Jacobson sighed and shook her head. "If it's a normal business cooperation, it's not a big problem for me to ask them to make a movie for us. But now we have a relationship with Disney. The relationship is deadlocked, it's either one or the other, there's no buffer zone in between."

Tang En's eyes turned cold, "So, he chose Disney?"

Nina Jacobson said helplessly: "This is also reasonable. Dunn, do you know the attitude of the Disney production department towards Jerry Bruckheimer? It's like an ancestor. Nat Sha Ma Lan's "The Sixth Sense of Spirituality" has been a huge success, they must have offered the best conditions to win him over, unless something unexpected happens, otherwise we can't poach him."

"Accident?"

"That's right. For example, "Undead" failed at the box office and Disney abandoned Knight. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to leave Disney voluntarily."

Tang En nodded, crossed his legs, and his face was not very good-looking.

Unless it collides with a blockbuster movie like "Spider-Man", it will be difficult to make the $75 million "Undead" lose money.

In mid-November, before Christmas, there were no major productions released during the same period, and there were no movies that could suppress the box office of "Undead".

Universal's "Rest of a Deserted Island" is influential enough, starring Tom Hanks, but this is an art film, even if it can be a big hit, it will be the effect of long-term screenings, and it will not be like "Spiderman" in the short term Monopoly the box office market.

As for the other two films "The Girl Who Moved Soul" and "Memory Fragments" produced by Tang En Pictures, they don't even consider it.

"Soul-moving Girl" is scheduled for mid-August. Don't look at the movie starring Nicole Kidman and Natalie Portman, and won the Palme d'Or, but the dull plot and profound content are hard to attract the love of North American audiences.

For this movie, Twain's requirements are not high, as long as the cost of 40 million US dollars can be recovered.

Fortunately, the overseas market still recognizes the Palme d'Or. Even if the box office in North America is not good, it should be able to pay back through the overseas box office.

"Memento" will be released in mid-September. This movie...is more depressing than "The Girl Who Moved Soul", and it makes people dizzy. However, this film has a "high IQ movie" publicity stunt, which can attract some curious fans who call themselves geniuses.

And the cost of the movie was only $5 million, and even the theater didn't sell a single ticket. With the type and quality of this movie, you can make a lot of money selling videotapes and DVDs.

Nina Jacobson saw Tang En's embarrassment, and quickly said: "Actually, I really have a good friendship with Knight. If the box office of "Undead" fails to meet expectations, how will the Disney production department treat him?" A little indifferent, we have a chance."

"Oh?" Tang En's eyes lit up, showing some surprise, "Can it be done?"

Nina Jacobson nodded with a serious face: "Yes! During this time, I have met him twice, and I understand some of his thoughts. Disney trained him and treated him very well. He You can't be ungrateful. But if Disney's attitude changes first, he will have a reason to leave."

"Okay, let's do it!"

Tang En slapped his hands with excitement, "Then let's continue to fight. After fighting "Sixty Seconds", we will also have a group arena with "Undead"!"

Nina Jacobson knew the internal situation of Twain Films very well, and said with a frown, "Playing in the ring? With all due respect, Twain, with the two films "The Girl Who Moved Soul" and "Memory Fragments", wants to compete with "Immortal" I am afraid it will be very difficult for "Jie" to compete in the box office market."

Tang En smiled and waved his hands, "The schedules of the two films have been confirmed, and it is impossible for Universal to agree to change the schedules."

A look of doubt flashed in Nina Jacobson's eyes, "Then what do you mean?"

Tang En glanced at her, with a smile on his lips, "The movies we produced this year are not limited to "The Girl Who Moved Soul" and "Memory Fragments"."

Nina Jacobson was even more confused.

Tang En Pictures and its subsidiaries invested in three films last year, "Spiderman", "Soul Girl", and "Memory Fragments". How can there be other films?

Could it be that the movie invested in this year will be released this year?

Steven Soderbergh's "Drug Network" has not yet finished, and the schedule is estimated to be next year. It is even more impossible for other movies. They are all commercial blockbusters with an investment of hundreds of millions. It is impossible to complete the production within a year or two.

Tang En looked at her with a smile, "Nina, have you forgotten? We still have Rampage Pictures!"