The two of them sat in Robinov's office, sipping coffee, waiting for news from Warner Bros.
After about three hours of discussion, Warner Bros. finally decided to agree to acquire 20% of MGM's shares.
As a media giant, they didn't mind having more film companies under their control, especially a prestigious one like MGM with a long history.
It meant having a robust film library that would greatly benefit their core business, television.
However, without confirmed news of the acquisition, they couldn't go around lobbying for purchases.
Now that MGM had taken the initiative, Warner Bros. couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.
Once the acquisition was confirmed, Warner Bros. immediately informed the CEO of Warner Bros., Robinov.
...
In the office, upon hearing the news from the secretary, Reed and Robinov both smiled. Robinov took the initiative to say to Reed:
"A pleasant collaboration!"
Reed nodded and replied with a smile:
"A pleasant collaboration!"
With that, MGM and Warner Bros. were completely tied together, becoming part of Warner Bros.
...
Three days later, after Warner Bros. agreed to the acquisition, Reed immediately notified Kevin. Kevin successfully obtained 10% of MGM's shares with an initial payment of $20 million and the remaining $70 million to be paid within a year.
In addition, the small shareholders collectively gifted him an additional 0.5%.
Kevin now owned 10.5% of MGM's shares, making him the third largest shareholder of MGM.
Following Warner Bros.' proposal, a press conference was held today at MGM.
...
The news of MGM's share acquisition by Warner Bros. spread throughout Hollywood during these three days, quietly and swiftly.
The partnership of the two film companies, both ranking in the top ten in Hollywood, undoubtedly attracted significant attention.
But what garnered even more attention was the news of rising director Steve Kevin, who acquired 10% of MGM's shares for a mere $90 million.
In terms of directorial reputation, although Steve Kevin was already well-known in the industry, he still had a long way to go compared to renowned directors like Spielberg and others.
He lacked the recognition and accolades that come with years of experience and accomplishments.
However, everything changed after he became a major shareholder of MGM. His status in the industry skyrocketed.
Through his remarkable achievements, people assigned him multiple titles: Golden Producer, Golden Editor, Acclaimed Director, and Major Shareholder of MGM.
Individually, each of these titles may not be outstanding, but when combined, Kevin became one of the hottest and most sought-after figures in Hollywood.
People noticed that investing in his films almost guaranteed profits.
If he had more projects at hand, Kevin would have set up a fund long ago to invest in his own films.
In this way, he would only need to pay a small interest while reaping the profits of the films.
Of course, as mentioned before, Kevin's foundation is not yet solid enough. He needs to share the benefits with others to earn more.
Establishing a fund is definitely on the agenda, but not now.
...
Steve Kevin, Reed, Robinov, and several other senior executives from MGM stood together on the podium at the press conference.
Countless journalists eagerly awaited the start of the conference, ready to thrust their microphones into Reed's mouth.
Reed took a step forward, facing all the journalists, and excitedly announced:
"Based on the unanimous agreement of MGM's senior management and our future strategic decisions, starting today, MGM will have the closest collaboration with Warner Bros."
"MGM will sell 20% of its shares to Warner Bros. Going forward, MGM's James Bond and Tom and Jerry will be broadcasted on Warner Bros.' television network, and the two parties will also engage in other deep-level collaborations."
Faced with Warner Bros.' support and the addition of Kevin as a key player, all of this gave Reed hope for MGM's return to glory.
He was naturally very happy at the moment.
A beautiful blonde journalist rushed to Reed's front, almost shoving the microphone into his mouth, and quickly asked:
"Is Steve Kevin the key figure behind this collaboration?"
"I've heard that Steve Kevin has intricate relationships with all the leading actresses in his films. Is that true?"
Before Reed could answer, several journalists squeezed in, asking nine out of ten questions about Kevin's gossip, and a few inquired about how Kevin had so much money to purchase MGM's shares, questioning if he had engaged in tax evasion.
Seeing that everyone's focus was on Steve Kevin, Reed quickly picked up the microphone in his hand and said:
"Since everyone is so concerned about Steve Kevin, let's have him answer your questions."
With that, Reed took a step back and handed the microphone to Kevin.
Kevin confidently took the microphone. In fact, this was his first real press conference in the true sense.
The previous film's kick-off ceremonies did not invite journalists, and the promotion of "Mission: Impossible" was left to Tom Cruise, who also didn't attend the press conference, merely making a brief appearance and leaving without answering any questions.
Today could be considered his first official press conference.
Seeing Kevin step forward, the journalists became even more excited. The "Saw" franchise, "Get Out," and "Mission: Impossible" trilogy perfectly portrayed his path to fame.
People were eager to learn how he achieved success.
Of course, what interested the journalists even more were his scandals.
"Director Kevin, according to leaks from the 'Saw' crew, you have repeatedly taken advantage of your director's authority to engage in inappropriate relationships with the leading actresses of 'Saw.' Can you explain this?"
As Kevin looked at the excited journalists, a smile formed on his face.