Amy said, "Yes, but it's definitely not feasible this year or the next. If everything goes well, the company could possibly go public as early as 1992."
As his business perspective broadened, Simon gradually stopped resisting the idea of the company's IPO. He understood that for Daenerys Entertainment to continue to grow and develop in the future, going public was essential from every aspect.
Simon discussed this topic with Amy because of her compensation contract.
When Amy first joined the company, she signed a contract with Simon that included a corresponding cash bonus and an equal amount of stock rewards. Although there were various valuations of Daenerys Entertainment from the outside world, the company had not yet gone public, making it difficult to quantify Amy's stock rewards.
Amy's contract was due to expire early next year, and Simon hoped to postpone the realization of her stock rewards until the company went public, to which Amy agreed.
When Nancy heard Amy say this, she keenly caught another implication in her words and tentatively repeated, "If everything goes well?"
"Don't speculate," Amy interrupted with a smile, "Speaking of which, the main building of the Malibu Daenerys Studios has been completed. Do you want to go see it tomorrow and pick an office building to design and decorate yourself?"
"Of course, I'm not going to save money for our boss."
Nancy said, still unable to stop pondering the recent events.
Westeros Capital had accumulated a large amount of money overseas, and anyone with a bit of sense would know that this money only retains its value if spent quickly; hoarding it would only lead to depreciation amidst continuous inflation.
Among the companies in the Westeros system, Daenerys Entertainment was the best suited and most in need of using this money for large-scale expansion, obviously targeting Hollywood's Big Seven.
Nancy had even locked in a target for a merger in an instant.
Currently, among Hollywood's Big Seven, Columbia and MGM had just changed hands and were unlikely to be sold again in the short term; Simon probably wouldn't be interested in these two companies either.
Rupert Murdoch was ambitiously building his own global media empire and wouldn't sell Fox.
Paramount, despite the recent failure of "The Rocketeer," had performed very well in its movie business over the past two years, making its stock price high. Paramount's chairman, Martin Davis, had declined several merger offers in recent years, making it not a very attractive acquisition target.
Time Warner was too large for Daenerys Entertainment to swallow.
Disney had been in a state of rapid recovery in recent years, with its stock price increasing rapidly; the Bass family and the Disney family, who held a large number of shares in the company, would not easily sell.
Lastly, that left Universal Studios' parent company, MCA.
If Nancy were making the decision, she too would unhesitatingly choose MCA.
Beyond movies, MCA's television, music, and theme park businesses could all strongly complement Daenerys Entertainment. Moreover, MCA's chairman, Lew Wasserman, unlike Martin Davis, was not resistant to external acquisitions.
The next afternoon.
Because it was Saturday, there was a celebration party for "Batman: The Moment of Battle" in the evening, and many executives from Daenerys Entertainment rushed to Malibu to check out the studio park they would move into mid-year.
Entering the Malibu area five kilometers from California Highway One, the plot of land on the mountainside compared to the original barren slope was utterly transformed.
After a year of construction, the main buildings in three areas of the studio had been completed.
The top level's administrative area consisted of five office buildings of varying sizes, three to five stories each. Unlike traditional studio quaint buildings and bungalows, these five staggered office buildings all featured high glass curtain wall designs, each with a different style, embodying a modern and stylish design aesthetic.
Besides the offices, the five buildings also included restaurants, cafes, gyms, and other employee recreational areas.
The second level's most noticeable feature was three 150-meter-long, 30-meter-wide two-story industrial loft-style office buildings. The lofts' exterior was a combination of red brick walls, tempered glass, and black steel beams, with a loft-style roof design, giving off a strong artistic vibe.
The loft-style office building model had not yet risen to prominence at this time.
Thus, when Simon initially drew the draft blueprints, many people were amazed, and the effect after the buildings were completed was indeed outstanding.
The three office lofts would accommodate creative departments like Pixar Animation, Daenerys Special Effects, Blizzard Studios, and Marvel Entertainment's West Coast team.
Pixar's teams were not large at this time, but even considering future expansion factors, each office loft theoretically had an internal space of 9,000 square meters on two floors, enough to accommodate an office scale of 500 to 1,000 people.
Besides the three office lofts, the second level also housed a large circular fiberglass-style event center, covering 2,500 square meters, including a hall capable of accommodating 1,200 people and several smaller halls for movie screenings, parties, and conferences.
The lowest level of the studio was home to six differently sized film studios and a large post-production center.
Of course, these were just the main buildings within the studio.
Aside from the five office buildings on the top level, the second and third levels also housed other buildings like restaurants, shops, warehouses, and dormitories.
However, with the studio park covering a total area of 50 hectares, all these buildings actually didn't take up much space.
Due to the prevalence of cars in the United States and the lack of public transportation in Los Angeles, the largest area within the studio park, aside from the land used for greening and as a reserve, was actually the parking lot. Across the three-tiered park, there were six parking areas of various sizes, with a full capacity of accommodating 3,000 cars.
After walking around the studio, while others continued to tour various places, Amy, Nancy, and Jennifer came to the parking lot railing near the cliff on the second level.
Leaning against the railing, with a drop of more than ten meters below and a seamless blue vista in the distance, Nancy took a deep breath and enjoyed the scene, then curiously pointed to the gradually taking shape shell-shaped building at the Doume Cape Manor in the distance, asking Jennifer, "When will that be completed? It looks really beautiful."
Simon was not in Los Angeles, so his female assistant had to take on the multiple roles of assistant and housekeeper.
Following Nancy's gaze, Jennifer said, "It'll probably be completed next year at the earliest. The interior decoration is very troublesome, and many things need to be customized."
Nancy looked forward enviously and leaned forward, speaking sourly, "Building such a conspicuous villa, someone is sure to criticize BOSS for being extravagant again, just like Hearst has been criticized for many years."
The founder of the Hearst Corporation, William Randolph Hearst, spent most of his life building the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, and even many years later, he was still criticized by many for his extravagance.
Jennifer argued, "Simon is just building a house he likes; it's not as extravagant as Hearst."
Nancy nodded solemnly, her tone teasing, "Yes, yes, Simon is always right."
Jennifer's
face reddened slightly, deciding to ignore Nancy further.
Nancy turned her gaze back and looked at the office lofts in the second-level park, speaking to Amy, "I'd actually prefer to work in these lofts rather than the office buildings above. I think they're much better at inspiring employee creativity."
"So, these three buildings are for Pixar and the others," Amy said. "However, if you really want to bring your department here to work, you can. These lofts have a lot of spare space right now. You can use the second floor of Loft No. 3."
"Then it's settled. I'll discuss the decoration plans with the designer when I have time."
Nancy immediately nodded. She didn't mind the potential status difference between the first-level administrative area and the second-level office area. What mattered most was her own comfort. Moreover, moving the consumer goods department to the second level wouldn't invite scorn from anyone.
As they talked, Nancy looked around the spacious surroundings and remembered something from yesterday, tentatively asking Amy, "Our offices in Santa Monica and Burbank are all rented; we can just cancel those leases after moving here. But Amy, this place is already spacious enough. What if we get a second studio park?"
The three women by the railing were all extremely intelligent. Hearing Nancy say this, Jennifer immediately looked suspiciously at her.
Noticing Jennifer's gaze, Nancy couldn't help but tease, "Really, even Jenny knows, and I'm still being kept in the dark."
As the closest person to Simon in the company and having a relationship with James, Jennifer naturally knew about Daenerys Entertainment's plan to acquire MCA. Although Simon was recently in Australia, he had been discussing this matter with James and Amy, sometimes needing his female assistant's help to relay messages.
Amy smiled and said, "Then just pretend you don't know. You're just the president of the consumer goods department. Are you really trying to take my place?"
"Maybe," Nancy grimaced with a threatening look and pursued, "So, two big parks, what do we do?"
Amy said, "We have quite a few high-quality copyrights in our hands now. If the staff from the other park move here, this place will be full. The space freed up there could be used to expand superhero attractions, add a horror community, and the like, enhancing the theme park's attraction to tourists."
Simon and Amy had discussed this after proposing the MCA acquisition plan.
Burbank's Universal Studios covered an area of 212 hectares, while Malibu's Daenerys Studios also spanned 50 hectares. If they acquired MCA, Daenerys Entertainment would have a studio park size much larger than the combined area of other Hollywood studios' existing parks.
However, this issue did not trouble Simon.
A major reason Simon wanted to buy MCA was for the company's theme park business.
Theme parks based on movies had great potential over the next two to three decades.
As long as the acquisition of MCA could be successfully completed, Simon planned to increase investment in theme parks, establishing more attractions within Universal Studios to draw tourists, while the film and television production business there could conveniently be transferred to Malibu.
Moreover, MGM at its peak had multiple filming bases in Los Angeles, and even if they couldn't reach the heights of MGM's studio era, Simon was confident that Daenerys Entertainment's future development was sufficient to utilize both studio parks.
Hearing Amy's explanation, Nancy immediately understood and pondered for a moment, "That's indeed a great idea."
Amy cautioned, "Remember, keep it a secret. If word gets out, not to mention taking my place, Simon would have to fire you."
"Of course, I understand."
As the three women chatted, Robert Lem, Elara Deutchman, and Robert Eager, who had flown over from the East Coast in the morning, came over.
It was already evening.
The celebration party for "Batman: The Moment of Battle" was to be held at seven o'clock in Simon's mansion on the Palisades' mid-slope, and after greeting each other, Amy and Jennifer hurried to Palisades to check on the party preparations, while the others dispersed for the time being.
Daenerys Entertainment's parties were undoubtedly the most sought-after gatherings in Hollywood over the past two years, especially in recent months.
Last year's plan for ten movies was still ongoing, and with the box office explosion of "Batman: The Moment of Battle," the upcoming DC Cinematic Universe project represented even more opportunities for Hollywood filmmakers to make their mark.
With the emergence of North America's first domestic movie expected to break $400 million in box office, Adam Baldwin, the male lead of "Batman: The Moment of Battle," had suddenly risen to the ranks of top-tier stars, while the actress playing Catwoman, Valerie Golino, had firmly established her footing in Hollywood.
The film's various supporting actors, including William Dafoe, Tommy Lee Jones, and Anthony Hopkins, had also significantly boosted their fame.
It was foreseeable that even if the other films in the DC Cinematic Universe could only reach half the commercial height of "Batman: The Moment of Battle," the project would still be a powerful star-making machine, representing a coveted opportunity for countless aspiring Hollywood filmmakers.
Therefore, to secure an invitation to tonight's celebration party, many had gone to great lengths.
The originally planned party for 200 people, due to various irresistible personal appeals, had expanded to over 500 attendees.
The party was set to start at seven o'clock, but just past six, Simon's mansion in Palisades was already filled with celebrities, and the large number of paparazzi who had heard the news nearly blocked the mountain road, forcing Amy to deploy security personnel to maintain traffic outside the mansion.
As dusk fell, the mansion began a glamorous scene of lights and wine, with elegantly dressed men and women mingling in every corner, seeking any possible opportunity to rise to fame.
Many people were eagerly looking for the most dazzling young man of the evening, but since he hadn't appeared, the senior executives from Daenerys Entertainment and Time Warner, along with other Hollywood magnates attending the party, became the prime targets for networking.
However, the essence of a circle lies in the fact that although some people seem within reach, they are somehow always beyond entry.
The main villa of the mansion was not fully open this time.
At the entrance to the staircase leading to the second floor, two bodyguards stood with arms crossed, occasionally blocking guests who tried various excuses to go upstairs and cozy up to the bigwigs.
Inside the second-floor study, only Amy and Jonathan Friedman were present.
Amy leaned against the edge of the desk, arms crossed, her expression somewhat serious as she looked at Jonathan by the bookshelf, "Joe, we need to thoroughly discuss this matter today. The contracts for Adam and Valerie, and everyone else, absolutely cannot be modified. The DC Cinematic Universe is a very large project. If every movie is a big hit and the actors feel they aren't getting enough and demand contract changes, then this project can't continue."
Perhaps it's true that the type of boss you have shapes the type of employees you are. Jonathan felt a strong sense of Simon in Amy's words, "Amy, even if the salaries can't be changed, there are other aspects, like the character figurines for 'Batman: The Moment of Battle,' which involve the actors' image rights. I think
Adam and Valerie should be entitled to a fair share of the profits from the use of their images in toys. Also, the restrictions in their contracts on participating in other films during the contract period are too strict."
"Joe, I remember very clearly, the contracts specified the corresponding terms for derivative product licensing. And we're not making figurines of the actors themselves, but of the movie characters they portray. After all, they're just a medium. As for the restrictions on their participation in other films, that's to ensure they can fulfill their contracts smoothly."
Amy paused, then continued, "Joe, if you need, I can find the final list of candidates who were shortlisted for the Batman role, and you can see what their current status is and what kind of level Adam is at. If it weren't for this role, Adam would still be a nobody, perhaps forever just a nobody. Batman gave him everything. Simon has mentioned to me that he never expects the actors he promotes to be grateful to him; he's a person who doesn't believe in human nature, he just hopes that those people can fulfill the agreements they once signed. Moreover, Adam's five-film contract, if completed, would bring him a total salary of $30.3 million, averaging over $6 million per film, which is already a top star level. With the popularity brought by Batman, Adam can also participate in other films and take on various endorsements, all of which are enough to bring him a very substantial income, and the same goes for others. So, Joe, I hope this is the only time we have this kind of discussion between us."
After a brief silence, Jonathan quickly nodded, showing a conciliatory smile, "Okay, Amy, you know, us agents always have to comply with our clients' wishes."
Amy's face still showed dissatisfaction, "You can let them know how much Christopher Reeve got paid when he played 'Superman.' The first 'Superman' movie sold $300 million worldwide, and Reeve's salary for the second 'Superman' was only $500,000, barely rising to $1 million by the third. Joe, if we hadn't signed the contracts in advance, with the current box office performance of 'Batman: The Moment of Battle,' they could ask for any salary in the sequels, $20 million, $30 million, or even a direct share of the box office profits, whether we would accept it or not, that would be their right. But since we've signed a contract, we must abide by it."
Knowing Amy's stance, Jonathan knew there would be no outcome to this matter, and going directly to Simon might be even worse, so he said, "Amy, I'll relay the message to them."
As Jonathan was about to leave, Amy stopped him and asked, "Joe, I need a name, who suggested renegotiating the contract?"
Jonathan gave a bitter smile, "Amy, can we leave it at that? Consider it a favor I owe you."
Amy and Jonathan looked at each other for a moment, and she nodded slightly, "Joe, I hope you remind them to abide by the contract, and we'll have more opportunities for cooperation in the future. Otherwise, you know Simon's temper; if someone hinders the progress of the DC Cinematic Universe plan, they won't have any standing in Hollywood anymore."
Downstairs in the mansion's living room, where Adam Baldwin was surrounded by stars and chatting happily with some guests, he approached as soon as he saw Jonathan appear, his eyes inquiring.
Adam Baldwin's agent, Matthew Stidert, also came over.
Jonathan subconsciously looked up the stairs but didn't spot Amy. He then led Baldwin and his agent to a corner of the backyard and began to speak quietly with them.
Among the key cast members of "Batman," Adam Baldwin, the actor portraying Bruce Wayne, undoubtedly had the most confidence to renegotiate his contract with Daenerys Entertainment. Amy's words had clearly guessed this point, and asking for a name was just to get confirmation from Jonathan.
Jonathan's owed favor was effectively shielding Adam Baldwin from many issues.
However, upstairs in the mansion, Amy wasn't planning to forget this matter.
Leaving the study, Amy headed to another living room on the second floor, where Nancy, Jennifer, Valerie Golino, Sandra Bullock, and a group of ladies were gathered, the room and terrace crowded with women.
Greeting everyone, Amy called out her assistant, Vanessa Lind, and instructed her in the corridor outside, "You go check tomorrow what scripts Meg Ryan has recently looked at, who she's in contact with, and who she plans to collaborate with. I want the results by next Monday."
Vanessa nodded without asking further.
"Also," Amy added, "tell the finance department tomorrow that the bonus plan for the 'Batman: The Moment of Battle' creative team, which is currently being drafted, is to be canceled. No need to compile it anymore."
This time, Vanessa was surprised and unsurely asked, "Canceled?"
"Yes," Amy confirmed. "Also, find a way to leak the news in the next few days that due to someone wanting to break the contract and renegotiate, all planned additional rewards are canceled."
Vanessa understood and nodded, then tentatively asked, "Amy, it's not really going to be canceled, is it?"
$20 million, if canceled because of some people's maneuvers, the creative team of "Batman: The Moment of Battle" would probably despise certain individuals.
Yet, it was unclear who wanted to renegotiate the agreement.
Amy glared at her assistant, "Why ask so many questions? Just do your job."
Vanessa shrank back, "Alright, I got it."
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