The Olsen sisters are not as well-known in China. Those who are not interested in the fashion world have probably never heard of them. However, their younger sister, Elizabeth Olsen, is familiar to many Chinese people. She is known as the Scarlet Witch from the Marvel movies and is a favorite of many viewers.
The Olsen sisters began their careers in the film industry from a very young age, becoming idols to millions of Americans. Their images heavily influenced the aesthetic tastes of an entire generation of girls. With the support of their two older sisters, Elizabeth also started her acting career, but her popularity has not yet matched that of her sisters.
At the height of their fame, the sisters' manager created the company Dualstar Entertainment, which handled their promotion and merchandise sales. A few years ago, things were going great, and the girls' capital exceeded hundreds of millions of dollars, causing envy among many.
However, the sisters' audience consisted mainly of girls under ten years old. As their fans grew older, they stopped being interested in what attracted them in their childhood. Thus, over the past few years, Dualstar Entertainment began to lose ground.
The Olsen sisters, striving to change their image and win over an older audience, decided to try their hand on the big screen. But as the saying goes, stars from the small screen rarely succeed in movies, except perhaps George Clooney.
They played minor roles in films like "Charlie's Angels" or remained within the confines of television projects like "So Little Time" and "Getting There," unable to conquer the big screen. Their careers were in a serious decline, and Eric, looking at them, remembered Ashton Chen and Stephen Hao. Many child stars remain in the past, failing to achieve success in their adult lives.
This time, the sisters commissioned a script tailored to themselves, calling it "New York Minute," hoping for another breakthrough. They planned to make the project grand and impressive, with a budget of $40 million.
After writing the script, they started approaching major companies for investments. But the quality of the script left much to be desired, and most companies showed little interest.
A couple of days ago, the Olsen sisters flew to New York again to try to persuade Warner Bros. and Disney to invest in their project. So upon arriving, naturally, they stayed with their aunt.
Accidentally learning about her connections with Eric, they immediately set their sights on him, the newly minted MGM magnate.
In the room, three women, their aunt, and her nieces watched Eric, hoping to catch any reaction on his face. But Eric seemed absolutely indifferent as he flipped through the script. Flipping through the pages at incredible speed, he eventually tossed it onto the table without even reading it to the end.
The script turned out to be mediocre, without any bright moments, with clichéd conflicts and stereotypical characters – a typical "creation" that would get lost on the shelf and never surface.
Eric tried to recall if he had ever seen the movie "New York Minute," but he couldn't. The TV movies with the Olsen sisters he vaguely remembered, but this one clearly went unnoticed. The result was obvious: a flop without any resonance. And demanding $40 million for such a script was not just fantasy but sheer madness.
No wonder the Olsen sisters hadn't succeeded in the big movies – their taste left much to be desired.
When Eric tossed the script aside, the three women immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Eric, is the script really that bad?" Elin cautiously asked.
Eric sighed and, trying to be delicate, replied:
"The plot is too clichéd. Such movies are made by the dozens every year in Hollywood, but you yourself have seen how many of them become successful?"
"But Ashley and Mary…"
"No, Elin, you don't understand. In cinema, the story is the main thing. Actors can add brightness, but they can't save a bad script. Otherwise, Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron would be starring in ten films a year."
"The 'New York Minute' script needs serious revision. I would advise you to find another screenwriter."
The Olsen sisters exchanged glances. Eric was saying the same thing as all the other companies. But with their aunt here, they were not going to give up.
Mary-Kate Olsen, her beautiful eyes wide open, tried to charm Eric:
"Eric, we'll take your advice and ask the screenwriter to rewrite the script."
"And if the script is revised, will MGM be willing to invest? After all, our company, Dualstar Entertainment, is also ready to invest part of the funds. We can split the costs."
After her sister's words, Ashley Olsen approached and sat next to him, also trying to make an impression.
Eric was shocked by their naivety. Even if they both agreed to spend the night with him, it still wouldn't be worth $20 million! They seemed to seriously consider themselves golden geese.
"Mary-Kate, you don't understand. Let me be blunt – this script is just awful. Even if it were starring Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, it wouldn't be successful. You can't make gold out of dirt."
A tense silence fell in the room. Eric's words were harsh but truthful. The Olsen sisters, disappointed by recent failures and their overall challenging career, lowered their heads and fell silent.
Elin, seeing the state of her nieces, got angry:
"Eric, you're too harsh!"
"The truth sometimes hurts. I hope you won't take offense," Eric sighed.
"Isn't there any way out? You're the captain of MGM, you have enormous opportunities. Help these girls, or they'll have to leave the entertainment industry."
Eric was about to leave.
"Elin, guilt-tripping doesn't work on me. You know I'm not the kind of person who throws money away. I have a responsibility to MGM, and if there's no prospect of profit, I won't invest."
"Find that prospect. These girls are the Olsen sisters; the whole country knows them. You can find something valuable in them, Eric."
Elin firmly grabbed his arm:
"You always find opportunities, always use them. I'm sure you can help these girls if you only want to."
Eric freed his arm and stopped.
Carefully examining the Olsen sisters, he suddenly realized that Elin was right. "New York Minute" was a failure, but the Olsen sisters themselves were not. With their help, something worthwhile could be created.
These girls had good potential; they had just chosen the wrong path and didn't want to deviate from it.
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