At lunch, Eric dined with the three Olsen sisters and promised to take little Elizabeth on a tour of the MGM set next time. From that moment, the collaboration with the Olsen sisters officially began. He decided to let them taste the sweetness of success in order to revive their brand, which was also advantageous to him.
The most important thing was to strengthen the connection between DualStar Entertainment and MGM. Once the company's products started to sell poorly without MGM's support, the Olsen sisters' dependence on Eric would reach its peak.
45% of the shares could not satisfy him. Even if he didn't aim for complete control, he at least sought absolute control. After all, if he could remove Robert Solny today, he could find himself in the same position tomorrow.
Eric was willing to charge low licensing fees, not out of charity, but because the Olsen sisters would pay a higher price for it in the future.
The next day, the news of the collaboration was simultaneously announced on the official websites of MGM and DualStar Entertainment. The project for the film Blue is the Warmest Color was also announced, though it didn't mention the theme of lesbian relationships, focusing instead on the lives of the girls.
The Olsen sisters participated in the event to promote the film, stating that this would be their transition project. They wanted to show everyone that they had grown up and were no longer little girls. However, they also noted that if the film failed, they would leave the industry and fully focus on business.
Their mention of a possible departure immediately attracted media attention, and the Olsen sisters, who hadn't appeared on the pages of entertainment magazines for a long time, were back on the front pages. While they weren't featured as the top headline, it was still an achievement.
Online, there were speculations about the film's plot and discussions about the Olsen sisters. Their fans seemed to come back to life.
Meanwhile, Get Out had already started filming. Eric visited the set to show his respect and completely trusted director James Wan. Though his directing skills were still developing, he was doing a great job with low-budget films.
Get Out was a small horror film set in a country house, with almost no scenes featuring other town buildings.
In the original world, after the success of Saw, which had a $100,000 budget and grossed over $100 million, Lionsgate invested $20 million in the production of Dead Silence. They believed that if Saw had brought in so much profit, a larger project would soar even higher. But they were wrong. James Wan overestimated his capabilities, and Dead Silence became one of the few failures in his career.
The movie flopped at the box office and in the DVD market, which was already in decline at the time. Lionsgate lost over $20 million.
However, the film received a good response in China. But it didn't matter much, as Chinese viewers were watching pirated copies.
There have been many instances where Eastern and Western audiences perceived films differently. Cultural differences often led to differing tastes.
For example, A Quiet Place received negative reviews in China due to an illogical plot, and it had only a 6.3 rating on Douban (the Chinese equivalent of IMDb). But in the West, the film was very popular, with a 7.5 rating on IMDb and over 90% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes. That was a high rating for horror, and the film grossed a decent amount.
Why was there such a big difference? Not because Western audiences were foolish or couldn't spot flaws. Their interests were simply different. While Chinese films couldn't feature supernatural elements, Western horror films had always been popular. With small budgets, they were a favorite genre for studios.
But due to the abundance of horror films, audiences began to grow tired of the sameness. And when a film with a unique concept like A Quiet Place came along, it immediately attracted attention. The audience, along with the screen, held their breath in anticipation, creating an immersive atmosphere. Plot problems became secondary.
At A.K. Films, production on The Purge was halfway finished. The premiere was scheduled for May 25, during the summer blockbuster season, with hopes for strong box office results. Two parody films—Battle of the Empires and Fox and Mouse Game—were also completed and in the process of being sold.
Time flew by, and suddenly it was April 15. Eric spent four days in the editing room working on the cut. He couldn't trust other editors with it, fearing they might alter his vision. Fortunately, everything was clear in his head, and there weren't many unnecessary shots, so the process was smooth. In four days, the rough cut was finished.
The pace was impressive. In Hollywood, editing large films like Transformers usually took around six months. 180 days versus 4—40 times faster.
Now the rough cut needed to be sent to Weta Digital for the addition of visual effects, which would take significant time.
In the evening, Eric headed to Gal Gadot's home. Today was the premiere of The Walking Dead, and he had promised to watch it with Gal.
Knock-knock-knock.
A few moments later, Bar Refaeli opened the door, while Gal Gadot was vacuuming under the couch.
"Why did you decide to clean in the evening? A little post-dinner exercise?" Eric asked in surprise.
Bar Refaeli smirked and replied, "She not only wants the house to be spotless, but she also put on new, beautiful earrings. I like this style."
"Well, there's no need to go overboard. I'm not here for the first time. If you take this too seriously, I'll feel uncomfortable."
Eric smiled as he glanced at the beer and snacks he had brought.
"You may not be here for the first time, but it's the first time you'll be staying for more than ten minutes. Some people are really nervous about that."
Gal Gadot, flustered by Bar's words, responded, "I'll be done in a moment, just wait a bit. I need to freshen up, I'm all sweaty. Sit down, Eric."
With that, she dragged the vacuum cleaner into the bathroom.
Now, only Eric and Bar Refaeli were left in the room. Although they had known each other for a while, they had never been alone together.
Feeling that he needed to say something, Eric looked at her, noticing her big eyes fixed on him.
"Refaeli, The Walking Dead is finally airing. You'll soon become a big star."
Bar Refaeli shrugged. "Not anytime soon. I'm not in the early episodes; I don't even know when I'll show up."
"The order of appearance doesn't matter. What's important is that the role is memorable. Some characters appear from the very beginning, but no one remembers them, while others can be in just one scene and leave a lasting impression."
"Everyone says that, but no one wants their scenes cut. Eric, do you think I'll be in the first group or the second?"
"Of course, in the second. Maggie is a charismatic character. In my mind, she'll live until the end of the series and have a full character arc. That's why I chose you for the role. And you're beautiful, which is a big plus."
"Beautiful? Do you really think so?"
Bar Refaeli froze for a moment and asked with a sudden mix of aggression and seduction in her voice, staring at him intensely.
Eric, experienced in dealing with women, immediately recognized her intentions. He had seen that look before.
"Is she trying to seduce me?" Eric thought, watching her with confusion. The sound of running water came from the bathroom, while Bar Refaeli, smiling, walked to her bedroom, swaying her hips deliberately. A moment later, she returned, wearing a backless dress.
Half-turned, with her eyes half-closed, she softly asked, "Eric, Gadot's in the shower, could you help me zip up my dress?"
"She's definitely trying to seduce me!" Eric decided. Directly and without hesitation, he declined.
It was amusing. Though he wasn't a saint, and his personal life was far from ideal, he always kept a clear head. He knew exactly with whom he could sleep and with whom he shouldn't. Bar Refaeli was definitely one of the latter. This woman was dangerous, as had been obvious from their very first meeting, just like Zhang Ziyi. He had clear rules when it came to women. They didn't have to be perfect, but they couldn't cause drama. For him, it was important not to cross that line.
Liu Xiaoli and Niki Caro didn't count—it was just fleeting interest. He wasn't about to give them any bonuses for a one-night stand. Even if there was sex, it didn't mean anything to him.
Chloë Sevigny and Elin Olsen—those were mutually beneficial partnerships. There were no feelings involved. If they stayed in touch long enough, maybe feelings would develop, but definitely not now.
Nicole Kidman—she had potential. Their relationship wasn't deep, more driven by passion. Whether it turned into something more depended on both of them. Their relationship was equal, and she didn't need to ask him for roles, as she had plenty of offers on her own. This distinguished her from Chloë.
The Olsen sisters and Liu Yifei—they were long-term projects. He could significantly help their careers, and the difference was that he could control the former, but not the latter. He could either reap the benefits right away or gradually extract value.
Bar Refaeli and Zhang Ziyi—they were like sticky candy. Such women caused problems, and he kept his distance from them. If it weren't for Judy, he wouldn't have gotten involved with them at all.
Not receiving any help, Refaeli zipped up her dress without issue and then poured a glass of water, offering it to Eric. "Thirsty?"
Eric reached for the glass, but with a playful smile, she drank from it herself. "Sorry, I got thirsty too. You don't mind, do you?"
Eric saw through her game and wasn't going to play along any further.
Knock-knock-knock.
Before Eric could say something sharp, there was a knock at the door.
"Refaeli, are you done? Hurry up."
Judy's voice came from outside.
"Alright, I won't make a scene in front of Judy. You're lucky this time."
Eric opened the door.
As soon as Judy saw him, she jokingly punched him on the shoulder. "Eric, you haven't shown up at the office in days. Where have you been hiding?"
"I've been busy editing Transformers. I'll be back tomorrow. Take Refaeli with you."
Hearing the sound of water coming from the bathroom, Judy winked, whistled, and said to Bar, "Let's go, let's leave these lovebirds alone."
Then she winked at Eric and handed him a small box. "For you. Don't forget to use it."
"What's this?"
Bang!
The door closed, and they left.
Eric opened the box and saw a small pill inside.
"Damn it, Judy!"
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