No one knew what White Software's plan was. Logically, they should just go ahead and produce PCs, but now they seemed to return to the starting point again. Did they intend to complete the entire industry chain?
Faced with this situation, the Big Blue was also somewhat confused. They really couldn't understand what this move signified.
But that's just how it was; the giant wouldn't care about the choices of ants. What could a slightly larger ant do anyway?
Microsoft was evidently put in the spotlight, and even within IBM, there were disputes. Why should an unknown small company get this contract?
...
Although a framework agreement was signed, it wasn't implemented quickly. Even if it's just a chip department, it's still a colossal entity.
The employees in the chip department didn't resist much. They've been overlooked for so long, or else there wouldn't have been the drama of talented designers leaving together.
William White didn't have time to deal with them for now; his film crew was ready, and they needed to start shooting.
Even though it's a comedic version of James Bond, the production was still huge, not something cheap special effects could handle.
The highest level of special effects, naturally, came from Industrial Light & Magic under Lucas. With the success of Star Wars, no one doubted their capabilities.
"Three million? Are you kidding me, George? Just four shots; I think a million tops. Are you trying to make me cover up the special effects costs for Raiders of the Lost Ark?"
"No, no, my dear William, my special effects company has always been losing money. Good special effects are never cheap."
"Haha, you're joking. I'll offer twenty million; how about you sell me Industrial Light & Magic? Maybe in the future, I can give you a special rate."
Lucas was a shrewd businessman; three million would be enough to make a movie. This guy clearly tailored his quotes based on the person.
"George, the most I can accept is 1.05 million. If that doesn't work, I'll just go with some cheap effects."
"What, cheap effects? What's that?"
"Haha, it's a kind of easy PS animation, low cost, rough quality."
"No, no, the lowest is 2.8 million, the difficulty is too high."
"This is a comedy. I can't accept that quote, sorry. I'll have to make my own effects company."
George Lucas was indeed worried about losing business to this guy. He'd already been told the other party was very professional and definitely an industry insider.
The negotiations were left to his team, who managed to settle at 1.8 million after adding a few more shots.
William White was quite speechless about this money-hungry old man. He was now a rising star, and no offer would come cheap.
...
"How's his movie?" Spielberg asked. Although he planned to adjust the schedule, he was very concerned about the quality.
"It's unbelievable, definitely surpassing the scale of James Bond. Though it's not long, as he said, it's just a comedy."
"Have you noticed that his costs are constantly rising, yet he's still claiming to set the standard for low-budget films? It's nearing 15 million USD now, and with advertising costs, it's already a big production."
"I have a hunch; once he's done with comedies, he might want to make action films. This guy is hard to figure out."
"Well, he certainly has the privilege of being capricious. The progress is too fast. Soon enough, those old guys won't be able to do anything about him."
"Haha, they're already having headaches. Warner must jump in, and this time they'll get some serious bruises."
...
The IT industry was puzzled. How did that influential guy end up making movies? And this time he's not even making a fuss in Hollywood but going straight to Europe for shooting.
He flew his super-luxurious private jet, taking the crew with him.
You call this a small production?
Don't kid yourself. Raiders of the Lost Ark, starting filming at the same time, didn't have this kind of scale, and that's a 30 million USD blockbuster, not some small fry.
London was chosen as the main location, considering the film's background. You can't just have agents messing about in the US all the time; we're supposed to be allies, so sending a bunch of agents? What's up with that?
Spy movies always have a cliche of glorifying top agents who save the world. Honestly, it's unclear if these are praises or criticism. Life's genuinely too dangerous. If these guys had a mishap, wouldn't everyone live in sheer plight?
William White's Johnny English completely subverted this. Right at the start, all elite agents were written off, leaving an intern who climbed the ranks through connections.
High-tech spy gadgets? They were all flashy but useless junk that worked great during tests but failed in critical moments.
The most reliable weapon? Just a baseball bat.
Never mind how it turned out once filmed; Rowan Atkinson was utterly dumbfounded, gaining a whole new perspective on how shameless his boss could be.
This script, he genuinely loved it to bits, though the director seemed torn about its purpose. Does it matter?
Don't try to do a mental match-up; getting upset over it is entirely normal. The best approach is to view it with a sense of humor; it's just a satirical comedy.
Alright then, the ending was quite happy. The bad guys got punished, the good guys saved the world, even though it was by a very funny good guy.
"Cut, ahem, that expression wasn't seductive, okay? I meant your eyes, not the collarbone. Pay attention, will ya?"
"Camera, follow her gaze with that machine. Also, let me say it one more time, don't try to find the camera or director; there's no such thing here."
Sharon Stone had been nothing more than a pretty face, and she was entirely lost. She never had this experience before, nor had anyone taught her this. A slightly green young girl utterly clueless on how to show her allure.
"Alright, don't look at Rowan Atkinson. Imagine I'm beside you, and you're trying to do something."
William White really pushed himself, practically teaching her hand-in-hand how to act. Everybody, including Rowan Atkinson, envied this girl, "You're so lucky, having the director teach you method acting."
Some folks with shady thoughts also grumbled that having an insider sure makes a difference. How could this naive girl get so lucky?
However, everyone agreed that the director had unveiled a gem. This girl's future definitely looked promising.
*****
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