Police Academy 2 finally announced its shooting schedule. The actors haven't changed much, but there's a new director. William White will no longer be directing, just writing and producing.
Whether the audience will buy it needs to be tested by the market. Even if it doesn't do as well as the first, it probably won't be much worse.
No matter what giant you are, if your box office tanks, they'll drop you. Warner's The Shining faced removal. Except for Warner's own theaters, others were willing to give it just two weeks.
Star Wars: A New Hope is still going strong, already exceeding $150 million. In North America, such a blockbuster can run for at least six months, meaning crossing $200 million is just a matter of time.
Its success is no surprise. Beverly Hills Cop breaking through is odd. Based on its first two weeks, breaking a hundred million is just a matter of time. Even if it doesn't do as well as Police Academy, it can compete with Home Alone.
Including the films in production, White Films are all series. Series aren't William White's idea. This era is all about series; unless the box office tanks, they'll keep at it.
Hollywood in later times didn't do this because agent companies messed it all up. They don't care about your woes; they earn based on your box office.
...
Apple Inc. was rapidly expanding. As a result, other companies found themselves in a tough spot, with their plans still far away.
"Why don't you go place an order with Motorola?"
"Sorry, it's not possible before year-end. The assembly lines in Japan aren't even setup yet, with details pending."
Upon receiving this news, the personal PC manufacturing plants were in an uproar. Nobody believed in capacity issues; it was typical price gouging.
"Turning down business?" Motorola and Ricoh were puzzled, but there was nothing they could do. The current CEO was William White, and by agreement, unless the company suffered significant losses, no one could question it.
William White didn't mind, though. His video games were also being developed urgently. What's a few CPUs compared to that? He could consume quite a bit himself.
"We've worked really hard. The factory is running day and night, and capacity issues should ease in the second half of next year. We hope you understand; this is a new product, and current orders exceed one million pieces, which we simply can't handle."
Motorola's statement only added fuel to the fire. After an entire year passed, the opportunity was long gone.
"Wait a minute, a million units? Who placed this order?"
"Home gaming consoles?"
"Darn!"
Now it's clear that the excess capacity was taken by Legendary World, they'll just have to wait.
"Can they sell that many consoles?"
"Is that any of your business?"
...
Bang! Another crystal ashtray broke. Since clashing with William White, Steve Ross has had nothing but bad luck. He's been caught in a series of traps, making him doubt life.
Atari was certainly excluded. Developing a new CPU isn't feasible. The initial geniuses have long been wooed away by William White.
Starting from scratch? That's easier said than done.
The old guy regrets it now. It wasn't necessary to oppose William White. Isn't Paramount coexisting peacefully with him?
The Atari acquisition cost hundreds of millions, and developing the 2600 spent another hundred million. Now, the company seems set to collapse.
The movies are even more distressing. Their box office is about to hit a hundred million, while ours are stuck at a thousand. Trying to block White Films is laughable.
Seeing the mocking eyes of those old folks is truly disheartening. And the board of directors -- they're actually asking him to compromise.
...
William White couldn't care less about the chaos in the US. It was his vacation now, and no matter how those idiots messed around, he wouldn't sell them CPUs.
"This place is beautiful, just a bit hot. This year's vacation spot choice was a problem. Should've gone to Australia."
"Forget it, boss. We can go to Australia next year. Actually, Hawaii would be best. Didn't you buy an island there?"
"Don't mention it, it's nothing but pineapple plantations. It'll take at least two years to fix up. It's all a construction site right now."
The Bahamas is an archipelago. What stands out is the color.
Not only are there flocks of flamingos, but also the famous pink sand beaches. Plus, with all the tropical flowers and plants on the island, it's a burst of color everywhere.
With only a few hundred thousand people, relying on tourism and some illegal trades, the folks here live decently, with solid benefits.
...
William White didn't want to stay in the city; he rented a hotel on Harbour Island. He was already on a luxury yacht.
"Jason, what was that island we just passed called?"
"Paradise Island."
"Hey, that's a nice name. I wonder if it's for sale."
"Haha, boss, are you planning to become a pirate here?"
With a snap of his fingers, William White said, "Great idea. I was wondering what it was in my head, and this is it."
Jason looked puzzled, while a bunch of fan-girls swooned. William White's act was just too adorable.
Ahem, others might complain that he's too pretentious.
"I've got it, Jason! I plan to set up a Pirate Park in the Bahamas. It used to be a pirate stronghold, and maybe there are still pirates now. This theme park would be really thrilling."
The fangirls swooned even more. William White's act was full marks. This is what they call effortlessly charismatic.
"Ahem, boss, are you serious? Really planning to be a pirate?"
"Tsk, life is so dull. Why not live it up a little?"
A bunch of goofballs sipped champagne on the yacht. The Bahamas at dusk was enchanting, and the weather didn't seem so hot.
...
They arrived at Harbour Island just as the lights came on.
Okay, there weren't any fancy lights. With the biggest hotel booked, there weren't many people left on the island.
As for safety, his security team had been on the island for days now. They would ensure the boss's safety.
Dinner was lavish, featuring all sorts of Bahamian conches. William White couldn't figure it out: how haven't they been eaten to extinction with this kind of eating?
The folks here don't care about ecological balance; they eat as much as they can, because there's just so much seafood.
*****
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