Cameron had been secretly observing William White from the sidelines, all while keeping an eye on other guests. Today's private screening was essentially a test of his work over the past year.
Lucas was frustrated; a director he hadn't paid much attention to had managed to create such a high-caliber film.
Hollywood was quite strange; directors from Paris looked down on those from London, and London directors had no regard for American ones. None of the directors from these three places had any respect for those who came into the industry later.
Coincidentally, this guy named James Cameron was at the very bottom of that disdain hierarchy. You're just a truck driver, and instead of focusing on driving, you dare to try making movies. It's downright ridiculous.
As for why White Films hired him to make a film? Well, there's no concise way to explain it, but William White was peculiar. Instead of saying his hiring style was unconventional, it might be better to say he followed his whims.
The current hot pop star had been a stage actor. That stunningly popular beauty was just a beauty pageant winner. And this film was even more absurd, with a bodybuilding champion as the leading man.
But Lucas found his thoughts wandering again as he watched the movie. In his opinion, this stiff so-called robot actually suited the role perfectly with its expressionless face. If you had too much acting talent, heck, would it even seem like a robot?
As the lights in the screening room gradually brightened, the somewhat bewildered big shots stood up to applaud. They had to admit, it was an excellent movie.
"William, I regret it. I should've invested in this movie."
William White shook his head with a wry smile. "Lucas, this is a series. Cameron is not only the director, but he also wrote the script. According to his plans, there will be at least five movies. You'll have your chance."
"Alright, I'll chat with him. Damn, this is nothing like that Piranha movie."
"Haha, Lucas, even if you collaborated with Spielberg on Piranha, it wouldn't help -- that's a big flop. No director could make it good. In fact, just managing to finish filming it without being grossed out is quite an achievement."
Lucas was left speechless, gazing into the sky. He knew the importance of a good script. If this movie had been written by him, he would've begged to invest. But who could've known if this guy really had the chops?
"You know, Lucas, this movie is connected to you."
"Hmm, I don't get it."
"Hahaha, after watching your Star Wars, Cameron got a fever when he returned home. In his delirium, this storyline came to him. Wouldn't you say there's a connection?"
"Sheesh, if you had told me that earlier, I would've invested at least a little bit."
"Tsk, you have to know, before this, he couldn't even gather five million for production costs. Meanwhile, I was willing to give him twenty million to fulfill his dream. How about this, Lucas, for every Star Wars you make, I'll make one too."
"Star Wars, huh? Next one's gonna be a pain."
"Hah, you're talking about the acquisition, right? I just don't get it. Weren't you and Spielberg planning to start a company? Why not directly acquire Fox?"
Lucas could only be at a loss for words, thinking, "If I had as much money as you, I'd definitely consider acquiring Fox."
"I heard it's not that expensive, not even 400 million. Why don't you guys scrape together some cash? If you can't pull it off, maybe I'll chip in."
"Tsk, don't give me that. I heard your acquisition of Fox's TV arm didn't even get approved. Acquiring it all together is even less likely. Besides, the price is now way beyond 400 million. I say, you're just stirring the pot for the Aussies, aren't you?"
Not to mention how those two were gloating; Murdoch was indeed quite irked. With William White's offer on the table, Fox's shareholders naturally felt undervalued and sought a better price -- it's a perfectly reasonable request.
...
"James, quickly arrange for the dubbing in other languages; time is tight. You creative folks, come up with your marketing strategies immediately."
"Yes, Mr. White, I'll formulate a plan right away."
"Reach out to Barry Diller, see if there's a slot available. Cut together some behind-the-scenes footage and set up a talk show."
"Alright, I'll get in touch this afternoon."
William White was delighted. The Terminator had plenty of setups laid out in advance, making it easier to plan sequels. Not only could he make direct sequels, but spin-offs as well, which were all money-makers!
Speaking of 20th Century Fox, it's quite the example of misfortune right before dawn. The U.S. economy was already beginning to recover, and some smaller film companies were starting to make profits. It just so happened that some giants were beginning to falter.
The one having the hardest time was undoubtedly Fox; it simply couldn't hold out any longer. MGM wasn't doing great either, but it swallowed United Artists, so it could at least struggle to get by.
Facing this situation, William White was also helpless. Suggesting Lucas to acquire Fox was more of a joke; people weren't that foolish. Fox wasn't worth 400 million; according to Lucas's estimates, he'd consider it if it were slightly over a hundred million.
Sometimes having too large a scope isn't necessarily a good thing, especially in years with tough economic conditions.
As for Murdoch needing to worry about acquiring Fox, William White wasn't too sure. But one thing was certain: the guy would inevitably fall into a serious financial crisis.
With already three major networks, adding another would disrupt the current balance.
Even if it couldn't directly take away viewership, it would nonetheless cause some trouble for him. And if this guy's market share came from the other two networks, NBC would soon be seen as a significant threat.
...
"Sir, the Aussies agreed."
"Heh, this old dog, is Fox really worth buying?"
"Could it be that he got so angry he lost it?"
"What does he have to be angry about? William White tried to buy it and failed."
"Is the Justice Department planning to go all out against this guy?"
"Heh, who knows what this guy is up to. In any case, there's gonna be quite a show."
The Justice Department was actually facing a trust crisis. Many bystanders began to question their motives.
They couldn't understand why having good TV shows was a problem or why making good movies was wrong. Were they supposed to watch crappy films because companies making good ones were monopolizing?
Was our country being run by fools?
American citizens were furious. Was White Films monopolizing theaters or actors?
Not really.
Public opinion quickly turned towards conspiracy theories; if there were no victims, then who were the beneficiaries?
Thus, the image of an Australian villain emerged.
After rejecting NBC's acquisition, the Justice Department certainly paid close attention to changes in the situation. Just when they were about to relax, criticism began to pour in against them.
NBC was indeed strong, but the other two were not exactly weak.
As for film companies?
Please, it's a new company, right? They only release a few films a year.
What are you guys at the Justice Department doing? Planning to manage the company's daily affairs?
*****
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