[Chapter 190: Talk About Bad Judgment]
"How could I be happy? I just got tangled up with Michael Eisner trying to extort a movie out of me," Eric sighed.
Though Eric didn't explicitly say it, Jeffrey quickly grasped what he meant. "So, what conditions did Disney offer?"
"Nothing's been negotiated yet," Eric shook his head. "I only made a verbal promise to Michael Eisner."
Jeffrey let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. It's just a movie, after all. You crank out films like a hen lays eggs. But, I heard some news a couple of days ago. Disney plans to terminate its overseas distribution partnership with Warner Bros. and hand everything over to its subsidiary, Buena Vista International."
"What does that have to do with me?" Eric dismissed Jeffrey's teasing, too uninterested to think it through after that.
"It has everything to do with you. After cutting ties with Warner, Disney is surely going to face a chaotic time in overseas distribution. I estimate it will take Buena Vista at least six months to get things sorted. If you agree to have your movie scheduled for early next year, it's likely Buena Vista would use it as cannon fodder to penetrate the overseas market. Waiting until later in the year would be much better."
Eric frowned, "It's hard to believe Disney would sacrifice my film like that. Don't they want to make money?"
Jeffrey tucked his handkerchief into his pocket and signaled to a waiter for a glass of red wine. "Disney doesn't just look at the box office profits of one or two films. They care more about expanding their distribution channels. The influence you've built from your earlier movies is a perfect tool for channel expansion. Disney could leverage your film's name while sharing some profits with overseas distributors. This would make many things work out smoothly. Who knows? After releasing one film, Disney might establish brand new distribution channels in several countries. In comparison, a film's short-term profit doesn't matter so much next to those long-lasting, profit-generating channels."
Realizing this, Eric nodded slowly. If Disney used his film to break into new markets, they would likely lose a significant overseas box office due to inefficiencies in their channels. Even if Disney managed to expand its reach, both he and Firefly Films wouldn't see any significant benefits. Although the split of overseas box office receipts wasn't large, given the scale of his earlier films, it still amounted to tens of millions of dollars. He wouldn't sacrifice his own gains for Disney's sake unless they compensated him for his losses upfront.
Having thought it through, Eric then asked, "Jeffrey, I remember you mentioned there's nothing more to discuss with Robert Shea. What did you mean?"
"There's just no discussion left," Jeffrey replied. "Robert Shea is adamant about a 15% share and an additional $60 million in cash. He won't budge, which is why I rushed over to you. This decision requires your input as Chairman."
Eric pondered for a moment before asking, "Are you sure that's his final offer?"
Jeffrey nodded. "Absolutely. Robert has made it clear that it's his final bottom line, and he won't retreat another step. Furthermore..." At this, Jeffrey flashed a strange smile. "He told me, unless you agree to this price, he won't accept any future meeting invitations from you."
"Uh... that's... puzzling," Eric said, scratching his head.
Jeffrey didn't allow Eric to be confused for long, laughing as he explained, "When you had dinner with him the first time, you must have left quite the impression. He's afraid that if he gets into another debate with you, he might just back off again. I sensed that's what happened, even though I wasn't there. It sounded like by the end, Robert was quite stirred up by your words and backed down quite a bit, right?"
"That's not called stirring the pot; I was just stating facts," Eric retorted with a smile.
"Anyway, that's where we stand. Honestly, I think the price isn't unreasonable. New Line is a twenty-year-old company. I need to focus more on preparations now, so I'll leave the acquisition of New Line in your hands. I've sorted all the necessary paperwork, and I'll have my secretary deliver it to your office tomorrow."
"Got it," Eric nodded, looking at Jeffrey with some concern. "Jeffrey, you do realize, if the acquisition succeeds, you might..."
Jeffrey clapped Eric on the shoulder, giving him a strong gaze. "I've thought that through. I'll let Robert take the CEO position; I can just be the president in charge of production, even a vice president is fine."
"Thank you, Jeffrey," Eric said gratefully, looking at the heavyset man who'd supported him unwaveringly from the start.
"Do we need to express thanks between us?" Jeffrey lifted his glass of red wine, clinking it with Eric's. Then he remembered something and asked, "By the way, do you think Jonathan Demme will manage fine on his own in Venice? Should I go with him? Ideally, I'd prefer if Kepler went instead; he has better connections in Europe. Too bad he's just an agent and doesn't plan on switching careers."
"Before you got here, Michael Eisner discussed this with me. He'll use some Disney resources to help with this project, aiming for a win at the Venice Film Festival. John Landis is on this year's nine-member jury, so that's a huge plus."
Jeffrey frowned in thought. "John Landis? The director of that box office hit, Coming to America, from last year?"
"Yeah, actually John Landis is better known for his horror films. So you get the picture; the genre coupled with that Hollywood label is bound to score major points with him. Disney will reach out to him too," Eric elaborated.
"When are you heading to Venice?"
"During the opening days, probably. The award ceremony doesn't happen until mid-September. I definitely can't stay there for too long; I'm not going to the award ceremony either. I just discovered my schedule for the rest of the year is too packed. I need to finish everything by September, then October, and maybe just the first half of November. I'll be juggling the New Line business too and have to oversee Al's post-production. When I break it all down, I won't even have a single free day," Eric complained rapidly.
"Who told you to take on so much at once? Most directors would be lucky to helm two movies in a year. You've lined up four projects while also producing two," Jeffrey chuckled. "Next year, you surely won't be that busy!"
"Not on your life. Next year I need a proper break; I haven't really enjoyed life at all so far!"
"Yeah, you've managed to do nineteen years," Jeffrey teased back, a hint of envy in his tone as he looked around, then patted Eric's shoulder. "If you're tired, go home early. I see some acquaintances over there; I want to say hello."
"Alright," Eric replied but made no move to get up. Jeffrey didn't mind and took his wine with him as he left.
...
Eric sat sipping the remaining wine in his glass. After finishing it, he planned to head home to rest. But soon, a tall woman in a silver fish-scale strapless evening gown appeared in front of him.
"Eric, I've been wanting to come over and say hello, but there's always someone by your side," Brooke Shields said, sitting down next to him with ease.
"You look beautiful tonight, Brooke," Eric smiled, raising his glass of wine toward her.
"Thank you! But it seems some people still look down on me," the actress revealed a hint of melancholy, perhaps still affected by Eric's repeated rejections.
Eric chuckled softly without answering. Brooke Shields was always skilled at teasing a man's emotions; perhaps she previously wanted to get closer to him, but, now, with the amazing role of the bus-encounter girl, she no longer needs to rely on giving her body to get the role.
As he took in her beauty, Eric thought it would be nice if she stood up in front of him and did a little spin so he could appreciate her properly. "I heard you recently landed a big production with Warner Bros.? What was it again? It wouldn't happen to be a sequel that's doomed to flop, right? Though in this era, just appearing in a film with a budget of over a hundred million is good enough to boost your reputation."
Brooke Shields shook her head, a smile creeping onto her lips. "No, I actually fell through with Warner. I chose to collaborate with Disney instead, which is why I'm here tonight."
"Oh, well, that's... not too bad. What Disney project, if you don't mind me asking?" Eric queried, intrigued.
Brooke Shields nodded. "I can't reveal much, but the name is tentatively set as The Rocketeer for now; it may change later."
"The Rocketeer," Eric nearly spat his wine out, recalling this movie was scheduled for a 1991 release, which meant filming wouldn't start until next year at the earliest. Eric knew that because of his involvement in Hollywood, many films were still in production, but filming and release schedules had become chaotic. However, that wasn't the key point; the real issue was that he distinctly remembered this film as the one that led Jennifer Connelly to five years of cinematic oblivion!
Eric sized Brooke Shields up, noting she still maintained a softer image that obviously suited her better in Hollywood than her more forceful fatality in the past.
However, Eric shook his head inwardly, thinking how could a girl like that stumble right into such a massive pitfall?
*****
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