[Chapter 523: Quiet Loss]
Eric thought back on some information regarding Much Ado About Nothing. Since the film aimed for an Oscar, it seemed to have made the wrong turn right out of the gate. He wondered who came up with the idea to release it in May. Now, if it hadn't made too big of an impact, the excitement around movies for award season might have already faded.
He estimated that the studio likely wanted to capitalize on the summer blockbuster season to recoup some box office revenue. However, he couldn't recall any connection between the film and the Oscars, assuming it hadn't made a splash at the box office or won any awards.
But none of that concerned Eric.
Once Michelle Simmons finished speaking, Eric stood up and thought for a moment before saying, "Here's the plan. I'll send you some script excerpts shortly. You can have them both record some audition videos, and then send the tapes back to me."
Michelle Simmons, although aware Eric favored the two actresses, still asked, "Mr. Williams, I brought back eight girls in total. I think perhaps they should all have a chance to audition."
Hearing the hesitance in her voice, Eric quickly realized her predicament. These girls had likely been entrusted to her by acquaintances from the European film circles. If they had traveled all the way to Los Angeles only to miss out on auditions, it would put Michelle in a tough position. "Alright, let them all audition," he agreed.
"Mr. Williams, perhaps I could take them to New York for you to see in person?" Michelle suggested.
Eric paused, then laughed. "Michelle, you should know my situation. It's not convenient for me to appear in public. You can handle this. Also, you might want to involve Drew in arranging these auditions. She'll be responsible for the production of Charlie's Angels, so you can get familiar with each other."
"Okay, got it," Michelle replied, not wanting to press further. They chatted for a few more moments before hanging up.
...
Two days later, a tape of the girls' audition videos made its way to Eric. He spent a few hours watching the footage but didn't find any standout talent. He sent his initial decision back to Michelle Simmons in Los Angeles. Subsequently, through John Woo's introduction, Firefly Productions found the original martial arts instructor from the film to train the three women.
...
Time flew by, and before Eric knew it, it was late May. All summer blockbuster films entered their final promotional stages. Although the core promotes for Jurassic Park consisted of the cast, Eric, as the director, not appearing at any promotional appearances felt a bit excessive. At least that's what Jeffrey and others thought. In a phone call, Jerry Bruckheimer complained about how he had to substitute for several promotional events that should have had Eric present, jokingly asking Eric for a raise.
For two months, Eric primarily communicated with the outside world through phone calls and emails, rarely venturing out. Visitors came and went, but they were always careful, knowing Eric's reservations. Also, with the former small estate now empty, paparazzi assumed Eric had left Long Island with a woman, so his residence remained unbothered by the paparazzi.
As the release date for Jurassic Park drew closer, Eric ultimately had to rush back to Los Angeles to oversee the final promotional stages for the film. It was impossible for him to miss the film's premiere as the director.
...
Peter Guber got out of the car and walked through the Firefly Productions headquarters entrance with his assistant. After notifying the front desk, he quickly entered the elevator to the top floor where Eric's office was located.
Exchanging greetings with Eric's assistant outside the office, he knocked and opened the door. Seeing the young man sitting behind the desk, Peter walked over with a wide grin. "Eric, you're finally back."
Eric smiled back at Peter, quickly wrapping up a phone call before saying, "Peter, I've heard that line over a hundred times in the past couple of days."
"Ha! That just shows how much everyone has missed you. By the way, did you receive the gifts I sent for the little ones?" Peter asked, giving Eric a quick hug.
"Of course, thank you! They loved them. Let's sit over there." Eric pointed to the sofa area and hit the intercom to have his secretary bring in some coffee, then they both settled onto the sofa.
Once the secretary delivered the coffee and left the office, Peter eagerly said, "Eric, the global release of Mr. & Mrs. Smith is nearing its end, and we can't wait any longer. You told me before leaving that you would consider our upcoming film projects."
"Of course, Peter. That has been on my mind," Eric replied, picking up his coffee and lightly blowing on it. "But don't rush. Let's enjoy this coffee first."
Peter, already exasperated, pretended to sip from his cup, soon placing it down. "Eric, I heard you are preparing the film adaptation of Charlie's Angels. If you don't have any other projects lined up, I think this movie could work. Remember, we have a contract for four films, and we're down to less than two years to get started."
Hearing Peter's suggestion, Eric put his coffee down and stated, "Peter, Charlie's Angels is definitely off the table. I have other plans for that."
Peter merely probed. After seeing Eric's refusal, he continued, "Then how about we get John started on a sequel for Mr. & Mrs. Smith? We can't leave everything on hold, right?"
"Don't worry, Peter. Just give me a moment," Eric said, rising to find a folder by the filing cabinet. He walked over and handed it to Peter. "I told you I'd keep this in mind. Look, I have a project lined up."
Peter eagerly opened the folder, finding some clarity in the situation.
"Jumanji, what's this about?" Peter asked while flipping through the materials. After a few pages, he hesitantly added, "This is a children's literary work from 1981. Um, I didn't know Columbia had the adaptation rights to this."
Eric rolled his eyes at Peter's ignorance. That guy was always plotting how to benefit from Columbia and had no time to keep up with such matters.
Jumanji was a renowned work by American children's author Chris Van Allsburg published in 1981, featuring a magical board game that summoned characters and animals from another world, leading to a series of fantastical adventures.
Columbia Pictures acquired the film adaptation rights years later, but due to the need for extensive visual effects and Columbia's struggling business situation at the time, they were hesitant to invest in such a risky project, leaving the rights shelved.
When Peter had nudged Eric just over two months ago, Eric had requested Columbia's list of their reserved rights. That's when he discovered Jumanji's adaptation rights. Along with it, he found another comic adaptation.
Seeing Peter's leisurely flipping through the documents, Eric cut in, "Peter, that's just the first project. There's another one."
"Another?" Peter asked, curiosity piqued as he continued flipping through. He quickly spotted another film title: Men in Black. "This sounds familiar; I think I've heard of it. It's a comic from a couple of years ago. I didn't expect..." Peter's expression turned a bit awkward. "I didn't expect the comic rights were with Columbia too."
This time, Eric didn't press Peter further, allowing him to read through the materials at his own pace before saying, "Peter, according to the agreement we signed, the rights for five films are shared, so if we want to produce these two projects, we need to sign a copyright-sharing agreement in advance."
Peter paused. The adaptation rights for these two works belonged solely to Columbia, and if he went by the previous agreement, it would quickly become a majority for Firefly. Moreover, if there were no sequels within a few years, Columbia's share of the rights could automatically revert to Firefly.
Thinking this through felt like a losing proposition, causing Peter to feel quite uneasy. He glanced up at Eric, who was leisurely sipping his coffee, and briefly entertained the thought of producing the two films separately without Firefly.
However, that thought was fleeting. Soon, Peter felt a bit deflated. The materials he just reviewed revealed both films heavily relied on effects. One featured a rampaging beast and the other a swarm of aliens. Without Firefly, it would be nearly impossible to find a visual effects company in Hollywood with the capability to make these films. Even Industrial Light & Magic, once the reigning champion, had struggled in the wake of the rise of digital effects. Everyone knew in the past two years, Digital Domain had overshadowed ILM significantly, especially when it came to computer-generated imagery.
Additionally, if he bypassed Firefly, Eric wouldn't provide any guidance on the projects, leaving their outcomes uncertain. The record-breaking flop of Cutthroat Island still lingered as a topic of discussion in Hollywood.
Though Eric feigned indifference, he constantly kept an eye on Peter's changing expressions. As Peter's demeanor started to sag, Eric seized the moment to say, "Peter, the rights for Mr. & Mrs. Smith were also potentially fully owned by Firefly, but I didn't hesitate to share them. Moreover, if we can replicate the success of Mr. & Mrs. Smith and give Sony a solid financial report, your standing will be even more secure. I'm sure Sony won't sweat the small stuff."
Peter realized the quiet loss Columbia had no choice but to accept. Yet, as Eric spoke, he realized that the burden ultimately fell on the Japanese.
When hired, Sony had set up a reward fund worth $50 million. Thanks to the success of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sony had already disbursed part of the rewards. Provided upcoming films continued to perform well, Peter could expect more bonuses in the coming years. With the additional benefits he'd amassed from Columbia, he figured he could retire comfortably within a few years, regardless of how Columbia fared afterwards.
"Well, alright, Eric. I'll arrange for someone to discuss the contracts soon. But now that we're at the end of May, under the fastest production timeline, these two films will likely release during next summer's blockbuster season. If so, we won't have any collaborative films this year, right?"
Seeing the rights for Jumanji and Men in Black secured, and understanding the balance of give and take, Eric straightforwardly replied, "In that case, let's have John Woo make another action film. I'll personally oversee this; you know how swiftly Hong Kong directors can produce films and without heavy special effects, we should be good for a year-end release."
Eric recalled the successful films John Woo had made in Hollywood.
After Eric made that suggestion, Peter broke into a grin. "Since three films are already confirmed, Eric, why not seize this opportunity to finalize the fourth film as well? Firefly has so many projects in development that letting one go wouldn't be an issue. Additionally, confirming all four films allows me to make a public announcement immediately, boosting investor confidence."
Eric hesitated to think of an appropriate film. It wasn't easy to hand over any projects from Firefly's lineup, but he eventually said, "In that case, you can simply announce it publicly and mention a sequel to Mr. & Mrs. Smith. With the other three being legitimate, just explain that plans for the sequel fell through for various reasons, and the public won't suspect anything."
"Good idea," Peter clapped his hands. "But Eric, why not just actually make a sequel to Mr. & Mrs. Smith?"
"Sure, but I don't have time to brainstorm the sequel's script, so we'll need to find another screenwriter to try working on it. If the script meets my expectations, we can move forward with production on the sequel."
*****
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