[Chapter 984: Package Deal]
Plans for next year's three Easter films were set, and everyone roughly outlined the distribution strategy for next year based on the experiences from this year's Easter Movie Package plan. Before they knew it, lunchtime had arrived.
After lunch, Amy Pascal and Joe Roth returned to their respective companies. Meanwhile, Eric and Katzenberg strolled down the studio walkway discussing the morning's talk about Enemy of the State and Men in Black 3.
"Bill Mechanic has been hounding me lately, and Howard Stringer has called me a few times personally. Sony's position is firm; they absolutely won't give up the Men in Black series rights. If Firefly continues to delay the sequel over star salary issues, they might sue or mimic what Constantin Film did with the Fantastic Four rights, spending a few million to produce a low-budget B-movie sequel."
With one hand in his pocket, Eric glanced at the sky. A flight arriving from London was due to land at Los Angeles International Airport at 2 PM, and there were only about half an hour left before it arrived. Caroline and Melanie had already headed to the airport.
Shaking his head lightly to rid himself of such thoughts, Eric asked, "Wasn't Will Smith interested in signing a package deal? What's their offer?"
Katzenberg noticed Eric seemed a bit distracted today and replied, "For Enemy of the State and Men in Black 3, it's $40 million."
Eric immediately shook his head. "That's impossible."
Although Will Smith had rapidly risen to fame with Independence Day and Men in Black, recent years saw him struggling to generate the same level of excitement due to changes in Hollywood. The films he starred in hadn't made a big splash, and after the unexpected $200 million North American box office for Rush Hour 2 at the end of last year, there were signs that Chris Tucker was overshadowing him.
While the Men in Black series had become a blockbuster franchise, the offer of $20 million per film didn't surprise Eric, and he could accept it. However, for other commercial films, Will Smith's worth was only around $10 million now.
The contract technically quoted a $20 million salary per film, but realistically, Men in Black 3 would account for $30 million; if this went through, it would once again break Hollywood's salary records.
Katzenberg anticipated Eric's reaction and wasn't shocked. He continued, "Eric, this is already the result of bargaining with Will Smith's team. They're unlikely to back off."
Eric, however, had no intention to relent either. With a casual shrug, he replied, "Let's keep dragging this out. Since Will Smith is thinking about a package deal, it means he knows how important the Men in Black series is to him."
Men in Black was to Will Smith what Terminator was to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnold Schwarzenegger maintained his A-list status in Hollywood through his appeal from the two Terminator films in the '80s and '90s. Now, after Independence Day and two Men in Black films, Will Smith's other projects had failed to make a significant impact. His popularity had started to decline, and if he completely parted ways with Men in Black, his Hollywood career would face an uncertain future.
After a moment, Eric said, "If he wants a package, then it's $30 million. As for Sony, if they wish to extend the rights, then let them; we'll sign a supplementary contract to extend the rights period without having to make any B-movies. Everything else, you can tell Howard Stringer, it's all on us."
Katzenberg replied, "Eric, if we do this, Sony will definitely ask to sign an extension for the rights to other films. They were planning to abandon those, and we could have reclaimed all the rights."
"Then let's negotiate that as a condition. We can't just sign an extension for the Men in Black rights without getting 40% of the rights for the other films in return."
Katzenberg understood immediately and nodded with a smile, "That's indeed a good idea. However, if we reject Will Smith's package deal, production for Enemy of the State may encounter issues again."
Eric asked, "Can't we approach Cage? He hasn't taken on any other roles since City of Angels."
"It seems that Jerry showed him the script ages ago, and Cage wasn't interested. Otherwise, they would have struck a deal by now."
Eric pondered for a moment and said, "Have Jerry negotiate with Will Smith for a standalone film deal. I'll take some time to speak with Cage. He should give me some credit."
As they chatted, they unknowingly reached the studio parking lot. Katzenberg saw Eric's bodyguard opening the car door for him and couldn't help but ask, "I noticed you seem a bit distracted today. Is there something going on?"
Eric nodded and vaguely replied, "Yeah, a few personal matters, but it's nothing major."
Katzenberg didn't press for more details, simply gesturing with concern. "If you need any help, just give me a call."
"I will," Eric chuckled, said his goodbyes, and got into his car.
...
As Eric drove out of the studio parking lot, he couldn't shake off the unease about what lay ahead. Just as the car was about to exit the studio gates, he told the bodyguard in the front seat, "Let's not head back just yet. Go to the other side; let's check out the set of Desperate Housewives."
The theme park across Lincoln Boulevard from the studio had been fenced off, and many of the attractions were still in the planning phase, but some initial construction had already begun.
The Wisteria Lane set for Desperate Housewives couldn't be built in the soundstage since there was no extra space left in the eastern part of the studio. Instead, it was set up within the theme park. If, in the coming years, Desperate Housewives could achieve enough influence, the expensive physical set would remain as a feature of the studio.
The set for Desperate Housewives was situated in the southeastern corner of the new park. The luxury car drove across Lincoln Boulevard and made a left turn inside the new zone, heading straight towards the area enclosed by high drapes for the Wisteria Lane set.
Through the car window, Eric could see plenty of workers busy at work. However, because this was a theme park and the nature of the construction was different, it wasn't chaotic or noisy like other construction sites. Instead, it felt somewhat peaceful.
As for the planned aerial walkway, that wouldn't get underway until next year, and the official opening of the park would absolutely be after 2000. Disneyland Paris took from 1984 to 1992, eight years in total, from concept to opening. Although the Firefly theme park was much smaller than Disneyland Paris, the entire construction process would still take two to three years.
To mitigate risks, Desperate Housewives opted for a traditional filming model, shooting and airing simultaneously.
The first season was planned for 13 episodes, debuting on February 26 and concluding on May 14. So far, 12 episodes had aired, and the show's popularity steadily increased. The viewership had grown from 4.16 million at the premiere to 6.35 million for the most recent episode.
MGM anticipated that by this Thursday, when the first season ended, the viewership for Desperate Housewives could surpass 7 million.
A single episode drawing 7 million viewers was already considered peak viewership for cable TV programs at that time. However, based on the current popularity and the rapid expansion of cable networks in the U.S. in recent years, reaching over 10 million viewers was merely a matter of time.
If a cable program could surpass the 10 million viewership mark, it would undoubtedly leave a significant mark in American TV history, akin to the original timeline's The Sopranos and The Walking Dead.
Additionally, E! Entertainment's reality show, Beverly Girls, didn't boast the same high viewership that Desperate Housewives had at its premiere -- averaging only over one million for its first episode. Yet, this reality show saw tremendous growth in its viewership trajectory.
Drawing on the immense media resources of the Firefly network, Kris Jenner consistently employed various promotional tactics. The reality stars from Beverly Girls became some of the most famous in the U.S. within just a few months.
Correspondingly, the viewership data for Beverly Girls surged. Initially, the average viewership for the first episode was only 1.12 million, but by the end of the eighth episode, the average viewership skyrocketed to an astonishing 4.57 million.
The only regret for the reality show was that it hadn't been produced to a standard of 13 or even 26 episodes initially. If it had, the first season's ratings would certainly have been even more breathtaking.
Achieving a 400% increase in viewership by the first season was a rare feat in TV history. If history remained unchanged, only a few years later would MTV's similar reality show, Jersey Shore, realize such an accomplishment.
Due to Beverly Girls' exceptional viewership performance, preparations for its second season and Eric's proposed series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills had already begun.
...
Perhaps because this was the final episode of the first season being filmed, Eric entered the set and found MGM's Vice President John Calley also present. John Calley was primarily responsible for MGM's television business.
Upon being notified by the guard at the door, John Calley greeted Eric along with Marc Cherry, the show's writer, and the lead actress Teri Hatcher.
After exchanging greetings, Eric remarked, "I just came to take a look. If you have work to do, go on with it."
John Calley walked alongside Eric and smiled, saying, "Elizabeth and the others are currently filming. We just happen to be on break. Eric, how is shooting for Iron Man going?"
"Of course, we'll likely wrap it up by the end of this month," Eric said, nodding to the chubby, bespectacled Marc Cherry. "Marc, I've seen your outline for the second season. Honestly, it's even better than the first season."
"Oh, thank you for your praise, Eric," Marc Cherry said respectfully, bowing slightly and sounding somewhat ingratiating. "But without your creative input, I definitely wouldn't have written this story."
Observing from the periphery, Teri Hatcher could not help but curl her lips at Marc Cherry's overly respectful demeanor toward Eric.
Having spent months filming, everyone knew Marc Cherry's background well enough. Originally a struggling screenwriter on the brink of bankruptcy in Hollywood, he had been bestowed the task of helping Eric complete the script for Desperate Housewives, like a stroke of luck. With the show's rising influence, Marc Cherry seemed to have developed an air of arrogance, a stark contrast to the timid individual he was at the series' inception. His temper had only gotten worse in front of the cast and crew.
Just moments ago, even in front of MGM Vice President John Calley, Marc Cherry exhibited a tone of condescension. Teri Hatcher initially believed they would never again witness Marc Cherry's humility.
The crew was currently filming a scene where Elizabeth Perkins portrayed perfect housewife Bree Van de Kamp. As everyone walked along the asphalt road of Wisteria Lane to the house set, they found crew members bustling around in the middle of the action.
Eric had no intention of interrupting and sat down with John Calley and the others in a relaxation area while watching the filming from a distance.
After chatting casually about the show's production, Eric asked John Calley, "By the way, how is the preparation for the second season of Beverly Girls and the first season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills going?"
John Calley replied, "Kris wants Beverly Girls to shoot and air during the summer season, but we rejected that rather ambitious plan. The second season will start shooting in June, aiming for a September release in the fall season. Everyone felt that 26 episodes might be too long, so the second season's length was set to 13 episodes. But going forward, we could produce two seasons a year, like America's Next Top Model. As for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Kris is still scouting for the housewives but expects to make it for the fall season as well."
Eric gazed at the crew filming, still somewhat distracted. After John Calley's explanation, he merely nodded lightly.
John Calley paused, then said, "Eric, there's one more thing."
Eric turned his head glancing at John Calley, curious. "What's that?"
"Kris has signed management contracts with a few of the main stars from Beverly Girls. She also mentioned wanting to establish a production company to delve deeper into the productions of these two reality series."
"That's fine. As long as she ensures the quality of these two reality shows, MGM can afford to pay her a little extra; we can't just take all the profits for ourselves," Eric chuckled, not too concerned about it.
Eric had somewhat expected Kris Jenner to sign management contracts with the Beverly Girls stars. He understood the nature of the arrangement: as long as she was smart enough, she wouldn't think about taking too much profit from the reality stars' paychecks. It was likely she was more focused on gaining revenues from their commercial activities outside the reality show, like endorsements. The Kardashian family's main income source was never just from that reality show but from the commercial activities and endorsements that a popular show provided.
As for establishing a production company, this was quite commonplace in Hollywood.
The copyrights for both Beverly Girls and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills were held by MGM; Kris Jenner establishing a production company could not detach her from the Firefly network, nor would she have any actual leverage. This was fundamentally determined by strength; without the media resources of the Firefly network supporting her, Beverly Girls would never have achieved the current level of success.
*****
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