Chapter 196: Support or Retreat
Director Rosenberg, there has been news recently that you want to put the classic Broadway show Chicago on the big screen. Is this true?
Duke had just walked out of the Los Angeles International Airport building when a large group of reporters gathered around him, asking all kinds of news related to Chicago.
Duke, isn't Chicago too different from your past style?
Excuse me, what do you think? Why did you choose a musical film that has declined?
Are you going to make a 'Chicago' full of explosions and shootings? Are you going to have two heroines shooting at Chicago typewriters?
The scale of these dozens of reporters' containment, and the fact that they were specifically blocked here, is enough to prove the shock of this news to the industry. After all, the explosion madman wants to shoot a musical, and others either don't believe it or think that Hollywood is crazy. , but the source of the news is very reliable.
Duke Rosenberg is going to shoot a musical full of literary fan! When these reporters got the news, they only felt that the end of the world had come.
Of course, Duke would not tell these media and reporters that the news was actually released by Penny Kelly for hype and publicity, so that people would know as soon as possible that his new film was confirmed and called Chicago!
The scene of chaos aroused the idea of airport security personnel, and soon someone came to maintain order, but the reporters always surrounded Duke, and they refused to let him leave without giving a clear answer.
Duke raised a hand, and when the reporters saw that he was about to respond, few of them quieted down.
My next movie is indeed a musical based on a Broadway show!
As soon as these words fell, the reporter paparazzi came up again like a shark that smelled blood, unable to keep quiet any longer. All kinds of questions were constantly thrown out, and the chaotic situation no longer allowed Duke to say anything. With the assistance of security personnel, he finally broke out of the siege of reporters and got into the car parked outside.
Penny Kesley, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat, motioned to Tina Fey to start the car and leave quickly, turned her head and said to Duke. It looks good.
It's okay to do this once in a while, Duke said, sorting through his messy clothes. A few more times and I'll go crazy.
Hollywood, and even the entire North American film industry has gone crazy! Penny Kelly said with a special meaning, I also think the world is crazy!
Is it really that exaggerated? Duke thought that the response might be more intense, but he didn't expect Kelly to say it so crazy, I don't think I'm the only director who has transformed Hollywood? Don't talk about those who failed. Just say Speer. Berg, when you were shooting a series of commercials, didn't you also shoot movies like Empire of the Sun?
Because there has never been a director in Hollywood with such style and success!
Turning his head, Penny Kelly looked at Duke, If I hadn't been hypnotizing myself to believe you. I'm afraid...
She shook her head and said nothing.
In fact, Duke also knows that such a change in style is indeed a bit big. No wonder the people around him who serve him are hard to understand.
But he made no explanation, and there was no need to explain it. If the film fails in the future, the current explanations are all jokes. If the film succeeds, what use are these words?
It's not just Penny Kelly who feels Duke is crazy. There are also a lot of Hollywood insiders.
In the Fox Building in Century City, Charlie Adam, the head of the distribution department, hurriedly passed through the corridor, greeted the CEO's secretary desk, walked to the door of an office, knocked on the door twice, pushed the door open, and walked in. Sitting across from Townsend Rothman's desk.
I just got the exact message from a reporter on Fox. He doesn't have any nonsense and goes straight to the topic he's been discussing for the past two days. Duke Rosenberg has admitted at the airport that his next movie The film is Chicago!
Townsend Rothman didn't seem to believe it until now, and asked, Are you sure?
Sure! Charlie Adam said helplessly, What the hell is Duke Rosenberg thinking?
Maybe only he knows. Townsend Rothman frowned. In the past three years, Duke Rosenberg's project has been a cash cow for the partner, and now this cash cow is going to make films with a literary and artistic orientation. , It is about future performance, how can he be happy?
Charlie Adam also had a bitter face. It seemed that without Duke's commercial projects, Twentieth Century Fox would go bankrupt.
Are we going to invest? he asked tentatively.
Townsend Rothman did not answer, but asked about other things, as if to increase his confidence, How much has Saving Private Ryan accumulated at the box office?
There are 897 theaters left in North America, with a total box office of 275.82 million US dollars!
These Duke-related figures seem to have been deeply imprinted in his mind, Charlie Adam said without even thinking, The global box office totaled 541.77 million US dollars, according to Wall Street and our own investigative agency. , the film could eventually surpass the $600 million mark at the global box office!
Obviously he has shown an absolute level of strength in the fields of popular action films, war films and sci-fi films... Townsend Rothman's words were full of resentment and reluctance, Why do you want to touch the lack of many markets? Worth, totally outdated musical?
Perhaps the continuous success has given him a burst of self-confidence, Charlie Adam said speculatively. Thinking he can do things no one else can.
He sighed, If that's the case, then he's in a bad situation. When a director has such an idea, it's often the beginning of failure. There are too many examples of this in Hollywood in the past.
You think we're giving up on investing in his new movie?
Hearing Townsend Rothman's question, Charlie Adam nodded slightly, The risk is too high.
He raised his fingers and knocked on the table slowly, Townsend Rothman seemed to be telling himself, James Cameron has asked for additional investment, and our liquidity is all on his boat. .I have no strength to take care of others.
Fox will not be involved in Duke Rosenberg's new project! Townsend Rothman made a final decision based on practical interests.
It's not just Tom Rothman and the Twentieth Century Fox family who are hesitant. Walt Disney's management is also hesitant after getting the exact news. The brilliance of Saving Private Ryan makes them feel that Duke will continue to be successful. Go on, but the new film has a very different style. Made them worry again.
I think we should continue to deepen our collaboration with Duke Rosenberg.
Just taking over the live-action film production department, Robert Iger also has a certain right to speak. He told many executives, Live-action film production has always been Disney's weakness, and now it has finally passed Saving Private Ryan and Duke With a partnership in place, skepticism about his new film will be prevalent, if Disney supports him at this time. Surely…”
Bob, have you ever thought about it?
CEO Michael Ovitz directly interrupted Robert Iger, completely ignoring the unpleasant flashing in his eyes, This is a musical, a musical that has long since fallen! This has a high chance of becoming a failure. invest!
Michael. Before saying these words, Robert Iger refused to give in, please see the results of Duke's first three movies! Do you need me to read it for you? I remember that there are projects that CAA is not optimistic about! The project you were not optimistic about, Duke has been successful!
you……
Michael Ovitz's eyes widened. If it was CAA, the meeting room would definitely turn into an ice cave. But Robert Iger didn't eat his tricks at all, and instead confronted him tit for tat.
The two executives disagreed, and Disney's true controller, chairman Michael Eisner, had to speak.
He looked at his childhood friend Michael Ovitz. Ask directly, Your decision is to give up and continue to cooperate with Duke Rosenberg?
An angry Michael Ovitz didn't notice the trap, I've decided to give up on Duke's new project.
Michael Eisner nodded and said nothing, CEO Ovitz's decision became Disney's final decision.
At the end of the meeting and walking out of the conference room, Ovitz gradually calmed down the anger provoked by Robert Iger, and immediately noticed Eisner's language trap. It is bound to make him the CEO to bear the responsibility for the wrong decision...
Can that explosion maniac make it? He would love to see the other party's transformation turn into a joke.
Not far from Walt Disney's headquarters, another building stands at the forefront of the vast studio, which is Warner's headquarters on the West Coast and the offices of Warner Bros.
Batman Forever wasn't as successful as expected.
As CEO, Jeff Robinoff is exchanging opinions with several executives, In recent years, our most profitable movie project is not the Batman series, but from the cooperation with Duke, Warner Bros. The growth of my brother's performance is inseparable from his films.
I understand the importance of Duke to Warner. Robert Solomon frowned, but still said, But if a project knows that it may lose money and wants to participate, we can't explain it to the group company.
There's one thing people probably don't know.
Jeff Robinoff was not in a hurry to refute, his eyes swept over the executives present, Before the filming of Speed of Life, Duke once came to Warner Bros. to deliver the script, I met him, then It was the same way of thinking at the time that I rejected... no, I didn't pay attention to him at all, and then I missed a project that I will regret for the rest of my life.
I don't want to have this regret a second time.
The continuous success of that young director is Jeff Robinoff's greatest source of confidence, We have to maintain close contact with Nancy Josephson! (To be continued ~^~)
PS: Tomorrow is still three shifts~~~ I wish all the friends who take the exam with a perfect score
