America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM

Chapter 30 About Hannibal’s Plan

Movie fans don’t know Eric’s identity, but these actors know very well that the young man in front of them represents MGM, or to put it in a more straightforward name - Capital!

So no matter you are a movie king or a movie queen, no matter how many billions of box office results you have created, unless you are the top in this industry, you should bow your head before capital.

Of course, Eric didn't know how to be too pretentious and greeted them one by one enthusiastically. As a seasoned veteran who had been in the industry for more than ten years before traveling through time, he was not too familiar with these people.

The first is director Brett Ratner. It’s hard to imagine that this guy is only 33 years old, but he can already direct a blockbuster like "Red Dragon" and have a group of movie stars and actresses listen to his orders. Eric even didn’t even have a director’s microphone when he was 33 years old. Never touched it.

His famous work is "Rush Hour", which is the Jackie Chan movie. It grossed US$500 million at the box office in 1998. It can be said that it started at the top, and it was for this reason that he got the right to direct "Red Dragon".

And he has several other works that are very familiar to Chinese movie fans, including "Prison Break Season 1", "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "Skyrim".

But I don’t know if his inspiration is gradually drying up. Brett Ratner’s works are gradually going downhill and never come back up.

Then there is the veteran actor Anthony Hopkins. Eric has nothing to say except admiration for this great actor. He won the Oscar for Best Actor in just 24 minutes and 52 seconds. Every facial muscle of his can act.

In addition, the actor with the shortest Oscar appearance time is David Niven, from the 1958 movie "Mandarin Ducks", a master from the black and white film era, his appearance time is 23 minutes and 39 seconds.

Ralph Fiennes is another actor. You may not know his face, but you must have heard of or seen his works, including "Prime Suspect", "Schindler's List", "The English Patient", etc. The one most familiar to young movie fans is Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" series.

Philip Hoffman has starred in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "The Hunger Games" and won an Oscar for his role in "Capote" in 2005.

Emily Watson is a master of drama. She entered the industry in 1994 and has already won two Oscar nominations for Best Actress. Needless to say more.

Edward Norton is an actor who is very familiar to Chinese movie fans. He is a well-to-do second-generation rich man with a very stubborn personality. Perhaps because he is not short of money, he loves art films and has always been indifferent to commercial films.

Norton's acting skills are very good, which can be seen in films such as "First Degree of Fear", "American X-Files", "Fight Club" and "Birdman", but his character is also famously stubborn.

For example, when filming "American X-Files", because he was dissatisfied with the director, he actually cut a 40-minute version himself and almost had sex with the director.

The most well-known thing is that when filming "The Incredible Hulk", Norton changed the script on the spot, making changes while filming, trying to make the popcorn movie more humane.

As a result, the filming process was continuously interrupted, and the director and screenwriter almost collapsed. Later, they even refused to participate in publicity due to conflicts with the crew. It was really a troublesome thorn in the side.

Looking at the big names in front of him, if this were in China, Eric would really like to sign them all to his company. Unfortunately, this is in the United States and is controlled by a labor union.

After another commotion on the red carpet, everyone arrived. Eric suggested: "It's almost time to enter. Let's take a photo first."

Everyone naturally followed his suggestion, and Eric naturally stood in the C position. Except for some fans who didn't understand the situation, no one had any objections.

Entering the cinema, the host came on stage to warm up the show and made the audience laugh with his witty jokes.

For this premiere, Dad specially invited Jon Stewart to host it. Stewart is currently on the rise in his career and is very popular among young people.

Then the actors and creators took the stage, and fans and the media began to ask some questions. They had all said hello in advance, and there was no case where the reporters looked away.

Finally, surprise guests appeared. In order to build momentum, MGM also invited many celebrities to watch the ceremony.

Keanu Reeves, Nicole Kidman, Johnny Depp, John Cusack, and even Stallone were invited for the finale.

Today's premiere will definitely make the headlines in tomorrow's newspapers.

Moreover, the film quality of "Red Dragon" is not bad. It is above the passing line. A score of 75 is not excessive, and film critics will be merciful.

Eric looked to the side: "Dad, I didn't expect your connections to be so wide!"

Charlie Cooper smiled slightly, but before he could speak, Universal's general manager Charlemagne said first: "Young man, your father has been in this industry for 30 years, so don't underestimate him."

As the clock struck zero, the theater lights went down, the curtain opened, and everyone's eyes fell on the big screen.

Not long into the movie, Hannibal's identity is exposed and he is sentenced to prison.

But then a more terrifying murderer, the Tooth Fairy, appeared. Hannibal usually killed one person at a time, but the Tooth Fairy killed an entire family at once, which increased the efficiency several times.

Then there is a plot similar to "The Silence of the Lambs". The FBI cannot deal with the Tooth Fairy, so it can only ask Uncle Ba to take action, and a battle of intelligence begins.

Eric participated in the internal test screening of "Red Dragon". He actually didn't agree with the director's partial adaptation of the original work, which would lead to some lax logic, but the deal was done and that was all.

With a few gunshots, the Tooth Fairy fell to the ground and died. The protagonist barely survived, and Uncle Ba's plot failed.

But it doesn't matter, because at the end of the movie he meets the girl Clarice is destined to be.

Wow…

After the film ended, the audience stood up and applauded the actors and creators. Even though some critics frowned, they also applauded.

Those obscure metaphorical scenes in the movie cannot be understood in a short while, and similarly some logical loopholes cannot be understood in one go. If you don't understand, just clap along.

The premiere ended, and it was already 2 o'clock in the evening. The lights in Los Angeles were still abundant, and people were leaving the venue one after another.

Eric called out to someone: "Mr. Harris, can I keep you for a few minutes?"

Thomas Harris, screenwriter of Red Dragon and author of Hannibal, the cannibalistic doctor.

In 1992, "The Silence of the Lambs" was put on the big screen. An investment of US$19 million earned a box office of US$700 million. The movie became a global hit.

It even won five awards at the 64th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay, becoming the third film in Oscar history to win four major awards. Awards videos.

The blessing of honor made Thomas Harris become a god. Faced with such a great writer who holds a gold mine, how could Eric let it go? If he doesn't collect some wool, is he still a human being?

"Mr. Harris, although it's very late, could it be convenient for me to delay you for a while?"

In addition to being a writer, Thomas Harris is also a screenwriter. Faced with MGM's new captain, he naturally couldn't say no.

"Of course, in fact I am a night owl and I write many of my novels in the middle of the night."

"Really? Aren't you afraid of writing those cannibalistic scenes in the middle of the night?"

"Of course not, because when I write, I pair it with foie gras and red wine. Silence and darkness actually inspire me."

The two laughed. Just now there were too many people to talk, but now they can have a good chat.

"Mr. Harris, I want to congratulate you. "Red Dragon" will definitely be a hit. You are an excellent writer and screenwriter."

The fat on Thomas's face shook: "This is also thanks to MGM's vigorous promotion. To be honest, I didn't expect you to do so much for "Red Dragon"!"

Eric raised his fingers not far away, and Chen Xing quickly brought two glasses of champagne.

“It’s not that we have to do so much, but it’s that it’s good enough.”

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Everyone loves to hear nice words. Thomas Harris suddenly felt that the young man in front of him was particularly friendly, and the two clinked glasses.

After chatting for a while and drinking a glass of wine, the two quickly became familiar with each other.

"Thomas, have you ever thought about continuing to develop the Hannibal gold mine?"

The other party nodded: "Of course, no writer doesn't want to spread his work more widely, but the trilogy has been filmed and my novel has been completed. Is it too early to remake it now?"

Eric is speechless. Brother, what are you doing? It’s a remake of the 1992 movie. Besides, who dares to challenge Anthony Hopkins and bring the old man here to play Hannibal again? That’s not appropriate. How much does it cost? Others will not agree.

"Thomas, I'm not talking about the big screen. Before you launch a new work on Hannibal, this series is no longer suitable for being put on the big screen, at least not for 20 years."

"I mean the small screen. After all, the movie time is too short to fully show the story of Hannibal. Why not make it into a TV series?"

"We will have enough time to show Hannibal's heart to the audience more perfectly. This is interesting, isn't it?"

Thomas Harris was silent for a moment: "As for TV series, I haven't thought about it yet. Is this feasible?"

"Of course it's feasible, and MGM is the most suitable photographer. You should have seen our sincerity."

"And not only the TV series, MGM also hopes to obtain the rights to your subsequent Hannibal series of novels,"

Seeing clearly, Thomas Harris understood Eric's purpose, which was to buy himself out.

"Eric, your idea is very interesting. I'm willing to consider it. After all, it's up to anyone to shoot it. We have cooperated with it so many times, and I trust MGM."

A smile appeared on Eric's face: "Thank you, we can discuss the specific matters. I am very much looking forward to your subsequent works."

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to wait for a long time. I'm a chronic person."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

In the original time and space, due to MGM's own chaos and other factors, although MGM participated in "Hannibal Young", its share was very small. And the production of the "Hannibal" TV series was not involved at all.

Although neither of these shows was a success, MGM was a blessing in disguise. However, from the perspective of Eric, a man with a future perspective, as long as he holds the leadership in his own hands, it is impossible to extract stones from gold mines. of.

If you sell a psychological thriller like "Hannibal" to NBC, you can only say that the producer has a flaw in his mind.

What is NBC's style? They are old conservatives, and the main audience is housewives in their forties. Will they watch "Hannibal"?

If it were broadcast by AMC or HBO, the ratings of "Hannibal" would definitely increase a lot. After all, its ratings and reputation have always been very high, but the wrong market positioning led to a disastrous ratings failure.

"Thomas, Mr. Cooper, what are you talking about?"

Not far away, a figure approached with graceful steps. It was Anthony Hopkins. It seemed that he was about to leave.

The old man is 65 years old this year. He cannot compare with young people in their 30s. His physical strength cannot keep up. He does not plan to attend the subsequent banquet party.

Eric reached out and pulled him back: "I'm talking to Thomas about the development of Hannibal's follow-up film and television series."

Hopkins looked at his old friend: "Thomas, are you planning to publish a new book? I haven't heard anything about it. You should tell me, you know how much I love your books."

Thomas pointed at Eric: "It's not me, it's him who wants to develop a Hannibal TV series."

"Yes, Anthony, if a new series of Hannibal is launched, I hope to invite you to continue starring. After all, you are the best choice in the hearts of the audience."

Hearing this, Hopkins smiled and refused: "Mr. Cooper, I told you when I took over the filming of "Red Dragon" that this will be my last time playing Hannibal. Let others have a chance. Let me rest and rest.”

Eric had already anticipated Hopkins's attitude, so he made another request that was not excessive: "Is it okay to make a cameo? It won't take too long."

Facing this polite and approachable young man, Hopkins had just refused once and was too embarrassed to refuse a second time. He could only nod reluctantly: "Okay then."

…………………………………………

On a new day, Eric was eating the breakfast prepared by his mother and reading various newspapers.

The premiere ended last night at around 2 a.m., and I attended another party. My young body couldn't bear it anymore, and it was already after 10 a.m. when I woke up.

As for Dad, he seems to be more energetic than Eric and has already gone to the company.

Sure enough, the premiere of "Hannibal" unsurprisingly made headlines in major newspapers, with the first cover featuring a large number of photos taken on the red carpet.

Originally, the person standing in the C position should be the father, but this opportunity to shine was naturally given to his son, because Eric's exposure was not high enough.

Even though he is sitting in the position of vice president of MGM, if he walks around the Vanity Fair, many people will definitely only regard him as a wealthy second generation in name only.

After breakfast, I called Gal Gadot. I was very busy during this period and couldn't care about this little girl. It was time to go see her.

It’s uncomfortable, why do so many people get sick and have headaches?

Tomorrow will be a round of testing the waters. I hope brothers can support me. Thank you all.