Exploiting Hollywood 1980

The Capcom production team visited many filming locations of Ronald's classic movies in Los Angeles. After accumulating enough photos and video materials, they came to say goodbye to Ronald. They were going back to Japan.

"Why did you choose these two places?" Ronald asked several designers. In the photos shown to him, Ronald found the beach where Richie Penn surfed in "Fast-paced Richmond High School" and the airport where McGillis, blonde, red lips and black stockings, taught pilots at Top Gun School in "Top Gun".

"This is the scene of two American protagonists in our next game. One is Guile, a major commander of the Navy Aviation Corps, and the other is Ken, an American teenager who studies karate. We used the setting of The Karate Kid." Designer Ryo Nishitani, who has a heavy English accent, explained their ideas.

"Are there still two protagonists?" Ronald still admired the brainwaves of the Capcom gang. He combined the elements of several of his own movies to come up with new game ideas.

"Hey, this is a new type of fighting game, in the form of a ring, one-on-one. The characters can also use special moves, such as Ken, he can use Adoken, Oil-consuming Heel, and XX No Logan"

Ronald was dizzy listening to his English, what is this?

"It's Hadoken, Shoryuken, and Tatsuaki Senpukyaku", the game's music developer Yoko Shimomura smiled and wrote down the Chinese characters of the special moves on paper to explain to Ronald. The Japanese accent is really terrible.

Ronald felt a familiar feeling coming over him, he patted his head, "It seems to sound fun, send me a machine to play after you develop it."

After sending off his Japanese friends, Ronald called his assistant, the fat girl Lake, and called in the private detective Mike Pike who had been waiting for a while.

"What are the results of the investigation? Why would someone take the initiative to provide my gossip to the media?" After Lake brought coffee and closed the door, Ronald couldn't wait to ask the detective with less and less hair.

"There are many possibilities. It could be the initiative of Miss Slater's fans, or it could be fans who like your work. The possibility of internal staff for the tip-off fee has been ruled out, because anonymous submissions cannot receive checks... The biggest threat is that someone is deliberately laying out, and that is the biggest threat..."

"Can you be sure who it is?"

"I didn't find out who the informant was who took the initiative to report the news to Hollywood, but the news I got from the reporters there, the news of the photos and the film project, and the photos of Miss Helen Slater and you, were all sent through anonymous emails."

"Is that so? There is no way to trace it?" Ronald frowned, and it seemed that someone was watching him tip off. Who is so idle?

"It's not that there are no clues at all. Although it is an anonymous email, there are some traces. I am looking for friends in the NYPD laboratory..."

"Ring, ring, ring..."

Just when he was talking, Ronald was interrupted by a phone call. He raised his hand to apologize to McPike and picked up the receiver. It was Richard who called.

"Ronald, Spielberg wants to see you first..." Richard said on the phone.

"What does he want to talk to me about? Is there any new film he wants to work with me on?"

"If you are free in the evening, he said he wants to talk to you in person."

"Well, okay..." Ronald noted the time. Then he gestured to the detective to continue.

"Sorry, I'm too busy. Let's continue. What does laboratory mean?"

"The NYPD has a department specifically responsible for technical investigation of crime scenes. There is a unit for trace examination. I happen to have a friend in it."

"Don't worry about the funding. Do you need to say hello? I know Rudy from the Southern District Prosecutor's Office very well..." Ronald took out the checkbook, asked McPike how much money he needed, and then signed a cash check and handed it to him.

"It's best to keep it secret at this stage. One more person knowing it will cause more trouble. We can also start from another direction, such as whether you have offended anyone recently?" The detective put away the check and said.

"Ring, ring, ring..."

"Sorry..." Ronald picked up the phone again, "This is Ronald."

"This is Ohga..."

"I'll change the line..." Ronald stood up and signaled to the detective, then went into the inner room, changed to an orange phone that was modified by bodyguard Dan and was difficult to eavesdrop on, and reconnected to Ohga Norio.

"Ronald, we have reached a consensus with CFIUS. Next, I will adopt the method of open market acquisition. If someone buys Columbia's shares now, I will make some quick money." Ohga Norio pointed out Sony's strategy on the phone.

"My securities investment is not in the entertainment industry, Ohga. There will be suspicion of insider trading. The Securities and Exchange Commission of America is a very troublesome agency. If I want to buy, I have to prove that I have no news, so I usually don't touch it. If your acquisition is successful, I will buy some Sony stocks. The last investment helped me make a lot of money..." Ronald heard that there seemed to be some subtext in his words, so he said some of the content discussed by accountant Ed Basty.

"Ronald Sang's character is admirable. To be honest, we are still grateful for his advice. It is a difficult and complicated operation for Japanese companies to acquire America. It doesn't matter if we spend more money. If money can solve everything, it is not a problem.

Now someone is negotiating with the small shareholders we contacted before, waiting for our public acquisition. Making quick profits is also the price we have to pay. Fortunately, Coca-Cola owns more than half of the shares, which is not a problem for us."

After chatting with Da He for a few more times, Ronald felt that something was wrong. It seemed that something had happened again. Da He even called to remind himself. He thought for a while, and called Bastian and Steve Bannon again, asking them to find out the news.

"Sorry, Mr. McPike, where were we talking about?" Ronald came out to continue discussing with the detective.

"Your enemies in Hollywood..."

"Oh, yes. I have always been kind to others. I don't have any enemies. If I have any, they are just a few people who have had grudges with me. For example, Stallone, former Universal President Tom Mount, and the Naples producer, De Laurentiis."

McPike repeated the names several times, and then said that he would conduct in-depth investigations in these directions.

Putting his worries aside for the time being, Ronald met Minahan Golan who came to Daydream to visit him again.

"Sorry, I'm very busy these days..." Ronald said to Golan.

"Ha ha ha, we are old friends, you're welcome. I came here for the song of Lombarda. I have already negotiated with the record company and obtained the copyright to use the song."

"Very good, give your script to Simkins, no, he went to South Dakota to supervise the film, give it to me..."

Ronald took the script brought by Minahan and read it at a glance. The whole movie is much worse than Dirty Dancing. It is basically a breakdancing level. Many plots are forcibly integrated, and a few scenes are deliberately left for the actors to sing and dance.

However, as for a musical exploitation film, as long as the song is popular and played in the ears of the public, the movie can be made in time and released while the heat is still there.

The male and female protagonists should be beautiful and sexy, and the song and dance should make people want to learn it. After all, a movie like Dirty Dancing that integrates performance and song and dance is hard to come by.

"How much does it cost?" Ronald asked after watching it.

"I plan to budget 8 million in total." Minahan stretched out eight fat fingers to indicate. Anyway, it's a collaboration with Ronald. If we save some money, 4 million is more than enough for the whole movie. If we put up a name for it, then...

"More budget, better shooting, and a better director. I'll pay 4 million, and we'll each send an executive producer to supervise the budget execution." Ronald felt that the price was not outrageous, and it would not be difficult to make a profit at the box office, and there was also a market for musical videotapes.

"But you have to revise the script. I'll find a script doctor to delete all the plots about protecting the Amazon rainforest. We just want handsome men and beautiful women to break the taboo of high school not allowing dancing, and then hot close dances..."

In fact, Ronald also saw that the core of this script was plagiarized from the 1984 film "Body Full of Energy", but ordinary high schools don't have so many contents reflecting social reality. In order to fill the plot gap, Minahan added the cliché plot that the heroine is an Amazon princess and protects the rainforest from being destroyed.

"But, without this, it would be a pure dance film..."

"What else? Do you still want to be nominated for an Oscar?" Ronald looked at Minahan's uncomfortable look, "Do you really want to use this movie to impact the Oscar? The first one should focus on making money first, and then we can talk about it when there is a suitable script later."

"I'll listen to you..." Minahan rubbed his hands and gave up his idea. He still listened to Ronald on the script.

"Don't protect the rainforest. The character of the Amazon tribal princess can be retained. Find a sexy Latin beauty to come to Los Angeles to study in an international high school, and then dance with the male protagonist and fall in love with each other. Finally, after the exchange, they return to Brazil. The male protagonist doesn't know which high school she is in, but still chases her. In the end, he finds the female protagonist through the Lombard dance at the carnival..."

"Through the carnival..." Minahan quickly recorded, "Are we going to Brazil to shoot the carnival?"

"Forget it, the location is in Mexico, and it's changed to a dance competition..." Ronald thought that if we go to Brazil, the 15 million budget might not be enough.

"Ha ha ha, I'll listen to you..." Minahan left with satisfaction.

…

"Spielberg's wife Amy Irving announced that the two would end their marriage peacefully. Irving's application to the court shows that the couple has reached a written agreement on property issues. Amy Irving will seek child support and joint custody of their 4-year-old son Max. Both parties have no objection to the division of property.

The couple married in Santa Fe, New Mexico in November 1985..."

Before going to see Spielberg, Ronald saw a news on TV.

"This..." I didn't expect Steven to get divorced. This is big news.

Ronald thought to himself, before, it was rumored in the circle that Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, the heroine of the second part of "Indiana Jones", were in a hot relationship and had been openly dating at the beginning of the year. Is this for real? He really divorced his wife.

"Ronald, thank you... You also saw my news." Spielberg was embarrassed.

"I saw it, it was very sudden. Is it because of Kate?" Ronald looked at the beautiful Kate Capshaw who was waiting outside.

"This is really embarrassing..." Spielberg's expression became very strange. Ronald witnessed his wedding that year.

"Yes, it was very sudden. However, true love should not be condemned. I am sorry that you and Amy broke up, and I also wish you and Kate the best." Ronald didn't know what to say, so he had to bring out the American values, true love comes first.

"I didn't mean embarrassment..." Spielberg interrupted Ronald, "I said I have something to ask you for help... I shouldn't have bothered you with such a private matter."

"Me?" Ronald was surprised, "What do I have to do with your divorce? Do I have to witness your marriage and your divorce? Do Jews have such a custom?"

"Your witness is indeed needed, but it's not a divorce..." Spielberg was amused, and he regained some sense of humor.

It turned out that he really needed Ronald to witness something.

The divorce application filed by Amy Irving falls into the category of uncontested divorce. That is to say, the couple has reached a consensus on the reasons for divorce and the attribution of responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage, as well as the division of property.

They got married in New Mexico, and Spielberg went there specifically because the principle of equal division was not recognized there. The wealth earned by the two during the three and a half years of marriage will not be divided in half without principles, but will be considered comprehensively based on their prenuptial agreement and their contribution to the wealth.

However, the two's permanent residence is in California, so their divorce case was still filed in the California court. Of course, the California court must also respect the laws of the place where the marriage took place and will not divide the money according to the California principle of equal division.

Generally speaking, with an uncontested application and the prenuptial agreement written on the napkin by Spielberg at the time, the judge basically just judges the division of property.

But this judge, however, went off the rails. I don't know if it was because he was a fan of Amy Irving or because he was dissatisfied with Spielberg letting ET go home, he took the initiative to initiate a judicial review of the terms of Spielberg's divorce agreement.

The focus of the dispute is the legality of the terms of the prenuptial agreement written on the napkin. Was Amy Irving fully informed at the time, the specific content of the agreement, did a lawyer explain it to her, was she coerced or deceived, etc.

As the best man and witness temporarily arrested at Spielberg's wedding, Ronald was also included in the list of witnesses.

"What? I want to testify in court? Prove that you didn't cheat on Amy before you got married?" Ronald thought it was absurd. Why do you want me to be a witness for your divorce? I'm not that familiar with your wife...

"This is really embarrassing. There is no need to go to court. It just requires deposition in the presence of lawyers from both sides. I'll let my lawyer tell you." Spielberg also felt that it was embarrassing for such privacy to be exposed and examined, but he had to ask Ronald for help.

His assets are close to one billion US dollars, and he earned two or three hundred million during his marriage to Amy. If this is sentenced to be divided equally, it will far exceed the price of divorce for his old friend George Lucas.

"The witness will testify under the questioning of the opposing lawyer and in the presence of the court reporter. All of this is strictly confidential. In addition to me, you'd better have your own lawyer present, so that you can maximize your privacy and your interests.

If the opposing lawyer's questions go beyond the scope, we can protest. All of this is done in a fair and confidential environment. There is no possibility of any leaks. I can guarantee this. My client, Mr. Spielberg, will not let his friends fall into gossip reports.

At that time, we will use special arrangements to enter another law firm, and those reporters will not come."

This professional arrangement dispelled Ronald's concerns. He called Lindsay Doll and got the same answer. The two arranged a time, and Ronald agreed to collect evidence.

"Ronald, thank you, I will not forget your help." Spielberg came over and hugged Ronald to thank his friend who stood by him at this time.

"Take care of yourself. The gossip media will be squatting at your door in the next two days." Ronald patted Spielberg.

Divorce is terrible.