Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Speaking of which, Viacom also has a deep connection with Columbia Pictures. In the earliest days, in the golden age before the Paramount antitrust case, Columbia Pictures and Columbia Television were still part of the same company called Columbia Media Group.

Later, CBS operated independently and established a company called Columbia TV Series Sales Company to sell TV programs produced by CBS to small local TV stations. In the 1970s, the court ruled that CBS, which owned the television network, then wholesaled and sold television programs to other television stations, constituting a monopoly. Therefore, the sales company was separated and became Viacom.

In the 1980s, Viacom began to acquire its own TV stations again, because the laws had changed under the relaxed policies of former President Ronald Sr., and the sale of TV series and owning its own TV network were no longer considered monopolies.

By 1986, they already owned two important syndicated channels: MTV music station and Showti movie channel. At this time, Samuel Redstone, a second-generation family entrepreneur who runs a movie theater chain, acquired shares in Viacom and became the controlling shareholder.

After Redstone took over Viacom, he also explored many new technologies, such as satellite TV, pay movie channels, etc. Most importantly, they also opened video tapes and peripheral product sales for the Showti movie channel. business.

"Why Viacom is so interested in such a comic adaptation, maybe this is the reason..."

Ed Bastian, president of the Daily News Corporation, received a call from Ronald. Among Ronald's colleagues, he is the only one who has the most experience in the business operations of film and television.

There is actually a very troublesome part in selling movie peripheral products. That is, starting from the 1980s, movies were not released for long enough, and they usually only stayed in the cinema for a few months to half a year.

During this period, there was not enough design and manufacturing of peripheral toys, clothes and other peripheral products.

If a movie becomes a hit, sales will go up to very high levels in a short period of time. Ordinary manufacturing plans simply do not have enough time to manufacture enough products.

What if you scale up manufacturing and prepare for a hot hit product that is truly mass-produced? Then it’s hard to be sure that your movie will be a hit. At that time, no one cares about the products created, and they will only be disposed of as garbage.

Therefore, although many companies are envious of Lucas for getting the ownership of Star Wars peripheral products and making huge profits, if you were the president of the seven major studios, you would not expand the peripheral products department on a large scale.

Movies adapted from comic books have this advantage. That is, as long as the movie is not too bad, there will naturally be a lot of comic fans who will pay for the peripheral products, and there is no need to worry about it becoming outdated soon after it is released.

Viacom, a comprehensive media company that grew up as a sales company, will naturally not give up this opportunity. The condition of their advance payment is that after Spider-Man is filmed, they will have the right to play it on the Showti movie channel, as well as the priority rights to sell various video tapes and peripheral products through their sales channels.

"Can a TV broadcasting rights be worth so much?" Ronald discovered that the advance payment Columbia Pictures gave Minahan for the video sales was not as much as Viacom paid for the TV broadcasting rights.

The current video tape market is growing rapidly every year, and the sales of video tapes of classic and old movies are increasing year by year (many families who buy new video recorders have to buy a dozen classic and old movies). In addition, the labor unions in the past two years have The strike reworked the remaining dividend ratio, and now generally speaking, video tapes are worth much more than TV broadcast rights.

Due to the new distribution agreement after the strike, many TV stations have to pay more to the creators for new movies, and they are not limited to movies with a certain number of views. The movies broadcast by TV stations also tend to select old movies and B-level movies that did not do well at the box office.

Viacom did the opposite, and the money it paid was an advance payment. It signed the contract and allocated funds before Minahan even started the project. It was really adventurous and very optimistic about Spider-Man.

"That's not entirely true. Viacom's new boss, Redstone, is a very ambitious man. He also wants to make his name through this movie..." Ed Bastian said I also have some understanding of the characters in the TV industry.

"Okay, no matter how much, I'll go ask Cameron..."

…

"The project already has an advance, so I'm here to ask you to write a script for Spider-Man. As long as you can come up with something that satisfies Sony Columbia, I'll take care of it over there. They won't do it before they read your script." Consider any other director..."

Ronald got the good news and immediately went to meet Spider-Man's big fan and good friend Cameron.

"What do you think this is?"

Cameron smiled, took out a bound text from the drawer, and handed it to Ronald.

"Good guy, have you already written it? No, this is not the number of pages of a movie script." Ronald knew the page number was wrong as soon as he got started.

"This is a plot synopsis...it's not right, it's more detailed than a synopsis..." Ronald is also an experienced screenwriter and knows that movie scripts are usually one page per minute. A movie like Spider-Man with a lot of special effects must be more than two hours long. The thing I have in hand is only about sixty pages, but it is much thicker than the average plot summary.

"I call it a synopsis script..." Cameron smiled. He didn't know what the final result of this project would be, so he didn't spend much time on it. Instead, he wrote a synopsis of his thoughts on Spider-Man.

But his love for Spider-Man started when he was a child, and he couldn't stop writing once he started. He mixed together some of the more classic plots in the comics, and he couldn't stop writing all of a sudden. He wrote 58 pages.

Ronald read it very quickly. The protagonist is of course our good neighbor Spider-Man Peter Parker. The heroine is Mary Jane, the heroine from the early days of Spider-Man's origin. The villain is called Oak, a nuclear physics professor.

Because Dr. Oak's dream of making a small controlled nuclear fusion power generation device did not receive funding, he made a trial version with the technology he had. The small controlled nuclear fusion device was also connected to several mechanical arms and installed on his body. In the end, the whole person was like a big spider. Because he was tempted by power, he must get a budget to build a commercial version to benefit the world and kill people.

Ronald is not a comic book fan. He saw many characters for the first time. He felt that Cameron's script was undoubtedly of a very high level.

"You won't ask Arnold to play this villain, will you?" Ronald saw Cameron's hand-drawn sketch on the last page. It showed a muscular man with four mechanical arms extending from his back, as if they were growing on his spine.

The villain Dr. Oak had burns on his body, revealing his electronic machinery. In pursuit of power, this man has turned himself into a half-human, half-mechanical monster.

"Hahaha, Ronald, I said you understand. I really want Schwarzenegger to play this villain."

"What does Arnold think? What about the schedule?" Ronald saw that Cameron had prepared so well, and he felt that this project had great hope, so he immediately began to inquire about the details.

"It was Schwarzenegger who approached me. Now he is working closely with a company called Carloco Films. They originally produced two Rambo movies of Sylvester Stallone, but Stallone is not doing well now, and Carloco really wants to reach a series of cooperation with Schwarzenegger."

Ronald nodded. He knew that Cameron and Schwarzenegger had always had a good relationship since they made The Terminator.

And Carloco's current momentum in Hollywood is a bit similar to Cannonball in previous years. The Rambo movies brought them super profits. In the past two years, they have been trying to move up from a small producer to a medium producer.

In addition to purchasing the De Laurentiis studio, which went bankrupt and was involved in the case of the five major families of the New York Mafia in previous years (which happened to be led by Rudy, who failed to run for mayor), they are also looking for ways to cooperate with more action stars.

Since Carloco is so eager to get Schwarzenegger on board, any conditions can be negotiated.

Ronald immediately contacted Minahan, and he connected with Mario Casar, the founder of Carloco. Carloco wanted to play a big game, and prepared a production budget comparable to that of Batman, hoping to enter the ranks of important Hollywood studios with this Spider-Man movie.

Even if it can't replace the already failing MGM, it has to be similar to the current Orion. The minimum goal is to become a director of the MPAA rating committee.

Minahan Golan was originally a boastful person. When he had no foundation, he was able to get advance payments from many European theaters and cinema buyers at the Cannes Film Festival with a few posters he drew, and began his Hollywood journey.

Now he really has the adaptation rights of two Marvel movies with the most fan base. When he met the people of Carloco, who started out with action movies, he was like a fish in water. The blueprint he drew made Mario Casar, the founder of Carloco, stunned.

"Ha ha ha, you don't know? Ronald, the most promising commercial film director in Hollywood to succeed Spielberg, had his first movie "Breakdance" with a box office of over 100 million yuan, which I invested in him.

We met that guy when we attended the Montreal Film Festival in Canada. As soon as I saw him, I knew he was a genius. Geniuses don't need any constraints, you just need to make them coffee and wait for them to perform.

His friend Cameron is also a genius, you already know this..."

"Yes, yes, Cameron is a genius..." Mario Casal nodded repeatedly. Although Minahan's finances are a mess, when it comes to supporting artists, no one in Hollywood can compare.

Who can be so stupid as to give Godard a large budget to shoot King Lear? He can also pay a large price for Zeffirelli from Italy to shoot an opera movie, because he is afraid of too much money.

But he still agreed verbally, "The key is to find a true genius, not the kind of genius touted by the media..."

"You are so right. If I had known you a few years earlier, I wouldn't have been deceived by Yoram... cough... bah... that bastard. You are so right. You need a true genius that has been certified by the market.

I was also stupid. I didn't sign a three-film contract with Ronald at once. No, five-film contract. I agreed to whatever conditions he wanted. Then I would be rich now, ha ha ha..."

"Yes, you are right. Once these geniuses are proven by the market, the shameless Seven Bigs will come to snatch them..."

Mario Casal feels that after the setback of being kicked out, Minahan seems to be speaking more objectively now. In the past, when I met him at a movie booking meeting in Las Vegas, I would only listen to what he said. Now I can still listen to myself carefully. It seems that the saying that setbacks make people grow is true.

When it comes to signing several film contracts, Carolco also has to do the same with Cameron and Schwarzenegger. Minahan is an idiot. I can't make the mistakes he made. To break into Hollywood and become an important player, you can only be tied to talents like Ronald and Cameron. There is no mistake in that.

"If all the conditions for this movie have been scripted, when are you going to start the project?" Mario Casal made up his mind. Minahan doesn't have much money now, and he wants to let Cameron know his strength through this project. Then pushed Minahan aside. My own company needs to rely on this kind of genius to improve its level.

"Quack, what, actually there is one condition that is not met...that is, the change agreement between me and Marvel is about to expire and needs to be renewed. We also have to meet with Stan Lee, who has vetoed the changes in the movie. Quan, we need to get his approval..."

"Well, that's it... Then we have to hurry up..." Mario Casal still prefers to let Minahan renew his contract. If it expires, Marvel may have to sell it to Seven, and he will also Not necessarily a share.

However, there is definitely nothing wrong with Cameron's outline script.

…

The initial communication with Marvel was relatively smooth. Carloco Pictures is very strong and there was no objection from Marvel. The outline script was also praised by Stan Lee. He admired the origin story of Spider-Man very much.

But, on the other hand, negotiations for the "Fantastic Four" were very difficult. Without the participation of a big director like Cameron, or the participation of a studio with deep pockets like Carlo Co, and there is Warner Bros. waiting to take over, Marvel's attitude towards "Fantastic Four" is just to drag on. …

Minahan went to Ronald's house again that day to report on the situation. My own 21st Century Pictures, as the producer of "Spider-Man", must have taken advantage of the good times to return to the mainstream vision of Hollywood.

However, this opportunity was given to him by Ronald. The thing that matters most to him has not been revealed yet.

"Ronald, Warner Bros. still hasn't contacted us. They are determined to let my adaptation rights expire..."

"They are expecting you to be unable to film the Fantastic Four in just a few months, right?" Ronald understood the causes and consequences in detail.

Warner Bros. has been in contact with Marvel, but they have never met with Minahan. This kind of approach is to ensure that you, 21st Century Pictures, have no background and can only watch the film adaptation rights expire.

As long as Marvel doesn't renew your contract, we'll see you in court. How can an Israeli fight against Warner Brothers, a local snake with deep roots?

"I'm really sorry. I spend half my time running Fantastic Four stuff, but they are just a drag. I want to see their deputy director of production, but I can't... these people are wearing handmade suits, but If there were people like this in my company who don’t do any work, I would have fired them long ago.”

"What sabotage? They are deliberately leaving you out..." Ronald said in his heart. He did not discuss this aspect with Minahan. After all, people mainly rely on Spider-Man to stand up, so now I can have half the time to do my own thing, which is already very good.

"Don't apologize, I'll take care of this matter. Aren't they sure that you can't make the Fantastic Four in a few months? I'll show them what B-level movie speed is..."

"Huh?" Minahan Golan was greatly surprised. Although he is not slow in making movies, this kind of movie relies on special effects. Project establishment, script, special effects preparation, and shooting must take half a year, right? Then it takes another half a year to come up with the post-production special effects, which is already the fastest speed.

Ronald himself also filmed "Ghost" and produced "Die Hard". He is an expert. How come he has said such a layman's language? What secret weapon does he have?

"Don't worry about this, I'll take care of it..." Ronald smiled and handed the coffee Diane made to Minahan.

"Okay, this is called coffee. When I was serving in the Israeli Air Force, this is what coffee tasted like..." Minahan sipped Nestle Instant, very happy.

Ronald turned around and saw Diane who had heard Minahan's words. She was waving to him with a smile, opening and closing her mouth as if saying "Coca-Cola"

"That's it, Minahan, just follow our plan. I have to go, Coca-Cola has something to do with me."