The Best Entertainment Era

There is a situation, Chris Buck reminded: I must tell you in advance that many production staff, including me, have signed non-compete agreements with Disney.

Ronan knew about the situation a long time ago, and said, You can rest assured that all liquidated damages will be borne by Relativity Entertainment.

These people are not Disney executives, and the liquidated damages for the non-compete agreement is not particularly high. Not everyone in the team has signed it, that is, more than a dozen people in the core team, and the total amount is about 50 million US dollars.

Compared with the team that inherited Disney animation production, this liquidated damages is nothing at all.

Chris Buck felt a little relieved, and said, If we join Relativity Entertainment, will we enter Sandsea Entertainment Animation Studio?

This is also a big doubt for him. Judging from several animations, Shahai Entertainment Animation Studio does not match their style at all.

No. Ronan gave an answer without hesitation: You, like Shahai Animation Studio, will become the independent animation production department of Shahai Entertainment. It can be listed as a subsidiary of Relativity Entertainment.

This remark dispelled some of Chris Buck's doubts, and he continued to ask: In terms of production?

Ronan said: On the basis of maintaining your excellent traditional production concepts of truth, goodness and beauty, you must also incorporate new concepts that conform to social trends. The success of a movie cannot be separated from social reality. I found you, not for you to film and make dreams. Instead of spoof comedy animation feature films like Factory Animation Studio or Shahai Animation Studio, create a new fairy tale movie that meets the needs of the new era!

Chris Buck suddenly showed a helpless smile: We have encountered many difficulties in computer animation production.

It's not difficult to solve. The Disney shareholder meeting is coming soon, and Ronan has no need to hide any more, and said directly: Pixar Studios can provide you with all-round assistance.

Chris Buck immediately realized the meaning behind these words: What? Pixar Studios? He looked up at Ronan, somewhat shocked, and asked, You... Relativity Entertainment wants to cooperate with Pixar Studios?

Ronan said: I have reached an agreement with Steve Jobs and other shareholders of Pixar Studios that Relativity Entertainment will acquire Pixar Studios.

This... Chris Buck needed to digest the news, and after a while, he gradually calmed down: Michael Eisner ruined Disney animation.

Ronan said slowly: Chris,

Relativity Entertainment is very sincere.

Chris Buck said: I need to discuss with the members of the team and then get back to you.

Ronan nodded slightly: I'll wait for your good news.

Chris Buck stood up and shook hands with Ronan: From an emotional point of view, I don't want to leave the Disney animation studio that I have worked for for more than ten years, but sometimes people have to make choices.

Ronan is full of sincerity: You will not regret the choice of Relativity Entertainment.

The two sides ended the interview, and after Chris Buck left, he immediately found his old partner Byrne Howard and others who were waiting for news to discuss together.

Chris Buck detailed his meeting with Ronan.

Ronan Anderson and Relativity Entertainment are really sincere, said Byrne Howard. Great creative freedom.

Another core member of the team, Rich Moore, joined Disney for a relatively short time and did not have such deep feelings for Disney. He said: Let's not talk about our team. After 1999, the entire Disney Animation Studio was marginalized. We If you don’t leave, are you waiting to be fired?”

Byrne Howard was silent at first, and then said: Disney is not the Disney it used to be.

Several other people echoed. They have actually seen the situation of Disney very clearly in recent years.

Chris Buck has been silent, seemingly unable to make a decision.

Byrne Howard looked at him and said, Chris, at this moment, don't you still have illusions about Roy Disney?

It's not fantasy. Chris Buck looked at everyone present, and said slowly: If Roy can win the Disney shareholder meeting, it will end Michael Eisner's arbitrary situation. Disney is very likely to Getting back on track and growing steadily again.

Rich Moore answered: The Disney shareholder meeting is coming soon. With the current situation, is it possible for Roy Disney to win?

No one answered. The answer is very obvious. Currently, Disney's stock price has been rising all the way. Most of the centrist shareholders are on the side of Michael Eisner. The chances of Roy Disney winning are getting smaller and smaller.

Byrne Howard patted his old friend on the shoulder: It's time to make a decision.

Chris Buck nodded first, and then shook his head: You guys have to be patient, wait a little longer, and give me two more days. We are not short of these two days, and Ronan Anderson and Relativity Entertainment will not suffer because of these two days. Change your mind, we wait for the outcome of the shareholder meeting.

Rich Moore and Byrne Howard looked at each other and said, Okay, but Chris, don't get your hopes up on Roy Disney.

Byron Howard: Even if Roy Disney wins, is he capable of running Walt Disney?

Chris Buck has nothing to say, Roy Disney is a good man, but he is not a good manager and operator.

In mid-December, the entire Los Angeles film and television industry was making a fuss about the awards season. Brokeback Mountain released by Embassy Pictures also began screening in 10 theaters in Los Angeles and New York, where Oscar judges are relatively concentrated.

The main creative team is working hard for the awards every day. Ang Lee, in suits and leather shoes, haunts various banquets and parties in Beverly Hills, except for Heath Ledger who is filming The Dark Knight, including Anne-Hathaway and Jack -Gyllen Hill and other main actors not only ran promotional announcements, but also participated in another gay parade in the Los Angeles area that shouted loudly.

Canada, the neighbor to the north of the United States, officially passed the same-sex marriage law, and then two more states in the United States joined the ranks.

The gay community is greatly encouraged, and various activities emerge in endlessly.

There are a large number of conservatives in Hollywood, but there are also more leftists, and the voice of equal rights is getting louder and louder under the impetus of some people.

This is driven by the general trend of society, and no one person or company can stop it.

Although Utah clearly restricts the release of Brokeback Mountain in the state and continues to express criticism, the public opinion supporting Brokeback Mountain is even more turbulent.

Sometimes I have to admire the white leftists. Maybe the earliest white leftists were fooling those minority groups into their boats to work hard, but the fooling time has been longer and the strength has been stronger, resulting in many real white leftists.

When the white left wave appears, whether it is true or false, smart people will choose to follow the trend.

Even if it is not pleasing to the eye, it will not express its position and will not make it public.

Since its release, Brokeback Mountain has won a series of outpost award nominations and trophies for best director and best picture. Together with Capote and Good Night, Good Luck, it has become a popular Oscar player.

Capote also attracted Ronan's attention, because it is also a gay film.

In the parlance of the press, Capote showed audiences that not all gays are cowboys, and some are sissy New York intellectuals.

Fortunately, the director of Capote Belit Miller has limited qualifications, the producer is just a small company called Infinity Media, and the distributor Sony Classics cannot invest too much resources in this non-Sony film.

As of mid-December, Ang Lee has eaten nearly 20 meals of plastic chicken, and Brokeback Mountain has gradually become the number one Oscar favorite.

Meanwhile, the Walt Disney shareholder meeting is held in Burbank.

Since Relativity Entertainment does not own any Disney shares, Ronan was unable to attend the shareholder meeting, but he heard that during the two-day shareholder meeting, the conservative faction headed by Roy Disney and the management faction headed by Michael Eisner , an extremely fierce confrontation took place.

Moreover, at a critical moment, the third faction entered the meeting. Ryan Kavanaugh and David Ellison, who represented Maple Leaf Pictures, joined several other minority shareholders and elected Dick Cook to take over as the chairman of Walt Disney. and the position of CEO.

It's pretty clear that Dick Cook, originally a staunch Michael Eisner supporter, privately struck a deal with Ryan Kavanaugh and David Ellison to become Maple Leaf's interests in Walt Disney Spokesperson.

The dispute between the three factions disrupted the Disney shareholder meeting, and some shareholders even left early angrily.

Roy Disney's motion to remove Michael Eisner, chairman and CEO of Walt Disney, is unlikely to pass because the supporters are far less than half.

But at the general meeting of shareholders, Roy Disney, a stubborn old man, said that he would never give up, and would unite with some shareholders including the Disney family to continue to sue Michael Eisner for malfeasance in the Delaware Chancery Court!

Michael Eisner kept his position and became the winner, but he was not happy at all. Instead, he was wary of the emergence of third-party forces.

Of course he knew that Ronan and Relativity Entertainment had already abandoned him when the shareholders meeting was held, choosing to maximize their interests.

In addition, Michael Eisner was quite angry about Dick Cook's betrayal.

The third faction is rising. Walt Disney is in more chaos than before. It is impossible to get back on track in a short time.

Michael Eisner felt powerless, but in order to protect himself, he had to stay in this position.

Walt Disney has since entered a new situation of three-party hegemony.