Chapter 102

Disney is holding a board meeting.

As the leaders of recent key projects, Reed McCas and Robert Eisner were given an exception.

The person speaking at this time was none other than Disney's assertive CEO, Michael Eisner.

"Robert, when will preparations begin for the sequel to Made in Heaven?" he asked his nephew.

"Martin has turned down requests to star in the sequel and write the script, but we have his permission to write the script and produce the sequel ourselves," Robert explained quickly upon noticing Michael Eisner's displeasure. "Actually, Martin has grown quite a bit over the past two years. Whether it's his height or appearance, he's no longer suitable for playing a mischievous, cute child."

The Disney directors present nodded in agreement, recalling Martin's current image. Indeed, continuing in the same role might be counterproductive. "However, Martin made a suggestion to us," Carter added. "He believes the sequel shouldn't follow directly after the first film because the story has already been told."

After taking a sip of water to clear his throat, Carter continued, "He thinks the story should be rewritten, and to keep it fresh, the protagonist should be a girl. He also recommended Elizabeth Olsen, the youngest of the Olsen sisters, to play the role of the daughter."

"The Olsen twins?"

Michael Eisner nodded.

He was familiar with the family. The Olsen sisters had appeared in Disney shows before, and he'd always thought of their parents as among the few level-headed ones in Hollywood—a shrewd and far-sighted couple.

"Have you met with Elizabeth and spoken to her guardian?"

"We've met and discussed it," Robert replied. "It's just that Elizabeth's mother thought her daughter was too young and was hesitant to let her continue acting, so the negotiations didn't work out. Oh, and Elizabeth has a small role in Martin's new film Hide and Seek."

"Hide and Seek? That's a good angle. Keep following up and try to convince her!"

"Understood!"

"What about the script? Is Martin still unwilling to write the sequel?"

"Uh, yes. He said no again. He's currently writing the second Harry Potter book and a new novel, so he doesn't have the time or energy for anything else."

Michael Eisner frowned. Martin's continuous rejections were beginning to frustrate him. Had this kid forgotten how he became famous? Disney had invested in his first film!

The 57-year-old Eisner was known for being an arrogant individualist who disliked others going against his decisions.

Looking back at his tenure at Disney, Eisner had achieved great results but also made some questionable decisions, often based on his own preferences. For example, he had strongly pushed for Disney to produce musicals, and even advocated for changing the original design of the chicken in Four-Eyed Chicken from a girl to a boy. Before 1994, he had his old partner Frank Wells to buffer and calm tensions with board members and subordinates.

However, after Frank Wells died in a helicopter crash in 1994, Eisner became more arbitrary and ruthless, causing dissatisfaction among many at Disney. This led him to cultivate loyalists like Reed McCas and Robert Eisner to protect his position and influence within the company.

But this tactic only fueled further disdain from other directors, creating a vicious cycle.

Despite his arrogance, Michael Eisner knew how to show restraint when dealing with individuals who didn't pose a threat to his authority.

Although he was dissatisfied with Martin, he suppressed his frustration and didn't target Martin over this trivial matter.

He tapped the table with his fingers and said, "Keep in touch with Martin. This kid is a gold mine. If possible, let's try our best to secure the film and TV adaptation rights to the Harry Potter series."

His vision was indeed sharp!

Burbank.

Warner Bros. Pictures.

CEO Alan Horn slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said firmly, "In short, Martin doesn't have a fixed partner at the moment, so we need to poach him at all costs."

"His novels are a gold mine, especially the Harry Potter series. We need to get it."

"I heard that Martin is working with Harvey's Miramax to launch The Lord of the Rings series, but Harvey isn't willing to invest much. We can buy his share at a high price. I'm sure that fat man wouldn't mind making some easy money."

"However, I heard this movie will have a new director, a New Zealander," a subordinate said.

"So what? I trust Martin's vision. Even if he loses this bet, Martin will owe us a favor. That'll make it easier to negotiate future collaborations."

I have to say, Alan Horn was courageous and capable. No wonder he had survived in this industry for fifty years. In the future, he would be poached by Disney and help control the film company with the highest market value in the world...

Paramount Corporation.

Shirley Lansing's office.

This charming and strong woman was on the phone.

"Tommy, how's your contact with Martin going?"

"Okay, okay, I can wait. I know you're busy with the release of Island, but please make it happen as soon as possible."

"Alright, let's get together sometime."

After hanging up the phone, Shirley Lansing frowned. It seemed like Cruise was reluctant to contact Martin.

Ha, is he afraid of this young guy?

Martin's talent and ability had already been proven by the market. Any company wanting to sign him would have to pay a high price. Tommy probably feared that the resources his company invested would be wasted!

It seems someone else will need to step in and make contact with Martin.

As a successful businesswoman and manager, Shirley Lansing was not sentimental.

It's one thing if she liked Tom Cruise, but it was another if she didn't take advantage of Martin.

Little did Martin know, many people were trying to figure him out.

He was currently reading a script.

Peter Jackson had written the script for The Lord of the Rings and sent it to his inbox.

This guy is really fast, Martin thought as he clicked on the email, downloaded the file, and opened it. A dense block of text appeared before him.

"Damn, you even scanned the file? Are you afraid I'll make changes?"

Martin grumbled as he dragged the mouse to start reading.

Although it was only the first draft, the content was already fairly complete. No one knew how many times Harvey had asked Peter to revise the script before stepping in himself.

Martin had heard from Richard that one time, Peter cried while revising, shouting that Harvey wasn't worth the trouble.

Martin's reading speed was extremely fast, far beyond that of most humans.

In just an hour, he finished reading the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy script, then stretched.

No problem, the script is mostly consistent with the direction I remember. The few changes were probably made during filming.

Jeff, sitting across from him, looked up and down at Martin's office. The light luxury decor was still unusual at this time, which made Jeff feel fresh.

Yes, Martin already had his own office and his own company.

It was called Martin Meyers Pictures, or Meyers Pictures for short, and its headquarters was in Burbank, Los Angeles.

Seems normal, right?

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧