Chapter 188: Vigilance

[Chapter 188: Vigilance]

"Liz, does it really have to be like this? Maybe... I can just give the shirt back to him." Julia stood in the small yard of her home, gazing at the metal barrel meant for burning trash, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Elisabeth firmly tugged the shirt Julia had in her hands, slowly pulling it out and stuffing it into the barrel. She struck a match and tossed it in. The flames flared briefly; the pure cotton fabric quickly turned to ashes, leaving only a few stubborn plastic buttons flickering with small embers.

She patted Julia on the shoulder, who stared blankly at the little fire. "Alright, Julia, if you want to completely get that guy out of your life, you have to go through this process. Hurry and pack your bags. I already arranged for a private jet. We'll go to New York first, and if you're not done having fun, we can fly to London or Paris."

"I think I should talk to my agent first. I remember I have some engagements coming up..."

"Hey, you're a top star in Hollywood now, Julia, not one of those struggling actors who barely have any freedom because they're held tight by their agents."

"But..."

Elisabeth interrupted her. "No buts! Where's your passport? If you don't want to pack a bag, just grab your passport and credit card, and let's take a spontaneous trip."

An hour later, a private Boeing took off from Los Angeles International Airport.

...

Also taking flight was director Jonathan Demme. Following Michael Eisner's advice, Eric communicated with Jonathan, and the next morning, Jonathan headed off to Venice, Italy. He was preparing for an anti-war advocacy campaign. Although the Venice Film Festival was still more than two weeks away, Jonathan didn't know many people in Italy, so he had to navigate everything on his own. Naturally, the sooner he got started, the better.

...

A few days later, Eric happened to reconnect with Kepler and learned through the complaints that Julia had been swept away by the Murdoch family's kid. Aside from some mental images that sparked a bit of jealousy, Eric didn't connect this situation to himself. He actually thought it might be good for Julia to take a breather; her reaction after that drunken night had left quite an impression on him.

...

By mid-August, the first two episodes Eric had been responsible for were wrapped up smoothly.

Thanks to his hands-on coaching, the six main stars had stepped fully into their roles, saving the next directing team, led by Kevin Bright, a lot of trouble.

...

After the test screening, various studios -- Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros. -- quickly made their bids, showing keen interest. Michael Eisner was indeed eager, with Disney submitting their offer just a day after the screening, for 35% of the North American box office and 10% of the overseas box office. Upon seeing those numbers, Eric instantly felt like he had seen it before.

Jeffrey flat-out revealed that Disney's proposal was essentially the same as what he had experienced with Fox when he had directed films there. Moreover, the offer was clearly pegged to the standards of movies that grossed over $100 million domestically; otherwise, Disney would hardly see any profit.

If one were to calculate carefully, the terms actually surpassed what Fox had originally offered, since Fox had also secured the video rights and merchandising rights for Eric's earlier films, allowing them to reap substantial profits. This time, Firefly Films had explicitly stated they wouldn't be releasing those other movies' video rights and merchandise, offering only North American and overseas distribution rights.

After Disney, Paramount quickly followed with their bid for distribution rights, placing second. Warner Bros. and a couple of others were right behind, while Columbia didn't even bother to make an offer.

What genuinely surprised Eric was Fox. On the day after the screening, they sent a representative to grab the script outline, and a few days later, Carlin Hunt from Fox personally approached Eric with suggestions, without even addressing the previous offer.

It was apparent that Elisabeth's last-minute plan had caught the sharp eye of Barry Diller. And after assessing the project, Fox clearly saw more potential in it, which led to this unusual twist.

Eric didn't know what other happenings had transpired, but he had no intention of accepting Fox's suggestions. Altering contracts required extensive negotiations, and the uncertainties that could arise were unpredictable. Since Disney had already made their bid, Eric had no reason to invite trouble upon himself.

With no competition in sight, Firefly quickly signed distribution contracts with Disney for the two films.

...

"Eric, I heard you acquired Pixar?" Michael Eisner asked at the post-signing party.

Eric casually swirled the red wine in his glass. "Yeah, I've always had an interest in animated films, so I acquired it for fun."

"Really... young people," Michael murmured, shaking his head, as if remembering something. "So, it was you who initiated the cut-off in cooperation between Pixar and Disney regarding 2D animation rendering?"

"Disney is a major player; would it really worry about a small company like Pixar? If Disney made the call, I can't imagine how many animation companies would rush to partner with you."

Michael forced a smile. Though Disney had its roots in animation, after taking over, Michael Eisner's focus shifted more to live-action films, which drew some opposition from board members. However, as Disney prospered, those dissenting voices gradually faded.

Still, it wasn't that Michael undervalued Disney's animated films in Hollywood; his focus was just different relative to his predecessors. With Eric steadily rising in prominence, Eisner's attention had turned toward Eric's recent acquisition of Pixar, especially having heard about Pixar's innovative approach toward 3D animation -- something that certainly piqued his interest.

*****

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