Chapter 430: The Woman in White

[Chapter 430: The Woman in White]

"That was just a gimmick. The Others had an exceptional storyline, and its release spanned the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons without any direct competition, which is why it achieved such an outstanding box office through long runs."

Nicole snatched the information from Eric's hand and flipped through it, retorting, "There's no competitor of the same type for Billy Bathgate, right?"

Eric didn't mind her taking them: "Billy Bathgate was positioned as a crime drama. That genre isn't exactly mainstream commercial fare, and it's somewhat niche. Beyond the star power of Dustin Hoffman and Bruce Willis contributing to the box office, the most reliable way to recoup costs was to aim for the Oscars. But Disney decided to roll it out widely on November 1 instead of building word of mouth with limited screenings, which was pretty much a surrender of the Oscars. They invested nearly $50 million! After the box office results come in, I can guarantee more shareholders will be disappointed with the current management team..."

Nicole was getting a little flustered by Eric's hand resting on her thigh when he suddenly stopped moving. "What's wrong?" she asked curiously.

"Michael Eisner must be aware of this too. I'm thinking Disney might very well postpone Billy Bathgate," Eric replied, staring at Nicole's exquisite face for a few seconds before breaking into a mischievous grin. "Nicole, I have a task for you."

"Hmm?"

"Right now is a very special time. If Disney suddenly decides to delay Billy Bathgate, it would surely become a hot topic for the media. You just so happen to have received an offer for the lead role. If journalists ask about it, you should say I told you not to take the role after reading the script."

Nicole immediately understood Eric's intent. If she said those words, it would undoubtedly create negative consequences for the box office of Billy Bathgate, even if its release date was changed. After all, no one knew that Eric had gained this foresight from the memories of his past life. Up until now, all his successes were credited to his keen insight into films. Just look at some of the summer movies that came out recently: Hot Shots! sequel of First Blood parody tried to cut Eric out from all the profits, but the entire franchise fell flat. The screenplay for Cutthroat Island that Disney snatched from Eric ended up crumbling too. Conversely, movies that initially seemed less promising, like Terminator 2 and Toy Story from Pixar Animation Studios, thrived under Eric's influence.

"Alright, I'll say that when the time comes," Nicole nodded, placing the materials in front of her on the coffee table as she leaned in closer to wrap her arms around Eric's arm. "Eric, are you really going to buy Disney?"

"With this much commotion, do I look like I'm kidding around?"

Nicole chuckled, "No, I mean... Did you make the money for acquiring Disney through those oil futures you did?"

Eric replied, "Now, many people are curious about the source of my funds for buying Disney. Information like that could easily sell for over $100,000. Are you sure you want to know?"

"Alright, I won't ask," Nicole shook her head, realizing that question might have been a bit ill-timed. As a smart woman, Nicole quickly understood that it was better not to know about such things. Otherwise, if the information got out, she would definitely be suspected of leaking it.

"It's best you don't know," Eric added. "The two New Year releases are crucial for Firefly, so I'll personally visit various sets. How's everything going with Sarah & Shannon? You found the time to come here today?"

"I was shooting some scenes for Rosie, so I happened to be free," Nicole explained.

"What about Paula Wagner?"

"She heard that this is a script you personally conceived, so she took the producer's role without any second thoughts. But Paula has also been preparing for Tom's next film, which is a prequel to Running Out of Time. She even invited me for the leading role; Sony had shown interest too, but it fizzled out because Tom didn't agree."

Eric thought that if history didn't change, Nicole was just starting out in Hollywood with little fame. The two of them starring together would have been no problem.

But now, things were different; Nicole was already an A-list star. Considering her own interests, it was common for Tom's films to steer clear of leading ladies, because the investors usually had specific budgets for actors. If they paid too much for the leading lady, it would come at the expense of Tom's salary.

"Forget about him. Just focus on making Sarah & Shannon. If this movie does well, you could develop box office clout, and who knows, you might even out-earn Tom in the future."

Nicole's eyes sparkled with anticipation, but she shook her head, "It's unlikely. Scripts centered around female leads are still too few."

Eric looked Nicole up and down and asked, "Didn't you practice ballet? Do you still have that foundation?"

Nicole shook her head, "Ballet requires years of training. I only learned for a bit as a child. Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to see you in an action film. I've never seen you in one," Eric said.

Nicole found Eric's curiosity a bit odd but replied, "I've only done a handful of movies; maybe I'll try one in the future."

In her former timeline, Nicole's roles were quite varied -- comedies, musicals, horror films, biopics, and epics -- but she had never tackled an action film, which was a bit of a regret, though she had some action sequences in the Aquaman series.

However, he remembered that while there were many hit movies with female leads, successful action films starring women were not abundant.

After some thought, Eric decided to wait until the end-of-year releases of Sarah & Shannon and Thelma & Louise to see how they performed. Especially since Sarah & Shannon was being released many years early; if it did well, it would indicate that films with female leads had considerable market potential, paving the way for the earlier development of some female-led action films.

...

As dusk fell, Michael Eisner and Frank Wells' car pulled into a Beverly Hills mansion. As the two of them got out of the car, Summer Redstone was already there to greet them.

After some casual exchanges, Summer ushered them into the villa's dining room, where people were already busy in the kitchen nearby. As the three of them sat down, a sumptuous spread of dishes was quickly served.

Halfway through dinner, after a lot of veiled conversation, Michael finally couldn't hold back anymore and asked, "Mr. Redstone, may I ask why you invited us here today?"

Summer leisurely wiped his mouth with a napkin before responding, "I heard that Disney's management has been facing some trouble lately?"

Michael shrugged and said flatly, "Everyone's aware of that."

Redstone didn't mind Michael's somewhat dismissive tone and continued, "Actually, Viacom is looking to join in the acquisition of Disney."

Michael frowned; another one.

Frank took a quick look at the tight-lipped Michael, then turned to Redstone. "Mr. Redstone, Viacom runs large theater chains. Surely that wouldn't allow you to acquire Disney under antitrust laws, right?"

"If we can reach a consensus today, I'll divest the chain business in the short term, which won't violate federal regulations."

"What about the funds?" Frank asked again.

Redstone replied, "Actually, I've been planning to acquire a film company for a year now, preparing behind the scenes. My initial target was Paramount, but now Disney seems like a better choice."

Michael suddenly interjected, "Mr. Redstone, why don't you share your terms with us?"

Redstone flashed a confident smile. "Michael, I know about your connections with Eric Williams. If Firefly buys Disney, you surely can't stay on as Disney's CEO anymore. So, I hope we can cooperate; it would be a win-win situation. If I acquire Disney, I promise you can continue in the role of Disney CEO."

Michael asked, "And what would I have to do?"

"You'd have to persuade Disney's board and management to be on my side. I'm sure shareholders won't ignore the management's opinions."

"Those people only care about the profits," Michael recalled being snubbed the previous week and complained.

Redstone waved his hand. "Of course, I will offer them enough profit. Just give me three months, and I can raise $5 billion. So, I hope you can cooperate with me and delay this acquisition as much as possible; the longer I have, the more funds I can gather."

"There's another crucial issue," Frank said at this point. "Right now, we have no idea how much leverage Eric Williams holds. Firefly's initial offer was a whopping $4.2 billion; if they insist on their current strategy of full acquisition, you can bet that figure will exceed $5 billion."

Redstone said, "I've already had people conduct the necessary assessments. During the oil crisis that started last year, Eric Williams raised a total of $700 million in principal. Calculating on a five-times leverage basis, that would place his returns around $5 billion, so our strengths should be comparable, but my connections on Wall Street are much stronger than his. In a final financing showdown, Firefly would definitely be outmatched by Viacom."

Michael asked, "Are you sure?"

Redstone nodded confidently. "Of course. I hired a top-notch investment team from Goldman Sachs to simulate investment calculations. Unless Eric Williams has crystal ball insight, five times is the most he's likely to leverage; $5 billion is already an inflated figure."

Michael and Frank shared a glance. Redstone calmly sipped his coffee, patiently waiting for their decision.

Honestly, if he had the choice, Michael Eisner definitely wished Disney could remain as it was.

Disney's current shares were very dispersed; the largest shareholder had only 16% of Disney's shares, and no one had absolute control, which allowed him to manage the board and firmly hold Disney in his own hands.

But now, the reality was that Disney was facing a takeover. Even if Redstone didn't act, other companies might reach out with acquisition offers. Given that, it would be better to choose a more advantageous buyer.

Michael Eisner was aware that Redstone was also a person with a strong desire for control. Still, compared to Eric Williams, who wanted him out of Disney, Redstone was undoubtedly a reasonable choice.

"Mr. Redstone, if we're to cooperate, I want to sign a formal agreement to secure Disney's absolute control."

"That's not possible," Redstone shook his head. "Michael, the moment Cutthroat Island failed, even if there was no current acquisition, you could no longer hope for absolute control over Disney. You need to face that reality. A few years ago, Disney shareholders allowed you to manage the board because you could bring them enough profit."

Hearing those words, Michael's expression turned slightly embarrassed.

Redstone continued, "Of course, should I acquire Disney, I will still give you sufficient authority. I can guarantee that."

Michael felt a slight chill run down his spine. This sort of guarantee was practically no guarantee at all.

Redstone seemed to sense Michael's concerns and got up briefly. He returned shortly with a document in hand. "I understand your thoughts. Talk is cheap. This is a draft contract prepared for you. You can take a look. If I acquire Disney, you would still have control over Disney's key strategic planning department, consumer products division, and television broadcast division; Viacom would only increase oversight of Disney's finance department while participating in Disney's film project development."

Michael opened the document in silence, and Frank leaned in to look as well.

After over ten minutes, both men finished reading the document. Although the conditions laid out were not what Michael had envisioned, it seemed to be the best deal he could get. Though he was reluctant to admit it, Michael understood that Redstone was right: after a few consecutive failures, his absolute control over Disney had begun to waver. Even without this acquisition, Disney's shareholders would start meddling in the company's affairs.

Closing the folder, Michael looked up and said, "So, let's discuss the specifics of the cooperation plan."

...

It was a rare rainy morning in Los Angeles.

As Eric opened his eyes, he found fine rain falling on the window.

Nicole, curled up in Eric's arms, stirred from the movement and sleepily looked out the window, a hint of excitement in her voice. "It's raining."

"Yeah," Eric replied just as he was about to get up, but Nicole snuggled closer. "Eric, let's sleep a bit longer. It's so early, and it's raining."

Eric relaxed and lay back down. After many exhausting days, he decided to take a moment to unwind.

*****

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