Chapter 410: DreamWorks' Confidence

In a manganese mining area in southern Bosaso, Arthur had just arrived from a nearby oil field. 

"There's news of a tin mine 100 kilometers from here."

Arthur curled his lips, "Is that area also under Karabi's control?"

"It should be, but the land surveying rights are gone. We only get 30% of the income because of European forces," Bruce Malfoy explained.

"These Brits," Arthur now had two small oil fields and a manganese mining area. Without oil and gas in Gandara, it would have been a loss.

"Thirty percent is useless, Karabi should at least get another ten percent," Karabi's forces supported by Seraphim must take the lion's share.

"Negotiate with them, we need at least half of the tin mine's income, or Karabi will turn it into a battleground. Also, there are drilling and port repairs in Gandara that need funds."

"Understood..."

...

At Bosaso Port, Arthur and William Fox were admiring the scenery of the Gulf of Aden. "You don't expect us to help you eliminate Mohammed Farah Aidid, do you? This guy's been hiding in Mogadishu even when the Marine Corps had a Black Hawk down. You think my security team can handle that?"

William Fox shook his head, "Of course not, just hope that if Karabi has any information, you can notify us. Aidid plans to declare himself president; our CIA will handle it."

"Right, assassination, that's your specialty," Arthur said flatly, "Mohammed Farah Aidid's son is in the Marine Corps, right? Once the father dies, the son can take over. But he won't be able to control his father's warlords. Somalia will remain chaotic."

William Fox didn't respond but felt a greater respect for Arthur. Clearly, Arthur had deep connections in Washington and knew too much.

Arthur said, looking towards Somaliland, "This whole area is the gateway to the Red Sea, a bustling maritime route. Since the government fell in '91, Somali fishermen have organized to protect their waters, resisting illegal fishing from other countries. But now, they are turning towards piracy to seize ships for ransom. It will only get worse over the years. Soon, Somali pirates will be infamous in the 21st century."

William Fox was not worried, "But Mr. Smith's business won't be affected."

"Somalia's resources aren't rich enough. North Africa, like Libya and Algeria, are more enticing, and the Middle East even more so," Arthur shook his head. "When we get back, keep an eye on that area."

...

After spending a few days in Somalia, Arthur returned to Djibouti and then took his private jet to Mallorca, Spain.

Arthur decided he would never go back to places like Somalia again.

In Valldemossa, a medieval town on the northwest coast of Mallorca, with mild climate and beautiful scenery, Arthur got up from the bed in a stone house hotel and breathed in the fresh morning air.

"Hmm, dear Arthur, was East Africa not fun? Will you go again?" Cristiana Reali wrapped herself in a sheet and laughed against Arthur's back.

Arthur shook his head, "I won't go back. The muddy ground, the smell of gunpowder in the air, the filthy city scenes, and the constant fighting. I was just curious. With my status now, why go to such places?"

He pulled Cristiana Reali into his arms, "Isn't it better to enjoy beautiful scenery, food, wine, and beauties?"

He said and kissed the woman.

Cristiana Reali hugged his neck and kissed back passionately as the sheet fell off.

Arthur moved closer to her chest and began kissing, "The Golden Globes have ended. Forrest Gump won Best Drama, Best Actor, and Best Director."

"Isn't it obvious? Forrest Gump represents the American spirit. It's unbeatable at the Oscars," Arthur said as he carried Cristiana Reali to the bed, laying on top of her.

...

At the end of January, Arthur returned to New York from Europe.

Due to several years of severe losses at Columbia TriStar Pictures, the president of Sony America resigned. Sony Pictures Entertainment's co-CEOs, Peter Guber and Jon Peters, also left.

"Sure enough, it's John Calley," Arthur wasn't surprised when he learned who was replacing Sony Pictures Entertainment's CEO in MGM's screening room in Lower Manhattan.

On the screen, a low-budget drama from the Sundance Film Festival, The Usual Suspects, was playing.

The director, Bryan Singer, was a newcomer, and the actors were mostly unknown. However, one actor, Kevin Spacey, had previously played a villain in Galaxy's film, Se7en.

"The plot is quite good. It reveals the truth of a murder-for-hire case in a reverse narrative. Moreover, the film completely overturns the audience's logical thinking. It presents a complex story with dramatic tension and keeps you on the edge from start to finish."

Arthur had a positive view of The Usual Suspects and believed it would become a classic suspense film. Besides, The Usual Suspects' production cost was only $6 million.

The distribution department's Mark Tusker spent $4 million to purchase the North American distribution rights for The Usual Suspects for the company.

Once it hit theaters, MGM Home Entertainment would also be responsible for distributing the videotape. If the word of mouth was good, the filmmakers could still profit from the home video market.

...

In the evening, Arthur and Winona Ryder attended a party at the Sheraton Hotel in Times Square, Midtown Manhattan.

"Arthur, My Best Friend's Wedding has wrapped up. Next, I'll join the crew for Disney's sequel, Father of the Bride Part II!"

"Four years, huh? The first one came out in 1991, and now the sequel is just coming out," Arthur said with a smile. "Seems like Disney's live-action films have been pretty disappointing these past few years."

After all, Disney traditionally didn't develop sequel movies. They were strong with animations, but their live-action films lagged behind other companies.

Winona Ryder took a sip of her drink, "I've done enough commercial films for now. I want to focus on arthouse films next."

"Sure, take a break for a while. Anyway, you play a supporting role in Father of the Bride Part II, so treat it as a relaxing time," Arthur didn't have any objections. Winona Ryder had delivered an excellent performance in the currently screening Little Women.

Later, at the party, Arthur ran into DreamWorks Entertainment chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg. The other two co-founders, David Geffen and Steven Spielberg, were tied up with their respective projects.

Currently, DreamWorks, led primarily by Jeffrey Katzenberg's animation division, aimed to poach Disney's animators.

"I heard that Disney's new president, Michael Ovitz, has given a significant pay raise to the animators," Arthur said as he approached Jeffrey Katzenberg with a wine glass in hand.

Jeffrey Katzenberg laughed, "If the pay doesn't match the work, of course, they will leave!"

"Right," Arthur shrugged. "Galaxy Pixar is about to release its first 3D animated feature film Toy Story, and during staffing shortages, we also poached some talent from other animation companies."

"Arthur, CJ Entertainment from Korea also signed a partnership agreement with Galaxy MGM, right?" Jeffrey Katzenberg inquired.

"Correct, the promotion and distribution of Galaxy's projects in Korea are handled by the joint venture film company we established together," Arthur did not conceal.

After all, two of DreamWorks SKG's main investors were Paul Allen and CJ Entertainment's Lee Mi-Kyung.

Lee Mi-Kyung and her brother Lee Jae-Hyun invested $300 million to purchase about 11% of DreamWorks SKG's shares on behalf of CJ Entertainment.

In addition, CJ Entertainment also obtained the distribution rights for DreamWorks SKG's works in Asia, excluding Japan.

"Galaxy set a good example, showing us how to break the major studios' chains," Jeffrey Katzenberg said, looking at Arthur. "Pity, though, you'll have yet another competitor in the future."

Arthur took a drink, "The film market is only so big. Right now, the seven major studios, including us, hold 87% of the market share. The remaining 13% belongs to other companies. In the future, it's not that I'll have more competitors, but whether DreamWorks can persist!"

Last year, the North American film market's box office exceeded $5 billion. The situation was good, but most of it came from Galaxy and the six major distributors.

DreamWorks aimed directly at Hollywood's seven major studios from the start, but it depended on their abilities.

"We are very confident!" Jeffrey Katzenberg laughed.

Seeing Jeffrey Katzenberg leave, Arthur thought he might be preparing for an animated feature film. However, DreamWorks was not yet fully formed and would likely seek other animation studios for cooperation.

"Confidence?" Arthur shook his head. DreamWorks SKG would understand the pressure after facing reality.

...

At night, in the penthouse of the MGM Tower.

On the bed in the bedroom, Winona Ryder lay on Arthur's chest, "I heard Carolco's Cutthroat Island went over budget by $40 million?"

Arthur laughed, "About that. Late last year, Carolco sold the rights of Stargate and Showgirls for $30 million to MGM to fund the completion of Cutthroat Island. But now, Carolco also has a loan to repay. Without new investors, well..."

Last year, Stargate earned over $70 million at the North American box office, while Showgirls would be released this year.

Carolco had already sold the international rights for both films, and the North American rights were with MGM. They had no other means of financing besides selling film rights.

Winona Ryder kissed Arthur's chest a few times, "Can Carolco hold on until Cutthroat Island is released?"

Cutthroat Island had too many scandals, and Carolco spent $98 million on its production. Cutthroat Island was Carolco's big gamble to change the company's fate, a high-risk bet.

"Who knows, Cutthroat Island is still in post-production. Its release is a matter of the second half of the year," Arthur didn't care much.

However, many film companies now set their sights on Carolco's Terminator 3 rights.

James Cameron had also made a 3D short, Terminator 2: 3D, to build hype for Terminator 3.

But now, James Cameron was preoccupied with his new film Titanic, while Carolco was wondering how to stay afloat.

*****

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