Chapter 180: Miss Murdoch

[Chapter 180: Miss Murdoch]

In another room near the two production company lounges, Eric was chatting with the big shots who had already arrived.

Even though these executives were each with their respective companies, many of them were quite familiar with one another. There was no sense of awkwardness in their conversation because the movement among the upper echelons of the major film studios was quite frequent.

For instance, Barry Diller, who wasn't present, had been running Paramount before 1984 and was now the CEO of Fox. Former Paramount executives Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg had both been Barry Diller's right-hand men, and now one was the CEO of Disney while the other was Disney's president. If history held, a few years later, Jeffrey Katzenberg would become the CEO of DreamWorks. Amy Pascal from Columbia, before taking her position, was also an executive at Fox. These interlinked relationships among the major studios allowed them to compete while still maintaining a level of cooperation.

"Eric, how much box office do you think these two films will rake in? Tell us so we can have a reference for our bids," Michael Eisner asked in front of the others. He maintained a casual demeanor, but there was an underlying anticipation in his eyes.

Eric placed his coffee cup down and smiled, "Mr. Eisner, to be honest, I can only guarantee the quality of these two films will be excellent. As for how much box office they'll pull in, it depends on the audience and market response."

"That won't do," said Paramount's president, Ned Tanen. The old man, nearly sixty, with a head full of white hair, flashed a friendly smile, making his comment sound like encouragement from a mentor to a younger mentee, naturally creating a sense of warmth.

Eric smiled and put on a face of humble receptiveness but thought to himself that these old-timers were all rather slick. If he really listened to their advice, he would end up getting burned and counting their money.

Since Barry Diller, Michael Eisner, and others had gradually left with a host of executives, Paramount's health had drastically declined. Their film performance was a mess, and this year they only produced one film, from the acclaimed George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. The two were savvy businessmen, and Paramount would likely only see a small cut from distribution fees, with most profits going to Lucas and Spielberg.

In his earlier analysis, Eric suspected that Paramount might make the highest offer in bidding. The screening approach would be confidential, allowing everyone to propose their terms after watching the film, and Firefly Films would decide which studio to partner with based on the offers. However, Michael Eisner's presence turned the potentially predictable outcome into a mystery. His seriousness could ignite competition among the other studios, especially since he had turned Disney's fortunes around in just five years. Now, his standing in Hollywood even subtly threatened to outshine his former boss, Barry Diller.

Allen Fisman quietly pushed open the door and tiptoed over to Eric's side, making an effort not to draw attention to himself. He leaned in and whispered, "Mr. Williams, the Fox representatives have arrived."

Eric nodded and smiled at Michael Eisner and the others, saying, "Excuse me, folks, just a moment. I need to greet someone."

Stepping out of the room, Eric headed toward the elevator with Alan, assuming their guests would arrive soon. Allen added, "The receptionist, Mike, said two people from Fox showed up. Besides Carlin Hunt, there's a woman too."

Eric paused, then asked, "Did he say who she was?"

Alan shook his head. "No idea. Mike mentioned she looked about twenty, very young, but Carlin Hunt seemed quite respectful towards her."

Carlin Hunt was a vice president overseeing Fox's film distribution. The only people who could command his respect would be a few, like Barry Diller, so it was odd for a twenty-year-old girl to have that sort of regard from him.

Not dwelling on it, Eric arrived at the elevator just as it pinged open, revealing a man and woman.

"Hello, Carlin," Eric greeted as he stepped forward, wrapping his arms in a light embrace with Carlin Hunt. He then glanced at the blonde girl standing beside him, who was observing him with keen interest. She appeared to be in her twenties, about five foot seven, with hair just grazing her ears -- an attractive appearance, with a finely shaped face and slender eyes. She wore a black and white checked shirt and soft yellow casual pants, paired with black flats.

She seemed like a quintessential career woman, Eric thought, as she reminded him of Amy Pascal, who was sitting back in the lounge.

After acknowledging Carlin Hunt, as he was about to help make an introduction, the woman stepped forward and extended her hand, "Hello, Mr. Williams. I'm Elisabeth Murdoch."

Eric raised an eyebrow slightly; a Murdoch. Given Carlin's respectful behavior toward her, he suspected she was a direct relative of Rupert Murdoch.

"Hello, Miss Murdoch. You can call me Eric."

She released his hand and responded with a serious tone, "Then why don't you just call me Elisabeth?"

What a bold woman, Eric thought, remaining calm as he replied, "Because we just met, and without permission, it's inappropriate to call a young lady by her first name."

Elisabeth Murdoch slightly raised her chin, meeting Eric's gaze. "Alright then, Eric, I'll allow you to call me Elisabeth."

"Uh..."

Noticing Eric's awkward expression, Carlin Hunt quickly interjected, "Eric, Elisabeth is Mr. Rupert Murdoch's second daughter. She's interning at Fox and is quite interested in... your films, so she wanted to come see them. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," Eric said with a smile. "Let's head to the lounge. The screening will start at two, so we still have a bit of a wait."

The group walked together down the hallway toward the lounge, with Elisabeth Murdoch choosing to walk closely beside Eric while Allen smartly fell back to follow them.

*****

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