Chapter 75: Filming Plans

William White didn't plan on making Police Academy next year; he intended to make this movie into a holiday film, featuring more celebrity cameos later on.

This was White Films' first movie, and in the future, it would somewhat lean towards charity, slowly building the plot to make it a milestone movie.

The movie Beverly Hills Cop was set for the summer release. At the end of the year, there was Home Alone, which was a movie for a quick buck, lasting a maximum of three years, with not much potential beyond that.

He wasn't going to direct the sequels himself. If a company only had him as the director, it might become a Hollywood joke.

He had already thought of the movie idea, Johnny English. It was not only a good film but could also annoy United Artists for a bit.

A Mr. Bean version of 007 poking fun at the official 007 was a hilarious twist. It's all about saving the world, isn't it? Well, Mr. Bean could do that too. If it worked out, they might even make a cowboy version later.

"Linda, can you notify Rowan Atkinson? There's a film requiring him as the lead in March; check if he's available," William said.

"Sure, boss. Anything else?" the secretary asked, blinking her pretty big eyes.

William White was speechless. With her petite frame, he might as well get himself in trouble; better not, things had been too intense lately.

"Ahem, just a coffee would be fine."

The secretary left disappointed, but William White didn't mind much. 

...

Rowan Atkinson was naturally thrilled. The secretary mentioned clearly, the lead role.

With two blockbuster hits back to back, White Films' influence was undeniable. He did watch Home Alone. Although it wasn't his preferred comedy style, he couldn't deny it was a box office success.

Soon news spread in Hollywood about Home Alone seeking a director for its sequel.

While the news was surprising, it made sense when considered that just three days' box office results had already explained the situation. Unless William White was foolish, he would surely start shooting the sequel immediately.

Everyone knew he would shoot the sequel; they just didn't expect there'd already be a script so early.

Apparently, the scripting for Police Academy wasn't a problem either. He wasn't planning to shoot so intensively; this intellectual property evidently had a long life ahead of it.

...

Releasing the filming plan in advance was also a gesture of goodwill. He was part of Hollywood and didn't mean to oppose all the forces.

There was a mutual understanding among the Hollywood giants. Major productions had at least two weeks of separation, avoiding rash conflicts. No one would go against the dollar.

So what if Superman beats 007?

It would just end in mutual destruction, with no benefit to anyone. Though movie tickets weren't expensive, many people would only choose one movie during the same time frame.

Television dominated that era. TV sets from Japan were extremely cheap and were being rapidly adopted in the U.S. It wouldn't be long before they became essential household appliances.

Many blamed television for Hollywood's decline, thinking that ever since TVs were around, people didn't want to leave their living rooms.

However, that seemed untrue now. If your movie had enough appeal, viewers were happy to watch it.

Since William White had plans, everyone played by the rules. No matter how uneasy the giants felt, they had to accept a new reality: there was another giant in Hollywood now.

Even if they didn't like it, the schedule was already released. Anyone who disapproved could try to compete.

...

He wasn't a traditional filmmaker; he was doing quite well in the software industry too. The application of Apple computers was spreading widely, with official institutions starting to buy in bulk.

This was an unexpected turn of events. Apple couldn't deliver on time, which frustrated Markkula.

American factories were unreliable; business was so good that they wanted to raise prices, or they couldn't deliver on time.

The factory workers were eager to celebrate Christmas. Paying overtime wouldn't help unless you could cover the extraordinary costs; otherwise, it's after the holidays.

Meanwhile, look at White Software's compatibility cards; they could guarantee delivery anytime. As long as the price was right, they could work during Christmas too.

They once mocked them, but now they were only rueful smiles because White Software was the most reliable, literally earning while lying down, without needing any worries.

...

Due to hardware lagging seriously, software hadn't hit its stride yet. Before the PC from the IBM was launched, everyone was doing their own thing, with no unified standards.

William White anticipated correctly; his company was marginalized while the Big Blue stubbornly continued its own way.

Companies of this magnitude weren't concerned about short-term gains and losses. Although small machine sales were down, demand for large machines was growing, ensuring healthy profits.

After wrapping up affairs in Los Angeles, William White also planned a holiday. Christmas was an important break, and not taking it was pointless. The filming progress had slowed down in those days, as everyone's mind had long wandered off, making futile efforts meaningless.

*****

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