King of Hollywood
Chapter 509 - 230 Solid Foundation

Chapter 509: Chapter 230 Solid Foundation

Ron Meyer pushed open the door and entered the meeting room, and the buzzing discussion instantly ceased. He glanced at the department heads seated around the table and, after taking his seat, asked bluntly, "Let’s hear your thoughts, everyone."

Despite this, there was silence for quite a while, as for such matters, they really had no say. Just a few days before, right after the Cannes Film Festival had ended, AC Media had publicly announced its intention to purchase Universal Pictures from Seagram. Those familiar with AC Media’s style knew that once they publicly declared their intention to buy a company, the wheels were mostly already in motion. It had been the same with the acquisition of TBS, and likewise, when they had bought ABC.

In fact, as the incumbent president of Universal Pictures, and having held the position for many years, Meyer had a strong network in Hollywood and was naturally well-informed about AC Media’s moves. But what could he do with that knowledge? He had no say in the matter, and with the other major media conglomerates—Warner and Disney—plotting to create a television network, and Viacom nearing the end of its acquisition of CBS, and News Corporation unable to expand at the moment, Universal Pictures was more or less guaranteed to fall into AC Media’s hands unless they made a significant error.

So why had he gathered the department heads for this meeting after the acquisition of Universal by AC Media had been publicly announced?

"At least it won’t be worse than with the Japanese or Canadians. AC Media knows how to make movies," someone finally said after a moment. Once this person broke the ice, the others began to speak up as well.

"AC Media is very powerful, and although it has expanded rapidly, it’s also very stable, with TBS and ABC under its belt. They are quite formidable."

"Although Adrian Cowell’s abilities as chairman may not seem apparent, his skills as a producer and director are outstanding. Besides films, many of the reality shows and drama series on the TV channels are said to have come from his guidance."

While the department heads were chattering away, Ron Meyer remained silent, his eyelids lowered. His thoughts weren’t hard to guess. Ever since MCA was sold to Panasonic in the ’80s, the ownership of the film studio had changed every few years, significantly affecting Universal’s performance. If not for this, Universal would not rank towards the end among the Seven Major Film Companies.

Even so, under Meyer’s leadership, Universal Pictures still maintained a considerable profit. Even though Adrian’s appearance had taken away some of the promising projects that could have been theirs, or even though Spielberg, with whom they had always had a good cooperation, chose to set up his own DreamWorks, it was clear that Meyer was quite capable.

However, this capability was exactly why he was somewhat worried. What would his position be if Universal were to be acquired by AC Media? As one of the managers had just mentioned, while Adrian Cowell was not known for his involvement in direct management, his production of various programs was unparalleled. His foresight and the title of ’Miracle Director’ aside, looking at the most popular television shows and reality programs, which were not based on his ideas? He not only propelled the development of various reality shows but also indirectly pushed media companies to plan building their own television networks.

Such a person, with vast amounts of capital and media resources, could certainly lead Universal to soaring heights. But what changes would occur to Meyer’s position? Universal was neither Bossworth nor New Line or Miramax. It was clear to everyone what AC Media lacked, so once Universal was acquired, they would undoubtedly hold it tightly in their grasp. Therefore... It should be noted that just a few weeks ago, at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival, Ted Turner suddenly announced his resignation from the position of vice president of AC Media. Although the statement was simple and abrupt and an AC Media spokesperson had publicly praised Turner’s contributions over the years, many knew he had been edged out.

So, how could Meyer not consider his own situation?

While Universal was discussing the impending changes, AC Media was also talking about the matter; the difference was that only two people were involved in the conversation.

"Seagram has actually already given in internally; now they’re just trying to sell Universal Pictures at as high a price as possible, well aware of what we want," Claude lounged in his high-backed chair and said lazily.

"Of course. After moving to purchase Universal, everyone knows we want a heavyweight film company in Hollywood, so paying a slightly higher price isn’t an issue," Adrian flipped through the documents in his hand and paused a few seconds before adding, "You know, we must prevent ’the night from dragging on’ and ’dreams from multiplying.’"

"Here we go again, can’t you speak in English?" Claude complained, yet Adrian just smiled and wouldn’t take the bait. Resigned, he went on, "No matter, if worse comes to worst, we’ll just buy Seagram as well, then spin off the irrelevant media assets and sell them. The capital from Southeast Asia is already recovered, and we have enough basis to finance."

At this point, he suddenly realized his partner was lost in thought and immediately waved his hand in front of him: "Hey, what are you thinking about now?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Adrian snapped back to reality with a smile, "Canadians aren’t fools; they are well aware of our resolve. Even if it’s hard for them to let go, they’ll have to consider the consequences."

Seagram initially had no intention of selling Universal, but AC Media immediately hit them hard in the market at a small cost, which made the already struggling Seagram suffer even more. They finally agreed to negotiate, and the haggling had continued since then. Although the timing was now quite good, as allies, enemies, and neutrals all had their own business to attend to and were unconcerned with them, for caution’s sake, Adrian still hoped to secure Universal as soon as possible to avoid any mishaps, as it was an important part of his plan.

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave first. I await your good news," Adrian said as he stood up.

"Oh, damn it, where are you off to now?" Claude asked with feigned irritation, sighing, "We’ve only talked for a few minutes, and your office is right above mine. Can’t you stay a little longer?"

"Because I have other matters to attend to," Adrian shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah, other matters," Claude said, smirking, "who knows which woman you’re off to see now," he muttered under his breath, and then, as if remembering something, he added, "Right, since we’ve made this public, New Line and Miramax are no issue, but you should at least say a few words regarding Bossworth."

"Of course, no need to worry about them having any concerns, I’ve got it covered," Adrian nodded, "Universal included."

Claude raised his hands and didn’t say another word. By now, they had developed quite an understanding—Adrian had the final say in film and TV production, given his considerable achievements and renown in the field. But that didn’t mean Claude would let things just go their own way. Just like how Adrian left the management of other assets to him, he wouldn’t interfere, but he wouldn’t ignore or fail to inquire either.

Finally, the foundation was about to be solidified. Leaving Claude’s place, Adrian took a deep breath. Indeed, even after acquiring Universal, it was still just laying the groundwork; the more solid the foundation, the more durable the castle built atop it, and the quicker it would rise. Now, all that was left was to wait for the opportunity in two years!

With that in his mind, his eyebrows knitted slightly, and he sighed softly. The situation in Southeast Asia had predictably erupted in May. He had deliberately assigned an idealistic young journalist to CNN’s post there. Hence, the brutal footage of the riots was broadcast back to the United States promptly.

Though this showed CNN’s timeliness after the Gulf War in 1992, putting them far ahead of their competitors, the public response was much less than during the Gulf War. Not surprising, as the Gulf War was an overt display of American military strength, while the Indonesian riots were unrelated to them.

Some charity organizations stood up to declare it a humanitarian disaster, and under Adrian’s arrangement, some called on Congress for intervention—a person of Adrian’s standing in a conglomerate usually manipulated and exchanged behind the scenes; publicly stating one’s political opinions was a lowly approach—but these were ineffective. Most Americans, after a brief expression of sympathy, quickly turned their attention elsewhere.

That was all that could be done. Facing this situation, Adrian shrugged helplessly. As for the government across the Pacific, he had neither interest nor need to blame them. Now after living two lifetimes, he had become very calm and sensible and understood that an event had many reasons for occurring, and only those with ulterior motives would harp on one single point.

Adrian quickly put the matter out of his mind, as he had plenty more to do, and the acquisition of Universal was just one of those things, not to mention that he didn’t need to worry too much about it.

"Oh, about that, I owe you an apology, they’re all great choices, really outstanding." Sam Remy took off his hat, scratched his head and then waved at Toby Maguire not far away, "Hey, Toby!"

"Is there something you need, Mr. Director?" Maguire immediately ran over, with a camera hanging around his neck, his somewhat shy demeanor indeed very much like Peter Parker.

"Nothing much, this is Mr. Adrian Cowell, I was just praising you to him." Remy promptly introduced Adrian.

"Hello, Mr. Adrian, it’s an honor to meet you!" said Maguire, excitedly shaking hands with Adrian. Although he knew it was Miracle Director who personally chose him for "Good Will Hunting" and "Spider Man," this was their first meeting, and naturally, he wanted to express his gratitude. Everyone knew just what Adrian’s approval meant.

"Keep up the good work, young man. You should know that Sam and I had quite an argument over whether to cast you initially, of course, he’s admitted he was wrong now." Adrian said with a smile, patting his shoulder, while Remy coughed awkwardly beside them.

"Toby, about the lines... Ed?!" a voice full of surprise called out, and then Kirsten’s rounded face appeared in front of Adrian.

Her full lips were slightly parted, turning up at the corners to form a smile that was both innocent and seductive, her shallow dimples adding charm to her face. Her gray-blue eyes blinked softly with a look of surprise, but occasionally, a cunning flash that was deeply hidden, flitted through them—if you didn’t look closely, you might be deceived by her.

"Hi, Qiqi, wow, it’s been a while; you’re getting more beautiful," Adrian commented with a smile as he looked Kirsten over.

The compliment was genuinely meant; Kirsten was dressed in a red cheongsam embroidered with azaleas and a matching red shawl. Even though the hem covered her knees and the high slit reached halfway up her thigh, her well-maintained figure was showcased to the fullest, utterly sexy. Her golden hair had also been dyed wine-red, coiled at the back of her head with two hairpins, matching the cheongsam quite well, and not diminishing her allure even with her prominent face.

"Thank you, I’m really glad to see you here," Kirsten said with a sweet smile, but then immediately turned to pull Maguire away to go over lines, occasionally glancing over at him from the corner of her eye.

Adrian chuckled lightly to himself and didn’t pay her any mind, chatting with Remy for a bit more, then stepping aside when the director announced the start of the next part of the shoot.

"I’ve already explained this scene once, now bring out your best!" Remy shouted from the sidelines, then gestured with his hand to start, and everyone immediately sprang into action.

Adrian nodded slightly, affirming Remy’s direction, but then froze. As Kirsten walked past him, she suddenly opened her mouth, flicked her tongue up and down, accompanied by an unabashedly tempting look in her eyes, causing him to inhale sharply. Despite everyone being busy around him, and her returning to her previous demeanor as soon as she turned her head, that little fairy was perhaps a bit too bold.

But if she wasn’t that bold, she wouldn’t be a little fairy—perhaps it was time to drop the "little"—and indeed, it was quite a thrill. Watching her graceful figure, Adrian couldn’t help but smack his lips.

The scene being shot was about Spider-Man’s first encounter with the Green Goblin at Times Square, where Spider-Man watched from a distance as his best friend was with the girl he secretly adored. Aside from the necessary set pieces, green screens had already been hung around the area. Of course, it was impossible to film this portion at Times Square; even if the crew were willing to spend the money, New York City’s government might not agree. However, advances in CG technology were filling in this gap. Now, all that was needed was to shoot with models against the green screens and add the footage of Times Square in post-production.

Such superhero movies actually didn’t require much acting; as long as the emotions were right, that was sufficient, as the audience primarily came for the various special effects, which seemed more realistic than ever. At this thought, Adrian couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It wouldn’t be long before the screens were inundated with special effects movies.

He had been acutely aware of this ever since Titanic had been released. Making movies was essentially no different from gambling; with gambling, you only knew if you’d won or lost after the cards were revealed, and with movies, you only knew if the audience liked it after it premiered. Producers had always racked their brains to avoid the risks associated with filmmaking, much like gamblers tried to calculate the opponent’s hand, but to little avail.

Now, they had finally found a good way to mitigate those risks—indeed, special effects! The spectacle of various effects, piled one after another since Titanic, would attract viewers’ eyes for a long time. And before the allure of special effects was completely exhausted, before the audience grew tired of the grand scenes, producers would not relinquish this money-making method.

This was one of the reasons why, in the previous world, an endless stream of movies with grand scenes emerged as the 21st century began. Even years later, when the audience grew weary, there was still a significant market for special effects movies.

It’s okay, no need to worry, some things can’t be changed. Adrian shook his head and stopped thinking about it. This unchangeability referred both to the fact that story was the core of a movie and to the special effects trend in commercial movies for the upcoming years.

After the initial blind following and subsequent losses, movie production would still return to storytelling. Audiences wanted to see a complete narrative, not just the flashy fights and scenes. So why should he concern himself with these matters? Capitalizing on this opportunity to make a profit was the right move.

The sequence was quickly shot, and Remy announced a short break before starting to shoot the grand battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. Watching silently from start to finish, Adrian once again acknowledged Sam Remy internally.

"Hey, Ed." Kirsten’s voice rang out by his ear at this moment.

"Hey, Qiqi," Adrian immediately turned his head and imperceptibly raised an eyebrow—the little fairy in front of him wore a shy expression, seemingly embarrassed to speak with him, but only he knew what lascivious heart lay beneath that timidity.

"What’s up?" he asked gently.

"Yes, it’s just... Can I talk to you in private? Inside that trailer over there." Kirsten bit her lip and looked at him with pleading eyes, "There won’t be any shots of me coming up."

Such first-class acting. Adrian praised inwardly and then raised his hand, gesturing please. Kirsten didn’t speak, turning and heading toward the nearby trailer. She walked properly at first, but as she approached the trailer, her tightly clad, round buttocks began to sway dramatically, stirring Adrian’s mind as he followed behind. A thought suddenly surfaced—had she seemed uneasy during her performance before? Could it be...

"Hey, Lawrence," after entering the trailer, Kirsten closed the door then half-protruded from the window to call to a nearby staff member, "I want to rest here a bit. Tell Wayman if the director needs me, to come get me."

Listening to her voice, Adrian found a nearby chair and sat down. But no sooner had he sat than he involuntarily swallowed hard. Kirsten, leaning out the window, not only arched her bottom high but also slowly lifted the hem of her cheongsam. Then, a pair of snowy white buttocks was fully exposed to Adrian’s view, and more importantly, there was no underwear beneath that hem—indeed!

"Thank you, Lawrence, you’re really a good person," Kirsten said with an innocent smile out the window, while the hands she had placed behind her pulled apart her wonderful cheeks for Adrian.

(To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)