Chapter 754

Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

It's Friday, December 23.

Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve. Michael owitz still has no rest today. He will arrive at CAA headquarters in Century City before eight o'clock.

Just one box office week later, owitz entered the office and sat down. His assistant was impacted by "suicide team". Toy Story 2, the second best on the list, dropped 27% this week, earning $21.06 million, and accumulating $236.23 million.

According to the usual practice in previous years, after entering the popular Christmas file, with the dramatic increase in the number of viewers, many old films tend to have a negative box office drop. This time, "Toy Story 2" from the unpopular schedule to the popular Christmas, not only did not reverse the decline, but continued to plummet by 27%, which shows the impact of "suicide team".

Disney's holiday comedy Santa Claus came in third with $16.39 million in the first seven days of the week.

This is a film that Michael owitz pays more attention to, because it is a package project recommended by CAA to Disney. The film does not involve big directors and stars, so the budget is only $22 million. The first week is US $16.39 million. Considering that the next two weeks are still in the middle of festivals, it means that the total box office of this project in North America is expected to hit US $50 million.

Michael owitz has some regrets.

If there is no strong to the extreme "Toy Story 2" and "suicide team", fit the festive atmosphere, the audience's reputation is also very good "Santa Claus" is likely to be a 100 million yuan box office club work.

Of course, this assumption is meaningless.

What's more, the domestic box office of US $50 million is enough to bring Disney a good profit.

The fourth place on the list is the famous novel adaptation of "Little Women". In the first week of large-scale painting, relying on 1503 screens, this well-known female film won US $11.39 million at the box office, with an average of US $7500. Although it did not reach the sales level of US $10000, this kind of partial literary drama for female audience was under the heavy pressure of "suicide team" It is very valuable to be able to achieve such a box office result.

With the previous two weeks of screening, little women grossed $12.07 million.

If we can get out of the box office curve of "steel Magnolia" that year, and with the help of the award season, the local box office of "Little Women" is expected to be equivalent to that of "Santa Claus", reaching the level of $50 million. Considering that the production cost of the film is only US $15 million and the publicity investment is less than that of commercial films like Santa Claus, the return on investment of little woman is much higher than that of Santa Claus.

Warner Bros.'s "night visit to the vampire" ranked fifth this week, with a 33% drop in box office and a further $5.53 million. Unexpectedly, the film's domestic box office reached $92.43 million, a step closer to the $100 million box office club.

Danielis Entertainment's new world pictures, which produced "the disguised geek", fell 45% at the box office this week and earned $4.5 million. However, the total domestic box office of the film broke through 100 million yuan, reaching 101.79 million US dollars, officially entering the 100 million yuan box office club.

In the office of CAA headquarters.

Michael owitz looks at the box office data in his hand, with mixed feelings.

In the top six of the list, danielis entertainment actually accounted for three. What's more, the heavyweight blockbuster "suicide squad" directly took 68% of the total box office in a week. Other movies just made some soup.

What worries owitz even more is that there are only a few film creators on this list who belong to CAA. In the 1980s, only Santa Claus was left in the packaging project mode created by CAA.

Because of the initial discord, the cooperation between CAA and danilisi entertainment is not close. However, owitz can also feel that danilisi entertainment does not focus too much on CAA except for Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, who are blocked by Simon westero.

However, it is obvious that CAA's voice in Hollywood has been getting lower and lower in recent years. In a way, it was the young man who was born in Hollywood.

Not to mention the rise of 3D animated movies, blockbuster movies focusing on special effects, especially the rise of DC movie universe, make the studio's dependence on stars to the minimum, and the right to speak also increases greatly.

As a result, for those blockbusters destined to be the core of box office, not to mention taking over the whole project as before, the brokerage companies now have to put down their position and even take the initiative to reduce the film pay to fight for the important role of those projects.

Because you don't fight for it, the role is taken away by others, and the popularity falls on others.

Wma, which was once almost at a standstill, has risen again relying on a large number of roles provided by Simon westero. Now it has steadily suppressed CAA and regained its position as the most powerful talent agency in Hollywood.Michael owitz is very clear that the current situation, he has been unable to change, he has been thinking about leaving in recent years.

As a matter of fact, since the end of the 1980s, when CAA was on the right track, owitz gradually became tired of talent agency business, so he went to help Sony buy Columbia Pictures. He also created CAA's advertising business and sports star agency business, and cooperated with Coca Cola, Procter & Gamble, magic Johnson and other companies or stars outside the circle.

Just a year ago, Michael owitz had a negotiation with Bill Gates, the software magnate. As a result, because the CAA's plate was too small, his classmates couldn't look up to it at all. In a twinkling of an eye, he invested in the DreamWorks created by the three Spielberg.

Maybe it's time to leave.

It's not without a reason.

Vivendi group of France has completed the acquisition of Disney Company, and has been looking for the person in charge during this period.

Vivendi's first target is the senior executives of danielis entertainment. However, the previous concept of "rather be a chicken head" didn't work this time, and several senior executives of danielis entertainment have clearly refused.

Around the corner, owitz, who was almost invited by Eisner to join Disney as president, once again became the top candidate of the company.

Owitz and Eisner are good friends for many years, and they are neighbors.

A few months ago, owitz might have refused to take care of his friends. Now, Eisner has completely left Disney. After a serious illness, he is somewhat open to many things. If he chooses to join Disney, the problem is not big. Moreover, such a rare opportunity, owitz felt that if Eisner could not let go, to stop himself, the friendship might not be so solid.

After a busy morning, owitz made an appointment to meet Jean Marie merier, President of Vivendi group in charge of Telecom and media business. Owitz went to Morton restaurant on time.

In fact, owitz doesn't like this famous Hollywood Steakhouse very much.

Some time ago, Eisner's wife suddenly called owitz, who was still working, and said that Eisner was angry at home because he wanted to reserve a place in Morton restaurant to entertain his friends. As a result, Morton restaurant, which used to respond to Eisner's demands, said that it had no place this time.

There's no place.

The reason is simple: Eisner is no longer Disney's chairman and CEO.

In fact, many famous restaurants in Los Angeles and New York are so snobbish, which is probably a way for them to maintain their so-called "style".

After receiving a call from Eisner's wife, owitz not only helped his old friend book a seat, but also strongly demanded that the waiter who refused Eisner call to apologize. Owitz has a lot of contacts in Hollywood. What's more, he has many famous CAA leaders. Morton restaurant dares not to offend him and does it obediently.

The midday meeting was not pleasant either.

This is not the first contact between the two sides. Owitz's request is that he must obtain absolute control of Disney Company. However, with the example of Columbia Pictures, Vivendi group does not agree with this at all. The two sides have been tugging at this until now. Towards the end of lunch, Jean Marie merier put forward the final conditions that Vivendi could give.

At the end of lunch, owitz knew that he had no room for bargaining.

Either accept or reject.

Absent mindedly, he continued his afternoon work. When he came home from work and had dinner, owitz took the initiative to come to the old friend's house next door and proposed a drink.

Eisner can have a little red wine now.

Two people who have known each other for many years sit down beside the specially lit fireplace in Eisner's mansion. As Eisner's wife takes another blanket to cover her husband, owitz sighs. He can't help thinking about his future and whether he will be so heroic.

In fact, apart from losing Disney's position, Eisner has no problem in other aspects. Ten years as the head of Disney Company, Eisner has accumulated tens of millions of dollars by virtue of the original salary agreement and Disney's rapid development in the 1980s. Even if he leaves the company this time, Disney's shareholders and board of directors give him some help in order to avoid his troubles A very generous compensation contract, which is enough money for Eisner to enjoy his very rich retirement life.

Just think about Morton's restaurant.

For a slightly ambitious man, losing power is obviously more unacceptable than losing money.

Owitz wants to join Disney, in the final analysis, or to get more power.

CAA seems to be still beautiful, but in fact it has not much foundation. Except for the headquarters building in Century City, it has not even much fixed assets, and its income is not as rich as that of the person in charge of a large studio.

Michael Eisner took the initiative to mention owitz's thoughts about the cut pieces: "Mike, I heard that Vivendi is in contact with you?"