I am Hollywood

[Chapter 542: A Confounding Invitation]

When Allen heard Claudia's words, he merely shrugged slightly. Eric, who was reviewing documents, noticed his assistant's small gesture and helplessly shook his head.

This time, Eric's actions were indeed different from past experiences. In previous attempts to invest in companies like Cisco and America Online, the prospects had been rather clear, and the amounts of money involved were not overly substantial. Even the investments in three internet companies like Yahoo had only reached the tens of millions.

However, this time was vastly different. Nokia, a large Finnish conglomerate, was struggling, yet the financial data Eric collected indicated that this "almost starving horse" still had around $1.1 billion in assets. From Eric's perspective, the more shares he could acquire, the better. If he could take over completely, he wouldn't hesitate to invest all of Firefly Productions' funds into it.

...

After staying a few more days in Berlin, Eric, along with the creative team of Jurassic Park, moved to Paris to prepare for the film's French premiere.

By mid-July, Jurassic Park had been out in North America for six weeks, grossing over $300 million effortlessly. The sharp rise of Jurassic Park's box office had transitioned the local media from being astonished by its first week crossing the $100 million line to a state of numbness. A box office surpassing $400 million within the coming weeks seemed almost certain, and discussions about whether it could hit the astonishing $500 million mark were tepid at best. After all, whether it was $400 million or $500 million, to most Hollywood films, it felt like staring at the stars in the sky -- few pondered whether each star was a hundred light years away or a thousand; it all seemed too distant.

The international box office for Jurassic Park also crossed $300 million in its sixth week, bringing its total earnings to $600 million. The British box office, in particular, stood out, with earnings reaching PS57 million after six weeks and expectations that total receipts would exceed PS70 million. Meanwhile, Jurassic Park was set to open soon in France, Spain, Japan, and other lucrative international markets. Especially in Japan, a nation famously obsessed with monsters, although Eric couldn't recall the exact figures, he was certain that Jurassic Park's box office there had undoubtedly surpassed $100 million.

While Jurassic Park raked in astonishing box office figures worldwide, shattering records, it did not always receive positive coverage from local media. Many media outlets across Europe had adopted a "wolf is coming" tone in their discussions of Jurassic Park, with France being particularly vocal.

As the birthplace of film, the French took great pride in their national cinema. France had indeed experienced a glorious cinematic era. To welcome the box office titan Jurassic Park and defend the "dignity" of French cinema, they had released the most expensive film in French history, Germinal, at the same time. This film, adapted from a major French literary work, had a production cost of 164 million francs (over $30 million), backed by more than a dozen French film companies, marking it as France's highest investment in a film to date.

Eric could only think, "Why go through all this trouble?"

Germinal depicted the tragic lives of French miners in the late 19th century and ran nearly three hours long. It was, by all accounts, a real snoozefest. Eric found it hard to believe that such a film would compete against the highly entertaining Jurassic Park at the box office.

Additionally, the timing was quite sensitive. This year marked the last year of negotiations for the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. After years of grappling, North America and European countries had finally reached a consensus on most terms to form the World Trade Organization. The U.S. government was actively seeking equal economic status for Hollywood films alongside physical products, but European countries had raised the concept of "cultural exception." Prominent Hollywood directors had even embarked on a public feud with European filmmakers over this issue.

Eric firmly stood on the Hollywood side of the dispute. To avoid stirring emotions among the French media, he cut much of the team's promotional schedule following the simple premiere in France and sent the other creatives off to their next stop, Madrid. Jurassic Park was already a hot topic in Europe, so reducing promotional activities wouldn't significantly impact its box office in France.

...

While promoting the film, Eric continued to discuss Nokia over the phone with Chris in private. Chris had decided to bring Firefly Investment's team to Europe, prompting Eric to stay temporarily in Paris.

In contrast to the media and cultural industries' resistance to Hollywood films, local French production and distribution companies were eager to invest in and distribute Hollywood films. Sharp businessmen saw the irreversible decline of French cinema, and capital always moved towards profit. The French film companies knew what was at stake.

At a hotel by the Seine in Paris, Eric enjoyed a leisurely moment on the hotel balcony. The gentle steam rising from his coffee lingered in the air as he typed on his notebook, occasionally raising his gaze toward the towering Eiffel Tower in the distance.

Upon hearing a knock at the door, Eric turned around to see Allen walk in, carrying a stack of documents.

"Eric, the box office stats for Jurassic Park and Germinal's opening day just came in," Allen said, placing the documents on the small table beside Eric and handing a sheet to him.

Eric had strolled through the streets the previous night and noticed lines at several cinemas, so he had anticipated some positive news. Not in a hurry to peruse the documents, he pulled out a floppy disk from his laptop and handed it to Allen. "This is a script idea I came up with the other day. Please send it back to L.A. and have them register the copyright."

The script on the floppy was for Night at the Museum, an idea that had popped into Eric's head after he had accompanied Carolyn on her visit to Berlin's Museum Island. He had taken advantage of his free time over the past few days to draft it.

Allen didn't ask further questions as he took the floppy, introduced the materials he'd just brought over, and pulled out an invitation letter. "This is an invitation from Gaumont's CEO, Nicolas Seydoux. They're hosting a celebration for a film tonight and would like you to attend."

Flipping through the box office numbers for Jurassic Park and Germinal, Eric frowned slightly and casually asked, "What movie?"

"It's called Fanfan, a love story that premiered in early June. It stars two very well-known French actors, Vincent Perez and Sophie Marceau. The film has received great responses in Europe and Asia," Allen briefly explained, omitting the box office data for Fanfan. After all, compared to Jurassic Park, the love story's numbers seemed trivial.

Eric sighed with a hint of resignation, recalling, "Sophie Marceau paid a penalty of 1 million francs to leave Gaumont. Didn't the two sides have a falling out? Why are they working together again?"

Allen didn't know about that. Sophie Marceau's influence was primarily in France and Japan, and Hollywood hadn't yet taken notice of the "Rose of France."I'm not sure about that, Eric. Should I look it up?"

Eric paused, then shook his head. "No need; I just remembered that."

The incident regarding Sophie Marceau's fallout with Gaumont over filming Beau Pere appeared in most of the actress's magazine articles. In the final analysis, it was just to beautify the actress's image, and it was more of a publicity.. Truth be told, the fine of a million francs equated to less than $200,000, which wasn't severe for a European star of her caliber. Their dispute was more likely a temporary separation, not something making them enemies.

Realistically speaking, with European cinema in decline and few companies capable of producing commercial films, Sophie Marceau's choices were limited.

"Then," Allen nodded towards the invitation, "what about the party tonight?"

Eric shook his head. He had no idea what the celebration party would entail, especially since the French media had turned the situation surrounding Germinal and Jurassic Park into a hostile rivalry. If any media representatives attended, it would inevitably lead to questions about the box office performances of both films. Letting out a sigh, Eric glanced once more at the statistics; on the opening day, Jurassic Park had garnered 6.6 million francs while Germinal, which shared a similar release scale, only earned just over 1 million. Whatever answer he provided, or even if he refrained from commenting, just appearing in the papers the next day would likely ignite a media frenzy.

Allen sensed Eric's concerns, saying, "In that case, I'll call to decline the invitation. Also, Mr. Hansen will arrive in Paris tomorrow at around ten. I've reserved a hotel room. Eric, is there anything else you want to add?"

"No, that'll be all."

...

Allen nodded, turned, and left Eric's room. Just as he reached the hallway, his mobile phone rang. After answering, he said a few words before returning to open Eric's door. He handed Eric the mobile phone. "Eric, it's a call from Mr. Jack Valenti."

Jack Valenti?

Eric felt a bit puzzled. Jack Valenti was the president of the Motion Picture Association of America. Eric had only met him once at the film association's annual meeting last year, so he was unsure why Jack Valenti would be calling him.

However, Valenti had served as the MPAA's president since 1966 and had been in the position for nearly thirty years. He seemed inclined to continue for some time. This political figure had consistently advocated for expanding Hollywood's influence globally, earning him a highly respected status in L.A. Without hesitating, Eric took the mobile from Allen and exchanged a few brief words with Valenti before hanging up.

Allen overheard a rushed tone from the other end, although he didn't catch the content. After Eric ended the call, he told Allen, "Get ready; I'll be attending the celebration Gaumont is hosting for Fanfan tonight."

Noticing Eric's serious demeanor, Allen asked, "Should I prepare a tuxedo for you?"

"No need; I can wear what I had on for the premiere."

Eric returned the mobile to Allen, still pondering the reason behind Jack Valenti's call. Given the current climate, he speculated that Valenti might want to discuss the ongoing negotiations of the GATT.

The MPAA, being both the rating authority for Hollywood films and the advocate for Hollywood's interests, would be engaging in discussions regarding the GATT's impact on films. While this also aligned with the interests of Firefly Productions, Eric couldn't fathom why Valenti would reach out to him directly.

...

As nightfall descended, a luxurious vehicle pulled up to a grand residence by the Seine River in the western suburbs of Paris. As Eric stepped out, he was greeted warmly by a crowd of people.

His first impression upon seeing them was that this celebration was rather extraordinary. Nicolas Seydoux of Gaumont was expected, as was Jack Valenti, who had made prior arrangements. However, Eric was taken aback by the presence of Constantin Film's president, a figure he had met just last week, along with several other familiar faces.

"Eric, I'm thrilled you could make it," Nicolas Seydoux warmly embraced Eric before introducing him to the others.

Aside from Constantin Film's president, there was also the CEO of New World Pictures, the head of the fourth French television channel, and the chief of Vivendi's film department...

What surprised Eric most was the presence of John Calley, the president of MGM, whose actual controller was the French banking group Credit Lyonnais.

Overall, most of the people present were heads of some of the most notable film companies in Europe. By the conclusion of the introductions, Eric maintained an expressionless demeanor, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

"Alright, folks, give me some time alone with the kid," Jack Valenti finally announced after Seydoux finished introducing everyone. The crowd complied, and Valenti shot Eric a knowing glance as they moved toward the interior of the grand house. They navigated through clusters of guests, guided by servers, until they reached a private suite.

"You must be quite puzzled right now," Jack Valenti said, smiling as he motioned for Eric to take a seat on the sofa.

Valenti, an elderly man with graying hair and sharp eyes, was the staunch advocate for Hollywood's interests. Eric nodded, acknowledging his curiosity. While he had started piecing things together, he wasn't overly concerned that Valenti would act against the interests of Firefly Films; after all, Valenti had held his position with great stability for decades.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.