I am Hollywood

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: The Situation

Chapter 127: The Situation

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[Chapter 127: The Situation]

"So, you still turned him down?" In a parking lot, Kepler sat in the driver's seat with a resigned expression, looking at Eric in the passenger seat.

Remembering the earlier encounter, Eric sighed and nodded. Despite Steven Spielberg leaving without showing any displeasure, merely expressing regret and saying he could be contacted if Eric changed his mind, Eric knew he had offended the renowned director. He could tell by the dismissive look from Spielberg's assistant.

In the past, if Spielberg had expressed a desire to purchase the rights through someone else, Eric could have declined without much consequence. But this time it was different; Spielberg himself had reached out, a clear sign of sincerity, basically handing him a favor on a silver platter. If this deal went through, Eric wouldn't just net a hefty sum from the rights transfer, but he might also earn Spielberg's goodwill -- a connection that could prove invaluable in the future.

Yet, he couldn't just hand over a significant piece that was crucial to his career for the sake of a favor.

But this was an worth hundreds of millions. Eric had never thought of monopolizing it, but he at least wanted to ensure he got the best slice of the pie. Once he sold the rights, he would lose all control over the project, and at best, he would only get the scraps after others made big profits.

"Eric, want to hear my suggestion?" Kepler asked.

"I know what you're going to say. I should contact Spielberg immediately and sell him the film rights, right? Kepler, there's no room for negotiation here; I'm not selling."

Kepler rubbed his bald head in frustration. "Eric, have you thought about your situation? You're completely going solo. It may seem like you're close with the higher-ups at those film companies, but that's all based on pure profit. The reason they're being so nice to you now is that your last few films were huge successes and brought them a lot of money. But nobody maintains success forever, and once you hit a rough patch, that's when they'll turn on you."

Eric countered confidently, "I think I'll be fine for quite a while. I have confidence in my films."

"There are many factors that can lead to failure, and some could even be manufactured," Kepler continued. "Think about it, compared to your talent, you're getting too much of a cut. At first, they might think you're just a lucky guy with a hit or two, but if it keeps happening, those big shots are going to do whatever it takes to bring you down, even ruin you. Just like lions on the savannah, they'll allow the hyenas to pick at their leftovers, but they certainly won't let a weak hyena get more than the pride."

Eric opened his mouth to respond but couldn't come up with anything to counter that. He understood Kepler's intention: he wanted him to find some strong allies. In the future, if he faced backlash, he wouldn't be left entirely alone.

Spielberg wanting to acquire the film rights was a perfect opportunity to build a relationship. If he sold the rights, the screenwriter would surely be tied to him, and Spielberg had hinted that Firefly Films could get involved financially. These were conditions that would allow him to connect and establish a good personal relationship with Spielberg. But Eric still felt reluctant.

Kepler noticed Eric's struggle and hesitation and pressed on, "Eric, do you know which Hollywood company your Firefly resembles the most?"

Curiously, Eric lifted his head, and Kepler didn't hold back, "The one it resembles most is United Artists. Back when Charlie Chaplin and a few other famous directors founded United Artists, it was purely a production company focused on providing excellent films to the big players, much like Firefly, which currently has no distribution channels. And look where United Artists is now -- it's a subsidiary of MGM, while those companies with solid distribution have survived, aside from the unlucky Columbia."

Eric heard Kepler's comparison and instantly thought of DreamWorks; history did seem to repeat itself.

He often came across the phrase "distribution is king" in economic articles later on, which was indeed a profound truth. In his memories from the past, many successful mid-tier companies like Lionsgate and Miramax started as distributors. Spielberg's DreamWorks, both past and present, could only drift within the realms of the giants like Universal, Paramount, and Disney, often fighting over minuscule cuts.

"And right now, your Firefly is even weaker than United Artists without any distribution abilities. Those major studios with most of the distribution channels could squash you with ease. So, you desperately need some allies who can genuinely support you at crucial times, so that when bad times come, there will be someone to cheer for you and bridge connections, instead of you being completely isolated. Hyenas can't be friends with lions, but there's no barrier between hyenas. In this situation, with Spielberg offering a hand, pushing him away would be incredibly unwise."

If Eric were a local denizen of this era, Kepler's mix of persuasion through flattery and intimidation would have probably convinced him to comply. Unfortunately, he wasn't.

"Alright, Kepler, I get it," Eric nodded, appearing to take his advice.

Kepler eagerly passed his big Motorola phone to Eric. "Then hurry and call Spielberg. Don't worry about him thinking you're wishy-washy; Eric, you're young and have that privilege. Spielberg won't mind."

Eric took the heavy phone and fidgeted with it. "Kepler, I only said I understood the importance of distribution channels for Firefly. I didn't say I was selling the rights to Spielberg."

Kepler blinked in disbelief, staring at Eric, finally disheartened as he reclaimed his phone. "Suit yourself. I've said my piece. Jeffrey wasn't wrong; you really are a stubborn young man.

"Don't worry, Kepler. I have my own plans. Just think about it; I'm British-American. I still hold British citizenship. So even if I do get friendly with Spielberg, I probably won't break into any Jewish circles."

Eric had indeed considered all this. Among Firefly's films this year, he had already secured three projects -- one for Columbia and two based on previous contracts with Fox.

While the other three films did not yet have determined distributors, he had received plenty of interest from the big six for distribution deals; he could sign contracts whenever he

wanted.

If all these films ended up being as successful as he remembered, he could accumulate a substantial nest egg. Even if one or two flopped due to unforeseen issues, it wouldn't harm him much; at most, he'd lose a bit. After all, other than Columbia, which threw down 40 million dollars, the investments for the others were all under 10 million. Even if just one of them exploded like in his past life, he'd recover all investments and profit.

After this year, just as Kepler warned, the giants would likely notice he was taking too much and would do everything to suppress him, squeezing out his rightful benefits. But by then, he would have amassed enough capital to fend for himself.

Not to mention whether the big six would truly unite against him. If something that unlikely ever happened, he'd just bide his time and build strength. Plus, Eric didn't believe that as long as he could bring massive profits to the giants, they would maintain a united front against him for long. When too many people were involved, conflicts would arise.

"Kepler, let's call it a night; lend me your car. You can take mine," Eric decided. Kepler glanced at the lady in the back seat and shook his head. "No way, Eric; you can't just borrow cars. Especially since you've been drinking. I'll drop you off at home." "Kepler, don't be so serious. Just because you shaved your head doesn't mean you're a bulb now," Eric teased, causing Virginia, sitting in the back, to lower her head in embarrassment. Kepler laughed. "You misunderstood; I wasn't offering to be a bulb, I meant to say I'd drive you both home. I only had a few sips of champagne, and more importantly, I'm very experienced in dodging paparazzi. I landed my first employer thanks to this skill, and I don't want to have to deal with the press over you two's scandals tomorrow morning. Eric, Beverly

Hills or Malibu?"

"Let's go to my house; Malibu's too far."

"Okay, then you sit in the back. The front may get photographed."

Eric reluctantly moved to the back seat as Kepler pulled out of the parking garage. As they got onto the highway, several cars noticeably began to follow. A little later, Kepler glanced in the rearview mirror and chuckled, "Three cars are tailing us. Luckily, there were plenty of targets at the party; otherwise, we could have ended up with a string of cars behind us."

*****

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