America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

In this commercial society, as long as you're willing to spend money, things naturally become easier to accomplish.

Within just one day, the two small teams led by Drett and Wilson had compiled and verified relevant information and submitted it to Megan Ellison.

Wilson made direct contact with Jerry Bruckheimer and reported, "The information is confirmed. Last December, Jerry represented Bruckheimer Productions and submitted a proposal to Disney Studios to adapt 'Lone Ranger' into a movie. The materials we have obtained were actually organized by Jerry himself."

Megan Ellison smiled and said, "So Martin Davis is grabbing someone else's project."

Wilson continued, "Indeed, because of the revenue sharing dispute over the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series, Jerry had a conflict with Disney Studios. Their new president, Ellen Horn, took issue with Jerry and directly suppressed the project, as Jerry believes the other party wanted to make him bow down."

He added, "I've also uncovered something from Jerry not on the record; his initial plan was to lead the original 'Pirates of the Caribbean' production team, with Gore Verbinski continuing as the director and Depp starring, to create another Caribbean series."

Megan commented, "A golden producer with a golden production team, that's great!"

Based on his many years of experience, Wilson suggested, "President, we should take down this project, the sooner the better!"

Drett interjected, "Davis Studio offered an exaggeratedly high fee to nab Depp and even agreed to pay the full penalty fee. Martin Davis is clearly retaliating against us! Moreover, I've bribed someone at Disney Studios and got solid confirmation that the 'Lone Ranger' project was discussed personally between Martin Davis and Ellen Horn."

These were enough for Megan, a proud, strong, and decisive tyrannical female president, to make her decision: "Immediately assemble the most capable staff to form the negotiation team. Today we will formally approach Disney Studios to purchase the adaptation rights for 'Lone Ranger'. Money is no object!"

She thought for a moment and then said, "Wilson, get in contact officially with Jerry Bruckheimer's team. I want to bring the Caribbean's golden production team into this project!"

Wilson remarked, "The personal relationship between Martin Davis and Ellen Horn will be the biggest obstacle."

"We make a public offer. Ellen Horn is only the president of Disney Studios, not the controlling shareholder," Megan's strategy was straightforward, speak with strength and overpower with finances, "Let the entire management of Disney know our offer. This becomes a more pure commercial transaction.

In front of corporate profits, the personal relationship between Martin Davis and Ellen Horn, no matter how good, will have to give way!"

Anna Purna Pictures had not been established for a long time, its copyright library was nonexistent, and the number of movie projects it had invested in could be counted on one hand. It was a new company among new companies, but it was flush with capital!

That afternoon, an explosive piece of news swept through Hollywood; Anna Purna Pictures offered a high price of 30 million US Dollars to Disney Studios for the movie adaptation rights to the classic show 'Lone Ranger'!

Disney Studios immediately convened a management meeting and later responded. They made preliminary contact with Anna Purna Pictures, expressing that the movie adaptation rights for 'Lone Ranger' were not for sale at Disney.

That was a clear signal for a higher price.

Anna Purna Pictures immediately raised their offer, and the tug of war began.

...…

Inside Martin's office at Davis Studio,

Leonardo opened the glass cabinet, took out Lily's latest work, and while admiring it, said, "The fish has taken the bait."

Nicholson looked at Martin, "You must respond, you can't back down now."

"I understand." Martin picked up the phone and called Jessica, "We'll also make a public offer, 50 million US Dollars!"

Nicholson's eyebrows twitched, "Have you gone mad? What if you scare them off?"

Martin replied, "That won't happen. Jerry Bruckheimer's initial plan was to create another blockbuster series like the Caribbean. For a series' rights, 50 million US Dollars is a small matter."

He remembered that the film and TV rights for the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' series sold for over a hundred million US Dollars.

Leonardo chimed in, "We're not really buying, so what's there to fear?"

Nicholson's phone rang; after taking a call and then hanging up, he said, "The latest news is that Anna Purna Pictures has made contact with Jerry Bruckheimer. It's estimated that Megan Ellison wants to invite Bruckheimer's team to produce."

"We've already offered Depp as an option beforehand, and now she's also approached Jerry Bruckheimer. If all goes as expected, she will also invite Depp to star as the lead actor." That was critical, Martin calculated silently from an investor's perspective, "Bruckheimer's earliest plan in joint production with Disney proposed a production budget of no less than 150 million US Dollars.

If you include the licensing fees, she'll have to invest at least 200 million US Dollars in production alone."

Leonardo, who owned a film company, commented, "It will only be more, never less."

Nicholson laughed heartily, evidently delighted, "This has gotten big. If, like you said, all three such massive investment projects fail, Anna Purna Pictures will surely go bankrupt. Even if Larry Ellison has nearly thirty billion dollars in assets, he wouldn't let his daughter so generously fund Hollywood."

Martin reminded them, "You two be careful, don't end up being 'suicided' with bullets in your back!"

Nicholson replied, "Let them come, I'm not afraid nobody's after me!"

Then, the three left Burbank together and headed to Hollywood, to attend the actors' union awards luncheon.

There were no surprises with the lead actor and actress categories, as Leonardo and Natalie Portman each took home the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor and Actress.

It's no exaggeration to say that their chances of winning the Oscar for Best Actor and Actress were as high as ninety-nine percent.

Regarding the battle for "The Lone Ranger," Martin no longer needed to worry; Nicholson had been acting as the commander all along, controlling the entire scheme.

In a full-scale performance, Davis Studio not only raised their bid but also intensified their efforts to poach Depp, making contacts with Jerry Bruckheimer's production team and putting on a formidable competitive stance.

With both companies vying so fiercely, the news couldn't stay secret. Projects favored by Martin and Jerry Bruckheimer quickly attracted more predators.

Summit Entertainment, financed by Wall Street capital, and Relativity Media jumped into the competition.

Lionsgate Films and Paramount Pictures also inquired about the possibility of co-production with Disney Studios.

Sony Columbia Pictures even made an offer of 60 million US Dollars to purchase the rights.

The higher the bid, the less inclined Ellen Horn was to let Disney Studios proceed with the adaptation. Was it worth investing over 200 million US Dollars in a project whose profits might not exceed those from licensing the rights, not to mention the associated risks?

Before the Oscar ceremony began, all of Hollywood was captivated by this commercial bidding war, and "The Lone Ranger" seemed to become an exceedingly hot project.

The week before the Oscars, Anna Purna Pictures, with its robust cash flow, secured the film adaptation rights to "The Lone Ranger" for 80 million US Dollars, along with an undisclosed percentage of post-release profits.

All of Hollywood was shocked!

Megan Ellison's show of force was even more startling than that of her brother David Ellison when he first entered Hollywood.

While signing the licensing agreement with Disney Studios, Anna Purna Pictures also managed to secure Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski's original "Pirates of the Caribbean" production team, and they announced they would be using this award-winning team to produce "The Lone Ranger."

However, they encountered some trouble with Johnny Depp.

"30 million US Dollars? For me to continue starring in their new work?"

Today, Depp, who was unusually sober, directly rejected the offer from Anna Purna Pictures after hearing it, telling his agent, "I don't feel their sincerity." Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire

Hui Gemu said, "That's their starting offer, we can keep negotiating."

Depp responded bluntly, "I remember Davis Studio offered me a base salary of 35 million US Dollars for this role, plus a maximum of 10 percent North American box office revenue share. Anna Purna can't offer less than that, right?"

Martin's bid raised Depp's expectations.

Hui Gemu said, "I'll renegotiate with Anna Purna Pictures this afternoon. 35+10 is the base."

As Martin aimed to dig Depp out and Jerry Bruckheimer insisted on having Depp, Anna Purna Pictures ultimately signed a salary agreement with Johnny Depp's agency for 35 million US Dollars plus up to a 15 percent share of the North American box office.

Depp was notoriously difficult to work with, and in addition to these terms, the production had to provide high salaries for Depp's five entourage members, three nannies, and two dogs.

As for the hundreds of other miscellaneous stipulations regarding catering, wardrobe, living, and transportation included in the agreement, Depp now had that kind of leverage.

After the actor's agreement was signed, Anna Purna Pictures held a grand press conference, which also served as the project announcement, right before the Oscars.

The production budget for the project soared to 220 million US Dollars, and Jerry Bruckheimer's team would start preparations immediately. After Depp finished filming "Transcendental Hacker", they would move on to shooting "The Lone Ranger."

Besides this, Anna Purna Pictures was also advancing two other film projects: "The Seventh Son" and "Zero Dark Thirty."

The established companies in Hollywood could see clearly that following Relativity Media, another wolf had come to Hollywood.

But whether the wolf would feast on meat or end up leaving behind its own fat was still undetermined.

Running four such projects at once, with no previous film production experience and difficulty attracting external investment, Anna Purna Pictures had a very tight cash flow.

Megan Ellison couldn't always turn to her father for help, so she simply opted for a bank loan.

However, since Anna Purna Pictures lacked a film library and tangible assets for collateral, the banks rejected their application to use future film revenues as security. Megan Ellison decisively used the trust fund set up for her by Larry Ellison as collateral.

She was an outsider to Hollywood, and she scoffed at the old Hollywood mantra of not using one's own money to make movies.