America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

In the current North American film market, for a widely released film that starts off with a flop, a turnaround requires not only stellar reviews but also exceptionally good fortune. The likelihood of "The Lone Ranger" making a comeback was undoubtedly beyond hellish. In some ways, the film was like Johnny Depp himself, possessing a certain allure under specific circumstances, but once stripped of that context, it could only be described as "rotten." With a failed opening day box office, Depp faced a downfall, as the media, eager for the news impact, couldn't wait to knock him into the dust. Apart from a series of recent troubles, even the 1993 death of River Phoenix in Depp's bar was dredged up by the media, claiming it was Depp, the bar owner, who had supplied Phoenix with an excess of drugs, leading to the subsequent tragedy. When everything is smooth sailing and a star continuously generates immense commercial value, they are surrounded by good people and good deeds. Even drug addiction and alcohol abuse could be praised by the media as a valiant struggle against addiction. However, a star in rapid descent would find themselves surrounded by villains and scoundrels, with even a minor issue being blown out of proportion by the media. Johnny Depp still had the support of a vast number of fans, but he lost his appeal to the general public through continuous media reporting. All this was directly reflected in the fate of "The Lone Ranger." On the second day of release, Saturday, the daily box office took a noticeable dive, grossing only 6.58 million US dollars. As the opening weekend in North America passed, "The Lone Ranger," as expected, seized the top spot on the domestic box office charts, but the total gross was only 18.55 million US dollars. This box office figure sent shockwaves through Hollywood. It was a damn disaster! At this rate, who would dare to invest in a super blockbuster with over 200 million US dollars in the future? Yet, many people enjoyed watching the debacle, especially since the failure belonged to an outsider who had flaunted their cash and wreaked havoc in Hollywood. Who wouldn't delight in seeing the Ellison family's misfortune? Subsequently, Cinemascore announced the average grade from audience scores in theaters: a C, in line with "Transcendence," predicting a box office finish around 40 million US dollars. ...... Burbank, Davis Studio. Inside Martin's office, Nicholson sat on the sofa, his face creased with laughter, "Our half-year-long 'Depp Battle Plan' has finally borne significant fruit!" "Guys!" Martin poured three glasses of champagne, passing them to Nicholson and Leonardo, "We must toast to this!" The three clinked glasses in celebration. Leonardo set down his glass and said, "Before, when I saw other mega-stars' films fail, I would feel sad. Why is it that now, seeing this happen, I only feel thrilled?" He smacked his forehead, finding the reason, "It must be you two scoundrels leading me astray, turning me from a good man into a total scoundrel!" "You? A good man?" Martin exposed his true colors, "Back in 1998, James Cameron called you out as an unmistakable scoundrel!" Nicholson nodded, "I remember that incident; can testify to it." Leonardo didn't seem embarrassed about being called out and quickly changed the subject, "Wasn't 'The Lone Ranger's' budget frighteningly high?" Martin knew the details all too well, "Megan Ellison's Anna Purna Pictures bought the rights from Disney Studios for 80 million US dollars plus a confidential share of post-release profits, and my studio was involved in the bidding at the time." Nicholson expressed dissatisfaction with his change of subject, "You were fanning the flames, inflating the price of the rights." Martin chuckled, feeling no need to deny it in front of his close friends, and went on, "I don't know what Megan Ellison was thinking, but it probably has to do with her desire to make this into the so-called new 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series. Anna Purna Pictures didn't include the cost of the rights transfer in the production budget." Leonardo laughed and slapped the arm of the sofa, "That's really good news." Martin continued, "The initial production budget for 'The Lone Ranger' was 200 million US dollars, which due to Depp's various antics, escalated to 250 million. The marketing and promotion of the film were jointly conducted by Anna Purna and Warner Bros., with a budget of 150 million US dollars—reportedly, Anna Purna financed half of it." Nicholson caught on at once, "Megan Ellison made an investment for a series operation before even knowing the outcome of the first film—such confidence is not something ordinary people possess." Leonardo spoke frankly, "It's because she has a father worth 30 billion dollars, a man renowned for his confidence and arrogance." Martin grabbed the champagne to refill the glasses for Leonardo and Nicholson, "During the shooting in Death Valley National Park, Megan Ellison was extremely dissatisfied with Depp. Their conflict was sharp, but for the sake of the film's commercial prospects, she had to endure." Leonardo remarked, "The more one endures, the more terrifying the explosion when it comes." "Even if Megan Ellison doesn't blow up, we need to provoke her until she does!" Nicholson said coldly, "Depp, the bastard, dared to plan a car accident. Doesn't he know that Martin is under my protection?" He slammed his hand on the arm of the sofa, "We have to hit Depp hard this time, make it so he can't even take care of himself!" Martin raised his hands in agreement, "I have planned two scenarios on my side—one initiated by Musk from Silicon Valley, who's already gotten involved with Depp's wife, Amber Heard." "This guy really has a taste for trouble," Leonardo interjected, "Isn't he afraid she'll crap in his bed?" Nicholson eyed Martin up and down, "I thought you would take him on personally, but it turns out someone is already leading the charge." Leonardo frowned, "You, a specialist in stealing other people's wives, didn't make a move? That's not logical!" Martin got angry, "Because I'm a mathematician, capable of solving math problems..." Leonardo's face changed dramatically, "I was wrong, it's all my fault! Martin Davis is upright and honest in his dealings, in pursuing women, and even in stealing other's wives!" Martin directly pushed his middle finger into Leonardo's face. Nicholson said, "We're discussing how to screw someone over, can you two be serious for a moment?" Martin and Leonardo stopped messing around. Nicholson asked Martin, "What's next?" Martin said, "Find an opportunity to provoke Megan Ellison in person, letting her unleash all the pent-up dissatisfaction and anger towards Depp, so he can fully experience the wrath of a billionaire princess." He lifted his champagne glass, took a sip, and added, "As for Musk, he's going to incite Amber Heard to divorce Depp; based on what he knows, the love-struck Depp didn't sign any prenuptial agreement with Amber..." Nicholson slapped his thigh in annoyance, "I should have had Lorraine hook up with Depp if I had known." Martin and Leonardo were utterly speechless at their boss's ridiculousness. Nicholson said, "Depp still has a fortune, and Amber could get a share after the divorce." "It's more than that," Martin suddenly laughed, "That bastard Musk is also enjoying the game we're orchestrating, preparing to turn Amber Heard into a successful domestic abuse victim." Nicholson nodded, "That's exactly what we want," and he exclaimed in admiration, "Indeed, the scoundrels you know are just as scoundrelly as you." Leonardo suddenly laughed, "Depp's really getting the VIP treatment, eh? The three of us are watching him, Megan Ellison's watching him, and Tesla's Musk is watching him. He should feel honored and personally thank us." Martin said, "You can give Depp a call." "Who will provoke Megan Ellison," The exciting task had Nicholson volunteering proactively, "I'll go, I have plenty of experience..." Martin, having painstakingly created today's situation, naturally wanted his turn too, "The project was snatched away from me by Megan Ellison; I'll be most effective in person." Leonardo did not want to miss out either, "A few years ago, Megan Ellison asked me for an autograph and a photo, saying she was a fan. If her idol turns against her, the impact will be even greater." The three of them couldn't agree, each wanting a chance at the thrill. Such an opportunity was too rare. As the leader of the Trio of Scoundrels, Nicholson made the final decision, "Let's all go together, and then decide who will take the lead based on the situation. Fair and reasonable, and even those who don't get to participate can still enjoy the show." Leonardo agreed, "Good idea." "Let's do that," Martin considered for a moment, then said, "Our task now is to quickly figure out Megan Ellison's movements, to know where she will appear." Nicholson had the most connections, "Leave it to me." ...… Anna Purna Pictures, President's office. Megan Ellison sat idly in her chair, motionless for over half an hour. On her desk sat the latest data report for "Lone Ranger." The North American opening weekend box office of 18.55 million US Dollars, as if carrying a horror effect, made it something Megan couldn't bear to look at head-on. Having invested so much, with so much effort, confident in the project and the film, to be met with such a result, who could be content? Who could accept it calmly? Even though she was the daughter of the madman Larry Ellison, even though her father was a billionaire, such a painful failure still caused Megan Ellison's heart to bleed. The previous "Transcendental Hacker" was a failure, and Megan could endure that. After all, who hasn't faced failure when starting a business? But she couldn't understand the failure of "Lone Ranger." A production budget of 250 million US Dollars, fully funded. The producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, has been Hollywood's respected golden producer for over twenty years, with films like "Breakin'," "Bad Boys," "The Rock," "Armageddon," "Pearl Harbor," "Black Hawk Down," "Pirates of the Caribbean," "National Treasure," and so forth, all proving his capabilities and vision. The director, Gore Verbinski, was extremely talented, having just directed the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. The lead actor, Johnny Depp, was one of Hollywood's most compelling A-list stars. These people had just previously created the glory of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. Plus her, an outstanding investor, it was as if all the elements for success were present. Yet the film was a failure, a disastrous one at that!