hunt hollywood

The original "Jurassic Park" is more like a group play, except that Dr. Grant and Dr. Steller have more roles as a couple.

Simon doesn't intend to make too many changes to the plot of the original "Jurassic Park".

This time, however, it will reverse some of the missteps made by the original series.

The most important thing is to maintain the continuity of the series.

In the "Jurassic Park" trilogy in the 90s, except for the first one with a global box office of more than 9 million US dollars, the box office of the latter two is not as good as the other.

In Simon's view, apart from the severe imitation of the first film and the lack of innovation in the plot, the most important reason is the lack of coherence in the story.

In "Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World", all the protagonists of the first part quit. Except for the dinosaur element, it is basically another story. Shrunk in half.

In the restart of "Jurassic World" many years later, the producer did not make this mistake again.

The leading actors and actresses Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard still participated in the first film after the global box office hit of 16 billion US dollars. Global box office.

Therefore, Simon has identified at least two permanent roles from the beginning this time.

It is the pair of scientists played by Sam Neill and Renee Russo, who Daenerys Entertainment will directly sign a trilogy contract with.

Of the two, Sam Neill is the original actor, needless to say.

Renee Russo replaced the original Laura Dern.

In addition to personal factors, Simon felt that Renee Russell was more suitable for the role of a paleobotanist than Laura Dunn in terms of age and temperament.

Laura Dern looked like she was in her 30s in the original film, which seemed to be a good match for Sam Neill, but in fact, the aging actress is only 25 years old this year.

In my memory, Laura Dern was able to get the role mainly because she won an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress a year before the filming started.

Steven Spielberg doesn't like to cooperate with actors who are too high-ranking. He has an Oscar-nominated Best Supporting Actress Laura Dern, both in terms of popularity and acting skills, are just right.

This time, "Jurassic Park" is a year ahead of schedule, and Laura Dern's "Passion Rose," for which Laura Dern was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, has yet to hit theaters.Coincidentally, Renee Russo won a Best Supporting Actress nomination at this year's Oscars for her role in "Goodfellas," which Simon hooked up last year.

Simon has no feelings for Laura Dunne, and Renee Russell is very suitable, so there is no need to toss about others.

At the end of the audition, Sam Neill and Renee Russell left first, Simon and Spielberg discussed other supporting role candidates, and went to Daenerys Special Effects to check out some special effects for "Jurassic Park". motion capture technology.

The Velociraptor in the film will be shot this time using motion capture technology that can make the picture more vivid and vivid, instead of pure CG animation.

At the same time, the motion capture technology has matured ahead of time and can also be applied to more other films of Daenerys Entertainment.

It was so busy until noon, and after having lunch with Spielberg, Simon personally sent the other party to the parking lot, and was about to say goodbye when Spielberg seemed to suddenly think of something, and said, "There is one more small thing, Simon."

Seeing Spielberg's expression, Simon probably realized something, and smiled and motioned for him to speak.

Spielberg also smiled and said, "About the "The Last of the Mohicans" that you are preparing, I have a goddaughter, and she hopes to try the role of the sister of the kidnapped sisters in the script. "

"Is your goddaughter, Steven, the little girl from ET, Drew Barrymore?"

Spielberg shook his head and said: "No, it's another one, named Gwyneth Paltrow. His father and I have known each other for a long time, and we worked together at Universal. She is 19 years old and just I had a small cameo in my Captain Hawk movie."

So, with such a godfather, what else can others say?

Simon sighed in his heart, but he didn't hesitate. This kind of favor must still be given, so he nodded readily and said, "No problem, I will arrange it."

Michael Mann has been writing the script of "The Last of the Mohicans" during this time. Simon has already seen the first draft, and the sisters don't have too many roles.

Moreover, since she can win an Oscar, Gwyneth Paltrow will definitely not be without talent in acting.Although he is the godfather, the other party should understand that Spielberg's favor is not unlimited, and he will not be like the "goddaughters" in Simon's memory, relying on his background to neglect him.

The rapid rise of Simon conceals the brilliance of the older generation of first-line directors like Spielberg.

If there is no grudge in my heart, it is impossible.

Originally, with Spielberg's status in Hollywood, such a small role may only need a phone call.The reason why I had to bring it up with Simon in person was because of Daenerys Entertainment's key projects, all the main creative candidates needed to be decided by Simon himself.

Seeing that Simon agreed so simply, Spielberg subconsciously eliminated a lot of estrangement towards the young man.

The two continued chatting by the car for a while before Spielberg drove away.

After sending Spielberg away, Simon just turned around when the female assistant walked over with a folder.

"AOL just sent the latest revised prospectus. If you have no comments, it will be submitted to the SEC tomorrow. The IPO roadshow will start on July 7, and the official listing will be on July 1."

According to the US stock listing process, AOL's prospectus had been submitted two months ago, and this time only some amendments to the terms and conditions were made.

As he walked, Simon took the document handed over by the female assistant and opened it, finding the revisions that had been marked.

After the recent split adjustment, AOL's total share capital is roughly determined to be 1.5 million shares, of which Westeros holds 1 million shares, a shareholding ratio of slightly more than 1290%.The remaining 75% of the shares are owned by the companies that participated in the investment earlier and the management of AOL.

In addition, the IPO of AOL will adjust the company to a dual-class share structure.

The original 1.5 million shares belonged to Class A shares, and the upcoming 2250 million shares belonged to Class B shares.

Class B shares have only one-tenth of the voting rights of Class A shares.

After issuing new shares equivalent to 15% of the total share capital, Westeros' voting rights actually decreased by less than 1%, still reaching 74.1%.

Therefore, unless Simon voluntarily gives up in the future, almost no one will be able to seize control of AOL from Westeros, even the original shareholders who also own some Class A shares.

In the revised document in Simon's hands, the main adjustment this time is the issue price range of AOL.

Morgan Stanley, which is responsible for the underwriting of the new IPO shares, valued AOL’s IPO at US$25 billion more than two months ago. Valuations have also continued to rise.

This revision, AOL's offering price range for submissions is $19 to $21.

Calculated according to the maximum new share issue price of US$21, it is equivalent to a valuation of US$31.5 billion for AOL.

Based on the growth rate of AOL users, in the first half of 1990, the total number of users is expected to reach 350 million, and it is expected to exceed 700 million for the whole year.

Based on the average payment amount of US$30 per user per month, if the number of users reaches 350 million, AOL’s monthly revenue will exceed 1 million, not including the additional user growth in the second half of the year.Therefore, Simon actually feels that the valuation of $31.5 billion is still low.

However, he does not plan to increase the issue price.

Leaving excess stock price growth potential to the market will benefit AOL and the entire Internet industry.

You know, Cisco's IPO is also in preparation.

Cisco is targeting ISP companies throughout the United States. Taking advantage of the rise of the Internet and the Westeros system's monopoly on World Wide Web technology, the company's growth has actually been even faster in the past year.Just as a hardware manufacturer, Cisco's performance is not as intuitive as the rapid growth in the number of monthly users of America Online.

It is also out of this consideration that Simon put Cisco on the market after AOL.

If AOL can get off to a good start, the capital market will certainly be equally enthusiastic about Cisco.

Chapter 423 Position Adjustment (Revised)

Back in Office Building No. [-] in the administrative district, Amy Pascal was already waiting for him in the rest area next to Simon's office on the fifth floor.

Simon had dinner with Spielberg at noon, and Amy was also not free, but invited Robert Rem.

After the original acquisition of New World Entertainment, New World Entertainment CEO Robert Rehm was left by Simon to serve as the president of Daenerys Entertainment in charge of the film distribution business. The contract period was from August 1988 to July 8, a total of three years. That is due next month.

Because of the unhappiness of the salary increase and job-hopping incidents, and the fact that Simon didn't really recognize Rem's ability, and the other party was a bit too old, so he didn't plan to renew the contract this time.

What Amy and Rem talked about at noon is about the other party's resignation next month.

After Robert Rehm leaves, his position will be taken over by Mark Belford, whom Simon has been cultivating in recent years.

Signaling Amy not to get up, Simon sat down opposite her and asked, "How did you talk with Bob?"

Amy put a newspaper that she just flipped through on the round table in front of her, and said, "Bob officially signed a contract with Paramount yesterday, and he will officially resign after completing the handover of the affairs here next month."

Since Daenerys Entertainment acquired MCA, Lehman has actually started looking for a next home.

Simon also knew about this, and Martin Davis, chairman of Paramount Communications, even greeted him specially.

Although some rifts have arisen, Rem has generally been conscientious in the past three years, so Daenerys Entertainment's disclosure to the public is only due to normal job adjustments.

There is no negative news spread, and Daenerys Entertainment's performance in film production and distribution in recent years has been obvious to all. Robert Rehm, who has personally witnessed the rise of Daenerys Entertainment, has naturally become the target of other studios.

Shirley Lansing, who was expected to join Paramount, was cut off by Simon and went to MGM. In order to revive Paramount's declining film business in recent years, Martin Davis invited Rem to serve as Paramount's film director. The new president of the industry.

"That's not bad," Simon said, thinking for a while and then said: "Also, take the time to arrange a leaving party for Bob in the name of the company, and give all the courtesy that should be given."

Amy nodded and said, "You're going to England next week, so the arrangement is in the middle of next month?"

"Wonder Woman" has been filming in the UK for two weeks. After the early stage of running-in, there will be some key shots to start shooting next week.

As an independent project of Daenerys Entertainment, Simon can no longer just regularly check the filming samples by remote control like "The Flash", but plans to rush over to follow up for a week in person.

"Let's arrange it at the end of July. In addition to the "Wonder Woman" thing, I also plan to go to Finland and maybe Italy. I may end up staying on the East Coast for a few days. AOL's IPO has been confirmed in July. 7th."

Amy agreed, and said again: "I'm really worried that one day you will completely ignore Daenerys Entertainment."

"I can't let it go," Simon laughed at himself, and said, "I'm actually the kind of guy who has a strong desire for power."

Amy shook her head slightly, looked at Simon and said, "I don't think there's anything wrong with it, Daenerys Entertainment, and all other companies in the Westeros system, without your personal control, it's hard to say what will happen. look."

Simon took a sip of the coffee brought by the female assistant, nodded with a smile and said, "It's a nice compliment, I'll say more of this kind of thing in the future."

Amy laughed, chatted a few words, and then talked about business: "I have completed the layoff quota of 1000 people during this period, but the company's production department and distribution department still have relatively serious redundancy problems. Many people who originally belonged to MCA Employees have also complained about us not raising their salaries to the same level as Daenerys employees, and some are still trying to contact the union to intervene."

After winning the MCA, Simon originally planned to lay off 3000 people, reducing the total number of employees of the two companies from 15000 to 12000.

It's just that, as soon as some rumors were released about the incident, it attracted intense attention from the media, labor unions, and federal government departments.

In order to avoid the two acquisitions that had just been settled at the time, Daenerys Entertainment had to quickly publicly promise that the layoffs would be only 1000 people.

Before the merger, the salary level of Daenerys Entertainment employees was significantly higher than that of MCA and other studios in the same industry. Because the layoff plan could not be fully implemented, Simon did not merge into Daenerys Entertainment as usual. The salaries of MCA employees have been raised to a considerable level.

In addition, in order to divert employees, Simon has also strengthened the construction of Daenerys Entertainment's overseas branches during this period, and has continuously sent many employees to overseas markets such as Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Now hearing Amy mentioning this matter again, Simon put away his expression, thought carefully for a moment and said: "As much as possible, the employees in the production and distribution department can be dispatched abroad, or they can choose to transfer people to the record and game departments in charge of Nancy. These businesses are largely common. In terms of remuneration, they can be given a formal notice, and adjustments will have to wait at least one year later, and the company needs to make an exact assessment of their capabilities.”

Amy said: "Actually, the main reason is that many people don't want to be sent abroad. Especially in Eastern Europe and Latin America, and some countries in Asia, you know."

"These are the top priorities of Daenerys Entertainment's next overseas expansion. Even if you can't make money now, cultivate the market in advance so that people there are familiar with the Daenerys Entertainment brand. Sooner or later we will Harvested. The next assignment plan, um... I will talk to Mark personally tomorrow, and there is no need to accommodate the wishes of the employees too much. Since they have received salaries and hope to get more in the future, they should accept assignments."

Simon said this, thought for a while, and added: "Wait until the beginning of next year. If there is still redundant staff, the second layoff will be carried out. At that time, it doesn't matter what someone says."

The two then discussed the progress of preparations for Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan. Amy also needs to leave Los Angeles to fly to Japan next week.

Just as he was talking, a greeting came from behind him.

Simon turned his head to look, and the female assistant brought a middle-aged man over, so he stood up with Amy.

The name of the visitor was Tom Pollack, who was the president of Universal Pictures under the original MCA.

Tom Pollack is in his 40s, with a short build, a typical Jewish big nose, some baldness, and a pair of recognizable drooping eyes.

MCA's chairman Lou Wassalman and president Sid Schinberg officially left after the deal was completed, taking only the title of consultant of what nature was clear to everyone.

After the merger of the two companies, Simon left Tom Pollack because Amy needed to take charge of the entire Daenerys Entertainment and it was impossible to take care of Daenerys Films.

After adjustments during this period, Tom Pollack's current position is the president of Daenerys Pictures, and he is also responsible for the split and integration of Universal Pictures and the three labels under Daenerys Entertainment.

As the core film label of Daenerys Entertainment, Simon handed over the position of president to Tom Pollack, which seemed to be a big deal to Ella Deutschman, president of Gaomen Pictures, and Danny Moore, president of New World Pictures. Reese, these two 'old men' are somewhat unfair, but in fact, Tom Pollack's authority is much smaller than the other two.

Gaomen Pictures and New World Pictures will further independently form two production and distribution systems focusing on their own themes.

Therefore, both Deutschman and Danny Morris belonged to the level of feudal officials.

In Daenerys Films, the real power is still in the hands of Simon. Tom Pollack only plays an auxiliary role, mainly responsible for the department's contract negotiations, personnel communication, budget formulation and other administrative affairs.

As the core creative right of a studio, Tom Pollack cannot get his hands on it, and the distribution of films under the label will also be in charge of Mark Belford, who will soon succeed Robert Rehm.

Moreover, Tom Pollack's original directorship of the Cineplex Odeon chain theater company under MCA was also replaced by Nancy Brill.

However, although Tom Pollack himself is not satisfied with his current situation, he doesn't have too many complaints.

Even a little fortunate.

Because of Simon's insistence on the control of MCA at the beginning, Tom Pollack originally thought that after the deal was concluded, he would also need to leave like Lou Wassalman and Sid Schinberg, but he did not expect to be able to stay.

You know, the current Hollywood can be described as a radish and a pit.

The studios that have just shrunk again from eight to seven, equal positions, Warner Bros. has Terry Semel, Columbia has Peter Cooper and Jon Peters, Fox has Joe Ross, MGM has Snow Lee Lansing, Disney had Jeffrey Katzenberg.

The last Paramount is also basically locked by Robert Rehm, who is about to leave Daenerys.

As for Daenerys, they are even more powerful.

Tom Pollack is not like Vassarman and Simberg who can directly retire with a large sum of money. He is only in his 40s and he is not willing to retire like this, but if he leaves, there will be no place for him in the first-tier studios Well, the second and third tier studios couldn't accommodate his big Buddha, and couldn't find a suitable position in the short term.

Now, being able to get the position of president of Daenerys Films does not have much power, but Daenerys Films under Daenerys Entertainment.Executives with a little experience in Hollywood understand that this is definitely a very gold-plated position.

The executives of Hollywood studios are always changing. After working in this position for a few years, even if they can't climb up, when they leave, they will definitely be able to easily get a studio head with real power like Robert Rehm. person position.Even, even if it is the person in charge of the entire media group at a higher level, it is not impossible.

Everyone said hello, and Amy left to go about her own business.

Simon didn't go back to the office next to him either, and continued to sit next to the tables and chairs in the lounge area with the floor-to-ceiling windows with a wide view and talked with Pollack about work.

"I met with the agents of Robert Redford and Adrian Ryan respectively in the morning. The two should have communicated in private. Made some concessions. I finally talked about 500% of the sharing ratio, and Adrian's basic salary was reduced to 15 million."