Robert Iger didn't stay long. After a brief chat with Duke, he took his leave from the Waldorf Astoria. Their conversation didn't delve too deeply into the disputes between Walt Disney, Duke, and Warner Bros. At this point, everyone in Hollywood was well aware that Pixar Studios was truly about to break away from the Disney system.
Although negotiations with Warner Bros. and Duke Pictures were still ongoing, Steve Jobs' attitude had gradually become clear. If nothing major happened, the deal was bound to go through.
"He really just came to visit you?"
In the suite, Tina Fey slowly turned the cup in her hand and asked curiously, "Or did he have some other purpose?"
"We used to work with Walt Disney, but now…"
Leaning back in the high-backed chair, Duke slowly shook his head. "Pixar Studios is too big a piece of cake—so big it can make any partners turn against each other. Besides, it's been too long since we worked with Disney."
How did his previous enemies come about? They were all people who reached into his plate to steal his cake.
It was the same logic with Pixar Studios. Duke, leveraging his position as a major Apple shareholder, had exerted some influence over Steve Jobs, which had led to sharp conflict with the Disney side.
Especially Disney's emperor Michael Eisner—losing Pixar Studios would have a huge impact on his future.
At Disney's shareholder meeting earlier this year, a considerable number of shareholders had already voiced dissatisfaction. If it weren't for Eisner's stellar past performance, he might have already been voted out.
According to Disney's regulations, once 40% of voting shares cast a vote of no confidence, Michael Eisner would be required to resign.
Even though today's Walt Disney was no longer the Disney of the Disney family and though Michael Eisner was wildly ambitious he still wasn't at the point of calling the company his own.
"Iger is a talented guy."
When speaking with Tina Fey, Duke was always direct. "And he's ambitious."
Robert Iger, back then, became CEO of Walt Disney after Michael Eisner stepped down, leading the group to acquire Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm. He launched a new era of fairytale movies, at one point making Walt Disney the number one media group in the world.
A man like that how could he be willing to endure Michael Eisner's suppression indefinitely?
The fact that he still hadn't left Walt Disney meant he was after something. By the same token, coming to meet Duke and trying to strengthen their relationship again wasn't just about some past friendship.
Unless Duke was a fool, he wouldn't believe Robert Iger came just to see him.
A Walt Disney as strong as it once was would undoubtedly go against Duke's interests. Currently, under years of pressure from Michael Eisner, Disney's management team remained fairly united.
If Michael Eisner stepped down, and Robert Iger who was inexperienced in filmmaking but more gentle in temperament and skilled in marketing—took over, it might actually be a blessing for Disney...
Duke had interacted with Robert Iger many times and knew the man was highly capable.
"Are you going to help him?"
The only person who could ask Duke such a direct question was Tina Fey. "Help him squeeze out Michael Eisner?"
"How could we help?"
Duke glanced at his assistant, picked up a water glass, took a slow sip, thought for a bit, and then said, "If he were the CEO of Warner Bros., I'd have the means to help him. But we can't get our hands inside Disney."
He did hold significant status and power in Hollywood, but that didn't make him the center of the world.
Tina Fey suddenly switched to a joking tone. "If he manages to win back Pixar Studios, squeezing out Michael Eisner shouldn't be all that difficult."
Duke slowly shook his head. "I don't want Robert Iger to succeed."
"Hmm..." Tina Fey thought for a moment and immediately understood what Duke meant. "A rapidly growing Disney isn't good for us at all…"
At this point, something else came to her mind, and she abruptly changed the subject. "By the way, Duke, I heard a rumor."
"What kind of rumor?" Duke asked.
"Walt Disney is planning to invest heavily in China to build the largest Disney theme park in Asia."
After saying that, Tina Fey added a few more explanations. "According to Hollywood estimates, China's economy is developing rapidly. Within the next ten years, it could become the second-largest movie market in the world. But due to their unique national conditions, getting any film into that market isn't an easy task."
As his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, Duke's brows slowly furrowed. If he were just a simple director, he wouldn't have to worry about this kind of issue. But he was a major Warner Bros. shareholder and held massive shares in Marvel. Some things had to be considered.
He asked slowly, "Tina, how many Disney parks are actually profitable?"
"Besides the ones in California and Florida, most are operating at a loss." Tina Fey recalled the data as she spoke. "If we're only talking about theme park revenue, the overseas Disney parks aren't doing very well. Disney has long wanted to sell partial shares of the Paris and Tokyo parks to ease financial pressure."
In truth, Duke knew very well that the cost of maintaining a Disney park was simply too high. The purpose of building Disney parks was never just about the amusement aspect.
For example, it acted more like a giant platform. The Disney retail village in front of the park was actually the main revenue source.
And when Disney transferred shares of its theme parks, it always excluded the Disney retail village.
"This is a stepping stone."
Standing up and pacing the living room, Duke quickly made other connections. "Building a Disneyland requires a massive investment. And it's not just Disneyland itself adding in the surrounding hotels and other supporting facilities, the investment effect driven by Disneyland could very well exceed 30 billion U.S. dollars."
"In any country…" Tina Fey looked at Duke and said, "this would be an irresistible investment."
She looked a bit confused. "But there's already a Disneyland in Hong Kong."
"But the significance of this Disneyland is greater." Duke stopped pacing, stood by the hotel window, and looked westward. "If such a large investment can be achieved, Disney will definitely be favored by that government. Its products could even enter the opposing market in full scale such as movies and movie-related merchandise…"
Just the fact that the release date wouldn't be too far behind North America would bring massive revenue to a film.
Has there ever been a Hollywood blockbuster that truly performed extremely well when released a month later in that market?
"This is bad for us." Tina Fey immediately picked up on the key point. "They have a quota for the number of films imported each year. If Disney takes too big a share, our films…"
She instantly thought of the Marvel and DC cinematic universe plans, which are huge investments that cost upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars. If the opposing market is really as tempting as predicted, Disney would definitely harm their interests.
Walking back to his seat, Duke slowly sat down, frowning as he thought about the future. In the past, after Disney played the Disneyland card, it undoubtedly gained enormous success, and the actual investment wasn't as high as imagined.
The most typical aspect, without a doubt, is funding. Even the Walt Disney Group couldn't possibly produce such a huge amount of capital to build a Disneyland.
If he remembered correctly, the funding for the Disneyland that Disney built came from several state-owned banks on the other side. Disney just used future income as collateral, and the amount of its own funds actually used was almost negligible.
All of this was tied to Robert Iger and happened during his tenure.
"Tina, have someone keep an eye on Iger." Duke looked at his assistant. "A chaotic Disney is more in line with our interests."
The best outcome would be Robert Iger and Michael Eisner fighting to the death. That would definitely impact Disney's performance and operations.
He then said, "Go back to Los Angeles and see Doug Walter. Tell him it's my idea—see if Warner can consider building a Warner World over there. If it's possible, have them make initial contact and leak a bit of information."
Tina Fey immediately understood Duke's intention. "Squeeze Disney out by offering even more favorable conditions?"
"It'd be best if we could…"
Duke sighed lightly. Although Warner World is also well-known, its recognition over there is far from matching that of Disneyland.
The two of them discussed a few more details. After Tina Fey called Duke's private jet captain, she was about to head back to her room to pack. Suddenly, there was a crisp knock at the door.
Tina Fey went to open the door. She spoke with a member of the crew for a while, then closed the door and walked back in, holding an exquisitely designed invitation in her hand.
Duke looked at the gilded design, and asked with mild curiosity, "Who sent the invitation?"
"Someone invited you to a premiere."
Tina Fey walked over and handed the invitation to Duke. "David Ellison specifically had someone send it. He's inviting you to the New York premiere of Flyboys."
"He's quite thoughtful."
Duke glanced at it and put it aside. "Looks like David Ellison is very confident in his new film."
"I heard he even played a role in the movie." Tina Fey asked, "Are you going?"
"Of course I am." Duke stood up. "Why wouldn't I?"
.....
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