[Chapter 461: A Day on Set]
After the news broke that Guess Pictures was acquiring MGM, there was a lot of unfriendly chatter in the media. Many well-known filmmakers openly expressed their concerns. They pointed out that Guess Pictures, since its founding in 1992, had spent the last six years gradually swallowing up multiple production and distribution companies, growing stronger year after year. They had even dominated the box office champion spot for four consecutive years, unrivaled even by the combined might of the Hollywood Big Seven Studios.
Now, with Guess Pictures acquiring MGM, the company would become even more powerful. The fear was that Hollywood as a whole would be suffocated under Guess Pictures' dominance. Robert Reiner, former president of Castle Rock Pictures, looked very troubled during an interview. He believed that Guess Pictures' acquisition of MGM might represent an industry monopoly. He urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the US Department of Justice's antitrust division, and the MPAA to step in promptly to block the acquisition to prevent Guess Pictures from becoming a new media conglomerate monopoly.
Similarly, Mario Kassar, former president of Carolco Pictures, said in an interview that Guess Pictures, after acquiring Good Machine Pictures, Trimark Pictures, Artisan Entertainment, Marvel Entertainment, Pixar, and Carolco Pictures, had grown to a scale comparable to any of the Hollywood Big Seven Studios. Now, acquiring one of those big seven -- MGM -- its strength might reach unprecedented heights, making life even more difficult for the other six studios.
Moreover, Hollywood film critic Sean Soph and renowned producer Andrew Reiner publicly expressed that Guess Pictures was gaining more and more control over Hollywood. In the future, the film industry might be monopolized by Guess Pictures, forcing everyone to curry favor with them to get resources. They warned this would make the film industry closed, stifling, monotonous, and could even lead to decline. Therefore, they strongly opposed Guess Pictures' MGM acquisition.
...
Despite their passionate protests, they were just ordinary film professionals without the power to stop the acquisition. They could only shout slogans. When the criticism reached its peak, the FTC and the Department of Justice's antitrust division held a press conference assuring the public that the Guess Pictures acquisition of MGM was a reasonable business move. They found no evidence of monopoly or fraud and deemed no intervention necessary.
...
Meanwhile, Guess Pictures' PR team leaked some inside information through the media. They explained that after the acquisition, the two companies would merge industries. The film production units would be integrated into MGM, releasing movies through MGM's distribution channels. The number of major studios would change from eight back to seven, and other films would have more opportunities. Also, post-merger, the production departments would create more films, fostering a more prosperous film industry, providing more jobs for industry professionals. In these respects, the acquisition was beneficial to everyone.
...
Thanks to Guess Pictures' PR efforts, the media's coverage of critiques against Guess Pictures gradually diminished and received less attention. In a generally harmonious atmosphere, Guess Pictures completed its acquisition of MGM.
The acquisition deal itself didn't require Guess Pictures to pay much upfront. Of the $4.2 billion acquisition funds, $3.8 billion was bank debt, transferred automatically to Guess Pictures after closing. Additionally, after selling the operating rights to eight MGM hotels, Guess Pictures raised about $650 million. Part of this paid for the acquisition, and the rest went to repay the debt. The remaining debt stood at $3.6 billion, which was manageable for Guess Pictures. To quickly pay it off, they could launch a third round of financing or push for an IPO, all solvable in no time.
However, Link had no immediate plans for that. He intended to use MGM's film division to produce movies and spend five years paying off the debt. After clearing all debts, he would push his subsidiary companies public and make a fortune on the stock market.
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"Cut!"
"That was perfect, let's move on to the next scene!"
...
On the streets of a small town, the lead actor Truman was walking home from work with his briefcase. An elderly man, ragged and dazed, passed nearby. Truman took a few steps forward then suddenly stopped, surprised, turning back. "Dad?"
The elderly man, his face aged with time, slowly looked up and muttered, "Truman!"
Before they could recognize each other, a businessman and a dog walker rushed over and quickly took the old man away. Truman pursued them.
Cars and pedestrians flooded the street, blocking Truman's path. He ran to the bus, hitting the door with his briefcase, helplessly watching the man he suspected was his father being taken away.
...
"Cut!"
Link reviewed the shots and then spoke with Brian Delate and Jim Carrey, who played the father and Truman, respectively, discussing their acting issues. They then reshot the scene.
...
During a break, assistant Ashwarya reported to Link. After acquiring MGM, the famous MGM Building became part of the company's assets. The plan was to relocate the film department there to better integrate operations. Link had no issues with the idea but did not intend to move immediately. He planned to split the new company into two divisions: MGM Pictures would handle all film production and distribution for both companies, while Guess Pictures would remain independent, producing only movies he directed, effectively becoming a special unit. They would keep their office spaces separate to facilitate filmmaking.
"Boss, here's MGM's production schedule for this year. The production team suggests cutting some projects to avoid further losses," Ashwarya said, handing over a file.
MGM planned to film 12 movies this year, including the next 007 installment, The Thomas Crown Affair, Stigmata, At First Sight, and The Rage: Carrie 2. Total production costs approached $500 million -- a huge sum. Link reviewed the documents but wasn't sure which projects were promising; he planned to read the scripts before deciding.
"Put the film projects on hold for now. I'll review them when I have time," Link said, returning the folder.
"One more thing, Norika Fujiwara and Shizuka Kudo called earlier. They want to know when you'll be free; they're planning to visit the set," Ashwarya said while massaging his shoulders.
"Tell them not to come. I'm going to Palm Beach this weekend. Maybe I'll call them back later," Link said, stroking Ashwarya's smooth leg.
Seaside Town was in northwest Florida, and Palm Beach was over two hundred miles south. Link hadn't lived in Palm Beach during filming here, but since Fujiwara and others were coming, he could visit on his days off. Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston, Ashwarya, and sometimes Monica Bellucci, Nicole Kidman, and Sandra Bullock visited the set. His life on set was quite comfortable.
...
"Scene 31, shot 1, action!"
After a brief rest, filming resumed.
Truman, realizing the world around him was full of falsehoods, grew weary of his prison-like life and decided to escape Seahaven at any cost. To maintain ratings, the network's producers fabricated lies to conceal everything. For Truman to escape, he had to confront 'Christof,' the creator, producer, and director of The Truman Show, as well as overcome his own internal fears.
This was no easy task for Truman, nor for Jim Carrey playing him. Link needed to be as strict as 'Christof' in controlling the entire production, directing the lead actor, supporting roles, and extras according to his vision and needs.
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From March through April, Link spent every day on set, dedicating all time except dates with his girlfriends to filmmaking.
By April, the new Forbes Rich List was published. Link ranked fourth with a net worth of $20.5 billion, up about $6 billion from the previous year, moving up one position.
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