New York, JFK International Airport.
A Lincoln was speeding towards Rhode Island.
Eric examined the exquisite gift box in his hand, which contained an old Longines watch.
It had a stainless steel case and a beige dial, which had aged to a rich cream color, looking ugly and outdated compared to modern craftsmanship.
But its former owner was Oscar Schindler, the inspiration for Spielberg's "Schindler's List." Chen Xing had gone to great lengths to acquire it from the RR Auction House in Boston.
The price wasn't very expensive, only ten thousand US dollars, but its significance was extraordinary, especially for Jewish People. This would be his gift to Gal Gadot, not pricey but demonstrating sincerity.
Ring!
His phone rang, and Warren's voice came through.
"Eric, they said you went to New York."
"Yes, I've arrived and am on my way to Rhode Island, preparing to meet with Hasbro."
"Really? I'm sure you can handle them and get the transformers copyright."
"I hope it's a success on the first try, but I don't think it will be that simple."
"You always find a way. But since you're not in Los Angeles, I'll give you a work update over the phone."
At AK Films, Bema Hardy has already hired an assistant manager who will start in the next few days.
The script for "sharknado" is being prepared and is expected to be completed in a week. Such illogical bad movies are not challenging at all.
The screenwriter even made a request: he only wanted to earn some extra money but didn't want to be disgraced, so he asked that his name not appear in the film. He didn't want to be nailed to the pillar of shame.
As for the actors, everyone except the male lead has been finalized. Eric doesn't know any of them; they are all unknowns, with salaries not exceeding 100,000 US dollars.
There are plenty of such actors, whether in Hollywood or China, who enter the entertainment industry to chase their dreams, hoping to become big stars.
After years or even more than a decade of struggle, perhaps they've acted in a few plays, but most of the time they're extras, never quite making it big, and finally leaving in disappointment.
The result is a wasted youth and wasted time, without other marketable skills, a complete mess.
It's better for women; as long as they are pretty, they can usually find a partner, and even if they don't become rich, they can live a stable life.
Male actors, however, have a tougher time. In the end, they can only resort to illicit means or work as cashiers, insurance salesmen, etc. While their peers have wives, children, and warm homes, they are still miserably delivering food.
When asked what they used to do, they can only smile bitterly and then advise young people never to enter the entertainment industry, calling it a black hole.
"If there's no one for the male lead, I recommend someone."
"His name is Ryan Reynolds. He started as a child star and has been in the industry for many years, but he's never really made it big. His current situation probably isn't great, so you can contact him."
"Tell him that even though "sharknado" is a bad movie, it's uniquely bad and will definitely help him make a name for himself."
"Moreover, this is my project. If his performance is outstanding enough, MGM's new movies will prioritize him. The salary can be slightly higher. If he hesitates, contact me."
On the other end of the phone, Warren wrote down the name: "Ryan Reynolds, I've got him. The person you recommend will definitely be fine. I'll contact the Screen Actors Guild right away."
Speaking of the male lead, Little Mercenary's name suddenly popped into Eric's head, immediately giving Warren an idea.
Ryan Reynolds and "sharknado"—it sounds like a good match.
Moreover, Little Mercenary is not famous yet. Although he started early, his luck hasn't been great, and he hasn't made a breakthrough after more than a decade.
Eric remembered that Ryan Reynolds had a movie released a while ago, it seemed to be from Lionsgate, called "van wilder."
This kind of campus youth film, unlike "American Pie," wasn't as powerful, so the box office naturally wouldn't be very high.
After the movie's release, Ryan Reynolds's fame increased, but not significantly; he only started to gain recognition among teenagers.
I believe that with enough money and certain promises, securing him won't be a problem.
"Additionally, for the director, I also recommend someone: Keenen Ivory Wayans, the director of "Scary Movie" and a member of the Wayans family. He excels in this style of film. You can try to invite him; if it doesn't work out, then forget it. You handle it yourselves."
"Okay, I've noted that."
"Boss, we've arrived."
At this moment, the car slowly stopped in front of a building. Chen Xing quickly jumped out of the passenger seat, opened the car door, and was met by Volvo and a middle-aged man wearing glasses.
"Boss, this is Mr. Sergei Hassenfeld, the CEO of Hasbro," Volvo hastily introduced.
This time, Eric was seeking a favor, so he quickly walked up and shook hands.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hassenfeld!"
"And you, Mr. Cooper. You're Hollywood's hottest star lately, with a massive 2.8 billion dollar investment. I've wanted to meet you for a long time."
The two exchanged smiles, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then entered the building.
It must be said that Volvo's efficiency was indeed very high. In just over ten days, he had made contact with Hasbro's senior management.
Sergei Hassenfeld, the current CEO of Hasbro, is second only to the CEO in the group.
The CEO is Alan Hassenfeld; they are uncle and nephew.
According to Volvo, Hasbro had actually wanted to develop the goldmine that is transformers for a long time, especially after seeing the success of spider-man. That jumping neighborhood boy brought Sony over 300 million US dollars in direct revenue, with indirect revenue being an astronomical sum.
Such terrifying money-making ability would make any company envious, let alone Hasbro, which is why things progressed so smoothly.
There were no tours or research phases; both parties went directly into the conference room. After discussing some details, everyone made concessions, and finally, they got to the most pressing issue.
"Mr. Hassenfeld, I hope you understand that we approach this cooperation with great sincerity. We believe that transformers has extraordinary market potential, and once released, it will undoubtedly spark a global viewing frenzy."
"I also believe that, globally, transformers has a wide audience and influence, affecting countless childhoods. However, we still have some concerns about making a live-action film."
"Please elaborate."
"Firstly, the filming issue: can current digital technology support the filming requirements of transformers? Substandard effects would only harm its brand value."
"Mr. Hassenfeld, this is also a key area of our focus. This will be a special effects blockbuster, and I can promise you that MGM's investment in special effects will not be less than 100 million US dollars; it can be written into the contract."
Hearing the figure of 100 million US dollars, Hassenfeld's eyes instantly lit up.
He had inquired, and the production cost of spider-man was about 300 million. After deducting various expenses like directors, actors, props, and post-production, the special effects cost was actually around 70 million US dollars.
If MGM's investment could truly reach 100 million US dollars, the effects would definitely be explosive.
Nodding with some satisfaction, Hassenfeld then raised the second key issue: "Additionally, there's the issue of copyright fees. I think you also know that the ratings for transformers animation were very good last year, so we hope to increase the licensing fee by 20%."