Chapter 107 (1/2)
After listening to Eisner, Simon didn't rush to discuss the release conditions of when Harry meets Sally. Instead, he said, ”Michael, as far as I know, Disney doesn't attach importance to the animation department. There was even a rumor that you were going to cancel the animation production. In that case, why can't you make ”the lion king” for Denise pictures? ”
”Rumors are just rumors, Simon,” Michael Eisner said, shaking his head. ”Seriously, I did think about closing the animation department. But if I did, you wouldn't be sitting here talking to me now. Our animation department is run by Roy Disney. So, do you understand? ”
Simon thought a little and nodded helplessly.
Roy Disney is the nephew of Walt Disney, the founder of Disney. At present, the Disney family still holds a large stake in Disney Pictures.
After Walt Disney's death, the overall quality of Disney's animated films has been far worse than before. In recent years, Disney's brand image can only be maintained through more frequent replays of the previous classic animations.
However, as the foundation of Disney's start-up, it is obviously impossible for Disney's top management to rashly close the animation department on the basis of purely commercial interests. It must also take into account the feelings of the Disney family.
In order to save money, moving Disney's animation department to the abandoned warehouse in Glendale may have been the limit that the Disney family can tolerate. If Michael Eisner continues to push the Disney animation department to become a ”foundry”, it is hard to say whether the Disney family will rebound.
To figure this out, Simon had to say, ”in that case, Michael, forget about the lion king. I'll find another way. The script is definitely not for you
Michael Eisner said, ”Simon, you have to understand that you have no choice but Disney.”
”I remember that globegroup just released” American rat Tam ”last year, with a box office of more than $50 million, twice as high as Disney's” wonderful detective. ”
”That movie,” Michael Eisner said with a smile, ”including director don Bruce, the main animators are all employees who left Disney. And Simon, if you want their team to help you make the lion king, it's even more impossible. ”
Simon didn't quite understand the joint, but he just shrugged and said, ”there will always be other ways.”
Michael Eisner tapped his finger on his memo and said, ”well, good luck.”
Although Simon's plays are very popular in Hollywood, Michael Eisner didn't insist on Simon's attitude. Unlike live action movies, the production cycle of animated movies is usually as long as two or three years, and the cost is high.
Who knows what will happen in three years?
Seeing that ”the lion king” could not be turned around, Simon also turned the topic back to ”when Harry Met Sally” and said: ”Michael, I'm sorry about the two director appointments you just mentioned. I can't agree. At most, maybe this is the last movie I signed out. After this time, I will only make films for my own company. ”
Michael Eisner couldn't help shaking his head and laughing at Simon's words and said, ”Simon, Coppola probably thought about that after Godfather. But after the huge loss of cotton club, he had to honestly shoot Peggy sue is getting married for Samsung film
Francis Ford Coppola's Cotton Club, released three years ago, was a complete disaster.
Due to the discord between the director and the leading actor, the repeated revision of the script and other changes in the shooting process, the budget soared from $25 million to $58 million, but the film only recovered $25.92 million in the North American box office. After Coppola's success in the godfather series, the ambitious establishment of the Western mirror film industry is also on the verge of bankruptcy.
Cotton Club happens to be issued by Orion pictures.
In a word, Simon didn't consider Orion, who also has a good relationship this time, and directly sought to cooperate with big film companies. It's also because Orion is in an ambitious state and can't give too good a schedule for when Harry meets Sally.
Due to the box office success of several films last year, Orion, which has relaxed its financial position, has decided to invest as many as nine films in person. In addition to acting as an agent for other independent producers, the company's distribution scale next year has been completely equal to that of the top seven.
However, Orion obviously does not have seven big details.
Simon looks at the movies that are basically full of faces, and he can understand why Orion, who has been making the double harvest movies of ticket room awards, will be in trouble step by step in the next few years.
The big sale of a single film is certainly unable to make up for the loss of many films.
”Maybe I'll be the second Coppola,” Simon thought with a smile. ”But Michael, people should have some dreams. What if they come true? So, there's only one. ”
Michael Eisner recalled Simon's words, but insisted: ”Simon, if so, Disney can't give you an Easter schedule.”Simon thought about it and said, ”Michael, I can make some concessions on the Commission. What do you think of 18%
Michael Eisner still shook his head and said: ”I've seen the material of the last work” heartfire ”written by the screenwriter of when Harry meets Sally. Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep are two big stars. The production cost is $25 million, and the box office is only $25 million. Simon, I don't think the market performance of this movie can be better than heartfire at the moment, so the difference between 18% and 15% is not big
”Michael, I think you've made a mistake. It was Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep who made only $25 million at the box office. I still don't understand who is so talented that Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep should be put together in love movies. They can't have any chemical reaction on the screen. Now when Harry meets Sally, I believe its box office is much better than heartfire
”Simon, your confidence doesn't make any sense.”
Simon thought for a moment and said, ”or, Michael, how about Denise pictures buying Disney's Easter schedule next year?”
”What do you mean?” asked Michael Eisner
Simon looked at Amy, who had been listening to the negotiation, and said, ”can you give me the box office data report of last week?”
Amy was also a little confused, so she took out a page of report form from her satchel and handed it to Simon.
Simon then glanced at the data, handed it to Michael Eisner across the table, and said, ”Disney's Easter remake is 1970's Adventures of the cat, which was released on April 10 with more than 1400 screens. The current box office is $13 million, and it will last for a few weeks. Then, according to the total box office of US $16 million, 50% of the box office is divided into 2 million, and Disney can make a profit of US $6 million. Michael, Denise pictures offered us $6 million. As a fixed distribution Commission, Disney only needed to give us 1000 screens next Easter. What do you think? ”
Michael Eisner took the box office report, looked down at the above data, but began to think about Simon's novel cooperation plan in his mind.
A fixed commission of US $6 million. According to the 15% commission ratio, the young people in front of them are equivalent to pricing the North American box office of when Harry meets Sally at US $40 million.
If ”when Harry meets Sally” can get 40 million US dollars at the North American box office, including the proceeds from the subsequent release, it's definitely a lucrative project.
With that in mind, Michael Eisner quickly said, ”Simon, that's not the way it works. In addition to the box office of ”Adventures of the cat”, the re release of this animated film can also stimulate the sales of its video tapes and derivatives, from which Disney has made more than $6 million. ”