Capítulo 470: Chapter 470: Jeffrey Katzenberg
[Chapter 532: Can't Wait?]
Peter Weir, the Australian director of Dead Poets Society, had some intriguing ideas about the script for The Truman Show.
Released in October, Sense and Sensibility received great reviews, and Ang Lee's filming style was quite meticulous. However, Lee's work leaned heavily into the artsy side, and while United Artists was an art film label under Galaxy, they still had to consider the commercial aspect.
On a hotel balcony, Arthur met DreamWorks chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg. Casual, he lit a cigarette, took a puff, and asked, "When's DreamWorks' first film coming out?"
"In about two years. Right now, we're working on our first animated feature," Jeffrey Katzenberg replied with a smile. After all, Steven Spielberg had been busy with his own projects, which meant he couldn't dedicate time to DreamWorks yet.
"Is it based on the story of Moses from Exodus?" Arthur had been keeping an eye on DreamWorks too. The rise of Pixar was catching everyone's attention, not just Disney. The fledgling DreamWorks was similarly eyeing Pixar, knowing they were direct competitors. "Seems like a Jewish thing to do, starting off with a religious story featuring the Jewish prophet Moses."
"Arthur, looks like Pixar is keeping tabs on our DreamWorks too," Jeffrey remarked.
Arthur exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Sure, Galaxy isn't afraid of challenges in live-action films, but animation is different," he noted. "Disney has always been strong, and now there's DreamWorks -- Pixar has to take them seriously!"
"So, Arthur, do you think traditional 2D hand-drawn animation will be replaced by modern 3D computer animation?" Jeffrey contemplated.
Disney's animation represented traditional 2D hand-drawn work, while Pixar stood for 3D computer animation. Even though Jeffrey believed in the potential of 3D animation, he didn't think it could replace 2D animation.
Arthur crushed out his cigarette, "With DVDs emerging, they're definitely trending to replace VHS tapes. Are VHS tapes going to disappear?"
"It'll take time; it's part of social development. The VHS market will gradually be replaced by DVDs," Jeffrey replied. "But tapes have their advantages, and many people won't quickly accept DVDs. The situation with 3D animation is somewhat similar."
Jeffrey understood Arthur's point. Although he came from traditional 2D animation, he would never let DreamWorks abandon 2D hand-drawn animation entirely. Pixar's motto was disrupting traditional 2D animation, but that mountain called Disney wasn't so easy to climb.
Arthur smiled slightly, "I know DreamWorks faces development challenges with big investments, high production values, and marketing campaigns for concept-heavy films. If DreamWorks ever needs to look for international partners, Galaxy MGM would be happy to help!"
Galaxy held the MGM, United Artists, and Orion labels. United Artists and Orion are independent genre-focused labels with their own distribution channels. In commercial films, the North American market primarily bore Galaxy's name, while the international market saw releases under MGM. Meanwhile, all five film production companies, including Galaxy and Pixar, maintained their independence in film production.
DreamWorks would never match Galaxy's prowess, especially since Arthur's past projects had been profitable; even God would give him a thumbs up. With low investments and high returns, Arthur played the game like a master.
Jeffrey nodded, "For now, DreamWorks will only focus on the domestic market. International business still needs your seven major partners."
Of course, Jeffrey held back one crucial piece of information -- among the seven, there were six other studios excluding Disney. As long as he remained, DreamWorks would never collaborate with Disney!
...
After chatting with Jeffrey Katzenberg, Arthur ran into Elizabeth Hurley. GoldenEye was a huge hit for Galaxy this year, and the sexy new Bond girl was indeed at the celebration party.
"Arthur, want to join me for the New Year's countdown later?" Elizabeth asked, giving him a friendly hug.
Arthur smiled, "I have a couple of friends with me. I'll introduce them to you later!"
"Who are they?"
"You'll find out when we get there," Arthur winked.
That night, after Elizabeth followed Arthur to his Beverly Hills villa, she quickly discovered who they were: French kiss Sophie Marceau and Italian goddess Monica Bellucci.
"You sure are collecting a whole bunch of women from different countries, huh?" Sophie said upon seeing Monica and Elizabeth.
"All you need now are some from Australia, Germany, and Spain," Monica laughed.
Elizabeth chimed in, suppressing her grin, "You gotta count the Americans too!"
Arthur remained calm, "Let me get you all something to drink."
Sophie nodded, "I need to freshen up first; I just came from a party."
"Yeah, me too," Elizabeth agreed, recalling Arthur's wild antics earlier.
After the two headed to the bathroom, Arthur handed a glass of champagne to Monica. "You promoting Twelve Monkeys right now?"
"Yes, it just came out, and it's in the running for the Oscars. The early buzz has been great, and critics are giving it high marks!" Monica explained, sipping her champagne.
Arthur hugged Monica and placed his hands on her curves. "MGM is shooting Tomorrow Never Dies next year, and you're going to play a Bond girl!"
"Really?" Monica set her glass down, leaning excitedly against the counter.
"Of course! They release a new film every two years," Arthur said, pulling the front of her dress open and leaning in to kiss her.
"Alright then," Monica was eager to play the Bond girl, curious about how Elizabeth's fame had skyrocketed.
Soon after, Monica began peeling Arthur's clothes off. "Want to head to the bathroom?"
Arthur's eyes lit up, "Let's pick one!"
Quickly, he led Monica into an occupied bathroom. Under the shower, Sophie spotted Arthur kissing Monica as they entered but just gave a quick glance and ignored it.
"Mmm," Arthur moved over and wrapped his arms around Sophie from behind, kissing her.
"Can't wait, huh, Arthur?" Sophie smiled with mischief.
Monica joined, leaning down to kiss Sophie's chest.
*****
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