บท 680: Chapter 681: I'm Here to Say Goodbye
[Chapter 681: I'm Here to Say Goodbye]
After discussing the release of the two films, it was almost noon, and the three of them were planning to go out for lunch together. Just as they exited the conference room, Eric ran into Tina Fey, whom he hadn't seen in a while.
After Flower Films parted ways with Firefly Group, Tina Fey transitioned from being Drew's assistant to a member of the management team at Flower Films, focusing on script review and editing. Once she settled into her new role, Eric rarely spotted Tina around anymore. Although they had shared a few fleeting moments together, Eric never intended to keep Tina around for the long haul. Still, since they had crossed paths, he invited her to join them for lunch.
There was a nice restaurant near the Flower Films office building. The group settled at a table and ordered their lunches. Eric looked at the somewhat reserved Tina Fey and said with a smile, "Tina, are you still writing scripts these days?"
Tina hadn't anticipated running into Eric today. A long time had passed without contact, and her initial feelings for him had faded significantly. She found him more dazzling but also much more distant. Hearing him speak to her in the familiar casual tone from the past eased her nervousness a bit. She replied, "I've had some ideas, but I've been too busy lately to write much down."
Suddenly, Drew chimed in, "Tina, didn't you tell me about a concept based on your high school life? Why don't you share it with Eric and see what he thinks?"
When Eric heard this, he lifted his head with a smile, thinking of the time Tina wrote the screenplay for Mean Girls. He knew it was adapted from a book called Queen Bees and Wannabes. Now, he was curious about what kind of high school script Tina might present.
With Eric, Drew, and Amy all looking at her with keen interest, Tina blushed slightly and said, "Actually, I was the kind of girl in high school that everyone found really annoying. I was a bit quirky and often dressed like a tomboy. But I secretly envied those girls who could dress up beautifully. This concept is basically a story about a girl's transformation..."
Eric realized that Tina's story shared many similarities with Mean Girls -- a somewhat awkward high school girl trying to fit into a new environment and catch the attention of her crush, ultimately turning from an ugly duckling into a swan. The themes of friendship, love, and trust among teenagers remained central. This coincidence was understandable; an author's screenplay style often tied closely to their personal experiences and characteristics. Although Tina's original Mean Girls script was based on a novel, she undoubtedly added a lot of her own flair to it.
Since there were so many commonalities between the two stories, Eric said, "Tina, make sure to write this story down when you have the chance. I could help you look it over later; maybe we can turn it into a film."
With a clear vision of the original Mean Girls in his memory, Eric knew he could obtain the original author's information just by checking credits. As long as he confirmed that there wouldn't be any copyright issues, he could have Tina's script transformed into the screenplay for Mean Girls in this reality.
Tina's eyes lit up at Eric's words. Given his current status, if he wanted her to write the script, the chances of it becoming a movie were almost guaranteed. Meanwhile, Amy Pascal beside her had a smirk and said, "Eric, you can't steal Tina away from us; she is part of Flower Films now, after all."
Eric shook his head and laughed, "That's true, but honestly, Tina's script would be quite suitable for you guys. After Mission: Impossible, Flower Films will definitely have ample cash flow. It's about time to scale up production."
Amy's remark had contained a lot of playful elements. If Eric had a keen eye for a script, any studio could compete, but Flower Films likely wouldn't have to worry. Eric had already provided plenty of quality intellectual property for them to work with. So Amy was somewhat taken aback when Eric quickly suggested that Tina's script be pushed towards Flower Films.
Noticing Amy's changing expression, Eric explained, "The thing is, Firefly is currently planning to streamline its production operations. We're considering reducing the number of films we produce each year to about 15 over the next few years. So, we might not have the resources to fully develop a teen comedy like this."
All three of them looked a bit surprised. After the merger with Disney, Firefly had consistently produced and released between 25 and 30 films. Cutting that down to 15 would be nearly a 50% reduction. If a company like MGM or Columbia made such an announcement due to finances, that wouldn't be surprising. But Firefly had been thriving; this sudden cut was shocking.
Stunned, Amy took a few seconds to respond, still finding it hard to believe, "Eric, are you sure you're not joking?"
"Of course not," Eric nodded seriously. "This is the result of careful discussion by our management team. We found that our strategy of large-scale annual releases wasn't as effective as we thought and resulted in considerable waste of internal resources. Let's take last year for example: by the end of last year, Firefly, including Disney Studios, Disney Animation, Firefly Films, New Line Cinema, Touchstone Pictures,, Pixar, and Black Ant Productions, had released a total of 29 films, generating a cumulative box office of 1.55 billion dollars, accounting for 25.8% of North America's total box office of 6 billion dollars in 1994..."
As he spoke, the waiter brought their lunches to the table, forcing Eric to pause. Amy was astonished by the numbers Eric effortlessly shared. Unbeknownst to them, Firefly's market share had claimed a quarter of the North American box office. If this trend continued, Firefly might really recreate the situation where MGM dominated Hollywood during its golden age. This confusion left her baffled as to why they would choose to reduce production during such favorable conditions.
After the waiter left, Eric continued, "Although this market share looks impressive on the surface, Firefly has already recorded losses on many films. This year, Firefly's total box office revenue was 1.55 billion dollars, but five films -- Saving Private Ryan, True Lies, The Lion King, Runaway Bride, and Face/Off -- accounted for 750 million dollars of that, almost half. If we expand to other films, beyond these five, the sequels of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other mid-range productions had each earned between 50 million and 90 million. The top ten films for Firefly totaled 1.1 billion dollars in box office revenue, which made up 70% of the total revenue, and these ten films contributed over 85% of profits in our film business. The remaining 19 films brought in only 450 million dollars, averaging 23 million per film, but their average production and distribution costs were around 27 million. Although overseas releases and video rentals brought in some profit for these 19 films, the overall investment-to-return ratio was unfavorable."
After listening to Eric, Amy appeared to have an epiphany and said, "Based on your analysis, Firefly's plan to cut production is indeed very wise. However, Eric, if Firefly does this, it may lose its position as the top box office company. Other companies wouldn't willingly give up their top market share title."
Eric smiled, "Fighting for the number one spot at the box office isn't really meaningful; it just breeds jealousy. Firefly aims for the first place in net profit. We are now a comprehensive media group, and our future focus in film will be on producing higher quality movies while using more resources to develop value-added businesses related to these films, maximizing profits throughout the entire industry chain for each good film."
In fact, Eric's decision came after careful consideration of Disney's development strategy in the original timeline. In the years following the new millennium, Disney maintained a relatively low production volume compared to other studios, but due to their commitment to quality, they consistently produced box office hits, proving that a smaller number of well-made films could yield impressive profits.
After a while, Amy asked again, "But Eric, don't you think there's a significant risk involved? If you cut the production scale in half, Firefly might miss out on some potential box office hits. Plus, if a few key projects fail, Firefly's annual financial results will look terrible."
Eric replied, "The low-budget box office hits that grace Hollywood each year account for less than 1% of all films released. Such slim chances aren't enough to justify a high-pressure release strategy for Firefly. As for the risk of major project failures, that risk exists regardless of production levels. But now, if one or two big-budget films underperform, it wouldn't severely impact Firefly. We aren't a public company, so we don't have to scramble to present attractive financial reports to investors. We can operate the company leisurely, according to our plans."
Amy nodded, somewhat envious. However, Tina suddenly interjected, "Hey, have you guys noticed that these past few years, it seems like the box office hits have all come out of Firefly?"
Tina's remark prompted the three women to look at each other in surprise, realizing it was indeed the case. From the earliest Home Alone, to Pretty Woman and the peak with Jurassic Park, then last summer's The Lion King, it seemed ever since Eric's sudden rise, all the box office surprises in Hollywood had flocked to Firefly.
Noticing the curious looks on the women's faces, Eric shrugged and laughed, "It's just my personal talent. If you really want an explanation, have you seen Men in Black?"
Tina couldn't help but laugh, nudging Drew, who was also giggling, then she playfully made antennae on her head and asked, "Drew, what color is Eric's blood? Is it sky blue?"
With an impish look, Drew wiped her mouth with a napkin and mischievously whispered, "It's white. I've tasted it, and it's a bit salty."
"Uh-oh."
"Ah?"
"Pfft... cough, cough..."
Tina paused for half a second, her face instantly flushed, and she playfully reached over to pinch Drew's side.
Amy Pascal displayed a puzzled expression but soon covered her mouth, snickering.
Eric, unable to hold back anymore, burst out laughing and ended up spraying wine across the table. Luckily, he quickly turned his head, but the coughs kept coming as he fought to contain his laughter. Watching Drew with a napkin, looking all innocent, Eric wasn't fooled and playfully tapped her forehead, "You're never allowed to make such jokes again."
"I got it; I'll definitely not tell anyone that you're an alien."
"Stop playing dumb; you know that's not what I meant."
"Mmm, mmm, mmm..."
The waiter soon approached to clear their plates, but with the mood shifted, they lost their appetite and decided to leave the restaurant.
...
Just like how the Twilight series peaked in its era, or Lionsgate's Hunger Games had its monumental impact, for second and third-tier film companies, a blockbuster film series could launch them to prominence. Although still merely a production company, a film like Mission: Impossible, projected to gross half a billion worldwide, could continuously provide Flower Films with hundreds of millions in cash flow. While initially relying on collaborations and external financing to kick off Mission: Impossible, Night at the Museum, and Forrest Gump, following that, Flower Films would no longer have financial pressure, even with delays in cash replenishment.
Under such circumstances, expansion felt inevitable. Besides Tina's spontaneous idea for a teen film during lunch, Eric spent that afternoon with Drew and Amy reviewing some scripts recently gathered by Flower Films. The superhero rights Eric had initially helped reclaim had reverted to Marvel Entertainment, and other projects like The Lord of the Rings and The Bourne Identity weren't yet ready for development, leaving them to seek new projects for now.
Nevertheless, finding a great script was rare. The group spent the afternoon sifting through a pile of scripts from their agent but didn't find anything particularly outstanding, nor anything Eric was familiar with from memory.
After a busy day, since he had to attend a high-level meeting at Firefly in Burbank early the next morning, instead of returning to Malibu, Eric planned to spend the night at Drew's mansion in Beverly Hills.
...
As the twins drove up the highway, Drew, lounging against Eric in the backseat, sighed, "I'm so exhausted, Eric. Choosing scripts is such a hassle. You might as well write a few for us."
Eric squeezed the cheek of the girl resting on his lap and joked, "You really think I'm an alien, huh?"
Drew turned her cherubic face towards him, gazing up, "But you used to write so many scripts!"
Eric explained, "Things are different now; I don't have the same time to work on scripts anymore."
Given their rapport, Drew could tell Eric wasn't entirely sincere but didn't press further. She believed he had his reasons for the fib.
Staring at the cute girl nestled against him, Eric smiled and said nothing as his mind wandered to Tina's offhand comment from earlier: "These past few years' box office hits have all come from Firefly." That casual remark made Eric alert because it wasn't entirely accurate; in truth, those hits had originated from him, whether by script choices or his own writing.
His revived memories were Eric's greatest asset and biggest secret. This was a dog-eat-dog world, and he felt no guilt about claiming these scripts as his own, but he didn't want to foster the notion that he was an alien in anyone's view. Moreover, now with wealth and influence, there was no need to micromanage everything. As long as the exceptional films from his memory emerged again on their historical trajectory, Firefly had sufficient strength to secure these projects. Copyright holders would naturally prefer to collaborate with such a powerful company.
Before they knew it, their car had entered the narrow winding roads of Beverly Hills. A slight bump jolted Eric back to reality as he noticed Drew leaning against him, her eyes starting to close. He reached out and gently touched her eyelashes, and the sparkling girl immediately opened her eyes.
"Aren't you sleepy already? We haven't even had dinner yet!"
Drew rubbed her head against him and purred, "I just want to sleep in your arms."
"Speaking of which, I just remembered: have you and Kevin Costner had discussions about the Mission: Impossible sequel yet?"
"Yeah, he's asking for 20 million dollars in salary and 20% of the North American box office share."
Eric calculated in his head; if the sequel turned out to be as successful as the first film, Costner would walk away with around 60 million from the project. That was quite a hefty ask. In his memory, Tom Cruise initially raked in over 70 million for one film, but at least he had been involved in production and investment.
"And then what?" Eric asked again.
Drew tugged at his shirt lightly, "What else is there? If we give him 20%, the distributor takes another 15%, and we're left with only 20%. The domestic box office is the quickest way to get funds flowing back; we're not one of those big studios that can wait around for long-term returns. We can't possibly let him have a piece of this, so everyone walked away without making any deals. He should be in Hawaii filming Waterworld right now. I heard it's not going well; they picked a location with rough waves, wasting over 500 grand on set construction, only to have it destroyed in one big wave. They'll have to rebuild, and the budget has already exceeded a lot."
The inertia of history was remarkably strong. Eric smiled to himself, thinking that perhaps the biggest budget film before Titanic would "inevitably" come into existence.
Patting Drew's excited little face, Eric said, "Let's put that matter on hold for now. If Waterworld fails, along with last summer's Wyatt Earp, Costner will have two films on his record that caused huge losses for investors. That can't go on forever; he'll certainly come looking for you afterward."
Drew, still resting against Eric, giggled and hummed as if brewing a mischievous idea.
...
The car quickly pulled into the Trousdale Estates, and after a quick drive around, they stopped in front of Drew's mansion. Just as Drew sat up, the twins in the front turned to Eric, pointing towards the mansion door. "Master, look."
Eric and Drew looked over at the same time; the sun had set, and in the dim light, a girl stood quietly outside the mansion's front door, dressed in a white coat and jeans, carrying a backpack. She appeared quite petite, clearly not fully grown. As the car came to a stop, she hesitated for a moment before cautiously walking over.
Eric was puzzled as to why Christina Aguilera was at Drew's gate. He opened the car door while glancing at Drew, who merely shook her head.
Once Drew stepped out of the car, all hesitation vanished from Christina as she gleefully ran over to Drew. Noticing Eric stepping out from the other side, her face lit up even more.
Although Christina paused briefly when she spotted Eric, she quickly approached Drew with excitement, saying, "Drew, I thought you wouldn't be back today!"
Drew warmly embraced Christina. Although Drew wasn't very tall, Christina looked even smaller in her arms. After a brief affectionate moment, Drew released her and smiled, "Long time no see! What brings you here all of a sudden?"
Just as Christina opened her mouth to speak, she noticed Eric approaching and immediately turned to greet him politely, "Good morning, Mr. Williams."
Eric simply smiled and nodded, glancing at Drew. Christina's gaze shifted back to Drew, and in a tone laced with a hint of sadness, she said, "Drew, I... I'm here to say goodbye."
*****
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