章節 276: Chapter 276: Premonition
[Chapter 276: Premonition]
After sending Frank Wells on his way, Eric invited William Bell, the President of Fox Television, into the office.
"William, how has Fox been performing lately?" Eric settled onto the office couch, not rushing to inquire about William's purpose for being there. Instead, he chatted about the current status of Fox.
At the question, William Bell showed a slight feeling of excitement. Though Barry Diller held the top position, as the number two, because of Friends, Fox was riding a wave of success, William felt a newfound confidence; he used to feel dwarfed when facing executives from the three major networks, but now he could hold his head high, even in front of the network chairmen.
"Very well, Eric. Just recently, the season finale of Friends hit an average of 28 million viewers, and the entire first season averaged 23 million, undoubtedly making it the number one show this year. Although Friends has ended, Fox's loyal audience has reached 11 million. Oh, and we have another animated show, The Simpsons, that's doing quite well too, averaging 13 million viewers. The network has renewed it for a second season..."
Eric listened patiently, occasionally nodding in agreement. Once William finished, Eric asked, "So, William, what brings you here today?"
William Bell replied, "It's about The X-Files and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Mr. Diller wants to kick off production on both shows as soon as possible. By the way, Eric, I recall the plan was to start production on The X-Files this month. Why haven't we seen any progress yet?"
A look of helplessness crossed Eric's face. While he initially planned for that timeline, things had changed. Both Firefly and Fox placed heavy importance on The X-Files, resulting in disagreements between the two producers they sent. It often came down to Eric to resolve these issues, causing delays in the preparation.
Moreover, while the male lead had been confirmed, a female lead was still not found. It would be a miracle to begin shooting by January. Nevertheless, Eric wasn't anxious. Firefly was experiencing some financial tightening towards the end of the year. It made sense to wait for the revenue from the end-of-month split from Running Out of Time and Friends to kick off production on The X-Files.
As for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the production was relatively straightforward, and there was no rush. Funding was the main issue. Although the show was simple, it still required several million dollars, half of which Firefly had to cover.
Due to Cisco's involvement, Eric had already transferred $10 million to Chris Hansen's investment company account. This left Firefly and New Line with a budget of less than $10 million. They needed that cash for the distribution of the tapes for An Affair to Remember and Scent of a Woman. Therefore, everything hinged on receiving the combined check of $117 million from Running Out of Time and Friends at the end of the month.
Eric openly shared his predicament with William Bell, before adding, "William, as you can see, Firefly currently has no funds. So, we can't invest our share immediately. Besides, The X-Files is set to premiere next September. There's plenty of time. As for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, it would definitely launch with the March TV season. A month of preparation and marketing will be sufficient."
"However..." Eric's reasoning was sound, and given that he held a 'boss' status, William Bell wasn't sure how to respond. He couldn't understand why Barry Diller insisted he come here so urgently.
"Eric, to be honest, Mr. Diller sent me," William Bell said, appearing earnest. "I think, given the rush for Friends, Mr. Diller is worried about potential setbacks."
Eric chuckled. "That concern is completely unnecessary, William. Firefly now owns 10% of Fox. There's no way I'd hand over a show to someone else. Besides, we have contracts signed. What's there to worry about?"
William Bell was of a similar mind. Finally, he suggested, "How about you give Mr. Diller a call yourself? Otherwise, I have no way to report back."
"Alright, I'll do that," Eric said with a resigned shrug, feeling a bit of sympathy for this cautious president. While working for a major player like Fox, having a domineering boss was undoubtedly frustrating. Eric figured the recently departed Disney President, Frank Wells, must have been in nearly the same predicament as William Bell. Both Michael Eisner and Barry Diller were known to be extremely strong personalities.
When Barry Diller took Eric's call, his tone betrayed surprise. Upon hearing the details, he realized he possibly made an error. However, since the event had already occurred, he had to casually agree with Eric's points, ending the conversation with a caring reminder for Eric to expedite preparations for The X-Files before hanging up.
After seeing the relieved William Bell out, it was already 10 AM.
...
Allen knocked softly on the office door before entering. Seeing Eric leaning back in his chair as if deep in thought, he quietly asked, "Eric, the auditions over at Fox must have started by now. Are you going to participate?"
Eric shook his head but immediately followed with a nod. "I suppose I should go. By the way, Allen, do you find anything strange?"
"Strange in what way?" Allen asked as he followed Eric out of the office.
Eric rubbed his forehead, saying, "Maybe I'm just tired and overly tense, but I have this feeling that something's off."
Allen paused, offering, "Why not take a day to rest, Eric?"
"No, thanks," Eric replied, shaking his head. "If we could choose the female lead today, we could skip the third round of auditions. We've already been through enough of this."
They shared a quiet moment as they walked to the parking garage. The company driver greeted Eric and hurried down to open the car door for him. Eric thanked him, but just as he was getting inside, he pulled back, raising his voice, "I just thought of something!"
Allen and the driver exchanged puzzled glances.
Realizing his slip, Eric said, "Let's talk in the car."
...
Once the car was moving, Eric turned to his assistant in the passenger seat and explained the purpose of the two presidents' visits. He then added, "Allen, did you notice how urgent they were today?"
"Urgent?" Allen considered it, then laughed, "If it were me in their position, I would be anxious too. Eric, I think you really need a break."
Eric shrugged, choosing not to reply. However, that nagging feeling in his gut lingered, without him fully understanding why.
...
Upon arriving at the Fox lot, auditions were already underway in a small studio. Eric pushed open the door to the audition room. The center seat at the judges' table was empty, so Eric greeted everyone and took a seat right in the middle.
"Miss, you can continue," he said, settling into his chair. One assistant handed him the audition materials, and he nodded to the young woman standing awkwardly in the center due to his unexpected arrival.
After a brief pause, she resumed her somewhat stiff performance.
Although there were many auditioning, the process was slow, with only about seven or eight performances in an hour.
Following the departure of a woman with a more rugged appearance, a Fox producer named David Greenwater sat beside Eric. "This actress, Sharon Stone, is quite good. Not only does she have enough acting experience, but she also fits the physical requirements for the role of Dana Scully."
David looked to his right expectantly for Eric's response, noticing Eric seemed distracted, doodling on his paper. Since Sharon Stone entered, David had picked up on Eric's absent-mindedness and how he barely paid attention to her performance.
The man to Eric's right was Hans Whitler, who had previously worked on the Cocoon movie and was brought in as a producer for The X-Files from Firefly. Seeing Eric's silence, Hans curiously leaned over to glance at what Eric was scribbling.
"What's 'Instinct' mean?" Hans asked curiously.
Eric looked up, realizing both men were watching him, and explained, "Nothing much, I just came up with a good script and got a little distracted."
The two producers were surprised and impressed, not believing Eric could come up with a script under such circumstances. But they didn't forget what they were doing and teased Eric a bit before Hans asked, "What did you think of Sharon Stone's performance just now?"
Eric shook his head. "Not good enough."
David Greenwater pressed on, "Eric, I think Sharon Stone fits your criteria perfectly. She's talented, age-appropriate, and her demeanor matches your vision. Why is she not suitable? How about we put her in the third-round consideration?"
*****
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