I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1182: This Time]

Christian Bale and Jim Caviezel were both exceptional actors capable of completely immersing themselves in their roles, and that was the fundamental reason why Eric valued them.

Eric didn't want the actors playing the superheroes to showcase too much of their own traits. His ideal outcome was for the superhero roles they played to leave a lasting impression on audiences, while the audiences struggled to remember their real names.

However, both actors had their own strengths and weaknesses.

Regarding Jim Caviezel, besides his well-known role in The Passion of the Christ, Eric's most vivid memory of him was from that series. The Passion of the Christ, made with a budget of $30 million, grossed over $600 million worldwide, yielding a staggering return of 20 times the investment. While audiences remembered the box office success created by Mel Gibson, very few noticed that the male lead was named Jim Caviezel.

Yet, Jim Caviezel's acting style tended to be more subdued. This worked fine for the character of Dr. Bruce Banner before his transformation, but it lacked a little explosiveness for the Hulk afterwards. Of course, if Caviezel was chosen to portray the Hulk, that aspect could be compensated with post-production effects. After all, the transformed Bruce Banner would surely be created using CGI.

Then there was Christian Bale. Although Bale was already 25 years old, he had just recently broken the Hollywood child actor curse and hadn't yet started to shine like he would later.

Eric was well aware of Bale's potential, though. He knew Bale could express both states of Bruce Banner -- before and after the transformation -- perfectly. His only downside was that he seemed a little young.

If this discussion had occurred earlier, Eric might have been somewhat conflicted. The advantages of both actors were apparent, and their shortcomings weren't significant enough to hinder their performance. Therefore, Eric held both in high regard.

However, after hearing about some matters from Katzenberg regarding Warner Bros., Eric quickly made his decision.

He made a mark on Christian Bale's file and said to the others, "Let's go with him. Have the production department finalize the contract with Bale's agent as soon as possible."

Once the others realized Eric's inclination, each of them had their own considerations between Christian Bale and Jim Caviezel. Nonetheless, upon hearing Eric's firm decision, none opposed it and they all flipped back to Bale's profile.

Katzenberg seemed surprised and said, "I thought you'd choose Jim Caviezel."

Eric chuckled and replied, "I think he is better suited for another role."

Katzenberg blurted out, "Bruce Wayne."

Eric nodded.

Although Bale's version of Batman would also stand out, Eric had just suddenly realized that Jim Caviezel's restrained performance style was evidently more fitting for Bruce Wayne -- particularly Nolan's melancholic, struggling Batman.

Of course, this was still a matter in its early stages, and Eric didn't elaborate further. They briefly chatted about The Hulk before everyone wrapped up for the day.

...

By late September, it was over seven at night, and the sky in Los Angeles had already darkened.

Instead of heading home, Eric and Katzenberg decided to eat at a restaurant on the ship, talking about company matters.

"Hasbro has caught onto our intentions. Alan Hassenfeld has been calling in the last few days. Though it's a public company, the Hassenfeld family still controls 27% of Hasbro's shares. If we want a smooth acquisition, we'll need to deal with the Hassenfeld family first," Katzenberg said.

In the restaurant, they finished their meals quickly. After filling up, Katzenberg brought up Hasbro again.

Not wanting Amy to bring them coffee, Eric felt the cool breeze from the patio and gestured to Katzenberg, and they both moved to the patio. This area overlooked the nearby Marin del Bay and the lower deck of the ship, which had been converted into an outdoor cafe.

After several years of operation, enthusiasm for Titanic among movie fans gradually faded, shifting the focus of the ship model more toward the dining business.

Back when MGM was still under the control of casino mogul Kirk Kerkorian, many had joked that he was turning MGM into a hotel company.

However, after the Disney acquisition, the restaurant and hotel business became a significant revenue source for Firefly Group. These businesses were mainly integrated under various Disney theme park resorts, achieving a scale much larger than MGM's previous hotel operations, bringing in billions of dollars in revenue for Firefly Group each year.

Leaning against the railing, Eric gazed at the twinkling lights of Marin del Bay and continued the conversation, "What is the Hassenfeld family's stance?"

Katzenberg replied, "Alan Hassenfeld likely understands that Hasbro can't resist our acquisition. So they hope that after the acquisition, Hasbro can maintain its current independent operations."

Eric immediately shook his head, saying, "If that's the case, what's the point of acquiring Hasbro?"

"I told him the same thing," Katzenberg responded.

After pondering briefly, Eric suggested, "Okay, if they are willing to assist Firefly in the acquisition, we could allow Alan Hassenfeld to continue as Hasbro's CEO. In fact, letting the Hassenfeld family run the company might be a good option. Of course, Hasbro's operational strategies must be adjusted to align with Firefly Group's broad interests."

In simple terms, Hasbro, a toy design and sales company, also had its own manufacturing facilities, similar to Hollywood's film production and distribution companies.

The existing peripheral business of Firefly Group, aside from the branding department, mainly consisted of hundreds of Disney stores around the globe, resembling a cinema chain. Naturally, Firefly Group also had its distribution network for peripheral products. After all, the numerous film-related merchandise produced by the company wouldn't be limited to Disney stores but would find shelves in major department stores as well.

As for toy design and production, Firefly Group usually entrusts companies like Hasbro and other toy manufacturers for completion.

Thus, acquiring Hasbro and undertaking a series of integrations would allow Firefly Group to establish a complete industrial chain for toy design, production, and sales, undoubtedly further unlocking the commercial potential of merchandise from Firefly Group's fantastic films.

Of course, Eric's acquisition of Hasbro also carried another intent, which was the rights to the Transformers franchise.

In past negotiations, Hasbro retained a 30% stake in the Transformers franchise, which was a strategic compromise Eric had to make to secure the Transformers film rights while navigating competition from other studios. Given the enormous box office potential of the Transformers movies, reclaiming that 30% stake was essential.

Listening to Eric, Katzenberg nodded in agreement, saying, "As for the price, Alan Hassenfeld quoted $3.5 billion, which is 60% more than Hasbro's current market value. Lately, Hasbro's value has hovered around $2.2 billion, so it's apparent they know Firefly isn't short on cash."

Eric chuckled, "If that's the case, we don't need to agree to any of their terms."

A 60% premium was higher than many hostile takeover bids.

As a public company, even though the Hassenfeld family still held control over Hasbro, according to market rules, if Firefly Group launched a hostile acquisition at a suitable price, the Hassenfeld family would be unable to resist.

After all, while "hostile acquisition" carried a negative connotation, shareholders could earn more under such circumstances.

"So, $3.5 billion definitely won't happen," Katzenberg also remarked. "The final deal price should be kept under $3 billion. The key now is that we need to complete this acquisition before the end of the year to save on taxes."

"You guys handle it. Sometimes, I'm not in favor of companies changing their operational strategies just to avoid taxes; Firefly should maximize profits based on tax rules."

"But this time is definitely appropriate. An expenditure around $3 billion could save the company $500 million to $600 million in taxes, and there's no reason not to save that money."

As they chatted, Eric occasionally gazed down at the lights of Marin del Bay, turned back, and suddenly noticed someone on the deck cafe that caught his eye.

Katzenberg noticed the change in Eric's expression, looked down in the direction of his gaze, and chuckled, saying, "Why don't we wrap it up here for today, Eric? I think I should head back."

Having discussed enough, Eric didn't insist and said, "I'll see you down."

They left the small restaurant on the top deck and arrived at the first-floor lobby of the deck. After saying goodbye, Katzenberg waved to Eric and headed towards the stairs leading into the studio; his car was parked there.

...

It was dinner time, and with the restaurant's growing reputation in recent years, reservations were typically needed a week in advance. As a result, the lobby appeared somewhat crowded.

Upon seeing Eric enter alone, some diners looked on with anticipation, but they all remained composed, not approaching him.

It turned out many guests came to the ship's restaurant hoping to have a chance encounter with a prominent figure in the Firefly system or, at the very least, catch a glimpse of some Hollywood A-listers.

However, Eric didn't take a seat amid the expectant gazes of diners in the lobby. Instead, he walked directly to the outer deck, quickly finding the spot he had just noticed.

At a round table in the corner sat a man and a woman. While Eric was not particularly interested in the dark-skinned Latino man, he couldn't help but admire the woman's impeccably straight posture, her tailored blouse paired with deep blue jeans conveying an air of elegance even while seated, highlighting her exceptional height.

The middle-aged man who faced the lobby had noticed Eric first. When Eric approached and confirmed that this Hollywood mogul was indeed heading towards them, he quickly stood up with a respectful demeanor.

The woman, who had been conversing with the middle-aged man, sensed the change and curiously turned around. Upon seeing Eric, her eyes first lit up with surprise, then flickered with something like regret, before being replaced by indifference.

Eric ignored the man who stood up, smiling as he studied Kathryn Bigelow's seemingly ageless features.

Since their encounter after The Thin Red Line, their meetings had been rare over the years. Eric wasn't sure if Kathryn had been intentionally avoiding him, but he had heard she had returned to San Francisco and hadn't made a film in recent years, only producing a few indie projects.

As Eric's own work became busier, what had once been a close connection from their time in Australia gradually became distant.

"You?"

After a moment of eye contact, Kathryn finally reacted, stammering out a single word.

Eric walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down at the round table. "What are you discussing?"

Noticing Eric had taken a seat without her permission, Kathryn displayed a hint of displeasure on her face, albeit her thoughts drifted. She couldn't help but think that this little guy was just as audacious as ever. Nevertheless, sensing that her thought might seem overly personal, she quickly picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, not responding to Eric.

The middle-aged man, also careful after Eric sat down, extended his hand to Eric and said, "Hello, Mr. Williams. I'm Braulio Mantovani from Brazil. I'm discussing a script with Ms. Bigelow."

"Oh," Eric nodded politely, shook his hand, then turned to the woman and smiled, "So, you're finally planning to make a new film?"

While she wanted to tell him how it wasn't any of his business, she felt saying that would be rude, almost reminiscent of a schoolgirl throwing a tantrum, so she merely nodded, "Uh-huh."

Yet Eric seemed undeterred by her cool demeanor, saying, "What script? Share it with me. Everyone is looking forward to your new film."

Still holding her coffee cup, Kathryn refused to back down. When Eric persisted, she lifted her chin slightly and said, "Let Braulio tell you."

Braulio realized something too and wished to excuse himself, but as Kathryn spoke, Eric Williams turned to him with curiosity. He had no choice but to push on, "Mr. Williams, it's an adaptation of a novel called City of God, depicting the lives of children growing up in the harsh environments of violence and drugs in Rio de Janeiro. I hope this film can draw attention to the degrading living conditions in the slums of Rio for teenagers. Oh, by the way, I have a copy of the original novel here. It might not be the best translation, but if you're interested, you can take a look."

*****

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