[Chapter 58: Two Psychopaths]
The two were shouting so loudly it sounded like they would tear the ceiling apart.
On the Miramax side, everyone was tense under the boss's domineering pressure. Some of his men, including his own brother, looked grim and conflicted.
Meanwhile, on the Corleone Studios side, Etto and Mord didn't take it seriously at all. In fact, they seemed eager to jump into the fight. Judging by their stance, the moment the boss gave the word, they would grab chairs and go at it.
Charlie squinted, sneering as he scrutinized the other party. "I want to know -- how much of your resentment comes from lacking confidence in the project, and how much is directed at me personally?"
Harvey stared silently at Charlie for a long moment, then sat back down, shrugging nonchalantly. "Both! I want to see you focus on the project itself, instead of getting tangled up in these damn copyrights. Charlie, have you ever been involved in producing a commercial film with an investment of even twenty million?"
Charlie plopped down on the opposite sofa, leaning back with a playful expression, speaking deliberately, "The film rights to Lord of the Rings were personally approved by Eisner, valued at thirty million plus a three percent non-voting stake in Miramax, in exchange for acquiring 35% of Corleone Studios. Buena Vista handles distribution, and Miramax International retains 60% of North American distribution rights. Also, Miramax invested thirty million in the film."
"Yes, what's your point?" Harvey said seriously, nodding slowly. "If the global box office of the trilogy does not reach 2 billion US dollars, both of us will be burdened with huge debts. Fox and other companies intervened and forced Eisner to give in. We were also pushed to the edge of the cliff, and the situation was very dire."
"Really? I actually feel relieved," Charlie laughed. "You know you're a shareholder in Corleone Studios and that you own 20% of the Lord of the Rings rights. So cooperate with me to get all the other non-film rights. Once this kind of movie becomes a hit, the merchandise alone can rake in hundreds of millions!"
Harvey said bitterly, "Damn it, don't bring those up. The whole board of directors are all your people. The book rights company has nothing to do with it, and even the distribution company only has 40% held by Corleone Studios. The only asset in the film library is Fifty Shades of Gray, and you sold it all to Fox."
Man, acting like he had been wronged so badly.
'Why not mention the times I was in crisis and you stabbed me in the back, constantly trying to eat me up? What happened to your conscience then? Even if your pitiful grievance was true, as a shameless bastard myself, if the tables were turned, I might have stabbed you even deeper.'
He curled his lip impatiently, took a deep breath, tilted his head, frowned and said, "You wanted to play games with Disney, maintaining a cooperative relationship while leveraging some tactics to get benefits and independence. But I invited the wolf in. Fox and others grabbed the opportunity and made you clash completely with Disney."
"I know that!" Harvey said grimly. "Fox and those companies even have evidence of me secretly pocketing Disney's benefits. Now, we're both cannon fodder in this corporate battle."
Charlie sneered, "So whether Lord of the Rings succeeds or not, you and Eisner are done. Your relationship is deeply fractured. And now you're desperately looking for a fallback. Sorry, Harvey!"
After a brief pause, Charlie sat up straighter, his gaze sharp and voice serious, "Let me be clear, Corleone Studios is mine. Put away all your petty schemes. The only thing you can do now is start over."
Harvey's mocking smile froze instantly.
Miramax and Disney at each other's throats. By then, Harvey would walk away with nothing but money. It would be like being kicked off the power throne and having to claw back from the bottom, which wouldn't be easy.
Corleone Studios was small, but it at least had a solid framework and some content production capability.
If Harvey were at the helm, he was confident he could regain his power in Hollywood faster.
Harvey was silent for a moment, then smiled and spread his hands. "I don't know what you're talking about. My goal is to collaborate to make the Lord of the Rings project a big success."
"Then help me secure more rights."
"But I'm not sure if it's worth it." Harvey stayed still, his smile annoying but his voice calm.
"Fine, so annoying," Charlie rolled his eyes. "I promise all these assets will be put into the soon-to-be-established Lord of the Rings studio, calculated according to Miramax's film rights share.
And in the future, if you start a new company, you can invest to buy the original Miramax-owned Lord of the Rings rights. As for how to sort out the contracts, you have to persuade Eisner yourself."
Harvey finally laughed heartily. "Excellent. Seems like we're on the same wavelength and know what the other wants."
Charlie grumpily brushed his hand off Harvey's shoulder. "Do you really believe in me? Believe in Lord of the Rings?"
Harvey smiled helplessly. "What can I do? You ruined everything of mine, so I have to try to save whatever I can. If it succeeds, great. If it fails, we're both jumping off a building."
"Well, for ambitious guys like us, facing media giants like the Big Six companies, we have to be cautious. If we just wanted money, it wouldn't be so difficult."
"Yeah, I totally feel you, brother!"
Bob, Etto, and the others exchanged confused looks. These two sometimes spat at each other, then acted like best buddies - it was baffling.
Could it be that big bosses all have a little mental issue?
Just minutes ago, they were shouting themselves hoarse!
Or maybe it was just these two because of their similarly overbearing and shameless personalities?
As if to confirm Etto's suspicions, Harvey looked concerned and curiously asked, "Hey man, have you thought that when I get kicked out, no matter if Lord of the Rings succeeds, you'll be in a really tough spot.
If the project fails, it'll be worse for you than me. I won't be drowning in debt and have plenty of experience to find partners.
But you? You'll owe tens of millions and screw up a hundred-million-dollar project. Just relying on Fifty Shades of Gray's performance won't cut it.
Honestly, Eisner is ruthless. He's a bastard for valuing the Lord of the Rings rights at thirty million and buying over 30% of your shares. He's trying to drive you to ruin."
Charlie laughed helplessly. "You sound like you care, but I sense some schadenfreude. What am I afraid of? I was broke to begin with. You're the one who panicked because you wanted to take me down, stabbing me when I was at my lowest."
"Sorry, man," Harvey gave an awkward smile. "Who knew you were so tough? I do regret it. Anyway, I really do think you're a good friend now.
I want to see you do better, and for us to help each other in the future.
Honestly, Charlie, have you thought about what happens next?
If the project hits big, Eisner won't just let you take most of the benefits. He holds 35% shares and can do way more than I can now."
*****
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