Hollywood (我就是好莱坞) Part I

Chapter 173 -A Trivial Matter

Eric pushed the door open and walked into the living room. Hearing the sound,

Drew immediately jumped up from the sofa and embraced Eric of excitement.

She was smiling sweetly but then snuffed and turned unhappy after sensing that Eric was trying to dodge.

Drew pretended to dislike Eric's reaction and drew a breath near his left cheek.

Then she used her sleeves to rub against his face before kissing it.

Eric found the little girl's act both funny and annoying. Stepping forward, he got rid

of the cuddle and put Drew onto the sofa. Then he sat down by her side and asked:

"Okay. Why did you hurry to see me?" Eric notices the striking black file on the tea

table and opened it. It turned out to be a copyright transfer contract.

"Haha, you have quickly secured the copyright on An Affair to Remember. I thought

that I would have to wait until the summer vacation ended."

Drew smilingly leaned against Eric and put her jaw on his shoulders: "This is

Hollywood. As long as you have money, things will become much easier."

"How much did you spend?" Eric took the metal clipper away from the file and

asked casually.

"3.5 million," the little girl said the price unconfidently and promptly

explained : "But it is all-inclusive and permanent copyright. We own the copyright

on even the original soundtracks in the movie,"

Eric nodded. If what Drew said was true, the price would be acceptable. He would

just take this as a chance to enlarge the Firefly Film Stock. Maybe could also wait

until Sleepless in Seattle became a blockbuster and invest in re-shooting of

An Affair to Remember. Eric had intended Drew to acquire only the 5- year copyright on

the film, but the result was a bit different. After all. the original copyright owner

would surely grasp the chance to rip off the potential buyer who was interested in

the old film dating back 30 years. Five years? Ni deal! If you wanted to buy it, you

had to accept the high price.

Seeing Eric nodding his head, Drew felt at ease and began to explain further, "This

film was originally produced by Jerry Wald, an investor who started his own film

company. Later, that business went bankrupt. The twist and turn sent the copyright to

Fox finally."

"Wow," while listening to the girl, Eric saw in the file the name of 20th Century Fox.

Then he nearly sprang up.

Drew was explaining when she was shocked by Eric's exclamation. She

opened her eyes wide an asked : "What......What happened? Is there anything wrong?"

"You just said that.....This film was bought from 20th Century Fox?" Eric tried his

luck and asked once again.

The girl fluttered her eyelashes innocently and moved her chin up and down, "Yes?"

Eric forced a smile, "Gosh, I will court the hatred of fox,"

On the evening, Eric was so fed up with the little girl's disturbance that he suddenly

decided to find her a part-time job during the summer vacation. If the copyright owner

was Warner's, Universal Picture or Paramount Pictures, Eric would let it go since he

had no relations with them. Making films was also a business and you could in no

case keep making a profit.

However, never could Eric imagine the copyright owner to be 20th Century Fox.

Now he was still in good working relationship with Fox and he did not want to

ruin the relations. For this reason, Eric explained in person to Barry Diller and made

compensation by giving the copyright on a TV series when playing tricks on him now

and God was deliberately spoiling his relations with this time.

After Sleepless in Seattle was put on show, if the videotapes of

An Affair to Remember sold 2 million copies like his friend said in his previous life, the sales value would reach 60 million dollars and the film would be like a box-office success. Although film companies announced to the public that the videotape profits

accounted for less than 20% and that the cost more than 80% insiders would easily

see through their lies. The percentage of videotape profits. in this case, the videotapes of An Affair to Remember would bring Eric at least 30 million dollars.

Eric could almost imagine how some people would fly into a rage.

Seeing Eric's constantly changing expressions, Drew asked curiously, "How can it be

like this? We have spent 3.5 million dollars and Fox has made money. Why will they

hate us?"

"Yes, it is true that we have spent more than 3 million dollars. The point is that we are likely to make 30 million dollars from this film in less than 1 year. How Fox feel then?"

The little girl covered her small mouth with her hands surprisedly. Eric asked her to secure the copyright on the film and said the business could bring money. Drew had thought that the maximum profits would be 1 or 2 million dollars. So she was a little nervous when confiding the film had been bought at the price of 3.5 million dollars. If they could really make 30 million dollars....

"But....It seems that...Eric, Fox does not know that we are the purchaser. For fear of making them link the business with you, I did not meet Fox's people in person. instead, I found an agent who transferred the copyright to me after getting it. All through the process, Fox did not know that it was us that wanted the copyright." As she want on saying, Drew's voice was getting lower. She immediately realized that Fox people, as long as they were sane, would surely link the business with Eric if Sleepless in Seattle gained popularity and then a big fortunes was made from An Affair to Remember.

Thinking of this, the girl stuck out her tongue, "Then, Eric, what shell we do now?"

Eric rubbed against his temple and thought for a moment. If Sleepless in Seattle was put on show by the end of this year, then the videotapes of An Affair to Remember would not become sales miracle until next year. By then, he had already fulfilled his contract with Fox for this year. So he would not worry about Fox making trouble for the film distribution. At most, Fox would play some tricks to delay the process of shared revenue. In that case, there was no need to worry since the contract signed last year had clearly stipulated the rights and obligation of both parties. If Fox breached the contracts, the company would be unlikely to win the lawsuit. The filmmakers in Eric's previous life became blockbusters. At the time, it was too late to rid themselves of disputes that could last for years. Eric was totally different from them.

"Well, let's just forget about it. The meat has been readily offered to us and we just cannot give it back. After all, it is Fox that has offered to sell the copyright and we have paid the company a large sum."

"Ha-ha," the girl felt relieved, cuddled Eric and kept rubbing against his body coquettishly, "Eric, but there is also a trivial matter....."