Eric had never paid attention to the Olsen Sisters before, nor to their Dual Star Entertainment.
The reason he suddenly proposed buying shares stemmed from a meeting with Spielberg a few days prior.
It was the premiere of catch me if you can. Peter Jackson was invited, and since the two were researching special effects for transformers at Weta Digital, Peter Jackson conveniently brought Eric along.
After the premiere, the two talked for a long time.
First, regarding transformers, Spielberg regretfully stated that DreamWorks had also approached Hasbro, but the price he could offer clearly wasn't enough to satisfy them.
Now the transformers rights belonged to MGM, and Spielberg hoped DreamWorks could participate.
However, this request was subtly rejected by Eric, who gave the reason that the project had already started, and if DreamWorks had made the request earlier, MGM would have been very welcoming.
Of course, the transformers issue was just a small interlude; the two actually talked more about the development of MGM and DreamWorks.
Everyone in Hollywood knew that when Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen founded DreamWorks, their true purpose was to challenge the position of the Hollywood Big Seven. Of course, MGM was too weak among these seven.
But Spielberg's desire to establish a new power and create a new 'Wo Hop Luen' (a reference to a triad in Hong Kong cinema) clearly did not align with the interests of the Big Seven. This pie had existed for over a hundred years and was no longer allowed to be divided.
So, although there was still cooperation, conflicts were inevitable. For a short time, DreamWorks was indeed thriving, but over time, its shortcomings became apparent, which was its distribution capability.
Even with the backing of Spielberg and two other big names, DreamWorks could at most only manage distribution in North America. Worldwide distribution was always limited, and this business had to be handed over to the Big Seven. Unless they were willing to forgo profits, many films would not recoup their costs.
As a result, in the long run, DreamWorks ended up working for the Big Seven.
Want to establish a new power?
A shovel to dig up a shovel!
Eric and Spielberg discussed cooperation. The current MGM was like a very weak martial arts master, lacking internal strength but still possessing techniques.
DreamWorks, on the other hand, was the exact opposite; it possessed abundant internal strength but lacked suitable techniques to exert it.
One was about to be kicked out of the Big Seven, and the other was desperately trying to become a new giant. If the two complemented each other, it would obviously be of great benefit to both sides.
Among them, what Eric valued most about DreamWorks was its animation production capability, although it was slightly weaker than Pixar.
But even if Pixar hadn't been acquired by Disney yet, it was almost equivalent to the latter's exclusive subsidiary.
In Hollywood, Disney was still the most powerful to date; no one could challenge its position, and no one could snatch Pixar from Mickey Mouse's hands.
However, Eric always had a grand plan for animated films in his mind, including Kung Fu Panda, frozen, Zootopia, and others, each of which was a super profitable major IP.
Especially the frozen series, the direct profit from the two films exceeded 2 billion US dollars, and subsequent merchandise sold for tens of billions, with net profits exceeding 6 billion US dollars, which was terrifying.
Coupled with the mandatory acquisition of Marvel, there would certainly be major films after the acquisition, and relying on MGM's old animation department was clearly insufficient.
In all of Hollywood, only Pixar and DreamWorks could handle this task, so Eric's gaze naturally fell on the latter.
That night, the old and the young talked for a long time. Eric was willing to give up a portion of overseas distribution profits in exchange for the full support of DreamWorks' animation department.
At the same time, he also proposed the first cooperation plan, which was frozen.
Currently, both sides are in a secret contact phase. Although Spielberg is somewhat interested, he still needs to communicate with his two partners.
But as long as they are smart, they will make the right choice.
Once this cooperation is finalized, the frozen project will be launched immediately.
If all goes well, Eric estimates it can start before this summer, but the completion time cannot be determined; it might take two or even three years.
As for the legendary seven years in the original timeline, that is pure nonsense. If you include the time spent refining the script and bickering in the early stages, some movies can be counted for over a decade.
When frozen is released, Eric is not sure if it can achieve over a billion dollars in box office as it did in later generations, but even if there is a gap, it should not be significant.
Technology is not the limitation, because each era has its technological characteristics. When a new technological revolution has not yet arrived, I am the newest and strongest.
Perhaps audiences a decade or so later will feel its visuals are not exquisite enough, but that is no longer important, because enough money has been made.
And for frozen, the box office is not the focus; the real profit point is merchandise.
By then, MGM will most likely have acquired a certain degree of say in Hasbro, allowing it to use Hasbro to sell toys, and at the same time use these IPs to gain greater influence.
But just like DreamWorks, Hasbro also has obvious weaknesses: it excels at making toys, but is not good at clothes, stationery, books, accessories, etc.
It's not that they can't make them, but the quality and sales are far inferior to toys and figurines.
However, the core sales points for frozen merchandise are precisely clothes, stationery, audio-visual products, etc. For example, the sales of just the two princesses' dresses have already exceeded 2 billion US dollars.
This area yields enormous profits, and Eric doesn't want to share too much with others. No normal person would. So, he needs his own factories and sales network.
Eric was still contemplating this issue before, but when the Olsen Sisters appeared, he suddenly realized that Dual Star Entertainment could precisely fill this gap.
Although Dual Star Entertainment is not large, with a total value of about six to seven hundred million US dollars, it belongs to the type where 'a sparrow may be small, but it has all the vital organs'.
This is also thanks to the sisters being child stars, selling mostly children's merchandise, including clothes, small accessories, stationery, and everything in between.
Over a decade, they have developed their own processing factories and established a complete sales network, not only in North America but also with connections in Europe.
So, while considering the value of the two sisters, Eric suddenly realized this point: wasn't Dual Star Entertainment precisely the link he needed?
By integrating these resources, MGM would be responsible for creating and distributing IP, DreamWorks would handle film production, and Hasbro and Dual Star Entertainment could take care of a significant portion of merchandise sales, thus forming the prototype of an industrial chain.
And now, Hasbro has been secured, and it shouldn't be too difficult to finalize DreamWorks.
All that remains are the Olsen Sisters, who suddenly appeared. Eric needs to reel in these two fish.
"Company shares!"
The Olsen Sisters' expressions changed. This was their lifeline, regardless of whether they actually had a lifeline.
"Yes, but not for free. I'm not someone who likes to freeload. I will acquire them at market price."
"Think about it, if MGM holds shares in Dual Star Entertainment, that means we are on the same boat, and the Cooper Family will be deeply bound with the Olsen Family."
"Only in this way will I spare no effort and go all out to build you up and help you, because this also aligns with my interests, doesn't it?"
"blue is the warmest color is just the first step. Then there's a big production with an investment of over 200 million US dollars, also featuring two female leads, expected to start before this summer."
"In addition, MGM also plans to invest in a wedding-themed film, also with two female leads, which is very suitable for you. Last year, My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a global hit; surely you know about it."
The bait was continuously cast, making the Olsen Sisters' hearts itch with anticipation.
"Eric, what you said makes sense, but this is really too sudden and difficult to accept right away. We need to think about it carefully."
Haste makes waste. To get top-quality tofu, one must be patient.
"I understand that. You have plenty of time to consider, but I still hope you make a decision as soon as possible. That way, we can aim for next year's Oscar!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Hearing Oscar, the two sisters' hearts pounded again.