Chapter 30 30 About Hannibal's Plan

Chapter 30 About Hannibal's Plan

The fans don't know Eric's identity, but the actors know it very well. The young man in front of them represents MGM, or to put it in a more straightforward name - capital!

So no matter if you are an actor or actress, no matter how many billions of box office results you have created, unless you are the best in this industry, you should still bow your head in front of capital.

Of course, Eric will not be arrogant, and greet them one by one very enthusiastically. As an old hand who has been struggling in the circle for more than ten years before crossing, he is very familiar with these people in front of him.

First is director Brett Ratner. You can't imagine that this guy is only 33 years old this year, but he can already direct a blockbuster like "Red Dragon" and let a group of actors and actresses listen to his orders. Eric didn't even touch the director's microphone when he was 33 years old.

His famous work is "Rush Hour", the movie with Jackie Chan, which grossed $500 million in 1998. It was the peak at the beginning, and that's why he got the right to direct "Red Dragon".

And he has several works that are very familiar to Chinese movie fans, namely "Prison Break Season 1", "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "Skyrim".

However, I don't know if it's because his inspiration is gradually drying up, Brett Ratner's works are gradually going downhill and never coming back.

Then there is the old actor Anthony Hopkins. For this great god, Eric has nothing to say except admiration. He won the Oscar for Best Actor with only 24 minutes and 52 seconds. Every muscle of his face can act.

In addition, the shortest Oscar actor is David Niven, from the 1958 movie "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", a great god from the black-and-white era, his appearance time is 23 minutes and 39 seconds.

Ralph Fiennes is another movie star. You may not know what he looks like, but you must have heard of or seen his works, including "Prime Suspect", "Schindler's List" and "The English Patient". The most well-known to young movie fans should be Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" series.

Philip Hoffman has starred in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "The Hunger Games", and won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2005 for "Capote".

Emily Watson, a drama star, entered the industry in 1994 and has been nominated for two Oscars so far. There is no need to say more about the others.

Edward Norton, an actor very familiar to Chinese movie fans, is a second-generation rich man with a very stubborn personality. Perhaps because he is not short of money, he is fond of art films and has always declined commercial films.

Norton's acting skills are very good, which can be reflected in films such as "Primal Fear", "American History X", "Fight Club" and "Birdman", but his personality is also notoriously stubborn.

For example, when filming "American History X", he was dissatisfied with the director and cut a 40-minute version himself, almost fighting with the director.

The most well-known is that when filming "The Incredible Hulk", Norton changed the script on the spot, changing it while filming, trying to make a popcorn movie more humane.

The filming process was interrupted continuously, and the director and screenwriter were about to collapse. Later, he did not participate in the publicity because of the conflict with the crew. He was really a difficult thorn.

Looking at the big names in front of him, if it was in China, Eric really wanted to sign them all to his own company, but unfortunately this is in the United States, where there are unions.

After a while on the red carpet, everyone was there, and Eric suggested: "It's almost time to enter, let's take a group photo first."

Everyone naturally followed his suggestion, and Eric also stood in the center very naturally. Except for some fans who didn't understand the situation, no one had any objections.

Entering the cinema, the host took the stage to warm up the audience, and the witty jokes he told made the audience laugh.

For this premiere, my father specially invited Jon Stewart to host. Now is the rising period of Stewart's career and he is very popular among young people.

Then the actors and creators took the stage, and fans and the media began to ask some questions. They were all greeted in advance, and there was no situation where the reporters were blind.

Finally, the surprise guests appeared. In order to boost momentum, MGM also invited many celebrities to watch the ceremony.

Keanu Reeves, Nicole Kidman, Johnny Depp, John Cusack, and even Sylvester Stallone were invited to the finale.

Today's premiere will definitely make the headlines of tomorrow's newspapers.

Moreover, the quality of "Red Dragon" is not bad. It is a work above the passing line. It is not excessive to give it 75 points, and the film critics will also be lenient.

Eric looked to the side: "Dad, I didn't expect you have such a wide network of contacts!"

Harry Cooper smiled slightly, and before he could speak, Charlemagne, the general manager of Universal, said first: "Young man, your father has been in this industry for 30 years, so don't underestimate him."

As the clock struck midnight, the lights in the theater fell, the curtain opened, and everyone's eyes fell on the big screen.

Soon after the movie started, Hannibal's identity was exposed and he was sentenced to prison.

But then a more terrifying killer, the Tooth Fairy, appeared. Hannibal usually killed one person at a time, while the Tooth Fairy killed a whole family at a time, which increased the efficiency several times.

Then there was a plot similar to "The Silence of the Lambs". The FBI couldn't deal with the Tooth Fairy, so they had to ask Uncle Pu to take action, and a battle of wits began.

Eric attended the internal preview of "Red Dragon". He actually disagreed with the director's partial adaptation of the original work, which would lead to some illogicality, but the matter was done and it could only be done this way.

With a few gunshots, the Tooth Fairy fell to the ground and died, and the protagonist barely survived. Uncle Ba's plot did not succeed.

But it didn't matter, because at the end of the movie, he met the destined girl Clarice.

Hula la...

After the film ended, the audience stood up and applauded, applauding the actors and creators. Even some film critics frowned, but they also applauded.

Those obscure metaphorical shots in the movie cannot be figured out in a short time, and some logical loopholes cannot be understood in one go. If you can't figure it out, just applaud.

The premiere ended. It was already 2 o'clock in the morning. The lights in Los Angeles were still abundant, and people left one after another.

Eric called out to someone: "Mr. Harris, can I delay you for a few minutes?"

Thomas Harris, the screenwriter of "Red Dragon" and the author of Hannibal, the cannibal doctor.

In 1992, "The Silence of the Lambs" was brought to the big screen. The $19 million investment earned $700 million at the box office, and the movie became a global hit.

It also won the 64th Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay, becoming the third film in Oscar history to win four major awards.

The blessing of honor made Thomas Harris a god. Facing such a great writer with a gold mine, how could Eric let it go? If he didn't take advantage of it, would he still be a human being?

"Mr. Harris, although it's late, can I delay you for a while?"

In addition to being a writer, Thomas Harris is also a screenwriter. Facing the new captain of MGM, he naturally couldn't say no.

"Of course, in fact, I am a night owl, and many of my novels are written in the middle of the night."

"Really? Aren't you afraid of writing those cannibalistic plots in the second half of the night?"

"Of course not, because I will accompany my writing with foie gras and red wine, and silence and darkness will inspire my inspiration."

The two laughed. They were too busy to talk just now, but now they can have a good chat.

"Mr. Harris, I want to congratulate you. "Red Dragon" will definitely be a big hit. You are an excellent writer and screenwriter."

The fat on Thomas's face trembled: "This is also thanks to MGM's strong promotion. To be honest, I didn't expect you to do so much for "Red Dragon"!"

Eric reached out and hooked his finger not far away, and Chen Xing quickly brought over two glasses of champagne.

"It's not that we have to do so much, but because it is good enough."

"Hahahaha..."

Everyone likes to hear nice words. Thomas Harris suddenly felt that the young man in front of him was particularly friendly, and the two gently clinked glasses.

After a while of greetings and a glass of wine, the two quickly became familiar with each other.

"Thomas, have you ever thought about continuing to develop the gold mine of Hannibal?"

The other party nodded: "Of course, no writer does not want to spread his work more widely, but the trilogy has been filmed and my novel is also finished. Isn't it too early to remake it now?"

Eric was speechless. Brother, what are you doing? Remake a movie from 1992. Besides, who dares to challenge Anthony Hopkins? It's not appropriate to pull the old man to play Hannibal again. No matter how much money he is offered, he will not agree.

"Thomas, I'm not talking about the big screen. Before you release a new Hannibal film, this series is no longer suitable for the big screen, at least not for 20 years."

"I mean the small screen. After all, the movie is too short to fully show Hannibal's story. Why not make it into a TV series?"

"We will have enough time to show Hannibal's heart more perfectly to the audience. Isn't it interesting?"

Thomas Harris was silent for a moment: "As for the TV series, I haven't considered it yet. Is it feasible?"

"Of course it is feasible, and MGM is the most suitable filmmaker. You should have seen our sincerity."

"And not only the TV series, MGM also hopes to obtain the copyright of your subsequent Hannibal series of novels."

Thomas Harris understood Eric's purpose after the picture was revealed. He wanted to buy himself out.

"Eric, your idea is very interesting. I am willing to consider it. After all, I will shoot it no matter who I work with. I trust MGM after so many cooperations."

Eric smiled and said, "Thank you. We can discuss the specific matters. I am looking forward to your subsequent works."

"Then you may have to wait for a long time. I am a slow person."

"Hahahaha..."

In the original time and space, due to the chaos of MGM itself and other factors, MGM participated in "Young Hannibal", but the share was very small. And the production of the TV series "Hannibal" was not involved at all.

Although these two dramas are not successful, MGM is a blessing in disguise. However, in the eyes of Eric, who has a future perspective, as long as the dominant power is in his own hands, the gold mine will not produce stones.

You sold a psychological thriller drama like "Hannibal" to NBC. It can only be said that the producer's brain is pure.

What is NBC's style? They are elderly conservatives, and the main audience is housewives around 40 years old. Will they watch "Hannibal"?

If it were broadcast by AMC or HBO, the ratings of "Hannibal" would definitely increase a lot. After all, its ratings and reputation have always been very high, but the wrong market positioning led to a disastrous ratings failure.

"Thomas, Mr. Cooper, what are you talking about?"

Not far away, a figure approached with graceful steps. It was Anthony Hopkins. It seemed that he was about to leave.

The old man is 65 years old this year. He cannot compare with young people in their 30s. His physical strength is really not up to par. He does not plan to attend the subsequent banquet party.

Eric reached out and pulled him back: "I'm talking to Thomas about the development of Hannibal's follow-up film and television series."

Hopkins looked at his old friend: "Thomas, are you planning to publish a new book? I haven't heard anything about it. You should tell me, you know how much I love your books."

Thomas pointed at Eric: "It's not me, it's him who wants to develop a Hannibal TV series."

"Yes, Anthony, if a new series of Hannibal is launched, I hope to invite you to continue starring. After all, you are the best choice in the hearts of the audience."

Hearing this, Hopkins smiled and refused: "Mr. Cooper, I told you when I took over the filming of "Red Dragon" that this will be my last time playing Hannibal. Let others have a chance." Let me rest."

Eric had already anticipated Hopkins's attitude, so he made another request that was not excessive: "Is it okay to make a cameo? It won't take too long."

Facing this polite and approachable young man, Hopkins had just refused once and was too embarrassed to refuse a second time. He could only nod reluctantly: "Okay then."

…………………………………………

On a new day, Eric was eating the breakfast prepared by his mother and reading various newspapers.

The premiere ended last night at around 2 a.m., and I attended another party. My young body couldn't bear it anymore, and it was already after 10 a.m. when I woke up.

As for Dad, he seems to have more energy than Eric and has already gone to the company.

Sure enough, the premiere of "Hannibal" unsurprisingly made headlines in major newspapers, with the first cover featuring a large number of photos taken on the red carpet.

Originally, the person standing in the C position should be the father, but this opportunity to shine was naturally given to his son, because Eric's exposure was not high enough.

Even though he is sitting in the position of vice president of MGM, if he walks around the Vanity Fair, many people will definitely only regard him as a wealthy second generation in name only.

After breakfast, I called Gal Gadot. I was very busy during this period and couldn't care about this little girl. It was time to go see her.

It’s uncomfortable, why do so many people get sick and have headaches?

Tomorrow will be a round of testing the waters. I hope brothers can support me. Thank you all.