Chapter 567： Haggard

A black Mercedes-Benz car parked in front of an office building. Robert Iger glanced out of the car window, hung up and got off the car, walked into Lionsgate, and soon met Frank Gu, the chairman of Lionsgate. Star.

"Hello, Bob." Frank Gusta shook hands with Robert Iger warmly and said, "Welcome to Lionsgate."

Robert Iger still has a kind smile on his face: "I wanted to come over a long time ago. I have never had a chance."

Frank Gusta greeted Robert Iger to sit down casually, and said with a smile: "I heard that you quit and went to Relativity Entertainment a few years ago. How is your development? If it doesn't go well, Lionsgate welcomes you anytime."

"The development is very good, and I am very satisfied with my current job." Robert Iger appropriately stated his position: "Mr. Ronan Anderson is very respectful and handed over the entire group company to me."

Frank Gusta asked himself if he couldn't do this, he couldn't transfer the company to an outsider, so he stopped mentioning this topic at all, and instead said: "Relativity Entertainment launched more than a dozen successful movie projects last year, right? Sha? Sea Entertainment first cooperated with Lionsgate, and our two companies continue to cooperate."

Frank Gusta can't stop drooling with envy as long as he thinks of "The Bourne" and "Pirates of the Caribbean".

Lionsgate’s initial development strategy was to focus on low-risk horror and thriller films, but it was not that it did not want to promote top-level productions, but it was insufficient in this regard.

Frank Gusta knows very well that the gap between Lionsgate and Relativity Entertainment is all-round. Let’s not talk about the key distribution capabilities. In terms of production alone, large-scale production is incomparable. Even Lionsgate. The horror and thriller project that was developed in 2009 is also far from the Relativity Entertainment.

It is precisely this gap that made Frank Gusta determined to compete with Relativity Entertainment for the artisan film industry. This is the best opportunity for Lionsgate since its establishment.

When Robert Iger came this time, he was indeed talking about cooperation with Lionsgate, but not about film project cooperation.

"Relativity Entertainment also wants to cooperate with Lionsgate." Robert Iger always seems to be particularly friendly because of his personal life style: "I came here this time just to talk about cooperation with Lionsgate."

Frank Gusta immediately thought of Artisan Pictures, and raised his vigilance secretly, and asked: "Bob, Relativity Entertainment wants to cooperate with Lionsgate on a film project?"

Robert Iger didn't want to go in circles, and said directly: "Artisan Pictures."

This answer is not beyond Frank Gusta’s expectation. In the past few days, Artisan Pictures and Relativity Entertainment have been negotiating with Artisan Pictures. It is said that the asking price of Relativity Entertainment has reached. 340 million US dollars.

But after the price was set, there was no further increase. Frank Gusta guessed that it should be the psychological bottom line of Relativity Entertainment.

Relativity Entertainment is large in scale, with far better performance than Lionsgate, and there are good financing channels, but large companies need huge amounts of capital, which often affects the whole body.

This Robert Iger took the initiative to come to the door, probably because of this.

Frank Gusta put a smile away and looked at Robert Iger: "Relativity Entertainment is ready to give up Artisan Films? If you give up on your own initiative, I will personally thank you."

Robert Iger said slowly but firmly: "Relativistic Entertainment will not give up Artisan Films."

In the past two years, Artisan Pictures did not have much profit from new films. Eighty percent of the annual profit was supported by the film library.

Frank Gusta simply asked, "Bob, what do you mean by cooperation?"

Robert Iger said unhurriedly: "The negotiations between Relativity Entertainment and Artisan Pictures have made almost no progress. If I am not wrong, the same is true for Lionsgate. Artisan Pictures has not seen significant growth in performance for many years. Why? Do you have the confidence to bite the high price? It is precisely because of the competition between Relativity Entertainment and Lions Gate Pictures that we give up competition and cooperate in acquisitions, which will greatly reduce the difficulty."

"Relativity Entertainment takes the initiative to withdraw?" Frank Gusta tentatively asked: "I have no opinion then."

Robert Iger knew that there was an old fox sitting on the opposite side, and he had to confess a little bit: "What is the greatest value of Artisan Pictures? Presumably Fran, you are just like I thought. There are as many as 7000 film copyrights and art Craftsman’s production and distribution business."

This is the simplest truth, Frank Gust can only nod and admit.

"In the production business, Relativity Entertainment has Shahai Pictures. In the publishing business, the distribution capacity of Embassy Pictures is second only to the six major companies." Although Robert Iger always had a kind smile on his face, he was confident in his words. The confidence that Relativity Entertainment brought him: "Relativity Entertainment does not need the production and distribution business of Artisan Films."

He looked at Frank Gusta: "But Lionsgate is different. It is said that you have always wanted to improve distribution channels."

Frank Gusta did not admit or deny. Instead, he said: "So what Relativity Entertainment wants is only the film library of Artisan Pictures?"

Robert Iger said: "We cooperated and effectively lowered the purchase price, Lions Gate Films got a much-needed distribution channel, and Relativity Entertainment won the artisan film library, a win-win situation!"

"This is indeed a good way." Frank Gusta first nodded, and then smiled: "As far as I know, there are nearly a hundred films in the film library of Relativity Entertainment, right? Lionsgate Pictures. , There are only a dozen film copyrights. The last time I talked to the TV station about packaging authorization, I didn’t know how to talk to people."

Robert Iger's smile remained unchanged, and Lionsgate had a great appetite.

Frank Gusta simply pointed out: "Artisan Pictures' distribution and production business is urgently needed by Lionsgate, and the copyright of the film library is also necessary for Lionsgate."

Speaking of this, Robert Iger is very clear that the plan he envisioned has been shattered.

He is a very good professional manager, and said: "I took the liberty."

Frank Gusta smiled faintly and said, "It's okay."

Robert Iger immediately said goodbye and quickly walked out of Lionsgate. After getting in the car, he asked the driver to return directly to Relativity Entertainment.

Although he did not achieve his goal, Robert Iger did not have much disappointment and frustration. As the actual operator of the group company, he could not and would never put the hope of the acquisition on a single plan.

This road is unworkable, and there is another way to go.

Returning to Relativity Entertainment, Robert Iger went directly into Ronan’s office and gave a general overview of Lionsgate.

"It's normal for Lionsgate Pictures to have ambitions." Ronan is not surprised: "Not every company will cooperate with us. Their first consideration is to maximize their own interests."

Robert Iger nodded slightly: "Frank Gusta of Lionsgate is very ambitious. It is said that when Lionsgate was founded, the goal was Hollywood's No. 1 Group."

Ronan knows this somewhat. Lionsgate was once known as the seventh largest film company in Hollywood after DreamWorks, and its performance even ranked among the top three in Hollywood.

However, today's Lionsgate Films has a huge gap compared with the former Lionsgate Films. The emergence of Relativity Entertainment has robbed Lionsgate Films of a lot of its resources. Even Lionsgate Films' original business horror and thriller movies are the backbone Is far less excellent than relativity entertainment.

Lionsgate’s development is not as expected, Frank Gusta is ambitious, and with a certain amount of funds in hand, it is also a convenient way to solve the problem through acquisition.

Robert Iger added: "Talking about cooperation with Lionsgate is also an alternative. Now the alternative is not feasible. We continue to promote positive acquisitions."

Ronan said: "My psychological base price is $400 million."

Robert Iger is far more conservative than Ronan in this regard: "If you exceed $370 million, we will give up."

"Okay." Ronan said, "You have always been in charge of this, and you make the decision."

Although the value of Artisan Pictures’ film library in the hands of Relativity Entertainment is definitely much greater than Artisan Pictures’s side, and even with Netflix’s platform, the benefits produced can’t be doubled, but any commodity Both have price/performance ratio.

Robert Iger reminded Ronan: "What we want is the film library, and other businesses need to be spun off."

Ronan smiled: "Don't worry, I already have a plan."

To be precise, it is true that the acquisition of Artisan Films is successful. In addition to soft assets such as film library copyright and script library copyright, Relativity Entertainment does not require Artisan Films' other assets.

Glendale, DreamWorks headquarters.

Spielberg sat in the conference room, listening to his staff arguing with the people from Paramount Pictures, only feeling awkward.

Paramount Pictures issued very demanding conditions. After several contacts between the two parties, the differences grew, and quarrels became commonplace at the negotiating table.

DreamWorks has also contacted other distribution companiesOthers in the Big Six, and the conditions for offering are no better than Paramount Pictures, and even more demanding. It seems that DreamWorks’ films are just as popular. .

Listening to the increasingly fierce quarrel, Spielberg simply got up and left the conference room to the corner of a slightly cleaner corridor. He only felt upset. Looking at the window in front of him, he had the urge to smash the glass.

As a veteran, Spielberg can feel that it is not normal lately, as if everyone is targeting DreamWorks and wants to push DreamWorks into the abyss tacitly.

Insufficient distribution capacity, as if he was stuck in his throat, and couldn't even kick his breath.

Paramount Pictures is aggressive, and the other five companies are sitting on the sidelines. Who should publish the films they invest in?

In North America, DreamWorks, although its strength is damaged, can always do it.

What about overseas?

Spielberg opened the window, and a gust of wind came, and his gray hair fluttered with the wind.