When the video call connected, Amy Pascal in Los Angeles was briefly taken aback. On the screen, she first saw a little girl, delicate like a porcelain doll, staring at her with light-colored eyes full of curiosity. The camera then shook.
Simon soon appeared, pulling the little girl into his arms and gesturing to her, "Nina, where are your manners?"
Only then did the little girl seem to realize her oversight and obediently greeted the camera, "Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Nina. What's yours?"
Amy could be sure this wasn't the secret child of a certain someone; if it were, her boss would hardly be so coy about it. Likely, this was the daughter of one of his girlfriends. The girl was lovely, no doubt her mother was beautiful, too, and being able to sit so affectionately in Simon's lap suggested she was well-favored. Amy responded patiently, "Hello, you can call me Amy."
"Amy, nice to meet you. Are you very, very far away from us?"
"Yes, I'm in Los Angeles. Nina, where are you?"
"Mom says this place is called Saint Petersburg."
"Oh, I know it; it's a beautiful city."
"Yes, and there are so many people here who speak Russian. Mom says that's because it's my hometown, and Russian is my first language. Amy, what's your first language?"
Amy quickly realized the little girl was quite the chatterbox, but she remained patient, smiling. "English, which is the language we're speaking right now."
"Then, Amy, do you know Russian?"
"No, I don't."
"Why not? Nina knows Russian. So does Daddy, and Mom, and Ivana, and Yulia, and Vera—though Vera's only two and just learning to talk."
As the little girl chattered away, a slender, pale arm, obviously a woman's, reached into view and picked her up. Amy caught a brief glimpse of the woman before the screen wobbled again and recognized her: Yulia Shurchikina.
Two years prior, this stunning woman with a fairy-like face and flawless figure had caught much attention during a live broadcast in London. And last year, her breathtaking solo ballet performance in the "Bach's Last Day" music video had caused a sensation.
After that, she'd vanished from the public eye.
Everyone knew that Simon Westero had stashed Yulia away, and despite protests from her fans who had seen "Bach's Last Day," she hadn't appeared in public since. The only information available was that she lived in London. For a while, the media had attempted to trail her, but London tabloids were soon warned off, and the matter had cooled.
Amy hadn't expected to see her in a video call today.
And with such a cute—albeit rather chatty—daughter.
When Yulia carried the little girl away, Amy refrained from commenting on her boss's personal life and moved straight to business. "Boss, did you see yesterday's news about the film industry in China?"
Simon nodded.
It was May 31. In Los Angeles, it was 9 a.m., the start of the workday, while in Saint Petersburg, it was already 7 p.m. The two cities had a convenient 10-hour time difference.
Just the day before, on May 30, China's government had issued two documents related to the film industry.
The first was the long-awaited "Film Administration Regulations."
This document, released by the Ministry of Radio, Film, and Television, set guidelines on film production, censorship, and distribution within China.
Simon had reviewed a draft of the document before its release. The main part relevant to Hollywood was a stipulation that domestic films must occupy at least two-thirds of screening time in Chinese theaters—a clear move to protect domestic cinema after two years of imported films dominating the market. Beyond that, there wasn't much change; many of the guidelines simply put previous unwritten rules into formal terms.
The other document, however, had caught Simon's interest: the "Interim Regulations on Foreign Investment in Cinemas."
This had been a major goal during Simon's recent trip to China.
The details weren't necessary to discuss; the key point was that China was opening its cinema investment market to foreign capital.
Of course, there were expected restrictions.
For instance, foreign investors weren't allowed sole ownership of theaters and could only operate in joint ventures, with foreign ownership capped at 49%, leaving the controlling stake in the hands of local partners.
On the video call screen, seeing her boss nod, Amy continued, "Boss, given this, should we stick to our initial plan? I've been looking more into China's film industry, and most theaters are losing money due to competition from TV and piracy. On top of that, we wouldn't even have control."
Simon leaned back in his leather chair, folding his hands. "Amy, competition from TV and piracy isn't unique to China. When television and home video first emerged, Hollywood reacted the same way. In the end, these new channels simply became additional revenue streams."
"China's different."
"It is—for now. But when there's sufficient profit to be made, the government will take measures to support the industry. Currently, China's cinema reform, cinema network expansion, and this opening of foreign investment are all steps in that direction. Don't forget, Amy, China has a population of 1.2 billion."
"Then, what about control? If we invest but have no say, things could go very wrong."
"You're misunderstanding. A controlling stake doesn't necessarily mean our partners will keep full control. Besides, you know I have many investments in China. By involving some of our partner companies in the investment, we can convert 49% to 51%. So, go ahead and organize a team from Auden Cinemas to conduct a site survey in China. They can join the delegation from China's Ministry of Radio, Film, and Television on their return trip. I have other arrangements in place as well."
Seeing that Simon had thought it through, Amy nodded. "I'll get on it."
The two discussed other work matters before ending the call.
In Los Angeles, at Danelys Studios in Malibu, Amy notified her assistant to arrange a dinner meeting with Blake McKiernan, the president of Auden Cinemas, to go over the strategy for entering the Chinese market. She then picked up a box office report.
The report covered the past week and outlined the performance of Danelys Entertainment films for the first half of the year.
May 30 marked the unofficial close of the 1996 half-year film season.
The first major release was Rush Hour, which hit theaters in February.
Thanks to an early release, this $30 million Jackie Chan action film had completed its global release. It grossed $141 million domestically, with a weaker performance overseas but still raking in $126 million, for a worldwide total of $267 million—a solid success.
Rush Hour 2 was already in the works, though unlike the fast-paced Hong Kong industry, Hollywood wouldn't rush things, aiming for a sequel release in two years.
Then there were two Easter releases, The Haunting in Connecticut 2 and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, which made room for the wide release of Mission Impossible 2 by wrapping up their screenings.
The Haunting in Connecticut 2 earned $137 million domestically.
Its overseas release, not yet completed, had already reached $116 million, with an expected final take of $150 million, bringing the worldwide total close to $300 million. This confirmed the continued success of the Conjuring Universe in horror.
Jim Carrey's Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls earned $108 million domestically, also on a $30 million budget.
Its overseas release was still ongoing, with a current total of $76 million, likely to exceed $100 million. Although it wasn't in the same league as The Haunting in Connecticut 2, it was still profitable, with a projected worldwide gross of $200 million.
Looking at the lineup leading into the 1996 summer season, Danelys Entertainment stood out with the only three films in the "100 Million Dollar Club" in North America so far this year.
In Beverly Hills, at the Sunset Tower Hotel café, Jet Li had similar sentiments.
For Black Mask, aiming for success in the North American market had always been a dream, though never with high expectations. Success for a Hong Kong film in America was rare; even Jackie Chan had blended Hollywood elements to succeed.
Yet, Black Mask had broken through.
With only $10.38 million in its first week and a projected North American gross of $25 million, this equated to nearly HK$200 million, far surpassing any records back home.
Just then, a producer from Sony Pictures, James Kendrick, who he'd met at a recent party, approached Jet Li at his table.
"Li, I bet you're thinking you'll reach Jackie's level if you stick with Danelys Entertainment, am I right?"
Jet Li glanced at the entrance, waiting for his manager.
Unbothered by Jet Li's lack of response, Kendrick continued, "But think about it. Hollywood's space for Asian actors is limited. Since Danelys has Jackie and Rush Hour, how many resources do you think they'll give you?"
Seeing Jet Li still unmoved, Kendrick played his ace: "Work with Sony instead. We're a Japanese company, after all. We share a cultural bond. If you agree, we can sign right now: $2 million per film. What do you think?"
Jet Li raised an eyebrow at the figure.
It wasn't as if he found it low. Before Black Mask, he would have accepted it easily. But now? It was a different ball game.
Just as Jet Li was about to give a polite excuse to leave, his phone rang.
He answered, his tone respectful. "Hello… Yes, Mr. Xiang, everything's fine… Sure, I'll see what I can do, but you could always contact Danelys directly… Of course, I'll pass the message along."
Ending the call, Jet Li's expression was complex.
As Kendrick continued to make his case, the café's entrance finally swung open, and Jet Li's manager, Jeremy Zhao, walked in.
Jeremy apologized for the delay. Kendrick, unfazed, invited him to join them.
Jeremy politely declined, explaining they had another appointment. Kendrick, unfazed, handed him his card, inviting them to reconnect soon.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]