### Chapter 420: Anger and Jealousy

“Haha, dear Bob, you did a great job on this. I’m very pleased.”

Bob Weinstein had just walked into the company president’s office when he was immediately embraced by his brother, Harvey. Harvey’s hug was enthusiastic, and his words were full of praise.

However, the hug was awkward due to their large bellies and short arms. Their large stomachs pushed against each other, and the sour smell of Harvey’s breath made Bob uncomfortable.

“Harvey, how was your trip to Cannes?”

Bob stepped back and asked after Harvey let go.

“Very fruitful. 'The Artist' won the Best Actor Award, and 'For Father’s Revenge' won the Catholic Humanitarian Award. I also found two good films at the festival.”

“What are these films like? Can they make money?”

Bob asked excitedly.

“They’re quite good. If the promotion is done well, earning a few million shouldn’t be a problem. Haha, speaking of buying film rights, that bastard Link also bought the distribution rights for two films at the festival.”

“What films? Can they make money too?”

Bob asked curiously.

Harvey sat in his chair, laughed heartily, and said, “At first, I heard that Link had asked Lionsgate to buy the rights to two films, and like you, I was curious, thinking they must be good films. But when I looked, I found they were two Chinese films.

One was a horror film with a bland plot and full of holes, wasting my time. The other was an art film with good acting but a too obscure theme and language we couldn’t understand. These kinds of films have no market in the US.

I initially planned to outbid him, making him spend more money. But I worried he might drop it if the price was too high, so I didn’t interfere. Haha, but I’m sure Link will lose money this time; he knows nothing about movies.”

Harvey laughed heartily.

Bob nodded, trusting Harvey’s judgment on such matters.

“Bob, tell me about Ivanka’s scandal. You did a great job this time. Is the news true?”

Harvey pointed to the entertainment section of the Los Angeles Times, featuring the headline “Ivanka Finds New Love, Playboy Link Dumped.”

“It’s fake! I hired a detective to follow Ivanka for days. She mostly went to work and stayed at her bay villa, always accompanied by her assistant or secretary. There were no male friends in sight.

According to informants, Ivanka never met with male employees alone and had no bad rumors. After many days of investigation with nothing worth reporting, we had to photoshop pictures of Ivanka meeting with Pam Abdi for the news.”

Bob explained helplessly.

“Haha, that’s fine. Even if it’s fake, it doesn’t matter. The papers are discussing Link living off Ivanka’s money. He’s nothing without her and the Trump family.

Link, being young and hot-headed, will definitely get mad seeing these news reports and grow estranged from Ivanka. Over time, their conflicts will escalate. I can almost see them breaking up.”

Harvey laughed heartily.

“Harvey, it might not be that simple.”

“Oh, what’s wrong?”

Harvey asked, lighting a cigar.

Bob turned on the TV, switched channels, and played a clip of Ivanka’s interview.

In the video, Ivanka, dressed in a sophisticated professional outfit, showcased her tall, graceful figure. Her elegant demeanor and articulate speech made her shine like a star.

Harvey initially didn’t pay much attention. While Ivanka’s responses were clever and reasonable, internet users mostly seek emotional release and entertainment online, not caring about the truth.

As long as the rumors persisted, it would strain Link and Ivanka’s relationship.

However, when Harvey heard the reporter from The Hollywood Reporter ask about Warner Bros. stealing box office revenue, he sat up straight, surprised, and looked at Bob.

“Is this true?”

“It should be. From what I’ve heard, ‘Bridesmaids’ should have grossed over $120 million in its first four weeks in North America, but the current reported figure is $70.5 million. Warner Bros. pocketed over $50 million.”

“Wow!”

Harvey gasped, his greasy forehead furrowing tightly. He wasn’t just impressed by Warner Bros.' audacity in skimming box office revenue but also by the fact that ‘Bridesmaids’ had grossed over $120 million in North America alone.

“What’s the overseas box office for ‘Bridesmaids’?”

“$158 million!”

“That much?! So ‘Bridesmaids’ has grossed over $200 million worldwide? A $30 million investment grossing over $200 million, possibly even $300 million?!”

Harvey shouted angrily.

Bob shrugged, indicating there was nothing he could do. ‘Bridesmaids’ had a $32.5 million budget and grossed over $200 million worldwide, possibly $300 million.

This return on investment was among the top in the year’s releases, if not the highest. Palm Beach Pictures had struck gold again, and Link would make a fortune from this film. And Harvey had just mocked Link for not knowing anything about movies.

Crash!

Another ashtray shattered.

“Why, why is it like this? How can Link, a newbie who knows nothing, keep making successful investments?”

Harvey roared with a dark expression.

“Harvey, calm down. This is due to Palm Beach Pictures’ production team, not Link. He’s not that good.”

Bob tried to console him.

Harvey bit down on his cigar, nearly snapping it. “Find out who’s advising him on these investments. That person can’t stay at Palm Beach Pictures, and we can’t let Link keep making money.”

This wasn’t just about money but also a power and honor struggle.

If Link’s films continued to be successful, actors would flock to him for collaborations, and film companies would line up to work with him. As Link’s influence in Hollywood grew, his status would rise.

Link could eventually replace Harvey as the top power player in Hollywood, becoming the sought-after person everyone wanted to work with. Women would throw themselves at Link, eager to please him.

This thought filled Harvey with intense anger.

His face twisted with rage, and his body shook like a furious wild boar.

“Harvey, don’t worry. Palm Beach Pictures hit two successful films by luck. They can’t all be hits. Maybe his next film will flop.”

Seeing Harvey’s grim expression, Bob quickly tried to calm him down.

“No, we can’t take chances. Find out about Palm Beach Pictures’ film investments this year, especially low-budget ones. We need to take them over.”

Harvey roared, clenching his fists.

“I understand. Palm Beach Pictures invested in four films this year: ‘Silver Linings Playbook,’ ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild,’ and two art films in collaboration with Annapurna Pictures, ‘The Master’ and ‘Lawless.’”

Bob provided an update on ‘The Master’ and ‘Lawless,’ both with budgets around $30 million.

Harvey had read ‘The Master’s script and found it good but too expensive to break even. After careful consideration, he decided to pass on it.

Now, hearing that Link was investing in it, with Paul Anderson directing, Joaquin Phoenix starring, Amy Adams as the female lead, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in a supporting role, Harvey sensed a potential blockbuster.

“How’s the preparation for this film? Any chance of taking it over?”

“No, ‘The Master’ started pre-production early last year, paused due to funding issues. Joaquin took the project to Link, who decided to invest after reading the script and brought Megan Ellison on board. Casting is complete, and filming starts next month.”

Bob explained.

Harvey frowned, pacing the office. After some thought, he assigned Bob a task: negotiate with Link, offering Oscar PR help in exchange for a share of ‘The Master’s investment and ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild.’

If Link refused, they would use ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ as leverage, indefinitely delaying its release since Weinstein Pictures co-produced it.

“Got it! I’ll arrange it soon.”

Bob agreed readily. He was glad Harvey was considering cooperation over conflict, preferring to make money together.

“Also, don’t stop recommending big-budget projects to Lionsgate. We need them to invest in big productions to speed up their downfall.”

Harvey said.

Bob nodded. Cooperation was one thing; competition was another.

Since Link took over Lionsgate, Bob had insiders continuously recommend projects with budgets over $80 million, like ‘John Carter,’ ‘Battleship,’ ‘After Earth,’ and ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ hoping Lionsgate would get involved.

Bob didn’t know if these films would be profitable, but he and Harvey knew one thing: independent film companies, unlike the “Big Six,” had weak finances and marketing capabilities. Reckless entry into big-budget films often led to disaster.

Examples included the bankrupt Carolco Pictures, pre-Warner acquisition New Line Cinema, former Hollywood major RKO, and former major United Artists and MGM. They all fell because of big-budget films.

Big-budget films could make money fast but lose even faster.

If Lionsgate’s top executives got hooked on big-budget projects, they’d eventually suffer losses.

Unfortunately, Link and Ivanka were smart, not easily fooled. His efforts hadn’t worked so far.

After leaving Harvey’s office, Bob had his secretary contact Link, requesting a meeting. He expected Link to decline or postpone it, but the secretary reported that Link was available tomorrow at noon.

(End of chapter)