Chapter 411: Retaliation and Audition

Harvey was, of course, angry about the poor box office performance, very angry. In his rage, he smashed two ashtrays and three floor tiles, and was even cut on the forehead by a flying shard, which made him even angrier.

Harvey sat on the sofa with a gloomy face, letting his busty secretary bandage his forehead.

When his brother Bob came in, he continued to curse Link. The movie "Bridesmaids," invested in by Link, was a low-budget follow-up film with no big stars and no significant advantage over other wedding comedies released in the same period. However, it earned $20.37 million at the box office in three days over the weekend and would break even in the next month, which made him furious.

There was also "Seeking Justice," produced by The Weinstein Company. He had originally thought that with the influence and box office appeal of Sean Penn and Frances McDormand, it would achieve good results in the summer season. Even if it didn't perform well, it should still be better than Link's "trashy" film.

But reality slapped him in the face.

"Bitch, you're hurting me," Harvey pushed away the secretary who was disinfecting his wound, grabbed a band-aid, and slapped it directly on his greasy forehead.

Bob helped the secretary up and secretly squeezed her butt, telling her to leave first.

The secretary limped away with the medicine box.

Seeing that Harvey had trashed the office again, Bob shook his head helplessly. In fact, before the film's release, he had disagreed with adjusting the schedule to compete with Link's new movie.

The reason was simple. "Seeking Justice" was an art film with a niche audience, mainly adults over thirty and fans of Sean Penn and Frances McDormand. "Bridesmaids," on the other hand, was a comedy suitable for all ages above thirteen, following the trend of "The Hangover" and having higher popularity. The two films were not comparable.

Bob knew that with Harvey's years of experience in film distribution, he must have known this too, but he still did it.

Firstly, he underestimated Link and the quality of "Bridesmaids."

Secondly, he was blinded by anger, only thinking about doing something to embarrass Link, not considering the consequences of losing.

The result was that he embarrassed himself.

"Harvey, you don't need to be angry about this. 'Seeking Justice' has a lower screening rate than 'Bridesmaids,' so it's normal for the opening box office to be lower. Also, comedy films usually have a bigger box office drop, while art films have more staying power. We may not have lost yet," Bob comforted him.

Harvey gasped greedily, his neck and belly bulging along with his greasy face, looking more like a bullfrog in a swamp.

"I know that, but it's also a fact that 'Bridesmaids' won't lose money. This bastard's two consecutive film investments have been successful. What luck! This will make people think that investing in movies isn't difficult and that we old filmmakers are incompetent. It also makes that bastard Link look very capable, and we become his foil, understand?" Harvey shouted angrily, his saliva almost spraying onto Bob's face.

Bob took half a step back and nodded.

He understood Harvey's thoughts. Link practiced boxing and singing every day, only giving a sum of money to Katherine for investment, and doing nothing else. Then the movies he invested in, one after another, were big hits. He was indeed very lucky.

"Harvey, the success of 'Bridesmaids' is the credit of Katherine Baker and those executives at Broadbent, not Link. We're not his foil," Bob tried to persuade him.

"That Katherine Baker is an outsider. Palm Beach Pictures mainly relies on those veteran producers at Broadbent. Can we poach Broadbent?" Harvey asked with a sullen face.

Bob shook his head, not thinking it was a good idea. Broadbent was originally the deputy head of the art film production team at Warner Bros. Pictures. His production level wasn't top-notch, and his abilities and achievements were far inferior to those of several gold medal producers.

Poaching him wouldn't guarantee that his next film would be a hit, let alone whether he would be willing to come.

Film production mainly relied on vision, experience, luck, and the strength of the team, not just an experienced producer. If having a group of gold medal producers could guarantee that every film would be a hit, the film market would have long been monopolized by the six major studios.

"Harvey, you're a top producer. No matter how good Broadbent is, he can't compare to you. Poaching him wouldn't be useful," Bob said.

Harvey frowned, accidentally touching his wound, and the stinging pain on his forehead made him hate Link even more.

"How's the progress of planting those mines in Palm Beach Pictures and Lionsgate?"

"It's slow. Palm Beach Pictures has limited funds and won't be making high-budget films for the time being. Also, informants report that what films Palm Beach Pictures makes mainly depends on Katherine Baker's decision, not other producers. The projects we submitted didn't pass Katherine Baker's approval. The same goes for Lionsgate. They originally had a plan to produce 22 films this year, but after Link and Ivanka took office, they directly cut ten of them, including the projects we arranged," Bob said helplessly.

Harvey gritted his teeth in hatred, feeling extremely unhappy.

After decades in Hollywood, he wasn't without rivals. On the contrary, he had reached this point by defeating many capable opponents, stepping on their shoulders to become the top figure on Hollywood's power list.

As a veteran of many battles, he originally thought he could easily defeat the newcomer Link Baker.

However, after two rounds of competition, he had one draw and one loss, which made him very unhappy.

"How are the other plans going? I really, really don't want to see Link stay in Hollywood any longer."

"...Not going well," Bob explained helplessly.

After the confrontation with Link in March, he had tried various ways to send women to Link, hoping to use this method to trap him.

Unfortunately, Link, the playboy, didn't take the bait at all. When he encountered women he didn't know, he wouldn't even give them a second glance, making it impossible to create any misunderstandings with him.

The same went for Little Epstein and Puff Daddy. Link didn't go to clubs or messy parties, so there was no chance to drag him into trouble.

"So you're saying we have no way to deal with him?!" Harvey's blood pressure spiked as he looked at Bob with the eyes of someone looking at a useless person.

"Harvey, you can't be too anxious about this. The more frequently we act, the more vigilant Link becomes, and the lower the probability of success. We'll take it slow and seize the right opportunity to strike. As long as Link is still in the entertainment industry, there will always be a chance to trap him," Bob tried to persuade him.

"Take it slow? You make it sound easy. Do you know how many people are laughing at me now? As long as Link is in Hollywood for one more day, those people will continue to mock me, saying that I, a Hollywood tycoon, can't even handle a small newcomer like Link. This is a great shame for me, a great shame, do you understand?" Harvey roared, his face red and full of flesh.

The muscles at the corners of Bob's eyes twitched. Harvey was blinded by the praise from the media and the people around him. Others called him a Hollywood tycoon, and he really saw himself as one.

But Link wasn't a small figure either. He was worth over 20 billion dollars and was the owner of Lionsgate. Lionsgate was the eighth largest film studio, sometimes seventh, and its market value and production capacity were stronger than The Weinstein Company.

It was perfectly normal that they couldn't easily defeat such a person.

"Harvey, don't worry. I've been thinking of ways to deal with Link during this time. After thinking for a long time, I finally found one of Link's weaknesses. If we start from this aspect, we might have a chance to bring him down," Bob sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, and lit a cigarette.

"Tell me!"

"Ivanka!"

"Ivanka?"

"Yes, Ivanka is Link's weakness. A large part of Link's current wealth and fame is due to her. Without her, Link Music wouldn't have its current scale, and without her, Lionsgate wouldn't be as stable as it is now. Without her and the Trump family's connections, Link wouldn't have his current momentum and wouldn't be able to withstand the attacks from Little Coogler and the others," Bob said, waving his fist and emphasizing his tone.

Hearing his words, Harvey stroked his belly thoughtfully.

"So I suggest we make a fuss about their relationship and find a way to break them up. Without Ivanka to manage Link Music and Lionsgate, both companies will inevitably fall into chaos. Without the Trump family's connections as a shield, Link is just a simple billionaire, and it will be easier to deal with him," Bob said in a firm voice.

Harvey nodded in agreement, reached out and patted Bob on the back, laughing, "Dear Bob, I'll leave this matter to you."

"No problem, you can trust me with this," Bob said calmly, flicking the ash from his cigarette.

"Also, the box office of 'Bridesmaids' is a bit high. Find some professional film critics to review it and find a way to bring down its box office. Didn't Link predict that the film would gross 400 to 500 million dollars? I want to make it 40 to 50 million," Harvey sneered.

Bob thought for a moment and nodded.

"Bridesmaids" grossed over 20 million dollars in its first three days of release. Finding people to write some negative reviews about the film and pushing its second-week box office below 10 million dollars, the total North American box office would be at most 40 to 50 million dollars. This wasn't difficult for him to do.

"How's Rami Malek's acting?"

Chapter 411: Retaliation and Audition

Palm Beach Pictures office building, Link looked at Rami Malek who was leaving the audition office and asked, "How was it?"

"Not bad, he has a very serious attitude towards acting, a true actor," Joaquin Phoenix said.

Link nodded. This was the audition site for the movie "The Master."

After reading the script, Megan Ellison thought the story was excellent, and the quality of the previous films directed by Paul Thomas Anderson was also very good. The male lead, Joaquin, was also a very capable actor. After some consideration, she agreed to invest.

The film had a production budget of $32 million, with Palm Beach Pictures investing $12 million, Lionsgate investing $10 million, and Annapurna Pictures investing $10 million.

With the funds in place, the previously suspended crew resumed operations and began the first round of auditions to select the main roles besides the male lead.

Link had read the script and found a supporting role that was very suitable for Rami Malek's image. Considering his good acting skills, he gave him an audition invitation through the crew.

If Rami could get this role, he would sign him to Palm Bay Talent Agency for further development, hoping that he could win the Oscar for Best Actor in the future.

Thinking of the Oscar for Best Actor, Link felt a little speechless.

Back when he was a boxer and singer, the media commented that he was too successful in boxing and music, and he was too handsome and wealthy. Out of jealousy and exclusion of outsiders, the thousands of judges at the Academy Awards would almost never vote for him.

He also had almost no chance of getting a little golden man.

Ever since he bought Lionsgate and became the owner of the eighth largest film production company in the industry, the media removed the word "almost" from their original articles and re-published them, saying that he had a 100% chance of not winning an Oscar for Best Actor, even if he worked hard until he was a hundred years old.

They compared him to Charlie Chaplin, a top star of the silent film era and the founder of United Artists, the original eighth largest film company in Hollywood, who had made many classic films but never won an Oscar for Best Actor.

Link was even less likely.

After seeing too much similar news, Link began to doubt whether the goal of winning an Oscar for Best Actor was unrealistic.

After some doubt, he still stuck to this goal.

He would make one or two good movies every year in the future, become a top actor, and try his best to win the award, regardless of whether he could get it or not.

"Link, there's a supporting role in this movie that suits you. Do you want to try it?" Joaquin asked with a smile, smoking a cigarette.

Link thought for a moment and declined, mainly because he didn't have the time.

He currently had three films on hand: "Rust and Bone," "Buried," and "The Avengers."

After the release of "Thor" in its first week, Ms. Anna received a call from Marvel Entertainment, saying that they were preparing for "The Avengers" and that there would be scenes with Captain America in the film.

The exact amount of screen time would depend on the box office performance of "Captain America" in July. Marvel's intention was for him to arrange his schedule in advance, as filming was expected to start at the end of the year.

In the performance contract he signed with Marvel Studios last year, there was a clause for making sequels, so he couldn't turn down this role.

There was also "The Flowers of War." At the beginning of the year, he was busy and had only filmed intermittently for over ten days, barely finishing his scenes.

Now the crew had entered the post-production stage, and Director Zhang called, saying that some scenes needed to be re-shot and asking him to make time to go back, which would only take two or three days.

Originally, there was also "Friends with Benefits." After he bought Lionsgate, Screen Gems wanted to continue the collaboration and have him continue as the male lead, even offering him a raise. Link declined.

"Are you still a singer now?" Link asked Joaquin. This guy had announced his retirement from acting in 2009 to become a rapper, but after more than half a year, he hadn't made much progress. He was even scolded by the audience for being late to a performance, and Joaquin argued with the audience, causing quite a stir.

"Not anymore, being a singer is too difficult. I admire you now. You transitioned from a boxer to a singer and became a top star in the music industry in just two years. That's amazing," Joaquin Phoenix praised repeatedly.

Link smiled slightly. Being a singer was indeed not easy. If he didn't have those music stocks, he wouldn't have his current popularity.

"Hey, Link, and Joaquin, you're here too?"

The two were chatting in the coffee room when Amy Adams, carrying a small bag, walked over from the backlight.

She was wearing a creamy white long dress, her wine-red curly hair draped over her left shoulder, and a gentle smile on her fair and round face. When she said "you're here too," her azure blue eyes looked at Link, and her smile took on a peculiar flavor.

"Amy, are you here for the audition too?" Link greeted her.

"Yes, I read the script, and the female lead's role is very suitable for me, so I came to give it a try," Amy Adams smiled.

"Good luck! Director Anderson is very strict with his actors."

"I'll do my best."

Amy Adams brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, smiled slightly, and turned to walk back to the audition office.

Link looked at her swaying back. This woman was more mature and had more charm than before.

"I'll go to the office and have a look," Joaquin dropped his cigarette butt and also went to the audition office.

After a while, Ms. Mandy walked into the coffee room and said that the casting director and Director Anderson both thought Amy Adams was more suitable for the female lead than Emma Stone. Amy Adams' temperament was closer to that of the female lead, Mary, while Emma Stone was too young and not mature enough.

Link said to follow the directors' decision and that he wouldn't interfere with the crew's choice. After all, his purpose in investing in this film was to make money, not to promote his own artists.

"Mandy, for the artists under Palm Bay, we should provide them with as many audition opportunities as possible and help them get roles under the premise of fairness. But don't spoil them too much, let them experience some setbacks, which can also help them improve."

Now Palm Bay Talent Agency had not only Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone but also five other actors with good acting skills.

There were Octavia Spencer and Chris O'Dowd, both actors from "The Help" and "Bridesmaids." The former was a black actress, and the latter was the male lead of "Bridesmaids." The remaining three were also actors signed from the crews of "Easy A," "Bridesmaids," and "The Help."

These actors all had good potential and could be arranged to play supporting roles in films produced by Lionsgate and Palm Beach Pictures. After they became famous, they could help the company make money.

"Okay, I've recently taken a fancy to two young actors with good potential and plan to sign them. What do you think?" Ms. Mandy asked with a smile.

"You're the CEO of Palm Bay Talent Agency, it's up to you. But if you have time, please pay more attention to Selena and don't let her become a wild child."

"I understand," Ms. Mandy chuckled.

Link spent half a day at Palm Beach Pictures. Besides observing the auditions for "The Master," he also chatted with Katherine about Palm Beach's films for this year and next year.

In addition to "The Help," which was being scheduled, there were also "Silver Linings Playbook," "The Master," and "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

There was also "The Land of Hope," recommended by Megan Ellison, which was adapted from a novel by renowned author Matt Bondurant about a gangster legend. It told the story of a family of three who sold illegal liquor after World War I and built a family gang that grew stronger.

This film was somewhat similar to a movie Link had seen called "Lawless." It had good quality and a production budget of only 26 million dollars, so he agreed to collaborate with Megan.

Palm Beach Pictures' total investment in these four films was 35.2 million dollars, which was completely affordable. After the box office revenue from "Bridesmaids" came in, they would have more funds to invest in new film projects.

Ding dong!

While driving home, he received a thank-you message from Amy Adams.

Link replied that she didn't need to thank him, and that she was very suitable for the role of Mary.

Ding dong!

Amy Adams suddenly sent a photo of her and a baby. The child was about a year old, with black hair, blue eyes, and a chubby face. He looked very cute.

"This is my son, Chris. Isn't he cute?"

"He's a beautiful little guy."

"Thank you!"

Link continued to look at the photo, a little confused about why she sent it.

Could it be that Amy Adams was hinting that this child was related to him?

He hadn't met Amy Adams' husband and didn't know if the other party had black hair, as well as the fact that Amy Adams was also a descendant of Italian immigrants and had black hair in her ancestry, and her pupils were also blue and her skin was fair.

He couldn't tell if the child looked like himself just from the photo.

Also the date Amy Adams gave birth to the child was before the Academy Awards, counting the dates seemed to be related to himself, but he couldn't be sure.

"Amy, when is the child's birthday?"

Link asked after some thought.

"Are you going to Chris's birthday party? I'll invite you next time it's his birthday."

Amy Adams said.

Link returned a 'yes' and didn't pursue the question further.

As long as Amy Adams didn't say that the child was his just pretend that there was no such thing, so as not to make a misunderstanding and bring a bad influence to the other family, and likewise to avoid offering the wrong kind of attentiveness.

Ding dong dong!

On the way back to the bay villa, Ivanka called and said that she had to work overtime for half an hour today to deal with urgent matters, and asked him to eat first and not to wait for her.

Link asked what was the matter.

Ivanka said that a large number of negative reviews of Bridesmaids appeared in the newspapers and on the internet yesterday afternoon, which directly led to today's box office results dropping 35% compared to yesterday's, exceeding the normal drop of 60%, which is a very abnormal figure.

Lionsgate Pictures is also involved in the distribution of this film, and the distribution department is now in contact with Warner Distribution, ready to join forces to resolve this matter.

(End of chapter)