Chapter 399: The Situation of Lionsgate (9/10

The Getty Center, with its travertine walls, was filled with all kinds of precious artworks.

As the Getty Center was one of the wealthiest and most prestigious art institutions in the world, most of the artworks exhibited here were created by famous artists from all over the world.

There were no trashy works here, as long as you had an eye for appreciation.

Link was a boxer, and his artistic taste was close to that of ordinary people. These abstract expressionist artworks had almost no aesthetic feeling in his eyes.

Some of these paintings and artworks were made by randomly splashing paint on paper and drawing a few straight lines, while others were made by rubbing paint mixed with sand, pebbles, nails, and broken glass on fiberboard, which looked messy.

However, any of these paintings could fetch tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars at auction.

Among them, Jackson Pollock's "No. 5, 1948" was auctioned for 144 million US dollars in 2006, making it the most expensive painting in the world.

"What do you think after seeing these artworks?"

Ivanka asked, holding his arm.

"I feel like I'm pretty poor."

Link shrugged. After his net worth reached one billion, he thought he was rich. After visiting these exhibitions, he realized that with his current net worth, he could only afford dozens of artworks here.

"It's good that you have this idea. Many people become arrogant and conceited after they become rich. If they see these artworks, they will find that their wealth is nothing in front of art."

Ivanka pointed to a Pollock painting and said.

Link looked at her delicately made-up face and smiled, "Did you bring me here to see the exhibition to make me, a nouveau riche, sober up and not be arrogant and conceited?"

"Of course not. I want you to know the relationship between money and art. Money is fluid, like water and air, and no one can own it forever, but art is eternal. You are a musician, and your album is a work of art, no matter how many decades or hundreds of years, it is your work.

Now that you are rich, I hope you can spend more time on music creation instead of constantly making money, which will waste your talent."

Ivanka said with a serious expression.

Link nodded, understanding what she meant.

However, artistic creation was not an easy task. After becoming a singer, he was also creating, real creation, not plagiarism.

But creation was too difficult. Last year, he wrote seven songs for his fourth album, and only one was selected for the fourth album.

The evaluation of the other songs by Graeme and others was that they were not mature enough or the style was not suitable, and they could be given to other singers to sing.

"So you don't agree with me quitting the music industry?"

"Of course. Think about it, as a billionaire, how many people will remember you hundreds of years later? As an artist, like Beethoven, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, their names can be passed down for thousands of years. Isn't that cooler than being a billionaire?"

Ivanka looked at the painting and said.

"Yes, you are right. I will try my best."

Link put his arm around her waist and walked forward to the photography art hall next door, where he met Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban, who were also watching the exhibition.

Keith Urban was a famous country music singer who had won four Grammy Awards for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Link met Keith Urban when he went to Nashville to watch Taylor's performance in 2009. He was also familiar with Nicole Kidman.

After meeting, Link greeted them. Keith Urban was enthusiastic towards him, responding politely and asking him when his new album would be released.

Nicole Kidman was surprised to see him, her expression was complicated and difficult to describe, and she was not as enthusiastic as when she saw him at Weinstein's party last time.

Link didn't mind, chatted with them for a while, and continued to watch the exhibition with Ivanka.

In addition to Nicole Kidman, he also met Sandra Bullock and her husband, Natalie Portman and her husband, and other celebrities. People who had a good relationship with Harvey would keep a certain distance from him when they met him, while others did not change much, perhaps because they had not received the news.

"It seems that the entire mainstream Hollywood actor circle is rejecting you. What do you think?" Ivanka laughed.

"Facts will prove that they are on the wrong team."

Link said indifferently.

"Are you sure you want to buy Lionsgate? I'm afraid it won't be easy."

"I'm mentally prepared for this."

Link shrugged.

The acquisition of Lionsgate was not his impulse, but one of his plans to enter Hollywood.

Lionsgate was established in 1997 by the merger of Canadian film company Cinepix Entertainment and American television production company Trimark Pictures.

Originally headquartered in Canada, it moved to Santa Monica, Hollywood in 2000.

This company mainly produced and distributed small-budget movies, most of which were horror movies, such as the "Saw" series, "Hostel", and "The Descent".

It had also made many high-quality literary films, such as "Requiem for a Dream," "Monster's Ball," "Hard Candy," "Girl with a Pearl Earring," and "Rabbit Hole."

"Fahrenheit 9/11," co-produced and distributed with Miramax in 2004, was considered Lionsgate's turnaround and earned over $100 million.

Before 2000, the total box office of Lionsgate's films accounted for less than 0.4% of the total North American film market.

By 2004, the share had exceeded 4%, and last year it exceeded 5%.

Compared with the more than 10% share of the six major film companies, Lionsgate's 5% was not much, but in the field of independent films, only a few companies such as New Line, Focus, Miramax, and Summit Entertainment could match it.

Because of the good box office results last year, Lionsgate's stock price rose to around $8 in June last year, and its total market value once exceeded $700 million.

At the beginning of the year, due to the poor box office performance of two films, the current stock price was around $7.4, and the total market value was about $6.3 billion, making it the highest market value among independent film production companies.

After entering the film industry, Link wanted to acquire a film company with a mature distribution department in addition to founding Palm Beach Pictures.

Lionsgate, Summit Entertainment, and Miramax, which was about to be sold by Disney, were all under consideration.

After owning a distribution company, Palm Beach Pictures could independently distribute the movies it produced, without having to share the box office with the distribution company.

For example, "Easy A" was distributed by Warner Bros. last year. After the movie was released, Warner Bros. automatically received 18% of the North American box office share and 25% of the overseas box office share, as well as the copyright of "Easy A," earning more than Palm Beach Pictures.

This problem could be avoided by self-distribution.

When acquiring a distribution company, he also considered other film companies. Summit Entertainment, which had become popular in the past two years with the "Twilight" series, was once considered the first choice.

But in terms of development potential, Lionsgate was stronger.

After successfully releasing movies such as "The Hunger Games" and acquiring Summit Entertainment in 2012, Lionsgate's annual total box office share in the North American box office market reached more than 10%, often surpassing Fox and Paramount, and rushing into the top five in the film industry.

The current market value of Lionsgate was less than 700 million US dollars, and it would reach more than 60 billion US dollars in three or four years, almost ten times higher.

Acquiring Lionsgate or obtaining some of its stock at this stage was also a very cost-effective investment.

(End of Chapter)