Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Located on the edge of the Rocky Mountains, this area is influenced by the alpine climate, so winter temperatures are actually milder than typical inland cities.
However, the high mountains on the city's outskirts are perennially snow-capped, offering beautiful scenery, making it a popular filming location for many movies.
Even the city name Calgary has a pleasant ring to it, meaning 'clear flowing water'.
More than half a month had passed since the scenes in Paris. In between, the crew flew to London, England, for filming. They accumulated over a dozen terabytes of photos, all of which were materials for post-production special effects.
Then, the crew flew across the Atlantic to Canada, entering Alberta, where a portion of the third dream layer's snow-covered mountain battle would be filmed.
The snow fortress battle would then move to Chile, South America. In a small town there, nestled beside the Andes Mountains, the crew found a private castle with significant history.
According to the owner, it had been passed down since the 16th century. Upon hearing it would be used for filming, he happily agreed, symbolically accepting a mere $1 fee.
However, he added a condition: he hoped his daughter could appear in the movie, with a visible face and a close-up.
Eric immediately agreed after flying over to inspect. Building a castle like Nolan did would cost a lot of money, not to mention the demolition afterward.
With an existing location, a slight modification could save millions of dollars. Why not? Besides, the resulting effect wouldn't be inferior to the original.
As for the owner's request for his daughter to appear, it was simple enough. Eames had a scene where he disguised himself as a woman to seduce Fischer. The beautiful woman would not only have a close-up but also lines.
At most, they would add a few more lines for her and extend the shot by a dozen seconds, which would be a reasonable compromise.
"OH!"
"OMG!"
"Quick! Quick! Quick!"
Under the dense pine trees, two figures met amidst the heavy snow.
Snowflakes drifted down like goose feathers from the sky, not only weighing down the pine trees but also covering the lovers in white.
But in the throes of passionate battle, with blood surging, one feels no cold.
Moreover, though the mountain forest was vast, the thrill of potentially being discovered added to the extreme excitement.
"Darling!"
Theron's legs were wrapped tightly around Eric.
Falling snowflakes landed on her thighs.
After a long while, as the afterglow faded and the cold set in, both spoke, their breaths puffing out white mist.
Eric kissed Theron's nose, teasing, "Baby, if your voice gets any louder, we won't need to walk out; an avalanche will bury us here."
"When the rescue team finds us in a few days, the international headlines will surely be ours. Even if the President dies, he'll have to make way for us!"
Theron stuck out her tongue and kissed him, her blushing face looking adorable and seductive.
"That wouldn't be bad either. How does that saying go? If we can't live together, we must die together, right?"
"If we can't share a bed in life, we must share a grave in death?"
"Hmm? What does that mean?"
"It means if we can't sleep in the same bed while alive, we should be buried in the same tomb after death."
Theron nodded, "Yes, that's what it means. But I think if we really died like that, your parents and my mom would still take us home to be buried separately."
"Then we'd become a global laughingstock and after-dinner topic."
"Hmm, I think that's more likely."
Hahahahaha.
"Darling, my legs are a bit cold and numb. Please let me down quickly."
"Wait a moment."
"Sorry, baby."
Theron looked down, "It's fine, I'll take care of it back at the hotel."
"Medicine?"
"Of course not. Medicine is bad for the body. As you said, this position shouldn't lead to pregnancy."
"But even if I did get pregnant, it would be acceptable. I'm almost 30 and have thought about having children. This age is just right."
"But you just won Best Actress. Shouldn't this be the golden period for your career development? Pregnancy would delay you for at least a year."
Theron shook her head, "I wanted to win an Oscar, and now I have. So I'm a bit lost about future development."
"Mom told me that when you're lost, it's better to slow down and think things through."
"So, if I really get pregnant, it means God wants me to slow down. God is giving me ample time to rest and think. Why shouldn't I accept it?"
"Wait, why do you sound like you're not very willing? Eric, if you really had a child, what would you do?"
Compared to Nicole, who preferred to chip away slowly with a soft knife, Theron's personality was more assertive. Her questions were often direct, without beating around the bush.
This was also related to her upbringing. When she made up her mind about something, besides her mother, probably no one could dissuade her.
What could Eric say to this question? Of course, he raised both hands and feet to express agreement.
Seeing his attitude, Theron immediately smiled and thoughtfully took out tissues to wipe them clean.
Eric put his arm around her shoulder and walked down the mountain.
After dropping Theron off at the hotel, Eric went to a local recreational club owned by Chinese people.
Their secret rendezvous naturally had to be hidden from others, especially Nicole.
Coincidentally, Bob Meyer, the president of New Line Cinema, wanted to discuss a collaboration with Eric, so he flew to Canada.
It was snowing heavily today, making filming inconvenient, so everyone had a day off.
Eric used this as an excuse to go to the mountains with Theron for a tryst.
At the club, Eric lay on a chair, enjoying a massage from a technician. Lately, he had either been flying or running around, and in between, he had to find time to comfort two women, so his body was indeed a bit tired.
Creak!
After a few knocks, the door opened, and the waiter led two men in: New Line Cinema President Bob Meyer and Vice President Michael Lynne.
Both were somewhat corpulent. Bob Meyer still had a full head of hair, while Michael Lynne, older, was half-bald.
Seeing them, Eric stood up and walked over.
Handing his coat and scarf to the waiter, Bob Meyer immediately opened his arms and embraced Eric.
His face was beaming with enthusiasm; one might think Eric and he were very close old friends, unaware that they only met at various parties and award ceremonies, exchanging greetings and a few words but having no private contact.
"Eric, the youngest Best Screenwriter in history, I've long looked forward to having a good chat with you."
Michael Lynne shook Eric's hand, "Mr. Cooper, your talent is astounding. Bringing MGM back to its peak, I deeply admire your abilities."
Eric laughed heartily, "New Line Cinema's development is truly enviable. the lord of the rings trilogy is so classic, sweeping 11 Oscars, unmatched."
"Bob, Michael, your vision is truly amazing. Harvey Weinstein treated the lord of the rings as trash, but you were able to find a treasure."
As the saying goes, 'many hands make light work.' The three exchanged pleasantries and then together complained about Harvey Weinstein.
The rumors were getting stronger, saying Disney really intended to kick the brothers out.
Everyone in Hollywood knew Harvey Weinstein's tactics and style, but a few years ago, Miramax was at its peak, so no one spoke up even if they disapproved.
But in the past two years, the situation had rapidly deteriorated. When you're down, your enemies naturally all emerge. This was already the umpteenth person to complain about Weinstein in front of Eric.
They ordered two more technicians, and the three talked while enjoying their massages.
"Eric, we specifically came here this time; you must know what we want."
Eric closed his eyes, slowly saying, "The rights to the hobbit, it's for this, isn't it?"
"Yes, when I first invested in the lord of the rings, I never expected the final box office to be so good."
"Since we've had a good start, why not continue filming? The story of the hobbit is in the same vein as the lord of the rings, and Bilbo Baggins's adventure will surely be popular with audiences."
Michael Lynne chuckled, "Eric, why doesn't MGM sell the rights to New Line Cinema? We're willing to pay a high price."
Understanding he was probing, Eric glanced at him, "How high?"
"$100 million, how about that?"
"Heh heh... Michael, let me ask you a question then: Does MGM have the capability to independently film the hobbit?"
"Of course, with you there." Michael Lynne replied somewhat awkwardly.
"Then let me ask another question: How much profit did the lord of the rings trilogy bring to New Line Cinema?"
"If you don't say, I'll guess. It's expected to reach $1 billion within two to three years. That figure is about right, isn't it?"
"So, if the hobbit's box office equals the lord of the rings, or is slightly lower than the lord of the rings, MGM could still earn at least $800 million."
"You have two piles of Franklins in front of you. The left one is as high as a small mountain, while the right one is only the size of a dressing table. Please tell me how to choose?"
Bob Meyer looked over, "But you still chose to meet me, which means you want to talk, don't you, Eric?"
"Yes, I want to talk."
"How about we discuss the terms? What do you want? New Line Cinema certainly has what you need."
"Rights and a statement at a critical moment!" Eric said seriously.
"New Line Cinema can acquire the film rights to the hobbit. You can still make three films, and MGM will not interfere in the process."
"For the first film, I want 10% of the box office share; for the second, 15%; and for the third, 20%."
This price was decided by Eric after careful consideration. If based on a profit of $1 billion, it certainly wouldn't reach that high, as the costs alone would soar much higher than the lord of the rings trilogy.
Calculating generously, MGM could receive around $150 million, which is equivalent to buying all of New Line Cinema's film rights for $850 million.
This includes all films since the company's inception up to now, as well as all films produced in the next ten years, averaging less than $100 million per year.
It contains many valuable film rights, such as the lord of the rings, final destination, Friday the 13th, Rush Hour, Blade, The Shining, Austin Powers, freddy vs. jason, and many others.
Even at current prices, this deal is not a loss. If they wait five or six years, during the era of soaring copyright fees, it would be a huge profit. It depends on whether the two of them recognize its value.
Next to him, Bob Meyer and Michael Lynne exchanged glances, feeling that these two things Eric wanted were quite unusual, especially the word'statement.'
When something isn't about money, it's definitely something more terrifying than money.
"Eric, you'd better explain in detail."
"The rights refer to all of New Line Cinema's film rights. I want exclusive online streaming authorization, with the term tentatively set for ten years."
Bob Meyer frowned. He had encountered various copyright purchase situations.
For example, physical goods, luxury cruises, TV channels, computer games, and so on, but this 'exclusive online streaming right' was the first he had heard of.
It's not that there was no video streaming online in this era; the official websites of major TV stations occasionally did.
However, what was purchased was always the TV broadcast rights, and sometimes used for online purposes, no one deliberately distinguished between the two.
"Eric, I don't quite understand. I'm afraid you need to explain in more detail."
When Eric explained about Lionheart Network, both men were greatly shocked.
"So, the'statement' you mentioned refers to?"
"Support me when the time comes. It's that simple."
Upon hearing this, Bob Meyer almost cursed out loud. Your casual remark truly is simple.
But if New Line Cinema truly sided with MGM, it would inevitably face attacks from The Big Six, and major TV stations would no longer advertise for New Line Cinema, causing significant damage.
Indeed, New Line Cinema had developed very well in recent years, but to make it directly confront the The Big Six traditional powerhouses, Bob Meyer honestly admitted he didn't have the guts.
Global distribution alone was too weak. If handed over to others, the profits after commission might not even be more than doing it themselves.
Bob Meyer also dreamed of becoming the eighth major studio, but that dream had to be pursued step by step.
After the experience of the lord of the rings trilogy, New Line Cinema's global distribution capability had further improved.
As long as he was given a few more years, he was confident in making this aspect as strong as The Big Six. Only then would he truly have the confidence to attack the position of the eighth major studio.
"Eric, the'statement' you want is too weighty; I'm afraid I can't bear it."
"You're already thinking of retreating before even starting? Bob, where's the courage you showed when you took on the lord of the rings?"
Bob Meyer frowned, "Can these two things be compared? Even if the lord of the rings really failed, at most New Line Cinema would lose over $100 million, which wouldn't be crippling. The outcome of going along with you might not just be crippling; I'm worried it could be devastating."
"So, you don't want the rights to the hobbit anymore?"
"I do, very much, but one must always act within one's means."
Seeing that he was genuinely thinking of backing down, Eric inwardly cursed him as a coward.
"Bob, I won't force you if you don't want to take risks. Here's a compromise: we exchange rights, and the matter of the'statement' is dropped. How about that?"
"Let me think about it. Can you tell me if you've found other allies?"
"That question crosses the line, Bob. I hope you keep it confidential, although the website launch isn't far off."
"Don't worry, I know the rules, but give me a week."
"Hmm, look how nervous you are. Relax, and enjoy the massage."
Looking at the calm young man, Bob Meyer's mood was very complex.
He then lost interest in the massage and quickly took Michael Lynne on a plane back to the United States.