Chapter 158: Future Journey

The matter of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority did not cause much trouble to Ronan. On the third day after Ronan explicitly refused, Saleh and Aziz returned to the UAE. We met and had a detailed discussion to make sure that there wouldn't be much trouble from the Investment Bureau.

Ronan also imagined that if the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is too persuasive, it will take the initiative to expose the acquisition case, and then show up as a victim. North American public opinion has always been unfavorable to Arabia, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority will definitely face huge problems. pressure.

But in this way, it is bound to become a hostile relationship with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Fortunately, the final result proved that Ronan thought too much.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority claims to control trillions of dollars in assets. Although it attaches great importance to Hollywood's publicity and influence, it does not take Ronan and Relativity Entertainment too seriously.

Ronan got the news from Saleh that His Excellency Sheikh Mansour has left Abu Dhabi for Manchester, England, and wants to ask for the purchase of Manchester United, and he has to face a strong competitor, Rupert of News Corp. Murdoch.

It is estimated that Chief Mansour has no intention of caring about Relativity entertainment for the time being.

However, Ronan knew that the entanglement between The Theory of Relativity and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority was still ongoing.

The film "Kingsman" has not yet been settled.

Embassy Pictures has reached the final stage of overseas copyright licensing negotiations for "Kingsman" and "Reaper", and the partner of cooperation is still Sony Entertainment.

The conditions offered by Gramercy Pictures were similar to those offered by Sony Entertainment, but under Ronan's instruction, Embassy Pictures gave priority to Sony Entertainment as their partner.

For nothing else, Chris is still negotiating on behalf of Sony Entertainment.

Chris helped a lot in winning the distribution department of Polygram Pictures, and Ronan reciprocated, and Sony Entertainment was also one of the two companies with the highest offer.

In the conference room of the embassy film industry, Chris and Garcia signed the contract on behalf of the companies on both sides and reached a licensing agreement.

Chris did not leave immediately, but found Ronan.

"We are all old friends." Chris complained when he came up: "We have cooperated so many times, and your price is still so high."

Ronan greeted someone to serve Chris a cup of coffee, and said, ""Kingsman" is only 10 million US dollars, which is not expensive at all. Such a wonderful action movie has a huge overseas market."

Chris thanked the person who brought the coffee, and said to Ronan: "The North American box office of this movie is only 10.6 million US dollars. I don't know what's going on overseas. If something goes wrong, I won't be able to stay in Sony Entertainment." Living."

Ronan said with a smile: "My people have done market research, and the Arabian region alone can have a revenue of 10 million US dollars. This film is definitely more popular overseas than in North America."

Having said that, without a good market estimate, will Sony Entertainment pay 10 million US dollars?

Chris sighed, "I hope so."

Ronan said again: "Okay, don't complain. Didn't I sell you the overseas copyright of "Death Comes"?"

"Yeah, "Death Comes" is really good." Chris raised two fingers towards Ronan: "But it's not a movie,

It's a film package. How many years have you been shooting the two videotape films in it? "

After the contract was signed, Ronan said honestly: "It was filmed four years ago when my father was still alive." He then emphasized: "Chris, although these two films have been made for a long time, I can tell you Guaranteed, the chance of overseas piracy is extremely low.”

Chris was even more certain than Ronan: "There is absolutely no pirated version of these two films overseas. I am sure of this, because even I, a professional looking for films in the industry, have never heard of these two films!"

Ronan worked hard, how could such a trivial matter be embarrassing, and said: "The total price of the three films is only 50 million US dollars, and the overseas box office of "Death Comes" alone can make you pay back."

After the theaters have finished counting the box office, the issuer settles with them. In most cases, North America is about 50-50, and overseas is about one-third.

As for discs, videotapes and TV broadcasts, revenues are mainly concentrated in countries with better copyright protection.

Chris took a sip of coffee and said, "I have no problem with "The God of Death is Coming", those two films..."

Speaking of this, he shook his head, thinking that the film would go to Sony Columbia, with "Death Comes" as the core of the film package, plus two bad films shot in Colombia, one good film paired with four bad films, overseas. Is there a market?

A total of four bad movies seems to be more, so three are better.

After drinking a cup of coffee, Chris said goodbye and left: "I won't bother you."

Ronan sent him out of Embassy Pictures himself.

In the future, I may not cooperate with Sony Entertainment again. After all, the overseas distribution channels of the Embassy Pictures are being integrated. When the next film is finished shooting, it will be able to distribute the film overseas through its own channels.

Moreover, the embassy film industry has also recently recruited relatively suitable personnel, divided into two teams, and went to the Middle East and Africa respectively to prepare for the establishment of offices there and develop market channels.

Since the film will not be released overseas for the time being, the experienced Alan Albert also went there and will personally lead people to open the market.

Robert Lee and Danny Donald, who are patrolling around the world, have received news that due to the funding of the embassy film industry, offices in most areas have been established smoothly, and some important personnel who originally belonged to various branches of Polygram Film Industry have also transferred to To the door of the embassy film industry.

Ronan is also asking Mary to train staff, and each region must send a financial director.

It can be said that the structure of the entire company is also being built. Ronan will appropriately delegate power, but will not allow a certain person or department to have too much power.

In addition, Ronan has a relatively clear understanding. He is lacking in handling the company's daily affairs. This is a normal thing. A person's energy is limited, and it is impossible to cover everything.

He discussed it with Mary, Robert and George. These three are also the veterans of Relativity Entertainment and his absolute confidantes. However, the three also have self-knowledge. They are competent in managing a certain department, but they are not capable of coordinating the overall situation.

Mary made a suggestion to Ronan that in the future, a professional manager or other suitable candidate should be hired as the CEO of Theory of Relativity.

Ronan has seriously thought about it. This is also a way. When the company is large enough, it is possible to hire an external CEO. The chief financial officer, the president, and himself as the chairman are enough to form a relatively balanced top power structure. .

Moreover, Ronan has also considered his future role and cannot be separated from the actual work of the company. Therefore, he must be the chairman. If he wants to maximize the advantages of foresight, the position of chief creative officer can be concurrently. Establish a project review committee, and he must be a member of it.

Medium and large Hollywood companies basically have an audit committee department. If the audit committee does not give the green light, a film project cannot be prepared at all.

The existence of the audit committee has disadvantages, but it can filter out many junk projects. Generally speaking, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Of course, these are all plans for the next step. Relativity Entertainment is now an independent production company and belongs to the independent film circle. The independent film circle has always been chaotic and there are not so many rules.

The overseas copyrights of "Kingsman" and "Reaper" were sold, and the early income has basically come to an end. Revenues such as TV broadcasting and disc and video tape rentals belong to the long-term offline income in the later stage.

Ronan also asked Mary's finance department to hurry up and complete the accounts, and at the same time asked George Clint to notify the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and private investors to prepare to settle the investment income with them.

But the notice is that it can be settled through an international accounting firm, and they can also send people to Los Angeles.

Anyway, it will not be settled in Abu Dhabi.

Due to the massive energy and import and export business between North America and the Middle East, international settlement is easy,

The settlement time is placed in April, and Ronan needs time.

With the overseas copyright income of "Kingsman" and "Reaper" coming to the account, Relativity Entertainment and its two companies, Shahai Entertainment and Embassy Pictures, have completed all projects in 1999. The three companies need to calculate the specific revenue status And net profit, also need to prepare for the April tax return.

In a nation built against taxes, taxes are more permanent than death.

Fortunately, the embassy film industry and sand sea entertainment will soon invest in the operation of new films, and there is room for investment tax deduction.

Like the sequels of successful movies, especially those with low investment, Ronan does not plan to refinance the filming. Except for the $1.5 million investment promised by Tom Cruise, the investment in the sequel of "Human Purge Project" will be in Funding within the company.

Compared with the original film and the first pioneering film of the series, the investment risk of the sequel of the successful film is much smaller.

For the first film with a large investment, the budget funds still need to be shot in the form of financing, and the risk is passed on.

In addition, the movie viewing department of the Embassy Pictures has also been re-established. Currently there are only five professional movie buyers, but they are all veterans of the Embassy Pictures who have been picking and watching movies around the world for many years. For film festivals, look for small productions that are suitable for distribution by Embassy Pictures.

The types of films these people buy follow the tradition of the embassy film industry for more than ten years, mainly independent films with an investment of less than 200,000 US dollars.

According to the current situation of the North American film market, especially the home entertainment market, if one of the four purchased small productions can make money, the cost can basically be guaranteed.

This is also the source of income that Embassy Pictures relied on until it was acquired by Ronan.

At the same time, Ronan also asked people to prepare materials for the Cannes Film Festival. The Cannes Film Festival in May every year has the most commercial scope among the three major film festivals in Europe. In his eyes, the essence of the film festival is not the competition, but the film transaction .

The biggest function of the film festival is actually to provide a trading platform for buyers and sellers.

These are all written into the itinerary, and Ronan's itinerary for the next few months is almost full.