Hollywood starts with an agent

Chapter 674 The Crisis in California

For Hollywood, and even for businesses across the United States, the most important event right now is undoubtedly the merger of AOL-Time Warner, which was announced at the beginning of the year.

This merger, which is the world's largest to date, is still under negotiation and regulatory approval. Although the two parties have announced the merger, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has not yet given it formal approval.

Unfortunately, AOL and Time Warner had already joined forces, and after six months of internal adjustment, the contradictions between the two sides seemed to be beginning to emerge.
Leaving aside the economic aspects, the cultural differences between the two sides are vast. AOL, as the dominant party, is ambitious and incredibly large, which is completely incompatible with the relatively conservative Time Warner.

There are also difficulties in integrating the technologies between the two companies, given the significant differences in their technology platforms and business processes.

Finally, there is the antitrust investigation. This merger involves an unprecedented integration of old and new industries, and both the EU and the US require strict approval procedures!

In addition, J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" achieved unprecedented success in many parts of the country;
Bloomsbury Publishing in the UK and Putman Publishing in the US, among others, sold 270 million copies of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in the first three days of its US release, breaking the current sales record for children's books in the United States.

While Hollywood is booming, an energy crisis has already descended upon California, with power shortages being reported in the state's markets.
In May, the California government issued its first emergency warning of a power shortage, and in June, a major blackout affected 100,000 households in the San Francisco Bay Area.

California’s two largest power companies, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E), have complained that the market has been manipulated.

The target was Enron, an energy conglomerate in Texas. After California enacted legislation in 1996 that partially deregulated electricity, Enron used this deregulation to participate in economic deprivation and price inflation in California's spot market.

"Huh, Enron in Houston?"

Burbank, Dawn Headquarters, Aaron leaned back in his chair, a playful expression on his face.

Enron is currently the largest electricity and natural gas seller and trader in the United States, and also provides a variety of energy products, broadband services, and financial and risk management services.
Recently, Enron and Blockbuster also announced an agreement to provide video-on-demand services to customers around the world via high-speed internet lines!
Last year, Enron launched EOL (Enron Online), an electronic trading website that pioneered innovative trading products and derivatives such as natural gas futures.

Aaron did know Kenneth Lay, the founder and co-CEO of Enron, after all, he was also a supporter of George W. Bush!
“Mr. Anderson, Mr. Charles Johnson has arrived.”

Etherine Beckett came in and reminded her.

“Oh, bring him in,” Aaron said.

Soon, Charles Johnson, chairman of the Franklin Templeton Foundation, sat down opposite Aaron!

"Oh, Aaron, you're going to buy Berkshire Hathaway stock?" Because Warren Buffett doesn't invest in the internet, Berkshire Hathaway's stock price has been unstable this year.

Aaron nodded. "Well, I support Buffett's view anyway, and the Nasdaq is falling right now."

"Isn't Berkshire Hathaway's stock price also slowly recovering?"

Charles Johnson nodded. "Actually, Berkshire Hathaway's stock price fluctuates within the range of 54000."

How many are you planning to buy?

Aaron thought for a moment, "Berkshire Hathaway has invested a lot in Dawn, so I can't be stingy. This time I'm going to buy 40000 shares!"

Charles Johnson paused for a moment, "That's over $20 billion in cash?"

Aaron grinned. "Yeah!"

Aaron already owned 10000 shares. With this acquisition of another 40000 shares, he now owns 50000 shares, which is roughly 3.5% of Berkshire Hathaway.

With the grand opening of Twilight Studios' "Scream 3", it grossed $3470 million in its opening weekend and accumulated $5600 million in 10 days!
Entertainment Weekly: "As the final installment of the trilogy, Scream 3 breaks with convention, cleverly and meticulously crafting the series finale and giving the series a satisfying sense of closure."

Of course, when talking about the Scream series, we have to mention director Wes Craven. After making A Nightmare on Elm Street 6 in 1991, he made another one, A Nightmare on Elm Street 7, in 1994, thus finding a way to expand another film.

Like Wes Craven's previous films, Scream and Scream 2, Scream 3 incorporates introspective satire, cutting through the film's clichés;
Moreover, screenwriter Eren Kruger, while strictly adhering to the tone and style of the first two scripts, also added plenty of new elements, making the story even more interesting!
For both the director and the actors, Scream 3 may be the end.
Unfortunately, for Dawn & Twilight, this kind of low-budget teen comedy horror film is not so easy to let go of. Who dares to say that there won't be a "Scream 4" in the future?
The Scream trilogy was just the end of one phase, after all, Twilight Pictures already had an even more popular series, Scary Movie!
Immediately afterwards, Dawn Globe's modern thriller "Behind the Lies" premiered. This blockbuster, directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Clark Gregg, and starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, grossed $2900 million in its opening weekend.
As a supernatural horror film costing $1 million and featuring big-name directors and stars, "Behind the Lies" was filmed by director Robert Zemeckis while he was shooting another film, "Forrest Gump".

The Hollywood Reporter: "As Robert Zemeckis's first film of the new millennium, 'Behind the Lies' features a captivating pairing of Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, and the director's clever use of tracking shots that force viewers to appreciate certain scenes through mirror reflections creates an effect of anxious longing and slight confusion, but the film is just average."

The Los Angeles Times: "Behind the Lies is a satisfying popcorn movie with a touch of Hitchcockian flair, and it does a good job of creating a sense of suspense and horror."

"But there aren't many surprises to speak of, though this film is a perfect showcase of Michelle Pfeiffer's superb acting skills."

(End of this chapter)