At Pixar Animation Studios...
"Boss, here is all the information you asked for," John Lasseter said, handing a stack of papers to Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs sat behind his desk. As he read the papers, his eyes lit up behind his glasses.
"Hmph!" Jobs snorted. "Zane Blackwood... that little rascal has really made a name for himself in Hollywood!"
Lasseter nodded, his face full of surprise. "I know! Just a year ago, he was a nobody. Now, look at him!"
Static made over $100 million worldwide.
Hard Candy was small but very popular with fans.
Wrong Turn made $32 million in America and $40 million overseas.
And now, Juno was a giant hit!
Juno had not only been the #1 movie on its first day (making $29 million), but it was also the #1 movie of the weekend! In just three days, it had made over $63 million.
"John," Jobs said, putting down the file, "I want you to watch Blackwood closely. Tell me everything he does."
"Understood," Lasseter said. "I'll keep an eye on Wald Pictures."
"And," Jobs added seriously, "not just the movie studio. Watch ICQ, too."
"ICQ?" Lasseter was confused. "The chat program?"
"Yes!" Jobs said. "I saw it in the movie. I knew it was clever, but I never imagined it would be this big. In less than three days, it got over 500,000 users!"
"That fast?!" Lasseter gasped. He was shocked.
In 1996, there were only about 50 million internet users in all of North America. For ICQ to get 1% of everyone in just three days was incredible.
...
At Paramount Pictures...
"Boss," Jordan asked his CEO, Shirley Lansing, "did you see the box office numbers?"
"Yes," Shirley said. She was the first woman ever to run a major Hollywood studio, and she was very smart. "I just finished reading it. Number 1 for the weekend. Over $63 million."
She looked thoughtful. "I have to say, Wald Pictures is a young, exciting, great company. If we get the chance... we should buy it."
"Boss," Jordan asked, "should we try to buy the whole company right now? Or just buy a small piece of it first?"
Shirley thought for a moment. "Let's buy a small piece first," she decided. "Let him feel our friendship. We can help him distribute his movies overseas."
"I understand," Jordan nodded.
Of course he understood! This was a classic big-studio trick. They would "help" a small company by buying a small piece... and then slowly take it over until they owned the whole thing.
It happened all the time.
Miramax was owned by Disney.
Fox Searchlight was owned by Fox.
New Line Cinema was owned by Warner Bros.
Paramount wanted to do the same thing to Zane's company. They wanted to "lure him in with sweetness," just like they did with DreamWorks.
...
At Warner Bros. Pictures...
Barry Meyer, the CEO, looked at the report with surprise. He had to admit, he was impressed.
But the tall man sitting across from him was not impressed. He was angry.
It was Michael Jordan, the legendary basketball player!
"Darn it!" Jordan fumed. "Where did this Wald Pictures come from? Not only did it hurt my movie Space Jam, but it stole the #1 spot that should have been mine!"
Even the greatest basketball player in the world had a temper. He hated losing.
"Michael, please calm down," Barry said sternly.
"Calm down?" Jordan snapped. "Are you kidding me? I got beaten by a movie about a pregnant high school girl?! You don't expect me to just accept that, do you?"
Barry knew he had to say something. You couldn't ignore Michael Jordan.
"Michael, don't worry," Barry said calmly. "Winning the first battle doesn't mean winning the war. Never forget: we are Warner Bros.! We have huge power over the theaters and the newspapers. With a little pressure, we can crush the competition."
"Oh?" Jordan's eyes lit up.
But then he hesitated. "But... isn't that a little... sneaky?"
"Hehe," Barry laughed softly. "My friend, this isn't 'sneaky.' It's just business. We use every tool we have to win."
Not long after, Barry gave the order.
"Tell the theaters to show Juno on fewer screens," he commanded.
"And the newspapers?"
He smiled a cold smile. Warner Bros. was part of Time Warner, the biggest media company in the world. They owned magazines and TV stations everywhere.
"Let's just say," Barry thought, "Zane Blackwood is about to get some very bad press."
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