Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 291 I swear in the name of my child

   "Here's the thing, there were two Israelis who made a teen comedy called 'The Last American Virgin'. There were a few things in it that were very similar to 'Fast-Paced Richmond High'."

  Nisita was in CAA's office, giving Ronald a quick briefing.

"They had a distribution deal with MGM, so they sent the finished film to MGM for a test screening. But in the audience for the test screening, someone saw 'Fast Pace' and told the investigators about it. M Gaomei notified Universal after investigating."

   Ronald became more and more familiar, two Israelis, issued by MGM, "What's the name of this company? Who are those two Israelis?"

"Cannon Films, Minahan Golan, and Yoram Gobros. The people at Universal called them Go-Go Brothers from Israel. (The initials of Goran and Gobros) , the nickname is a bad derogatory meaning

   Sure enough, these two fat guys.

   "Is it really plagiarism?" Ronald was a little unconvinced. Not long after the "fast-paced" editing of the entire film was completed, how did Minahan copy it? Not too late?

   "There are indeed a few places that are beyond the possibility of ordinary coincidence." Nisita handed over a piece of paper, which was a briefing from MGM.

   "One is that the heroine went to the hospital for surgery, and after seeing the mannequin, she vomited after thinking of being pregnant.

  The other is the hero who has always had a crush on the heroine. His best friend is the man who made the heroine pregnant.

   But they are unlikely to plagiarize your finished film. Now it seems that it is more likely to plagiarize the script, or some details of the original novel. The script during filming may be leaked. "

   "What does Universal mean?"

   "The prosecution of the other party has been delayed for a long time, and Universal is not optimistic about the box office potential of their 'The Last Virgin'. And they are outsiders, and there will be no major Hollywood publishers willing to offend Universal and take over their distribution business.

   Of course Universal would also like to ask for your opinion on whether it needs to be released in advance in June to eliminate the impact of "The Last American Virgin" on the box office. "

  Nisita lit a cigarette, took a puff and looked at Ronald.

   "MGM has refused to release this film from Cannon Films due to film quality issues, but Cannonball itself has a little distribution capability, they will try to contact the theaters themselves and find enough theaters to release in late July."

   Ronald thought for a while and said to his agent, "Actually, I know these two fat guys. They met me at the Golden Globe Awards dinner last year and knew that I was writing a script for Universal to adapt this novel."

   "Is that so?" Nisita put out the cigarette, let's meet them head-on and see their movie quality before making a decision. Your movie is aimed at teens, and if it were released in July as originally planned, it would have made a lot of money at the box office. "

   "Yes, I don't need to be afraid of them. The last movie 'Apple' directed by Meinahan was very bad, and was thrown out by the audience in Montreal, Canada. I don't think his level will improve so fast."

   Ronald called Minahan Golan in Nisita's office.

   "Hey, Minahan, I'm Ronald. I heard you copied my movie?"

   "Hahaha", Minahan's rude laughter came from the microphone, "You are so joking, Ronald. How could I copy your movie?"

  Meinahan used laughter to delay the time, and gestured for his cousin Yoram to come over and discuss together.

   "I also don't think you're so rude, I've helped you in Canada and Los Angeles.

   But I got a letter from MGM that you asked them to release the movie 'The Last American Virgin' which has a very similar plot to my 'Fast-Paced Richmond High School'. "

  Ronald and Nisita who picked up the other earpiece and listened, made a color to indicate that he was testing each other.

   "Nothing, I promise you. I swear by my two daughters that I have absolutely no plagiarism. At most...at most..."

Yoram next to    hurriedly wrote a word on the manuscript paper and handed it to Minahan.

  "It's a reference at best, a coincidence. Ronald, I'll tell you the truth, this 'The Last American Virgin' is a remake of the old film 'Lemonade' that I had with Yoram in Israel.

  If you don't believe me, you can come to me and I'll show it to you. It's a complete remake of our own Hebrew film, and there is no plagiarism. "

   Ronald on the other end of the phone glanced at Nisita and asked for advice.

  Nisita made an OK gesture to him and asked him to agree.

   "Okay, my agent and I will go to your place now. If your new film is really a remake of your own old film, I won't mind. This kind of crash happens often in the film industry, but if..."

   "Ah, I knew, Ronald, you are a reasonable person. I got my subordinates ready, let's watch two movies together and compare..." After saying that, Minahan hung up the phone.

"Meinahan, you shouldn't swear with your daughter anymore." Yoram said to Meinahan, "The last time you used your swear to the bank to mortgage your two daughters to them without paying the money, your wife I'm so angry that I want to divorce you."

Minahan waved his hand, "I can't help it either, Ronald is not that easy to deceive. I have to give him a first impression that we are not plagiarizing, so he will be inclined to think that the two ends of the plot are coincidences. I It also took a lot of work to get his script...

   And we are in a bad situation in Hollywood, Ronald is a genius, his script is creative, we have to make a big production that shakes Hollywood, or we have to rely on him.

   And his background and connections are unfathomable. At that time he gave us a message so that we could get on line with the big publisher MGM, otherwise we would not be able to find a distribution channel now. "

   Ronald and Nisita walked to Cannon Films not far away. There is no change from last time here, and many employees still sit in the aisle to work.

"Please, please... Ronald. Let's go to the screening room, and I'll ask an employee who understands Hebrew to translate the original 'Lemonade' conversation for you on the spot." Minahan waited for Ronald at the door, fiercely He hugged him and invited him into the screening room.

   The old Hebrew film "Lemonade" was played first. An employee, standing next to him with a microphone in his hand, read out the dialogue of the characters in the film.

  Ronald noticed that the scale of the film was larger than the "fast-paced" he shot. Moreover, in the several suspected plagiarism plots mentioned by Nisita, only the relationship between the two male protagonists and a female protagonist exists in "Lemon Soda", and the plot of the female protagonist going to the hospital for surgery does not exist.

   Then there was the English-language film "The Last American Virgin". In this movie, I almost kept the scene of my own movie. After the operation in the hospital, the heroine visited the hospital again and saw the nausea and vomiting after seeing the mannequin.

   Ronald gave Minahan a suspicious look. This must have been plagiarized from his own movie script, but the plagiarism was a bit strange. Why edit some inexplicable footage before and after? Is it? Ronald quickly shut his mouth and held back his smile.

   "Mr. Golan, this part of your plot is very similar to my client's script..." Nisita said to Minahan after the broadcast.

"Absolutely not. I haven't read Ronald's script at all. I just read Mr. Crowe's best-selling novel. Based on his novel, I wrote this plot. If there is a coincidence, it is also because of me and Ronald Nader is a playwright, and great souls tend to have similar ideas."

  Ronald was silent, kept his mouth shut, and looked at Minahan.

   "I promise you, Ronald. If you insist on holding us accountable, we'll have to fight.

   But we are not enemies, are we? Our films are not released together, I have decided to do the distribution under Cannon Films' own power. And the release time we set is specially two weeks later than your movie, we will not have any competition.

   Ronald, you helped me twice, I will not forget. You are indeed a top playwright. I want to buy your script at a high price in the future. If you want, I will also pay a high price to invite you to direct. "

   Meinahan said a lot, but Ronald still kept his mouth shut.

"Ronald, I won't forget your help to me. We got financing from a Dutch bank, and we're about to start shooting a million-dollar production. I won't forget you." Mina Rare Ronald Still not speaking, he stepped forward and hooked Ronald sitting by the shoulders.

   "How? Would you like to?" he asked, shaking Ronald's shoulder. Minahan was a little nervous. He found Ronald's body shaking, as if his anger could no longer be contained.

   After ten seconds, no one spoke. In the end, Ronald finally nodded, shook hands with Meinahan, and was hugged by Meinahan, who kissed him on the cheek three times, left and right.

"Hahahaha..." After Ronald left, Minahan held Yoram and danced, "We finally shot our first movie in America, and we got Ronald's understanding, we It's going to be a hit. It's going to be nominated for an Oscar for best actor or actress."

"There is also the best supporting actor." Yoram is also very happy that Ronald can avoid legal measures, which is good news for the release of the film. Ronald also knows the lawyer named Mickey, his lawyer The means The two Israelis had already seen when they negotiated with MGM.

   "Yes, there are also best director and best picture." The more Minahan said, the more happy he became, he picked up the glass and poured two glasses of spirits, and drank it with Yoram.

   "These Hollywood producers, who are not even willing to play golf and tennis with us, must be a blockbuster this time and let them know about our Cannonball Films."

   "Hahahaha..." Ronald walked out of Cannon Films, and after crossing a few roads, he couldn't bear it any longer, leaning on the wall and laughing at the side of the road where he couldn't see the Cannon Films office.

   "Is that the scene from the hospital?" Nisita saw that he laughed so fiercely, and patted Ronald's back lightly beside him.

   "Yes, he actually made a montage with the footage of cutting the pizza, followed by the footage of the heroine being pushed onto the operating table. Hahaha..."

   Ronald held back for a long time, but this time he finally laughed enough.

  Meinahan is really a "director wizard". He didn't like the plagiarized paragraphs. When the heroine went to the hospital for surgery, he edited a lot of scenes where the hero went to work in a pizza restaurant and made money to pay her for the operation.

   In the end, when the heroine was sent to the operating table, when the doctor picked up the scalpel, he cut the scene of the heroine cutting the pizza with a knife. Cut the pizza in half with a swipe.

   "What editing method is this? Hahaha..." Ronald felt as if he had seen a cartoon.

   "Just because of this, you won't pursue him? Do you think the audience can't accept this editing method? The box office is not good in the end?" Nisita asked.

   "Of course that's one reason. But it's mostly the ending, where the hero doesn't win the beauties.

  The male protagonist who made money for the female protagonist to perform surgery, did not come together with the female protagonist, but saw the female protagonist reconcile with the handsome guy who let her get pregnant unexpectedly.

  We Americans do not have this hobby. Heroes must eventually win and win the return of beauty. "

   (end of this chapter)