civilwarnovels Chapter 994 Hollywood Giants' Talent War: Stallone Refuses to Jump Ship!
Chapter 994 Hollywood Giants' Talent War: Stallone Refuses to Jump Ship!
Before we knew it, it was January 7th.
It has been five days since Ivan Fuller's team moved into MGM Studios.
Seeing that there was no way to salvage the situation, the members of Frank Rothman's team quickly handed over their work over the next few days and officially resigned from the company yesterday.
The handover process was basically completed in a few days.
Moreover, it was only the senior management who left; the middle and lower-level employees did not follow.
As one of the eight major Hollywood studios, MGM Studios has approximately two thousand full-time employees.
This does not include temporary film crew members, independent producers and their teams.
Following the acquisition of UA (United Media), MGM now has three major business subsidiaries.
These are the Family Entertainment Group, the Classic Films Division, and the Television Group.
The Family Entertainment Group is responsible for videotape production and distribution, copyright licensing, and other businesses; the Classic Films Division is responsible for art film distribution, classic film restoration and re-release, and other businesses; and the Television Group is responsible for television drama production, television program distribution, animation production, and other businesses.
The headquarters is directly responsible for the most important commercial film production and distribution business, which is the core lifeline of MGM Studios.
Frank Rothman's team mainly controlled senior management positions at headquarters, and their departure did have a significant impact on the company, primarily in terms of internal public opinion.
Many employees are worried about the company's future and their own future, and are even afraid of being laid off.
After all, the US economy has been in a slump for the past few years due to the oil crisis.
In particular, the economy suffered a severe recession between 1981 and 1982.
Inflation is rampant, unemployment is rising, and many large companies are laying off employees and downsizing.
Although the economy had clearly recovered by 1983, the time was still short, and the general public's perception of the economic recovery was far less immediate than that of Wall Street's financial data.
People are still tightening their belts and worrying about whether they will lose their jobs tomorrow.
Given this environment, the concerns of MGM Studios employees about the future are not unfounded.
They weren't worried that Lin Haoran didn't understand movies; they were worried that they would lose their job to support their families.
Therefore, Ivan Fuller's team has taken over very smoothly these past few days, and none of the middle managers or grassroots employees have jumped out to cause trouble.
Although the reasons for Frank Rothman's departure were not publicly disclosed, some middle managers within the company were well aware of them.
Frank Rothman and others didn't really want to leave; they just went too far playing with fire.
They intended to use a strategic retreat to force Lin Haoran to back down, but Lin Haoran didn't take the bait at all and instead turned the tables on them, agreeing to their resignations.
Therefore, the middle managers who remained worked very hard.
They weren't trying to curry favor with Lin Haoran; they were trying to keep their jobs.
In this era of economic downturn, having a stable job is not easy.
They didn't want to become the next Frank Rothman, and they didn't want to lose everything because they chose the wrong side.
The smooth sailing of the past few days also relieved Ivan Fuller.
As long as the takeover goes smoothly.
As a professional manager specializing in crisis management, Ivan Fuller's biggest fear is not a poor financial situation, but rather a collective rebellion by his employees.
No matter how bad the financial situation is, money can solve it; but when employees collectively rebel, it's not a problem that money can solve.
If morale is low, it's difficult to lead a team.
Fortunately, the employees at MGM were much more rational than he thought. They did not follow Frank Rothman's lead, nor were they affected by the negative reports.
They chose to remain silent and focus on doing their jobs well.
This also relieved Ivan Fuller.
However, just as he arrived at the company today, he unexpectedly received a very serious message.
Sylvester Stallone, MGM's most commercially valuable superstar, received news early this morning that Warner Bros. and Universal have both made offers to poach him from MGM.
Who is Sylvester Stallone? He is the writer and star of "Rocky," a low-budget film that was shot in just 28 days. It won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing, and grossed over $200 million worldwide.
He then wrote, directed, and starred in "Rocky II" and "Rocky III," each of which became box office hits.
He is not only MGM's cash cow, but also its face in Hollywood.
It's fair to say that Sylvester Stallone was the epitome of Hollywood action stars in the 80s, with an incredibly strong appeal.
At the same time, Stallone is one of the few top stars that MGM can be proud of. If he really leaves, MGM will lose more than just box office revenue. It will be a declaration to the entire Hollywood that MGM can no longer retain talent and that the company is falling apart.
At that time, not only Sylvester Stallone, but also other directors, screenwriters and actors who are still observing will follow suit, with those who can switch jobs switching jobs and those who can be poached being poached.
Fortunately, Stallone himself had no intention of leaving MGM, so he directly passed the message to Ivan Fuller.
The reason why he didn't consider leaving MGM is quite simple: Stallone is a sentimental person.
He started his career at MGM Studios, going from a poor kid who kept hitting walls with his scripts to an action star standing at the pinnacle of Hollywood. MGM gave him the opportunity, and Rocky made him famous.
He was aware that Warner and Universal offered better terms, but he didn't want to leave MGM during its most difficult time.
This is not loyalty, it is gratitude.
He remembered how the MGM producer read his script, which he had written as a newcomer, in that luxurious office, and then said, "This story is good, let's give it a try."
He remembers how he worked tirelessly on set for those twenty-eight days, remembering every shot, every line, and every injury.
He remembers sitting in the movie theater on the day of the Rocky premiere, watching himself on the screen, and his eyes welled up with tears.
These memories cannot be bought with money.
Moreover, he has long been financially independent over the years.
Most importantly, MGM gave him absolute freedom. He wrote the script, directed, and starred in the film himself, while MGM was only responsible for funding and distribution. He had the final cut and the right to make all creative decisions.
This collaborative model is unique in Hollywood today; even Spielberg and Lucas haven't received such treatment.
MGM has virtually no control over Sylvester Stallone; he can film whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
It can be said that MGM treated him so well that it bordered on spoiling him.
Warner Music can't offer this kind of treatment, and neither can Universal.
Warner has its rules, and Universal has its processes. Every project has to go through layers of approval, every budget has to be negotiated repeatedly, and every idea has to be criticized by a group of people.
Ivan Fuller looked at the two quotes in his hands. Although he knew that Stallone had rejected them, he also realized the seriousness of the matter.
Yesterday, he learned that Roger Moore, the star of 007, had received an offer from Paramount.
However, Roger Moore, like Sylvester Stallone, also refused.
As the actor who plays James Bond, Roger Moore's fame and influence today can be attributed entirely to the 007 IP.
United Artists has been producing the James Bond film series since 1962, making this year its 007st year.
Over the past 21 years, the 007 film series has evolved from a mid-budget spy film into one of the most commercially valuable film IPs in the world.
Although Roger Moore officially succeeded Sean Connery as the previous James Bond actor in 1973, becoming the new generation's James Bond.
But it was the 007 IP that transformed him from a moderately famous British actor into a globally renowned superstar.
Ten years as 007, six films, and hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide have made him an irreplaceable figure in the hearts of audiences.
He knows that without the role of 007, he wouldn't be who he is today.
So he rejected Paramount's offer outright, not because he was particularly loyal to MGM/United States, but because he knew that the 007 IP was the key to maximizing his value.
Without 007, he is nothing.
If he stays, he can continue making 007 films, continue making money, and continue enjoying the audience's adoration. He understands this better than anyone else.
Furthermore, with "Octopussy" set to be released in a few months, it was even less likely that he would switch jobs at this point.
Yesterday, when Ivan Fuller learned of Roger Moore's news, he thought it was just an isolated case.
After all, it's quite normal for Hollywood giants to poach talent from each other.
But now even Stallone has become a target for poaching.
Since Paramount suddenly wants to poach Roger Moore, and Warner Bros. and Universal also suddenly want to poach Sylvester Stallone, then other important talents from MGM must also be on their poaching list.
This is not an action targeting Roger Moore and Sylvester Stallone personally, but a comprehensive attack on MGM Studios.
The six tech giants failed to defeat Lin Haoran in the war of public opinion and the financial war, and now they are starting to fight a war for talent.
They want to poach MGM's most valuable talent one by one, rendering MGM completely powerless and turning the company into an empty shell.
Without stars, directors, screenwriters, and producers, MGM Studios can't make good movies no matter how many intellectual property they have.
This is a fatal blow.
Having served as a temporary firefighter for numerous large American corporations, Ivan Fuller has experienced countless business battles of varying difficulty. He has seen more ruthless methods and more brutal encirclements than this.
Therefore, he immediately noticed that something was amiss.
The list of potential hires may be long, but many of them are not as heavily reliant on United Media or MGM as Roger Moore and Sylvester Stallone, and therefore are unlikely to switch jobs easily.
However, those talents who are not highly dependent, lack loyalty, and only care about money are likely already being targeted by the six giants.
They won't directly refuse like Roger Moore and Sylvester Stallone; they will hesitate, observe, negotiate, and choose to leave when the conditions are right.
This is what Ivan Fuller is most worried about.
Ivan Fuller placed the quotes from Stallone and Roger Moore on the table and took a deep breath.
He knew that although the two people had been retained for the time being, MGM's talent crisis was not over.
The six major studios will not give up poaching talent just because Stallone and Roger Moore refused. They will continue to probe, continue to offer prices, and continue to tempt every core talent at MGM with higher prices and better conditions.
Once a breach is opened, others will follow suit, creating a domino effect that becomes uncontrollable.
He must come up with a solution as soon as possible, or MGM will be finished.
When the news reached Lin Haoran's ears, he was in the chairman's office at the MGM Grand Hotel, having just finished a phone call with Ma Shimin in Hong Kong.
Compared to Ivan Fuller's worries, Lin Haoran was quite calm, because he had already prepared himself mentally.
When he learned that MGM was being sidelined by the six major giants, he had already foreseen that this day would come sooner or later.
If they want to destroy MGM, those squid will eventually start by targeting talent and theatrical distribution.
This is their last trump card, and also their most proficient tactic.
They've controlled Hollywood for decades, and what they have in abundance is connections and resources.
The reason Stallone and Roger Moore stayed was not because Lin Haoran was so great, but simply because both of them had reasons why they couldn't leave in the short term.
Lin Haoran told Ivan Fuller to calm things down first and see if they could determine who had been poached.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Haoran pondered for a moment. It seemed he would have to go to Hollywood himself.
Originally, he planned to go to Hollywood after the New Year.
However, the current situation no longer allows him to wait.
The talent war has begun. If he continues to stay in Las Vegas, employees will feel that he doesn't care about them, that the company has no future, and that their careers are hopeless.
He had to go to Hollywood in person, stand in front of his employees, give them a promise, give them direction, and give them hope.
At the same time, he personally spoke with those he considered the most key personnel.
In fact, there were only two people who caught his eye.
Sylvester Stallone is a multi-talented filmmaker who is a screenwriter, director, and lead actor, and is MGM's most core asset in the blockbuster film field.
He not only brings box office revenue to the company, but also prestige and influence. His very existence is a golden brand.
As long as he remains at MGM, other talents will feel that the company still has hope and will not leave easily.
Therefore, Lin Haoran must meet with Stallone in person and give him a promise to reassure him so that he can stay.
Even though the other party has now stated that they will not leave MGM, Lin Haoran still wants to meet them in person, as this is a sign of respect for talent.
Lin Haoran knew that someone like Stallone couldn't be kept with money.
He stayed because he had feelings for MGM, and because MGM gave him a freedom that no one else could give him.
What Lin Haoran needed to do was not to give him more money, but to make him believe that MGM's future would not be worse than what he had experienced in the past.
He didn't need to promise Stallone anything; he just needed to let him know that he was a trustworthy person.
This is enough.
The other one is not Roger Moore, who plays James Bond, but Albert Broccoli, the co-founder, producer, and co-owner of the 007 series.
After MGM acquired United Artists, it did indeed own the copyright to 007.
However, the copyright for 007 is actually very complicated, with half of it in the hands of MGM and the other half in the hands of Albert Broccoli.
Therefore, maintaining a good working relationship with Albert Broccoli is the fundamental guarantee for the continuation of the 007 series.
This gentleman is 73 years old this year and is the true soul of the 007 series. Starting with the first "Dr. No" in 1962, he single-handedly created this legendary IP. For a full 21 years, he personally supervised every 007 movie.
It's not that MGM doesn't want to change its personnel, it's that it can't.
Albert Broccoli's original cooperation agreement with United Artists clearly stipulated his creative control and final decision-making power in the 007 series, and this agreement remained valid even after United Artists was acquired by MGM.
Therefore, Lin Haoran had to personally meet with this old man to let him know that even after MGM changed owners, their respect for him would not diminish in the slightest, and their support for the 007 series would not decrease in the slightest.
As for Roger Moore, although he is the iconic face of 007, he is ultimately just an actor, a role that can be replaced.
Throughout history, the actor who played 007 has changed time and again, but Bond is still Bond, and audiences will still buy tickets to go to the movies.
Therefore, the success of an IP is not determined by a single actor.
But Albert Broccoli is irreplaceable; he is the creator of 007 and the guarantee of the 007 brand.
Without him, 007 wouldn't be 007.
The importance of these two individuals is not on the same level.
The same applies to other directors, actors, and so on.
Hollywood has no shortage of actors and directors, as long as there are good scripts and good intellectual property.
What's truly scarce are those who can continuously create value, grow an IP from small to large, and develop a series from weak to strong.
Sylvester Stallone is that kind of person, and Albert Broccoli is even more so.
Therefore, for Lin Haoran, he had to ensure that both of them stayed at MGM Studios, otherwise MGM Studios would definitely be greatly affected.
As for the others, he didn't care much. He would try to keep those he could, and he wouldn't force those he couldn't.
With that thought in mind, Lin Haoran got up and left the chairman's office.
He first went to Clifford Perlman's office to briefly explain the matter, and then took Liu Xiaoli back to the presidential suite where they were staying.
With this legendary Las Vegas professional manager overseeing the MGM Grand Hotel, he doesn't need to worry about anything here.
Back in the suite, Lin Haoran immediately looked at Liu Xiaoli and instructed, "Get ready. We'll leave for Los Angeles in two hours, heading to Hollywood." (End of Chapter)