Chapter 442 - 441: Universal Comes to Poach Talent

Chapter 442: Chapter 441: Universal Comes to Poach Talent

Page Pictures.

President’s Office.

"So, Dwayne Johnson proactively turned down the audition invitation for ’crank’?" The voice of the new acting vice president, Kevin Feige, was full of coldness.

"Exactly!"

Gavin O’Connor, the deputy head of the production department, said coldly, "Logically, production companies have the right to select actors, and actors have the right to accept or refuse; that’s normal. However, as far as I know, the reason he rejected us is that he’s latched onto the thigh of the Universal Group."

Gavin O’Connor sounded quite angry as he spoke.

Gavin continued, "I thought so highly of him, and so did the boss. Since his appearance in the movie ’300’ in 1998, we’ve given him opportunities in several films. Even his role as the’Scorpion King’ in Universal Pictures’ ’the mummy returns’ was thanks to our efforts."

"But what about him?"

"Universal Pictures threw him a bone, and he went running off with his tail wagging, completely abandoning Page Pictures, which has been so good to him."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... what an ungrateful white-eyed wolf!"

Gavin O’Connor was very angry.

The production budget for ’crank’ was only $12 million, which couldn’t compare to the olive branch extended by Universal Pictures.

But!

Whether it was Kyle himself, Kevin Feige, or Gavin O’Connor, they all had high hopes for Dwayne The Rock Johnson. They even planned for him to be one of the leads in ’the fast and the furious’, which had only recently been greenlit and was still in the script finalization stage.

"One of the leads in ’the fast and the furious’? What else can we say? We’re replacing him, of course!" Kevin Feige said with finality.

"Exactly. Since he looks down on us, there’s no need for us to cooperate with him anymore. Let that guy rot!" Gavin O’Connor strongly agreed.

A short while later.

At his Villa, Kyle also learned of this news.

Kyle wasn’t particularly angry, or at least not as fuming as Gavin O’Connor. Instead, he stated very indifferently, "Starting today, cancel all cooperation with Dwayne Johnson."

Kyle even immediately called WWE and ordered, "Immediately pull down all promotional materials related to Dwayne Johnson."

Dwayne Johnson, known as ’The Rock’, is a celebrity who came out of WWE. To expand its influence, WWE naturally promoted him heavily; it was a win-win situation.

As for now?

Heh!

"Hmph!" ℴℴ𝘮

After hanging up, Kyle snorted coldly, "It’s only because my temper has improved. Otherwise, I would have given him a piece of my mind."

Indeed, given Kyle’s former temperament of flying into a rage at the slightest provocation, there’s no telling how much trouble he would have caused.

In fact, Dwayne The Rock Johnson was somewhat lucky.

In terms of the current situation in Hollywood, Page Pictures was a top-tier second-line company second only to The Big Six of Hollywood, surpassing DreamWorks and MGM. Its growth was astonishing. Consequently, Page Pictures had naturally become the number one target for The Big Six to suppress, exclude, and pressure.

Furthermore, Kyle really had no relationship with the Universal Group.

Otherwise, Kyle would have blacklisted Dwayne The Rock Johnson immediately!

...A restaurant in the Burbank area of Los Angeles.

Dwayne The Rock Johnson’s uncle, Bach Johnson, along with senior Universal Group producers James Jacks and Sean Daniel, were dining and discussing business together.

"Blacklisted?"

Universal Group producer James Jacks said mockingly, "Heh! It’s not that I look down on Kyle Page and Kevin Feige. Kyle Page is rich, very rich, one of the super-wealthy, but... he can’t influence our Universal Group yet."

He paused and added, "Don’t worry, we promised to make Johnson the lead in ’the scorpion king’, and we will definitely keep our word."

"That’s good."

Bach Johnson, Dwayne The Rock Johnson’s uncle, breathed a visible sigh of relief after receiving the promise.

He and Dwayne The Rock Johnson had cast aside Page Pictures to latch onto Universal, but... they were also worried about Kyle’s retaliation!

It was well known that Kyle was a man who sought revenge for the smallest slight and held grudges deeply.

Think about Kyle’s former rivals!

Which one of them hadn’t suffered from his revenge?

Where is George Samenuk, the founder of McAfee software company, now? He was kicked out of the company by Kyle and stripped of all his positions.

Steve Bing, one of America’s super spendthrifts, once publicly cursed Kyle. And now? He and his friend Visger from ICQ have parted ways, and the movies released by his film company have all faced suppression from Page Pictures.

Meladande, the former founder of Fox Pictures’ animation department and current founder of Illumination Entertainment, once played Kyle. And now? Half the talent from his startup team has been poached by Kyle.

...Kyle has done plenty of such retaliatory acts; they are quite common.

"Hahaha, don’t worry!"

"Bach, you and Johnson can rest easy. It’ll be fine!"

"Right now, it’s not just us at Universal targeting and suppressing Page Pictures. Among The Big Six of Hollywood, only 20th Century Fox Film Corporation and Paramount Pictures have been less aggressive. The others—Columbia, Warner, Disney, and even DreamWorks and MGM—all want to crush Kyle Page and his company!"

Universal Group producer James Jacks continued, his words full of disdain for Page Pictures.

At this moment, Sean Daniel, also a senior producer at Universal Group, added, "Do you think Dwayne The Rock Johnson is our first step against Page Pictures? If you do, you’re underestimating us. Heh."

Suddenly, Bach was inwardly alarmed.

In the time that followed, James Jacks and Sean Daniel revealed some bits of information.

After the French Vivendi Water Company acquired the Universal Group in 2000, Universal had already initiated a series of moves against Page Pictures.

Director Zack Snyder?

Michelson, the vice president of Universal Pictures, once personally tried to poach him, but Zack Snyder refused.

Kyle hadn’t mistreated Zack Snyder either.

He not only gave him box office dividends starting from the movie ’the shallows’ but also invited him to serve as the head of the production department at Page Pictures.

Director Christopher Nolan?

Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures had also come to poach him.

The parent company Golden Dawn Entertainment Group and its subsidiaries—Page Pictures, Television Group, Golden Dawn Publishing, Golden Dawn Music, Under Armour Sports Goods Company, Waterworld Animation Company... every single one of them had faced poaching attempts by The Big Six of Hollywood since 2000.

Fortunately, Kyle moved quickly after the Dot-com Bubble, rapidly acquiring several Hollywood film and television companies, multiple local TV and radio stations, and even taking a stake in Comcast, one of the largest media groups in the U.S., to supplement the loss of manpower and talent. Otherwise, the Golden Dawn Group and its subsidiaries would definitely have suffered a massive brain drain by now.

"Kyle Page is truly impressive!"

Bach Johnson couldn’t help but exclaim.

"Of course!"

Universal Group producer James Jacks said solemnly, "If he weren’t impressive, he wouldn’t have built an entertainment industry company second only to The Big Six of Hollywood in just over five years."

Sean Daniel, also a senior producer at Universal Group, added, "Even our current parent company, the French Vivendi Group, pays high attention to that guy Kyle."

The wind precedes the storm!

Since the day Page Pictures replaced DreamWorks and MGM to become the entity second only to The Big Six of Hollywood, the entire Page Pictures, the entire Golden Dawn Entertainment Group, and even Kyle himself have inevitably been caught in the suppression of a group of vested interests.

Dark clouds loom over the city, threatening to crush it!

Entering 2001, the strangulation of Kyle’s industries by multiple forces has become an established fact!

Dwayne The Rock Johnson’s ’job-hopping’ and ’latching onto a thigh’ were just minor, insignificant actions among them.