Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion-Chapter 495 - 403 Withdrawal from the Market_2

These were advantageous to established filmmakers, but very disadvantageous to newcomers. This was also why many billionaires waved their cash, thinking they could come to Hollywood to pick up girls and make a quick buck, only to end up losing all their investment.

This was also the reason why many veteran filmmakers were pessimistic upon hearing that Link had taken over Lionsgate Films.

Because the longer one spent in Hollywood, the more one saw and experienced, the better they understood the inherent risks.

For Link's actions, all they could do was sigh at the fearlessness of the novice calf that does not fear the tiger.

"Catherine, did Link really buy Lionsgate Films?"

In the Palm Beach Films headquarter, Emma Stone sat on the sofa, flipping through a magazine as she asked.

"Isn't it in the newspapers? Why ask me."

Catherine flipped through a new script, only glancing up upon hearing the question.

"I heard Link shelled out eight hundred million US dollars to buy Lionsgate Films for Jennifer Lawrence. That's just outrageous," Emma Stone said incredulously.

"Not eight hundred million, just over seven hundred million if you count the stocks," Catherine said with a smile.

"That's still a lot. The news says Link is an outsider, doesn't understand films, and Lionsgate Films will definitely go bankrupt after his acquisition. If it goes bankrupt, all the investment will go down the drain. Seven hundred million US dollars, even for Link, would take a very long time to earn back," Emma Stone said, shrugging her shoulders.

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Catherine smiled faintly. Before Link prepared to acquire Lionsgate Films, he had also consulted with her and Mandy, asking Ivanka for their opinions in a meeting.

Initially, she didn't agree.

Link already owned Palm Beach Films. If he wanted to invest in the film sector, he could do it through Palm Beach Films. There was no need to acquire a large company worth six to seven hundred million. Link didn't have the capacity or the time.

But Link insisted, so she didn't say much else.

Link was only twenty-two this year, with a net worth of over two billion dollars, a fortune he had earned in just three short years.

Even if he lost seven or eight hundred million on this investment, it wouldn't matter much.

He was still young, and failing once could be beneficial for his future development.

"Is your film finished shooting?"

Catherine got up and asked.

"Not yet, I was just passing by the company and came to see you. Are there any new movie roles in the company? I'm not picky, lead or supporting—I have three months free this year and can take on one or two roles," Emma Stone said, batting her green eyes with a smile.

"You can rest more during your spare time. You're currently on an upward trend in your career. You should be more cautious when choosing scripts and not take on just any role," Catherine said, calling for her secretary to bring two cups of iced tea while sitting across from Emma Stone on the sofa.

"I know, but... I think taking on more roles to practice always helps," Emma Stone said.

Catherine looked at her and smiled, guessing her thoughts.

She had been the top actress at Palm Beach Agency and shot to popularity last year with "Scandal Plan," threatening the popularity of A-list stars. Now, hearing that Link bought Lionsgate Films for Jennifer Lawrence, she inevitably felt a sense of crisis.

Catherine understood her thoughts but wouldn't tell her that Link's purpose in buying Lionsgate wasn't to promote Jennifer Lawrence.

Both Emma and Jennifer were actors under the Palm Beach banner; having more competition among the company's actors made them work harder. Besides, when the employees competed, it made managing the company a bit easier for the boss.

"Here is a script. It's for Joaquin Phoenix's new movie. They're short on investment and approached Link. Link didn't turn them down and left the investment to Palm Beach Films.

"There are two or three supporting female roles in this script. Take a look and see if you're interested. Oh, and the director of this movie is Paul Thomas Anderson. He's quite demanding of his actors. If you want to try, whether you can pass the audition is up to your performance," Catherine said, picking up a script titled "The Master" from her desk—a project with a 23 million dollar investment that had been prepared for shooting in 2010 but almost fell through due to funding issues during pre-production.

Joaquin Phoenix approached Link, who found the script appealing and thus took over the project.

"Great, I'll prepare well," Emma Stone said happily, taking the script. She had only planned to come for a visit and casually inquired about a role, not expecting her luck to turn up such an opportunity.

After sitting in the office for a while, Emma Stone left with the script in hand.

Catherine continued to review scripts at her desk.

These scripts were recommended by the production and writing departments after being sifted through. As long as they passed her review, the next step would be to proceed with the investment and production, making this a crucial step.

She scrutinized the eight scripts.

Considering Link positioned Palm Beach Films to produce movies with budgets under 30 million dollars, mainly centered on women's themes, she picked out a script called "Beasts of the Southern Wild," which told the story of a 6-year-old African American girl named Hushpuppy and her father living by themselves, surviving together.

Compared to mainstream movies, this script didn't have much of a selling point, but the storyline was touching enough. Moreover, the investment was low, only 1.2 million dollars.

With two films currently in production and two more yet to be released, the company's funds were tight, making it impossible to produce high-budget films for the time being.

She selected two more scripts with lower costs and picked them up to discuss with the production department to determine which project would be more suitable for the company's next venture.

—

Emma Stone, with the script in hand, returned to Palm Beach Agency, which wasn't far from Palm Beach Films. She intended to find her agent to contact "The Master" production team and inquire about the audition, but ran into Jennifer Lawrence in the hallway by chance.