portraits.

The arrival was swift. He didn't spend much time with Al Pacino, but they had to film quickly. Some scenes needed to be shot immediately, mainly due to budget constraints—getting them done as soon as possible was the priority.

-You need to shoot a Star Wars scene, and I want it to shine both for its love story and its laser battles. - Lucas said over the phone.

Billy had long known that trust was essential for love stories to work—two people sharing something deeper. Trust was the foundation of success, just as it had been with Kate.

-I'll do my best. I heard we signed a contract to develop a new software—LucasArts, Pixar, Autodesk, and CGI are creating something truly groundbreaking. Is that true? - Billy asked.

-It's true. We have six actors lined up to create clones. We'll use them as the basis to generate at least six different clone models. But outfitting real actors in armor is costly. - Lucas replied.

-Partially, yes. But if I join the project, it's better to give space for the Clone Wars miniseries. We'll use that to introduce Ahsoka. - Billy added.

He took an overlooked animated movie and reworked it into a ten-episode miniseries featuring the same cast, purely to satisfy the fans. This idea wouldn't just make Ahsoka shine; it would also give Ventress, Darth Maul, and Grievous the prominence they deserved, far more than they had been given.

-That, and the presentation of Weta Digital, has been a breath of fresh air. - Lucas responded. - How did you manage to secure a stake in their company? -

-Money and opportunity. Money and opportunity. - Billy said with a smirk. - Along with a few well-placed incentives for a brighter future. I think you'd better ask me once I have 50% of Lucasfilm in my hands. -

-Ohhhhh, the offer just went up to 650 million a little while ago. - Lucas laughed.

Always looking to make more money, more than seemed possible with the sale of Lucasfilm, but the deal was structured around collaboration and growth. Billy, for his part, was eager to invest.

-I have to go, but Lucas, I'll do my best to meet with Natalie… From what I understand, she's in the middle of her exams. - Billy asked.

-We need to talk about the arcade room! - Lucas exclaimed, completely on board with the idea. In the coming days, under Raimon's initiative, specialized gaming spaces would open, featuring dedicated Star Wars machines. One of them was a state-of-the-art game console.

-Talk to Raimon. I don't have much insight into that, but we'll take the necessary steps to make it to your liking. Some arcade distributors have shut down recently, and a few machines are available at good prices—we can use that to our advantage. - Billy replied.

He could buy a few of those machines on request and put them to good use.

After saying goodbye to Lucas, he entered the small production studio where he had his dressing room once again. There, he found Charlize, rocking back and forth as she read one of his comics.

-So, how's it going? - Billy asked.

-You're good. There's no doubt about that. - Charlize commented, still absorbed in the pages.

She was well aware that "Yu Yu Hakusho" was deeply cherished by its fans. It was one of the oldest and most discussed series, with an average of a hundred theories surrounding every detail. Each arc fueled endless speculation among enthusiasts.

The next film from Lux Animation was "Mulan"—the story of the young woman who conquered China. It embraced simplicity while incorporating different cultural elements from China, beautifully structured through an intricate storyboard and carefully designed character concepts. The script drafts were layered with the best refinements.

-I like this movie. - said Michel Schools, one of the finest animators in the industry, known for his work in film development.

DreamWorks had been subcontracted, slightly increasing Mulan's budget from 35 million to 45 million. For "Treasure Planet," it climbed to 47 million, all to ensure that these talented former animators had a full year to refine their work. This allowed the core team to split up and push each element of the film to a higher level.

-I think "Treasure Planet" is a better film—there's more visual potential to explore. - commented Alex Hunter, a young artist taken under the wing of James Baxter.

Not only that, but Kristof Serrand and William Salazar had also helped refine his skills. Many of these animators had drifted away when 2D animation fell out of favor, replaced by 3D.

For now, they were all signed under Billy's growing vision. The traditional principles of animation remained the guiding rule, yet economic efficiency was increasingly driving production choices. Advancing technology meant that hand-painting acetate frames and large-scale illustration work were often still superior to the slow, labor-intensive 3D process, which now required more people or extended work hours.

-We're busy right now, but I heard Jeffrey Katzenberg has already submitted the final script for "The Prince of Egypt." They want to move forward with its release immediately. - said Samuel Goorkeust, a DreamWorks artist working on a contract basis.

Over the years, he had contributed to various adaptations, both in television and film. Now, it was time to leave San Jose—a growing city—to head for Los Angeles.

-There's been talk for a while that they're planning two consecutive films. - Alex Hunter replied.

-I'd love to see that. -

The Lux Animation team was eager to see what lay ahead. The studio was at a crossroads, facing two major developments. First, the addition of three new TV channels meant that series were now being produced in much greater volume. This surge in content was comparable to an explosion—keeping up with the momentum required a delicate balance of licensing, advertising, and audience loyalty.

The studio's success was not only tied to its shows but also to its films.

...

iris. - go go dolls (sound track)