Chapter 379

"Fortunately, we got rid of it early, otherwise we will lose miserably this time."

As usual, Duke and Tina Fei ate lunch together. No one else around to bother me. The female assistant simply talked about the news that I had just received in the morning. "Last week, the market fluctuated once, but many people Self-comfort. This is a market adjustment. The market will continue to rise. However, the Nasdaq Index plummeted from the day before yesterday, and two days have passed. There is no intention to stop..."

"There should be signs before, right?"

In addition to retaining Apple's stock, Duke spent nearly a year until the end of last year to dispose of other stocks. The impact of the stock market crash on him has been minimal.

Tina Fei swallowed the lettuce in her mouth and said, "There are signs, but most people believe that the stock index can last until the second half of the year."

Putting down the knife and fork, Duke took up a tissue and wiped his mouth. "I thought it would collapse at the beginning of the year, but I didn't expect to stick to it until now."

In his vague memory, the IT stock crash was at the turn of the millennium, and the exact time was not known at all. He did not expect it to be delayed until March 2000.

"If the stock market continues to fall, it will still have an impact on us." Tina Fei also ended her lunch and reminded Duke, "Apple's stock price has also been hit ∷∈, and its market value has fallen below 8 billion US dollars. And you Google, which invested, was affected by the general decline in IT stocks, and two investment institutions had the idea of ​​divestment."

"Let David stare at them." Duke warned, "If someone really wants to withdraw from Google, we will take over, but we must pay attention to the shareholding ratio and don't break Google's internal balance."

The two founders of Google are definitely not fools.

Duke thought for a moment, and then said, "Tell David. Staring at Apple's selling order, IT stocks plummeted, Apple will definitely be impacted. Someone may sell Apple stock. My principle is only one. He can see Eat all of his toss."

Although I don't know if anyone will sell Apple stock in bulk. But according to general speculation, this should be a good opportunity to get into Apple's stock.

"One more thing." Tina Fei held up the cup and drank the water that has remained unchanged for thousands of years. "After Ivanka returned to the University of Pennsylvania, she formulated a business plan and sent you and David each. , I put it on your desk."

"I will go to see if I have time."

After the shooting at night, Duke saw Ivanka's plan, but he was not proficient in business. After waiting a few days, I got an answer from the investment team-this plan is feasible.

However, in view of the current plunge in IT stocks, David does not recommend Duke to invest. Companies on the market that are purely website companies, including Yahoo, have a worrying profit situation.

But Duke had a cartoon call with Ivan and decided to take a risk. After all, the initial investment of $300,000 is really nothing to him.

If it succeeds. The future benefits can be imagined.

During the telephone conversation, Duke also learned that Ivanka Trump would probably put out similar funds, part of which was the pocket money she had accumulated for many years, and the other part from her family.

Just like Ivanka said, this website will initially be based on the Wharton School of Business and the University of Pennsylvania, and finally can it spread to Ivy League schools. All are unknown now.

The stock market is bleak, and the situation has not improved as most people expected, but has become more volatile. This has actually affected Hollywood. The stock market and real estate have always been the most important investment places for Hollywood movie stars and directors. In recent years, there are bound to be many people who have invested in it stocks. For example, Ian McLean in the crew has lost a lot, and he specifically asked Duke for leave and returned to North America.

From March to April, the North American stock market drove global economic turbulence. There were some problems within the "Lord of the Rings" crew. Many people who invested in the stock market could not conceal the disappointment or even panic on their faces, even normal filming. All have been affected to a certain extent, and Duke rarely made two fires before the situation improved.

This is not only caused by the stock market, but also after more than half a year of filming, the crew inevitably has burnout. After all, most of the staff and actors are from the United Kingdom and the United States. The long-term stagnation in New Zealand will inevitably cause people to suffer. Emotional fluctuations.

Just like Duke said, many things, such as continuous work, he can bear the director, but the following actors and crew members may not be able to.

What's more, the remaining shots of the crew are mostly scattered. Except for the scenes in the studio, they often have to travel around New Zealand non-stop. Sometimes they are busy all morning just to shoot shots that last for only a few minutes.

Time is slowly approaching May. The crew is really exhausted after a continuous rush. Duke finally has a long holiday for the crew again. He also has something to leave New Zealand. The upcoming "Mission Impossible 2" premiere needs Participate. Before participating in the premiere, you have to go to the UK. The crew of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" led by Robin Grande, after more than two months of vigorous hype, is ready to start the sea Choose actors.

As an important long-term meal ticket in the future, and also serving as a producer, Duke also needs to go to London.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" has confirmed Chris Columbus as the director. He, Robin Grande and Joanna Rowling formed the triangular power structure of the project, although Duke is named as a producer. , But apart from major issues, the crew is basically dominated by these three people.

Of course, the most powerful one will never be the original author, but Robin Grande, the agent of Duke and Warner Bros.

This is a ten-day holiday, except for the left-behind personnel on duty, almost all the main members of the crew will leave New Zealand.

However, before leaving, Duke summoned the main actors and crew to the large dining room on the set and gave some advice and warning.

"I know that the recent economic turmoil has caused your energy to be scattered and you cannot fully concentrate on shooting."

As a director who rarely gets angry, Duke's voice is very serious now, "I can understand you, so I give you a ten-day vacation to deal with personal matters. After ten days, the crew will gather again in Wellington. I ask you to resume before March. The status, what I need is dedicated people!"

He finally said, "If you are still in these few days after ten days, then I can only say sorry."

In the busy studio in the past, the flow of people quickly dissipated, and the silence gradually recovered. The entertainment reporters gathered at the entrance of the studio also chased their respective targets of interest. From the beginning of filming, there was no interruption in "The Lord of the Rings" The book fan protests, just like the filming of the crew, came to an end temporarily. A large number of **** book fans retreated like a tide, accumulating the energy for the next explosion.

Duke was the last group to leave the studio. From the private tarmac of Wellington International Airport, he took his business jet and flew directly to London.

Before the plane started, Tina Fei received a call. After the plane rushed into the sky and entered a smooth flight, she said to Duke, "The news from Nancy, Marvel Comics invites you to attend 20th Century Fox in July. The premiere for "X-Men" in the middle."

"X-Men?" Duke unfastened his seat belt and thought for a while before saying, "Tell Nancy not to answer for the time being."

It is still early, and Duke is not sure if there will be time.

However, not counting the "Blade Warrior", which has extremely limited influence and was produced as a B-rated film, "X-Men" can be said to be the beginning of Marvel Comics' real success in movies. After the film was released, the situation of Marvel Comics Although there will be no obvious improvement, it will make their senior management realize the value of their superheroes.

It is no exaggeration to say that his ability to invest in Marvel Comics is completely stuck in the last opportunity. Otherwise, it will be dozens of times more difficult to get such an opportunity when "X-Men" is released.

And that little spider, that will make the whole United States realize the movie value of Marvel comics.

"A cup of coffee, a glass of water, thank you."

Asking for a drink with the flight attendant, Tina Fei pushed the coffee in front of Duke. Duke put the coffee cup in the card slot and asked, "Tina, do you know the latest developments in Sony Columbia Pictures?"

"Huh?" Tina Fei obviously doesn't know where to start. After all, there are too many things related to large film companies.

"They invest in the production and distribution of movies." Duke reminded, "big production."

"Sony Entertainment invested 140 million US dollars in "Spider-Man" has entered the preparatory stage." Tina Fei recalled, "The director is the director of the "Ghost" series, Sam Neal, is said to be writing the script To find suitable actors for Peter Parker and Mary Jane."

Sure enough, "Spider-Man" was also on the agenda of Sony Columbia Pictures.

Secretly sighed, Duke couldn't do anything. He paid attention to Marvel comics too late. Spider-Man was taken by Columbia Pictures as early as the end of the eighties, and he wanted to take it back, unless the Japanese head. It's full of water or the film has suffered a miserable failure.

Both of these are unlikely in the near future.

Duke just thought about it that way, this world is so big that it is impossible for all good things to fall on one person.

There are some things, even if they are known in advance, they are often powerless.

Picking up the coffee cup, Duke took a sip, and the bitter taste dispelled the unreliable delusion in his heart. Once Marvel Comics and Walt Disney could not take back the copyright, he could do it with a director?

"One more thing is that Sony Entertainment is leading it."

Related things kept talking from Tina Fei, "I have heard people mention that Sony Entertainment is negotiating with Hasbro and wants to buy the film adaptation rights for one of its toys."

Duke raised his head and looked at Tina Fei, "Which toy?" (To be continued...)