Chapter 192: Ambitions and Plans

"Sign here?" Ethan smiled and didn't refuse.

After signing his name on her outer thigh, Fischer was elated. Before the plane landed, she even presented him with a small gift—a handkerchief.

When Ethan opened it, he found a business card tucked inside.

Back with the crew, Ethan declined an invitation to the Met Gala and threw himself wholeheartedly into the filming of Memoirs of a Geisha.

The Met Gala is America's most renowned fashion event, often referred to as the "Oscars of Fashion."

Of course, many events like to adopt the "Oscar" label to show their prestige, demonstrating how iconic the Oscars are in America.

However, the Met Gala is indeed one of the top-tier fashion events in the country.

Its ticket prices alone indicate its exclusivity. Attending the gala costs anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on seating. A table reservation? That's $150,000.

This is a common fundraising strategy for such high-profile events, seen both domestically and internationally.

Those willing to pay for a table are usually VIP clients of major fashion brands—not necessarily famous, but certainly wealthy.

Of course, there are exceptions: some stars or businesspeople from other countries may shell out big money to boost their visibility.

Since 2005, the Met Gala has been limiting attendance, aiming to elevate its exclusivity even further.

Each year, the gala adopts a unique theme. Stars and designers dress accordingly to walk the red carpet, showcasing a dazzling array of fashion statements.

This year's theme was "The House of Chanel," ensuring the red carpet would be filled with stars donning various Chanel designs, each trying to outshine the other.

For Ethan, though, frequent red carpet appearances had become tiresome. He could only be thankful he wasn't a celebrity.

Otherwise, his schedule would be a nightmare: walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes and Oscars at the start of the year, then at fashion galas midyear, and back to award shows by year's end.

He had already decided to attend only the most essential events from now on.

Partly because he disliked red carpet appearances, and partly because his romantic entanglements often converged there.

For instance, this Met Gala red carpet had invited Scarlett, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Alba.

If Ethan dared show up, he risked triggering a public scandal as a "cheater."

Until he was ready to deal with that fallout, he wouldn't let them all meet simultaneously.

Using the excuse of filming, he stayed put with the crew until the movie wrapped.

"That's a wrap for the final shot!" Ethan shouted into a megaphone, prompting thunderous applause on set.

Everyone was cheering to celebrate the completion of the film, though some were secretly sentimental.

"It's done?" Ziyi, standing beside Michelle, seemed dazed.

She had devoted herself entirely to the role of Sayuri for the past six months, becoming so immersed that now, looking at the set's Japanese-style buildings, she felt reluctant to leave.

"Congratulations, it's over." Michelle patted her arm and smiled gently.

"Yes, it's finally over."

That evening, the crew stayed back for a final celebration and goodbyes.

Ethan grabbed some kebabs from the chef, along with a beer, and settled into his director's chair.

This had been the longest shoot he'd ever experienced. Now, looking at the soon-to-be-dismantled set, he felt a twinge of sentimentality.

But it passed quickly. He began contemplating his next steps.

The sequel to Saw was already in production, directed by Wan and funded by Norton Eye Productions.

Thanks to revenue from Little Miss Sunshine, the company had enough cash to support the crew.

The shoot was progressing smoothly since the film wasn't particularly challenging.

Meanwhile, Angels Declaration remained a stable source of income for the company, with consistent sales of their shows, photo books, and albums.

Taylor's album was nearing completion, expected to release in early 2006.

Naturally, Ethan would direct her music videos. In fact, he hadn't done much MV directing over the past year, except for a few projects for the Angels Declaration girls.

Unless someone offered him a million-dollar fee, he wasn't interested in MVs—they didn't pay as well as films.

As Ethan was about to take a sip of his beer, he heard the clatter of wooden sandals approaching—likely one of the actors.

"Ethan, thank you." It was Ziyi, who clinked her glass against his before downing its contents in one gulp.

"No need to thank me; I was just doing my job."

"No, without your guidance, I couldn't have captured Sayuri's essence," Ziyi said, sitting beside him in her geisha outfit, wooden sandals still on. Her hair was impeccably styled, and she sat with poise, embodying the role of a geisha.

Ethan studied her approvingly. "If you hadn't persevered, I would've replaced you."

"Good thing I did." She hesitated before asking, "Will you come to the mainland in the future?"

"Hmm... Maybe. My company has some business ties there."

"That's great."

"What?" Her voice was too soft for Ethan to catch.

"Nothing. Cheers." She raised her glass to clink with his again.

Before long, they had shared five or six bottles of beer. Ethan seemed fine, but Ziyi's face was flushed, clearly tipsy.

"Let me get someone to take you back," Ethan said, raising his hand to call for help.

Before he could, Ziyi stopped him, lowering her gaze. "Ethan, you take me back."

After a brief pause, Ethan stood. Just as Ziyi thought her feelings had been exposed, he said, "Alright, let's go."

The two walked back to her room. That night, the crew didn't see either of them again.

The next day, Ethan returned to New York.

In his office, Jimmy and Kane were discussing recent happenings in Hollywood.

"I heard a lot of people left Miramax."

"Yeah, Weinstein's taking a bunch of folks to start a new company."

"Well, the Weinstein brothers are brilliant. They've elevated many films far beyond their original stature."

"If only we had that kind of influence."

Ethan knocked on the desk in front of them. "So, this is an opportunity."

"What?" Jimmy and Kane looked puzzled.

"I mean... why don't we get involved?" Ethan said with a smirk. He had been busy with filming and had forgotten about this matter, but after being reminded by Jimmy and Kane, he suddenly realized he could easily set up an award PR company ahead of time.

Although the Weinstein brothers were powerful, they weren't omnipotent, and their methods weren't known only by the two of them.

Inside Miramax, there were definitely employees who understood their methods and hadn't left yet.

As long as they could poach these people, they could set up a PR company that would ensure their future works had a better chance of winning awards.

After Ethan explained his idea, Jimmy and Kane were both a bit surprised.

"But that will cost quite a bit of money."

"Yeah, quite a bit..." Ethan sat back in his chair. "But it's important. It's something we have to do. If we want our films to win better awards in the future, we need a PR company as a guarantee. Leaving it to others will just result in being taken advantage of."

"Well, that's true," Kane nodded, then couldn't help but add, "But Ethan, what exactly are you trying to do? I feel like your ambitions are huge. A talent agency, an advertising company, a film company, and now a PR company. It seems like the only thing you're missing is a distribution company... My god, you don't plan on covering the entire filmmaking process, do you?"

After Kane said this, Jimmy seemed to realize something.

Although he had vaguely felt this way before, it wasn't until now that he was so certain.

Ethan's series of moves clearly showed he was aiming for one of the top Hollywood studios. From distribution to advertising to winning awards post-release, covering all aspects of the process. If he succeeded, it would mean that the Hollywood "Big Eight" would have one more player.

Although Sony had already acquired MGM, people still referred to the major studios as the "Big Eight."

"Ethan, you really plan to do this?" Jimmy's eyes widened, feeling his heart rate pick up.

This was no small matter. For Jimmy, the idea of becoming a company like New Line or Lionsgate was already thrilling enough.

But judging by Ethan's current moves, it was clear his good friend didn't plan to stop there.

Although the companies' sizes weren't big right now, once all the links were integrated, a top film company would quickly take shape.

If they also took the company public, the size of the group would expand rapidly and become a giant.

Just thinking about the endless possibilities left Jimmy breathless.

"Exactly," Ethan confirmed his intentions.

"Now, on our business map, we just need a distribution company and a PR company."

Ethan kicked his legs up on the desk. "Now, Miramax is the perfect opportunity to create the PR company."

"And the distribution company?" Jimmy couldn't help but ask. Distribution was undoubtedly the most important company. Whoever controlled distribution controlled the fate of the movie.

"There's a suitable acquisition target for the distribution company, too," Ethan said, referring to the film company, United Artists, which was acquired by Tom Cruise in November 2006.

This was an old studio that once owned Chaplin and had gone through several changes, first being acquired by MGM and later sold to Tom Cruise and his partner, Paula Wagner.

Although Tom Cruise was the most eye-catching figure, he was merely an executive manager, while Paula Wagner was the true owner behind the scenes.

There had been many speculations about Paula Wagner's background, and Ethan had only seen some news clips. Based on his memory, the most likely theory was that she came from Wall Street.

Only financial giants could make such large investments while hiding their identity.

Although no information was ever revealed about how much they paid to acquire United Artists, it was probably a substantial amount, likely more than $300 million, unlike the media channel deal that merged with Universal.

Ethan knew he couldn't handle it on his own, so he needed to find a partner, much like Tom Cruise had done.

Rather than just finding a partner, Ethan would be selecting one carefully.

He needed a partner who had no interest in Hollywood itself and was only in it for the financial benefit, someone who wouldn't meddle in management and could assist in accelerating the company's growth.

Such a partner was hard to find, which is why Ethan planned to host a photography exhibition.

It would be an event he organized himself, inviting only those he considered suitable candidates for partnership.

But he didn't go into detail with Jimmy and Kane, as it was a complicated matter.

Despite that, Jimmy and Kane were already very excited.

"Wow, Ethan, you always give me new hope. So, what do we do now?" Jimmy stood up, placing his hands on the desk and asked eagerly.

"Simple. Kane, you contact people from Miramax, find those who understand PR processes and persuade them!"

"Jimmy, you continue expanding publicity. Make the casting call for Fifty Shades of Grey public across all of Europe and America. I want to hold a vote where readers can participate in choosing the actors."

"That sounds great. I think the readers are going to go crazy for this."

Fifty Shades of Grey's sales had remained strong and had topped the charts in many countries, making it a global bestseller.

Every day, major online forums discussed the book's plot, and some dedicated websites had even been set up.

There were even research groups in high schools and universities.

Though mostly female readers, their purchasing power was undeniable.

Not long ago, the publisher released Fifty Shades of Grey merchandise, which sold out within two days, proving people were still very much interested in the work.

So Ethan wanted to increase exposure and turn the movie into a huge buzz to achieve even higher box office numbers.

However, it was tough for movie companies. After several rejections, they watched helplessly as the book's sales skyrocketed, holding money but unable to spend it.

When they learned that the movie's male and female leads would be chosen through a global reader vote, they regretted it deeply.

They saw the massive box office potential!

Once the readers got involved, it would guarantee a strong fanbase and create significant buzz for the movie until it was released.

And the more people participated, the more the viewing numbers would likely double.