Chapter 103 103. Going through the “back door”

"Frank, 9.5 million subscribers watched at the same time, congratulations on directing another great TV series."

On the phone, Eric congratulated Frank Darabont.

The other party is busy with work now, and obviously doesn't know the data of the first episode of "The Walking Dead". Upon hearing this, he immediately growled with some excitement.

"I knew it, I was sure that The Walking Dead would be great, but 9.5 million was still a bit unexpected for me. It seems that taking on this project is really the best decision I have ever made."

"I've always believed this, Frank. Keep up your enthusiasm and finish the rest of the scenes carefully. By the way, which episode have you filmed yet?"

"Episode 11. I have already finished editing 8 episodes. Don't worry, it will definitely not affect the broadcast."

"Well then get ready. We are going to reap a lot of prizes at this year's Emmy Awards."

"Hehe, those guys are mocking me for Forget Who I Am. The Emmy Awards is a great opportunity. I also want to see what they will say then!"

"Ha ha ha ha."

After motivating Darabont, Eric pondered for a moment and called Ashley Olsen again.

After a few beeps, the call was connected.

"Hi, Ashley."

"Eric, I'm here, tell me what you want to say."

"Where's Mary? Isn't she here?"

"Mary is in class, and I'm the only one in the office. I can convey whatever you want to say."

"Have you watched The Walking Dead?"

"What?"

"MGM's new drama premiered on HBO yesterday."

"Sorry, I haven't been paying much attention to the small screen lately. Do you want to recommend it to me? If that's what you're talking about, I'm quite interested, but what type of TV series is it?"

"It's about the end of the world and zombies. If you haven't seen it, go watch it. I plan to license this drama to Double Star Entertainment to develop peripheral products. Its commercial potential is definitely not inferior to Pink Panther. After the subsequent episodes are broadcast, it will be even better."

Ashley was a little confused by Eric's sudden decision and couldn't react.

"Wait, you're too fast Eric, give me some time to think, you mean zombies? But what do zombies have to do with us?"

After taking a sip of coffee, Eric continued, "If you're asking about the relationship with the Olsen sisters' brand, it might be difficult to connect them, but what I mean is that we produce it separately and run the peripherals of The Walking Dead independently."

"Use the Double Star Entertainment factory to produce zombie T-shirts, zombie hats, zombie dolls, zombie accessories, etc., as well as zombie ice cream and zombie chocolate. These things will soon be a big hit."

"We need to prepare in advance. I don't want this money to be taken away by those damn pirates."

Now Ashley Olsen understood. To put it nicely, the model Eric described was authorization, but to put it bluntly, it was just treating Double Star Entertainment as a processing factory.

Then we have to use Double Star Entertainment's sales channels. This approach can save a lot of costs compared to handing it over to other companies, and the savings will naturally be profits.

Ashley sighed in her heart. If someone else had made such a request, the Olsen sisters would have definitely charged a portion of the fee, at least the processing fee.

But Eric is different. He is a major shareholder of DoubleStar Entertainment. At the same time, MGM has authorized DoubleStar Entertainment to use many classic film and television works at low prices. The Olsen sisters got the upper hand in this matter.

If you gain something, you have to give something up. So when producing "The Walking Dead" peripheral products, Double Star Entertainment can only charge the cost price.

It is foreseeable that this will not only be the case with "The Walking Dead", but also when there are other suitable popular IPs, the same approach will be adopted.

Ashley Olsen coughed a few times and said, "Eric, there is no problem with what you said, but I understand clothing accessories. As long as there are watermarks and decals, it will be fine. This is also how we make our peripherals."

"But what are zombie ice cream and zombie chocolate? Forgive my lack of imagination."

"Let me ask you, what do zombies like to eat?" Eric asked.

"Eat people?"

"Yes, not only do they eat people, they also particularly like to eat brains. So we make the ice cream into the shape of a brain, which is not difficult."

"The chocolate is also very simple, shaped into human internal organs. Forget about the children's version, but use the traditional heart shape. I don't want to be complained by parents, but I don't think any children will buy this."

"In short, use your brains and let the designers work boldly."

"You have to understand that whether a product can sell well or not is not about its color or shape, but about the influence of the IP. As long as The Walking Dead is successful enough, even if you make the ice cream into a pile of feces, there will still be crazy fans willing to buy it."

"And I have absolute faith in this show, get it?"

Since Eric said so, Ashley Olsen couldn't find any reason to refuse and could only agree.

At this moment, she suddenly felt a little uneasy. Although there were benefits to cooperating with a big company, this guy Eric Cooper had already shown a bit of strength.

It has only been a short time since he joined Double Star Entertainment, but his implicit aggressiveness seems to be even stronger than that of Robert Solnit. After all, Solnit does not have a lion around him.

Changing the subject, Ashley asked, "Eric, when does Blue Is the Warmest Color start filming?"

"We have been preparing for more than three months, and the production plan was announced a week ago, but up to now Mary and I don't even know who the director and producer will be. Hasn't MGM confirmed it yet?"

"Don't worry, Ashley. It will be turned on soon, maybe in a few days." Eric comforted her when he noticed that she was a little anxious.

Unexpectedly, Ashley got anxious when he said that: "No, I'm not rushing you. I just hope this movie can save our careers. It's better to take it slow than to rush it. Mary and I have already said that if we fail again, we will quit."

"Hahahaha. Isn't this just a gimmick? You guys take it seriously?"

It is not common for celebrities to make a comeback after retiring. For example, Big S made a comeback not long after announcing her retirement, and people joked that her comeback was faster than remarrying.

There are also those who use their retirement from the entertainment industry to create hype, such as Kurosawa Chi-ling, who said she would retire yesterday and made a comeback the next day.

But Ashley's tone was serious: "Eric, Mary and I are not joking, because we are not only stars, we are also businessmen."

"Celebrities can ignore their reputations, and some even like to use bad reputations to increase exposure, but businessmen cannot do that, as it will make the public doubt our integrity. You should understand how important integrity is to a brand."

Hearing that the other party was not joking, Eric couldn't help but admire him secretly.

"Ashley, I promise that the quality of this movie will not be bad. If the final film is not up to standard, I will choose to reshoot it even if it is abandoned, because I don't like bad movies either."

"Today is April 16th. Filming will start in early May. Let Mary be ready."

"Really?" Ashley was a little surprised.

“Yes, I’ll be the director!”

"What?"

She was just a little surprised just now, but when she heard that Eric was the director, she was really surprised.

Because Eric's directing level is still in Schrödinger's state. In short, no one can explain it clearly, and if it can't be counted, it's unreliable.

But before she could react, Eric had already hung up: "There's a call coming in, let's talk next time, sorry!"

"Hi, Nicole! Did you miss me?" Eric asked with a smile.

"Don't talk, Eric. I want to ask you a question." Nicole Kidman's anxious voice came from the other side.

"What. Problem?"

Eric was a little hesitant. He thought, this beautiful girl wouldn't cause trouble for him again. Her questions were not easy to answer.

"What was that phone call about?"

"Huh? What phone call?"

"Rick, did Rick run away?"

"Rick? Rick and Morty?" Eric didn't know why he blurted out this great show.

"Stupid, I'm talking about The Walking Dead. Is Rick out of trouble?"

"Oh, so that's what you wanted to ask." Eric finally reacted.

"What else? Should I ask you which girl you are with?"

"Nico, even though we know each other well, I can still sue you for defamation if you say that. Wait, did you watch The Walking Dead? Did you go back to the United States?"

At this point in time, HBO has not yet started its global strategy. Not to mention now, even in a dozen years, even though it is a Five Eyes Alliance, Australia will not be able to subscribe.

"Nonsense, if you're not going back to the United States, why would I ask you this question? Am I going to stay in Australia forever just because you didn't call me?"

Hearing the thorns in the other party's words again, Eric hurriedly begged for mercy: "Don't be like that, Neeko. I've been very busy in the past half month. If you pay attention to the news, you will find that the filming of "Transformers" has been completed. Who do you think is responsible for this?"

"It's not you anyway."

"Hey, you just want to know what happens next. I'll go to your house tonight."

"No, if we're caught by the reporters, there really won't be any excuse this time."

"Don't worry, you came back secretly, the paparazzi don't know yet, and I won't go through the front door."

"Go through the back door? No one goes through the back door, so maybe it's okay. Forget it, let's not do it. It will be troublesome if we get photographed."

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

"I brought the later episodes of The Walking Dead with me. Don't you want to know the plot? We can watch the movie in advance."

"Well, you must be careful then."

Nicole finally agreed. As to whether it was for watching the TV series or for other reasons, it was an unspoken secret.

Ding Dong Hearing the doorbell ring, Nicole Kidman checked the time and saw that it was 8:54.

She naturally knew who was knocking on the door so late without an appointment.

You say it's a bad guy? Come on, this is Beverly Hills. There are at least 20 police officers patrolling here every day. Who would have the time to commit a crime here?

Snap!

After opening the door, Nicole Kidman covered her mouth in surprise: "Eric, what's wrong with you?"

"Pooh!"

Eric spit out the leaves in his mouth and said with a bitter face: "Don't mention it, you should have told me that there were dense bushes under the wall and I fell into it."

"So you climbed over the wall to get in, hahahaha."

Looking at the little man whose clothes and pants were torn to tatters, Nicole Kidman couldn't help but laugh out loud, and all the unhappiness in her heart during this period disappeared in an instant.

"You're still laughing!" Eric was a little angry.

"Sir, what do you think I should do?"

"Of course it is!"

Eric said viciously, grabbing Nicole and hugging her in his arms, forcing her struggling hands behind her back, and began to slap her lips wildly.

After a while, the struggling hands gradually gave up, the strength disappeared, and the response became more enthusiastic.

"hiss"

Suddenly, Eric pushed the other person away, opened his mouth and inhaled hard to relieve the pain of his tongue: "Why are you biting me again!"

Nicole Kidman looked at Eric with a half-smile: "This is my revenge for you not contacting me, Eric Cooper, you are a little bastard! I must make you remember this!"

Eric laughed dryly.

But then Nicole suddenly pulled him into her arms. No one knew how this thin body could burst out with such great strength.

A kiss more passionate than before instantly occupied Eric's mind, and their clothes were taken off unconsciously.

"Little bastard, I just punished you, now I want to reward you."

"Why?"

"Because you are here. Do you know what a woman is thinking? Even if she says she is unwilling, she hopes in her heart that you will show up."

"What a complicated creature! How are you going to reward me?"

Eric asked, swimming slowly away.

"What do you think?"

"I want to go through the back door." Eric's big hand pressed hard.

"ah!"

Nicole was frightened and tried to get up from him quickly: "No, I heard it would hurt. I've never used that place before."

"But you promised me, Nicole."

"When did I promise you?"

"It was on the phone. Did you forget it so quickly?"

With no hope of escape, Nicole Kidman punched Eric in the chest: "I was talking about the back door of the house, you bastard!"

"But I didn't go out the back door of the house, so you can only use this place to compensate me."

"No, let's watch TV first, um."

More than an hour later, after spending so much time and effort, Eric finally got what he wanted.

At this moment, he was sitting on the sofa with a grin on his face, while Nicole was lying on his legs and pinching him.

"Don't pinch me dear, or I really won't be able to walk tomorrow."

"Can your condition be worse than mine? I really can't walk!"

Wow On the TV, the zombies were howling in a low voice. Eric pointed and said, "Let's focus on the plot."

"Don't change the subject. You can keep the tape and watch it later, you self-centered bastard!"

"Only caring about yourself? You're wrong about me. Of course I have you in my heart."

"Really? How do you prove it?"

Eric gently placed her head on the sofa, found his pants, and pulled out a beautiful gift box from his pocket.

"This is a gift I brought from China. It belongs only to you. Take it with you. It will be like I am always by your side."

The corners of Nicole Kidman's mouth rose slightly. She certainly did not expect this surprise.

I am happy in my heart at this moment, but I have to continue to pretend to be serious on the surface.

Pretending to be nonchalant, she opened the box and found a unique Chinese diamond necklace with a heart-shaped knot.

With her vision, she could naturally see that this necklace was definitely worth a lot of money.

Eric picked up the necklace and put it on her: "Nico, do you see it? This is called a heart knot. In Chinese, it symbolizes love. It means that two people's hearts are tied together."

"Whose heart?"

"Me and you!"

All the pretense suddenly disappeared, and Nicole looked at Eric with a dazed look.

"Kiss me, asshole!"

An important person will appear tomorrow. Hint: Singer, 2003 is a difficult year.

(End of this chapter)