The success of five consecutive box office hits in the DC movie universe has only solidified Daenerys Entertainment's control over the series.
Today, Terry Semel appeared not to contend for control, but he wasn't just accompanying Simon to check the progress of "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" and "Suicide Squad."
After discussing the lead actor for "Suicide Squad," Terry Semel asked, "Simon, don't you think the pace of the DC movie universe could be accelerated a bit?"
This has been a recurring question.
In addition to the DC movie universe, Daenerys Entertainment has produced blockbuster hits like "Jurassic Park" and "The Lion King." Warner, however, hasn't been as fortunate, relying heavily on the benefits generated by the DC movie universe in recent years.
With two "Superman" and "Cyborg" films this year and "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" and "Suicide Squad" next year, Simon already feels the pace is a bit rushed. Historically, Warner released only four Batman movies in the decade before the millennium, starting with Tim Burton's first Batman film.
Simon was not going to agree to Warner's suggestion to accelerate the DC movie universe further, and Terry Semel knew this.
After the routine back-and-forth, it was past 5 PM.
After seeing off Terry Semel, Simon didn't leave work but went to the administration office to continue discussing Daenerys Entertainment's year-end employee compensation plan with Amy.
Since the acquisition of MCA, despite an initial massive layoff, the overall expansion in recent years has increased Daenerys Entertainment's total employee count to 21,000, excluding subsidiaries like Blockbuster, where their shareholding is less than 50%.
With the company's revenue and profits reaching new heights this year, Daenerys Entertainment planned another significant year-end bonus. The total bonus for non-core management employees alone would reach $500 million, equivalent to an additional half-year's salary for each employee on average.
Additionally, key management figures like Amy Pascal, Robert Iger, and Nancy Brier would receive separate, more substantial compensation packages.
Daenerys Entertainment already boasts the highest average salaries in Hollywood, and the announcement of this generous bonus plan has seen a flood of job applications to all departments.
In Simon's office in Building 1 of the administration district.
As Amy Pascal discussed the preliminary bonus plan set by the HR department with Simon, she couldn't help but think about her own situation.
Since joining in March 1987, Amy has witnessed Daenerys Entertainment's rise over seven years, earning a substantial return.
According to preliminary data from the finance department, despite the generous cash bonuses for employees, Daenerys Entertainment's net profit this year would reach a staggering $2 billion.
Just last year's "Jurassic Park" brought over $600 million in pre-tax revenue in 1993 through domestic release, overseas distribution, and merchandise sales. The entire group, including film, television, games, music, publishing, cinema chains, retail, and theme parks, thrived under the strong leadership of the film department.
With a $2 billion net profit, Amy Pascal's 5% net profit share and equivalent stock options could mean an annual income of $200 million.
Worldwide, no professional manager earns more than her.
And this is just the income for 1993.
Amy's stock rewards for the past six years haven't been cashed out yet.
Her boss promised she could redeem her stock options at 30% of Daenerys Entertainment's IPO valuation. By the end of her contract next year, with all seven years of stock options vested and Daenerys Entertainment completing its IPO, Amy could be listed on Forbes' billionaire list with a net worth of $1 billion.
A billion dollars.
Every time she thinks about it, Amy feels like she's dreaming.
Traditional Hollywood studio heads, like the late Steve Ross or Lou Wasserman after selling MCA, spent their lives in the industry without accumulating such wealth. Her peers in Hollywood haven't earned as much in their entire careers as she will this year alone.
After spending over an hour understanding the bonus plans of various departments, Simon recalled something and said to Amy, "When the bonuses are cashed out, remind everyone that it's best to use this money to subscribe to company stock. The IPO will surely yield good returns."
Pre-IPO internal subscriptions are a common practice.
Given the promising outlook of Daenerys Entertainment's IPO, the internal subscription price would be lower than the offering price, providing additional gains post-listing.
Amy nodded with a smile and joked, "Boss, can I subscribe too?"
Simon twirled a pencil in his hand and said, "As long as you have spare cash after paying taxes, of course."
Amy's stock options to be cashed out next year will also be taxed. Given her income level, she'll likely need to drain all her cash and may still need loans to cover the rest.
Amy, aware of her situation, shrugged and said, "Looks like I won't have a chance."
It was indeed just a joke.
Though high-level executives and employees would have certain subscription quotas, Amy wasn't planning to exploit this opportunity by taking out loans. Instead, she preferred to allocate her subscription quota to the employees, ensuring greater potential benefits.
As she thought about this, she noticed the letters Simon had sketched with a pencil on the document in front of him and curiously asked, "What is that?"
Simon didn't hide it and showed her the folder.
Amy read aloud, "Westerosian."
"Yes, Westerosian," Simon nodded and put the folder back down. "I've been thinking about this lately."
Connecting this to Daenerys Entertainment's year-end bonus plan, Amy quickly understood the term's meaning.
The Westeros system has risen like a miracle, now reaching the level of a financial empire. Yet, this young man wasn't satisfied, aiming to create a whole new economic entity where everyone forms a unique class, known as 'Westerosians.'
Thinking about this, Amy felt a rush of excitement.
She was one of the key creators of this new economic entity, a typical Westerosian.
"Got it?" Simon smiled, seeing the excitement in Amy's eyes, and continued, "This bonus plan is just the beginning. Next, all companies within the Westeros system will implement higher salaries and welfare plans. I want everyone working within the system to have the best life. Of course, the key lies in building cultural recognition within the system. I hope that every member of the Westeros system feels proud to be a Westerosian. I want those outside the system to aspire to become one, and ultimately, I want 'Westerosian' to become a dominant force in this world."
For many days afterward, Amy's mind was filled with the word 'Westerosian' and Simon's speech, witnessing his vision unfold over time.
The week before Christmas flew by in an increasingly festive atmosphere.
From December 10 to December 16, "The Lion King" remained strong, with a fourth-week box office decline narrowing to 23%, earning $25.63 million and bringing its total to $181.29 million, second only to "Superman" from the summer.
In its third week, "Mission: Impossible" ranked second, with a 25% drop, earning $21.99 million and bringing its total to $97.68 million, close to breaking $100 million.
"Mrs. Doubtfire" ranked third with a weekly drop of 27%, earning $8.23 million and a total of $56.22 million.
Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner's new film "A Perfect World" ranked fourth, with a weekly drop of 21%, earning $5.39 million and a total of $22.31 million.
Beyond fourth place were pre-Thanksgiving films.
Columbia Pictures' "Geronimo," released alongside "The Lion King," earned $1.62 million, ranking seventh.
"Schindler's List," which opened on December 10 with 25 screens, earned $1.19 million, ranking ninth with an average of $47,600 per screen.
December 17, a new week.
To avoid competition with "Cyborg" on December 24, seven new films were released this week, including three major commercial films.
Disney's "Sister Act 2" was the most anticipated, opening on 1,938 screens.
Warner Bros.' comedy "Grumpy Old Men," starring Jack Lemmon, opened on 1,672 screens.
MGM's "Philadelphia," starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, opened on 1,317 screens.
Among the four limited-release films, Highgate Pictures' "In the Name of the Father," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, opened on 13 screens.
"Sister Act 2," Disney's main holiday release, was highly anticipated.
Unfortunately, it didn't meet expectations.
"Sister Act 2" grossed only $7.56 million in its opening weekend, falling far short of Disney's projections.
With "Cyborg" coming up next week, the film's North American total box office potential is likely around $30 million, insufficient to recover costs.
Moreover, given the limited overseas appeal of African-American comedies, "Sister Act 2" is set to end in a loss, with a total budget of $55 million.
Warner Bros.' comedy "Grumpy Old Men" was doomed to be a holiday sidekick.
MGM's "Philadelphia," however, with its strong critical acclaim and star power, was the only new film to exceed $10 million in its opening weekend.
With new releases underperforming, the benefits of the increased holiday audience went mostly to Thanksgiving's major releases.
Thus, from December 17 to December 23, "The Lion King" retained the top spot with an 11% box office increase, earning $28.39 million in its fifth week and bringing its total
to $209.68 million, officially breaking the $200 million mark and becoming the second film of 1993 to do so, steadily moving towards $300 million.
"Mission: Impossible" also achieved a 16% box office increase, earning $25.53 million in its fourth week and bringing its total to $123.21 million.
MGM's "Philadelphia" ranked third, earning $13.67 million in its first week.
Given its long-tail potential and $26 million budget, $13.67 million in the first week was impressive.
Disney's "Sister Act 2" earned $11.21 million in its first week, ranking fourth, with its failure confirmed.
Fifth place was Fox's "Mrs. Doubtfire," which saw the highest box office increase, rising 25% to $10.32 million, bringing its total to $66.54 million. With another good week expected during Christmas, the film's chance of joining the $100 million club increased.
Among other new releases, Warner Bros.' "Grumpy Old Men" earned only $4.61 million in its first week, heading for a two-week run.
Highgate Pictures' "In the Name of the Father," despite traditional media attacks, maintained an 8.6 rating.
With six Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay, "In the Name of the Father" gained significant traction, earning $2.9 million per screen, totaling $3.8 million.
Notably, in addition to "Schindler's List," the frontrunner for awards season, Daenerys Entertainment's "The Lion King" also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy as an animated film.
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