Chapter 575: Concept for Warner Grand World

Trailing slightly behind the group, Duke entered the exhibition hall of the Warner Building. The first things to catch everyone's eye were some of Warner's most famous movie properties: Superman Clark Kent, the Batmobile, Bruce Wayne, the young wizard Harry Potter, and the Ring-bearer Frodo Baggins...

Duke paid little attention to the tour; he had been here many times and could visit whenever he wanted.

His eyes occasionally swept over a middle-aged man accompanied by Doug Walter. The man had a receding hairline, his short hair dyed pitch-black, and a shrewd gleam constantly flickering in his small eyes. Others might not have noticed, but with his experienced eye, Duke could easily tell from the man's demeanor that he was someone accustomed to holding a high position.

Although he didn't know the man, even the famous Mountain Eagle was relegated to following behind him. Duke was certain that this person held significant sway over the Warner Fox World project.

However, Duke kept quiet. Now was not the time to speak.

The group had already toured Warner Studios and the office areas. They didn't linger in the exhibition hall, soon heading down an adjacent corridor into a large reception room Warner had prepared in advance.

With over a dozen people between the two sides, they settled onto two rows of sofas according to their respective camps. Taking advantage of the brief lull while the servers poured coffee and tea, Tina Fey, who was sitting next to Duke, leaned in close.

She had just obtained some background information on the other party through her connections in Asia.

"Mr. Liu has heavyweight authority on this matter," she said, lowering her voice to mention his official title.

Seeing Duke give a slight nod, she continued to whisper, "There's reliable news that the largest city over there plans to bring in a globally renowned theme park and use it as an anchor to build a world-class, mega-sized amusement park base."

Duke wasn't surprised. This was exactly what he expected. After all, the original Disneyland had been built with the same purpose in mind. It wasn't just Disneyland alone; an abundance of supporting facilities had been meticulously constructed around it.

Without a doubt, the other party's initial preference had been Disneyland. However, once Time Warner and News Group joined the fray and offered far more generous terms, Disneyland was no longer the only option.

This was evident from the fact that they had dispatched a dedicated delegation for an on-site inspection in Los Angeles.

For most of the time, Doug Walter spoke with Mr. Liu while Duke simply listened. He knew very well that truly winning them over—especially securing their full support for Warner Fox World—would not be easy.

Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox had to show enough sincerity, which undoubtedly meant letting the other side see the potential profits.

"Disneyland has greater fame in the East. Characters like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Sleeping Beauty are more deeply rooted in the public consciousness."

Mr. Liu raised the issue quite directly. "Compared to Disneyland, I don't see any advantages to Warner Grand World."

Doug Walter turned his head slightly, and Duke knowingly took over the conversation.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly. "Mr. Liu, I wonder if you've noticed that Disney has been going downhill in recent years."

"I'd like to hear more," Mr. Liu said, looking interested.

"First, let's talk about animation. Disney has been resting on its laurels all these years, and their animated characters are gradually becoming outdated."

There was never a distinction between justice and evil in business competition. Although Duke based his points on facts, he unreservedly ripped the scabs off Disney's wounds.

"Ever since The Lion King, Disney hasn't produced a successful animated character in a long time. Disney Animation has fallen into decline. The animated characters Disney has relied on in recent years—the most popular ones in Disneyland from the turn of the century until now—all belong to Pixar Studio. Now, Pixar Studio has broken away from Disney and recently signed an acquisition contract with Warner."

Pixar Animation Studio was tied to far more than just animated films.

At the end of February, Pixar Studio, Duke Studio, and Time Warner had officially signed a contract. The two studios had completed their equity transfers, and Duke and Steve Jobs smoothly became major shareholders and board members of Time Warner.

It was the information age, and the other party clearly had a sufficient understanding of this. Mr. Liu remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Pixar Studio's departure from Disney is also one of our concerns regarding Disneyland."

In fact, everything Duke said was true. For the past five years, the most popular attractions at Disneyland were characters like Woody the cowboy, Buzz Lightyear, Nemo the clownfish, and the Incredibles. Everyone in the world chased after popular and fresh characters, and theme park visitors were no exception.

"Furthermore, Disney's upper management is currently engaged in fierce internal power struggles," Duke said. He wasn't worried about the other side investigating his claims, as he had been orchestrating this since last year. "The battle between the group's chairman, Michael Eisner, and Robert Iger, who is supported by the Disney family, won't produce a clear winner for several years."

A substantial portion of the funds Robert Iger used to compete against Michael Eisner came from a foundation owned by Duke and sponsorships from Warner.

Following his meeting with Robert Iger, even though Duke didn't want the business genius to take the helm at Disney, they had reached a certain tacit understanding. After all, a chaotic Walt Disney was exactly what he and Warner were happy to see.

"Mr. Liu, your country has a saying: when people leave, the tea goes cold. It's no different in America."

Looking at him, Duke continued, "Building Disneyland is Michael Eisner's vision. If he loses the internal power struggle and Robert Iger takes charge, the new management might not recognize this investment. Tearing up the agreement, withdrawing the funds, or just doing a half-hearted job is entirely possible."

Mr. Liu slightly furrowed his brows, merely looking at Duke.

Duke understood that simply talking down Disney wouldn't achieve the desired effect. He turned to Doug Walter. Like a well-rehearsed double act, Doug Walter picked up where he left off.

"Pixar Studio is currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Time Warner. It is the best animation studio in America, and indeed the world. Now and in the future, it will create countless classic animated characters, all of which will be featured in Warner Fox World. Additionally, Time Warner will partner with the Hilton Group to build an ultra-luxury, five-star Pixar Hotel."

Regardless of what the other party was thinking, Doug Walter continually laid out their advantages.

"Warner promises to build the world's first Harry Potter Theme Park within the future grand world..."

Just as Doug Walter finished speaking, Duke chimed in.

"Harry Potter has already become a global pop culture phenomenon."

His background was out of the ordinary, so he had some understanding of the mentality of the officials sitting across from him. He spoke without hesitation.

"Your country is a top-tier world power, actively moving closer to the international stage, and that is a cosmopolitan metropolis. I imagine your goal in building this isn't solely to attract domestic tourists, is it? With a flagship attraction like the Harry Potter Theme Park, I believe it would draw in many foreign tourists, even Western ones, bringing your country greater international influence."

After speaking, Duke's gaze swept over the man. Mr. Liu appeared very composed, but Duke could still tell that he had been moved by his words.

International influence was undoubtedly something the other side had been vigorously pursuing.

Expecting the other side to easily make a decision to support them was tantamount to an unbelievable tall tale. However, since Mr. Liu was tempted, Duke naturally wouldn't let the opportunity slip. After a moment's thought, he made a proposal.

"We can make the panda the most representative character of Warner Grand World, perhaps even its mascot."

Before the other party could react, Duke continued.

"We will tailor an animated feature film for the panda that will become popular worldwide."

Mr. Liu turned to look at Duke, suddenly smiled, and spoke with a double meaning.

"Director Rosenberg is one of the world's top directors. The film you propose surely won't disappoint."

Duke also offered a slight smile.

"Of course it won't."

He would need to have someone check in with DreamWorks Animation Studio later. If DreamWorks had already greenlit the project, it would be best to get his hands on it. If not, he would just whip up a brief outline and let Twentieth Century Fox's Blue Sky Studio produce it.

Indeed, Duke wouldn't even consider Pixar Studio for Kung Fu Panda.

Every animation studio had its own style. Handing a purely comedic genre like this over to Pixar Studio would be an absolute disaster for both the project and the studio.

Pixar Studio had never produced, nor did they plan to produce, this type of animated film.

In contrast, Blue Sky Studio, which had built its reputation on comedic animation, was undoubtedly a much better fit.

The practice of casually grabbing an animated feature and haphazardly shoving it onto any given animation studio was simply foolish and naive. Those people likely knew nothing about production concepts and technical styles, which were the very foundations of animated films.

Duke and Doug Walter had essentially said all they needed to say, and it was impossible for the other party to state their position immediately. This formal meeting quickly concluded. Although there was a reception party that evening, that would mostly require Warner and Fox to put in the work.

Naturally, with Time Warner and News Group joining forces, the investment scale for Warner Fox World far exceeded that of Disneyland.

Although Walt Disney had successfully transformed into a media conglomerate, losing Pixar Studio, Michael Eisner clinging to power, and numerous other factors had rendered today's Disney far less powerful than it once was. Compounded by the Disney family, led by Robert Iger, drifting ever further from Michael Eisner, Disneyland's competitiveness was nowhere near as strong as it appeared on the surface.

However, Walt Disney wouldn't give up easily either. After all, the vastness of the market over there was simply too tempting.