Chapter 103: The Conflicted Schedule

John Bull began to revel in his own excitement. This time, the big Hollywood production had chosen London as its filming location. Not only was John Bull the lead actor, but there were also many familiar faces to them. Most importantly, the film would premiere in London. Just having a simultaneous release was already impressive, as they were usually stuck with leftovers. This time, they had managed a rare comeback.

For those accustomed to being left with scraps, this naturally stirred various grievances. But now everything was different—they could watch alongside the Americans, and sometimes even a step ahead. This bunch was actually a bit foolish; after all, Home Alone had its premiere in London. It was just a matter of time difference, nothing more.

The Americans had little reaction to this provincial excitement. They had far too many options; whether the release was earlier or later mattered little. Besides, there was Spielberg’s film to consider.

For whatever reason, that obstinate young man chose to step aside, which relieved Lucas. He had no intention of going head-to-head with this fellow. After a phone call, the other party surprisingly showed considerable respect.

“Damn it, rumors can’t be trusted. Who the hell said this guy was rude and unreasonable? He’s quite adept at managing appearances—definitely not fitting for his age,” Lucas grumbled. Hollywood’s titans breathed easier; it wasn’t always about brute force. Everything was negotiable.

William White was no fool. Raiders of the Lost Ark was the box office champion of ’81. Mr. Bean’s Agent would never surpass it; even a lucky win wouldn’t mean much.

Moreover, there was no need to offend Lucas and Spielberg. These two were more troublesome than the big studio heads. Maintaining good relations was best, after all, he was here to make money.

Hollywood’s elite circle was fiercely exclusive. Differences in religious beliefs aside, what could Spielberg’s Jewish heritage matter?

DreamWorks had been dealt a fatal blow, too.

For now, they simply had no answer to White Studios. The economic climate was dire, and there were too many unpredictable troubles. If they pushed this young man too far, it could spell disaster.

The current economy was eerily reminiscent of the pre-World War II period—not quite that catastrophic, but with potential for ongoing decline.

Shifting societal conflicts was a politician’s inevitable tactic. If there were another round of denunciations against Jewish capitalists, these people would suffer far worse than pigs being slaughtered.

During World War II, the only nation accepting these people was China. It went without saying how hated they were.

Ruthlessly acquiring wealth was one thing, but the key was having the strength to protect it. Without such power, it was best to know when to stop—or disaster would follow.

Capital was bloody and brutal. Why would John Bull pick a fight with China?

At its core, it was a matter of interests.

There was simply nothing left to sell to the Chinese. Silk and tea had already drained their silver reserves. The only option left was war.

Rumors had long circulated that their parliament had barely passed the war motion, with a significant faction opposing invasion. Only recently did news surface revealing the parliament had actually rejected the motion, and the so-called expeditionary force was entirely illegal.

This war was fundamentally launched by capitalists, with Jewish merchants playing no particularly honorable role.

The reasoning was simple: foreign trading companies selling opium in China were mostly Jewish-owned, with Sassoon & Co. in Shanghai and Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong being the largest, both with Jewish backgrounds.

After World War II, they had learned their lesson—terrified of being slaughtered again.

They no longer wished to repeat such horrors, so they learned to compromise, to align themselves, and to understand the importance of propaganda.

For those prone to persecution complexes, it was best if everyone simply coexisted peacefully. William White would not provoke them but was certainly not afraid of any challenges.

The media was their lifeblood; conflict was inevitable, but hopefully, it would remain constructive and not cause widespread outrage.

Even in America, there were sensible voices. If you stirred things up too much, someone would step forward to slap you down.

The only one likely displeased was Steve Ross. Atari had become a joke, and Warner Bros. had suffered significant setbacks.

The “big shots”?

Ha!

They simply ignored him.

This summer’s blockbuster was Star Wars. No matter how arrogant William White got, he had no grounds to confront it directly. That was a sure way to ruin himself.

Though spaced apart from The Empire Strikes Back, it was scheduled to clash with Warner’s The Shining. There was no choice; summer was the most important season in North America. If you didn’t compete, no one would pay attention.

The Shining, adapted from Stephen King, was well-made but had limited appeal—it was just a horror film.

It wasn’t that William White underestimated horror films; in this era, horror just didn’t perform well. With Star Wars dominating, other films were essentially doomed.

Moreover, The Empire Strikes Back was of notably high quality—a pinnacle of its time. Spacing out the release was the only viable option.

The 1980 box office far surpassed 1979’s. Thanks to White Studios’ influence, comedies were flooding the market this year. Whether one could break through was too early to tell.

After a pleasant conversation with Lucas, William White no longer worried about scheduling conflicts.

United Artists was also in a tough spot. Their Heaven’s Gate clashed with Home Alone 2. Though they confidently boasted, they were deeply uneasy. Fortunately, there was a one-week gap, sparing audiences from a direct choice.

William White eagerly awaited Heaven’s Gate, puzzled at how an Oscar-winning director could produce such an odd film.

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