Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Filming Plan

He paid no mind to Bruce Lee; he had no intention of filming a cop-and-criminal movie at present. The era’s backdrop wasn’t ideal, and such films would yield only average results. Any cop-and-criminal story made now would be accused of imitating The Godfather. Even if you crafted a masterpiece like Infernal Affairs, it would hardly matter.

To Americans, Infernal Affairs is on par with Hollywood productions—most ordinary viewers wouldn’t truly grasp its nuances. Isn’t the Leonardo DiCaprio version of Infernal Affairs headed to the Oscars? That film genuinely possesses Oscar-caliber quality.

The undercover storyline in Infernal Affairs is far more plausible than that of Fast & Furious. Are crime syndicate bosses truly fools, as depicted in Fast & Furious? If those scenarios were real, the undercover agent would have been buried long ago. In reality, an American undercover agent nearly ascended to the syndicate’s top position. To avoid such an embarrassing outcome, the FBI had to reel him in; it would have been truly amusing if he’d actually become the leader. What, send all the henchmen straight to prison? The very idea is laughable.

This shows that the skills of undercover agents are indeed formidable, far from what films portray.

Next year, he wouldn’t be filming Police Academy. William White intended to turn that movie into a festive release, inviting more celebrity cameos in the future. It would be the first film from White Pictures, gradually building up the plot and aiming to become a milestone work that would eventually align with charitable causes.

Currently, the detective comedy was slated for a summer release, and at the year’s end, there would be Home Alone—a film that belonged to the “quick money” category. It would earn its keep and then conclude, lasting at most three years before running out of steam.

He wouldn’t direct this one himself, either. If a studio had only him as its director, it would become the butt of Hollywood jokes. The film had already been decided: it would be Bean Agent. Not only was it a good movie, but it would also annoy United Artists. A Mr. Bean-style 007 poking fun at the real 007—that premise was genuinely hilarious. Saving the world? Mr. Bean could do it too. If the results were favorable, perhaps a cowboy version could follow.

“Linda, please notify Rowan Atkinson. There’s a film in March that needs him in the lead role. Ask if his schedule is suitable.”

“Alright, boss. Is there anything else?” The secretary blinked her beautiful, large eyes.

William White was speechless. With her petite frame, trouble might be inevitable—better let it go, especially since things had been rather intense lately.

“Ahem, just a cup of coffee will do.”

The secretary left in disappointment, but William White didn’t mind. There’s an old saying: “Rabbits don’t eat the grass near their burrow.” There’s wisdom in that; the grass nearby often turns out to be poisonous. Better to resist temptation.

Rowan Atkinson was, of course, delighted—the secretary had made it clear: he was to be the lead. With two consecutive box office hits, White Pictures’ influence was undeniable. He’d watched Home Alone, even though it wasn’t his preferred style of comedy, but he couldn’t deny it was a blockbuster.

Hollywood quickly spread the word: Home Alone 2 was seeking a director. The news was odd but made perfect sense—three days of box office returns had already proven the point. Unless William White had lost his mind, a sequel was inevitable.

Everyone knew he’d make a sequel; they just didn’t expect the script to be ready so soon.

It seemed Police Academy wasn’t a script problem either; they simply weren’t planning to rush production. This IP clearly had a long lifespan.

Announcing filming plans in advance was also a gesture of goodwill—he was part of Hollywood, not seeking to antagonize all powers.

Hollywood’s giants had a tacit understanding: big releases would be spaced at least two weeks apart. There were no melodramatic clashes; nobody would risk losing out on dollars.

What if Superman beat 007? So what? Both sides would suffer; no one would benefit. Movie tickets weren’t expensive, but most people would choose only one film in a given period.

This era belonged to television. Japanese-made TVs were very cheap now, and America was speeding up their adoption. It wouldn’t be long before TVs became a household necessity.

Many blamed television for Hollywood’s decline, believing that once people had TVs, they no longer wished to leave their living rooms.

But that wasn’t the case. If your film was enticing enough, audiences would still happily go.

With William White’s plans in place, everyone stuck to the rules. No matter how conflicted the giants were, they had to accept the reality: Hollywood now had another powerhouse.

Even if you didn’t accept it, their schedules were already set. If you’re dissatisfied, you’re welcome to challenge them.

He wasn’t a traditional filmmaker either; he thrived in software as well. The Apple computer’s applications were expanding, and official agencies were beginning to purchase them in bulk.

This twist was unexpected by all—Apple couldn’t deliver on time, which infuriated Markkula. American factories simply weren’t reliable. When business was good, they raised prices; otherwise, they couldn’t supply on schedule.

Workers wanted to celebrate Christmas, and overtime pay wasn’t enough. Unless you paid beyond the norm, you’d have to wait until after the holidays.

Meanwhile, White Software’s interface cards could always be delivered on time. As long as the price was right, they’d work even during Christmas.

They’d laughed at him before, but now could only smile wryly—White Software was the most reliable. Money flowed effortlessly; nothing needed managing.

William White handled the design; you could sell the product yourself. He could sell it too, provided you paid him; he kept clear of production altogether.

Commercial products were easy enough, but official agency products posed trouble. OEM was possible, but there were always limitations.

Americans still protected domestic companies. Cars and appliances were fine, but computers remained sensitive. Microcomputers were barely acceptable; minicomputers faced many restrictions.

It was just assembly—did you really think Europe and Japan couldn’t manufacture them?

In fact, Europe’s semiconductor industry was strong, especially in memory. If not for various restrictions, America might not be able to compete.

Due to severe hardware delays, software hadn’t yet reached its potential. Before the blue giant’s PC appeared, everyone acted independently, with no unified standard.

William White’s predictions were accurate—his company was still excluded, and the blue giant stubbornly followed its own path.

A company of that size wouldn’t care about short-term gains or losses. Though minicomputer sales were declining, demand for mainframes was growing, ensuring steady profits.

Once business in Los Angeles concluded, William White was ready for vacation. Christmas was an important holiday; even if you didn’t take time off, production slowed. The crew’s minds had already wandered, and forcing them to stay was pointless.