Lionsgate Pictures, Navas hurriedly walked into the office of his boss Frank Gusta.

"What's the matter?" Frank Gusta asked when he saw Navas's face was full of anxiety, "I'm so anxious?"

Navas didn't bother to sit down and quickly said, "Chairman, I just got the news that people from Relativity Entertainment were in contact with Yijiang Film. Robert Iger's subordinates had already talked with several shareholders of Yijiang Film. Someone saw it with his own eyes that Robert Iger himself went to Yijiang Film yesterday."

Frank Gusta was quite surprised: "What? Relativity Entertainment?" He calmed down and asked: "You are sure Relativity Entertainment is interested in Yijiang Film."

Navas said without hesitation: "I have found someone to check it out. Robert Eiger and Emile Marin talked about something, but Robert Eiger's subordinates met with several shareholders of Yijiang Film and were talking about equity transactions."

Frank Gusta has calmed down: "Relativity Entertainment is going to acquire Yijiang Film."

"Yes." Navas replied, "It's totally certain now."

He then asked, "Chairman, what should I do? We have been doing preparations for almost half a year. We can't let Relativity Entertainment take the lead, right?"

Frank Gusta raised his hand to keep Navas quiet for the time being.

Since August last year, Lionsgate Pictures has received news that Yijiang Pictures has the intention to sell the company. After several discussions, Frank Gusta decided to make the acquisition of Yijiang Pictures one of the important plans in the future, and at the same time hired a third-party agency to start evaluating Yijiang Pictures.

Acquisition of a company with assets of hundreds of millions of dollars is not an easy task, nor is it a decision this month and a transaction can be completed next month.

Preparations for Lionsgate have been underway, and Frank Gusta has raised funds from several Canadian banks to use the acquisition.

According to the plan of Lionsgate Pictures, it will soon officially contact Yijiang Pictures and strive to complete the acquisition in the first half of 2004.

Who would have thought that a relativity theory entertainment suddenly popped up!

Frank Gusta thought about it carefully, Relativity Entertainment did not suddenly jump out. He first cooperated with Lionsgate Pictures. Lionsgate Pictures released the "Human Purge Plan" of Shahai Entertainment, a subsidiary of Relativity Entertainment. Later, the two companies also cooperated, but they were more competitive. On several occasions, Lionsgate Pictures seemed to have won Relativity Entertainment, but they all suffered a big loss.

Just talking about the movie "City of God" has a good reputation and is ranked in the top ten of the year. For Lionsgate Film, which bought out North American copyrights, it is a standard money-lossing item.

I don’t know how many years it will take to be offline to recover the cost of buying out copyright.

It seems that in the competition with Relativity Entertainment, Lionsgate has never gained a bargain. Sometimes it seems to win, but in the end it is like "City of God", he still loses.

Frank Gusta suddenly asked Navas: "Who is stronger than Lionsgate Pictures or Relativity Entertainment?"

Navas had a little hesitation, but chose to tell the truth: "Relativity Entertainment is stronger."

"So, Yijiang Pictures is more important to Lionsgate Pictures." Frank Gusta emphasized: "If Lionsgate Pictures wants to grow bigger, it needs a more complete distribution channel than it is now, especially overseas distribution channels. Similarly, we also need Yijiang Pictures' film library, which is the confidence of a film company and the basis for continuously generating stable returns."

His tone became extremely tough: "Whether it is facing competition from Relativity Entertainment or bidding from the six major companies, we cannot give up Yijiang Film."

Navas said: "Chairman, I have had many dealings with Ronan Anderson. This is not someone who will give up easily. We need to be well prepared, especially the funds."

Frank Gusta nodded and said, "I'll find a way to solve the funds."

Lionsgate Pictures has developed in the past two years, but it has not been particularly smooth. The funds have been relatively tight. Frank Gusta has already raised funds in the secondary market for this reason, but most of the funds collected have been invested in film projects, and the company's internal funds are not sufficient.

Fortunately, since he was preparing to acquire Yijiang Film, Frank Gusta has been trying to raise funds and has prepared a total of nearly 300 million US dollars in nearly half a year.

Originally, if we raised a part of it, we would almost complete the plan to acquire Yijiang Video.

But relativity entertainment is coming, and more funds are probably going to be raised.

Navas reminded at this time: "Chairman, we must speed up our plans and act quickly."

Frank Gusta was also a decisive person and said directly: "If you contact Emil Marin, if the opportunity is right, make a quote, and increase it by 10% based on our initial valuation, and you can quote up to $350 million."

Navas knew that it was a critical moment and immediately said, "I'll contact Yijiang Film now."

That afternoon, Navas walked into Arts and Film and met Emil Marin.

Just one day later, Lion Gate Pictures officially offered $330 million to Yijiang Pictures, and convened a press conference to publicly announce that Lion Gate Pictures plans to acquire Yijiang Pictures.

This news is somewhat surprising, because Lionsgate Pictures itself is not large in scale, and at best it is comparable to Yijiang Pictures.

On the day Lionsgate Pictures officially came into contact with Yijiang Film, Relativity Entertainment received news that Robert Eiger was prepared for it. This was not a small company that acquired Linglingjiaojiao, but a large and influential Yijiang Film, which is quite large and influential. It would be strange if there were no competitors.

Judging from his contact with Emil Marin and the preliminary negotiations between Relativity Entertainment and Yijiang Film Industry, even if Relativity Entertainment acquires it in a low-key manner and has no competitors for the time being, Yijiang Film Industry will create momentum in a high-profile manner and attract competitors.

What is coming out now is Lionsgate Pictures, not the six major companies, and it doesn't put much pressure on Robert Iger and Relativity Entertainment.

Considering the situation of Lionsgate Pictures, Robert Iger also came up with a solution.

Of course, if you can solve it yourself, Relativity Entertainment doesn't want to cause trouble.

Starting from mid-January, the acquisition team of Relativity Entertainment began formal negotiations with Yijiang Film, and Yijiang Film also had a team talking with Lion Gate Film.

The emergence of Lionsgate Pictures also represents the transfer of this acquisition from the dark to the open. For the sake of their own interests, the small shareholders of Yijiang Pictures quickly gathered together and temporarily gave up their private contact with Relativity Entertainment, hoping that the shares they were in can be sold at a better price.

No one is a fool, and no one's money is blown by the strong wind. They all want to complete the transaction in a way that best suits their own interests.

The professional team was talking, and the contact between the top level was not interrupted.

After several contacts, Robert Eiger found Emil Marin again. Emil Marin is not only the chairman and largest shareholder of Yijiang Film, but also the representative of many shareholders.

In fact, as long as the general transaction price is negotiated at a high level, the following negotiations will immediately make a slew of progress.

In the reception room of Yijiang Film, Robert Eiger looked at Emil Marin and said: "The third-party evaluation gave your company a valuation of $300 million. According to the fact that your company's annual profit was only more than $12 million in the past three years, Relativity Entertainment is willing to offer a premium acquisition of $340 million."

In an acquisition case like this, it is impossible to acquire it at actual value.

Emil Marin said: "Bob, let me remind you that although Yijiang Film has not released popular videos in recent years, it can generate stable profits every year." He strengthened his tone: "Yijiang Film is a profitable company!"

A premium acquisition is inevitable. Robert Eiger is very clear about this and said calmly: "The premium offered by Relativity Entertainment has exceeded your company's three-year expected profit."

The price is fair, and if Lionsgate hadn't joined the competition, Emil Marin would definitely be tempted.

But Emil Marin said lightly: "I'm not afraid to tell you the truth. Lionsgate Pictures offered $350 million, but I refused."

"Yijiang Film Industry is your hard work for many years." Robert Iger would not be so stupid that he directly raised the price, saying: "Liongate Pictures has never been very good. It is well known to everyone in Hollywood that too many film companies have gone bankrupt. Mr. Marlin, do you want to hand over your hard work for an unstable company to run it?"

Emile Martin was moved. From the establishment of Yijiang Film many years ago to the growth of operations, he devoted more than just time and energy, but also his own feelings.

If it weren't for the old age, Yijiang Film Industry was also facing difficulties, and Emil Marin would not agree to sell the company.

This movement did not last for a few seconds. Emil Martin's businessman nature finally overwhelmed his feelings for the company and said, "I will retire soon and Yijiang Film will complete the transaction, and it has nothing to do with me anymore."

Robert Eiger sighed secretly. It was indeed too difficult to impress the old fox who had worked hard in business for decades with his feelings.

The interview between the two was a bit deadlocked. Robert Iger suddenly thought of the Universal Pictures Entertainment Group last year, which fanned the flames and used various conditions to make profits. Now Lionsgate Pictures acted as its role last year?

What Ronan said really makes some sense, and he always has to pay it back when he comes out.

Robert Eiger did not make a rash offer, and later used words to temporarily stabilize Emil Marin and began to consider whether there were other ways to achieve the goal.

News about Yijiang Film quickly spread in Hollywood, attracting the attention of many people and companies, and companies like Relativity Entertainment and Lionsgate Pictures that are interested in Yijiang Film.
Chapter completed!