"What? MGM is for sale?" Martin was surprised by the news. Then he laughed. "No way I can scrape together that much money right now."
"Yes, it's a real opportunity, Martin," Drew Barrymore replied, clearly interested in MGM.
She continued, "Last year, MGM invested in John Woo's Windtalkers, and it was a total flop. With a budget of $115 million, it only brought in $40 million at the box office. TV syndication and DVD rights haven't found any takers yet. Add to that over $50 million in marketing expenses, and MGM is sure to take a huge loss this time."
John Woo, also known as Wu Yusen, had practically single-handedly dragged down a Hollywood giant. He'd have plenty to "brag" about in the future.
"Woman, are you out of your mind? MGM is a mess. Besides its $2 billion debt to the banks, you'd have to deal with Kirk Kerkorian. That greedy old man wouldn't sell for less than $5 billion, including all of MGM's debts."
Back in 1970, when Kirk Kerkorian, the so-called "Gambling King," bought MGM, he turned it into a financial toy, nearly running it into the ground.
(Note: After taking over MGM, Kerkorian sold it twice and bought it back twice, cashing in billions. But the constant ownership changes, blind acquisitions, and debt accumulation left MGM with crushing liabilities.
In 2005, Kerkorian sold MGM again, this time to Sony for nearly $5 billion, with $2 billion used to pay down debt. However, this didn't save MGM; it continued to decline. After multiple restructurings, MGM was eventually bought by Amazon on May 26, 2021.)
Taking over MGM was like grabbing a burning hot potato.
"Forget it. We can't afford it, and I don't want it either," Martin said, tempted by MGM's film library but unwilling to be Kerkorian's scapegoat.
Drew sighed regretfully over the phone. "What a pity. This is MGM we're talking about—MGM with James Bond."
"If they're willing to sell just the film library, I might consider it," Martin joked.
"Well, I'll try asking," Drew replied half-heartedly. She knew it was impossible. If MGM ever offered its library separately, buyers would line up coast to coast. Kerkorian wasn't that foolish.
The year 2002 came to an end, and 2003 began.
In January, it was time for new book releases.
Martin's new installments of Harry Potter and Twilight were launched worldwide, with massive sales as expected.
At a signing event in Los Angeles, Martin encountered a familiar face.
"You're... Taylor Swift?"
"Wow, you remember me! You actually remember me!"
The girl jumped up in excitement.
"Of course. I always remember beautiful girls," Martin said with a smile.
Taylor's cheeks turned red.
At 13, she was at that age when feelings blossomed. Hearing such a compliment from her idol made her heart race and her ears burn.
Noticing her flustered state, Martin chuckled inwardly. This was a far cry from the future version of Taylor, the poised "Queen of Breakup Anthems." Right now, she was pure and endearingly innocent.
"Martin, guess what? My family moved to Nashville, the country music capital in Tennessee. I met a friend there, Liz Rose. Every Tuesday after school, we spend two hours writing songs."
"Do you remember Avril Lavigne? The Canadian girl who came with me for your autograph last year? She released her debut single, Complicated, in May. It hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Juno Award for Single of the Year. I heard it's even nominated for a Grammy this year!"
Taylor's excitement bubbled over as she shared more. "And this time, I came to Los Angeles with my parents and their friend, Dan Dymtrow. He's a music producer..."
"Martin, did you know..."
Taylor chattered on non-stop, while Martin listened patiently. It wasn't until the people behind her started complaining that Taylor finally realized she was holding up the line. She stuck out her tongue sheepishly, then hugged her signed book and left.
Outside the venue, Taylor found Dan Dymtrow's car.
"Well, did our little Taylor get her idol's autograph?" Dan teased with a melodic tone.
"Yes, yes! And he even wrote a special message for me!" Taylor boasted, climbing into the car.
She proudly showed Dan the book. "Want to see his handwriting? It's gorgeous."
Dan took the book and opened it to see a line of elegant cursive:
"To the beautiful Miss Taylor Swift, wishing you a future as a music superstar—Martin Meyers."
"This blessing hits the mark, doesn't it?" Dan said with a smile.
"Of course! Martin's my friend," Taylor declared proudly.
Dan was about to return the book when a slip of paper fell out.
Taylor picked it up curiously. She remembered Martin writing on a separate piece of paper during their conversation. Could this be... a letter?
Her heart raced as she unfolded it.
"Tears on My Guitar?"
Taylor read it closely, and her excitement grew.
"Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see...
I bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about...
She's got everything that I have to live without..."
Taylor gasped. "Oh my gosh! Martin wrote me a song, based on what I told him about Drew! He's so fucking talented!"
"Watch your language, young lady," Dan scolded lightly, though he couldn't hide his curiosity. "What kind of song?"