1 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of Strictly Business, the podcast featuring 2 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: conversations with some of the brightest minds working in the 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: media business today, a Variety co editor in chief Andrew Wallenstein. 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: When he's not directing films, Steven Spielberg is also presiding 5 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: over Amblin Partner's production powerhouse, responsible for movies and TV 6 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: shows like Green Book and the Americans. Running the company 7 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: alongside Spielberg is my next guest, Ambulance President and co 8 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: CEO Jeff Small. He's got a busy twenty nineteen ahead 9 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: of him, including the upcoming release of A Dog's Journey, 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: the sequel to the surprise hit A Dog's Purpose. Thanks 11 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,959 Speaker 1: for coming in, Jeff. Happy to be here, Andrew, So 12 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: we know what this Spielberg fella does. You, however, a 13 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: little less iconic, So talk a bit about what you're 14 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: doing at AM and what Ambulance is, because it's a 15 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: brand that people know of, but major not in detail. Sure, 16 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: So I run the company for Stephen and for our 17 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: investors UH. With Steven, I help UH to lay out 18 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: the strategic goals of the company. I help oversee the 19 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: television and film businesses that we have. I manage our 20 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: various investors and banks uh, and run all the administrative 21 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: functions for the company. UM. And it's your hands on guy, 22 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: by the way. I mean, how involved is he did? 23 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: He's the best. He's the best because he is the 24 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 1: first thing I'll say about Stephen, which I say quite 25 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: a bit, is that he is the best multitasker I 26 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: have ever met in my entire life. Obviously, he's really 27 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: really productive making a ton of movies, directing and producing. Um. 28 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: But he's also deep into our television business and then 29 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: any of the corporate issues that we have. I can 30 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: shoot him an email while he's on set, and he 31 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: he responds so quickly. UM. He just has this magical 32 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: ability to have his brain in multiple places all at once. UM. 33 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: So he is not only is he a creative genius, 34 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: but he also has um quite the business acumen. So 35 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: it actually ends up being really easy to deal with Stephen. 36 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: He can understand all of the different levels of the 37 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: company that I'm dealing with. It makes my job um 38 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: easier in that regard and also a lot more fun. 39 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: And you've got a lot to deal with. Explain the 40 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: structure of all the different companies that have a stake 41 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: and yeah, So what we did is back at the 42 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 1: end of two thousand fifteen, we relaunched Amblin and what amblin. 43 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: Amblin was an offshoot of the former Dreamwork Studios, and 44 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: what we wanted to do was create a television and 45 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: film company that had a bunch of different partners that 46 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: we knew and trusted already, so as investors and as 47 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: strategic partners. So um. The first one that we we 48 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: went into business with was Participant Media, and we had 49 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 1: done a number of movies with them, including Lincoln and 50 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: so Stephen and Jeff Skoll, who owns Participant already had 51 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: a lot of trust uh and they were very interested 52 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: in going on this adventure with us. So we brought 53 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: in Participant Media. We UM. We produced and finance a 54 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: number of their movies, including Green Book. UH. We then 55 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: did a deal with E One, who had been our 56 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: distributor in the UK and in various other countries. UH. 57 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: We've known the One folks for quite a long time, UH, 58 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: and we knew that they would also be aligned in 59 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: our vision for the company. UM. They're also a television 60 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: powerhouse in their own rights, So there were synergies as 61 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: far as that was concerned. We brought in Reliance, who 62 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: had been with us for a very long time in 63 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: the old Dreamwork studio business. UH. They're fantastic UH partners 64 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: and are really really thrilled with how we're going today. UM. 65 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: We then of course did a deal to bring Universal 66 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: into the fold. That's Steven's ancestral home. I would say, 67 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: uh and UH, it just seemed natural that we would 68 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: come back home have Universe Universal as our primary distributor. 69 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: UM and UH it has been fantastic and and of 70 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: course for Stephen to come home and have Amblin be 71 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: with Universal again was one of the most important things 72 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: that we could have done in relaunching the company. UM. 73 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: We then brought on Ali Baba as our Chinese partner 74 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: and also as our investment partner. UM. They were really 75 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: the only company that we did not know and what 76 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: we were looking for in China was a company that 77 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: had some shared DNA with us. UM. So we did 78 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 1: a lot of what I would say dating. We did 79 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: a lot of dating with Ali Baba. We spent a 80 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: lot of time talking about their goals for their company, 81 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: our goals for Amblin UM. Steven spent time with Jack 82 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: Ma Uh they hit it off amazingly as you might imagine. UM, 83 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: and really what what we needed was a Chinese partner 84 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: that was a one stop shop for us. They could 85 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: distribute movies, they could market movies. They could if we 86 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: want to co produce Chinese these or or English language movies, 87 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 1: we could do that with them. They had um a 88 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: huge merchandizing platform, uh but most mostly culturally. It was 89 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 1: a fantastic fit. So that that's how we set up 90 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: the investment group, a group of our friends. I would say, 91 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: although you know, the entertainment business has some real horror 92 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: stories of these kind of multiple stakeholders who maybe swell 93 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: people individualship, but it's a lot of different agendas to balance, 94 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: and it sounds like you're the guy who has to 95 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: do the balance, and we do and we and we 96 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: do need to balance because at the end of the day, 97 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: I want them all to be happy. I want them 98 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 1: to be giving us the skills that they do very well. 99 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: You know, Universal and E one or fantastic marketers. Uh 100 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:51,119 Speaker 1: Participant makes amazing films. Ali Baba is a powerhouse in China. 101 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: These are we want to get to take advantage of those. 102 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: At the same time, I know that they want things 103 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: for us to Obviously, all of those distributors and marketers 104 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: want really good product. I need to make them happy 105 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: with that. They want to make a return on their investment. Um. 106 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: But for each of them, it's not just one thing. 107 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:11,919 Speaker 1: And I think that that's important. It's not just I 108 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 1: want to make a return on my investment. It's not 109 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: just we need, you know, every single movie to be 110 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: an Oscar winner. Um. It's it's a whole lot of 111 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: different things. It's very it's a very kind of holistic 112 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: idea of what success at Amblin would be. Okay, so 113 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: is this the arrangement going forward? Is ERA? What does 114 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: the deal look like here? In other words, is ERA 115 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 1: a year uh two or three out where this all 116 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: expires or is that tough to manage? Um? No one 117 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 1: came into this with that idea that Steven's not looking 118 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: to be out of business anytime soon. And and and 119 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 1: when we formed the company, that really wasn't what anyone 120 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: wanted to do either. It wasn't something where we're like, Okay, 121 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: after four years, everyone can cash out and that's it. 122 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: That's not really how we looked at it. Our Our 123 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: plan is to be in business and making movies and 124 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: television product as long as we possibly can, and our 125 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 1: partners expect that of us. So, UM, I would certainly 126 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: hope that we continue to do that. If things change, 127 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: it's probably because we're growing, uh, and we see opportunities 128 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 1: to grow, and I think that we're set up really 129 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: well to take advantage of those opportunities if we see them. 130 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: And you know, TV I think is something that while 131 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: you're probably Ambulin is better known for film, TV is 132 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: sort of a newer area. Uh. And you're also doing 133 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: a lot of the your own financing for this stuff, 134 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: which is not easy. Yeah. Well, well, let's let's remember 135 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: that Stephen did produce e ER, so he has been 136 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: in the TV space for quite a long time and 137 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: going all the way back to the beginning of his career. UM. 138 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,119 Speaker 1: And Darryl Frank and Justin Falbe, who run our television group, 139 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: have been at the company for over twenty years. UM. 140 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: The difference is that for a very long time, all 141 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: that we did was we act as a producer for hire, 142 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: so we would take a pure episode fee fee. Darryl 143 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: and Justin would oversee the production of the shows in 144 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: most cases. UM. But that was that we didn't own 145 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: the shows, and we didn't finance the shows, and and 146 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: and that was because the paradigm wasn't that deficit financing 147 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: was necessarily a great business unless you were a huge 148 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: television studio, and we weren't, so we weren't going to 149 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: take that risk. Obviously, over the last couple of years, 150 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: the industry has changed a lot, and being able to 151 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: own and finance your own television not only was possible, um, 152 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: but it could be very lucrative with not a lot 153 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: of downside, and so we wanted to be able to 154 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: take advantage of that. UM. Obviously, our television UH team 155 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: has been in a had has done an amazing job 156 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: of getting shows on the air. I mean I think 157 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 1: right now we have UH maybe twelve orders twelve shows 158 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: ordered on eleven different platforms. So it's a lot of 159 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: product that they're responsible for. So we felt like if 160 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: we had that type of market presence week and and 161 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: a new company that was set up to be able 162 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,079 Speaker 1: to finance it, well A plus B equals see we 163 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: should be able to finance television product and own it, 164 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: build our asset base a little more on the television side. 165 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: And I know one of those projects you have will 166 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: be with Apple coming up, I'm sure for the reboot 167 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: of Amazing Stories. I mean, Apple to me is emblematic 168 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: of what the business must be like for Amblin now, 169 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: which is lots of new players, lots of new companies 170 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: willing to pay for content. Um So, or is this 171 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: just a great time for Amblin given all these new places. 172 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: It's it's it's not a bad time for Amblin, that's 173 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: for sure. I mean it's um. I mean, look, we're 174 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: gonna keep making it as long as they keep buying it. 175 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: And I do want to I do think that we 176 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: pay attention to who the buyer is. I think Apple 177 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: was a really good home for Amazing Stories, and we 178 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: and Zack and Jamie who are running the show over there, 179 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: known Darrel and Justin for a very long time. Um 180 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: that felt like the right place, the right home for 181 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 1: this new round of Amazing Stories. Um. But we are 182 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: fairly particular about where our shows should go. UM. That said, 183 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: it is great to be able to be on eleven platforms. 184 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: It's it's great to make a show for Showtime or HBO, 185 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: but then do one for Netflix, and do one for 186 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: the Discovery Channel. Uh, and we do that all the time. 187 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 1: Maybe it's a network show, maybe it's maybe it's uh, 188 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: you know roswell. Um, it gives us a lot of optionality. 189 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: When you look back on what Ambulance has done over 190 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: the years, there's some great intellectual property to be mine there. 191 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: And I've heard you know, rumors and reports. Is it 192 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: a priority that you guys sort of dig in and 193 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: take a lot of what's there? Well, it's we really 194 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: leave it to Stephen. I mean, certainly we hear it 195 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:53,680 Speaker 1: as much as you do. That there are properties that 196 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 1: that Stephen has had over times, whether it's Kremlin's or 197 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: it's goonies or it's whatever it is, UM that they're 198 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: ripe for uh telling new stories around or reboot or whatever. 199 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: Sometimes Stephen is comfortable with that and sometimes he's not. 200 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: And I think, you know, obviously with the Durassic Park franchise, 201 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: he was comfortable with telling new stories around it. Others 202 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: he hasn't. And so UM, we we really defer to 203 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: him and let him guide us. And if there's a 204 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: point in time where he comes to says, yes, you know, 205 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: I'm ready to do this, absolutely we dive into that. 206 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 1: It's um it's certainly it's great for the company, and 207 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: it's great to further the brand. But at the same time, UH, 208 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: Stephens the keeper of those stories and for all those stories, 209 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: is that the same status? For instance, I noticed Men 210 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: in Black coming back in theaters? Does that have the 211 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:43,319 Speaker 1: same do Does Amblin have the same control over that 212 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: that they do? Say amazing Stories? Stephen has certain controls 213 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 1: over Men and Black. But Men and Black actually is 214 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: not part of the Ambulant Partners universe. It's an old 215 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: Ambulant property that the original Ambulan was involved then and 216 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 1: and there are some of those, Durrassic Park being another 217 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: one of them, that Ambling Park. Nere's the company that 218 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: I run, UH isn't involved with from a business perspective 219 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: at all. Um. Occasionally, particularly on the television side, something 220 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: like Animaniacs UH comes in or Amazing Stories, and we 221 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: will be part of that both from a business and 222 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: creative perspective. Got it, Uh? Speaking of news stories, had 223 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: you told me, you know a few years ago, when 224 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: A Dog's Purpose came out, that we would see a 225 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: Dog's Journey after that? Not the kind of I p 226 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: that I would have thought would have lent itself to 227 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: a sequel, especially featuring a dog that apparently dies several 228 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: times during the story. So how why or why is 229 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: that back? Well, the well, here here's what we found 230 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: out after we made the first one. Audiences loved it. 231 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: They just loved it. My ten year old son among 232 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: the they just loved it. You could see it in 233 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: the exits that we got out of the screenings. Uh. 234 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: You could see it in the way that people bought 235 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: the home video or electronics sell through, how much that 236 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: they were invested in the universe. Certainly there was a 237 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: factor that China was a huge hit. The movie was 238 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,359 Speaker 1: a gigantic hit in China. Ali Baba did an unbelievable 239 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,079 Speaker 1: job marketing and distributing the movie there. And I think 240 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: we did eighty eight million dollars in China with our 241 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: Little Dog movie. Um. Uh. So once we had another 242 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: script for a sequel, we sat there and we thought, well, 243 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: a doesn't make creative sense. Is the story good enough 244 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:28,439 Speaker 1: to continue this? And be does it make financial sense? 245 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,079 Speaker 1: And it really made sense on both levels. Um and 246 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 1: we got a great script. The movie is Uh, it's 247 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: fun and it's heartwarming. Uh. It probably requires some clean X. 248 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: There's a lot a lot of kleenex um. But we're 249 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: really excited about it, and Universal is excited about it, 250 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 1: and certainly Ali Baba is excited about it. For China, 251 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: what resonated because you know, it's it's one of those 252 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: movies that doesn't scream sequel or or even frankly big success. 253 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: It feel like the kind of thing that's like a niche, 254 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: maybe family friendly thing. Well, let's start with people love 255 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: their dogs. They do. People feel very very strongly about 256 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: their dogs, and uh, and so it's it's something that 257 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: resonates with most everybody. I also think it's good escapist fun. 258 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: I think it is. If you're talking about a good 259 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: night at the movies, A Dog's Journey is a good 260 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: night at the movies. You know, you can go, you 261 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: can sit there, you can feel something, and uh and 262 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: I think that that's meaningful in this day and age. 263 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: And and you know, I think that goes for for 264 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: a lot of the movies that we make, if not 265 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 1: all of them, and the television products we If you're 266 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 1: gonna get people to go to the theater, you have 267 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: to promise that they're going to feel something, They're gonna 268 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: have an experience in the theater, and I will tell 269 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: you right now that those theaters full of dogs journeys 270 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: fans are going to be crying, NonStop, laughing, enjoying themselves, 271 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: and they will walk out of the theater having felt something. 272 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: And that's really what we want to deliver. Hopefully the 273 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: dog will not dies many times in this one. Noil 274 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: Got It. Um. Of course, not the only movie coming 275 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: from amblin this year. Another big release for December nineteen 276 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: seventeen with Sam Mendez. I would is this sort of 277 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: the big one for you in terms of all the 278 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: many things you're working on in Um. I do love 279 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: all of my children the same, of course, uh, And 280 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: we do make We do make movies and television of 281 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: all shapes and sizes. So even nineteen seventeen is a 282 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 1: bigger movie, uh, certainly in scope and in budget. But um, 283 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: but I you know, we also have tiny films. We 284 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: have a small horror film called Larry that's very inexpensive 285 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: that I also love. But nineteen seventeen is really something special, um, 286 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: you know, Ambling and dream Works before it. We've we've 287 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: always been a place that has been filmmaker friendly, and 288 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: we've always loved to be home where those filmmakers could 289 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 1: tell their stories. Uh. Sam Mendez has been one of 290 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: those for years and years and years with American Beauty 291 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: and to Perdition and Revolutionary Road and uh. And he 292 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: brought us nineteen seventeen, UM, which is an epic story 293 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: about World War One, and it was just an amazing 294 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: script with an amazing vision uh and an amazing filmmaker 295 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 1: and not to mention an incredible crew. Uh. And I think, uh, 296 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: when we see that, we feel like we're a place 297 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: we should be making those types of movies with that 298 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: type of package. Um. And I do think that that's 299 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: the case. I do think that. Um. You know, at 300 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 1: the end of the day, we're not that big of 301 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: a studio, We're not that big of a production company. 302 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: And there are times where major studios are going to 303 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: outbid us and they have deep pockets or Netflix has 304 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: depockets or whatever. Um. But we can always compete qualitatively. 305 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 1: We can always compete as a place uh that filmmakers 306 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: and the creative community can feel comfortable that we're going 307 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: to let them tell their story in the way that 308 00:16:56,280 --> 00:17:00,040 Speaker 1: they want to. But is it harder to operate in 309 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 1: an increasingly consolidating world? Fox and Disney coming together on 310 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: the film side. Um, despite your great eye for quality, 311 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: does the quantity game tend to overwhelm that? Yes? And no. 312 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:18,120 Speaker 1: Is it challenging? Of course it is. I don't own 313 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: a superhero franchise, you know. I don't own a comic 314 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,479 Speaker 1: book company. Um. And that and I don't have a 315 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 1: deep library of old movies that I can pull from 316 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 1: to make a Bond movie or whatever. And that's a challenge, 317 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: you know. So every single project that comes into us 318 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,719 Speaker 1: has to be something unique and new and um and 319 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 1: that that was a challenge ten years ago. It's going 320 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 1: to be a challenge today, especially when you're making original 321 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 1: product and then trying to find a place on the 322 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 1: release schedule to put it in between uh the Avengers 323 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: and Aladdin or whatever is out there. Um. But at 324 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,639 Speaker 1: the same time, we still feel like they're there is 325 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: a place for movies that aren't those There is a 326 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:04,920 Speaker 1: place for high quality. There is a place for Academy movies. Uh, 327 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 1: there's a place for the movies that are in the middle. 328 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: You know, we may make movies that are expensive, and 329 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: we may make movies that are really cheap. We still 330 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: do make movies that are in the middle, things that 331 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 1: are filmmaker driven, things that are uh, you know, leaning 332 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: towards an adult audience that might be in that forty 333 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:23,479 Speaker 1: or fifty million dollar budget range. And we've done very 334 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,360 Speaker 1: very well on that. And so you still think theatrical 335 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: is a viable road for that kind of movie because 336 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: it seems like that's exactly where Netflix and Amazon are focused. Sure, No, 337 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: I do I and I think I think we all 338 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: at ambling do feel like that is a viable option. Um. 339 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: I will say that we take special care, as I 340 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 1: know everyone does, every single project that comes in, to 341 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: sit there and look at it and say, is this 342 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 1: something that is compelling enough to get people to get 343 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: out of their houses? And and there are a lot 344 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,439 Speaker 1: of times that we say no, it's not, and sometimes 345 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: we say yes and we're wrong, and a lot of 346 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: times we're right. But um, in this day and age, 347 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 1: that's it. Is this something that is good enough to 348 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,239 Speaker 1: have people stay in their seats? Is that something that 349 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: is marketable to get them there? Um? And we feel 350 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:17,919 Speaker 1: like thus far we've done a pretty good job of it. 351 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 1: And so seventeen this Mendez film, will that be something 352 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: that you'll have in the awards circuit come end of 353 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,440 Speaker 1: the year. Um, you know, I don't know. I mean 354 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: I think I think we need to see how the 355 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 1: movie turns out. What I think we are making it 356 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: to be is a big commercial movie that people are 357 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: gonna want to go see. I mean, that's that that 358 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:42,360 Speaker 1: is the primary goal. And and uh, I think what 359 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: we want is for people to have an experience and 360 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:46,919 Speaker 1: buy tickets and enjoy themselves and tell all their friends. 361 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 1: And if that ends up leading into some sort of campaign, 362 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 1: so be it. But I don't think we're leading with 363 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 1: this is Samenda, so it has to be an Academy movie. 364 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: I think what we want to do is we want 365 00:19:57,960 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: a lot of people to see it. Well, I'm just 366 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: wondering what ambulance appetite is for awards films because you're 367 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: coming off Green Book Best Picture. On the other hand, 368 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 1: other movies that you guys got behind, like First Man 369 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: and the Steve Correll movie, maybe didn't do as well 370 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,160 Speaker 1: even that some of them got. You know, first Man, 371 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,919 Speaker 1: I thought got a lot of critical respect. It is 372 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: a tough, tough business that award circuit. A lot of 373 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:25,680 Speaker 1: things that you think are going to do great, don't. 374 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:28,360 Speaker 1: It is a really tough business, and I think that's 375 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: why we always try to lead with the commercial side 376 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 1: of of things that we're gonna make a movie. We 377 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: want to make a movie because we want audiences to 378 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 1: see it. You know, if if if a movie wins 379 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 1: a lot of awards but nobody sees it, that doesn't 380 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 1: really do well for the company or investors, and and 381 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:49,439 Speaker 1: we're not being broad storytellers. UM. So I do. I 382 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,200 Speaker 1: do think we have to lead with the commercial side 383 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: of things. Obviously, we've had a lot of movies in 384 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,200 Speaker 1: the hunt for a long time, uh and oftentimes we've 385 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: been very successful with them. Um. And that happens, that's great. 386 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: I think with Green Book, that's a great example of 387 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 1: a movie that audiences loved. They just loved it, and 388 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 1: they loved it worldwide and they wanted to buy tickets 389 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: and again haven't experienced in a theater where they felt 390 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: something and that happened to come along with a lot 391 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: of awards. Acclaim that was not as help I mean, 392 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: it was was helpful for box office, um, but also 393 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 1: gave it it's do and gave the cast and crew 394 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 1: to do. That's what I deserve. Although it wasn't necessarily 395 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: one of those movies I was pegged early on as 396 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,719 Speaker 1: a favorite. Did you guys see all along that it 397 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 1: was being underestimated? Did you have that faith? Not at all? 398 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: Because I actually I think if it hadn't gone through 399 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 1: the awards season and had grossed very well, I think 400 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: we would have been very very happy. UM. You know, 401 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: Pete fairly had brought this movie to to participant in 402 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: to us, and it felt like a great story. And 403 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: then you put Marschel Law and you put Vigo in there, 404 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,680 Speaker 1: and and uh and Linda, and all of a sudden, boy, 405 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: this is a great package that I think we can 406 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,439 Speaker 1: get people into the theater to enjoy. He makes the movie, 407 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 1: it's great, and then you start to get the buzz 408 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: about it being an Awards movie, and that's that's that's 409 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: really rewarding to UM. But it certainly did not start 410 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: that way. So looking out beyond West Side Story remake 411 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: that I assume is a huge priority for you guys, 412 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: even sitting here in mid anything that Stephen is directing 413 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,199 Speaker 1: is a huge priority for us. There's no question. And 414 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: I mean is his schedule taken years in Vanus? He 415 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: know what he's doing going through I don't know and 416 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: not not always. Not always. He goes back and forth. 417 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: I mean, he certainly likes to think about what's next 418 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: and um, and you know that can get reported from 419 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,399 Speaker 1: time to time, um, but not necessarily and sometimes he 420 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,959 Speaker 1: changes his mind. Um. You know when he made the post, 421 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: that was a script that kind of just dropped on 422 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 1: his lap and here it is and boom, we're making it. Um. 423 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 1: And other times, like Lincoln, it's a slower burn where 424 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: he spends years thinking about it and trying to put 425 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: it together in the way that he likes it, and 426 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: then then he's able to make it um. Uh. You know, 427 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:14,360 Speaker 1: Stephen is not a person that likes to uh take 428 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: a couple of years off. That's not what he does. 429 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: So uh. I certainly hope that after West Side Story 430 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,399 Speaker 1: we find him whatever his next movie maybe. And you 431 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: mentioned Lincoln, that to me was the very template for 432 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: what we were talking about earlier that I think surprised 433 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,639 Speaker 1: a lot of people by proving this sort of middle 434 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 1: market was still viable as you look back on that, 435 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,360 Speaker 1: where their lessons learned that you're applying today about this 436 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,640 Speaker 1: is how we hit that mystery market. It's look, it's 437 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 1: let's just start with it was an enjoyable movie. The 438 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:49,440 Speaker 1: movie was was a great story, obviously very well directed, 439 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: but but also a lot of fun and and if 440 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: you're in you know the movie did skew towards older audiences. 441 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 1: Older audiences are, um, a more predictable segment going to 442 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: continue to go to the movies. They've been conditioned to 443 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: go to the movies, and Lincoln was right on the 444 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,360 Speaker 1: bull's eye for them. Older audiences went, Uh, they ended 445 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:13,400 Speaker 1: up dragging a lot of their kids along to go 446 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,119 Speaker 1: who didn't feel like it was medicine because it was 447 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 1: actually entertaining and um, and that's a little bit of 448 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: the potion for it. I think Bridge of Spies was 449 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: very similar in that regard, which was a movie that's 450 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: kind of as you might say, in the middle, um, 451 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:32,360 Speaker 1: but also was you've got Tom Hanks, You're appealing to, uh, 452 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 1: perhaps a little bit of an older audience who could 453 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: then bring along a younger audience and and really enjoy 454 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,240 Speaker 1: themselves inside of a story. Um. That seems to be 455 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: a little bit of where those movies in the middle 456 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 1: are going. We made Girl on the Train. Girl on 457 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: the Train was a big success for us. The same 458 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,919 Speaker 1: idea was priced in the middle appealed to an older 459 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,880 Speaker 1: female audience, um and and they had a really good 460 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 1: time with it. Um So, I think that that's maybe 461 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:01,640 Speaker 1: coming off of something like Lincoln. That's the way that 462 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: that that that we've made the mold, I would say. 463 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 1: And you know, we've talked about prestige movies, family movie 464 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 1: with you know, a Dog's Journey, We even mentioned a 465 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 1: little horror. It doesn't feel like Amblen has a particular genre. 466 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:17,360 Speaker 1: You know that it's just doing all things. Is that correct? 467 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: We've always been that way though um and and dream 468 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,919 Speaker 1: Works before us was always that way. We don't We 469 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: don't have a distribution company like a major does, so 470 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:31,400 Speaker 1: we we don't necessarily have have to fill the pipeline 471 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: in the way that majors do. You know, some years 472 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,399 Speaker 1: we might make five movies a year. Some years we 473 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: make make three, and that gives us a lot of 474 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: flexibility to make the types of movies that we want to. 475 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: Um It really comes down to whether a story feels 476 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:46,400 Speaker 1: right to us. Is this a story that we love, 477 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:49,880 Speaker 1: Is this a story that we feel like audiences will love? 478 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: And if that costs seven million dollars or a hundred 479 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:55,120 Speaker 1: billion dollars, we're going to try to make it. Um. 480 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 1: You know, obviously we have investors and we have to 481 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: be responsible or the financing that we have, and we 482 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: do a good job of doing that. Um. But at 483 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 1: the same time, we love the place that we are 484 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 1: and we love to be able to say to the town, 485 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,399 Speaker 1: if you have a story that is a small horror film, 486 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 1: or it's a female driven comedy or whatever it is, 487 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 1: if we love it, we're gonna make it. Um. And 488 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: I think that that's pretty unique, uh in this town 489 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: in the way that movies have changed over time. And 490 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: I wonder if even though as we look years down 491 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 1: the road, is it possible that ambling could be known 492 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: just as much, if not more, for television uh than 493 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: the films that we're talking about. Sure. Absolutely. I mean 494 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,440 Speaker 1: we have a lot of product out there, so um. 495 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: And again that's an eclectic mix as well. You know, 496 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: we might have something huge like Halo that we're making 497 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: at showtime, or we might have Animaniacs, or we might 498 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: have Why We Hate which is a documentary. UM. We 499 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 1: want to be able to do all of those same 500 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: things on the television side at the same time. UM. Again, 501 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: we want we want the creative commun need to come 502 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:02,480 Speaker 1: to us with their stories, no matter what they what 503 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:05,240 Speaker 1: those stories are, what the genre is, what the size 504 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,959 Speaker 1: is UM. So yes, I mean I think that inside 505 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: the town, the television business already has a reputation of 506 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 1: being a really good producer of content. UM. As far 507 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 1: as expanding the brand, absolutely, you know, we're we We 508 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:21,719 Speaker 1: always love when people think about amble and or they 509 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 1: think about DreamWorks, and so you occupy this niche where 510 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: you're able to do some of the smaller stuff. But 511 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 1: I wonder, in the scheme of things, as everything in 512 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:35,639 Speaker 1: this business consolidates, can you guys afford to sort of 513 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:39,400 Speaker 1: sit out that consolidation or will you inevitably get wrapped 514 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: up in it somehow? That is a fantastic question. I 515 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: I right now, I don't feel like we will UM. 516 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:50,439 Speaker 1: But again, I think when we formed the company, the 517 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: idea was to make as much content as we could 518 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:57,040 Speaker 1: and to grow UM. So you never know. I mean 519 00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: it's you know a lot of times companies like ours 520 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: and up combining with other companies because the principles want 521 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: to move on. I have a principle who does not 522 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: want to move on, so so you know, he feels 523 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 1: like he's in it for as long as he can 524 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 1: and and and we love that and so um, if 525 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,919 Speaker 1: that means that we'll be doing this several years from now, great, 526 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 1: and I think our partners will be very happy with that. 527 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 1: If an opportunity comes along that we all feel is 528 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,000 Speaker 1: right and Steven feels is right, yeah, or pursue it 529 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 1: just like anyone else would. Well. Looking forward to to 530 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,879 Speaker 1: seeing what you guys put out this year and beyond. Jeff, 531 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 1: thanks for coming in and talking with me. I really 532 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: enjoyed it. Thank you. This has been another episode of 533 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: Strictly Business. Tune in next week for another helping of 534 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: scintillating conversation with media movers and shakers, and please make 535 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: sure you subscribe to the podcast to hear future episodes. 536 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:54,959 Speaker 1: Also leave a review in Apple podcast let us know 537 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: how we're doing