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This mean-mail from Arnon Milchan to his New Regency staff was all over the Twentieth Century Fox lot 2 weeks ago. (I received it, thought it was ridiculous, and can’t believe others are touting it – so here it is…) Fox film execs at the time explained it to me thusly: “When things tend to slow down at his company, Arnon gets bored. New Regency is refocusing under a new regime, and Arnon is upset there’s nothing in the pipeline after Alvin & The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, In Time, and What’s Your Number. There’s just a Russell Crowe movie that’s a negative pickup. This is a message from Arnon to Brad Weston and Carla Hacken to step it up. It’s like Arnon is saying, ‘See how serious I am? I’m beating them into shape.’ But it’s well-known by the New Regency staff to ‘Beware if Arnon focuses on you’ when he’s jetting between houses and has a little wine.”
From: Arnon Milchan
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 3:46 PM
To: * Group -Internal ALL NRP Only (Bldg.12)
Cc: Chase Carey; Tom Rothman; Jim Gianopulos; Oren Aviv
Subject: New RegencyI’ve committed $300M in fees which translates to $5 billon in movies and TV over the next 10 years, which forces me to have sleepless nights. I’d like to know what the 3-5 best connections you have in the movie industry, that can move the needle and create added value beyond what Fox does. I’d like to be reassured that if I don’t sleep, you don’t sleep. I can afford not to – you cannot. I’m contemplating a major decision, and before I do that, I need your feedback.
As a reminder, the world is heading into a huge financial crisis. I have only one request – be honest. I expect caring, pro-activity, creativity and thinking outside the box with tangible results. We’re not here to continue the old regime creatively, but to create a new world. If this is not within your reach, please be honest with me. I’ve done it for the last 35 years and built a great company – I do not feel I deserve to have it evaporate. I need a timeline for Regency to become the home of great TV and movie makers.
I expect you to improve on a conscious basis with our friends at NewsCorp and Fox. They’re our friends. I need accountability and responsibility. Anything less doesn’t work for me. This is not pep talk – this is serious. I’m just now finishing my day job at 2am, which are my regular working hours because of the time difference. I expect resolutions by the end of next week.
Arnon
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Resolution: replace Arnon.
HUH? He OWNS the company, he can’t be replaced
Understood… then maybe he shouldn’t be managing it.
My point is: this is not good leadership. Is this how you bring out the best in people?
You’re right, it’s not how you bring out the best in people. But then again, fear is always a default motivator.
Sent to spam folder.
Let’s do a New Regency Telethon.
This is not a particularly “mean” email.
Keep in mind the guy has made some of the best movies in history (Once Upon a Time in America) and some of the worst (Marmaduke). He needs to get back to his roots.
If you think that message is scary and uppity – it’s because you’ve never had your head in the lions mouth.
Really, that’s actually a succinct and frank email. I’ve seen way way scarier.
I’m talking ALL UPPER CASE and mostly expletive!
Seriously kids… If you can’t stand the heat…
So true, this email is docile. Anyone complaining about this hasn’t really been in the business world (entertainment, real estate, advertising etc…). Less than 10% of owners/bosses succeed with being sweet and nice. When your reputation, your dollars, your livelyhood is on the line your passion can grow by leaps and bounds into some harsh language, memos, and meetings. That being said, it doesn’t mean someone is a tryant when they are demanding. They may pay well, teach well, mentor etc… Without pressure, you can’t make a diamond.
Pretty crappy slate of movies. Although that’s why Hutch and Bob got their walking papers. FOX is a disaster all the way around though.
NR has the reputation of talking about big, great stories, and then playing it safe. ‘Great tv and movie makers’ are cheering the spirit of this email, but waving to NR from elsewhere.
LOL – he sounds like all the other lunatics in town. Sending this kind of note to your staff in the middle of the night is not exactly the way to fix your failing company.
I may be a bit old fashioned, but I totally respect where Arnon is coming from here. I have worked with him and New Regency – when Arnon was much more involved – and I found him to be smart, respectful and passionate. He has been willing to take many chances on films, talent, etc., over the years and his company has launched a lot of careers…
Knowing him the little bit that I do, for him to have to write this email tells me that people have gotten too comfortable internally. That’s as shame, because his company was always one of the more productive production companies in our business.
I’d rather get an email like this, then no communication and/or collaboration from the head of the company.
I don’t see a problem with employees getting paid great money and fat expense accounts being held accountable… Am I missing something here?
I’m also ex-NR (from many years ago) and complete agree with you.
They are making a 4th CHIPMUNKS movie? A Theatrical?
Maybe little ALexandra can make some more terrible webisodes with the money?
The fact that Nikki finds this email ‘mean’ is laughable. Here is the Scott Rudin version:
“If you don’t get off your ass and do your fucking job I’m going to shove this phone up your goddamn ass and dial the people you should be calling using your fucking face as the dial pad!”
The email from Arnon sounds like the (tipsy) guy who is passionate, and cares about his business and wants the people below him to understand that. Mean? Hardly.
Wow. And you call this scathing? How sensitive we are. It’s his money (a lot of), its his company, he answers to 20% Fox, he gets to whine and wine as much as he likes. The guy is running a business not a circus.
The best thing you can do is get out of the way. Look at IMDB you have approximately 37 titles optioned, scripted, or pitched listed until the year 2014. And your most recent movie is Broken City that you partially funded, and forced to make on the very very cheap in New Orleans. Set in New York Russel Crowe never got out of New Orleans for one day..not even exteriors. That is what I call film making on the come line. You hooped it up about Warren Beatty’s movie on Howard Hughes. Show some balls and give him the go ahead. I do ponder what the hell are your people doing in the office today…if there is nothing going on there. Lunch is only 25 minutes away. They can’t do anything if your foot is on their juglar vein stopping blood flow to the brain. They must be scared to make a decision right or wrong for fear of losing a job. Just because you have the money you still need to spend it to make it work for you. And bv the way stop taking everything to Canada at a drop of a hat. BETTHEDUCK
Can we be more vague, please?
Where am I vague?
What a douche. And what cliche-riddled memo. Everything from “move the needle” to “outside the box.” And “a conscious basis” — what the hell does that mean? Is it any wonder that writers all over town grouse about having take notes on their material from semi-literate executive asshats like this guy? And is it any wonder that the public then complains about TV and movies being mostly crap? Nope. No wonder.
This comment pretty much sums it up. Bravo Quentin.
You are being killed Arnon by the continuation of your execs., hiring nepotistic “creatives.” “Writers” who have connections and are not real talent get hired by Brad so that when he gets fired he can go to these folks for a job. Arnon, clean house. The Christine Vouchan’s of the world are producers. They find great material. Not because a writer has a father who is a player. I’ve asked Nikki for years to expose the writing part of the business. I can name 8 writing teams who are A listers with C- output. These folks are players, producers in writer’s clothing. Get Christine. Let her fund great material. You will have a slate of great scripts to work with. Not all will succeed but your company will become a place that attracts talent. But the group you have now would rather scmooze with a “writer” who speaks the lingo well but can’t actually tell a story with genuine emotion.
Thank you.
Awesome — let’s get Christine to develop a slate of movies that won’t make money globally and will mean nothing as a library asset. That’s a great idea!
NR is in the business of making money, as is Fox. The art is a happy by-product. Christine, despite her estimable skills as a producer and her legitimate ability to find interesting stories, couldn’t create a global hit to save her life. So she doesn’t deserve that kind of job.
Please.
Well put Christine! Uh, I mean “D”.
(actually, I DO think writers are where the risks can and should be afforded)
hahaha. he put a picture up of himself boxing! hhahha.
Wouldn’t want to work for this guy as I can imagine what the morale is over there right now.
Ha. This is a love letter compared to what most people deal with daily. I actually think this is rather direct and honest.
This memo is a San Valentine’s card! You folks are so sensitive. They guy is running a buisness, 20% owned by Fox, and its his money. He can wine and whine as much as he likes.
“I can name 8 writing teams who are A listers with C- output. These folks are players, producers in writer’s clothing.”.
WHO? Names please! so curios.
Hire Berger and Ron Yerxa. But they run their on prd.co. Nah, I’d clean house and hire a string of young and up coming Creative Executives.
When Arnon gets all stirred up, you find yourself paying $2M for spec scripts that appeal to nobody (see David Benioff’s Stay: and if you do, you will be one of few).
he owns to joint…he would like his staff to think out of the box and not be the typical “tools” most studio exec’s are…the problem is he hired former studio exec’s who are “tools” and never think “out of the box”…oh well…
Jeez…Not even a simple “Happy Holidays!”
I’m not clear what the problem here is. The whiners are those thin-skined funtionaries whining about this rather mild e-mail. They sound like teachers-union tools. The man owns the company, is it too much to asked that his employees step up the to the plate in these difficult economic times?