Chapter 409: 407. cravings.

January 1996 – January 27, 1996.

Ronald Perelman pursued his goals with blind faith that everything was yielding results. He expanded the animation team, ventured into toy manufacturing, and purchased a small film production studio, which he believed would be Marvel's trump card. Previously, he would not have taken these steps, but now, with additional income from Panini and Skylerbox sales, he felt confident. This move caused considerable discontent among the board members, especially those led by Stan Lee, who believed Marvel's essence lay in its comics and nothing else.

However, a close associate of Ronald Perelman, Avi Arad, saw things in a different light. Despite his reservations about Ronald Perelman's commercial direction, he was optimistic that they would soon start producing the films they had longed for, using some of Marvel's most famous characters.

-We could start with X-Men, creating an animated film. We could co-produce it with another company, splitting the costs, and then release it. We see there's a boom in the animation industry… and of course, we should eventually move on to live-action X-Men films. – Avi Arad suggested.

-Of course, it sounds like a brilliant idea. I have some scripts that my colleagues have considered for publication. – Stan Lee agreed, following instructions to wait for a year, which was the time Billy had anticipated for Marvel's fall and the reward he so desired: a Marvel company solely dedicated to comics, separating it from other businesses, and ensuring that all artists had good contracts. Stan Lee, scratching his head, was firm in his commitment to his employees.

Ronald Perelman was somewhat hesitant, finding himself in a difficult position within a board that was not in disagreement. It was for this reason, among others, that he felt he was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

-I think we can proceed with the film, but in a few days, we will be launching two series: Iron Man and Hulk. However, an animated film could be ready for release next year – Ronald Perelman added. He was determined to shift from stamp trading to clothing, buying a shirt printing shop and starting to produce collectible shirts, mugs, and other items for the nine new series set to launch on Fox Kids.

Avi Arad preferred starting with live-action films, with special effects and grand finales that could captivate audiences, rather than animated films.

-I'll speak with the production teams. – Avi Arad said.

As money flowed in, it also flowed out. Ronald Perelman invested $40 million in stock buybacks and $60 million in other investments. He set up an animation production team from scratch, acquired a film production team, bought a studio in Santa Monica, as well as a clothing store, and expanded the toy line. He also had a film distribution company and planned to align it with his other businesses.

However, the investment was inflated, and he diverted funds to purchase a private island worth $3 million, sports cars, and a luxurious mansion in Long Island valued at another $1.1 million. Along with the cost of a lavish lifestyle, luxury bars, outings, travel, and excesses, resolving these issues was not straightforward. But for him, everything seemed to be going perfectly

***

"Unlike stamp shops, Billy set up a production line for cards, including Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Dungeons & Dragons. He printed an initial run of 20 million units for the first two franchises and 4 million for the last one. Each franchise aimed to reach the same sales figures in different languages, but it was not to be. He understood perfectly that this was a bet on the future.

Workers toiled day by day as machines processed the stamp packets. The prices were high, using shiny aluminum-coated paper.

-Oliver, you're impressive. I think your results are special… but we need to double production for a second run of Star Wars cards. This time, we'll have 100 cards, packed in boxes of 20. The cardboard is special and designed with unique features. Each card will have words and stories behind it. We expect a perfect collection, with the cards ordered and not mixed, in five special boxes to commemorate Star Wars. – Raimon said, holding documents with designs and details for the cards, which were no larger than 15 centimeters. For this reason, Raimon increased the print run from 200,000 to 2 million and bought 200 boxes with his funds to give to all his friends.

-I'm a bit confused. I thought the Star Wars print run was only 200,000. – Oliver Grass questioned.

-Well, I take full responsibility… I spoke with the top boss. – Raimon replied. Each box cost $4, but with operational costs, it came to $6, totaling $12 million for the run. However, due to the scale, costs could be reduced to $9 million. – Oliver Grass said, astonished.

-Do it. We'll make a small investment with the movie releasing in June 1996, and we have a series coming up. Billy supports the investment. – Raimon said, though Anne did not agree, and the finances were in the red. Additionally, there were limited edition baseball player stamps still in stock, which remained unsold at stadiums and might not be sold for another two months. It was curious how these cards played out.

-Well, let's proceed. Even though these are expensive and complicated, I believe they can sell well. – Oliver Grass commented.

-Yes, and let's raise the price by an additional $5, making it $15 per sale. It doesn't matter who buys or doesn't buy; we'll figure out what to do with the company. We have a sales strategy in mind. – Raimon said. The design was beautiful, with lights, motifs, and different shines. Billy truly created the best design. Just seeing it made him want to increase the print run. Billy, confident in his talent, gave his approval.

***

-So, you're letting me go? – Monica asked, somewhat surprised.

-Yes, we need an actress for a secondary role, and the pay isn't much, but you'll gain some visibility. Plus, Billy will help, and if Billy helps, you might not even have to audition. – Winona said, squeezing her friend's hands.

-I think it would be wonderful. But… – Monica hesitated, considering how all her roles had been carefully worked on.

-Come on, you'll do it. Besides, Billy will be on board. He understands how tough it is to break into the film industry. – Winona reassured her, as Monica still had doubts.

Both women were considering the proposal made by David Fincher. Coincidentally, Billy knew David, making it almost certain that he would be involved.

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