Capítulo 308: Chapter 308: Iron Man 2 Troubles
In July, Capet Pictures released the highly anticipated live-action special effects blockbuster Transformers the day before Independence Day in the United States.
The movie was screened in 4,000 theaters across the country, earning $70 million on its opening day!
Hasbro had started designing related toys since the previous year, and the first batch of Transformers toys hit the North American market in May of this year.
At the same time, Hasbro had reached agreements with about 200 companies, participating in movie promotions in over 70 countries.
Capet Pictures also integrated product placements for General Motors, Panasonic, Burger King, AT&T, and PepsiCo in the film.
For male audiences, watching the live-action Transformers brought back childhood memories. The explosive scenes, dazzling Autobot transformations, and the presence of the hot and sexy Megan Fox left the fans craving for more.
The total first-week box office for Transformers in North America reached $100 million, with another $100 million from overseas.
"Charles, the momentum of Transformers is even stronger than that of Iron Man," Donna Langley said excitedly, "At this rate, the global box office will definitely surpass that of Iron Man."
Three and a half months later, they would release the DVD and high-definition DVD versions, followed by pay-TV, VOD online streaming, and more.
Additionally, Hasbro promised a percentage of toy sales revenue.
"J.J. Abrams seemed to have fewer product placements in the movie," Charles tapped his pen on the blank paper on the table. "If it were Michael Bay, the number of product placements would be astounding."
Donna Langley shook her head, "Charles, we can't have too many; the audience would complain if it disrupts the story and breaks the immersion."
"Alright," Charles nodded. "J.J. Abrams' plot tension is stronger than Michael Bay's, not to mention, the large-scale scenes don't rely solely on explosions."
"We need to start preparing for the sequel. The Transformers series has become one of our flagship series!" Charles was quite satisfied with director J.J. Abrams, believing that maintaining a working relationship with his production company Bad Robot Productions was a wise choice.
"This summer, there's one last big blockbuster to be released, and that's Warner Bros.' fifth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which premieres next Friday," Donna Langley pointed out, considering it the biggest competitor to Transformers.
"What are we worried about? With the Transformers series and the Marvel Cinematic Universe series, Capet Pictures has already established an unbeatable position in Hollywood," Charles said, looking at Donna Langley.
"Proceed with the acquisition of Netflix. They have just separated their DVD rental business and encountered the stock market credit crisis. It's the perfect opportunity; their stock price has dropped significantly!"
"TPG Capital, Bridgewater Associates, and Bank of America have all expressed their support," Charles said as he stood up. The success of Iron Man had more than doubled Capet Group's valuation, and with the success of Transformers, various investment banks, insurance companies, and hedge funds had shown confidence and support in Capet Group.
Acquiring Netflix would not be short of money, and Charles believed that Netflix's board would not reject Capet Group's acquisition offer.
At the end of last month, the U.S. stock market pulled back from its high, with the Dow Jones Index falling by 5%, the S&P 500 Index by 4%, and the Nasdaq Index by 6%.
Yesterday, the S&P directly downgraded the credit rating of subprime mortgage bonds, causing a global financial market shock; Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, HSBC, and Citibank all reported hedge funds being dragged down by subprime mortgages and on the brink of closure.
"I heard from Kevin that there seem to be some issues with Iron Man 2?" Charles asked.
Donna Langley nodded, "Our plan is to tie it into The Avengers, but director Jon Favreau seems to want to focus on developing the Iron Man trilogy as the main framework. We included Black Widow and S.H.I.E.L.D in Iron Man 2, but the actors are a bit worried about signing ten-picture deals!"
"What are they worried about? Afraid we won't continue the series?" Charles chuckled, "Is it Samuel L. Jackson, who plays the S.H.I.E.L.D. director?"
Scarlett Johansson was already set for the role of Black Widow by Charles, and she herself was eager to play the character, so there should be no issues.
Donna Langley laughed, "Don't worry, I'm not concerned about Samuel L. Jackson. With the success of Iron Man, they know the sequel, Iron Man 2, is a great opportunity. Now it's all about Director Jon Favreau and the lead actor Robert Downey Jr.'s paycheck!"
"Paycheck? Robert Downey Jr.'s salary for Iron Man 2 has already been raised to $10 million, with the potential to go up to $20 million in the future. What more does he want?" Charles questioned. They developed Thor before Iron Man was even released to avoid giving Robert Downey Jr. too much power.
They had previously signed a comprehensive contract; was Marvel Entertainment relying solely on the Iron Man series?
"Director Jon Favreau is asking for a high price for the sequel!" Donna Langley explained, "Moreover, he's an unconventional director who doesn't like working with scripts and doesn't understand our interconnected universe."
*****
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