sjar Chapter 147 Taking the Lead
Chapter 147 Taking the Lead
"How's the matter I asked you to handle going?"
Margaret put down the script and a smile spread across her face.
"Boss, five million US dollars. We've bought the rights to Iron Man from New Line Cinema."
She took a document out of the drawer and handed it to her.
"Here is a copy of the contract. Please take a look."
Fu Yibai took it and quickly glanced through it.
The terms are clear, the copyright ownership is explicit, and there are no hidden traps.
He closed the file and looked up.
"Well done."
Margaret's eyes crinkled with laughter.
"Bob, the founder of New Line Cinema, thought that Iron Man had little development value, so we easily bought the rights."
Not long after we acquired the rights to Iron Man, the newly established Marvel Studios approached New Line Cinema.
I heard they offered quite a high price to get back the rights to "Iron Man".
Fortunately, we got there first.
"Oh? And then what happened? Didn't Marvel contact you?"
"They approached me, but I turned them down, citing that Franchise Studios was already preparing to launch the Iron Man project."
"Hmm, well done."
You can start the preliminary preparations for the Iron Man project.
Once you've finished preparing, I'll come and direct it myself.
"Boss, you're going to direct it yourself?!"
Margaret's eyes widened instantly, her voice filled with undisguised surprise.
After all, Inception has only been out of theaters for a short time, and its global box office of 8.9 million is still there.
This one film alone brought Franchise Pictures both fame and fortune, transforming it from a small, independent production company on the verge of bankruptcy and being acquired into a rising star in the industry.
The subsequent "Twilight" was also a project personally instructed by her boss. Although it may not perform as well at the box office as "Inception", its profit prospects are very promising.
So when Fu Yibai proposed to direct "Iron Man" himself, Margaret almost immediately saw the beginnings of another box office phenomenon.
"I'll send the script over in the next few days. You should contact an actor first."
"Who?"
Robert Downey Jr.
They asked him if he would be willing to play Tony Stark.
"Robert Downey Jr."
Margaret frowned; she had heard of this actor.
I heard that the other party has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times. I don't know why her boss would want to invite such a person to play such an important role.
However, since it was the boss's order, she would naturally carry it out without question.
"Okay, I'll contact his agent right away."
Fu Yibai nodded without offering further explanation.
"There's one more thing."
I also brought a project with me.
"Gravity", controlled by Dawn, accounts for 40%, and 20% can be reserved for franchisees.
Could you contact Warner Media again to see if they want the 20% share? If not, could you contact other companies with nationwide distribution capabilities?
Furthermore, Franchise Pictures needs to accelerate its global distribution strategy and cannot always rely on other companies for distribution.
Margaret nodded and quickly jotted it down in her notebook.
"Boss, Warner Bros. should be interested. They made a lot of money from the Inception collaboration, and they have a lot of confidence in your project."
"Hmm, let's contact them first. If they don't want it, then we'll try Paramount or Fox."
Fu Yibai paused for a moment, then continued, "The initial budget for 'Gravity' is estimated to be around one hundred million US dollars."
"One hundred million US dollars..."
Margaret took a breath.
"Boss, this budget is considered a big production even in Hollywood."
The two left the franchise at 6 p.m.
When I returned to the villa in Beverly Hills, the lights in the foyer were on, and I could faintly hear laughter coming from inside.
Fu Yibai pushed open the door and went in.
In the living room, Scarlett and Annie were snuggled on the sofa with the TV on, showing some kind of variety show.
Several dishes, red wine, and candles were laid out on the table, clearly indicating that the preparations had been meticulous.
Hearing the noise, the two turned their heads at the same time.
Scarlett was the first to get up, ran over barefoot, and threw herself into his arms.
"You're back? How did the talks go?"
"good."
Fu Yibai put his arm around her waist and led her inside.
Annie also stood up from the sofa, smiling and with bright eyes.
"Are you hungry? Come and eat."
The four of them sat down at the restaurant. Scarlett poured wine, and Annie served food. The atmosphere was incredibly warm and cozy.
Fu Yibai picked up his wine glass and took a sip.
"The Devil Wears Prada is coming out soon, are you nervous?"
Scarlett shook her head, then nodded.
"A little. The test screenings were well-received, but who knows what the actual release will be like?"
Annie chimed in from the side.
"I watched the finished film, and it's really good. Scarlett Johansson's acting is superb; it's definitely going to be a hit."
Scarlett glared at her.
"You acted pretty well too."
The two looked at each other and then burst out laughing at the same time.
Fu Yibai leaned back in his chair, watching them.
"Alright, stop praising each other. We'll see when it's released."
Scarlett blinked and moved closer to him.
"Fu, if this film is a success, how will you reward me?"
Fu Yibai turned his head to look at her.
"What reward do you want?"
Scarlett tilted her head and thought for a moment, then leaned close to his ear and whispered something.
Anne didn't hear clearly, but when she saw Scarlett's mischievous smile and Fu Yibai's slightly upturned lips, her face instantly turned red.
"Scarlett! What did you say?!"
Scarlett laughed and leaned into Fu Yibai's arms.
"It's nothing, just something to discuss with Fu."
Anne stared at her, her face turning even redder.
Fu Yibai picked up his wine glass and drank the rest of the wine in one gulp.
"Alright, let's eat."
Dinner ended in a relaxed atmosphere.
After dinner, the three women resumed their exploitation of Yi Bai.