Six Hundred and Fourteen - The Normal State Is One Super God and One Super Ghost.
The small accident at the media conference did not affect the smooth operation of the crew. To this day, regardless of Wayne's net worth, status in the industry, or his status as the major shareholder of Warner Bros., the unpleasantness that occurred at the press conference was , did not appear in the media at all.
Including the gossip entertainment tabloids, no relevant news appeared. The reporters on the scene that day knew very well that Wayne Greenberg’s threat was definitely not as simple as just talking, because he really had money, people, and the ability to make trouble. You are confused by five things and three ways.
Although nothing that happened at the press conference was reported by the outside world, the news spread to the crew of more than 300 people in Warner Studios in a short period of time.
The consequences were unexpected by Wayne and Charles Rowan. Neither of them expected that just because of his strong support for James Franco in front of the media, the crew would enter the scene on the first day of filming. Very good staff cooperation.
No one dislikes a leader who protects his own shortcomings. This at least proves that no matter what happens in this crew, the leader will first not distance himself from the relationship and maintain his good media image, but is willing to stand up for the staff.
Especially James Franco. No one expected that after he heard about this incident, he stared at a slightly burned cigar for a long time, and then showed an amazing performance during the subsequent filming. , the director's performance requirements are beyond the scope of a rookie actor.
This resulted in a scene that made Wayne, Charles Rowan, and even Warner Bros. smile from ear to ear. In the first few days of filming, the crew went so smoothly that they were three days ahead of the filming schedule. Some core The scenes that the main creator thought were difficult were actually passed once or twice, which really made everyone feel happy.
In fact, the filming progress of the crew was smooth and unusual, and Wayne knew the reason very well. The core creative team, which has been working together for several years, basically has no running-in period, and everyone's working habits are very consistent. This is a guarantee that the actors' good performance status will not be wasted.
"The Point Guard Is Here"
You know, a normal Hollywood crew has a very high turnover of personnel. After the filming of this film, they dispersed in a hurry, then took a break, and immediately joined other crews to continue working, and kept repeating this process. This is good. The most normal crew composition in Laiwu.
The large number of floating personnel also resulted in the director's first few weeks and even the first month or two after the producer established the behind-the-scenes team, all of which were spent trying to get the staff to work in a tacit understanding.
It is precisely the long-term stability of Wayne's core team behind the scenes that allowed them to skip the running-in period. Coupled with the actors' sudden burst of good performance status and the guarantee of sufficient funds, the crew directly entered high-speed operation from the beginning.
"Cut, this is passed."
Under the gaze of countless people in the crew, Wayne's call to stop came from the loudspeaker. "James, you performed very well. Keep your condition. I don't want you to lose it when you come back after two days of rest."
"I promise, boss."
The actor, standing in the middle of several cameras, responded loudly: "I promise not to go anywhere these two days on the weekend. I will only stay at home and practice."
Everyone in the crew understood the meaning of his words. As long as they were combined with the bad things the male protagonist had done before filming started, everyone knew that this person was expressing his determination to the director.
Waving to everyone without raising his head, Wayne stared at the shooting plan and made a check mark with a pencil on the opened page.
It was now around 4:30 in the afternoon. When the crew saw his waving action, they immediately began to clean up the filming site in an orderly manner. From time to time, Gilmore's shouts, organization, and assistance to various departments in packing and sealing up filming equipment could be heard on the set.
James Franco's scene was filmed in a week, and many people on the crew were impressed by him. His good performance status was visible to the naked eye, and it can be said that the work preparations of the behind-the-scenes staff were basically not wasted. This also made many people pay attention to him. The perception gradually began to change.
"This kid has a lot of talent."
While packing things in the huge set, Charles Rowan came close to Wayne, leaned against a prop box, and said casually: "At least the performance was better than I expected."
Wayne shrugged and glanced up at the producer. Although the actor's performance was indeed outstanding, he didn't take it too seriously. "His current state has appeared in many actors, such as Nicolas Cage during the filming of "Joker" and Christian Bale during the filming of "Batman Begins."
Something as unpredictable as an actor's performance status has never been a factor in a director's preset shooting plan. Especially for some actors, a good scene and a bad scene are the norm.
For example, Nicolas Cage can be regarded as a representative in this regard. Sometimes when he is in good condition, his performance in an entire movie is amazing. When he is in bad condition, he is simply the representative of bad Hollywood movies. And with such an actor, who can question his acting skills?
There are many similar actors in every entertainment industry, such as Master Huang, who is loved and hated by audiences on the other side of the Pacific. This guy is in a similar situation. After a superb scene with superb acting skills that the audience loves to watch, he will immediately reward himself with a domineering scene. The acting skills and plot are so embarrassing that it makes people shiver.
"I hope this kid can keep it up." Charles Rowan has been in the industry for so many years and of course knows this very well. He shrugged and muttered under his breath.
"You might as well pray now that he doesn't cause any more trouble."
Sofia Coppola teased him unceremoniously while helping to organize Wayne's belongings. She has watched many actors since she was a child, and even received a Golden Raspberry herself. She knows that actors with eccentricities in these circles are like time bombs. No one knows when they will suddenly Make some jaw-dropping mess.
Hearing her teasing, Charles Rowan shook his head and smiled. He said nothing more and looked at the busy studio in trance.
A tense week of filming and smooth filming progress means a large and frequent workload. Now the energy on the first day of filming has disappeared from the faces of everyone on the crew. They all want to complete the work at hand as soon as possible and get back to work as soon as possible. Have a good sleep at home.
"Boss, we will fly to Canada at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. We have already communicated with the airport."
Nina glanced at Sofia Coppola who was packing her things, took a few steps closer to Wayne, and whispered the report.
"I see."
Leaning on the director's chair, Wayne raised his hands and rubbed the sides of his forehead vigorously. Hundreds of people on the "Flash" crew can take a weekend off, whether it's staying at home and getting a good night's sleep or going to the beach to enjoy a beach holiday, it has nothing to do with him.
In addition to "The Flash" that has already started filming, he also has "X-Men" that is filming in Canada, so during a normal weekend break, he has to run over to check on the filming progress and some work progress on the crew.
In fact, what reassures him the most is that the crew of "Charlie's Angels" has wrapped up in Miami, where Luke Simmons is in charge of everything, and Naomi Watts is there from time to time, calling to chat about the filming progress and Regarding the problems faced by the crew, so far, at least the three women have not had any major conflicts, which is a big miracle in the industry.
"What's wrong? Is there anything else?"
While Nina stood there with a hesitant look on her face, Wayne raised his head and asked, "Just say it, while I'm still in the mood to listen."
The assistant lady glanced at Sofia Coppola, nodded slightly, and whispered: "Boss, I still remember the Hasbro toys you mentioned, which are "Transformers", "Special Forces" and "Little Mary" "..."
These toys are Hasbro's top brands and some of the most famous in North America and even the world. Wayne had mentioned before that he asked Jimmy to inquire about relevant copyright ownership issues.
"what's the situation?"
Wayne's eyes instantly lit up when he heard the mention of the film and television adaptation rights of toys, especially "Transformers". This toy-adapted movie has a fatal emotional appeal to the young generation in most countries around the world. .
Especially in North America and the other side of the Pacific, many children grew up watching cartoons about toys. Which boy didn’t have a dream about Transformers when he was a child?
If the other two are to be made into film and television, they may need sophisticated production and complete and rigorous market research before they can start production. But "Transformers" is completely different. As long as the special effects of this thing are perfected, countless people in the world will empty their wallets for their childhood dreams.
Because for "Transformers", the protagonist is never a real person, and what the audience wants to see is always the Autobots from Cybertron.
"Although Hasbro is a toy manufacturer, it is also considered a member of the industry."
Shaking her head, Nina poured cold water on him. "For so many years, their toy film and television rights have been tightly held in their hands. After a brief contact with them and related investigations, Jimmy got a result. Film and television authorization is OK, but Copyright is not for sale!”
This is considered a normal situation. As long as it is a big company in the industry, no one will be willing to sell the copyright in their hands, especially companies related to movies. They are all copyright monsters. As long as they enter the copyright library, it will not cost several times. At more than ten times the market price, there is basically no possibility for them to sit down and negotiate.
Hasbro's situation is similar. Even if they authorize film and television rights, they will also require a profit share of the film. What's even more troublesome is that for similar temporary authorization of film and television rights, the copyright is still tightly in the hands of Hasbro. , the film is a hit and you want to continue filming a sequel? No problem, let’s continue talking.
This is also the reason why Hasbro has only cooperated with animation companies to produce animated series for so many years just to sell toys. It is also the reason why countless Hollywood movie companies have been discouraged, because Hasbro has always been a Hollywood line. An important part of launching derivative channels is that you understand the tricks in the industry very well. If you want to trick them, there is basically no possibility.
"Then let's do this for now."
Wayne shook his head, with a trace of disappointment in his tone.
In fact, he knows better than anyone else that if he hadn't been quick to start things in the first few years, the copyrights in his hands now would still be in the pockets of big companies. The world does not revolve around him, and some things are not as good as People's will is the most normal situation.
And with the development of Hollywood in the past two years, especially Warner Bros., based on serialized films, ranking first in the revenue of the six major Hollywood companies every year, more and more people have seen the copyright The importance of copyright has caused the price of copyrights of best-selling books and previously published comics to become increasingly expensive as time goes by.
"However, there is good news about copyright, uh..."
Nina glanced at her boss's face, pondered for a moment, and then continued: "Maybe it can be considered good news."
Wayne raised his head in surprise, looked at her and asked, "What?"
"Jimmy said, there is news from Marvel Comics." The assistant lady would feel a little incredible when she mentioned this. The most important thing is that the cooperation that was about to be agreed upon was temporarily shelved because of problems with Tom Cruise. .
"According to Jimmy's account, Stan Lee, the CEO of Marvel Comics and known as the father of Marvel, made a fuss at Universal Pictures many times, demanding a share of the profits from the "Hulk" movie. After Universal Pictures refused for various reasons, In the latest issue of the "Hulk" comic, Marvel turned the fat green man into a perverted Silver Goblin, which is a typical lose-lose approach.
But it is obvious that even if they have already broken up, it will not be easy for Universal Pictures to make Marvel Comics realize its desire to buy back the copyright. "Speaking of this, Nina paused, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and then continued; "However, the surprised group of people achieved very good results on the other side.
The superhero "Black Panther" has never been taken seriously by film companies due to well-known reasons such as his skin color. Artisan Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Columbia, has relented. They agreed to Marvel Comics' request to buy back the copyright, but the asking price was not low. "
Both men knew why Marvel was so proactive. This company is currently very difficult to generate revenue and relies entirely on loans to survive. It's not that comic book fans are disappearing, it's that a new generation of comic book fans is beginning to emerge, and it's also because the entertainment industry has entered the computer age.
According to the information Wayne learned, Marvel Comics already has plans to file for bankruptcy protection. If it cannot find new revenue points, Marvel Comics will undergo bankruptcy reorganization within a year or two at most.
In fact, bankruptcy and reorganization is not a bad thing for this comic giant. At that time, the company will be divided into several branches, such as copyright licensing, toys, comic book publishing, and even Internet entertainment development and film and television departments. It is possible to revive this already deformed giant.
"Give them money!"
Without any hesitation, Wayne directly waved his hand and boldly gave instructions to the assistant.
After taking the briefcase handed over by Sofia Coppola, he lit a cigarette and saw that there were not many staff members left on the set. He was going to say hello to Charles Rowan and get off work.
"$22 million!"
When the assistant blurted out this number, it caught Sofia Coppola's attention for the first time. Her eyes widened, obviously shocked by this huge number.
Although the price of copyrights in the industry is rising, it is not that high. The situation of hundreds of thousands of dollars in the early 1990s is indeed rare, but the price of tens of millions of dollars for a film and television copyright with uncertain market prospects is still too shocking in this era.
"You contact Jimmy and Colin and give them the money to run it."
Even after hearing this figure, which was obviously a huge premium, Wayne didn't hesitate at all. He nodded directly and agreed, not forgetting to give a final warning. "You have to move quickly, and you must not let Sony Columbia react!"
"I see."
The thing is obvious. Artisan Entertainment is a subsidiary of Sony Columbia, but it is not a holding subsidiary. The two have always been operated and managed separately, and each has its own operating system, just like Walt Disney and Disney. Lamax, similar situations abound in the industry.
But once this matter drags on and Sony Columbia reacts, the final result may not necessarily be what it will be. These giant companies are completely rogue when it comes to copyright. Once they enter their sight, basically Meaning there is no possibility of getting it.
Wayne and Charles Rowan confirmed and warned about the film issue before they walked out of the studio, got on the tram, and left Warner Studios.
Sofia Coppola kept looking at him with hidden eyes along the way. This woman was a little confused now why he spent a lot of money to collect copyrights.
According to the general rule in the industry, as a director, you should never use your own money to make a movie. This is an iron rule for big directors in the commercial field. Because no one can guarantee whether a movie will be successful, not Steven Spielberg, not George Lucas, and neither can her father, Francis Ford Coppola.
Rather than using their own money to make movies, this has become an unspoken rule that major directors abide by. Let the production company pay, they are responsible for the shooting and production, and then get the top remuneration they deserve, which is what major directors of normal commercial films do. practice.
Obviously, Wayne's action of collecting film rights is particularly unusual, especially when he paid a large premium to acquire it. Yes, "The Matrix" co-invested and produced by Greenberg Studio and Warner Bros. was a huge success, but again, who can guarantee that the next film will continue to be a hit?
However, this question was destined to be answered by no one. After the two parties broke up at the entrance of the studio, Sofia Coppola drove home with deep doubts.
"Boss, there is one more thing that might interest you."
The Rolls-Royce Phantom was driving smoothly. Nina, who was sitting in the back seat, pushed up the glasses on her face after they were the only two left, and said, "It's also because you let Jimmy stare at the copyright of Marvel." , he discovered it.”
"What's the matter?" Wayne retracted his attention from the director's notebook, turned to look at the assistant and asked.
"New Line Cinema." The corners of Nina's mouth slowly turned up, revealing a rare smile. "New Line Cinema has long been unable to hold on, but this top mid-sized film company in the industry has its own advantages. Their rich film library is still generating revenue for the company, and they are well distributed in North America. Channels can also become a revenue point for the company to maintain.
It's a pity that New Line Cinema is best at small-scale B-level movies, but it seems to have been abandoned by the market in recent years, resulting in the company now having to survive. Just a few days ago, Robert Xie, the chairman of New Line Cinema and the largest shareholder, has officially submitted a merger application to Time Warner. It seems that he does not intend to persist. "
"Aha?"
Wayne was not surprised when he heard the news. He knew that this day would come sooner or later. But in fact, as long as Xie Yin persists for two more years, he may not be able to continue to rely on low-cost horror films to revive his career.
In fact, ever since he took away the "Lord of the Rings" and then secretly disrupted the situation, allowing New Line's rare successes such as "Seven Deadly Sins" to take away most of the copyrights and income from Warner Bros., he knew that there was a high probability that this would happen. The company couldn't hold on, and the Chinese horror film master who could save them arrived.
"Go on."
Nina nodded, thought for a moment, and continued: "Time Warner should have agreed to let Xie Yin sell his shares and cash out, then divest New Line Cinema's film library and copyright library and merge them into Warner Bros. In the system, as for New Line Cinema's other businesses, such as television, film and television production, distribution and other departments, they will be sold separately according to industry rules.
But Jimmy noticed that New Line Cinema has something that you will definitely be interested in, the full series of film and television rights to Marvel's "Blade". You know, boss, Jimmy has become a bit neurotic in recent years. Whenever he sees the word copyright, his first reaction is to buy it. "
"Let Jimmy talk about it, and if it's suitable, buy it."
When this happened, Wayne knew better than anyone why. He made this agent, in the process of constant buying and buying, become what Nina said was a copyright neurosis...
But after thinking about it, he shook his head again and continued: "Try to contact the other party. If the other party wants to sell it, and the premium is not high, then we can get it. If the other party is too open-minded, then forget it. The copyright is in the hands of Warner Brothers. From now on we will At least there is a possibility of intervening."
"Okay, no problem." The assistant lady nodded, but couldn't help but remind her. "But you have to pay attention to the boss. Although Greenberg Studio still has more than 100 million in cash in its account, if it is spent at this rate, it may affect the next plan."
"Well, you don't understand." Shaking his head slightly, Wayne muttered to himself while taking a big mouthful of cigarette. "Even if you hold on to money in the future, you may not be able to buy it..."
Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, Doctor Strange, Punisher, Daredevil, Jessica -Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Shang-Chi, Ghost Rider, Blade...
Looking out the car window at the Los Angeles street scene, superheroes from Marvel comics flashed through Wayne's mind one by one, and he sighed inwardly. Basically, because of some of his actions, this movie giant was destined to rise. There is no longer any hope, any chance to rise.
The copyrights are scattered all over the world, and the group company is so poor that it needs bankruptcy protection. Coupled with his intentional and unintentional small actions, it is obvious that this company cannot become a film and television giant again.