Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 480, 478: First Draft of the Script

The June sun in Los Angeles already carried the scorching heat of midsummer, cutting out alternating stripes of light and shadow on the polished floor through the gaps in the blinds of Burbank's office.

Time quietly slipped to June 20, 2003.

Over the past twenty days, while Wang Sheng was leading the fine-tuning of "Spy Kids" and following up on the post-production music mixing for "The Pursuit of Happyness," another covert front was also being efficiently advanced under his remote control—quietly accumulating "hard currency" that will be priceless in the future through intermediaries such as Robert White: the film rights to Marvel Comics characters.

Inside the office, Wang Sheng reviewed the encrypted summary report that White had just sent, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

Things went even more smoothly than he had expected.

At this time, although Marvel Enterprises had emerged from the shadow of bankruptcy in 1996 and was maintaining operations by selling character rights, its own film production company, Marvel Studios, had not yet truly proven its value with any independently produced film (2008's Iron Man was the turning point).

The company is still in a difficult phase of "selling assets to survive." It generally asks for low prices for the copyrights of many of its characters that have not yet been widely favored by Hollywood, and lacks the patience to hold them for the long term.

Based on this, Wang Sheng instructed White to focus on roles that were not yet firmly in the hands of major studios and that would occupy an important position in the future cinematic universe, but were currently considered "second-tier" or "high-risk".

The operation must be swift and discreet to avoid alerting competitors, especially those companies that have already begun to pay attention to Marvel.

The results are remarkable:

"Captain America": The copyright has gone through several twists and turns, briefly belonging to Warner Bros., but the rights became complicated after the project was shelved.

Through clever legal means and a cash payment of only $85, plus a small clause regarding future box office revenue sharing, White's team acquired the complete film rights, including filming, distribution, and merchandise, from the relevant copyright holders for their client.

This super soldier, considered "too mainstream" and "unsuitable for modern audiences," is now ridiculously undervalued.

Thor: This character, a combination of Norse mythology and superhero, is generally considered by Hollywood to be "too difficult to adapt" and "awkward in style."

Universal Pictures had previously held the development rights but had since relinquished them. Wang Sheng's shell company acquired the full film rights from Marvel for a mere $75.

Marvel even felt the deal was quite worthwhile, since they believed that the "god wielding a hammer" was unlikely to be made into a movie in the near future.

"Black Widow" and "Hawkeye": As "team characters" without their own individual publications and lacking cool superpowers, their value was severely underestimated at the time.

Wang Sheng adopted a "bundled sale" strategy, acquiring the film rights to two future core members of the original Avengers for a total price of only $40.

This agreement was even jokingly referred to within Marvel as "clearing out inventory."

Ant-Man: This character who can grow big and small is considered a far-fetched concept.

20th Century Fox had held an option but let it expire. Wang Sheng's company easily acquired it for $550,000.

Doctor Strange: Magic, dimensions, the Sorcerer Supreme... these concepts were considered "too far-fetched" and "high-risk" in 2003, when superhero movies were not yet diversified.

Paramount had shown interest but didn't pursue it further. Wang Sheng paid $65, opening the door to a magical dimension for the future.

"Guardians of the Galaxy": At this time, this team was relatively marginal in Marvel comics, and members such as Rocket Raccoon and Groot were extremely unfamiliar to mainstream audiences.

This deal was incredibly cheap, only $25! It was practically a freebie. Marvel probably felt that selling this "freak team" was a victory in itself.

In addition, the copyrights for characters such as "Black Panther" and "Dracula" have not been acquired immediately due to complex legal relationships (such as Universal still holding some rights related to Dracula) or Marvel's own insufficient understanding of the value of certain emerging markets (such as Wakanda) and its unwillingness to open them up. However, the White team has established communication channels and continues to pay attention to the situation.

In just twenty days, Wang Sheng laid a solid and inexpensive foundation for the future "Sheng Ying Universe," or the "hero arsenal" he personally controlled, with a total cash cost of less than $350 million (far less than the profit of a single movie, "Saw").

With the Iron Man he previously acquired as a bonus, most of the core pieces of the future Marvel Cinematic Universe have quietly fallen into his hands.

He closed the report with satisfaction and instructed White to continue monitoring the remaining targets and to begin the most basic copyright maintenance for these acquired characters (such as regularly submitting draft development plans to prevent the copyrights from reverting to Marvel due to long-term inactivity).

Just then, the assistant's internal phone rang: "Mr. Wang, Mr. Kevin Brown from New Line Cinema is calling. A discussion about the first draft of the 'Twilight' script will begin in an hour." "Understood." Wang Sheng composed himself, temporarily setting aside his Marvel plans. Right now, another series poised to ignite the market was calling.

New Line Cinema meeting room.

The atmosphere was lively and focused.

Around the long table sat Kevin Brown, Toby Emmerich, and Melissa Rosenberg, a newly hired screenwriter specializing in young adult literature adaptations, who had just completed the first draft of the Twilight script.

Wang Sheng sat in the main seat, with a script still smelling of ink spread out in front of him.

“Wang, Melissa has completed the first draft based on your story framework and core settings,” Brown introduced, his tone filled with anticipation. “Overall, we feel that it captures the gloomy, romantic, and dangerously tense feeling you described.”

Melissa added, “Mr. Wang, I emphasized Bella’s alienation as a ‘new girl’ in Forks, and the complex emotions between her and Edward that were both mutually attractive and filled with fear.”

The Cullen family's 'vegetarian vampire' nature is a brilliant touch, providing a moral foundation for their coexistence with humans and making Edward's struggle with Bella's blood even more dramatic.

Wang Sheng quickly flipped through the script, his eyes sharp. He affirmed the script's basic direction, but made specific demands on key points:

"The atmosphere was well-created, and Bella's inner thoughts were portrayed very delicately." He gave his approval first, then changed the subject, "However, regarding the Chinese actor I requested, the integration was not natural enough, and the role was a bit thin."

He pointed to a scene in the script: "Here, the Cullen family is having a meal. You could totally add a member from the East, like 'Lin Xiao' or 'Chen Jing,' to make a joke in Chinese at the table about Edward's excessive attention to Bella, or to use her unique abilities (like being particularly sensitive to emotions) to sense Bella's danger in advance. She should be an organic part of the family, not just a background character."

He turned to another page: "And then there's the werewolf pack. Why can't there be an Asian, or even Chinese, member? He could be the first to notice the vampire's anomaly, or the one who befriends Bella."

This not only increases the diversity of the characters but also lays the groundwork for later plot developments, especially by introducing a perspective outside the Quirut werewolf legend.

Melissa took careful notes. She was initially puzzled when she received this "mandatory requirement," but after Wang Sheng's explanation, she began to realize the market considerations and cultural possibilities behind it.

Wang Sheng looked at the two senior executives and screenwriter from New Line Cinema and said firmly, "Remember, this isn't about being politically correct for the sake of being politically correct. It's about enriching the story and expanding its reach into the global market."

A diverse, supernatural world is more real and compelling than a purely white world. I need to see more concrete, flesh-and-blood Eastern characters in the next installment.

Brown and Emmerich exchanged a glance and finally nodded. They had been convinced by Wang Sheng's previous success and were willing to give him maximum creative autonomy in this new project.

“No problem, Wang. Melissa, revise according to Director Wang’s suggestions, focusing on polishing the scenes and backgrounds of these Eastern characters, so that they can truly integrate into the core of the story.” Brown made the decision.

The script discussion lasted nearly two hours, and under Wang Sheng's leadership, the direction for revisions was clarified. At the end of the meeting, everyone was filled with more concrete expectations for the future of *Twilight*.

Wang Sheng had just gotten into his car on his way back to the office when his phone rang. The caller ID showed Robert White.

"Robert, any progress?" Wang Sheng answered the phone, assuming it was the latest news about an unfinished copyright issue.

However, White's voice carried an unusual seriousness: "Wang, there's an unexpected situation. I just received a direct call from Mr. Avi Arad, CEO of Marvel Entertainment. He knows that I recently acquired some character rights on your behalf."

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly but did not interrupt.

White continued, "Avi Arad said he's very curious about you, the Chinese director who has repeatedly created box office miracles in Hollywood and shown a strong interest in Marvel's 'specific characters.' He hopes to have a face-to-face meeting with you. You can choose the time and place."

Wang Sheng leaned back in his chair, watching the Los Angeles street scenes rushing past the window, a deep light flashing in his eyes.

Has the head of Marvel finally had enough?

Is it because his recent flurry of acquisitions of roles touched a nerve with Marvel?
This same CEO, known for his toughness and business acumen, saw the greater potential of his own characters in the success of Spider-Man (Sony's production, a huge success in 2002) and X-Men (Fox's production, the series started in 2000), and thus developed a strong interest in, and even wariness of, this big-spending and discerning Eastern buyer.
In any case, this meeting was of great significance.

“Replying to Mr. Arad,” Wang Sheng’s voice was calm and emotionless, “I would be happy to meet with him. The meeting is scheduled for next week in Los Angeles. My assistant will handle the specific arrangements.”

(End of this chapter)