America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 199, Section 198: The Listing Bell Rings, Marvel Cinematic Universe Planning Begins

Hahahaha

"Did you see the looks on my classmates' faces? They're probably green with envy!"

Eric and Liu Yifei sat facing each other in a private café.

After finishing the CCTV6 program, he turned down invitations from Zhang Yimou and Lou Ye, and met up with Liu Yifei here. The latter even found the place, which shows she is very experienced.

Today was their first date alone together. Although they had met before and kept in touch by phone, Liu Xiaoli was always watching them closely when they met.

She slept with someone's mother, and the girl herself was only 16 years old, no, almost 17.

Anyway, he was too embarrassed to openly act like a ghost, so he would just tease the other person in private chats.

Liu Yifei responded positively. She went to the United States at the age of 10. Although she is not as open as the Olsen twins, who are 17 years old, she can handle most topics.

However, whenever Liu Xiaoli is around, she usually becomes quiet and speaks less, mainly because her mother is very strict.

"Hehe. Let them be envious. I just noticed that some people look down on Huang Bo, so I did it on purpose."

"Eric, you're such a good person."

"Uh... don't say that, what I dislike the most is being friend-zoned."

"Friend zone? Why?"

"Because when a girl says you're such a good person, it often means she's rejecting you emotionally."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but feel secretly delighted.

"Is he trying to provoke me by saying that? How annoying, why does he always say such nonsensical things, hehe."

"Eric, what movie are you planning to cast Huang Bo in?"

"The upcoming project by Oriental MGM is a shark disaster movie. Spielberg calls it 'Jaws,' but this one is called 'The Meg.'"

"The movie will include many Chinese characters, and Huang Bo will play one of the supporting roles. He'll be given a funny death, and whether he can make it stand out depends on himself."

"Hahaha. Huang Bo should be a good fit. Although I'm not familiar with him, I find it interesting to hear others talk about him. Also, are there any suitable roles for me in the movies?"

Eric shook his head slightly: "No, it's just a minor role with only a few minutes of screen time and not many lines, so you shouldn't get involved."

"The protagonist is a divorced scientist with a child. Your age and temperament don't match, so don't even consider it."

"Once the Transformers thing is over, MGM will start a new movie called The Hunger Games. You can play a supporting role with more screen time, which is more promising than The Meg."

Liu Yifei was somewhat disappointed: "Eric, when will I get to play a lead role?"

Eric patted her head: "You've only done one or two movies and you already want to play the lead role? You haven't built up any popularity yet. Be careful your reputation doesn't collapse, and then no one will dare to use you again."

"You'd better follow my instructions, especially practice your kung fu. I'll give you some great action scenes in The Hunger Games."

"A fierce battle will unfold between you and the female lead, and you may even be stronger than her, relentlessly pursuing her."

"Although you will ultimately lose, it won't be because of a lack of force. You will be surrounded and ambushed, and die."

"What kind of characters are more memorable? These are characters whose most striking feature is their formidable fighting ability."

"Your character will make the audience feel sorry for you, they'll buy into that, rather than just glossing over it and leaving no impression after leaving the theater."

Liu Yifei's eyes lit up: "I know, just like Lü Bu in 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' although he didn't appear often, the scene of the three heroes fighting Lü Bu made him shine, and everyone knew about him."

"That's right, this is the path I've planned for you. You've lived in the United States, so you should be aware of the limitations of having yellow skin. Start with supporting roles and work your way up steadily. Then, there will be much less controversy when you play the lead role."

"And you have a huge advantage, you know?"

"What?" Liu Yifei looked at Eric curiously.

"Age, age is your advantage. Just like Huang Bo, who is almost 30 years old and is still in school, you have been waiting for the small screen for a long time."

"Then don't be impatient, give yourself more time to grow, and I will turn you into a world-class female star in the future."

Liu Yifei's anxious heart calmed down: "Okay, then I'll do as you say. You have to take responsibility for me."

"Career responsibility or emotional responsibility?"

"Eric, you're being annoying again!"

Although she said she hated it, Liu Yifei still added in her heart, "Of course it's a responsibility in our relationship."

However, Eric has many rumors about him, none of which have been confirmed. But Liu Yifei doesn't believe that someone as powerful as him doesn't have women around him. Maybe those rumors are true.

Moreover, there's also Liu Xiaoli's influence, so even though Liu Yifei has a good impression of Eric, it's too early for her to accept him.

The two met briefly, had lunch at a coffee shop, and then she flew back to the United States in the afternoon.

She asked the film crew for leave without Liu Xiaoli's knowledge, and it was only for one day.

As a newcomer, no one knew her background, and Liu Yifei didn't want to publicize her relationship with Eric for the time being, so she hurriedly flew back to China and then hurriedly flew back to the United States.

One can imagine that upon returning, he would inevitably face a storm of criticism from Liu Xiaoli.

In the evening, Eric and Gadot participated in the recording of "A Date with Luyu". Since its premiere, the show has achieved great influence and high ratings across the country.

Although what is circulated online in later generations are mostly Lu Yu's pranks and embarrassing stories, this cannot negate the social influence of the program at that time.

"Lu Yu, your show is fantastic, but I heard you didn't study hosting."

"Yes, I studied journalism."

"Really?"

"Of course it's true, you can check with my university."

"I don't believe it!"

After two busy days, Eric and Gadot did not continue recording the show.

They strolled around Wangfujing, visited the Ming Tombs, and climbed the Badaling Great Wall again.

During the show's run, both of them gained significant popularity, especially Gadot, who, as the film's leading lady, was easily recognized.

During this period, there was a full-service autograph session, photo opportunity, and group photo session, with the main focus on being approachable. These events once again made it to the entertainment sections of websites such as Sina and Sohu, which had a positive effect on box office growth.

After spending nearly four days in China, the two boarded a plane to Australia to begin the final leg of their journey.

Meanwhile, across the ocean in the United States, the box office battle continues fiercely.

The Last Samurai only grossed $2440 million in its opening weekend, a figure that surprised many Tom Cruise fans and analysts, and was also unexpected by Warner Bros.

That's Tom Cruise, the hottest international action star in the world right now, and it's a big-budget production with an investment of $1.4 million, yet it only grossed $2440 million at the box office, which is no different from "The Far Side of the World". Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe are no longer enough.

Its box office performance ranks second even among the new releases this week.

Even stronger is Universal Pictures' "Cat's Magic," a family-friendly children's film.

Although the film was criticized for being poorly made, it still grossed $4010 million at the box office thanks to its G rating, far exceeding that of "The Last Samurai".

Third on the list is Universal Pictures' "Honey Hot Dance," starring the sweet and beautiful Jessica Alba.

While the teen dance genre has limited potential, Alba's beauty was enough to draw a large audience to the theaters, and the film grossed $1400 million in its opening three days.

If we turn our attention to older films, movies like Kill Bill and The Haunted House continue to be suppressed, while Transformers still sits on the top spot laughing wildly.

After taking in $9700 million in its second week, Transformers raked in another $5250 million this week, bringing its total North American box office to $3.37 million.

Overseas, more than a dozen new countries have seen the film released this week, injecting new vitality into the market.

It grossed $9500 million overseas, bringing its total overseas box office to $3.63 million.

Transformers has grossed $7.04 million worldwide, officially surpassing the $7 million mark, achieving Eric's bold statement in just three weeks.

Meanwhile, Transformers also beat Pirates of the Caribbean's $6.54 million to become the third highest-grossing film of 2003.

What's currently blocking the way is The Matrix Reloaded's $7.39 million budget, but everyone knows that even the savior can't withstand it, and it will inevitably be surpassed next week.

After flying for more than a week, the two returned to Los Angeles. Gadot wanted to stay a few more days, but Eric simply couldn't find the time.

Chris Evans and Ryan Reynolds' European tour isn't over yet, but AK Films is already urging them to finish.

During this time, Warren called Eric, hoping to get Ryan Reynolds back as soon as possible, because Christmas was approaching and Shark2 was about to be released, and he needed to do promotions.

Meanwhile, the Olsen twins have been urging Eric to come back, because "Blue Is the Warmest Color" will be released in another two weeks, and as the director, he has to be present.

Charlize Theron asked several times when he would return, partly because she missed Eric, and partly because "Monster" was about to be released.

That means "La Vie en Rose" won't be released until next year, otherwise Nicole would have asked too.

Many people at MGM are also waiting for him to return, as many projects require his signature and paperwork.

On Marvel's side, Avi Arad is also looking for him, a month after the two sides completed the share swap.

But Eric was busy with Transformers and didn't have much energy to pay attention to Marvel. Avi Arad waited and waited, but never got any attention.

So he began to feel anxious and worried that Eric would be another Perelman who only treated Marvel as a financial toy, and he was already impatient to see what would happen.

In addition to these, there is one more crucial thing: MGM's relisting.

The issue of profit distribution before the IPO is particularly crucial.

Since the Cooper family took over MGM, the company has been in a state of disarray, needing to rebuild.

Everyone has worked hard for you for over a year, putting in a lot of effort and worry, so naturally we can't be left out when it's time to share the spoils.

Especially considering that they all left their original companies to follow you because they trusted you, why would they abandon a stable job for an uncertain new environment? Was it just for a fixed salary?

People work hard, waiting for this moment, waiting to receive their dividends.

Being willing to share profits is a skill and quality that a qualified boss should possess, and only shared benefits can firmly unite others around you.

In addition to allocating the pie, the equity structure also needs to be nested to ensure that even if MGM relists, power will remain firmly in Eric's hands.

To prepare for this important event, he postponed the launch dates of Lionheart.net and YouTube.

Early Wednesday morning, Avi Arad rushed into Eric's office.

Upon seeing Eric, he finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Mr. Cooper, it's so good to finally see you. This has been a long time coming."

Eric smiled and told Chen Xing to make him a cup of coffee.

"Sit down, Avi. I know you're anxious, so you're the first person I saw after I got back to China."

He accepted the coffee, thanked them, but Avi Arad had no appetite for it.

"Eric, regarding Marvel, you're now the largest shareholder. What are your plans?"

"What I mean is, it's been over a month, we should do something about it."

"Avi, just say what you mean, no need to beat around the bush. You just want to go down the path of film and television adaptations, right? I completely agree with this strategy."

"Currently, the only characters we own that are valuable are Thor, Captain America, and Ant-Man. The other characters are not worth having their own standalone movies."

"I've already thought it through. My first film will be 'Captain America'."

Upon hearing this, Avi Arad swallowed back all the words he was about to say. He had thought he would have to spend a lot of time persuading them, but it turned out to be so easy.

However, he then asked cautiously, "What about the investment amount?"

"Don't worry, I know better than you how much money superhero blockbusters burn; it won't be less than $1.2 million."

"Yes!"

Avi Arad excitedly pumped his fist. It was amazing that someone his age could do such a thing. He really has a childlike heart. What a love!

"I haven't finished yet, you can wait a bit before you get excited."

"What?"

"I plan to create a Marvel superhero cinematic universe, not just Captain America. He's just the starting point for this cinematic universe."

"Then we will gradually bring characters such as Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Ghost Rider, and Doctor Strange to the big screen."

"At the same time, we need to have these characters make cameo appearances in other people's movies, using a main storyline to connect all the characters together."

"I've already figured out the main storyline. I'll use six Infinity Stones, one for each of the main characters."

"Then we need to create a major villain. Thanos would be a good fit. His powerful weapon in the comics is the Infinity Gauntlet."

"In order to collect the Infinity Stones, a conflict arose with Earth's heroes. When all the major characters were brought to the big screen, that's when Thanos was born."

"That's about it, do you understand?"

Avi Arad was a comic book fan himself, and the various multiverses in American comics were even more chaotic and complex than Eric described, so he understood it instantly.

After understanding, he became even more excited. It turned out that Eric had planned this all along, and his plans were even more far-reaching than his own.

He was still determined to make a film to test the waters, even though others had already drawn up a blueprint for the next ten years or so.

No wonder he pulled MGM out of the mire in just one year; he truly is a brilliant strategist.

"I'm glad you understand. I'll write the script myself during this time."

"Boss, what do you need me to do?"

"Your task is more difficult: do everything you can to get the copyrights back from the major companies."

Avi Arad sighed heavily, "Selling the copyright back then is my most painful memory, and I will do everything in my power to recover it."

"Hmm, also, do you have any people in your team who are experts in the film industry?"

Avi Arad thought for a moment: "There seems to be a young man who's quite nice. He works at Beechcraft Toys now, and we get along quite well."

"What's your name?"

Kevin Feige.

(End of this chapter)