America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 207, Section 206: Some people are just blind; that man is back.

Inside the MGM Grand building, Eric sat in front of two men.

One was a familiar man with a big beard, and the other was also familiar, but his face still looked quite young.

"Eric, that's Kevin Feige, the young man I told you about last time. He has unique insights into comics and film, and he's an expert in that field."

After Avi Arad finished his introduction, the young Kevin Fitch smiled and extended his hand, saying, "Hello, Mr. Cooper, I'm Kevin Fitch."

A future star is about to arrive, and Eric happily shakes his hand.

"Hello, Avi has mentioned you many times, saying that you will be the one to help Marvel rise again. He speaks very highly of you."

At this time, Kevin Feige was only 30 years old, and had not yet held a high position or wielded much power. He was only a middle-level manager at Beechcraft Toys.

Faced with Eric's praise, although the other was much younger than him, he did not have the composure of later generations; instead, he was somewhat reserved.

"I just liked reading comics since I was a child. Avi said he hoped I would come to Marvel to help him. I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do what I love. There is nothing luckier than this."

"That's right. Doing what you love is the happiest thing in the world."

"Hehe. I agree."

After chatting for a while during our first meeting, Kevin Feige, though a little reserved, was very eloquent.

Being able to speak well means being good at communication, able to communicate with both superiors and subordinates, which is a good thing, as it can effectively speed up work progress and solve difficulties.

Avi Arad has a big problem in this regard. He used to be in charge of Perlmutter, but after the share swap was completed, Perlmutter left Marvel and couldn't be bothered with what he saw as a mess anymore.

With Kevin Fitch's assistance, Avi Arad's weaknesses can be compensated for.

"Kevin, my personality has always been one of trusting those I employ and not employing those I don't trust. You have a deep understanding of comics and have worked on film production, so you know the ins and outs."

"So now I'm officially inviting you to join Marvel. From now on, you'll be Marvel's Vice President. Let's create a bright future together!"

Kevin Fitch nodded repeatedly, slightly apprehensive; the position of vice president was truly unexpected.

When Avi Arad approached him, he was promised a position such as production manager or creative manager, which would be considered a mid-to-senior level position in the company, but still below the level of vice president.

Unexpectedly, Eric Cooper was even more generous than Avi Arad.

He couldn't help but roar in his mind, "Damn it, this is about to take off!"

"Of course, boss, I will work hard and do my best to make Marvel a success."

"Yes, I believe you. Avi told you about my plan, right? Marvel is going to create a cinematic universe that links all the superheroes together, which is called MCEU for short."

"Yes, I was completely stunned when I heard this idea. To be honest, I had this idea many years ago."

"That would be even better. We are currently preparing for 'Captain America.' Based on Marvel's current resources, you should quickly create a relationship diagram. I need the framework for the first phase of the MCEU."

Kevin Feige understood that this was the first test his new boss had given him.

But he was confident because he believed that no one knew better than him how Marvel should be made.

"Wait, Eric, besides bringing Fitch to meet you, there's something else very important I need to discuss with you," Avi Arad suddenly interrupted.

"What is it?"

"Regarding the copyright issue you mentioned to me before, there's been progress."

"You got the copyright back?" Eric asked, somewhat surprised.

Although superhero movies haven't become huge hits yet, the Spider-Man and X-Men series have already proven that if they're well-made, they can be very profitable, and some people are even willing to return the copyrights!

Avi Arad nodded: "20th Century Fox and New Line are willing to sell us back the characters they have, Daredevil and Iron Man."

"The asking price was a bit high. Daredevil Fox was asking for $1500 million, and Iron Man New Line was asking for $1000 million. When we sold them, we got less than half of that."

"Buy it, buy it back!" Eric made the decision without hesitation.

Just kidding, buying back two very valuable superheroes for $2500 million is such a great deal.

Eric couldn't help but ask, "Have Fox and New Line lost their minds?"

"Eric, have you forgotten? At the beginning of last year, Fox released Daredevil, starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and Colin Farrell, which cost $8000 million and turned out to be a pile of crap."

"Whether it was fans, audiences, or film critics, almost unanimously called the movie garbage, which led Ben Affleck to postpone his wedding."

"$8000 million is not a small amount, especially for a superhero like Daredevil who doesn't require a lot of special effects."

"If they can't even make this well, then judging from the current box office and word-of-mouth, forget about a sequel. Daredevil is destined to be shelved."

"So when I went to communicate with them, Fox pretended to hold internal meetings for a few days and then readily agreed to sell Daredevil and related spin-off characters back to us."

"Besides Daredevil, there's also Elektra, Bullseye, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, in short, we can make our own Defenders."

"Where are the Jin soldiers?" Eric asked.

"Jin Bing is a common villain who appears in many superhero works, so the copyright belongs to several companies."

"Well done, Avi!" Eric gave a thumbs up.

Although these superheroes have different levels of popularity—for example, Daredevil is considered a second-tier superhero and cannot compare to the top heroes—they have still gained a group of loyal fans by relying on their own unique solo publications.

Erica was created by Daredevil and is less popular than the Blind Lawyer, but she still has fans who appreciate her; otherwise, Fox wouldn't have given her a solo movie later on.

However, judging from the current situation, Erica's solo movie is definitely canceled, and even Jennifer Garner's beauty won't save her.

Moreover, Eric remembered that the movie was terrible, a critical and commercial failure, a complete money-loser.

As for Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, they don't reach the third tier and are considered relatively unpopular superheroes.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have created a Defenders League to debut; the talented ones are all individual trainees, who would choose the team route?

Of these, only Daredevil is worthy of the big screen, but Fox just ruined it, and Marvel definitely won't be able to get their hands on it for at least a few years.

Eric could only think of one solution: to make a TV series like Netflix and then stream it on Lionheart.com, which would at least add some appeal to Lionheart.com.

"Now that we've gotten the rights back, let's not let them sit idle. First, we'll make a Daredevil TV series. If it's well-received, we'll develop a few other superheroes."

Avi Arad nodded in agreement: "Yeah, that's what I think too. TV series have small budgets, and with Fox's disastrous example, as long as our quality is up to par, the audience will be satisfied."

"What's with the new production line? Didn't they announce last year that they were going to cast Tom Cruise as Tony Stark?"

"They gave up on it themselves. New Line's president, Gilrant, believed that having someone wearing hundreds of pounds of armor flying in the sky was an insult to the audience's intelligence and completely unscientific."

Eric looked utterly bewildered. Superheroes talking about science? What the hell?!

"Just for that reason? Then why did they make Blade?"

Avi Arad shrugged: "I don't understand it at all either. Maybe it's because Blade's ride is a motorcycle, at least he has his feet on the ground."

"Iron Man himself is a scientist, and in the comics, a Wisdom Stone even grew in his brain, which is why some old-fashioned people think it's unscientific."

"I think it's probably because the special effects are too expensive. New Line Cinema didn't want to gamble. Blade could be made for 30 to 40 million US dollars, but Iron Man only costs 30 to 40 million to make Iron Man, not Iron Man," Kevin Feige complained.

His complaints were probably the main reason why the new line was abandoned.

"Eric, what are you planning to do with Iron Man?" Avi Arad asked.

"Clap! Daredevil can make it to the big screen, so why can't Iron Man?"

"But aren't we supposed to be making a Captain America movie?"

"What I mean is to proceed simultaneously, with all three projects starting at the same time."

"Will it be possible?"

Seeing Kevin Feige hesitate, Eric knew what he was worried about.

"You don't need to worry about the money. MGM will cover the majority, and Marvel will contribute a portion. It's a collaborative project between the two companies."

Kevin Feige couldn't help but sigh, "They really are rich and powerful. The budget for the three projects is at least $2.5 million, which they just spent without batting an eye. I've really found a golden patron."

"Is there anything else?" Eric asked.

"There's another thing about the Hulk. Universal Pictures commissioned Ang Lee to make the Hulk movie, which, like Daredevil, was a failure, so they're also interested in selling the rights to us."

"Hmm? Why didn't you say it all at once?"

"Because Universal has some reservations, they want to sell only the filming rights and keep the distribution rights for the Hulk movie themselves, which I'm sure you wouldn't agree to."

Eric sneered, "Good idea. You want to replicate the Titanic? Do you think I'd need it for distribution?"

"Avi, reply to Universal: either sell it to us together, or forget it. The Hulk is a top-tier hero, so the price can be a little higher."

"Also, when I get back, I'll rummage through the hero roster and find a few heroes with potential. I plan to make them into a TV series."

2003 has ended, and 2004 has begun.

The Christmas battle continues, with new films joining the fray every week, though most end up as cannon fodder.

Even in the world's largest film market, Hollywood cannot accommodate dozens of films opening at the same time, even during the hottest period of the year.

There are only so many movie theaters, and the screening schedule is fixed. If you have more screenings, they will have less. A third party might only be able to get 1% of the screenings.

Currently, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" still holds the top spot, far ahead of the competition.

Second place went to the incredibly lively "Sharknado 2," a film that audiences love to enjoy with friends and family during Christmas.

It grossed $5300 million in 2500 theaters, with each theater earning over $2, surpassing the equally absurd "Scary Movie 3".

When the media interviewed the Wayans brothers, they asked them why Shark2 surpassed the Scary Movie series, which they also created.

Their answer was that the former was more mindless, and the only game that could beat Sharkball 2 was probably Sharkball 3 next year.

Ryan Reynolds, now holding two major commercial IPs, "Transformers" and "Sharknado," has become one of the most sought-after A-list male stars.

Various film offers are pouring in. In the past, it was the films that chose the actors; now, it's the actors who choose the films.

In third place at the box office is "Blue Is the Warmest Color," which has benefited from favorable timing, location, and audience conditions. This week, it was shown in more than 400 more theaters, earning $2700 million in box office revenue.

In three weeks, the film has grossed $83 million at the North American box office. Excellent word-of-mouth has led to its release in some open countries in Europe, Asia, and South America, where it has earned $24 million in its first week, bringing its global box office to over $100 million.

The Olsen twins were overjoyed; this was their best achievement to date, and they could now proudly call themselves leading ladies who had grossed over 100 million dollars.

In contrast, "Monster" fared much worse, grossing only $733 million in over 800 theaters in its first week.

Patty Jenkins and Theron could only manage a wry smile when they saw this data.

With such a dark plot, everyone knew it would be bad, but no one expected it to be this bad, making it the worst-performing film since Eric Schaffner took over MGM.

"I'm sorry, darling," Theron said, her voice tinged with distress as she leaned against Eric's back.

Eric patted her bottom and comforted her, saying, "Don't be sorry, honey. I wasn't expecting to make money from this film. It was originally intended for you to compete for awards."

"You're so good to me, Eric."

"Hehe. The cost of 'Monster' wasn't high. Even with marketing and distribution, it was about $3000 million."

"Even if the box office is unprofitable, it can be gradually made back through copyright."

"Even if we lose tens of millions, so what! As long as you're happy."

It's often said that men are most carefree when they spend money in a woman's eyes, and this makes a lot of sense, as Eric has personally experienced this from Theron.

That night, he unlocked several positions he had always wanted and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Transformers grossed $2300 million worldwide, officially entering the $9 million club with a total of $9.13 million.

However, its North American box office was only $730 million, ranking 11th on the list.

Before that, there's Tim Burton's classic "Big Fish," "Mona Lisa Smile" starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, and Julia Stiles, and "Cold Mountain" starring Jude Law and Meg Ryan.

According to the original timeline, "Cold Mountain" should have starred Jude Law and Nicole Kidman, but now Nicole Kidman is filming "La Vie en Rose," and the butterfly effect has already begun.

Following that is "Girl with a Pearl Earring," starring Scarlett Johansson. It seems that Hollywood has taken a liking to using world-famous paintings as titles this year.

At this point, Transformers was nearing its end, with only one week left before it was taken off the screens.

But the departure of the Autobots symbolizes the resurgence of the lions of the plains.

Nasdaq, the bell is about to ring!

(End of this chapter)