Chapter 244: Sequel Rights

Chapter 244: Chapter 244: Sequel Rights

Irene stared at the words "No Real Estate" and "Only One Gifted Vehicle" on the financial statement, rendered speechless for a moment.

Since filming her first movie in 1998, she had released four works over the past five years.

Among them, the recently released My Big Fat Greek Wedding had grossed over two hundred million dollars in North America, and according to the profit-sharing ratio, she had earned a fortune.

But counting it all up, she hadn’t bought a luxury mansion, nor had she stockpiled luxury goods. Her only hobby was occasionally going to Robert’s club to shoot guns. How had she ended up living a life that looked like "rich on paper, but owning nothing"?

"Do you feel like you’re living too ’simply’?" Jean saw through her thoughts and comforted her with a smile.

"Actually, your financial situation is already in the top 10% of the United States. No debt, no loans, and you hold two ’golden geese’—stocks and film rights. You have stable box office dividends and project income every year. Given your current lifestyle, you won’t face a financial crisis for the next thirty years. You’re much more reliable than those tycoons who are covered in loans."

Irene didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her words and shook her head.

"It’s not that I think it’s simple. I just suddenly realized that I don’t seem to ’value’ assets much." Her fingertips brushed over the statement, and her tone became serious.

"Besides bank loans, are there any other options? I don’t really want to take on debt too early. Although the interest rates are low, I always feel that the fewer complications, the better."

Jean lowered her head in thought for a moment. "Of course there are! You still have the sequel rights to your movies, right? My Big Fat Greek Wedding is currently at peak popularity, and Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, and The Italian Job were all hits in both critical acclaim and box office at the time.

The sequel rights for these four are a hot commodity. I’ve checked the top projects on the box office charts over the years, and sequel licensing fees are a significant source of income. Especially for an IP like My Big Fat Greek Wedding with low costs and high returns, many film companies should be willing to pay a high price for the sequel development rights."

"That’s right! How could I have forgotten that! My Big Fat Greek Wedding isn’t in my hands, but the other three can definitely be sold for a good price." Irene slapped the table suddenly, her eyes lighting up instantly.

When the contract for My Big Fat Greek Wedding was signed, there was no mention of sequel rights at all, so Irene certainly couldn’t gain any profit from it. However, the other three films were all her original works. Although Fox had participated in the investment, regarding copyright issues, Irene had not backed down after her father’s reminder.

She hadn’t had the mind to think about it before, but she hadn’t expected it to come in handy now.

Compared to a bank loan, licensing the sequel rights would not only provide quick cash but also avoid debt. It was a perfect solution. Anyway, in her memory, the sequels to these three films didn’t have much development value. Even if they were remade, their influence would be far inferior to the first installments.

"I don’t know much about this area. You’d better find an industry insider to help you evaluate it first, and then find a film company to negotiate with," Jean reminded her.

The more Irene thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and she immediately made a decision. "Let’s do it! I’ll go find Shelly later. Fox has cooperated with me on many projects, so I’ll give them priority."

"Good, my work is all finished, so I’ll be leaving now." Jean stood up to pack her folders. "However, I must remind you that sequel rights licensing requires a detailed agreement, such as the development cycle, production standards, and profit-sharing ratios. Negotiations might take some time. You need the funds to arrive within a week, so the timing will be a bit tight."

"It’ll make it in time," Irene said with a certain tone. "Adelaide from Fox has always been quite supportive of me. As long as I give a little on the amount, the other party won’t block me."

Jean nodded. "Understood, as long as you’re confident. Also, do you want to simultaneously prepare a backup plan for a bank loan? In case the rights licensing negotiation falls through, you can fill the gap in time."

"Sure, a two-pronged approach is safer," Irene added. "Help me move forward with the loan plan, but focus on the rights licensing. If the rights can be sold for enough money, the loan will be canceled directly. If it’s a bit short, then use the loan to make up the difference."

After seeing Jean off, Irene leaned against the back of her chair and breathed a long sigh of relief.

The funding problem that had been weighing on her heart had a clear solution in the blink of an eye.

She picked up her phone and sent a text to Chen Shiyu: "There’s a lead on the funding issue. It will definitely arrive within a week. Proceed as planned on your end. The goal of going online by the end of the month remains unchanged."

Soon, Chen Shiyu’s reply came with full excitement: "Received! Boss, you’re awesome! The technical team has already started fully optimizing the core functions, and the page simplification plan is also set. I guarantee to give you a smooth and easy-to-use product by the end of the month!"

Afterward, Irene dialed Shelly’s number and said crisply, "Shelly, are you free now? Come to my studio. There’s something I need to consult you about."

Half an hour later, Shelly pushed the door open, holding an artist’s schedule in his hand, his face showing a bit of confusion. "Why did you call me over so suddenly? Is there a change in the follow-up for Britney Spears’s charity event, or is there a new requirement for Million Dollar Baby?"

Irene signaled for him to sit down and got straight to the point. "Neither. I want to ask about the sequel rights for the movies I’ve released. Have any film companies contacted you with interest in collaborating?"

Shelly froze for a moment, the confusion on his face instantly turning into astonishment. "Sequel rights? Why did you suddenly think of this?"

He put down the schedule, his tone carrying clear disapproval. "Many companies have looked for me over the past few years. Fox, Universal, and Paramount have all asked about sequel plans.

I saw that you were busy with a bunch of new projects—*Million Dollar Baby* was just being prepared, and you had several scripts to look at—so you had no mind to touch sequels, and I quietly turned them all down. Do you want to film the sequels yourself now? But where would you find the time?"

"I indeed don’t have time to film the sequels to these movies, so I called you over because I want to sell the sequel development rights," Irene said calmly.

"Sell them?!" Shelly’s voice suddenly rose, and he almost stood up from his chair.

"Irene, are you crazy? This is ’killing the goose that lays the golden eggs’! Legally Blonde and Mean Girls are classic low-investment, high-return films. The Italian Job has great action scenes, plot, and reputation. As long as the sequels aren’t bad, they’ll definitely make money. If you sell the rights now, isn’t that the same as handing over your cash cows to someone else?"

He became more excited as he spoke.

"I know you’re not short on projects, but sequel rights are long-term assets! Even if you don’t film them now, if you wait three or five years and remember to develop them, you can still make big money. Selling them now is purely draining the pond to catch the fish. It’s just not worth it!"