Chapter 246: Granting a Favor

Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Granting a Favor

She paused, then lowered her posture further. "I know you must be facing some difficulties, otherwise you wouldn’t be willing to sell such good IPs. Is the funding for the new project insufficient? Tell me! The box office for My Big Fat Greek Wedding is doing so well.

I can apply to give you a portion of the profit share in advance right now, which can be deducted later. If that’s still not enough, Fox can directly invest in your new project. This isn’t our first collaboration. Do you still not trust me? I can even provide you with an unsecured line of credit. Why insist on selling the copyrights?"

Irene could clearly feel that Adelaide was truly anxious. It seemed Fox’s valuation of these two IPs was no less than her expectations for Facebook. She smiled and responded,

"Adelaide, thank you for your kindness. But I don’t want to owe too many favors. Selling the copyrights is the cleanest way, and it won’t affect our future cooperation."

"What does a favor matter? What is our relationship?" Adelaide said hurriedly.

"Irene, listen to me, Fox will definitely not let you lose out. Don’t sell these three sets of copyrights to others. Give us priority. Everything is negotiable regarding the price.

As long as you are willing to sell the copyrights to Fox, we can complete the evaluation within three days and transfer the funds within a week. We won’t delay your use of the capital."

Fearing Irene might be tempted by other companies, she added, "And rest assured, in our subsequent development of sequels, we will definitely respect your original concepts. We won’t mess with the plot or ruin the IP.

If you’re willing, you can even serve as the producer for the sequels to supervise the progress at any time. This is better than selling to other companies who might change the IP beyond recognition, right?"

Listening to Adelaide’s earnest tone, Irene had a good idea of the situation.

In fact, as long as Fox wanted them, she was willing to package and sell the sequel rights of the three movies to them. After all, having cooperated with Fox for years, they knew each other well. The negotiation and payment processes would be smoother, saving a lot of time.

"I’ll consider it and give you an answer this afternoon." Irene didn’t agree immediately. After all, it was a buyer’s market, and she had to maintain the right posture.

"Good! I’ll wait for your news!" Adelaide replied quickly, her tone full of anticipation. "Irene, you must give us priority consideration. Don’t let us down!"

After hanging up with Adelaide, Irene pondered for a moment, her fingertip sliding across her phone to dial Shelly’s number.

"Shelly, Adelaide just spoke with me. My minimum principle is that as long as Fox’s quote is not more than 10% lower than other companies’, these three sequel rights will be sold to them."

On the other end of the line, Shelly was stunned for a moment, then let out an ambiguous sigh. "So you were moved by the emotional card after all."

His tone carried a bit of helplessness but also hidden understanding.

"Paramount quoted 15 million for the single sequel rights to The Italian Job, and even offered a high price of 18 million for Mean Girls. The three combined are nearly 45 million. Even with a 10% premium, Fox likely won’t reach that number. You’re voluntarily earning several million less."

Irene smiled, not minding. "There’s no end to making money, but reliable partners are hard to find. Fox has been very straightforward in cooperating with me over the years.

The promotion for The Italian Job and the financial support for Pirates of the Caribbean never failed. Adelaide is upfront in her dealings. By doing her a favor this time, future cooperation will only be smoother."

"Fine, you’re the boss, you call the shots," Shelly said with a hint of teasing. "If you’re willing to make concessions for the sake of a relationship, how can I stop you? I’ll go reply to Fox and Paramount now and have Fox send their final quote as soon as possible."

"Yes, tell them to hurry. The funds are needed urgently," Irene added. "Make sure to state clearly in the contract terms that the full payment must arrive within a week, and subsequent sequel development must respect the original core, without changing the core characters or story tone."

Although Irene knew that filming sequels was unreliable, if Fox really started the sequel plans now, they wouldn’t necessarily lose money at this stage. So, she wasn’t exactly cheating Fox.

"Don’t worry, I’ll keep a close eye on all of that," Shelly replied.

In just three short days, a bombshell piece of news swept through the major Hollywood studios and entertainment media:

Irene Coppola had sold the sequel rights to the three hit movies Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, and The Italian Job to Fox for a package price of 40 million.

Once this price was announced, the entire industry was in an uproar.

Many people said, "Is Irene Coppola crazy? Paramount was willing to pay 18 million for Mean Girls alone. The three together are nearly 45 million. She actually earned 5 million less just to grant a favor?"

Even more people were secretly admiring her. Hollywood had always been a vanity fair where interests were paramount and intrigue was common. A director like Irene, who still chose to ’act on sentiment’ in the face of a huge price difference, was practically a rare species.

One must know that among these three copyrights, the commercial potential of Mean Girls was most highly regarded.

The film accurately hit the teenage audience, and its reputation had fermented to the point that it still had heat. As long as the sequel didn’t go off track, breaking a hundred million at the box office was almost a certainty.

Paramount’s 18-million-dollar quote was by no means inflated. And as an action IP, the 15-million-dollar quote for The Italian Job was also slightly higher than the industry average.

The 40-million-dollar package price was equivalent to Irene voluntarily yielding profit, giving Fox plenty of face.

"This is how a smart person operates," Disney’s Robert Iger lamented to his deputy in his office.

"40 million is already a very good price. She didn’t lose out, and she granted a favor to Fox. Fox will surely reciprocate doubly with resources in the future. Who wouldn’t want to cooperate with a partner who knows when to compromise and values relationships?"

After the news spread, the phone at Irene’s studio was nearly ringing off the hook. Not only were there independent production companies that hadn’t been able to get a word in before, but even giants like Universal and Sony sent out olive branches through various channels.

Whether it was high-quality scripts or high-investment invitations, everyone wanted to use this wave of ’goodwill’ to establish a connection with this director who understood both creation and relationships.

Although Paramount failed to secure the copyrights, Ms. Sherry Lansing still had her deputy send a sincerely worded message to Irene:

"Respect your choice, looking forward to the opportunity to cooperate in the future. Paramount’s doors are always open to you."

She knew in her heart that Irene’s choice this time precisely proved she was not someone who only cared about profit. Such a partner was worth waiting for patiently.