Chapter 259: Support and Opposition

Chapter 259: Chapter 259: Support and Opposition

After hanging up Irene’s call, Adelaide sat alone at her desk, her fingertips unconsciously tapping on the surface, making a soft "thump-thump" sound.

For ten minutes, the office was so quiet that the sound of the wind outside could be heard, but her brain was like a high-speed machine, repeatedly chewing over Irene’s phrase "tragic failure."

Irene’s words were too absolute. If anyone else had said them to her, she would have scoffed and put them out of her mind, but it was precisely Irene’s words that she could not ignore.

The Irene she knew was never someone who spoke carelessly. She had watched her progress step by step, each time more successful than the last. Others might not know, but Irene had privately predicted the failure of Battlefield Earth to her before.

However, back then, Irene didn’t have nearly as much of an aura as she did now, and Adelaide herself hadn’t taken her words seriously. Afterward, Battlefield Earth indeed failed at the box office, but she had only felt admiration for her market sensitivity.

"A cost of 150 million for Kingdom of Heaven, with a North America box office of 40 million..." The image of the loss Irene described lingered in her mind, and the sight of Baird Fergus’s dejected back as he left seemed to be right before her eyes.

She stood up abruptly and dialed her assistant’s number, her tone carrying an indisputable firmness.

"Immediately notify all personnel in the marketing and distribution departments to meet in Conference Room 1 in half an hour. The topic is the feasibility of the Kingdom of Heaven project. Tell everyone to bring the latest market data and analysis reports for similar films."

Half an hour later, Fox’s Conference Room 1 was packed.

Ryan from the distribution department had just sat down when he leaned over to his colleague’s ear and whispered, "Isn’t the contract for this project about to be signed? Director Ridley is already preparing for casting. Why is there a sudden meeting?"

The colleague shrugged and responded in a low voice, "Who knows? Adelaide hasn’t been in her position long. Her mind is hard to read. Maybe she heard some rumors and wants to check things again?"

The two exchanged a confused look, both seeing the bewilderment on each other’s faces. In their view, with Ridley Scott at the helm, combined with the epic film craze sparked by Gladiator and The Lord of the Rings, Kingdom of Heaven was almost a guaranteed profit-maker.

When Adelaide walked into the conference room, the chatter instantly died down.

She walked to the head of the table and sat down, her gaze sweeping over everyone present as she got straight to the point:

"I’ve called you all here today because I want to re-evaluate the feasibility of Kingdom of Heaven. First, I want to hear your analysis: what is the current market acceptance and profitability for epic-themed films?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Tom, a senior supervisor from the distribution department, immediately stood up, his tone certain:

"Boss, now is absolutely the best time to film epic themes! Gladiator had a global box office of 450 million USD and won the Oscar for Best Picture.

The first installment of The Lord of the Rings had a global box office of 870 million USD, achieving double success in both reputation and box office.

This is exactly what audiences are buying into right now! Director Ridley is a master of epic films, and Gladiator is the best proof. With him controlling the quality, plus our Fox distribution channels, the probability of Kingdom of Heaven being profitable is very high."

His words were echoed by many. Someone added, "Epic films are scarce in the market right now. If we launch first, we can fill that gap. Moreover, the script outline submitted by Director Ridley, although leaning towards the serious, has a core of hero growth. This kind of theme always has an audience."

"I disagree." Lena from the marketing department raised her hand, her tone calm.

"The risks of epic films are much higher than imagined. Cleopatra invested 44 million USD back then, which is equivalent to 200 million USD now, and its final box office was dismal—not even earning back the change—nearly bankrupting 20th Century Fox.

Waterworld invested 175 million USD, but its North America box office was only 88 million, also a sky-high loss. These types of films have long production cycles and high costs. Once they don’t suit the audience’s taste, it’s a devastating loss."

She paused and pulled up a fragment of a project proposal she had prepared in advance:

"Looking at Kingdom of Heaven again, based on existing materials, the film’s pace is slow, and the narrative leans towards serious history. It lacks the strong dramatic conflict and emotional explosion points of Gladiator, which will likely turn off ordinary audiences. Especially young audiences, who currently prefer fast-paced, plot-driven movies. This kind of dull epic film might find it hard to attract them into theaters."

Lena’s words happened to coincide exactly with Irene’s viewpoint.

Adelaide’s fingers tapped lightly on the table, her brow furrowing slightly. She looked at the marketing manager:

"I have one more question. In the last three years, among the films released in the market, how many have a runtime exceeding 3 hours? What was the market reaction?"

The conference room fell silent instantly as everyone looked at each other.

Bob, the marketing manager, was stunned for a moment. He hurried to flip through the materials at hand, his face gradually becoming somewhat embarrassed as he answered haltingly,

"B-Boss, in the last three years... no more than two per year. Last year there was a historical biopic with a runtime of 3 hours and 10 minutes, and the North America box office was only 20-some million, with average reviews.

The year before that, a sci-fi epic was 3 hours and 20 minutes, and the box office barely passed 30 million, which wasn’t even as good as some mid-budget comedies."

"In other words, long-duration epic films are inherently difficult for the market to accept?" Adelaide pressed.

Bob nodded and added, "Yes, audience viewing habits have changed. It’s hard to stay focused for that long. Furthermore, a long duration means fewer screenings, which further impacts box office revenue. Unless it’s a series with a strong IP foundation and tight plotting like The Lord of the Rings, it’s very difficult to break through."

Adelaide said no more and fell into deep thought. The conference room was silent. Everyone could feel the pressure on her.

The reasons from the supporters were ample, backed by successful cases and a big-name director. The concerns from the opponents were also not without merit—high cost, slow pace, and long duration were each potential minefields.

And Irene’s warning was now like a thorn stuck in her heart.

She remembered the last thing Irene said:

"If it’s too late to pull out, you must give the final cut privilege to Director Ridley." Was she really going to gamble on Ridley’s control as she suggested? But if even Ridley couldn’t save the slow-paced plot, then that 150 million investment would truly go down the drain.

As a newly promoted executive, she desperately needed a successful project to prove herself. But if she chose the wrong project, what awaited her would only be the same fate as Baird Fergus.

Should she believe in Ridley’s reputation and follow the epic film trend? Or should she trust Irene’s prediction and cut her losses in time, or risk handing over the final cut privilege?