Chapter 282: The Contention

Chapter 282: Chapter 282: The Contention

In the twenty-eighth-floor conference room of Paramount Pictures’ headquarters, the morning mist over Los Angeles outside the floor-to-ceiling windows had not yet dissipated, but the long conference table was already filled with executives in suits and leather shoes.

The mahogany tabletop reflected the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. Sherry Lansing sat in the head seat, wearing a well-tailored white suit.

Her fingertips lightly tapped the project reports just collected. After her gaze swept over the last page of data, she looked up and broke the silence: "Let’s talk about the specific situation of last week’s movie rankings."

Marketing Department manager Lamb Williams immediately stood up, the box office data in his hand particularly eye-catching:

"Ms. Lansing, the performance of new films last week showed significant divergence. Among them, Irene Coppola’s Pirates of the Caribbean performed phenomenally, with a first-week box office of 80.02 million dollars, directly topping the monthly box office chart. In the annual rankings, it is second only to Spider-Man, currently ranking second."

He paused and added, "Both audience ratings and critic reviews are high. Many theater chains have already applied to increase the number of screenings, and subsequent box office is expected to continue rising."

A low murmur of whispers sounded in the conference room as several executives exchanged surprised glances.

A faint smile played at the corners of Sherry’s mouth, but she didn’t comment much. She only followed up in a flat tone: "It seems Irene Coppola has succeeded again. I instructed you to investigate her Echo Pictures before; is there any new progress?"

Tom Hansen, the executive in charge of intelligence research, hurried to pull out a report he had prepared long ago and responded respectfully:

"We found that Echo Pictures has recently launched two new projects, both low-budget productions. One is the family comedy Little Miss Sunshine, and the other is the horror film Saw. Both are currently in the preparation stage and have not officially started filming."

He flipped to the next page, "The creative teams are all third- or fourth-tier industry lineups, and the investment scale isn’t large. It looks like a routine small-budget layout."

After Sherry finished listening, she waved her hand casually, her eyes showing a bit of dismissiveness:

"Projects like these are everywhere in Hollywood, nothing special. That family comedy is likely trying to follow the My Big Fat Greek Wedding model, but it’s impossible for every film to be so lucky. As for small-budget horror films, they are most convenient for testing the waters. This person, Irene Coppola, really has a sharp mind."

She leaned forward slightly, her tone growing heavier, "Is there anything else? Irene Coppola never does anything without certainty. With Pirates of the Caribbean being so successful, she couldn’t possibly be satisfied with just these small projects."

Fine sweat broke out on Tom’s forehead as he hurriedly searched through the report. Suddenly, his eyes lit up:

"Oh, there’s one more thing! We noticed that Irene’s personal assistant, Vera, has been frequently contacting professionals recently—IP licensing lawyers, senior screenwriters, and even market analysts from the toy industry.

Moreover, these people have all worked closely with Hasbro. According to our informant, Vera has already had two closed-door meetings with Hasbro’s IP licensing department. The specific content hasn’t been discovered yet."

"Hasbro?" Sherry’s eyebrows shot up instantly, a sharp light flashing in her originally calm eyes. Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the conference table.

"Could it be that Irene Coppola wants to adapt Hasbro’s toy movies? Which IP would she choose then?" This thought immediately sparked her interest.

Hasbro held hundreds of classic IPs like Transformers, My Little Pony, and G.I. Joe. Although there had been toy-derived animations before, no one had ever attempted a live-action film adaptation. This was undoubtedly a blue ocean that had yet to be cultivated.

She stood up, her gaze sweeping across all the executives present, her tone decisive and firm:

"Arrange for someone to follow up immediately! Tom, you lead the formation of a special task force, combining the Marketing Department, Creative Department, and Legal Department. Within three days, compile a list of all Hasbro’s popular toy IPs, market audience data, and film adaptation feasibility, and prepare a detailed report for me."

"Focus on IPs with potential for a complete worldview," Sherry added, her fingertip tapping the tabletop.

"For example, the military theme of G.I. Joe, the robot setting of Transformers, and the family-oriented attributes of Mr. Potato Head. All must be analyzed clearly—adaptation difficulty, investment budget, target audience, potential risks—not a single detail can be missed."

Tom nodded quickly to take note: "Understood, Ms. Lansing. We will work overtime tonight to push this forward and guarantee the report will be submitted within three days."

Sherry watched his hurried back as he left, then sat back in her chair, casting her gaze toward the city skyline outside the window.

She thought about how Irene Coppola had risen rapidly from an industry newcomer in just a few years, her every decision being startlingly precise. This time, she must have sniffed out a new market opportunity again.

"Toy adaptation movies..." she whispered to herself, a competitive smile curling her lips. "Irene, you really do manage to exceed my expectations every time."

The latest box office for Pirates of the Caribbean was not only a focus for Paramount but also the center of attention for all of Hollywood.

Irene had just finished a phone call with Warner Bros. when the glass door of her office was pushed open.

Robert Iger, dressed in a well-pressed navy blue suit, stood at the door with a beaming smile. "Irene, my star director, you’ve truly driven all of Hollywood crazy."

Irene stood up and smiled: "This is everyone’s achievement. Why did you come without giving me a heads-up?"

"Because I couldn’t wait to celebrate this success with you!" Robert Iger handed over the latest box office report. "And to ask about the sequel, by the way."

Irene took the report.

This pirate film, which wasn’t favored at first, had now become the hottest IP in Hollywood. Even the peripheral licensing income had become a major part of Disney’s revenue. No one was willing to let go of such a cake easily.

"Mr. Iger, I thought the matter of the sequel still needed some time to settle." She put down the report, her tone maintaining a polite distance.

"Settle? My dear Irene, now is the best time to strike while the iron is hot." Robert pulled over a chair and sat down, his eyes burning.

"Michael has already approved the full budget for the sequel. I came today because I want to finalize the script framework with you. Fox is also eager to continue participating in the co-production. After all, no one wants to miss out on this cash cow."

Irene took a sip of cold water from the table to suppress the ripples in her heart.

She could imagine that at this moment, the Fox executives were likely pounding the table in regret, wondering why they hadn’t taken the IP alone and let Disney get a foot in the door; while Disney was certainly feeling annoyed about why they had given Fox a piece of the pie in the first place.

"I have indeed prepared a script for the sequel." Irene turned and took a blue folder from the filing cabinet, pushing it in front of Robert. "This time, he will encounter even weirder curses and more powerful enemies. But there is one condition: my creative share and profit-sharing in the sequel must remain consistent with the first one, without any reduction."