Chapter 284: Determined to Win

Chapter 284: Chapter 284: Determined to Win

Webb’s gaze finally became serious. He carefully flipped through the materials, his fingers tapping lightly on key points.

In Irene’s proposal, there was not only a precise reshaping of the characters but also a profound insight into the market.

She accurately anticipated the current audience’s demand for sci-fi action films, and even made detailed plans for subsequent peripheral licensing and theme park tie-ins.

"You know, other companies are in contact with us." James Webb put down the materials, his tone flat. "Their capital and resources are far superior to your Echo Pictures."

"Capital and resources are certainly important, but the key lies in heart." Irene smiled slightly.

"The Big Six might be able to throw money at making movies, but they don’t necessarily understand how to make a toy IP truly come alive. And I understand the audience, I understand the market, and I understand even better how to turn a toy into a movie character that resonates with people. Pirates of the Caribbean is the best proof."

She looked into James Webb’s eyes and said word by word:

"Mr. Webb, I cannot guarantee that I can make Transformers surpass Pirates of the Caribbean, but I can guarantee that I will use all my heart and resources to build it into another global classic belonging to Hasbro."

The office fell into a brief silence, with only the slight sound from the air conditioning vent.

Webb looked at the young woman in front of him with firm eyes, and for the first time, he felt real importance toward this hotshot director in Hollywood.

He certainly knew the value of his company’s Transformers, but he was also very clear about the risks of this IP adaptation.

If he could find a reliable partner who could both mitigate risks and reap huge profits, that would naturally be the best choice.

And Irene Coppola had proven her ability with the box office results of Pirates of the Caribbean, but whether this ability could support the adaptation of Transformers was something no one could say for sure now.

"I need time to consider, and I also need to report to the board of directors." Webb ultimately did not make a decision immediately, but he did not refuse directly either. "I will give you an answer in a week."

"I look forward to your news." Irene stood up, reached out calmly, and shook hands with Webb. "I hope we can cooperate."

...

The intelligence hotline at Paramount headquarters suddenly rang in the dead of night. Tom Hansen practically sprang out of bed to answer the call.

"Confirmed? Irene Coppola personally went to Rhode Island to see James Webb?" He lowered his voice, quickly pulled out paper and pen from the bedside, and scribbled rapidly on the notebook. "And they talked about the live-action adaptation of Transformers?"

After the informant on the other end of the phone gave a positive reply, the moment Tom hung up, he immediately grabbed the internal line and dialed Sherry Lansing’s private number.

It was already 1:00 AM Los Angeles time, but Sherry’s voice had no fatigue, revealing her habitual sharpness: "What is it, Tom? Calling at this hour, it better be important news."

"Ms. Sherry, emergency!" Tom’s voice carried an undisguisable urgency.

"Our informant planted at Hasbro sent word that Irene Coppola personally visited their CEO James Webb this afternoon. The two sides had a closed-door meeting for a full two hours, and the core topic was the live-action movie adaptation rights for Transformers!"

"Oh?" Sherry’s voice paused, and then came the slight sound of a chair turning. "As expected of a young person, unable to hold her breath, she entered the fray personally."

"This is exactly the most critical part," Tom emphasized.

"The informant said that Irene brought a complete adaptation plan, even mentioning the special effects team and the screenwriter lineup. It looks like she is determined to win. Previously, Vera’s contact was just testing the waters, but now that Irene has come out personally, it is enough to show the importance she places on this IP. I’m afraid she has already made full preparations."

The office fell into a brief silence, with only the sound of Sherry tapping her fingertips on the desk, clear and rhythmic, which made Tom on the other end of the phone increasingly nervous.

Sherry Lansing was no pushover. The fact that she, a woman, could reach this position was due to being fast, accurate, and ruthless. He had a premonition that Irene Coppola’s efforts might be in vain.

"I never underestimate my opponents," Sherry’s voice sounded again, with a hint of cold laughter.

"She was able to turn a pirate movie that no one was optimistic about into a big hit, so I imagine she already has unique ideas for the adaptation of Transformers.

Now that she dares to move from the shadows into the light to negotiate personally, it proves that she must hold chips in her hand that will make Hasbro tempted—either a more attractive revenue-sharing plan or an adaptation strategy they cannot refuse."

"Then what should we do now?" Tom asked, "Our feasibility report is still being polished, and now she has beaten us to it..."

"Why panic?" Sherry interrupted him, her tone suddenly becoming firm. "Just because she made the first move doesn’t mean she can win. On the contrary, her personal involvement shows that the value of this project has been validated by her, and we have even less reason to let go."

She stood up, her tone carrying unquestionable decisiveness:

"Activate the emergency plan immediately. First, you gather the core team right now—Marketing Department, Creative Department, Legal Department, Investment Department, everyone. We must meet in Conference Room One at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. No lateness allowed;"

"Second, put other IPs aside for now. Take the Transformers plan out separately and rush to improve it immediately.

Focus on highlighting Paramount’s distribution advantages—our global distribution network, our deep ties with theaters, and our past experience in managing sci-fi action films like the Mission: Impossible series. These are things Echo Pictures cannot compare with;"

"Third, contact James Webb and say that I want to meet him personally. Schedule it for tomorrow afternoon. No matter what method you use, you must secure the meeting to show our sincerity;"

"Fourth, offer Hasbro more generous terms. Tell them that as long as they grant the rights to Paramount, we are willing to bear the full cost of derivative toy research and development, and we will concede 15% of the derivative product sales to them. This is higher than any condition Irene can offer!"

Tom recorded rapidly while unable to help but gasp. Full R&D costs plus 15% share—this was almost maximizing the concessions, which showed Sherry’s determination to win.

"Also," Sherry added,

"Find out which special effects studio is behind Irene, who the screenwriters she signed are, and even figure out the core of the adaptation plan she gave to Hasbro.

She wants to play the information gap, so we will expose her cards. In addition, notify the Public Relations Department to prepare a press release. Once we close the deal, announce it globally immediately, and don’t give her any chance to fight back."

"Understood! I will arrange it right now!" Tom hung up the phone and immediately called his assistant.

And at this moment, Sherry Lansing was sitting at her desk, opening Irene’s personal file.

From Legally Blonde to Pirates of the Caribbean, every step this woman took was astonishingly precise, as if she could always predict the pulse of the market.

"Irene Coppola," she whispered to herself, the corners of her mouth curling into a competitive smile, "Paramount has claimed this cake of Transformers. If you want to open up a new track, you have to see if I agree."