Chapter 285: Preparing for the Limited Release

Chapter 285: Chapter 285: Preparing for the Limited Release

Irene Coppola walked out of the Hasbro headquarters building with Vera Cecil. The winter in Rhode Island was much colder than in Los Angeles, so she raised her hand to pull her coat tighter.

The two-hour negotiation with James Webb had been exhausting.

From world-building to the emotional core of the characters, and from special effects implementation to marketing tie-ins, she had laid every card she could think of on the table. Yet, both parties knew full well that Echo Pictures’ lack of distribution qualifications was a fatal weakness, like a warrior missing their sharpest weapon.

"Boss, what do we do now..." Vera Cecil followed behind her. She could sense that James Webb’s attitude was not positive; even though Irene Coppola had exerted all her strength, it seemed she hadn’t truly moved them.

Irene Coppola shook her head, cutting her off: "We did our best."

She looked up at the road in the distance. "Giants like Paramount and Warner Bros. hold global distribution networks and can provide Hasbro with the most secure guarantees; this is something we cannot compare with right now. The Transformers IP is too big; it’s only natural they wouldn’t dare to gamble on a small company without distribution capabilities."

It wasn’t that her proposal wasn’t good enough; it was just how the game was played.

Without distribution channels, even the best movie can only rely on the giants, and even the best IP cannot be held securely.

She currently lacked the ability to go toe-to-toe with the Big Six, so she had to focus on steady growth.

Irene Coppola took a deep breath, suppressing the regret in her heart, and her eyes became firm once again.

"Let’s put this matter aside for now and return to Los Angeles. The top priority is Million Dollar Baby."

When the plane landed at the airport in Los Angeles, it was already the next morning.

Without resting, Irene Coppola drove directly to Warner Bros.

With only a little over a month left until the Oscar submission deadline on December 31st, Million Dollar Baby had to complete a limited release before then to be eligible to compete in the 75th Oscars.

Seeing Irene Coppola’s name, the Warner Bros. receptionist immediately greeted her with a beaming smile:

"Ms. Coppola, you’ve arrived! Mr. Leslie is already waiting for you in the top-floor conference room and specifically instructed that you be taken straight up upon arrival."

As the elevator ascended rapidly, Irene Coppola looked at her composed reflection in the mirror, understanding the reason for this enthusiasm.

The opening week box office of Pirates of the Caribbean had been a massive hit, with an $80.02 million opening that successfully placed it in the top ten of North America’s historical box office rankings. Most of the other films in the top ten were adaptations or sequels, such as this year’s Spider-Man and Jurassic Park.

Pirates of the Caribbean stood out from the rest.

One thing was certain: Pirates of the Caribbean had already set the opening record for a non-sequel, original live-action film in the North American film market.

Given the word-of-mouth and weekend box office of Pirates of the Caribbean, what would the final North American box office reach? At least $300 million to start.

Many media outlets and professional institutions even predicted that the final North American box office would land around $320 to $350 million, and it could even exceed $600 million globally.

Such results were enough for Irene Coppola to walk around Hollywood with impunity.

Pushing open the door to the conference room, Hope Leslie, the Director of Distribution at Warner Bros., immediately stood up and reached out enthusiastically: "Irene, my old friend, long time no see!"

His smile was exceptionally sincere, making their previous conversations seem somewhat distant. "The results for Pirates of the Caribbean are astonishing; all of Hollywood is talking about you!"

Several other executives were sitting in the conference room, each with a clear expression of goodwill on their faces and eyes filled with respect.

Irene Coppola sat down calmly and got straight to the point: "Hope, I came today to discuss the limited release of Million Dollar Baby with you."

"I know what you mean." Hope Leslie immediately replied in a straightforward tone. "We are all aware of the Oscar submission deadline. Don’t worry, Warner Bros. will definitely cooperate with you fully!"

He turned his head and signaled his assistant to hand over a document.

"This is our preliminary limited release plan. We’ve selected New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago as the three key film hubs, scheduling two art-house theaters in each. Starting in December, we will begin a small-scale release that meets the Oscar submission requirements while precisely reaching film critics and core audiences."

Irene Coppola flipped through the document; the plan was detailed and comprehensive, even taking into account arrangements for post-screening discussions.

"Regarding distribution costs," Hope added, "we are willing to cover 60%. After all, given your current influence, the potential of this film is definitely not to be underestimated. If word-of-mouth grows, we will immediately expand the release scale to strive for success in both box office and awards!"

These were generous terms that exceeded her expectations. Irene Coppola looked up, met Hope Leslie’s gaze, and smiled slightly: "Happy to work with you."

"Happy to work with you!" Hope Leslie nodded vigorously, though he was secretly rejoicing inside.

The top brass at Warner Bros. had long since given the order: they must firmly seize the opportunity to work with Irene Coppola. Pirates of the Caribbean had already made Fox and Disney pots of money; they could not miss the next hit, and certainly could not miss the competition for the Oscar.

If Million Dollar Baby could win a major award, it would also be a significant boost to the brand value of Warner Bros.

"But there is one point I need to clarify with you in advance. Since the release time for Million Dollar Baby is quite late, it will be too late to participate in many of the Oscar precursors, which might have some impact on your participation in the final competition," Hope said slowly.

Irene Coppola nodded: "I understand, but I believe the quality of the film will be able to move the judges."

Hope Leslie praised her confidence: "Do you need us to introduce an Oscar campaign team? After all, the Oscar is a special public event; if you go in alone and rashly, you might end up with nothing."

"Thank you for your suggestion, but I have already prepared an Oscar campaign team in advance. It’s the team that helped Traffic with their Oscar campaign; they are very familiar with the Oscar process, so I think they should be able to handle it."

Hope Leslie’s expression showed some surprise. This team was quite famous in Hollywood; there were plenty of companies that wanted to work with them, but at the same time, their asking price was very high.

At this moment, he was even more certain of Irene Coppola’s determination to achieve something at the Oscar.

The subsequent negotiations went exceptionally smoothly, and all the details were finalized in less than an hour.

When she left Warner Bros., Hope Leslie personally walked her to the elevator entrance, his tone tinged with flattery: "Irene, if there are any adjustments needed later, feel free to call me at any time. In addition, Warner Bros. has a few good scripts on hand, including both award-contending material and large-scale commercial films, which can be completely open to you. Although I know you have a good relationship with Fox, sometimes there’s no need to hang yourself from just one tree, right? Let’s chat again when you have time?"

Irene Coppola smiled and didn’t refuse, only saying there would be opportunities, then turned and walked into the elevator.

Securing the limited release qualification was just the first step on the road to the Oscar. Next, she would have to deal with the reviews from film critics, the public relations of the Academy, and the impact of other competitors.

But she was not afraid.