Chapter 286: An Unexpected Interview

Chapter 286: Chapter 286: An Unexpected Interview

Outside the revolving doors of the Warner Bros. building, the sun was shining brightly, but the area was packed with a crowd of reporters carrying cameras and holding voice recorders.

Just as Irene stepped out the door, she saw a crowd gathered around someone in the center, firing questions.

She instinctively wanted to detour through the side parking lot entrance; having just finished negotiations with Warner Bros., she wasn’t in the mood to handle a sudden interview.

But before she could even take a step, a sharp-eyed entertainment reporter spotted her, and a sudden shout instantly broke the existing order: "It’s Irene Coppola!"

The crowd turned like a tide, surrounding Irene in an instant. Camera flashes clicked incessantly, and questions rained down one after another.

Vera hurriedly stepped forward, trying to push back the crowd, but she was squeezed so tightly by the reporters that she could hardly move.

"Irene! There are reports that Fox and Disney have officially put the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean on the schedule. Is this true?" A reporter from The Hollywood Reporter, holding a voice recorder, was the first to speak up.

Irene raised her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding flashes, a polite smile on her face as she spoke calmly,

"Yes, I have already submitted the script for the sequel to Fox and Disney. Both companies are currently conducting a project evaluation. We will inform everyone as soon as there is further news."

"Will you still be directing the sequel? Will Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, be recast?" another reporter from Empire magazine followed up urgently. The character of Jack Sparrow was already deeply ingrained in people’s hearts, and no one wanted to see a classic character recast.

"All the main creative staff will return, including Johnny and myself," Irene’s crisp answer instantly quieted much of the chatter on the scene.

Ever since the preparation for the first Pirates of the Caribbean, she had been forward-thinking enough to sign Johnny Depp, Henry Cavill, Keira Knightley, and other core cast members to a trilogy contract.

Now that the first film was a box office hit, salary increases for the lead cast were industry standard. Echo Pictures already had a plan in place and would never let negotiations fail over salary issues.

Moreover, they hadn’t truly reached the Hollywood A-list yet.

Although Johnny Depp had gained great fame through Captain Jack, his career had previously been lukewarm. Henry and Keira had only gained widespread recognition through this film.

Continuing with the sequel was the best choice for them to consolidate their status and build popularity. As long as they were thinking clearly, no one would give up such a lucrative opportunity.

After all, the line of actors wanting to replace them could stretch from Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles all the way to Times Square in New York.

"What new breakthroughs will there be in the sequel’s plot? Will Captain Jack encounter even more powerful enemies?" another reporter pressed.

Irene chuckled, a hint of mystery in her eyes. "The plot is a secret for now, but I can promise that the sequel’s adventure will be more exciting and the world-building more grand. It won’t disappoint everyone." She didn’t want to reveal too many details—partly to avoid spoilers affecting audience expectations, and partly to leave room for negotiations with Fox and Disney.

"One more question!" A young reporter squeezed to the front. "There are rumors that you were competing for the live-action film rights to Hasbro’s Transformers. Did you ultimately lose to Paramount?"

This question caused an immediate silence. All eyes focused on Irene’s face, waiting to see her reaction.

Vera’s expression changed slightly, and she wanted to step in to smooth things over, but Irene stopped her with a look.

The smile on Irene’s face remained unchanged, her tone still calm. "Every project collaboration has its own considerations; there’s no such thing as winning or losing. For me, doing a good job on every work at hand is more important than blindly chasing IPs."

She didn’t deny the fact that she had competed for the rights; after all, there was no need to.

"Is your next focus Million Dollar Baby? Is this movie aimed at the Oscars?" The reporters immediately seized on a new topic, questioning her relentlessly.

"Million Dollar Baby is indeed my current focus. The film will have a limited release in December, and I hope interested viewers will go see it," Irene responded candidly. "As for awards, I’d rather people focus on the emotions and story the film conveys. Awards are just the icing on the cake."

Overemphasizing the pursuit of awards could easily provoke resentment from the Academy; maintaining a composed posture was more appealing.

Furthermore, the quality of Million Dollar Baby spoke for itself, and Hilary Swank’s performance was incredibly powerful. She had enough confidence to compete for the Oscars.

The reporters wanted to continue questioning, but Vera finally found an opportunity to step in front of Irene. "Thank you for your interest. Irene has subsequent work to attend to. That’s all for today’s interview. Thank you, everyone!"

With that, she shielded Irene and, with the assistance of Warner Bros. security personnel, struggled to break through the crowd of reporters and walked quickly toward the parking lot.

Once inside the car, Irene finally breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her temples.

Although the questioning was sudden, it gave her the opportunity to release some key information, effectively saving her from future interview tasks.

"These reporters are so well-informed; they even know about the Transformers thing," Vera grumbled while starting the car.

"There are no real secrets in Hollywood," Irene said flatly, looking out the window at the receding crowd of reporters. "Besides, Paramount is eager for everyone to know they’ve snatched a good project away from me, so they naturally leak information, intentionally or otherwise."

She didn’t care about these superficial reputations. Right now, her mind was full of preparations for the limited release of Million Dollar Baby and the subsequent work for the Oscar submission.

As for the lost Transformers, she treated it as a reminder. Some IPs could actually be secured in her own hands ahead of time to save a lot of trouble. Building her own distribution channels had become an urgent priority.

"Help me post a job listing. I need two word-processing staff members," Irene gave Vera a new task.

"Got it, Boss," Vera was used to not asking why. "Are there any special requirements for these two people?"

Irene thought for a moment. "One should be good at describing emotional entanglements between men and women, with delicate and vivid writing. The other should be skilled at describing various fight scenes."

Vera quickly took notes.

"Also, they shouldn’t be over 25 years old, and those with relevant experience are preferred."

After all, she was looking to hire ghostwriters to write specific assignments according to her requirements; young people were easier to work with and manage.

As Vera took notes, she wondered curiously: Could Irene’s new script be a romantic war film?

Wouldn’t that be just like Pearl Harbor? But Irene had clearly said before that those kinds of movies were the most likely to flop.

Never mind, don’t try to guess the boss’s thoughts.