Chapter 330: Polite Pleasantries

Chapter 330: Chapter 330: Polite Pleasantries

With the success of the X-Men series before it and the explosion of Spider-Man after, everyone from Marvel Comics to Universal Pictures to the Hulk’s comic book fans undoubtedly placed immense hope in this superhero adaptation. Everyone was eagerly anticipating that it could bring the Hulk to life in live-action, just like previous adaptations.

Universal Pictures also spent a fortune hosting a grand premiere at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

When Irene arrived, the entire premiere area was packed with people, the atmosphere was magnificent, and cheers rose and fell one after another.

Universal not only invited a large number of stars to bolster the event, but Universal’s COO Ron Meyer also personally invited various industry heavyweights. For instance, Sherry Lansing from Paramount, Michael Eisner from Walt Disney, and Mark Barrit from Warner Bros. Decision-makers who were usually hard to see had all come to the scene at that moment.

Ang Lee had also personally sent an invitation to Irene, but Irene’s reply at the time was that she might not have time to attend. The other party knew she was busy filming Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and didn’t mind.

So when Irene quietly arrived at the scene, she deliberately avoided the red carpet. Consequently, not many people noticed her arrival until she walked into the VIP room, which caught the attention of two industry titans.

"Irene, I didn’t expect you to actually make time to come. I felt a bit of regret when I heard from Ang Lee that you might be unavailable. He mentioned you’re very concerned about our movie, and I was hoping for a chance to exchange ideas with you in person." Ron Meyer seemed very polite, but there was an imperceptible hint of superiority in his tone. "How is the filming progress for Pirates of the Caribbean 2? Will we have the chance to see it in theaters next year?"

Irene raised her hand to signal a waiter for a glass of lemonade. Anyone can play the game of polite pleasantries. "Mr. Ron is too kind. I just happened to be able to spare two hours. On the contrary, Universal’s premiere this time is quite grand. It is my honor to witness Director Ang Lee’s new work with my own eyes. As for Pirates of the Caribbean 2, the filming cycle isn’t short, so I’m afraid it will be difficult to release next year."

"Oh? That’s truly a shame. My children are all looking forward to seeing Captain Jack again," Ron nodded slightly, naturally shifting the conversation toward their previous friction. "Regarding some unpleasantness during the Future World acquisition, I looked into it later. It was all due to the people below being too eager for success and making some overstepping arrangements without communicating clearly with you in time."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across Irene’s calm face, and added, "To be honest, I personally greatly admire your ability to integrate the resources of Future World in such a short time while simultaneously pushing forward such a large-scale location shoot."

"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Ron." Irene took a small sip of lemonade. "Disagreements in business are inevitable. As long as they don’t affect the work itself, there’s no need to dwell too much on the past."

"Well said." Ron smiled. "Future World currently has strong momentum, and the Pirates of the Caribbean series has its own blockbuster genes. Universal is very willing to join hands with capable partners. If there are suitable projects in the future, perhaps we can share resources. I look forward to discussing things further with you."

Irene understood clearly. Ron’s overtures were mostly based on the uncertainty of Hulk. If this movie truly became a massive hit, he might not be so gentle.

But she didn’t call him out, only responding along with his words: "I am flattered by Mr. Ron’s recognition. If there is an opportunity in the future, I am naturally happy to communicate. After all, in the film and television industry, cooperation is the only way to achieve a win-win."

As for specific projects, there were none for the time being.

Their conversation lasted less than three minutes before Sherry Lansing walked over with a smile, teasing, "Ron, don’t hog Irene all to yourself. The rest of us want to ask this rising producer for a few tips as well."

Ron nodded in turn. "Then I won’t intrude. I hope Miss Irene enjoys herself tonight." With that, he turned and walked toward Michael Eisner of Walt Disney. Before leaving, he glanced back at Irene’s silhouette, his eyes filled with a bit more scrutiny.

Irene and Sherry Lansing shared a smile, and Lansing took the lead. "Seriously, Irene, everyone at Paramount is looking forward to the Transformers collaboration next year."

She gently swirled her champagne glass, the golden liquid tracing delicate arcs on the glass wall. "We’ve all seen the efficiency with which you integrated Future World’s resources. Originally, some people within the company questioned your ability, but they shut their mouths after seeing your work efficiency. Transformers needs exactly that kind of drive. After all, mecha battles in Transformers are a greater test of industrial standards than pirate ship chases."

A hint of a smile flashed in Irene’s eyes as she responded, "It is my honor to collaborate with Paramount on this classic IP. Hasbro’s toy foundation has already accumulated the sentiment of two generations. As long as we balance the special effects and narrative well, we will surely create a different kind of sci-fi feast."

Recalling the Transformers animation materials she had seen before, she added, "I heard Hasbro has extremely high requirements for mechanical details. I will prepare contingency plans for subsequent location selection and equipment scheduling in advance."

"With those words, I’m relieved." Sherry leaned in closer, her tone carrying a hint of industry secrets. "On Universal’s side, however, I’ve heard from friends in the industry that the internal test screening feedback for Hulk was very unsatisfactory."

She glanced at Ron, who was talking to someone not far away, and lowered her voice even further. "Some test audience members complained that there were too few fight scenes and the artistic tone was too heavy, which didn’t meet the expectations for a superhero film at all. You see this premiere being held so extravagantly? To put it bluntly, it’s a final struggle—with an investment of 137 million dollars, they don’t even have the confidence to break even now."

Irene raised an eyebrow slightly. She wasn’t too surprised by this news, but she hadn’t expected Sherry Lansing to be so blunt.

"What’s more interesting is that Ron himself has tacitly accepted this fact." Sherry chuckled, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "At a Producer’s Guild cocktail party a few days ago, he privately complained that Ang Lee was too obsessed with artistic expression and forgot that the core of a commercial film is to please the audience. But he’s also unwilling to give up, constantly muttering, ’If an unpopular subject like pirates can be a hit, why can’t our Hulk?’ You see, after all that talk, he even dragged you into it."

Irene was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then couldn’t help but laugh.

She truly hadn’t expected that her Pirates of the Caribbean would become the benchmark for Ron’s refusal to admit defeat.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Originally, the pirate theme wasn’t well-regarded, but now it had become a phenomenal IP. It was inevitable that Universal, which had similarly bet on a big production, would feel indignant.

"How it really turns out, we’ll know after tonight." At that moment, Irene happened to see Ang Lee. "Pardon me, Ms. Lansing, please excuse me for a moment."

Sherry Lansing signaled that it was fine.

Irene walked toward Ang Lee.