Chapter 478: Thanks

Chapter 478: Chapter 478: Thanks

Facing the other party’s extremely active and decisive attitude, Irene could only nod and agree with a helpless sigh.

She truly had not expected that an offhand industry suggestion of hers would prematurely usher in a new derivative era for the Fox mutant universe.

Hugh Jackman, standing aside, was also filled with joy upon hearing this, his eyes brimming with anticipation.

Who would not want a solo movie with their own exclusive IP? After all, who would not want to be the absolute male lead of a blockbuster? He was not a pure artist, after all.

Right in the middle of the three people’s conversation, a capable figure cut through the surging crowd and walked straight toward them.

The newcomer was Warner Bros.’s distribution head, Hope Leslie, wearing a well-tailored navy blue professional suit, with his short blonde hair meticulously groomed and a sincere smile on his face.

He had deep roots in Warner Bros. for many years, holding a considerable share of speaking rights along the distribution line, and had handled the publicity and rollout of countless heavyweight blockbusters; he was famously known in Hollywood’s distribution circles for his vicious eye and decisive actions.

"Irene, I finally found you." Hope Leslie walked up to the two of them holding a glass of champagne, first nodding slightly to Adelaide before casting his gaze back onto Irene, his tone filled with heartfelt gratitude,

"Running into you here today is truly a pleasant surprise. I must say thank you to you in person."

Irene slightly raised an eyebrow: "Hope, why so solemn?"

"This gratitude is completely deserved." Hope Leslie’s brows relaxed, his tone carrying undisguised excitement,

"Christopher Nolan, whom you recommended to Warner Bros.—we have already finished watching the complete final cut of Batman Begins. The entire Warner Bros. higher-ups, from the production department to our distribution department, were all shaken after watching it. It is scheduled for an official theatrical release this July, and everyone up and down the company holds extremely high expectations for this movie."

Speaking of the Batman IP, the grievances that Warner Bros. had pent up for many years could not be explained in just a few words.

That late-90s movie Batman & Robin blindly piled on flashy special effects, featuring a naive and hollow plot and exaggerated, absurd character portrayals.

After its release, both word-of-mouth and box office collapsed, not only causing Warner Bros. to suffer huge financial losses, but also directly plunging the national-level superhero IP Batman into the abyss.

For a long time, the internal staff at Warner Bros. even developed psychological shadows regarding live-action Batman adaptation movies, with high-level executives arguing endlessly.

One faction felt that it should be completely shelved and they should no longer rashly touch this hot potato; another faction was unwilling to let such a precious IP gather dust like that, bitterly searching for suitable creators, yet after contacting quite a few directors, the proposals that came out were all subpar.

"You also know how tricky the mess left by Batman & Robin was. For a long time, the outside world felt that Batman could never produce a decent live-action movie again." Hope Leslie gently sighed, then raised a smile again,

"Back in 2003, Warner Bros. officially sent you an invitation, hoping you would take over the production of the brand new Batman trilogy. Frankly speaking, back then we all felt that if you stepped in, there was a high probability you could save this IP."

Hearing this, Irene smiled faintly and did not take these words seriously.

Back in 2003, she had several projects piled up in her hands simultaneously, and her personal time and energy had long been carved up completely.

She truly could not spare the hands to take on Batman, let alone the fact that she was very clear that Warner Bros. had contacted more than one director at the time.

What was even more crucial was that Batman’s dark and gloomy narrative core was not the creative field she excelled at the most.

The soul of a movie is rooted in the director’s own expression and personal style.

Even if she could replicate the complete story threads and storyboard scenes, that dark temperament belonging uniquely to Nolan—restrained, realistic, and carrying a heavy sense of destiny—was something she could not replicate.

Forcibly taking it over would only result in a nondescript work in the end, which would both waste Warner Bros.’s resources and ruin the classic Batman IP.

"I really could not spare myself at the time." Irene spoke frankly, as this was the best excuse.

"That is why I recommended Christopher Nolan to Warner Bros." Irene’s tone was calm,

"Back then, he had already proven himself with Memento, excelling at excavating characters’ inner struggles and obsessed with dark narratives under realistic logic. He is the most suitable candidate for Batman."

In the space-time of her past life, it was Nolan who took over Batman, using a trilogy to rewrite the industry landscape of superhero movies.

In this lifetime, she merely took advantage of the situation to build a bridge and do a favor along the way.

"I have to say, your vision is truly astonishing." Hope Leslie’s eyes were full of admiration,

"Nolan did not choose to brainlessly pile on special effects and fancy costumes, but instead calmed down to dig into the roots of how Bruce Wayne became Batman, portraying cores like fear, revenge, and justice.

In our internal test screenings, almost all employees who saw the final cut gave positive reviews. Warner Bros. has already finalized the supporting publicity plan, and nationwide theater scheduling is also being coordinated with priority.

Everyone believes this film can wash away the disgrace left by Batman & Robin back then, allowing Batman to stand back at the position of a first-line Hollywood IP."

Speaking of this, Hope Leslie raised his champagne glass toward Irene:

"This opportunity originated from your recommendation. Regardless of the subsequent box office, Warner Bros. will firmly remember this favor. Afterwards, if you have any projects that need Warner Bros.’s distribution channels to cooperate, as long as it is within a reasonable scope, we are willing to open our doors wide."

Irene raised her glass and gently touched it with him, the collision of the glassware producing a crisp, light sound: "I wish Batman Begins a huge success when it releases in July."

"From your mouth to God’s ears." Hope Leslie’s smile was genuine, and after chatting casually for a few moments about recent trends in major Hollywood projects, he was called away by a Warner Bros. staff member to coordinate and communicate with several theater chain representatives.

After Hope left, the broadcast prompt in the lobby slowly sounded, a gentle female voice spreading across the entire cocktail party hall, reminding all attending guests that the premiere feature screening was about to begin and asking all viewers to move to the screening room to take their seats.

The crowds that were originally chatting in twos and threes began to slowly surge.

Everyone tidied their clothes, took their belongings, and walked toward the huge main screening room deep in the theater.

"It is time to enter." Adelaide turned her head to look at Irene, her tone carrying a bit of playfulness,

"To be honest, I am very curious about what Universal has tossed and turned for two years to finally polish out. The news leaking from the outside world is mixed, and Universal deliberately sealed off the feedback from its own internal test screenings, making it hard for outsiders to glimpse the true quality."