"What should we do? Tell me what to do? We have to do something!" Angry roars could be heard from time to time within Disney's office.
Michael Eisner was throwing a tantrum again. Although he had been temperamental lately, his anger today was particularly intense.
The reason, as everyone understood, was nothing more than the unsatisfactory box office performance of the chronicles of narnia.
The weekly box office results were in, just over $40 million, a terrible and unacceptable figure.
As a new film, and a commercial blockbuster with a built-in fanbase, it only ranked 4th on this week's box office chart, not even breaking into the top three.
In third place was the damned Inception, which opened on the same day as Spider-Man 2.
Peter Parker had already dropped to 6th place; who knew this nonsensical dream story would have such strong staying power?
Fortunately, in second place was an internal production, The Incredibles, but the equally damned wanted took in $31 million, biting at 5th place.
Behind them, low-budget films like Kung Fu Hustle and napoleon dynamite also squeezed into the top 20.
The most unacceptable thing was that Iron Man took the championship, raking in a terrifying $167 million in its first week.
Although it didn't break the $188 million box office record set by transformers, it was already the best performance of 2004.
Michael Eisner was so angry his teeth were almost grinding to dust. There was no doubt that temporarily moving the chronicles of narnia to the Christmas slot was a huge mistake.
That kid Eric Cooper understood marketing too well; he was too good at hype.
A ridiculous 'dream-fulfilling journey' fooled countless idiots into cinemas, offering him real money as tribute.
Look outside, everyone is talking about Iron Man, Iron Man, Iron Man. He felt like throwing up just hearing those letters.
Why wasn't anyone talking about Narnia, Narnia, Narnia?
"I need your opinions. What should we do about the chronicles of narnia? James, you first!"
The bespectacled man, called out by name, pushed up his glasses: "Boss, from the current situation, the chronicles of narnia is in a very bad position."
"Iron Man is simply too strong, and the most crucial thing is that captain america will also be released soon."
"Did you see the post-credits scene of Iron Man? The bald man played by Samuel L. Jackson said that there isn't just one superhero in the world. This is undoubtedly paving the way for captain america."
"Although the two films are not direct sequels, there must be factors that can connect them."
"Many viewers are now interested, meaning Iron Man will drive captain america to achieve decent box office results, even if the latter is poorly made."
Michael Eisner waved his hand, interrupting him: "I don't want you to analyze the damn situation; I want to hear solutions, come up with good ideas."
"Uh, sorry, boss, just give me some more time."
Michael Eisner's anger flared instantly. He wanted to curse but held back, then looked towards the marketing department: "What's your opinion?"
"Boss, from the first week's box office, we have already lost the direct battle. The box office for the chronicles of narnia is almost impossible to improve."
"But the key issue now is that the film's reputation is very good. I think instead of overly focusing on the current box office, we should consider whether it's still necessary to make a sequel."
Everyone looked at Michael Eisner, who was also suffering from a headache.
It's not about being bad or good; it's about being neither bad nor good.
If they make a sequel, what if it's acclaimed but not a box office hit again, leading to even greater losses?
If they don't make a sequel, it's a real shame to waste a big IP.
It's like if you and your wife have two children, and tests show one is yours and one isn't; in such a situation, you'd probably be arguing with your wife for the rest of your life.
"Boss, actually, I have a suggestion we can discuss."
"What?"
"How about withdrawing it? the chronicles of narnia has a very good reputation; it's just that the collision was too severe. A different release window would definitely bring in a decent box office."
Upon hearing this, Michael Eisner rejected it without even thinking.
What a joke! It was already brought in temporarily; if they pull it again, even the dumbest audience would realize they were being mocked and insulted.
Moreover, slinking away like that would only show that Disney had admitted defeat.
Seeing his disagreement, the conference room fell into a dead silence.
In fact, everyone's mindset had slowly begun to change. When your opponent is unkillable and even starts to counterattack, morale naturally weakens considerably.
After fighting for so long, what's the point of fighting? Didn't you just lose some speaking power? And your speaking power was also snatched from others.
MGM is doing streaming, so we'll do it too, that's all. The market is so big, and no one is stopping you.
Everyone was tired, except for these few company executives. They were all a bit tired, but no one dared to say it out loud.
Without a doubt, the hottest star these past few days was Robert Downey Jr.
If only considering film boosts, Bale, Tobey Maguire, Nicole, and others wouldn't be weaker than him.
The key was his personal experience, which garnered him immense attention.
Everyone knew what Downey used to be like: a long-time drug addict, a lost cause.
Alcoholism, drunk driving, gun possession, trespassing.
He was on social news almost every other day and had been in jail countless times—a standard piece of trash.
Because of this, he also ruined his marriage, leaving his wife and children scattered, hated by all.
But this time, he had a spectacular comeback, continuously showcasing his better side.
What is this?
This is a classic tale of a prodigal son's return, a common trope in Hollywood bad-boy movies.
It's often said that when a bad person suddenly has a change of heart and does a good deed, everyone gets very touched, feeling that humanity is not lost.
Downey was undoubtedly this type. People who didn't like him before started to like him, and those who thought he was okay liked him even more.
Appearing on shows, doing promotions, giving interviews, attending charity events, he apologized multiple times to those he had once hurt.
The media also interviewed his ex-wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, the lead actress of sex and the city.
For the man she had lived with for seven years, she smiled and offered her blessings.
"I'm very happy to see that he has finally turned over a new leaf. It's great that he can overcome himself."
"I haven't seen Iron Man yet, but I will make time to see it. I also wish him all the best."
"Contact? No, we haven't been in contact for a very long time. The past is in the past; let those troubles drift away with the wind."
Iron Man was dominating the film market, and good news also came from the music market.
Arista and Avril officially announced their termination of contract, and Avril immediately joined UTA.
In front of the media, Eric and Michael held a signing ceremony for her, welcoming the punk girl into the UTA family.
Immediately, she rushed to prepare for recording, eager to record and release "Something Just Like This."
Time passed, and to the anticipation of countless viewers, captain america also hit the big screen half a month later.
Nick Fury's line, "You're not the only superhero in the world," was enough for many to realize there must be a connection between the two films; it just remained to be seen how the story would be told.
On the red carpet, Chris Evans waved to everyone, and when asked when transformers 2 would be released?
He laughed heartily: "I'm not entirely sure about the specifics. You know, for these kinds of films, post-production is the top priority, but the live-action scenes have actually been filmed already."
"Will it be released in the summer? The summer slot is the most suitable time."
Chris Evans shrugged, pointing to Eric: "I really don't know. You'd be better off asking him than me."
"What?"
"Today is captain america's home game, not the Autobots'. Can we bring our attention back, please?"
Eric also didn't answer. Although he didn't direct the second film, he had been closely following the production process.
The film was more than halfway completed and could definitely make it for a summer release.
According to the usual practice for films, the release date should have been announced long ago, but now things are changing rapidly, and it could be rescheduled at any time, making it impossible to say for sure.
On the big screen, seeing Steve Rogers emerge from the containment unit, transforming from a scrawny, small chicken into a robust, muscular ostrich.
Especially his bare upper body, those smooth, firm pectoral muscles made many female viewers exclaim, "Wow!"
This scene was not the original special effect; it was Chris Evans's actual filming, achieved through fitness and makeup.
This year, he was exhausted. Sam required a small physique, while Captain America demanded a big muscle man. He could only train desperately under the nutritionist's plan to achieve results in a short time.
Thinking back to his first audition for Sam, Eric asked him to lose weight.
However enjoyable that was at the time, the subsequent training was just as painful.
But the realistic effects were great, especially in the battle scenes. Any action that could be done was filmed live.
They even hired a Martial Arts Instructor team from Hong Kong, delivering a fierce, hard-hitting style.
Every punch and kick fully demonstrated Captain America's strength and combat skills. It's important to remember that this hero is depicted as proficient in hundreds of fighting techniques.
To learn them, Chris Evans suffered greatly, but after filming, he confidently declared that he could take on ten people.
This version written by Eric reduced the entertainment elements and strengthened the war scenes.
In particular, a battle scene with Red Skull was added.
As the big boss, Red Skull, though appearing to be an intellectual character, is actually also a super soldier in terms of his set up.
His physical prowess and combat skills are completely on par with Captain America; the two are classic arch-nemeses.
Watching Red Skull on the big screen, wielding a sharp sword, clash with Captain America's Vibranium shield, creating huge sparks, the two fought from weapons to hand-to-hand combat.
Tons of steel bars and rocks were shattered into dust, making the audience cheer with excitement.
Until Captain America, piloting the spaceship, crashed into the sea with the Tesseract after bidding farewell to Agent Carter.
Seeing this scene, many viewers were a bit confused.
What does this mean? It feels wrong.
The movie's runtime was almost over, but the plot clearly wasn't finished; there was still much more to tell.
Especially, there was no connection with Iron Man at all.
Well, not entirely none. To be precise, there was a connection with Iron Man's father, Howard Stark.
But this was still World War II, and Iron Man was in modern times. There were decades between them, so it seemed impossible to connect them.
The scene shifted, and Captain America slowly opened his eyes on a hospital bed. The surroundings still looked like the last century, but a radio broadcast of a game betrayed the carefully constructed illusion.
Steve Rogers directly broke out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. base and rushed outside in one breath.
Amidst a desolate and grand BGM, tall buildings, neon lights, modern-dressed passersby, and never-before-seen car models.
Everything was so unfamiliar to an old man who had slept for seventy years.
The world had changed drastically; all the people he loved had grown old or died, leaving him alone in the world.
Fear, unease, and confusion were written on his face. Compared to the spirited Captain, the current Rogers made people feel a little heartbroken.
Until Nick Fury, the 'black bald egg,' appeared again.
"Sorry, Captain, we just wanted you to slowly accept all this."
"Accept what?"
"You've been asleep, asleep for about seventy years. Times have changed, Captain."
Rogers looked around helplessly, seemingly trying to find a tiny familiar shadow, but unfortunately, there was nothing.
"Captain, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Fine."
He then said in a low tone: "I just missed a date."
The movie officially ended there. As the end credits rolled, some people who didn't like listening to music got up to leave.
"Hold on, brother, I advise you not to do that."
"Hmm? Why?"
"The movie isn't over yet; you'll miss the post-credits scene."
"Post-credits scene? What post-credits scene?"
"No way, you haven't seen Iron Man? There's definitely a post-credits scene at the end. Sit down and wait a little while; it won't waste much time."
Immediately, the screen brightened again.
In the desert, an SUV was speeding, trailing a cloud of dust behind it.
After a while, the car stopped at a high vantage point, and Agent Coulson got out.
Looking down, a wide-angle shot revealed a huge crater on the ground, surrounded by busy construction vehicles, looking like a major project.
"Director, I have arrived in New Mexico!"
As Coulson spoke, the camera zoomed in sharply, finally settling on a hammer.
The screen went black again, and the movie officially ended.
Undoubtedly, this post-credits scene was a setup for Thor.
In the original, Thor wouldn't appear until after Iron Man 2, but why go through all that trouble? Advance it, advance everything!
The guy who had just gotten up to leave turned back and gave a thumbs-up: "Thanks, brother. That hammer, it looks like Thor."
"It must be Thor, the God of Thunder. So, the next movie will have Thor as the protagonist."
"If MGM and Marvel can connect these characters, they can form The Avengers."
"The Avengers has hulk, right? I remember the rights to hulk aren't with Marvel."
"That was the original The Avengers. The Avengers members are always changing. It's fine without hulk; just replace him with someone else."
"That's true. Just have Ant-Man grow big; he can completely replace hulk's role."
"Damn, I'm really looking forward to Marvel's upcoming movies. Bring them on!"