Chapter 232: Not Selling a Single One

Sitting at her desk, Daisy held a pen in one hand and propped her chin with the other, pondering how to write this letter.

In the past period, she had written at least thirty letters and mailed them to CAA's mailbox, only to receive no response. The feeling of waiting in vain was not pleasant.

Daisy looked up at the wall in front of her, where a poster was attached with the words "For my dear Daisy!" followed by a fancy English signature - Murphy Stanton.

Seeing this poster, Daisy couldn't help but recall the director she saw at the premiere. It was a pity that it was too crowded then for any meaningful interaction.

Sighing deeply, she wondered how she could express her growing admiration and affection for Murphy Stanton. Suddenly, many images flashed through her mind, which she quickly shook off as too crazy.

Looking down at the letter paper in front of her, she started to write, "I've written many letters without a reply, but I hope this one reaches you. I'm a staunch supporter and the leader of your discussion group on IMDB. Since watching 'Saw', I've had many thoughts and ideas I'd like to share with you, especially if you continue to make films of this genre. The killing methods I've thought of might be of help to you..."

After filling two sheets of paper, Daisy sealed the letter in an envelope, addressed it to CAA's mailbox, and headed out to mail it as the sun set in the west.

Meanwhile, Murphy Stanton's Cadillac parked in a parking lot near the back door of the Hollywood Chief Stone Theater.

Upon arrival, Murphy showed his invitation to the security staff and entered the theater, navigating through a few turns and a long corridor to reach the front lobby.

"Hello, Mr. Stanton," greeted a staff member who recognized him. Murphy nodded and inquired, "Has Miss Fes arrived?"

"She's here," the staff member pointed towards a crowd where Kara Fes was mingling.

"Thank you."

Murphy headed in the direction indicated and soon caught Kara's attention. She excused herself from the group and approached him.

"Why are you so late?" she asked before guiding him away, "This way."

"I had some last-minute issues at Miramax," Murphy explained, "and only left Burbank at three."

Kara indicated a group of people ahead, "Executives from 20th Century Fox and Marvel Comics are here. I'll introduce you."

Approaching them, she interjected into their conversation, "Hi, everyone."

The group greeted Kara and Murphy, to whom she introduced, "This is my good friend, Director Murphy Stanton."

They all turned towards him, evidently recognizing who Murphy was.

Kara continued, "This is Harry Allens, CEO of 20th Century Fox," pointing to a balding man in his fifties with Jewish features.

"And this is Dave Scola, head of Fox's film production department," indicating a middle-aged man with glasses, Kara's potential internal competitor at Fox.

Murphy shook hands with them, and Harry Allens, in particular, was courteous, expressing hopes for continued collaboration between Fox and Stanton Studios.

Their joint project, 'Saw 2', had grossed nearly fifty million dollars in North America, bringing significant profit to Stanton Studios. The third installment was naturally in the works.

"Our collaboration will continue," Murphy assured.

Harry Allens smiled, "When will you direct a film for 20th Century Fox?"

The comment drew a sharp glance from Dave Scola to Kara.

Kara, pretending not to notice, only smiled.

Murphy simply nodded, "I'm sure an opportunity will arise."

After speaking with Harry Allens, Kara introduced Murphy to two key figures from Marvel Comics - the legendary Stan Lee and CEO Avi Arad.

Murphy hadn't expected to meet them here, but considering 'X-Men' originated from Marvel, their presence wasn't surprising.

The success of 'Spider-Man' and 'X-Men' had put Marvel Comics in the spotlight.

Engaging in necessary networking, Murphy met Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Bryan Singer, and Brett Ratner, the new director of 'X-Men 3'. He noticed the cast seemed somewhat resistant to Ratner.

"I don't know why," Kara commented, "Bryan Singer doesn't seem to like him either."

Murphy didn't understand the dynamics but advised Kara, "Don't give up on X-Men, no matter what."

He then shifted the conversation to 'Daredevil', which Fox had planned to adapt into a film but stalled due to Ben Affleck's withdrawal and current financial constraints at Fox. Murphy expressed interest in 'Daredevil' as a bargaining chip with Marvel Comics.

Approaching Avi Arad alone, Murphy opened a conversation about acquiring film adaptation rights for some Marvel superheroes, naming 'Iron Man', 'Captain America', 'Black Widow', 'Thor', and 'Daredevil'.

Arad, cautious, mentioned 'Daredevil's rights were with Fox and flatly refused to sell the rights to the other characters. "Marvel Comics won't discuss transferring movie rights with any company," he stated firmly.

Murphy knew that a high enough offer could persuade Marvel, but the cost was beyond his reach.

Returning to Kara, Murphy shared the unsuccessful outcome, reflecting on how Marvel Comics had changed since the '90s.

Kara agreed, mentioning Marvel's efforts to reclaim rights from successful adaptations like 'X-Men', 'Fantastic Four', and 'Spider-Man'.

As they prepared to watch 'X-Men 2', Murphy noted that 'Sin City' was likely to face a significant impact that weekend.

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