Chapter 131: Deals at the Party

After witnessing the other film company executives making unsuccessful attempts to persuade Kevin, Robinov approached with a smile on his face. Warner Bros. was more concerned about Steve Kevin's recruitment than any other company.

However, Robinov was well aware that if Kevin had no intention of continuing to work with Warner Bros., there was no way to restrict him. To prevent Kevin from secretly negotiating with other film companies, Robinov decided to throw a party as a way to probe into Kevin's plans for his next film and potential collaborators.

However, it seemed that Kevin had no intention of working with other film companies. Robinov appeared completely oblivious to what had just happened with Kevin.

"Kevin, today's party is held for you. Make sure you have a great time," Robinov said, raising his glass.

"Let's all have fun together," Kevin casually replied.

Robinov continued, holding his glass, "Oh, by the way, Kevin, do you have any plans for your new film?"

Kevin nodded and honestly replied, "Yes, I bought the film rights to a comic book from Marvel Comics and I'm planning to adapt it into a movie."

"Like Batman?" Robinov quickly inquired.

"It's a bit different. After all, Batman is the most popular and widely acclaimed movie in the U.S. My purchase is just for a secondary character's film rights," Kevin explained.

Robinov eagerly asked, "So, will it be the same deal as before? A 30% investment?"

"Actually, the movie rights I acquired are for a secondary character at best," Kevin responded calmly. "As for the investment ratio, it won't be the same as before. I plan to fully fund the project myself."

Robinov was still in a hurry as he pleaded, and it was understandable. Steve Kevin's name was a golden ticket. Warner Bros. had been collaborating with him since "Get Out" until now, Warner Bros. had likely earned hundreds of millions of dollars in profit from their partnership.

If we consider the Batman trilogy, the revenue surpassed one billion dollars. Additionally, there would be a continuous revenue stream from DVD sales and licensing fees for several decades to come.

A film company that could maintain a long-term collaboration with such a director was bound to thrive. For a CEO like Robinov, the greatest benefit was not having to worry about performance pressure, and his year-end bonus was always substantial.

"No, I still have plenty of money on hand, and I want to invest it myself," Kevin directly declined.

Kevin stood firm in his refusal. This was his intention when coming here, as these matters couldn't be kept hidden.

Once he started shooting and registered with the Writers Guild and Directors Guild, the major studios would naturally become aware of it.

Therefore, Kevin had no intention of concealing his plans. Instead, he openly shared his decision with everyone he met, making it known that he didn't intend to seek investment from any other film company.

Surprisingly, this approach actually helped reduce the attention from other film companies.

After all, many directors in the past had harbored similar thoughts. Film companies didn't oppose them; instead, they provided support. It was only after these directors experienced failures and depleted their own resources that they matured.

Kevin's words informed others that he was currently in such an inflated phase. At this time, all that was needed was to wait for some time, allowing Hollywood to educate him.

Naturally, he would return and collaborate with major film companies. This had been a longstanding practice in Hollywood.

That was the reason why, one by one, the other people left after Kevin spoke. Such situations were common among renowned directors.

The eventual outcome was that the directors suffered significant losses, causing them to no longer engage in investment or, at most, invest a small portion.

And before that, no one could persuade anyone.

Upon hearing Kevin's words, Robinov couldn't help but advise, "Kevin, do you know how many directors in Hollywood share the same idea as you?"

Kevin had a confident expression on his face, looking like a stubborn person who wouldn't listen to any persuasion.

In response to Robinov's words, he confidently said, "They are them. Their failures don't mean I will fail."

Robinov had a "just as expected" expression on his face.

Based on his many years of experience in Hollywood, he had witnessed this kind of thing many times before.

Perhaps Kevin would succeed as an independent producer.

However, compared to major studios, what he lacked most was the channel for subsequent copyright development.

The value of the same movie would greatly diminish in his hands.

Likewise, because they couldn't fully develop a movie's potential.

For these directors, a movie truly needed three times the box office revenue just to break even and make a profit later.

While major film companies, on the surface, needed three times the box office revenue to break even.

But if you add the subsequent copyright development into the equation.

Twice the box office revenue would be enough for them to break even.

To put it simply, major film companies have a stronger ability to bear risks.

They can afford the losses from several movies, and the cost they have to pay for the same movie is lower.

However, for directors, once they continuously lose money on two or three movies.

It directly results in bankruptcy.

Furthermore, due to the consecutive failures of their movies, it is often difficult for them to get the opportunity to direct big productions again. They have to start from small productions to make a comeback.

Therefore, this often becomes the ultimate test for renowned directors in the industry.

However, everyone has a dream of being a boss, and it's difficult to persuade them.

"Sigh!"

..

Robinov sighed and then put on a smile, winking and said, "Well, in that case, I won't say much. Warner Bros. will always welcome you back. Let's have a good time tonight. I've invited quite a few female celebrities here."

"They are all eagerly looking forward to having a deep conversation with the renowned director Steve Kevin."

With that, Robinov left the place.

The main part of the party came to an end, and it was time for everyone to enjoy themselves.

Models, minor celebrities, B-list stars, and even insignificant supporting actors, as long as they looked young and beautiful, were welcomed into the party without hesitation.

Of course, props like cameras with photo-taking capabilities were not allowed to be brought in.

As celebrities in Hollywood, they still had some dignity to uphold.

If they were caught in a scandal involving compromising photos, it would be a huge loss of face.

...

"Hello, Director Kevin. I'm Keira. I was wondering if you have time to take a look at my acting and see if I can play a supporting role in your next movie."

A uniquely beautiful woman with dark skin approached Kevin confidently and extended an invitation.

Her words were straightforward, expressing her desire to have a deep conversation with Kevin, with the condition of being cast as a supporting role in his next movie.