Chapter 87: Disney Comes Knocking

After the expenditure and income reports were clear, Jessica then reported on the remaining cash in the company:

"Currently, the company has $180 million in remaining funds, and Mission: Impossible brings in millions of dollars in quarterly copyright royalties and merchandise revenue."

"$100 million..."

Kevin pondered, resting his chin on his hand.

There is still a significant gap compared to the funds needed for Marvel.

The expected returns from Pirates of the Caribbean, which can directly benefit Dawn Entertainment, are just over $100 million, along with some copyright revenue.

It will take time to accumulate, but it's not an immediate solution.

It seems that they will have to start with new film projects.

....

San Pedro City, San Pedro Port, Pirates of the Caribbean Town.

Johnny Depp, dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, is promoting the Pirates of the Caribbean movie and the tourist attractions of the Pirates of the Caribbean Town.

Countless journalists follow closely, capturing details of Depp interacting with each fan.

The Pirates of the Caribbean Town is now flooded with thousands of visitors, achieving a feat that no other attraction in San Pedro City has ever accomplished.

The arrival of Captain Jack Sparrow ignites an atmosphere of celebration.

The entire town is filled with an enthusiastic atmosphere.

The director of the Tourism Bureau, Ronald, watched the scene in the small town with a smile on his face.

The number of visitors has been steadily increasing since the release of Pirates of the Caribbean, reaching such an exaggerated level just one week later.

As the director of the Tourism Bureau, his investment decision has undoubtedly proven to be highly profitable.

This unquestionably adds a glorious achievement to his resume.

If he had more interest in politics, he might have even considered running for the position of mayor of San Pedro City.

On the other side, in the Pirates of the Caribbean Town, several individuals dressed in formal attire, clearly here for work rather than vacation, were constantly writing on paper.

They seemed to be compiling data.

After the person compiling the data stopped, the middle-aged white man with gold-framed glasses, who was leading the group, asked:

"How is the visitor flow in Pirates of the Caribbean Town?"

The person compiling the data replied:

"The daily visitor flow reaches tens of thousands of people, with a majority of them being families and parent-child combinations."

"It aligns perfectly with our Disney project. I recommend securing it."

These individuals are responsible for project evaluation at Disney.

They scour the entire United States, searching for various projects to help Disney theme parks evolve and not remain stagnant.

Thanks to their efforts, Disney theme parks have dominated the industry in the United States for many years, standing as the sole industry giant.

Disney theme parks are also a crucial source of revenue for The Walt Disney Company, holding a significant position within the company.

Upon hearing the data just mentioned, the man with gold-framed glasses was taken aback.

This visitor flow was truly astonishing.

Based on this level of visitor flow, the annual revenue of Pirates of the Caribbean Town could easily reach tens of millions of dollars, and this is still limited by the operational capacity of the San Pedro City Tourism Bureau.

If this project were handed over to Disney theme parks for operation, the profits could potentially double or triple.

A project with such massive returns would not be overlooked by other larger amusement parks in the United States if Disney didn't act swiftly.

This increase and decrease would indirectly reduce Disney's revenue.

Theme park projects fundamentally involve competition where one's gain is another's loss.

The total number of visitors and time available are limited. Entrusting the project to someone else would mean a decrease in Disney's visitors.

Upon hearing this data, Juliet, the man with gold-framed glasses, immediately realized that Disney must secure this project.

The release of Pirates of the Caribbean was widely known and well-received.

Of course, they had all heard about it.

With the release of multiple sequels, as long as the box office didn't experience a consecutive slump, this blockbuster would only continue to grow in influence.

If they didn't secure the licensing rights for this themed town sooner rather than later, they would suffer significant losses in the future.

...

The group hurriedly rushed to the headquarters of Disney theme parks with the collected data, eager to report their findings and evaluations.

The exaggerated data immediately caught the attention of the top executives at Disney theme parks.

After a thorough discussion, Disney made an immediate decision to secure this project at all costs.

Although this project would only be an enhancement for them, if it fell into the hands of other major amusement parks, it would become a weapon aimed at their own interests.

Led by Juliet, they headed to the location of Dawn Entertainment, the copyright holder of Pirates of the Caribbean, to negotiate the licensing agreement.

Dawn Entertainment Company.

Conference room.

Kevin and Dawson faced a group of professionals from Six Flags theme parks, a prominent amusement park company based in Illinois.

"How about it? Six Flags Entertainment is very sincere and willing to offer a direct payment of $100 million for the licensing of Pirates of the Caribbean," said the bald-headed man leading the group, with a look of generosity on his face.

He eagerly awaited Kevin's response.

Disney's model was imitated by some amusement park companies, and it was in this context that many people became aware of the impact of Pirates of the Caribbean on the flow of visitors to the Pirates-themed town.

As one of the top three amusement park companies in the United States, Six Flags was the first to approach Kevin for negotiations regarding the licensing agreement.

In the face of the bald-headed man's offer of $100 million, Kevin simply smiled faintly and casually replied, "Do you think a mere $100 million can secure the licensing rights for Pirates of the Caribbean?"

The bald-headed man's face immediately changed.

"Well, what do you think would be an appropriate amount?" he asked.

"Two hundred million dollars, along with 10% of the net profits from this project," Kevin stated his desired price directly.

Originally, Kevin had planned to keep this licensing agreement in his own hands and operate a theme park himself. After all, with so many future Marvel IPs, creating a theme park would be the best way to make money.

However, after inquiring about the specific requirements for an amusement park project, he quickly dismissed the idea. Unlike typical projects, amusement park projects involved dealing with various U.S. government departments and required substantial funding.

The construction of Shanghai Disneyland in the future cost over $5.5 billion, and even though it may not be as expensive in this era, several billion dollars would still be necessary.

It was at that point that Kevin gave up on his plan to build a theme park himself.