**Chapter 91: Luckily, It's Not Our Headache**

The news of Julia Roberts and two other stars joining *The Bourne Identity* had garnered so much attention that it overshadowed Ian McKellen's involvement.

Although Ian McKellen's fame skyrocketed, his co-stars from *X-Men*, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Professor X, were even more popular, placing them higher on the billing list. As a result, despite Ian's salary increase, he was paid only $1.5 million to play a villain with limited screen time, which Wayne considered a bargain.

Unfortunately, Wayne had already cast Willem Dafoe as Dr. Isaacs, the main antagonist in the *Resident Evil* series, to capitalize on the hype from Dafoe's *Green Goblin* role in *Spider-Man*. Otherwise, Wayne might have considered McKellen for the part.

Two days later, before they had even finished filming the interior scenes, Avi Arad, worried Wayne might back out, arrived with his lawyer in tow, rushing the process.

When Wayne finally signed the contract, ensuring that all payments were made to both his personal and Marvel's accounts, Avi's usually plain face lit up with a smile as bright as a blooming flower.

"My God, Mr. Anderson, you're incredibly generous!" Avi exclaimed. "On behalf of all Marvel employees, I welcome you! I promise to complete the tasks you've assigned, including reclaiming the rights to *Iron Man* and *Hulk* within three months, and I'll try to secure shared rights to *Spider-Man* with Sony-Columbia!"

Avi wasn't just saying this for effect—he truly loved and believed in Marvel and its superheroes. He had taken over Marvel in 1996 when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy, pouring all his resources into saving it.

"Go for it, Arad! I see in you the same passion for Marvel that I have. I'll fully support you financially and be your strongest ally!" Wayne said enthusiastically, giving Avi a hearty slap on the shoulder.

This gesture nearly knocked the breath out of Avi, but he couldn't complain—Marvel was strapped for cash. Reclaiming rights, making movies, everything required money. If Marvel hadn't sold off assets and rights earlier, they might not have even been able to pay their employees.

But now, with Wayne's financial backing, everything seemed possible.

Avi wasn't naive. He had done his homework on Wayne during their initial negotiations and knew how wealthy Wayne was. Securing three A-list actresses for supporting roles in a film was an extravagant move, especially in Hollywood, where every dollar is scrutinized.

After a lunch with Wayne, Avi wasted no time and flew back to the U.S. with his lawyer to push forward.

Meanwhile, *Gifted*, Harvey Weinstein's new film, had started gaining some attention due to Weinstein's substantial promotional efforts.

However, the results were still underwhelming. No one, except Wayne, could have predicted that three blockbuster films would be released between December 5 and December 22, each earning over $100 million at the North American box office and over $200 million globally—a rarity for the time.

With three industry giants battling it out, *Gifted* didn't stand much of a chance.

The only solace for Harvey was the strong performance during the film's limited release. On December 17, its first day of previews, it achieved an average occupancy rate of 67% across 100 theaters, earning $6,850 per theater, which was quite impressive.

Even better, over the next three days, these numbers continued to rise. By December 21, the number of theaters had expanded to 200, with an average occupancy of 77% and a per-theater gross of $7,960.

By the end of its four-day preview run, *Gifted* had grossed $4.3 million, giving Harvey hope for a potential box office success.

However, just as he opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate and indulged with a few actors, he received a call the next afternoon with bad news: on December 22, *Gifted*'s numbers plummeted by 15%. Occupancy and per-theater gross dropped below its opening day figures.

The cause? *Cast Away*, starring Tom Hanks, had been released.

"Fuck!" Harvey cursed, kicking the still-sleeping women off the bed in a fit of rage.

But no amount of anger could change the situation. Not only was Fox, the studio behind *Cast Away*, too powerful to challenge, but Tom Hanks was also an untouchable figure in Hollywood.

While Hanks might not command the same salary as Leonardo DiCaprio or Will Smith, his status in Hollywood and his influence in the U.S. were unparalleled. Hanks generated millions annually for his agency, and any attempt to challenge him would be swiftly shut down.

As for taking on the movie directly, even Harvey knew better than to mess with the "Big Seven" studios, who sat atop Hollywood's power pyramid.

With *Gifted* set to premiere on December 24, two days after *Cast Away*, Harvey had to decide whether to invest even more in promotions to keep his film from being overshadowed or to wait and see how things played out.

After an entire cigar, Harvey made his decision. He picked up the phone and instructed his assistant to increase the promotional budget.

He had no choice—his sunk costs were too high. With $22 million spent acquiring the film and another $7 million in promotional expenses, his total investment was nearly $30 million.

*Gifted* had limited international distribution deals, only signing with local distributors in Europe and a few Asian countries. The number of markets was small, and the revenue-sharing agreements weren't as favorable as those in North America.

At this point, if the box office grossed less than $70 million, Harvey stood to lose money. Adding another $2-3 million to maintain the film's visibility was the most logical move.

Meanwhile, both Sarah and Susan were relieved they had sold the rights to *Gifted*. Otherwise, they'd be the ones dealing with this headache.

"Thank goodness for Wayne! He had such foresight!" Susan exclaimed.

"Yes, who could have predicted such stiff competition this month? If we were still handling the release, I think I would have surrendered by now." Sarah agreed.

(End of Chapter)