C 22

The movie Batman Begins premiered with a solid opening box office of $14 million, reaching an impressive $87 million by the end of its first week. For an original film without prior sequels, these numbers were staggering, close to breaking records for non-franchise movies. 

As Betty noted, much of the credit could be attributed to Tony Stark, whose fame helped generate significant buzz around the release. Without his promotional influence, it's likely that even a well-reviewed film wouldn't have garnered this level of success right out of the gate.

With professional movie websites projecting the film's final box office at around $500 million domestically, and close to $200 million internationally, expectations were high.

A total estimated revenue of $700 million was impressive, especially given that the initial investment was only $100 million. 

This yield suggested a return on investment of over 150% from ticket sales alone, and once earnings from DVD, streaming, and other media were factored in, the film was likely to exceed a 200% return.

This success story elevated Anton's profile as a director, instantly earning him the title of "genius director" across the industry and the media. 

For the retired media mogul Jonah Jameson, Anton's rapid rise was both surprising and gratifying, giving him hope that the Jameson family legacy was in good hands.

The week following the release, Batman Begins quickly gained a large fanbase, with an estimated five million fans. Box office figures steadily climbed, reaching $270 million in record time.

However, growth eventually started to slow, with the curve of daily earnings flattening. 

This shift led movie websites to lower their projections to around $460 million for the final box office total. Yet, Anton had already recouped the film's initial cost, so everything beyond that was pure profit. 

According to their agreement, there was no obligation for Anton to share profits with Tony Stark. In fact, Anton's personal return had already surpassed 400%, a figure that left even the seasoned old Jameson marveling.

For the first time, old Jameson found himself feeling that Anton's newfound success in filmmaking had generated more wealth than he had accumulated throughout his entire media career.

But just as Batman's popularity was soaring, news broke that shocked the world: Stark Industries' biggest shareholder and CEO, Tony Stark, had gone missing while showcasing a new missile in Afghanistan. 

Details were scarce, but the report indicated that Tony was unaccounted for, a phrase that suggested they had no idea whether he was dead or alive.

The news jolted Anton. He realized this marked the beginning of the Iron Man storyline, where Tony Stark would transform into the iconic superhero. 

Anton couldn't help but feel an odd sense of anticipation, recognizing that Tony's life was about to shift dramatically. Yet he didn't doubt Tony's safety; after all, Tony Stark was essentially the Marvel Universe's "chosen one."

The idea of him being lost forever felt absurd, unless this was some weird version which he could confirm in the coming days.

The incident, however, sparked an idea in Anton's mind, so he called Betty.

"Boss, what's the call for?" Betty answered from the Daily Bugle, noting yet again that Anton was nowhere to be found at the office. As she often did, she envied the boss's freedom to skip work at will.

"Did you hear about Tony's disappearance?" Anton asked bluntly.

"Of course," Betty replied, slightly exasperated. "It's all anyone's talking about. He's Tony Stark, the biggest name in the arms industry, and he's gone missing."

Anton paused for a moment before revealing his plan. "Remember, Tony was one of the investors in Batman Begins—the movie contains some of his ideas, too. Let's push the angle that this was his 'final project' before his disappearance."

Betty, startled by the notion, took a moment to digest it. "Are you suggesting we call this his last work?" She smirked, marveling at her boss's audacity. "Boss, sometimes I wonder if your heart is made of stone."

"Make it happen," Anton instructed, dismissing her comment with a chuckle. "If I don't see a boost in the box office tomorrow, consider yourself fired."

Betty rolled her eyes, muttering, "It must be stone. No need to check."

Pleased with himself, Anton opened his dashboard and saw that Batman's fan count had reached 8.8 million. The response was growing, and he anticipated the new publicity angle would give it a further push.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the country, the powerful figure Drake received the news of Anton's success. As he stared at the picture of the director, a smirk spread across his face.

"A 'genius' director?" he murmured to himself. "Soon, the world will see that the higher they raise you, the harder you'll fall."

Simultaneously, in Manhattan's Financial District, inside the Continental Hotel—a sanctuary for the world's most skilled assassins—Winston, the hotel manager, scrutinized a photograph handed to him by a colleague. 

As a well-informed insider, he recognized the young man in the picture as the person stirring up a media storm across the United States. Given who was funding the hit, Winston wasn't surprised at the order.

"A bounty of ten million," he mused, "for a troublesome kid who's just a bit too high-profile." He raised an eyebrow and sighed. "How many resources does this guy have?"

Just then, a familiar figure entered the room. John Wick, the Continental's most lethal assassin, was ready to take on his last job before retirement.

"John," Winston greeted him warmly, "this is one final task for you before you step away." He handed Wick the file.

Wick examined the photograph for a few moments before looking back up. "Is this your way of sending me off with a farewell gift?"

"Call it that if you'd like," Winston replied with a friendly smile. "When you're done, remember you're always welcome back at the Continental. Consider it an open invitation."

John nodded. "Goodbye, Winston," he said simply, turning to leave.

"Goodbye, John," Winston replied, watching him go with the admiration a king might reserve for his bravest knight.

Winston knew Wick had been one of his most valuable allies over the years, but he also understood that it was time to find new talent to replace the legendary hitman.

Leaving the Continental, Wick drove with his loyal dog to a quiet, luxurious villa district, where homes easily priced in the tens of millions.

The assassin had amassed a considerable fortune, though he knew he could afford only the most modest of these residences. That knowledge didn't bother him; for someone of his disposition, envy and anger were emotions he had long ago abandoned.

Looking at the assignment as his final job, Wick felt an odd sense of detachment. Winston had given him an unusually simple target for his send-off—a movie director, unguarded, inexperienced in combat, and wholly unprepared for what was coming. 

It wasn't his usual kind of assignment, but as he entered the neighborhood and mentally prepared for the task, he resolved to finish this final job as he'd finished all the others—efficiently, swiftly, and without a trace.

And so, the infamous assassin, known as the king of killers, was now on a collision course with Anton, Hollywood's newest "genius director."

Unaware of what was heading his way, Anton was simply basking in his recent box-office triumph, with plans for an even brighter future unfolding in his mind.

….

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