~： Six hundred and forty - Wayne is increasingly important to Warner Bros.

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After Grammy, Wayne only stayed in New York for one day, went to the Blue Sky Studio to observe silently, and immediately got on the plane to fly back to Los Angeles.

For this animation studio, his attitude has always been to let it go and never interfere in management and development plans. Even if the animation studio can only accept some advertisements or leftovers for Hollywood movie projects, he never wanted to Leverage Warner Bros. channels to give studios more convenience.

As we all know, live-action movies can still have a lot of tricks. Even if the cost is small, there are always countless ways to make them. But there are no shortcuts in animated feature films. It is just a matter of accumulating technology and experience little by little until it comes naturally.

Of course, Hollywood film companies are not fools. Animation studios, or animation departments, are completely money-burning holes. The only reason for them to invest money willingly is the existence of visible benefits.

The benefits that a successful animated feature film can bring are incomparable to live-action movies. Not only at the box office, the main source of income for animated feature films has always been offline.

Walt Disney relies on dream-like fairy tales, and its revenue has been strong in Hollywood for decades, and the results are also very obvious. Now this is the only large-scale film company that has not been acquired by a media group and has developed into a media group by itself. .

Even though the internal turmoil has become more and more intense in recent years, Disney has become several factions. Relying on the heritage accumulated by previous successful animated films, it still far exceeds Sony Columbia in revenue.

Therefore, animated feature films have always been a golden mountain, but with the changes of the times and the vigorous development of computer animation, there is now a new king in Hollywood, and that is Pixar Animation Studios.

Luckily, Disney, on the verge of being eliminated by the times, happened to take this bug-like animation studio into its arms again. In the early years, Joe Gang was in trouble. In order to solve the distribution problem of Pixar Studio, he signed an extremely unequal contract with Disney, directly binding this studio with unlimited potential to Disney.

The success of "Toy Story" has fully proved the profitability of computer animation feature films for all Hollywood film companies. The income of Disney's crazy sales of toys is completely incomparable.

In terms of animated feature films, Wayne's ambitions are not very big, especially the Blue Sky Studio in his hands. In his heart, he always seems to be running a high-quality asset waiting to sprout. From such an attitude, no matter whether you don't ask or stretch out your hands, this is the greatest help to this studio.

Even if Blue Sky Studio personally won some of the outsourced animations of "Titanic", there is not a little bit of his factor in it.

This kind of thing can't be rushed. What Wayne has to do is to ensure the survival funds of the studio, and there will naturally be more professional animation workers to develop in the future. After the Grammy Awards Ceremony, the time has come to the end of February, and the new year's Oscar Awards Ceremony is approaching, and he will continue to show his influence in the awards season step by step.

At the beginning of March, he changed back to a calm dark slim suit. After a few years, Wayne accepted an interview with Vanity Fair again and became the cover character of the new issue of Vanity Fair.

The cover characters of "Vanity Fair" on the eve of the Oscars are generally those who are interested in competing for the Academy Awards and face the final sprint for the Oscars. His situation is relatively special. Everyone knows that this year's "Batman: Darkness" The Cavaliers didn't get a heavyweight Oscar nomination.

"In fact, most of the outstanding and successful men are behind the scenes! Wayne Greenberg, he is called the King of Darkness in Hollywood by fans all over the world, and he is also recognized as the owner of modern chivalry throughout North America. It took him only three years for his works to become famous all over the world, but he received the Congressional Gold Medal, which represents the highest honor, and let countless people appreciate the kindness behind him, but it took him seven years."

This is the words that appeared on the cover of "Vanity Fair" along with the pictures of the characters on the cover of the new issue. This comment was written by Carter, the well-known editor-in-chief of "Vanity Fair", after an interview with Wayne himself.

Open this issue of "Vanity Fair", an article written by the editor-in-chief Carter, the picture is reprinted on the classic cover of "Time", Wayne is wearing a black suit, with his arms folded over his chest and looking forward. Surrounded by icons of hundreds of media, large and small.

No matter who sees this photo, they will immediately think of the sensational events in the United States two years ago. The reason why Warner Bros. and Wayne himself use this photo is quite obvious. And some people, evoking some memories of this young Hollywood director.

The Time Person of the Year in 1996 was really special. Time Magazine gave this year's honor to Wayne and hundreds of media, big and small, all around him, including well-known authoritative media in North America. , There are also some gossip tabloids that are usually despised. As long as you see this photo, it is hard not to remind people of the past two years.

"Different from literature, dance, music, painting, sculpture, drama and architecture, as the world's recognized 8th largest art category, film is always quite different from the former. Whether you want to rely on the big screen to express your own Ideas, first of all, let the audience gain something.”

At the beginning of the article, Carter, editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair, quoted Wayne's original words in an interview. "Some people go to the theater just for pure entertainment, and some people want to get some inspiration from the movie. How to let more people get what they want from the movie, this problem has accompanied me throughout my career."

As Hollywood is recognized as the best director in the balance of art and business, most people feel that Wayne has achieved the ultimate in this regard. The following article is the editor-in-chief Carter's description of Wayne himself.

"Wayne Greenberg, who was born into a family of Hollywood film artists, grew up playing with a hand-cranked camera since he was a child. The painful process of learning all the theoretical knowledge of film in his childhood and adolescence is a must for this man who is destined to open up Hollywood. Another director of the golden age has laid an extremely solid accumulation.

To this day, I will count his slightly immature graduation film "Happy Death Day", the great "Escape from the Dead", "The Clown" that smashed countless market barriers around the world, and "The Clown" that is still regarded as the ceiling of horror films by fans. "The Clown", "Batman: Hour of War", which revived a generation's memories of DC Comics, and "The Departed", the Oscar-best film that perfectly interprets its own style for the first time.

The appearance of a series of classic works has also witnessed the great progress of this film master, step by step. Although God favored this hardworking child and gave him unparalleled directing talent, it was the accumulation of these works that finally appeared "Batman: The Dark Knight", which swept the whole world.

The perfect combination of great art and business, this is the common evaluation of "Batman: The Dark Knight" by countless film critics in various countries and regions. Wayne Greenberg's talent seems to be no longer able to be concealed. It is constantly spilling out through great films. Today, the master of film noir is still moving forward, continuing to try to bring audiences to the audience in his own way. Come to more unique works. "

Vanity Fair's article this time is very special. There is no question and answer in the way of presentation. The editor-in-chief Carter, based on the interview results and the relevant information he consulted, gave a complete article and praised his past works in detail.

The reason why this interview took place is that the well-known editor-in-chief is very clear about the reasons behind it, and is also willing to form a win-win situation with the other party through his own magazine.

In the following articles, he not only frequently mentioned the huge influence caused by Wayne's films, but also emphasized the star-making ability of these works.

"Wayne Greenberg prefers to use new actors, which has almost become a consensus in Hollywood, whether you were like a blank sheet of paper before, whether you were abandoned by the mainstream market before, these actors came to his crew. , often can show the same surprise as a freshman.

Yoon Sang-Hawk, who is now active in major mainstream works, is full of gratitude whenever he talks about his cooperation with Wayne in an interview. The more famous one is Will Smith, an African-American superstar. Even after many years, Will Smith, who has become a box office guarantee, still yearns for their cooperation back then.

I am afraid that no one would have guessed that the cooperation between Wayne and Will Smith would make an African-American singer become one of Hollywood's signature male stars since the 1990s. From Christian Bale to Gary Oldman and others, all of Wayne's works have allowed them to find their place in the Hollywood stage.

Charlie Sheen, who was reborn in "Batman: The Dark Knight", has always praised Wayne generously in public. Such an actor who is recognized as hopeless in the circle is also in the same boat as him. During the cooperation, I found myself who I used to be.

Wayne seems to have a pair of eagle-like eyes, and he can always see the shining points on the actors from places that others can't see. Countless Hollywood actors have expressed to the media that they hope to participate in Wayne's works and hope to find a better version of themselves in the cooperation with him. "

With the large-scale release of this issue of "Vanity Fair", Wayne's works shot in the previous years have been frequently mentioned and discussed by many media. In just a few days, a new trend has emerged among the public. More and more people are getting involved.

Warner Bros. was very happy to see such a scene. They didn't even think of it at first. After the topic was discussed, Wayne filmed videos such as "Get Out", "Clown" and "Joker" in his early years. , a huge amount of shipments and leases appeared in a short period of time.

These are real gains. At this point, even 20th Century Fox has taken advantage of it. They own the full copyright of "Happy Death Day", and the sales and rental of video tapes have also skyrocketed.

With the passage of time, in the middle and late March, a news suddenly broke out in the media, which almost occupied all the pages before the start of the Oscars, and this news also has a very great connection with Wayne, but this This time he is no longer the protagonist, and sadly he has become someone else's background board.

"Titanic" used anti-market rules and unreasonable box office trends to finally surpass "Batman: The Dark Knight" at the global box office in one fell swoop. The box office reached 1.23 billion US dollars. At the same time, the big ship's The footsteps have no intention of stopping, and they continue to move towards an even more incredible peak.

It is also in this context that Warner Bros. counterattacked the normality of Oscar films, and quickly withdrew from the North American and global theater market, "Batman: The Dark Knight", which had not many screenings left, this film. Withdrew from all theaters after a ten-month run.

"Batman: The Dark Knight" was released in May 1997, and in late March 1998, the North American box office was reported to be $553 million, the overseas box office was reported to be $669 million, and the global box office totaled $1.222 billion. After staying at the top of the list for less than a year, it was unreasonably surpassed by "Titanic", but this did not detract from the greatness of "Batman: The Dark Knight".

Also on the second day after the official announcement of "Batman: The Dark Knight" being released globally, the videotape of the movie appeared in mainstream video stores and movie peripheral stores in major cities across the United States in an instant.

Warner Bros. has had a lot of experience with it, especially this Batman: The Dark Knight, and the entire distribution department has put in top-notch attention. Their ample preparations proved to be very wise afterwards. On the day the videotape of "Batman: The Dark Knight" was released, there were a large number of fans queuing in front of video stores in some mainstream business districts.

"The $39.9 director's cut sold out on day one, and the $14.99 regular version didn't fare any better, as if everything related to Batman: The Dark Knight was a scramble for fans the key of."

In Burbank, the media capital, in the ceo office of Warner Bros. headquarters building, Bruce Rosenblum said in a relaxed tone to Jeff Robinoff, who was watching the sales data: "Shit, thankfully we prepared this time. It is quite sufficient, and on the same day that various dealers called for replenishment, the inventory was dispatched to the nearest place."

Jeff Robinoff, who had the same smile on his face, nodded, and while flipping through the sales data report, he tilted his head and asked, "The factory..."

"It's been a week since the videotape sales day, and all of them have been working overtime 24 hours a day."

With a proud whistle, Bruce Rosenblum didn't wait for the other party to finish the question, and then said directly: "I don't care what the shit-like unions in the factory say, if they delay the "Batman: The Dark Knight" 》, I will take the contract to make them go bankrupt!”

A wicked look flashed across his face, and Jeff Robinoff frowned indistinctly. The two of them were both models of partners in both work and personal relationships, but it was the other's that A middle-aged person who is still sharp-edged has always been the concern of the CEO of Warner Bros.

Looking back at the sales statistics in front of them, the "Batman: The Dark Knight" videotape has sold 45.6 million US dollars in the past week. To their surprise, the director's cut version is very expensive. 1/3 of that number!

In the videotape sales and rental market, it has always been a long-term win. For example, "Batman: War Hour" two years ago, still contributes a lot of revenue to Warner Bros. Judging from the current sales of "Batman: The Dark Knight" in the first week, this film will bring in $300 million to $500 million in revenue for Warner Bros. in a short period of time in the videotape market!

And this is just the video tape market. After the film was officially released, Warner Bros. has already started the operation of all copyright channels, which is bound to squeeze all the offline potential of this film.

"abc's latest round bid is $50 million for North American TV premiere rights to Batman: The Dark Knight!"

Bruce Rosenblum is also in charge of the job, and his voice is full of excitement. "The North American TV premiere rights, if nothing else, will definitely create a new record price. The previous bids of CBS, FOX, and PBS were US$37 million. We are not in a hurry. These three companies will definitely make new offers again."

"There's really no need to hurry for the TV premiere rights."

Jeff Robinoff nodded and said: "Even if it is delayed until the Oscars are over, it will only be good for us. Trust me, the price will be higher as time goes on."

Not only the North American TV rights, but also the English-speaking Five Friends countries headed by the British Isles, and even the entire Western region, can create a huge amount of income for Warner Bros. in terms of TV rights.

"Is there any good news coming?" Bruce Rosenblum asked with a straight face and a little puzzled: "This film is basically impossible to have a big harvest at the Oscars, neither we nor Wayne. Participate in PR..."

"An old buddy hinted to me."

Deliberately lowering his voice a little, Jeff Robinoff said, "The final list of the AFL's 100 Best Movies of the Century will be officially released by the Academy shortly after the Oscars!"

Nodding thoughtfully, Bruce Rosenblum figured out a lot of things at once. Everyone knows Wayne's character. No wonder he took the initiative to accept the report of "Vanity Fair", no wonder he took the initiative to participate in Grammy, no wonder The media under Warner Bros. has been using various press releases to constantly mention the greatness of Wayne's previous movies.

Everything makes sense. In order to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of North American movies, the appearance of the list of the 100 Greatest Movies of the Century means the greatest authority, and no film director wants to miss it. The Oscars are selected every year, but once this list is entered, it means that it will be frequently mentioned as an authority for many years after that, and will hardly change.

"f**k, Wayne's name represents a lot of interests behind it!"

Subconsciously sighing, Bruce Rosenblum and Jeff Robinoff looked at each other and smiled, each lit a thick cigar, and looked at the statistics on the table leisurely.

His sigh is definitely not without basis. In the week or so after the release of "Batman: The Dark Knight", through the authorization of postcards, cultural shirts, pencils, stationery boxes, related toys and dolls, etc., there have been more than 80 product categories. More products will be added to the scope of authorization.

Not counting the follow-up, in the licensing of peripheral products, the movie has brought more than 450 million US dollars in revenue for Warner Bros., plus the more than 45 million US dollars sold in the first week of video tapes, as well as TV broadcast licenses, etc. These major offline derivative channels have made Warner Bros. mouth watering.

Both of them know that this is just the beginning. Whether it is the authorization of peripheral products or the sale and lease of video tapes, it is not a one-shot deal like a box-office share. Although various derivative income will gradually decrease over time, but This profit timeline can be extended to more than ten years!

"Wayne is more and more important to Warner Bros.!"

The two executives saw this sentiment in each other's eyes. Especially Bruce Rosenblum, he knows better than anyone else that as long as he maintains a good personal relationship with Wayne, no one else can take away what he deserves.

Especially as time went on, Wayne's importance to Warner Bros. continued to grow. Not only the executives and shareholders of Warner Bros. and Time Warner, but even the entire Hollywood circle understands very well that the current DC series has achieved incomparably brilliant development. Warner Bros. is making money lying around.

"The revenue generated by DC movies is getting more and more terrifying. Even if these data are kept secret other film companies can guess about it."

Spitting out a large cloud of green smoke, Jeff Robinoff sighed in a low voice: "Live-action movies, each of which has the offline profitability of an animated feature film, this is something that Hollywood has never seen before, the only way The live-action series that is comparable to the DC series in revenue, I am afraid that now only the Star Wars series is left!"

No wonder the CEO of Warner Bros. lamented that even if the revenue of the Star Wars series can be comparable to that of the DC series, the two are not comparable at all. How long does it take for Star Wars to come out? However, in Wayne's hands, the DC series keeps appearing on a yearly basis. What makes him even more happy is that it may appear faster in the future!

"Bruce, guess how the shareholders will react when they see the revenue data of "Batman: The Dark Knight"?"

"I guess they must be out of their heads to figure out a way."

Bruce Rosenblum curled his lips and said with obvious sarcasm: "Find a way to tie Wayne to the Warner Bros. ship."

"After the Oscars are over, I will make a proposal at a high-level meeting." No matter what others think, Jeff Robinoff has never been stingy in showing that he is on Wayne's side, and he is not stingy in using various ways to pull in with him. relationship with each other. "Wayne's share of the remainder of his director's salary must be paid to him in time for The Flash."

Looking at the proud expression of the CEO of Warner Bros., Bruce Rosenblum suddenly understood and learned a lot.

Is it hard to be the CEO of Warner Bros. as the head of the six Hollywood giants? No, it's not difficult at all, as long as you stand by the young elder at any time, think and act in the interests of the other party at all times, it's not difficult at all!