America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM

Chapter 233 MGM 2004 Sniper Plan

"Frozen" has been a year since it was originally handed over to DreamWorks, and MGM has invested US$100 million in succession.

Needless to say its name, it was the box office champion of the year in 2013, with a global box office of US$800 million.

Since it was released in late November, "Frozen" was still in theaters at the end of December, and the box office at that time did not exceed the US$100 million of "Iron Man 3".

Many people thought that the crown of the annual champion would fall to "Iron Man 3".

Who would have known that "Frozen" would continue to gain momentum and continue to make huge box office hits in 2014. It would overtake the film on New Year's Eve and eventually Princess Elsa would defeat Tony Stark.

The task Eric gave Spielberg was to catch up with the summer release. DreamWorks has been working overtime this year, but the average cycle of animated movies has always been longer than that of live-action movies, and there are still doubts whether this goal can be achieved.

If you really can’t catch up with the summer season, you can only adjust to the Christmas season.

But he still has several blockbusters that are expected to be released during the Christmas season, such as "The Hunger Games", "Inception", "Transformers 2", etc.

It will definitely not work to get together. Fighting between left and right will only lead to losses for both sides. If the schedule cannot be adjusted, it will only be arranged until 2005.

Production plans for "Captain America" ​​and "Iron Man" have also been announced.

Among them, "Captain America" ​​was directed by the Russo brothers. "Captain America 2" and "Captain America 3", which were the highest-rated movies in later Marvel movies, were directed by these two brothers. "Avengers 3" and "Avengers 4" were also produced by their brothers. .

Eric asked them to direct "Happy Death Day" last year, so this time he might as well hand over the entire Captain America series to them.

As for the script, it was an outline written by Eric, which was then refined and revised by the Russo brothers and Stan Lee.

The original "Captain America 1" cannot be said to be a piece of cake, at least it is a mediocre movie, a very bland movie with no highlights.

If you only pay attention to Douban, you may be surprised by a score of more than 7 points, which is not bad, but this score is the result of the superposition of various factors.

First of all, it was 2011. The Chinese film market had just begun to enter a blowout period, and a new generation of movie-watching groups had just become the main force.

These young people have never experienced the baptism of excellent superhero movies. When they suddenly saw a "Captain America", they were naturally attracted by the serum, Rubik's Cube, super soldiers and other elements in it, and they thought that this is what superhero movies should be like.

Then there is the fact that the overall appreciation level of movie fans is indeed low. Any kind of bad movie can be popular and make a lot of money. The masterpiece is the "Tiny Times" series.

Feng Xiaogang said that there are many bad movies in China because there are so many bad viewers. I have to admit that there is some truth to it.

The bottom line is that I have never seen anything good, my horizons are too low, and I get excited when I see something novel.

This situation lasted for about ten years before it improved. The overall level of movie-watching groups improved, and it was not so easy to cheat people out of bad movies. That's why excellent works such as "I'm Not the God of Medicine" and "The Wandering Earth" were released.

But looking back at European and American audiences in 2011, economic advantages have made watching movies a daily pastime.

Superheroes such as "X-Men", "Spider-Man" and "Fantastic Four" are regulars in movie theaters, and everyone has seen too many of them.

In particular, Nolan's version of "Batman" brought superhero movies to the ceiling, and "The Dark Knight" directly ranked among the top 250.

They have already eaten delicacies from the mountains and the sea, and looking at the plate of borscht served by Marvel, it would be weird if they thought it was delicious.

There are also many aspects that have been complained about, such as the plot being dragged out, and many of the dramas in the early stage being completely unnecessary and can be deleted.

Marvel is not following the deep path of DC, so why do you do so many literary dramas? Having fun and having fun is the way you should go.

Never imitate "Batman", whoever imitates will die!

Also, the war scenes are too childish. It should be due to lack of funds. Most of the war scenes are skipped. There are no big scenes, so it’s embarrassing to call it World War II?

Compared with the war scenes in "Wonder Woman", they are far behind, and they are even more incomparable with professional World War II-themed movies.

The action scenes are also very bad, and I don’t expect you to be good at them, but at least the showdown between Captain America and Red Skull shouldn’t be like street gangsters fighting each other.

Agent Smith, you have also participated in "The Matrix" after all. Think about the fight scenes in "The Matrix" and compare them with the fight scenes in "Captain America". Even without a martial arts instructor, you shouldn't stretch your hips like this.

Speaking of the villain, the Red Skull is Captain America's most classic opponent, but his portrayal in the movie was too weak, and he was also disliked by the audience.

The combination of multiple factors resulted in the global box office of "Captain America 1" not exceeding US$400 million. Compared with the production and publicity expenses of nearly US$200 million, there is no doubt that Marvel lost money.

This is also one of the few movies that caused Marvel to lose money. Another movie that lost money was "Thor 1", which was released in the same year. It had the same crappy plot and was even worse than "Captain America 1".

But it may be because it is more popular than Captain America, and the Gods are indeed more attractive to the audience than the humans, so the final box office reached 400 million US dollars.

If this kind of mediocre work doesn't change the plot, it will definitely die violently when it competes with "Batman" next year.

So Eric made a lot of changes. In response to the complaints from the audience, he reduced the number of dramas, expanded the war scenes, and made the war scenes more realistic. He shot them according to the lenses of "Wonder Woman".

The ending of the villain Red Skull has also been modified, changing it to being killed and immediately offline, allowing your sister to teleport through space.

Marvel may have wanted to lay the groundwork back then, keeping the Red Skull alive so that it might come in handy one day.

But then I forgot about it. After seven or eight years of filming "Avengers 3", I suddenly remembered that there was such a character. I thought I should sneak out for a walk, at least to attract a wave of emotions and earn a few more cents at the box office.

This approach is purely wasteful, without any logic or foreshadowing, and there is no need to arrange this plot abruptly and awkwardly.

Eric should get rid of all boring plots like this and just tell an exciting and action-packed hero origin story to ensure that the box office does not lose money.

Chris Evans plays the hero Steve Rogers, and the villain Red Skull continues to choose the Elf King Smith Hugo Weaving.

Eliza Dushku successfully auditioned for Agent Carter. The role's popularity and commercial potential were too low, and Marvel gave up the TV series after only one season. It didn't matter who she gave it to.

Elisa Dushku has beautiful looks and rich acting experience. She has participated in popular film and television dramas such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "The New Kid" and "The Turn". She has no problem filling this role.

As for whether she experienced unspoken rules in the process of getting the role, Eric didn't bother to care.

Another important supporting role, Bucky, the Winter Soldier, was played by Luke Evans. The original Winter Soldier actor has not yet debuted, and there is no place to look for him.

Eric didn't pay attention to other characters who had less roles. It didn't matter who he loved, they were just cannon fodder with very few roles.

After the cast list was announced, it received a lot of praise. The most controversial point was Chris Evans' figure.

In order to lose weight and muscle to play Sam, and now to play Captain America, some people think that he is too weak and does not look like a super soldier.

In response to this, Chris Evans and his fans threw out stills of the campus hunk he previously played, saying that he was confident of playing Captain America well, thus blocking the mouths of these people.

The script of "Iron Man" does not need to be changed. It shows Tony Stark's growth arc, which is already excellent.

But it’s hard to imagine that this script was actually improvised by the director and screenwriter.

"Iron Man" is Marvel's last ditch effort. It stands to reason that it should be fully prepared before launching, but I don't know why the initial investment of 400 million was so messed up.

Every day when everyone arrives on the set, the first thing they do is wait for the director to communicate with the screenwriter, look through comic books for inspiration, and then write a two-page script.

After the temporary script comes out, the director gives the order and everyone starts shooting again.

This blockbuster that ushered in the superhero era, if it weren't for director Jon Favreau's excellent ability to control the overall situation and Robert Downey Jr.'s ability to show off, this movie would have been a hit.

If the subsequent "Captain America 1" and "Thor 1" fail, Marvel will enter the grave early, and the subsequent DCEU will not appear.

Therefore, Robert Downey Jr. can earn a salary of hundreds of millions of dollars, and Marvel is not unjust.

However, "Iron Man 2", which was still directed by Jon Favreau, was too slow. Fans and passers-by received word of mouth, and the directing rights of "Iron Man 3" were also given to others.

It's a pity that "Iron Man 3" was also very average. The reputation among fans was worse than the second film, but the reputation among passers-by has improved.

The "Iron Man" series is at its peak right from the beginning, relying entirely on the first film and several "Avengers" scenes. Fortunately, "Avengers" was good except for the second film, otherwise this superhero would have collapsed. .

Tony Stark is played by Robert Downey Jr. He has been constantly apologizing and repenting since his comeback from "Shufflers". Although many people still question him, Downey's public image has changed a lot.

Pepper Potts chose Jennifer Lopez, a beauty with both popularity and acting skills.

Nick Fury continues to employ Samuel Jackson, and the villain Iron Overlord is still veteran actor Jeff Bridges.

Except for Robert Downey Jr., who was criticized by some, the overall casting was satisfactory to fans.

In "The Hunger Games", Gadot took the lead and assigned Liu Yifei the role of the little fox in the original District 5.

This character is very smart, and Eric also added that he is very good at fighting. Chinese stars must be able to fight if they want to gain a foothold in Hollywood. Liu Yifei has been practicing for a year and it is time to put it to use.

The male protagonist chose Andrew Garfield. He was originally Eric's ideal choice for Sam, but unfortunately he did not participate in the audition for "Transformers" at the time. He finally made his debut this year.

The British trio also each arranged a blockbuster film. Needless to say, Tom Hardy filmed "Inception". This film attracted great attention from the outside world the moment the cast list was announced.

Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Heath Ledger, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Morgan Freeman

Except for Tom Hardy and Heath Ledger, who are a little immature, the others are either Oscar winners or nominees, and the last one is Best Supporting Actor.

Coupled with Eric, a director who is both commercial and artistic, and is also the best screenwriter, the Oscar-level lineup is too scary and dazzling, and has been labeled a must-see by many people.

Zhan Yimei also got the leading role this time, and MGM planned to start filming "Wanted".

Or to put it another more well-known name, that bullet can turn, contributing to the famous scene of "Assassin's League" in which Star-Lord's teeth are knocked out.

It was through this drama that he really came to prominence in the original space and time. Let's return it to him this time and hope that he can soar into the sky.

In addition to "League of Assassins", there is also a small-budget thriller "Split" that also casts him as the leading actor.

The drag racing movie that stole the idea of ​​"Fast and Furious" is about to start filming, and "Fast and Furious 5" was chosen to be a masterpiece that truly promoted the series to the top IP.

You have Vin Diesel, and I’ll ask Dwayne Johnson to fight in the ring.

If you have Paul Walker, I'll choose Michael Fassbender, who also has the same beard.

Anyway, the configurations that "Fast and Furious" has, I also have in "Hurricane", with beautiful cars and beautiful women running at lightning speed.

The story of a group of speeding thieves racing through Rio de Janeiro is definitely much better than last year's "Fast and Furious 3 Tokyo Drift".

After a year, the new 007 series is about to start. The last film "No Time to Die" was sold to Universal because of poor management by MGM, which made a lot of money.

Naturally, Eric would not give in this time. Since Bruce Pierce stepped down as 007, global auditions had already begun, and British actor Daniel Craig was finally selected.

Being used to seeing his 007, no one is more suitable than Craig.

Then this movie is naturally finalized, and the filming of "Casino Royale" has started.

MGM has also acquired the film and television adaptation rights from Queen's Rights Management Association and is about to launch the music biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody."

This movie is an absolute example of the high integration of commercial art. It has grossed more than 900 million US dollars at the global box office, won multiple Oscar nominations, and won the Best Actor trophy.

Eric personally sent an invitation to Uncle Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, who readily agreed after reading the script. However, it required at least 3 months of preparation time, and he had to study the singing skills of Queen in depth.

For such a dedicated actor, Eric naturally agreed wholeheartedly.

Without Eric's time-travel, Joaquin Phoenix would have filmed "Walking Along" next year, the same musical biopic that also won numerous awards, so he must be the leading actor in "Bohemian Rhapsody".

In addition, the casting of "Twilight" has also begun. The leading actor Robert Pattinson was not found, but the super star Henry Cavill was found.

It has only been a year since his debut, and his figure is not as strong and masculine as when he was Superman. He can play a vampire with makeup, and his 20-year-old age fits the character.

It is even more impossible to find Kristen Stewart as the heroine. She is only 14 years old and has not yet grown up.

Blake Lively was lucky enough to get the role. The 17-year-old was perfect for the role with her proud face and temperament.

These are just part of MGM's 2004 plans. In addition to large-scale productions, there are also many small and medium-cost films.

"Million Dollar Baby," "Mean Girls," "A Quiet Place," "The Conjuring," "The Conjuring," "Napoleon," "Juno," "Wedding Crashers," "Brokeback Mountain," "Barbershop 2," "Saw" 3》《Happy Death Day 2》《Breathless 2》

In addition to "Sharknado" and "Purge", AK Film and Television is preparing to start filming the "Machete" series.

The newly established BK Films, currently led by Berma Hardy, will focus on low-budget horror films in the future.

This year I plan to film "Human Skin Inn", "The Human Centipede", "The Invisible Man", "Pearl", etc.

This is just movies, not including TV series and variety shows.

Compared with last year, the production density this year has been significantly enhanced.

The reason for taking so many photos is, on the one hand, to attract traffic to Lionheart.com, and on the other hand, to snipe other companies.

The day when Lionheart Network goes online is getting closer and closer, and the time when MGM will become the target of public criticism is getting closer and closer.

When film and television companies compete, the most common method is movie sniping, targeting your schedule to schedule films, and using blockbusters to suppress your box office.

As long as several companies join forces to do it, you will be on this month, I will be on next month, and he will be on the next month.

They may lose money, but the targeted company will definitely die miserably.

There is only one exception, and that is that all of my movies are very capable. Even if you use blockbusters to suppress me, at most we will both lose and no one will get any benefit.

Only when these guys are beaten to pain and fear, until they lose money until they are heartbroken, and until their stock prices plummet, will they finally admit defeat and recognize the status of streaming media.

This was Eric's plan, so he approached Peter Jackson to book a contract for 30 movies. 30 movies was still conservative.

You must know that special effects are not only used for blockbusters, but also for small budgets. The difference is only in the number of special effects.