Upon hearing Gal Gadot's comment, Murphy glanced down at the screen. Names like Bella and Edward caught his eye, and he immediately understood what she was looking at. He couldn't help but shake his head and said, "Dear, unless you want to play the female lead yourself."
Gal Gadot rolled her eyes at him.
Such a film, if adapted, would be purely an NC-17 rating. Whatever they did in private was their own business as long as it made them happy, but putting it on screen for others to watch was a different matter entirely.
Murphy had a mischievous idea. "How about this: I'll bring a camera, and next time we'll shoot an adult movie starring us..."
Gal Gadot was intrigued. "Sure, we can use it to spice things up in the future."
After discussing this topic for a while, Gal Gadot asked, "You bought the rights to this fan fiction novel. Are you really going to adapt it into a movie? Aren't you afraid of infringing on Stephenie Meyer's copyright?"
This novel had garnered some attention online, but the main characters' names were Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen, making it clear it was a fan fiction based on "Twilight."
"Stop looking at it and go to sleep," Murphy said, taking Gal Gadot's phone and turning it off before placing it aside. He then explained, "I've already asked Erika Leonard to change the character names."
Currently, Erika Leonard hadn't even started using the pen name E.L. James. The BDSM romance involving Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen was still being posted online in parts and hadn't yet caused a sensation. Murphy's Stanton Studios had not spent much effort to secure a copyright agreement with Erika Leonard, which allowed Stanton Studios to manage the book's publication and movie adaptation entirely.
Previously, Murphy had met Erika Leonard and suggested she rename the book "Fifty Shades of Grey."
As soon as Erika Leonard made the changes, Stanton Studios would partner with Amazon to launch the e-book series first.
Once it had built a reader base, they would then move forward with the film adaptation.
Since they had gone to bed very late, Murphy and Gal Gadot didn't wake up as early as usual. They avoided work for once and indulged in sleeping in.
Unlike the young Murphy and Gal Gadot, Stan Lee, being older, needed less sleep. As soon as something weighed on his mind, he would wake up early.
Just as the sun rose, a Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up in front of Marvel Studios. Stan Lee stepped out of the car and ran into Kevin Feige, greeting him before heading into Marvel Studios' main conference room together.
Even though there was still some time before work officially started, the Marvel Comics executives were already waiting in the conference room. Marvel Comics CEO Avi Arad sat at the head of the table in silence, just like everyone else, waiting for the meeting's main subject to arrive.
This person had a reason to be waited on; he had created glorious achievements for Marvel, single-handedly supporting Marvel Studios and bringing back its glory once again.
The conference room door was gently knocked on, and a secretary led Stan Lee and Kevin Feige inside. All eyes instantly focused on Kevin Feige, as if looking at a hero of Marvel.
Kevin Feige nodded at the glances thrown his way as he walked to his seat.
As soon as he reached the conference table, Avi Arad stood up to greet him. They shook hands firmly before Kevin sat down, and the meeting began.
This was a business meeting with a clear goal and focus, without any unnecessary chatter. The meeting went straight to the point.
"The exact box office statistics for the early screenings of 'Thor' are out," Avi Arad announced, causing everyone to perk up. Everyone present was a high-ranking executive at Marvel Comics. The company's performance was closely tied to their futures, and no one wanted to see 'Thor' fail.
"The early screening box office was $6.56 million!"
With Avi Arad's announcement, smiles began to spread across many faces.
Indeed, compared to the record-breaking $10+ million midnight box office of 'Iron Man 2,' $6.56 million wasn't dazzling. However, these were true industry insiders who understood that this figure was very significant for a non-sequel film.
Their only concern was the competition.
But the numbers from Avi Arad brought even broader smiles.
"Murphy Stanton's 'City of Chaos' only made $3.58 million in its early screenings!"
The conference room erupted in laughter, with Stan Lee being the first to clap. His applause was somewhat abrupt and solitary, but soon everyone joined in, creating a resounding ovation.
They were confident that as long as the opening weekend box office followed the early screening trend, 'Thor' would undoubtedly succeed. Marvel's superhero films would triumph once again!
"This summer is crucial for Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics," Avi Arad said, his gaze sweeping over the Marvel Comics executives. "Next year, we're launching 'The Avengers,' and this summer's groundwork is critical. Our primary focus this summer is 'Thor.' Mobilize all available resources to fully support this film!"
Specific tasks were assigned, and the meeting quickly reached its conclusion. Everyone at Marvel was full of energy and confidence.
"When I see Murphy Stanton next time..." Stan Lee told the younger colleagues beside him, "I'll show him how powerful Marvel superheroes are!"
A knock on the door interrupted him. One of Kevin Feige's assistants entered with a document, handing it to Kevin Feige and whispering something in his ear.
Sitting close to Kevin Feige, Stan Lee noticed Kevin Feige's expression change upon reading the document.
"What's the matter, Kevin?" he asked, concerned.
Kevin Feige, who had little regard for Stan Lee, ignored him and stood up, addressing the room. "I just received some statistical data."
The room quieted down immediately, with Avi Arad also looking attentive.
Kevin Feige's smile had vanished. "CinemaScore just released a new statistic and prediction."
Marvel Comics had been directly involved in the film business for some time. The executives present were familiar with CinemaScore's accurate statistics and market predictions.
Stan Lee, noticing Kevin Feige's expression, suddenly felt a bad omen.
Sure enough, Kevin Feige continued, "CinemaScore's latest statistic shows 'Thor' received a 'B' from theater audiences, with only about 66% of early viewers satisfied with our film."
"What?"
"This can't be!"
"That's not scientific?"
"How did this happen?"
The conference room was filled with astonished voices, contrasting sharply with the earlier excitement.
"And Murphy Stanton?" Stan Lee anxiously asked. "What about his 'City of Chaos'?"
"The situation doesn't look good for us," Kevin Feige said sternly. "'City of Chaos' received the highest rating of 'A+' from CinemaScore, with nearly 91% of early viewers rating the film as excellent!"
Stan Lee's smile froze.
Kevin Feige continued, "Based on pre-sales and last night's midnight box office, along with audience ratings, CinemaScore made box office predictions for 'Thor' and 'City of Chaos.'"
Everyone listened intently, knowing CinemaScore's predictions were usually very accurate.
"They predict 'Thor' will make about $24 million on its opening day, while 'City of Chaos' will make around $22 million."
Hearing these numbers, Stan Lee felt slightly relieved and smiled, "That means we're still the box office champion!"
Interrupting, Kevin Feige frowned slightly but continued, "However, CinemaScore predicts 'Thor' will lose momentum and be impacted by 'City of Chaos,' ending the opening weekend with less than $50 million, while 'City of Chaos' will take the weekend box office crown with about $60 million!"
Stan Lee's forced smile froze on his face. He cleared his throat to avoid embarrassment, saying, "CinemaScore's predictions aren't always accurate. They have been wrong before."
"That's right!"
"They underestimated 'Iron Man,' didn't they?"
Several voices echoed Stan Lee's sentiment, understanding that 'Thor's' early box office was nearly double that of 'City of Chaos,' which seemed more concrete than speculative predictions.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Kevin Feige said, tapping the table for attention. "The early box office data doesn't mean our 'Thor' is bad, but it serves as a reminder not to underestimate our very strong competitor. We cannot disregard Murphy Stanton and his film!"
He emphasized, "Have you all forgotten how powerful Murphy Stanton's films' word-of-mouth can be? Audience-driven word-of-mouth will make his film more famous!"
"So, we can't be complacent!" Kevin Feige continued. "We must use all available resources to keep promoting this film, especially highlighting the Avengers connection!"
This suggestion received widespread agreement, and the meeting turned to discussing ways to increase interactions between Thor and the Avengers to boost the film's buzz.
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