The following day.
Kyle rose early in the morning and reached out to a real estate agency, intending to purchase a property in the Burbank region.
First, it serves for tax benefits and investment;
Secondly, it brings me closer to the film studio.
Even though Burbank is part of Los Angeles, it lies 20 kilometres from the city centre. It primarily hosts numerous Hollywood entertainment firms. Indeed, the globally recognised Hollywood is home to only a handful of film companies today, all of which are located in Burbank.
(This is true. Among the six major Hollywood studios, only Paramount remains within Hollywood County. The others have relocated to Burbank long ago.)
Kyle's Page Pictures is situated in the Burbank area as well. Kyle invested in a villa in Burbank for proximity to his company and tax advantages.
Yes, it's a villa.
The two-story villa, along with a basement, encompasses a total area of 320 square meters, and a yard measuring 400 square meters complete with lawns, swimming pools, and other amenities.
The overall price came to $4.6 million.
Naturally, Kyle secured a bank loan. After all, Kyle is a time traveller and is aware that the value of the US dollar is set to decline even more in the future.
"Now that I've purchased a villa, I can also invest in a commercial property."
Investing in real estate in the United States poses significant risks. Selecting a poor location could leave a property languishing in your hands. However, choosing a prime location can undoubtedly yield a profitable investment.
Fortunately, Kyle was confident he knew a place where purchasing real estate would guarantee returns.
Silicon Valley!
Exactly, with the explosive growth of the Internet, Silicon Valley has generated numerous wealth legends. Before the Internet bubble burst in 2000, land and property values in Silicon Valley were on an upward trend.
Moreover, property in Silicon Valley is reasonably priced right now, at least much more so than in Los Angeles and Burbank.
Kyle invested $6 million in an eight-story office building on the outskirts of Silicon Valley. Interestingly, it was located just a short distance from Apple's headquarters and could be glimpsed by looking up.
(The Apple headquarters referenced here pertains to its previous location in Silicon Valley. Many are aware that the current Apple headquarters is in Cupertino, California.)
"From now on, this office building will be named the Page Building!"
"Hahaha, I'm so ingenious!"
For a brief moment, Kyle felt an overwhelming sense of joy.
At that moment his eyes went to the calendar, and it was written May 1996.
Oh shit!
Spider-Man!
"It is going to be bought by MGM in June, I have to hurry and intercept it before they can take this away"
"Spider-Man 1/2/3", including "The Amazing Spider-Man", and even the rebooted Spider-Man, were all box office bombs, and they were even more popular in the DVD, game market, and peripheral licensing market, involving a market of over tens of billions of dollars.
Sony Columbia in its previous life relied on it to survive
"Spider-Man 1" grossed $930 million at the box office, and its gaming and peripheral markets brought Columbia more than $1 billion in profits in just one year, which made Kyle excited.
If it weren't for the sudden reminder, Kyle, who has been very busy recently, would not have been able to get involved.
A few days later.
After accepting Kyle's project, negotiation expert Brandon promptly reached out to Marvel. Following several days of hard work, he finally initiated the first discussion regarding the copyright issues surrounding Spider-Man.
However, the situation unfolded in a way Kyle did not foresee.
"What? You mean Marvel is demanding too much?!"
Kyle's brow furrowed.
Upon hearing this, Brandon shook his head: "It's not limited to that; there are additional complications."
Any other concerns?
"Indeed!"
Lawyer Paul Goodman stated: "This situation relates to Spider-Man's history. Presently, MGM and Columbia Pictures have also entered the fray for acquiring Spider-Man's rights."
Hiss~~!
Kyle couldn't help but echo a sharp intake of breath.
Sony Columbia, one of the six major studios in Hollywood, and MGM, which is even larger than a horse, are not just any competitors; they can truly be described as giants!
In comparison, Page Pictures hardly registers as a fraction of their scale.
To be precise, they're not even in the same league.
.....
Spider-Man's historical challenges?
Initially, in 1985, the rights to Spider-Man were sold to Cannon Pictures.
In 1989, due to poor management, Cannon Pictures was taken over by France's Pathé Films. Cannon Pictures' chairman Menahem retained the copyright of Spider-Man, which was transferred to 20th Century Fox.
While at Fox, he sold the adaptation rights for Spider-Man to Columbia Pictures, planning for James Cameron to direct it, with Arnold Schwarzenegger cast as Doctor Octopus.
However.
At that time, Columbia Pictures had already been acquired by Sony Pictures, leading to the cancellation of the filming plans. Subsequently, MGM obtained certain assets from 20th Century Fox, including the Spider-Man script, but Columbia Pictures claimed that the copyright rightfully belonged to them.
Thus, the copyright for "Spider-Man" had transformed into a three-way dispute involving Kyle, MGM, and Sony!
"Brandon, Lawyer Paul, even if Sony and MGM team up, it's merely a matter of negotiation. We have no cause for concern," Kyle said through gritted teeth.
Even so, Kyle's actions undeniably upset the two major corporations.
Both MGM and Columbia hold immense power in Hollywood and on a global scale. Any minor adjustments in their media and distribution strategies could threaten the viability of Kyle's Page Pictures.
"Humph!"
"I just refuse to believe this!"
No matter how big the companies are, so what?
I'm not intimidated by their might, after all, it's Spider-Man!
....
After roughly a dozen days.
The copyright conflict surrounding "Spider-Man" has finally been resolved!
Kyle acquired the rights to Spider-Man for $9 million.
This amount is $2 million more than what Sony historically paid.
Certainly, Kyle secured not just the rights to the Spider-Man character but also the rights to related comic book characters like Venom, Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Mysterio, and others, which he can freely adapt into films. Marvel provides some creative oversight to prevent conflicts with the MCU's narrative.
Nonetheless, there is another crucial aspect in the agreement.
"As for Marvel's future use of Spider-Man's image, including comic book storylines, Kyle's Page Pictures holds the final veto authority."
Marvel's shareholders, along with Page Pictures' CEO Victor, are somewhat perplexed by this arrangement.
"Haha, would I let you know that I'm a time traveller and have knowledge of future issues?" Kyle thought to himself.
The portrayal of Spider-Man is indeed particularly significant!
For instance, following the success of "Fantastic Four 1" produced by Fox, Marvel once suggested increasing their share of the box office to Fox, but this proposal was turned down.
How did Marvel respond?
Fine, if I'm not compensated more, I'll make them all villains in the Fantastic Four comics.
Heroes transformed into antagonists!
Entirely corrupt.
The kind that oozes infection!
Moreover, they all end up dead!
As a result, "Fantastic Four" garnered considerable disdain from numerous American viewers, leading to poor box office performance for "Fantastic Four 2" and significant losses. The potential third and fourth films were thus never realised.
"I have to admit, Marvel can be quite ruthless!"
Kyle was aware of this information regarding the future, so he certainly couldn't afford to give Marvel any leverage.
Kyle was naturally thrilled to have gained the rights to Spider-Man.
Even though it required $9 million, considering Spider-Man's likely future success, the additional $2 million seemed negligible.
But.
Now arises the question!
Kyle currently possesses just over 3 million US dollars in liquid assets, yet he has a substantial debt owed to the bank. How can he secure hundreds of millions to produce "Spider-Man"?
"It seems I can't afford to be idle anymore. I need to find a way to earn some money!"
That night.
Kyle unexpectedly got a phone call after finishing his dinner at home.
"Kyle Page, is it?"
The voice on the other end belonged to a man and carried a rather unfriendly tone.
"That's me. Who is this? Let me clarify, I don't have a wife, nor do I have a son. If you're claiming to have kidnapped my son, then go ahead and do what you will. If this is about a prize, I'll inform you that this year alone I've won two refrigerators, three microwave ovens, three Mercedes-Benz cars, five BMW cars, and a cash prize of 270 million US dollars. So, what's my latest win?"
Kyle continued to ramble on.
Given your rude tone, don't expect me to respond graciously.
Look, I'm going to boast until I'm blue in the face!
"Mr. Page, please stop with the jokes!" the man stated, striving to control his frustration.
Upon hearing this, Kyle curled his lip in contempt: "Then enlighten me."
"I'm Kenta Dwight, by the way. I work as the deputy manager of the production department at MGM Pictures."
"Oh? And what next?"
"I'm aware that you have the rights to Spider-Man. We'd like to purchase it from you. Of course, at MGM, we want to ensure you don't leave empty-handed. How does $9.1 million sound? You'd pocket $100,000."
Kyle couldn't help but burst into laughter at his proposal.
Dude, this is Spider-Man!
Are you trying to give away some spare change?
Not only would he not sell it for an extra $100,000, but even $10 million wouldn't tempt him!
Just think about it: if "Spider-Man" is successfully launched, the revenue it generates for Kyle will be measured in billions!
"Buddy, how many drinks did you have tonight? Why are you slurring your words?" Kyle said mockingly.
The man on the phone was taken aback.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, clearly confused.
"Ha! What I mean is that you should scram! You should hit the sack early at your age. I don't have time to talk with you."
After Kyle concluded his statement, he ended the call.
What about your association with MGM?
Even though MGM is still recognised as a major corporation, it has become merely the façade of a significant company. Consider the quality of films they have produced since the 1990s. Aside from a couple of films, they primarily depend on 007 for their survival.
"I'll let you all be so haughty. Once I have the funds in the future, I'll buy you out first, humph!"