The black Mercedes sedan turned onto Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, drove past a long line of designer stores, and headed for the 417 office building, where Marvel Entertainment headquarters is located.

"I've been in contact with Kevin Feige twice this week. ”

Looking at the regressive luxury trademark through the car window, Helen Herman said to Matthew, who was sitting next to her, "Marvel Entertainment very resolutely rejected the 20+20 condition you proposed, to be exact, most of the senior executives in Marvel Entertainment can't even accept a salary of $20 million." ”

She retracted her gaze and looked at Matthew, "I've investigated, Marvel Entertainment's funding is problematic, unless we drastically reduce the salary, this actor ......"

Helen Herman didn't say any more, but Matthew understood what she meant and said directly, "Then forget it." ”

Originally, he was not very interested, and he didn't have an attractive enough salary, so it was better to give up this role.

Helen Herman added, "It is estimated that after Kevin Feige contacted you, Marvel Entertainment also abandoned the plan to invite you to play Iron Man, and just two days ago, they terminated the agreement initialed with Rachel McAdams and decided to use Gwyneth Paltrow to play the heroine." ”

"Something to do with me?" Matthew guessed.

"It's a little bit related, the main thing is Marvel's financial problem. Helen Herman elaborates, "Rachel McAdams initialled the deal for $2.5 million. ”

She opened one hand and showed five fingers, "Gwyneth Paltrow only $500,000." Therefore, Marvel Entertainment launched the exit mechanism in the initialed agreement, paying $250,000 to ask Rachel McAdams to leave, and a reporter asked later that Marvel Entertainment would say that Rachel McAdams took the initiative to give up this role. ”

Realizing that Marvel Entertainment may be even more short of money than he thought, Matthew asked, "Marvel Entertainment's funding gap is huge?"

"There is no problem with Marvel Entertainment's own liquidity, and the market response of the "Spider-Man" series and the "X-Men" trilogy has been excellent in recent years. ”

Helen Herman apparently has carefully investigated the recent situation of Marvel Entertainment, "However, this is also to maintain the liquidity and turnover of Marvel Entertainment itself, if 140 million US dollars are squeezed out of it to shoot and produce "Iron Man", Marvel Entertainment will immediately have problems, and if the film fails, it is likely to face the dilemma of the mid-to-late nineties." ”

The comic industry has entered the ice age from the mid-nineties of the last century, and it is gradually declining, Matthew has heard some of them in the past two years, whether it is Marvel or DC, in fact, the comic business is shrinking, far less than the glory days of the seventies and eighties.

Not only the comic book industry, in fact, Hollywood movies have also stagnated in recent years, and the total box office in North America seems to have risen, but that is the result of rising ticket prices, and in fact, the total number of people entering the theater every year is declining.

According to Matthew's own understanding, in this day and age, there are so many things for entertainment that consumer diversion is inevitable.

Therefore, Marvel Entertainment wants to directly get involved in the film industry, as well as more industries such as games.

These thoughts crossed Matthew's mind and he asked Helen Herman, "Didn't Marvel Entertainment find a way to raise money?"

"Yes. Helen Herman continued to talk about what she learned, "Marvel Entertainment has a budget of $140 million for Iron Man, but the $140 million is just a budget on paper, and they have raised some of the money through multiple channels, but they are still far from the $140 million goal. ”

She smiled, "Marvel Entertainment also wants to raise funds in the model of Hollywood's Big Six, but they are not Big Six, there were two successful series of Marvel superhero movies before, but they were produced by Sony Columbia and Twentieth Century Fox, Marvel participated, but very little, "Iron Man" is Marvel Entertainment's first independent involvement in the film industry, and most people have serious lack of confidence in them. ”

At this point, Matthew can imagine, it is one thing for someone else to adapt a movie based on Marvel Comics, and it is another thing for a comic company to personally enter the scene to make a movie.

If he didn't have relevant memories, even if Marvel asked for him, he would never invest in such a company.

Helen Herman also said at the earliest that it is too risky to invest directly in Marvel, which is actually a true portrayal of Hollywood insiders.

Helen Herman said, "If nothing else, Marvel Entertainment and Paramount Pictures finalized the "Iron Man" distribution agreement, Marvel couldn't raise funds, and wanted to pull investment from Paramount, the publisher, but Paramount refused, Kevin Feige is still lobbying the top management of Paramount Pictures, even if Paramount Pictures invests in the end, the amount will not be very large." ”

Matthew didn't say anything more than let Helen Herman continue.

"Marvel Entertainment has also thought about taking out loans from banks or foundations. Helen Herman coughed twice under his breath before saying, "But the various evaluations are not very favorable to them, and banks and foundations have refused to lend outright, requiring Marvel Entertainment to pledge the rights of some of its most famous superheroes." ”

"Marvel disagrees?" Matthew asked.

Helen Herman nodded slightly, "From Kevin Feige to Stan Lee to Avi Arad all in unanimous opposition, Marvel's voices are very synchronized in this regard, and they don't want to see the tragedy of Spider-Man and X-Men happen again." ”

Matthew vaguely remembers that "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" became a huge scar for Marvel later.

"I see. He understood this and said, "So, Marvel Entertainment rejected my salary conditions and excluded me from the selection of the leading actor, but wanted to meet me and discuss investment?"

"Everybody knows that you're rich and they don't have cash flow. "Helen Herman is honest.

Matthew nodded, and didn't speak again for the time being, how did Marvel Entertainment raise funds for the production of "Iron Man"? After thinking about it for a long time, he didn't find any memory, and guessed in his heart, it is estimated that Marvel Entertainment may really put the copyrights of some characters to banks or other institutions that can lend money, in addition to Hollywood's regular means of raising funds for film production.

This is a very helpless choice, and no one wants to press their children out.

"Marvel Entertainment is temporarily unable to raise funds to cover the gap of tens of millions of dollars. Helen Herman glanced at Matthew, "They ...... Well, how to say it......"

She paused for a moment and changed her tone of persuasion, "Matthew, are you really going to invest in Marvel Entertainment's first film? They have no experience. ”

Seeing Matthew's silence, Helen Herman continued, "You know very well that the producer plays a greater role in a commercial film than the director, and now it's not only Marvel Entertainment that has no experience, but Kevin Feige also has no experience, he has participated in the production of the "Spider-Man" series and the "X-Men" series, but he is a very ordinary member of the production team, and more just represents Marvel Entertainment. ”

Although Matthew had previously conducted relevant research and communicated with Marvel, Helen Herman did not understand why Matthew would make such a risky investment.

That is, she has worked with Matthew for many years, and in addition to being a work partner, she has gradually become friends, otherwise she will not persuade at all.

"Thank you, Helen. Matthew knew that Helen Herman had a good intention, but he couldn't explain it, so he could only talk nonsense, "I'll tell you a secret, Rachel McAdams told me, she overheard a message while Kevin Feige was talking to Avi Aradd, "Iron Man" is just the first step in Marvel Entertainment, and they will bring a series of works to the screen in the future, do you know the Avengers?"

Seeing Helen Herman nodding, he continued, "Marvel wants to create the Avengers series, think about "Spider-Man" and "X-Men", if Marvel succeeds? How much will it be rewarded? I don't just want to invest in this one, but take this opportunity to get an investment agreement that includes more projects." ”

Helen Herman will have to do the follow-up negotiations, and sooner or later these will have to be said.

Matthew was serious, "I've tested Kevin Feige too, and what Rachel McAdams said is true. Once Iron Man was successful, things were different for Marvel, so it was my only chance to get in. ”

Helen Herman sighed, "You used tens of millions of dollars to buy a ticket to an unknown future?"

Matthew smiled and said, "You know, I can afford it. ”

Helen Herman didn't go any further, she knew enough about Matthew, and Matthew could afford it.

"Let's start with Marvel's top management. Helen Herman doesn't think about anything else, "I will adjust my strategy according to the actual situation, and then have targeted negotiations with them, but it will not ......"

She still said one more thing, "Don't put all your net worth on the table." ”

"How could it be. Matthew laughed and said, "I also want to prevent the possibility of failure." ”

Although he has memories of the past, he will not be stupid to put all his funds on a project of "Iron Man", even if he doesn't know how to invest, he will not be stupid to this point.

The Mercedes-Benz car stopped on the side of the fifth main road, and Matthew and Helen Herman got out of the car one after another, and took a movie together to the seventh floor of office building 417, and just after leaving the elevator room, they saw the "Marvel" sign on the back wall of the front desk.

explained their intentions to the front desk, and the two received passes, and when someone came over, they entered the Marvel company.

Probably Marvel is a copyright production company, the management is very strict, Matthew and Helen Herman received the certificate twice just to enter the door, even if they have the certificate, many places cannot enter at all without the guidance of insiders.

Especially the Creative Committee.

Before Matthew entered, he looked at the security guard with a serious look like a soldier, and guessed that if he didn't have documents, he would probably shout "Hail . Hydra”！