Nancy leaned across the table towards Simon, but her petite frame exuded no intimidation. "Aren't you worried that Blockbuster Entertainment might eventually threaten Daenerys Entertainment's film business?"
Simon smiled. "If you had two children, would you worry if the second one became more successful than the first?"
Nancy felt the warmth of his smile and instinctively leaned back a little. "That's not the same thing."
Simon shrugged. "To me, it is."
Even though Daenerys Entertainment only held a 35% stake in Blockbuster, as long as Simon did not relinquish his position, he would maintain control over the company for a long time.
Simon's approach to business management had always been consistent.
No company could thrive indefinitely. Instead of being replaced by others, it was better to replace oneself.
Daenerys Entertainment had reached a peak in its film business, and the goal now was to maintain that position for as long as possible. However, if they could not hold their ground or if decline became inevitable, Simon would prefer that the company that replaced Daenerys was still within the Westeros system.
Of course, this was more of a strategic perspective.
Simon wasn't pessimistic about Daenerys Entertainment's future. With a vast library of IP rights, Daenerys Entertainment's core labels could remain dominant for another 20 years.
In reality, Blockbuster Entertainment's true target was the survival space of other major Hollywood studios.
Nancy quickly grasped Simon's perspective.
The key difference was in their positions. The man in front of her stood at the pinnacle of Hollywood's hierarchy. Not only did he have Daenerys Entertainment, but also significant interests in MGM, Blockbuster, Time Warner, and Paramount, all intricately tied to the Westeros system.
While Daenerys Entertainment was already immensely powerful, Simon valued the overall control and influence of the Westeros system over the entire Hollywood industry more.
It was similar to the recently launched AOL portal website.
If given a choice, the Igreat team would have gone to great lengths to prevent AOL from launching its portal. Moreover, if Simon wanted to stop it, it would have been easy.
Yet, he not only refrained from stopping it but actively facilitated AOL's portal launch.
The rationale was clear.
Just like children within a large family, no matter how they competed, they remained part of the same family.
Ultimately, the opinions of the eldest, second, or third children were less important to a patriarch keen on the family's prosperity. The patriarch might even encourage competition among the siblings to prevent complacency and stagnation.
Reflecting on this, Nancy glanced at Simon and said, "In that case, can you give Blockbuster Entertainment some of the rights you've been collecting over the years?"
Simon chuckled. "Which ones are you interested in?"
Nancy's eyes sparkled. "The Thor King series."
"Don't be silly."
"You're so stingy," Nancy accused playfully, leaning forward again to exert some non-existent pressure. "Then why don't you help us pick a few?"
In truth, Nancy had recently reviewed the list of rights Daenerys Entertainment had accumulated.
With over 600 undeveloped scripts, novels, and other types of rights collected over the years, it was impossible to distinguish which ones Simon had personally selected and which had been purchased by various labels' rights departments.
The Thor King series was obviously a joke.
Blockbuster Entertainment hired Robert Shaye and the Weinstein brothers specifically for their expertise in low-budget independent films. In the short term, Blockbuster Entertainment would only handle projects with budgets under $30 million.
Simon pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Not right now. Let them pick first and send their choices to me for a review."
Nancy frowned. "You just said you treat them equally."
"I do. Danny and Ella follow the same process. Given that I'm someone who makes $7 billion a day, do you think it's appropriate for me to handle everything personally?"
Nancy couldn't resist correcting him. "It's $6.98 billion."
"Fine, I'm someone who makes $6.98 billion a day. Do you think it's appropriate for me to handle everything personally?"
"…"
Simon watched Nancy's frustrated expression with a smile. Glancing at his watch, he said, "It's about time. Your high heels are still in my office. Let's go get them."
Nancy blushed, remembering the time she had bitten his chin, and glared at him. "Is this how you trick women?"
"Alright, let's be formal," Simon leaned in closer. "What's that perfume you're wearing today? It smells great."
"I'm not telling you."
"I actually know. It's Dior Miss Dior, right?"
"…"
"It seems like you've had a recent shift in mindset. You used to wear Chanel, especially Chanel No. 19, which gives off a strong, assertive vibe."
"…"
"I just remembered a great script. How about we go to my office to discuss it?"
Nancy wanted to hide her face, embarrassed that he had noticed the change in her perfume.
And she hadn't even realized it herself.
Ever since that incident, she had been trying to keep her distance from him, but the change in her perfume… Oh no, he had noticed it.
Damn it!
"I…"
Trying to muster a fierce expression, Nancy threatened, "I'll really bite you and draw blood this time."
"That's okay. A man should get a few bites from women in his lifetime. Otherwise, he's a failure."
"Your expression is so wicked. You're definitely thinking something bad."
Simon immediately straightened up. "By the way, Ella came to my office yesterday and complimented the artwork I recently selected. She said it was creative and adorable."
Nancy paused. "What artwork?"
"A pair of black high heels, size 4. They're tiny and adorable, though still a bit too big since the girl who wears them tends to kick them off everywhere."
"You… My shoes… Artwork?"
"Yes, they're on my desk."
"Pervert!"
"…"
"Foot fetishist."
"I'll admit to that."
"Bastard."
"Be a lady. Don't use foul language."
"Give me back my shoes."
"Go to my office and get them."
"I'm not going."
"Then I'll keep them displayed, waiting for Cinderella to come claim them."
"I'll tell Janet."
"That sounds familiar."
"?"
"Janet often uses that threat too."
"…"
"Alright, we've finished our formalities. Do you want to get your shoes?"
"No."
Seeing Nancy's face turning as red as an apple, Simon decided not to tease her further and conceded, "Fine, the formalities failed. I'll have A send your shoes back later."
With Simon's 'surrender,' Nancy gained some confidence and mocked, "You seem desperate lately."
"Uh, that's not a word you use for men."
"It's the same thing," Nancy pushed further, "Is it because Janet and the others are pregnant?"
"I need to correct you. You shouldn't use plural for names. It looks like you need more practice with your English."
"Hmm."
"It's already 1:15. Get back to work. It's terrible to slack off in front of the boss."
"Hmm."
"What does 'hmm' mean?"
"Not sure. I saw Janet use it and thought I'd try it."
"You're Nancy. Stay true to yourself. Don't mimic Janet."
"Hmm."
"This time, you sounded like a little pig."
"You're the pig."
"Fine, I'm heading back to the office. Since you hummed so well, you can order another lunch on me."
"Ugh!"
"Very unladylike."
With an exaggerated look of disdain, Simon stood up, buttoned his jacket, and left the dining room.
As his figure disappeared, Nancy buried her face in her arms on the table.
Oh my god!
I must be crazy. Why did I change my perfume? When did I change it?
And he noticed.
And he can tell the difference between these perfumes.
I don't even pay that much attention myself.
Yes.
Damn playboy.
Bastard.
He even displayed my shoes on his desk.
Thinking this, Nancy subconsciously pressed her small feet into her size 4 but still slightly loose high heels under the table, as if worried Simon might jump out and snatch them.
---
### Hollywood, Chinese Theater
For the premiere of the summer's biggest blockbuster, crowds of fans had been gathering outside the Hollywood Chinese Theater since the morning. The streets were plastered with posters of the "Superman" series.
Following the success of "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," "The Flash," and "Wonder Woman," the fifth film in the DC cinematic universe, featuring one of the most popular superheroes, Superman, drew significant attention from Hollywood insiders and North American media.
Fans were particularly excited about the new reboot of "Superman."
From the snippets released beforehand, audiences had already glimpsed the vast improvement in special effects compared to the 1970s version.
Many fans who were initially displeased that Daenerys Entertainment didn't cast Christopher Reeve in the new Superman role were now filled with anticipation as the release date approached.
This was a recurring issue in Simon's memory whenever Batman or Superman was recast.
Before the film's release, there were complaints, criticisms, and protests.
After the release, only two words remained: "It's awesome."
Ultimately, people were drawn to the superhero character itself. The specific actor was merely a vessel. As long as this vessel's performance wasn't dreadful, it would likely gain audience acceptance. After all, even Michael Keaton, who had no superhero appeal, managed to be accepted as Batman.
In comparison, the new "Superman" cast chosen by Simon, including Brad Pitt as Clark Kent and Cour
teney Cox as Lois Lane, were both well-suited for the roles in terms of both appearance and acting.
At 6 PM, the red carpet ceremony for the "Superman" premiere officially began.
The confirmed cast of the DC cinematic universe, from the "Batman" series to the upcoming "Cyborg" releasing at the end of the year, all attended. With numerous other Hollywood stars showing up to support, the audience's cheers along the red carpet never ceased.
Even before the ceremony concluded, Facebook, under the Igreat umbrella, was already flooded with photos from the "Superman" premiere, quickly climbing the trending topics list.
At 7 PM, the red carpet ceremony ended.
Inside the Chinese Theater, as the guests settled in and the host gave a brief speech, the screening of "Superman" began.
The opening credits displayed the Warner Bros. logo first, followed by the fiery rebirth of the Daenerys Entertainment phoenix, and finally, the DC Films logo.
Daenerys Entertainment had no issue with this ordering.
The distributor's logo traditionally came first.
Moreover, as a project fully funded by Daenerys Entertainment, Warner Bros. would only take a 12.5% distribution fee. Most of the profits would return to Daenerys Entertainment. Both parties were top players in the industry. Unless Warner Bros. wanted to sever ties, they wouldn't resort to accounting tricks.
The movie opened with a grand all-CG battle scene on Krypton.
Compared to the low-budget practical sets of the 70s Krypton, the new Krypton battle sequence was almost awe-inspiring.
In recent years, most of Daenerys Special Effects' efforts had focused on developing technology for the DC cinematic universe.
To achieve the most realistic effects, Daenerys Entertainment not only continued to refine its special effects software but also established a second large-scale rendering farm in Melbourne, Australia. This farm had been dedicated to serving "Superman" and "Cyborg" for the past year.
Simon had always emphasized cost control for the DC cinematic universe series.
However, to achieve the best results, "Superman" became the first DC film to reach a $100 million production budget.
The story of this "Superman" film drew from Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel." Although the special effects didn't match the 2013 standards, they were on par with the early 2000s "Lord of the Rings" series by Peter Jackson.
The five-minute prologue depicted the destruction of Krypton during a civil war, with Clark Kent being sent to Earth by his parents and General Zod and his followers being exiled into space.
After the official opening credits, the film quickly transitioned to Clark Kent's adulthood.
With childhood flashbacks and Clark's adventures, the film showcased Superman's upbringing and his various superpowers.
Subsequently, in an Antarctic expedition, Superman discovered his origins. The main characters met for the first time, and the activation of a Kryptonian ship summoned the villainous General Zod to Earth, setting the stage for the main plot to unfold.
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