After finalizing the main cast, Kevin handed over the well-developed project proposal for Pirates of the Caribbean to MGM and Warner Bros. for evaluation of its success potential.
The proposal included Kevin's considerations for the fantasy pirate genre in the current market, as well as the marketing strategies and production considerations.
The specific negotiation was scheduled for three days later, allowing them time to investigate the authenticity of the project proposal. Even Kevin couldn't avoid this step, as it was part of the process.
It was thanks to this system that Hollywood film companies couldn't be easily deceived, preventing significant losses for the companies.
After taking care of these matters, Kevin visited the Pirates of the Caribbean production team led by Zack Snyder, who was responsible for casting supporting actors near Hollywood. Seeing the competent control he had over the team, Kevin could finally leave with peace of mind.
The role of an assistant director was to help the director with all the dirty and tiring work.
Saw and Get Out were manageable because of their low production costs and small crew sizes, so controlling the production team was relatively easy for him.
But Mission: Impossible was truly exhausting for him.
With a crew of over a hundred people and international filming locations, negotiating with different individuals really drained him mentally.
Even with the help of experienced crew members arranged by MGM, it still gave him headaches.
That's why he wanted to cultivate a reliable assistant director.
Returning to his mansion, Kevin made a detour to an adult store and purchased some items. He also bought a bunch of food and drinks before heading back home.
Although Kevin wasn't skilled at cooking, he preferred not to have strangers in his mansion, except for the women he had applauded for love.
"Kevin, you're back."
Milla Jovovich, dressed in sexy lingerie, twisted her way to Kevin's side.
Kevin smirked and took out a pair of stockings from his hand, handing them to Milla Jovovich.
"Baby, I've arranged the role of the female supporting character for you. How do you want to thank me?"
In Pirates of the Caribbean 1, apart from the female lead, there weren't many significant female roles, but it wasn't a big problem.
As an extremely charismatic man, Captain Jack Sparrow was adored wherever he went. In the first half of the movie, Kevin arranged a role for Milla Jovovich as a seductive bar owner.
He also added a small scene where a woman saves the hero, emphasizing her role while Captain Jack Sparrow is on the run.
This indirectly highlighted Captain Jack Sparrow's charm with women.
In fact, after the tremendous success of the three movies, Kevin's confidence had grown steadily.
Although he still didn't dare to make significant changes to these classic films, he had the confidence to make minor alterations to certain scenes.
The biggest change he made to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was reducing the screen time of the original male and female leads, turning the movie into a showcase for Captain Jack Sparrow.
In the film, he added more character development and plotlines for Captain Jack Sparrow, presenting the character in a more complete way to the audience.
As for whether the audience would like it or not?
As a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Kevin deeply understood the psychology of the fans. Everyone watched Pirates of the Caribbean for Captain Jack Sparrow, not for some blacksmith or the governor's daughter.
Upon hearing Kevin's words, Milla Jovovich's face filled with excitement. She pounced on Kevin, pushing him onto the couch and grabbing the excitement-inducing items he had bought from the adult store.
The two intertwined on the couch, their outer garments instantly discarded...
...
In the villa with Milla Jovovich, they tried various positions and explored dozens of different ways to please each other.
Three days later, Kevin received a notification from MGM and went to participate in the specific investment matters at their office.
As Kevin was about to enter the conference room at MGM, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his waist, causing him to pause involuntarily.
He vigorously rubbed his waist for several seconds in the same spot, then composed himself and entered the conference room.
"Kevin!"
Whether it was Robert, Reed, or others, they all welcomed Kevin with smiles.
This reminded Kevin of what a celebrity with the surname Huang said in his past life.
When you are unknown, there are mostly bad people around you.
When you become famous, everyone around you is suddenly good people.
Kevin, who didn't want to enjoy all the success alone, now found himself surrounded by friends.
Confidently, Kevin took a seat on the right side and said:
"Pirates of the Caribbean is estimated to have a production cost of $100 million, with $30 million allocated for personnel expenses and the remaining $70 million primarily for special effects and props."
"On behalf of Dawn Films, we will invest 30% of the total amount. As a producer, screenwriter, holder of the Pirates of the Caribbean rights, and the director, I will contribute $15 million as an investment. Additionally, Dawn Films will provide $15 million in cash for the Pirates of the Caribbean investment."
"How do you propose to distribute the remaining 70%?"
Generally speaking, if a film studio proposes such a plan, no director would accept it. The film industry still follows the 80/20 rule, where only two out of ten films make money. And among the profitable films, only one or two may become major successes. Accepting such conditions would mean the director could face the hardship of shooting for half a year and end up losing money in the end.
Of course, as an investor, Kevin taking this approach undoubtedly means taking on risks and making money for himself. This way, he doesn't have to put up too much cash.
However, the most important point is that, as mentioned earlier, as the rights holder, Kevin's Dawn Films holds the rights for the development and licensing of future Pirates of the Caribbean installments.