If theater chains can unhesitatingly choose Dawn Films over the eight major Hollywood film companies, it would signify Dawn Films becoming a Hollywood giant.
However, Dawn Films is still very young and inexperienced; it still needs time to develop.
Fortunately, Kevin has the financial means to buy time.
Trust takes time to establish, but the expertise in handling these matters can be acquired.
Acquiring a medium-sized film company is one such shortcut.
However, Kevin is still contemplating this aspect and has not set a specific goal yet.
...
On the other side, the two individuals in front of Kevin exchanged glances. Kevin's intention was clear—he wanted them to direct the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean. Sequel films, with the tone set by the director of the first installment, tend to perform reasonably well as long as they don't deviate too much.
Kevin was undoubtedly offering them an opportunity for mentorship.
This kind of opportunity would not be refused by any director.
Both of them nodded simultaneously.
Kevin continued, "For Pirates of the Caribbean 2, I will be in charge of the script and produce the film. As for the directors, the two of you will work together."
"Snyder!"
"Yes?"
"Do you know what your shortcomings are?"
Zack awkwardly scratched his head. Being someone who reflects on his own flaws, he knew that his biggest weakness was his grasp of storytelling pacing. In simpler terms, his ability to tell a story through film was not very strong.
"I'm not very good at using camera shots to tell a story."
Kevin nodded.
In his previous life, Justice League completely exposed this weakness.
Under his direction, the storytelling in Justice League was confusing and unclear.
If it weren't for the fact that Justice League was a highly recognized IP in the United States and its story had already been familiar to the American audience, the director's cut of Justice League would not have achieved the success it did.
However, Zack Snyder did have strengths of his own.
In many ways, he resembled a certain director named Kevin. Although his ability to grasp storytelling was mediocre, he had his own unique style when it came to film visuals. In his hands, every frame often had a painterly quality, and each shot could be captured and used as wallpaper—that was his strength.
"You're absolutely right. That's why I want you to collaborate with Mitt on directing the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel."
"You possess the talent of a genius but lack a fundamental skill, a storytelling ability that I believe every director must have."
"This is where Mitt can complement you."
Mitt, standing beside them, couldn't help but shoot smug glances at Zack Snyder. Clearly, he was quite happy with Kevin's praise and took this opportunity to show off to Zack.
However, his happiness was short-lived as Kevin changed the subject.
"Of course, I must admit, your unique style is your own talent, and that happens to be Mitt's weakness."
"This talent will make your path to becoming a Hollywood director much smoother. In this aspect, Mitt is at a disadvantage."
At this point, Zack Snyder started giving glances at Mitt.
Zack Snyder had all kinds of smug expressions, as if saying, "I'm a genius, and you're mediocre," feeling quite pleased with himself.
Watching the two of them goofing around, Kevin sighed and held his forehead, feeling a bit speechless.
After letting them banter back and forth for a while, Kevin finally knocked on the table and said, "Now, let's talk about something serious, you two."
"Do you want to join Dawn Films completely?"
Both of them turned their heads and said in unison, "Of course, aren't we already part of Dawn Films?"
Kevin smiled helplessly. All the sentiments were understood without words.
They were not only good friends but also kindred spirits. Kevin had always treated them well, and unless something major happened, they would always stand by Kevin's side.
Once the matter was settled, Kevin naturally went to negotiate the details with MGM.
There were many adjustments to be made for the sequel's production, and they needed to prepare in advance.
After all the arrangements for the sequel were completed and after the full impact of The Dark Knight had settled, Kevin was about to embark on his Marvel Cinematic Universe.
...
Three days later, the three-day box office of The Dark Knight reached nearly $70 million.
People within the industry, who knew the production costs of Kevin's two films, were extremely envious.
Since his graduation, Steve Kevin's journey had been nothing short of legendary. And now, in just four years, at less than thirty years old, he had become an undisputed figure in Hollywood.
After the three-day box office results for The Dark Knight were released, other film studios couldn't help themselves and extended their invitations to Kevin.
Assistant Ellie's phone was almost exploding from the number of calls.
Inside Kevin's mansion, after the sisters finished drinking their milk to replenish their bodies, Kevin finally had some time to answer Assistant Ellie's calls.
"Boss, Paramount has extended a film invitation to you, offering an unlimited production budget and agreeing to a 30% investment stake with you having the freedom to choose from their IPs."
"20th Century Fox has offered you a $30 million salary to direct a film for them, with you being able to select any IP they possess."
"And then there's Buena Vista Company, expressing their intention to acquire Dawn Films. They have presented a price tag of $1.3 billion, with the sole requirement being that you sign an exclusive director contract with Buena Vista and refrain from making films as you please."
As Ellie spoke, she couldn't contain her excitement.
Everyone understood the implications of this.
Dawn Films was currently just an empty shell, with the Pirates of the Caribbean rights barely valuing it at $300 million.
The remaining $900 million clearly indicated that Buena Vista wanted to completely secure Kevin's future prospects.
Without a doubt, it was a high-stakes gamble.
They were betting on whether Kevin's future films would continue to generate profits.
For that reason, Buena Vista was willing to pay $900 million.
To be honest, if Kevin hadn't already acquired Marvel, he might have seriously considered accepting the offer.
With that kind of money, he could retire on the spot.
However, now that he had Marvel in his hands, Kevin no longer cared about the $900 million.
Of course, Kevin was well aware of Buena Vista's conditions. It undoubtedly involved Disney's involvement.
The value of the Pirates of the Caribbean rights would be completely different in their hands.
And once the director who could produce Pirates of the Caribbean fell into their hands, they could even create an entire Pirates of the Caribbean theme park.
Kevin himself couldn't imagine what kind of movie he would create under those circumstances.
Faced with all these temptations, Kevin simply smiled and replied, "Please reject all of them for me."
"Yes!"
Ellie's response was resolute. Initially, she was also taken aback by the amount, but once she understood Kevin's current position, she snapped out of the shock caused by the $1.3 billion offer.
However, experiencing this shock once again altered Kevin's position in her eyes.
Meanwhile, the media outside was showering Kevin with excessive praise, to the point of embarrassment.
Among them, the renowned film critic, Vic, received widespread recognition for his overly exaggerated words of praise, further boosting his popularity.