"It's good that you understand this. I've already made up my mind, and if you can't see this clearly, I'm ready to replace you," Kevin said firmly.
Johnny Depp once again displayed an awkward smile. He dared not doubt Kevin's determination. During the filming of the movie, Kevin's regal demeanor made Depp realize that once Kevin set his mind on something, he would go to great lengths to achieve it.
It was terrifying to cross paths with someone like him.
...
Johnny's surrender saved Kevin a lot of trouble.
Kevin had too many iconic works in his hands.
If Johnny Depp had truly been a fool, Kevin wouldn't have minded destroying the massive IP of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Fortunately, things didn't escalate to that point.
Johnny Depp came to his senses in time.
Kevin continued, "In that case, go to Dawn Films in a couple of days and sign the contract. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 needs to be filmed as quickly as possible. I guarantee that as long as you faithfully follow my instructions, you will achieve the fame and status you desire."
"No problem, I will quickly handle the contract and get involved in the work," Johnny Depp said earnestly.
Seeing the resolution of the conflict between Depp and Kevin, Nicolas Cage approached with a charred and flavorful steak for Kevin and a medium-rare steak for Depp.
He smiled and said, "Now that your matters are settled, it's time for me to talk about me and Kevin."
"It's been two to three years since you moved here, so what about the promised role?" Cage jokingly asked.
This was just a casual remark from Cage, intended to ease the tension between Depp and Kevin.
"Cage, do you like Ghost Rider?" Kevin asked in response to his casual remark.
It was undeniable that the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at the request of the late Stan Lee, had to be Spider-Man.
However, Ghost Rider was also part of Kevin's plan.
In Kevin's view, the original Avengers were too limited in scope. A grand battle that decided the fate of the universe with just a few people, including ordinary humans like Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, seemed like a joke.
Now, with more time and resources, Kevin decided to expand the roster of the Avengers. The overall structure of the Avengers wouldn't change, but he wanted to include powerful characters like Ghost Rider and the X-Men, as well as other forces.
However, this was just a preliminary idea.
The specific design of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still in the minds of Stan Lee and Kevin Feige and hadn't fully materialized.
Kevin was just consulting Cage's thoughts for now.
In his previous life, he had heard that Cage was a fan of Ghost Rider comics, and he just wanted to confirm that.
Otherwise, given Cage's current mindset, he probably wouldn't accept a comic book movie.
In simpler terms, Cage was a bit of an artsy guy.
"Of course."
"A skull-faced man riding a motorcycle with flames burning on him. Which man can resist such temptation?"
"He's just incredibly cool!"
"Kevin, don't tell me you don't like Ghost Rider!"
Although Cage didn't know why Kevin suddenly brought up this topic, he couldn't help but express his love for Ghost Rider, his favorite comic.
Kevin's lips curled into a smile, and he said, "Well, what if I told you that I acquired the film rights to Ghost Rider? Would you be willing to portray Ghost Rider?"
"Are you serious?" Cage widened his eyes, seeking confirmation once again.
"I never joke about these things."
"I'm in!" Nicolas Cage replied without hesitation.
The feeling was akin to a child who grew up watching Ultraman and then being invited to portray their beloved childhood hero as an adult.
Only the person experiencing this indescribable excitement could truly understand it.
With Cage's response, Kevin finally spoke leisurely, "Don't rush. The script is still being polished, and actual filming probably won't start until mid-next year. I just wanted to give you a heads up in advance."
Nicolas Cage became immediately frustrated and displeased, saying, "You really know how to tease me, getting my hopes up like this and then saying that?"
Kevin reassured him, saying, "Don't worry, trust me, Ghost Rider won't disappoint you."
With Kevin's assurance, Cage had nothing more to say. He could only give Kevin an annoyed glance and say, "Fine, I'll be waiting."
The three of them then continued their lively little party, enjoying themselves until dawn.
...
The next morning, Kevin arrived at Dawn Studios early and saw the newspaper of Mel Gibson fiercely criticizing him.
"Hollywood's rising director? I think he's just an immature kid. People who watch Batman, are they all still babies who haven't been weaned off milk? Both the audience and the director seem to be of the same kind. This guy isn't worthy of watching my movies..."
Kevin remained unfazed as he read Mel Gibson's criticism in the newspaper. Such comments were neither here nor there, and Kevin couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them.
Dawson, who was by his side, glanced at Kevin's expression and tentatively suggested, "Should we retaliate in the media?"
"No need to bother with him," Kevin replied calmly.
Mel Gibson, the famous actor, had a history of domestic violence and had made anti-Latin, anti-Semitic remarks. Needless to say, he had offended too many people. It was only a matter of time before he met his demise, and Kevin didn't need to take matters into his own hands to deal with him.
...
After getting a brief understanding of The Dark Knight, Kevin asked about the current situation at the company.
"Dawson, how is the distribution you've established going?"
Dawson nodded and began to report on the progress.
"Currently, we have DVD channels in all 50 states in the U.S., with a network of over 400 outlets..."
As Kevin listened to the report, he nodded in approval. Establishing distribution channels within the United States wasn't particularly difficult; it was just a matter of scale. With the success of Pirates of the Caribbean paving the way, the channels had been opened up initially. The next step was to maintain these channels.
Dawn Studios had gradually grown to a size of dozens of people, and if you included the sales personnel running channels in various locations, it amounted to over 100 people overall. Within Hollywood, it could be considered a small to medium-sized film company.
However, compared to offline DVD channels, Dawn Studios had almost zero development in terms of theatrical distribution. Ultimately, Dawn Studios hadn't independently distributed any of its own films. The reason Kevin sought absolute control in Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was precisely for this reason.
Even though Dawn Studios had almost no channels in the theatrical market, a highly successful sequel like Pirates of the Caribbean 2 could still give them some leverage.