The Matrix!
That's right.
After careful consideration, Kevin chose "The Matrix" as his next film.
In its original history, "The Matrix" was distributed and produced by Warner Bros. and was released in 1999. It grossed $460 million worldwide, which was quite remarkable for an original film. Especially considering its production budget was only $63 million, even with the additional marketing expenses, the total production cost did not exceed $70 million.
This meant that just with the first installment of "The Matrix," Warner Bros. earned over $200 million in revenue. Not to mention the subsequent sequels and the income from DVD rights.
Given the confrontational relationship between Kevin and Warner Bros. that would be established in the future, Kevin couldn't wait for Warner Bros. to fail.
He wasted no time in executing this strategy.
All these factors combined made it an easy choice for him.
At the same time, this classic film certainly lived up to Nicholas Cage's involvement.
As for Keanu Reeves, Kevin could only apologize. Although he also liked the actor, they hadn't met yet. If they were to meet in the future, he could compensate Keanu with other films.
...
Kevin immersed himself in his writing, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.
During these seven days, Kevin transformed the movies from his memory into scripts.
But that was just the first step.
The original version of The Matrix had many shortcomings.
The Wachowski siblings...
No, the Wachowski brothers.
They incorporated too many philosophical elements into the film, such as existentialism and complex structures, creating a sense of emptiness. As a result, The Matrix became extremely difficult to understand for many viewers.
Perhaps even the Wachowski brothers themselves weren't clear about what they were trying to convey to the audience through the film.
However, Kevin's choice was to dispel all the confusion and simplify the story.
He streamlined the narrative.
In simple terms, The Matrix is about a future world where humans are trapped in a virtual reality as living batteries for the machines. The protagonist, as a virus within the virtual world, possesses the ability to go undetected by the artificial intelligence. He is the only chance for humanity to escape from this virtual prison.
From Kevin's perspective, it was a human crisis caused by the rise of artificial intelligence.
The story revolves around how humanity breaks free from the machines' control and reclaims their world.
The first installment focuses on the discovery of the truth behind the virtual world and the human resistance against the machines.
That's the story Kevin's version of The Matrix aims to tell.
Once the story was clear in his mind, Kevin's next task became straightforward: removing the confusing plotlines that left people perplexed and adding more action elements that audiences love.
Iconic scenes like dodging bullets and the protagonist effortlessly defeating enemies with martial arts skills acquired from the virtual world would be preserved, and certain scenes would be extended.
And thus, a completely new version of The Matrix was completed.
When it came to the film's level of refinement and directorial ability, Kevin was confident that his version of The Matrix would surpass the Wachowski brothers' original.
It's not to say that the Wachowski brothers' version of The Matrix was not good.
Here, one must consider the target audience.
Kevin's version was intended to be a mainstream, enjoyable film with the widest appeal. Even if it didn't reach the same level of artistic excellence, Kevin was confident that his version would outperform the Wachowski brothers' in terms of box office success.
Sometimes, the quality of a film and its box office performance are not directly related.
Kevin had realized this long ago.
...
Three days later, Kevin, with disheveled hair, finally emerged from the villa.
During these few days, his bodyguards' main task was to bring him meals, leaving them with plenty of free time.
Kevin made a phone call in advance, and the bodyguard quickly arrived to pick him up in a car.
He bought a brand-new set of clothes at the mall, freshened up his appearance, and then called his two canaries to ask them to come back.
With the proposal in his hand, Kevin headed towards 20th Century Fox.
....
Inside Fox.
Numerous executives and the CEO were eagerly awaiting the box office summary of "The Dark Knight Rises" today.
As the investor who was about to collaborate with Steve Kevin on a film, they believed that the box office performance of "The Dark Knight Rises" would set the tone for their future collaborations.
Apart from Kevin and Warner Bros., they were the most concerned people about the box office of "The Dark Knight Rises".
The employee in charge of data reporting walked in, glanced at the report in his hand, and spoke clearly:
"Yesterday, 'The Dark Knight Rises' grossed $13 million in single-day box office in the United States. The current total box office in the United States stands at $280 million."
"Good, understood!"
Davis nodded, indicating that he understood, and then waved his hand, dismissing the employee.
One of the executives couldn't contain his excitement and spoke up:
"CEO, shall we visit director Steve Kevin? It has been more than half a month, and we don't know the progress of his film proposal."
"No rush. Steve Kevin came to us voluntarily, indicating that he really wants the rights. Once he's done, he will naturally come to us. There's no need to be so anxious..."
Davis calmly replied.
The female secretary, Catherine, pushed the door open and hurriedly said:
"Director Steve Kevin is here with the project proposal!"
Davis's calm expression instantly changed, and he eagerly said:
"Take me to see him."
"We're coming too."
Other executives followed behind.
The female secretary nodded and led the way.
A group of Fox executives and the CEO, led by the secretary, hurriedly made their way, almost making other Fox employees think that something had happened.
In this way, the group of people rushed all the way to the VIP reception room.
Seeing their postures, Kevin knew they had rushed over and understood their urgency. Without wasting any time, Kevin said directly:
"This is my project proposal. Take a look. If you think it's fine, we can sign the contract."
As he spoke, he handed them the project proposal.
Davis took the proposal but didn't immediately rush to read it. Instead, he looked up at Kevin with a smile and said:
"Kevin, congratulations on the massive success of 'The Dark Knight Rises' at the box office."
A smile appeared on Kevin's face. Although he had been in seclusion, he had immediately caught up with all the news he needed to know upon coming out.
Although his film might not be as formidable as the original version, disregarding the influence of the times, he could still say that he didn't tarnish the reputation of the film.
In response to Davis's congratulations, Kevin replied smoothly:
"The film proposal I have presented is, in my opinion, on par with 'The Dark Knight.' It's a good film that combines depth and commercial appeal."
Upon hearing this, the executives couldn't help but smile.
Davis exchanged a few pleasantries and instructed the female secretary to entertain Kevin. Then, he hurriedly left with the other executives to go to the department at Fox responsible for reviewing project proposals...