Hollywood, I became a legend with special effects.

Chapter 40: The Mysterious Eastern Filmmaker

The next day, at eight o'clock in the morning, when the other employees of Light Chaser Animation North America entered the office one after another, they were greeted by an atmosphere that was almost boiling over.

David pulled out a large whiteboard, almost as tall as him, from some storage room and placed it in the center of the common office area.

The whiteboard was covered with numbers, arrows, percentages, and complex calculation formulas, written in bold, flowing red, blue, and black markers.

"Come here, everyone! Listen up!"

David brandished the half-stubbed red marker, his hair still disheveled, his eyes flashing with an alarming intensity, looking like a general giving a pre-battle pep talk after conquering enemy territory. "We, Light Chaser Animation & Media North America, have invested a whopping $40 million in the Iron Man project, representing a quarter of the global box office net profit!"

"According to the current revenue-sharing rules in Hollywood, I know there are slight differences between companies, but based on the standard model, the production company can get about 55% to 60% of the gross box office revenue in North America, and the proportion overseas is lower, averaging around 40%. Taking a conservative median, the production company can get about 50% of the total global box office revenue as income."

He turned and quickly wrote a few numbers on the whiteboard: "Assuming Iron Man's final global box office is, conservatively speaking, $5 million! Then the producers' revenue would be $2.5 million. Our quarter of that would be $6250 million!"

A young data analyst wearing glasses couldn't help but exclaim, "We've already broken even and have a profit of 2250 million! And that doesn't even include revenue from overseas TV rights, streaming media, and home videos!"

"Bingo!" David pointed at the analyst with a marker. "And, our contract also includes 10% of the total film rights revenue, and listen carefully, 5% of the net profit from licensed merchandise based on the character's image!"

He turned around and used a blue pen to draw a simple revenue tree diagram in another area of ​​the whiteboard.

"Do you know how terrifying the pre-orders for Iron Man Mark 1 through Mark 3 armor models are right now at Toys "R" Us and major e-commerce platforms? My friend revealed that yesterday's data alone is equivalent to the sales of some toy series for a whole quarter! And this is just the beginning! Once the movie's popularity fully takes hold, and once sequel plans are announced... this number will grow exponentially!"

Another female employee in charge of marketing raised her hand, her voice filled with excitement: "David, what about the sequel terms? We have priority investment rights, right?"

"Good question!"

David tossed the marker into the whiteboard tray, put his hands on his hips, and looked around at the growing number of employees gathering around him, his face beaming with undisguised pride.

"The contract is finalized! For any sequel to the Iron Man series developed under Marvel Studios' leadership, we automatically have a priority investment right of no less than 25%, with equal priority in profit sharing! What does this mean?"

He paused deliberately, letting the surprise build up.

"This means that as long as the Marvel franchise continues to expand, and as long as Iron Man keeps flying, we will have a stable, high-premium cash flow and profit source for the next five or even ten years! It means we are no longer just passersby or speculators in Hollywood; we are deep players who are tied to future super IPs!"

The atmosphere in the office was completely ignited.

Cheers, applause, and whistles erupted as some excitedly high-fived each other, while others began calculating how much prize money they could win.

Someone pulled out two bottles of champagne from the small refrigerator in the break room, which had been prepared at some unknown time. They opened them with a "bang," and the foam gushed out, even though it was only 9:30 in the morning.

Jiang Yu sat in his office, the door slightly ajar.

All the noise, calculations, and ecstasy outside could be clearly heard inside.

He didn't go out to join the celebration; instead, he leaned back in his high-backed chair, tapping his fingers on the armrests in a rhythmic pattern.

.......

9:30.

David's phone rang again; this time it was a direct call from the president of Paramount's publishing division.

The call was brief. After hanging up, David stood in front of the whiteboard, remaining silent for a full ten seconds.

The office fell silent instantly, everyone's eyes were fixed on his face, and they held their breath.

David slowly turned around, his expression strange, as if he wanted to laugh, yet also wanted to cry, and finally turned into an almost devout shock.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out for the first time. He cleared his throat and then announced in a volume that made sure everyone could hear him.

"Paramount's official preliminary figures... North American opening day box office: $4369 million."

"boom!!!"

The cheers, ten times louder than before, almost lifted the ceiling!

When Jiang Yu heard this number in his office, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

This result was significantly higher than the first day in his previous life, as he remembered it.

It seems that the publicity and word-of-mouth generated in this life, and even some minor changes brought about by my own butterfly, have produced a positive cumulative effect.

The office door was suddenly pushed open, and David rushed in like an excited brown bear, grabbing Jiang Yu in a hug without saying a word. This time, Jiang Yu didn't flinch.

"We did it! Boss! We fucking did it!!"

David's voice roared in Jiang Yu's ear, even choked with sobs, "Do you know what? I had a nightmare last night. I dreamt that the box office flopped, theaters pulled the film, Kevin Feige jumped off a building... My wife said I was talking in my sleep doing math, calculating how much we'd have to lose..."

Jiang Yu gently patted his broad back, and only after he calmed down a bit did he say, "Calm down, David. This is only the first day."

"4369 million on the first day! Breaking 100 million over the weekend is a certainty! I couldn't even imagine a first week globally!"

David released him, hastily wiping his reddened eyes with his sleeve. "Kevin Feige just called me and said the Marvel board is going crazy with excitement. They want to send you a special letter of appreciation, and they might even consider making you an honorary board member..."

"I'm willing to attend the dinner, but I'll pass on the thank-you notes and empty titles."

Jiang Yu sat back in his chair, his expression regaining its usual calm. "Report back to Kevin. Preparations for the sequel can begin secretly now. Don't rush to cast a director. Jon Favreau did a good job with this one; the next one needs more originality and a broader scope. Let them handle the planning. Also, remind him not to forget the technical cooperation clause in our contract. Light and Shadow Digital's role in the sequel should be more in-depth."

"Understood! I will convey it word for word!" David now had unconditional faith in Jiang Yu.

"Also," Jiang Yu added, "Did Peak Entertainment contact you about the test screening feedback for 'Twilight'?"

"Oh right!" David slapped his forehead. "The feedback has been excellent, especially among teenage audiences. Entertainment Weekly gave it a B+ rating, saying it could be the biggest dark horse of the fall. The people at the top are walking on air now."

"Yes. The quality of the film itself and the word-of-mouth from its core audience are the foundation of its success. Keep an eye on it, but don't interfere too much."

Jiang Yu paused for a moment, then said, "I have something to do this afternoon. You keep an eye on things at the company. Decline all media interviews, especially those about my personal background. If you absolutely can't refuse, keep the same line: we only trust professional teams and good stories."

"Understood!" David glanced at his watch. "Then I'll head out first. Warner and Fox have already called three times, wanting to talk to you. They've probably caught wind of our potential and want to find out if we're going to continue working on Marvel or if we have any new plans."

David left in a hurry, and Jiang Yu turned on his computer. The headlines of several major Hollywood media outlets had already been updated.

"A desperate comeback: Marvel returns to the mainstream with 'Iron Man,' a first-day blockbuster heralding a new era!" — The Hollywood Reporter

"From Ruins to Throne: Robert Downey Jr.'s Perfect Comeback and the Paradigm Shift in Superhero Movies!" — Variety

"The Midas Touch of the East: Are Mysterious Chinese Investors' Precise Gambles Reshaping the Hollywood Capital Map?" — Los Angeles Times Business Edition

(Hoping those with monthly passes can give me some support!)