Page Pictures.
Bill Macnik, Kevin Feige, and Zack Snyder sat in the conference room for a meeting.
That's right, Zack Snyder was an additional person.
Zack is a director who has filmed numerous movies for Page Pictures, and to outsiders, he has long been associated with the Page Pictures label. Not long ago, he accepted an invitation from Kyle and Mr.Bill to officially serve as the Production Director of Page Pictures' production department, truly becoming one of Page Pictures' executives.
"I heard Mr. Page returned to Los Angeles yesterday?" Zack asked.
Mr.Bill nodded, "Yes, Alexander personally picked him up at the airport. I heard that Mr. Page's team has added a few more strategists, but I'm not sure who exactly they are."
As a company executive, staying updated on the boss's activities is a required course for professional managers in North America.
Well, it's also a way to survive.
Kevin Feige echoed, "I know one member of Mr. Page's think tank—Baggio Lister Jr. He was previously the Vice President of Aviva (Commercial Union Insurance) in the UK. I had contact with him regarding the promotion of the 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' project in the UK. He's a very formidable guy, and information gathering is his forte."
Mr.Bill and Zack both nodded.
"Zack, you are now the Director of the Production Department and are also in charge of filming the movie 'The Shallows.' How is the current situation?" Mr.Bill asked.
Zack replied, "Mr. Macnik, the movie 'The Shallows' wrapped up filming yesterday and is expected to be completed by the end of June."
Speaking of 'The Shallows,' Zack Snyder couldn't help but get excited, as it was his first film where he would receive a personal director's bonus.
Next, Vice President Kevin Feige also discussed his recent work with the two of them.
First, it was confirmed that the movie "The Butterfly Effect" would be released nationwide on April 19th.
"With directors Todd Phillips and Christopher Nolan co-directing 'The Butterfly Effect,' we need to intensify the promotion of both of them. We must prioritize the development of this 'star director' project," Mr.Bill said in a deep voice.
Star directors?
Historically, the most popular people in Hollywood have always been the actors on stage. When it comes to public recognition, directors, who are at the core of a film, can only take a backseat.
Mr.Bill smiled, "Although the current dot-com bubble has greatly damaged the market environment, we can still see that the future belongs to the internet. With the spread of the internet, directors' personal fame will absolutely not be inferior to that of star actors in the future. Therefore, we need to cultivate a group of star directors in advance."
The "Star Director Cultivation Plan" was a plan Mr.Bill had mentioned in a meeting not long ago.
Well-known actors have enormous appeal for a movie, which can significantly boost box office performance, but... what about directors? Are they not capable?
No!
Directors also have tremendous appeal!
Big-name directors like Spielberg and James Cameron can attract a large number of moviegoers to buy tickets just by their names.
However, the truth is that directors with strong market appeal were truly very, very few in the early 2000s.
"Since we don't have star directors,
Then we will create star directors, directors with market appeal~"
It must be said that Mr.Bill was quite bold!
Todd Phillips, whose future directed films include "The Hangover" series and "Joker (2019)," are all rare good movies;
Christopher Nolan, there's no need to say much, his directed "The Dark Knight" trilogy is still talked about by countless movie fans.
Currently, these three—Todd Phillips, Christopher Nolan, and Zack Snyder—are precisely the directors championed by Page Pictures, and even the entire Golden Dawn Entertainment Group. They are also the public faces of the "Star Director" cultivation project.
"District 9";
"The Devil Wears Prada";
These two films, after Hollywood entered the 21st century, were also very good movies and achieved quite good box office results.
However... these two films have now been "plagiarized" again by Kyle and have entered Page Pictures' script library.
Kevin Feige said, "My plan is to have Christopher Nolan direct 'District 9' and Todd Phillips direct 'The Devil Wears Prada.' As long as these two films are successful again, coupled with the promotion of our entire group, then the 'Star Director' cultivation plan will be a success!"
Some people might ask if they will film for other film and television companies once they become star directors.
The answer is definitely yes!
Looking across Hollywood, only a handful of directors are tied to a single film and television company. The vast majority of directors are fluid, filming for many film companies throughout their lives.
Kyle's company cultivates directors into star directors, and then they turn around and make films for other companies. Did Kyle lose out?
Yes, there was a loss, but from a long-term perspective, it was not a loss!
Once Page Pictures completes the "Star Director" cultivation plan, it will definitely have enormous appeal for unknown directors, further enhancing Page Pictures' influence.
This alone is priceless!
Furthermore, having a good relationship with a star director is an intangible asset for a film and television company.
You might go and make films for other companies, but that doesn't mean you can't make films for Page Pictures again in the future.
At the end of the meeting, Mr.Bill revealed some news.
"Gentlemen, thank you very much for our time working together," Mr.Bill said with a smile.
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Kevin and Zack were both stunned.
"Mr. Macnik, do you mean... you're going to... retire?!" Kevin Feige exclaimed in shock.
"No way?" Zack said in surprise.
"Haha!"
Mr.Bill smiled, "Gentlemen, I am already 69 years old this year, and it's time for me to enjoy my golden years."
In fact, Mr.Bill was also a tenacious person, but unfortunately, his body really couldn't take it anymore.
During the filming of "Spider-Man," Mr.Bill, serving as a producer, was hospitalized three times for treatment. He had the will but not the strength!
Mr.Bill spread his hands and said again, "I have no regrets. A few years ago, when I was kicked out by 20th Century Fox, I thought my film career was over. But... just when I was at my lowest, it was Kyle, whom I once hated so much, who extended an olive branch to me. These past few years, I have been very content."
Throughout the narration, Mr.Bill's face was filled with kindness and contentment.
Especially when facing Kyle, his feelings were extremely complex. After all, he once deeply hated Kyle, purely because of the movie "Titanic."
But now, this old man who had spent his entire life in Hollywood, as he said, was able to shine again at the age of nearly 70. His life had no regrets whatsoever.