From the very first episode, Edgerunners instantly became the hottest topic.
More importantly, the commercial value brought by this series far exceeded people's expectations. One could even say that no other series had ever achieved such a high level of commercial value.
Of course, in the past, it might have been that people simply didn't develop such projects, or perhaps there were already enough projects being developed. Jennifer Aniston starred in Friends for so long, yet she still couldn't be compared with top-tier Hollywood stars.
This is the embodiment of value. The commercial value of a blockbuster film far surpasses that of even a very popular series.
However, the success of Edgerunners seemed to prove that as long as a series becomes explosive, its value can soar significantly.
Indeed, under the influence of Edgerunners, Twentieth Century Fox's highly anticipated Fantastic Four 2 barely made a ripple.
Twentieth Century Fox has already canceled plans for sequels and paused development of the series. Their only hope now lies with the X-Men franchise.
They have already planned to develop a standalone Wolverine film, hoping that this solo superhero movie can achieve the same success as Iron Man.
Another impact concerns Chris Evans. In the latest negotiation, his agent made concessions, and Chris Evans joined Captain America with a $3.5 million salary.
As a result, the highest-paid actor in Captain America is actually Scarlett, whose salary has risen to $8 million.
Finally, Scarlett's transition from an art-house film icon to a commercial film star went smoothly. She was very grateful to Gilbert, and even invited Avril Lavigne to join her in rewarding Gilbert generously.
That said, Scarlett and Avril Lavigne often bickered, yet their relationship was still good, which puzzled Gilbert.
Once, Gilbert overheard them arguing over who should be called "older sister."
Avril Lavigne said confidently, "I'm two months older than you, you have to call me sister."
"No," Scarlett retorted, unwilling to yield, "I entered first, you have to call me sister."
"Really? If it's about entering first, we should all call Michelle 'sister.' So why is Naomi the eldest?" Avril Lavigne started digging a pit.
Scarlett rested her chin on her hand, thinking: "Because Naomi is older than Michelle."
"Bingo!" Avril Lavigne snapped her fingers. "Exactly, so you have to call me sister."
Scarlett realized and immediately shook her head: "No, no, that's not right. You should call me sister…"
Watching the two girls' endless debate, Gilbert could only shake his head helplessly. Perhaps such arguments actually strengthened their bond, and the two younger ones grew closer.
Gilbert couldn't figure out the logic but could only conclude that the younger wives just got along better.
On Monday morning, at the Warner Bros. headquarters, the weekly executive meeting was in session. At this moment, the new CEO, Kelly Ross, was facing a barrage from the executives.
"Let's look at some data. During the premiere of Edgerunners, HBO viewership increased by 53% compared to the same period last year.
"If it weren't for the diversion to Disney Channel, it might even have broken the premiere record.
"In terms of online discussion, the top ten trending searches on Watermelon, Google, and Banana are mostly related to Edgerunners. IMDB even gave it a 9.5 rating, with over 110,000 reviews.
"As of now, over one hundred media outlets have rated it, giving an average score of 98. Now, both online and offline, people are talking about this series.
"Even Chicago gangs, Detroit's homeless, Wall Street stock elites, and Washington politicians—no one isn't watching this series.
"What does this show? It shows that Edgerunners has caused a truly phenomenal stir."
Another executive stepped forward and continued: "Undoubtedly, aside from its popularity, Edgerunners also performs exceptionally in commercial terms.
"Last weekend alone, merchandise related to Edgerunners generated $42 million in North America. The series will air two episodes every Friday, and this popularity can spread throughout the summer season."
"That's not all," another executive holding a laptop said, "just now, Edgerunners went online on Watermelon Video.
"In just twenty minutes, it has already received numerous clicks. Comments and messages are rapidly increasing, and it is expected to become the hottest series on the platform.
"And streaming platforms—those the company once cut off, deeming completely useless—look at the result now."
Facing the executives' relentless pressure, Kelly Ross felt unprecedented stress. She no longer appeared as composed and confident as before, and she understood the influence Gilbert had on Warner Bros after working together for over ten years.
So she forced herself to say, "The strategic separation is a decision made by headquarters. If you have complaints, you can take them to headquarters."
The executives, of course, were not satisfied and persisted.
"Director Gilbert is Warner Bros pillar. Thirty to forty percent of Warner Bros performance is related to Gilbert.
"Does headquarters really want to give up this portion of performance just to complete the separation?"
"Yes. Not to mention Harry Potter, the subsequent Lord of the Rings projects, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and other blockbuster film copyrights.
"Although shared with Disney, these are extremely important to Warner. Are we really supposed to give them all up?"
"Silence! Silence! Silence!"
Seeing the meeting room turning into a complete chaos, Kelly Ross had no choice but to raise her voice to stop them, banging forcefully on the table.
"We are not saying to abandon or separate immediately. The plan is to complete it over several years. During these years, we can find new points for growth in performance."
As the executives calmed down, Kelly Ross raised her voice even more: "Are we all together still less than one Gilbert?"
"Hard to say…"
"Who?" Kelly Ross was displeased, but no one spoke up.
She had to emphasize her tone: "Whether you agree or not, this is a decision made by the corporate group, and it is indisputable.
"If anyone thinks they lack the ability or are dissatisfied with the group, you may submit your resignation, and I will accept it without question."
Under Kelly Ross's firm attitude, the executives' attempt to force her hand failed.
However, this coup attempt severely damaged Kelly Ross's authority and even deepened the conflict between Warner Bros. and its parent company, Time Warner.
The clash between the executives and Kelly Ross quickly spread through Hollywood's upper circles, stirring quite a commotion.
At the beach of Melon Estate, Gilbert was fishing with Robert Iger. Yet neither of them focused on the rods; instead, they discussed the recent news.
"Although Warner Bros has been working to separate from your studio, from you personally, it's strange that Warner's stock price hasn't dropped. It's actually rising."
Gilbert smiled: "There's nothing strange about that, Bob. The people on Wall Street are stock experts. If they want Warner to complete a separation from me, they must be compensated elsewhere."
The essence of the world is a naked exchange of interests. Even emperors, if they want ministers to serve them loyally, must provide corresponding benefits—whether in positions, wealth, or other forms.
Moreover, in modern society, no matter how powerful one is, without offering some kind of benefit, how can people willingly do your bidding?
..
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