Note: Hello. Please remember that this is a translation of my work in Spanish. I apologize for any grammar or comprehension errors. Thank you for reading.
...
After a few days of solitude and planning, an important moment had finally arrived. Matt walked with a certain aura of superiority through the halls of Warner Bros. After a couple of calls, he finally managed to arrange a meeting with the old guys who held some control, especially Marcus Warner.
It was very curious that in this world, the Warner Family still retained some power at Warner Bros., but at the end of the day, they still belonged to Time Warner. For Matt, it was a little poetic that the bastards had to bow their heads to people who didn't even have their last name, while they did.
Of course, he would never say it out loud since, to this day, he had a "good relationship" with them.
Although Matt owned Dark Film, a significant player in the industry, he never dared to rise too far above the Big Six and take control of his own distribution company. The moment he did, the Big Six would stop ignoring him and attack him together, leaving him without a leader, since they didn't need another powerful rival to compete with.
Warner, until now, had been one of his main partners when it came to distribution and even investing in some special cases and projects.
Upon arriving at one of the main offices, Matt ignored even the secretary and walked straight in. Inside the office, Jonas Warner looked up from his desk and met Matt's gaze. The man, Jonas, clearly preparing to leave, smiled as he watched Matt stalk in, his jacket slung over one arm and gathering some papers.
Matt and Jonas were the same age and had studied at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences together. Unfortunately, Jonas wasn't the best at the subject, and with his father's interference, he had to detour to become an executive and entrepreneur instead of an artist and director.
"Where were you?" Jonas asked casually but with a hint of curiosity.
"At a nearby cafe, a work meeting, you know," Matt replied in a voice of mock annoyance.
Jonas looked at his watch and then at Matt.
"Well, I just called the meeting, so let's go," he said, standing next to him and patting him on the shoulder.
"I'll follow you, Mr. Warner." Matt bowed theatrically before following him through the hallways to an elevator.
"And Jessica? My wife misses going shopping with her," Jonas asked, a flash of interest in his eyes.
"Are you really a Warner executive?" Matt raised an eyebrow in amusement at the question.
"Come on, man, I was just chatting. You're arriving at the airport this afternoon, right?" Jonas affirmed and questioned at the same time.
"Yeah, Interstellar premieres soon, and international promotion is over for now," Matt confirmed, even though he knew the other party already knew the answer.
"I'll pick Jessica up at the airport," he added before the elevator stopped.
"Okay, say hello for her." They headed out toward the meeting room.
Matt was confident, but he couldn't help but glance at the briefcase in his hand to reaffirm his determination. The project was certainly ambitious, and without a strong distributor and partner, they wouldn't get very far, at least not as far as he wanted to go or in the timeframe he planned.
"Do you think I'll have Marcus's support for this one?" Matt asked his partner with a strangely serious tone.
Marcus is Jonas's older brother and a director at Warner Bros., a different kind of guy from Jonas.
Jonas, who is passionate about superheroes, remembered how animated he'd been when they discussed their ideas.
While Marcus... Well... Marcus is a typical tie-wearing guy who thinks with the gold trim on his three-piece suit.
"Sure, you know that even with our differences, we're still brothers," Jonas replied with a half-hearted smile.
Matt looked at him amused, his lips curling into a slight smile.
"You know he wants your position for your nephew, right?" he tried to joke, but it only darkened Jonas's face.
"Yeah... that... let's not talk about it for the moment."
"Sure," Matt immediately noticed there seemed to be more tension than he'd thought.
Matt simply patted him on the shoulder. Together, they walked toward the conference room. The room was spacious, dominated by a large, polished table that stretched almost the entire length of the space. The walls were made of glass, offering a stunning view of the city skyline. Sunlight filtered in, casting a warm glow across the room, but the atmosphere inside was anything but warm.
"Good morning, everyone," they both greeted.
Seated around the table were the board members, a mix of Warner Bros. executives. Marcus sat at the head of the table, but his role as chairman was largely ceremonial. He had little actual decision-making power on his own, serving more as a symbolic bridge between the board and Time Warner. Everyone respected his opinions and orders, even though they wouldn't have to listen to them literally.
One advantage to keep in mind: his heart wasn't the priority to win, but if they had his support, it was even better. He was the chairman, after all, and his last name was still Warner. Although some didn't like it, he had blood and shares in the founders.
"Mr. Goldman, it's a pleasure to have you at a meeting once again," said one of the Time Warner board representatives.
"That's true, we hope it's another of your creative and magnificent works," added another, both trying to emphasize their worth with words alone.
"It's also a pleasure for me, and thank you for your valuable time." Even though he knew almost everyone was a snake, Matt remained cordial.
"Okay, enough chatter. Goldman, let's get to the point of the meeting," Marcus's old voice chimed in this time.
"As irritating as ever," Matt thought, but he just smiled.
Around the table, other board members exchanged polite nods and brief words, but there was an underlying current of tension. This was a room full of powerful people, each with their own agenda, and today he had to convince them all.
He had to sell them on the idea of the DC Cinematic Universe; no, more than that, he had to sell them on the very concept of a cinematic universe. The stakes were high, and every word he was about to say could make or break the future he envisioned. At least he knew Warner Bros.' envy of Disney, since they owned Marvel and Star Wars, another advantage in business.
"The matter we're here to discuss today concerns DC in Mr. Gold's hands," Jhonas began the introduction and gestured to Matt, following the gaze of all eyes in the room.
"He has a proposal to present to the board regarding DC's IP, which, as we all know, has been the persistent question on everyone's mind: Now that he owns DC, how will he use them and where will all these characters go?"
Marcus, sitting at the head of the table, nodded.
"Well, we're all here. Let's hear what you have to say, Matthew," said one of the executives in an encouraging but serious tone.
"Thank you." Matt stood up and walked over to the large screen at the front of the room, which was connected to a PC. With a few clicks, he opened the first slide of his presentation.
"Let's start by taking a look back," he began, addressing the room.
"The Silver Age of superhero movies, the era that really defined what these characters could be on the big screen, was in the last century."
The slide showed iconic stills of Superman and Batman from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
"Back then, we had Superman: The Movie in 1978 and its sequel in 1980. These films were not only successful, but cultural milestones. They captured the essence of what it meant to be a hero and brought it to audiences in a way that had never been done before. But then, something changed."
Matt paused and flipped to the next slide, which showed footage from Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
"By the time we got to Superman III and Superman IV, the magic was gone. These films not only failed at the box office, but they tarnished the character's legacy. The same can be said of the original Batman films. The first two were groundbreaking, redefining what a superhero movie could be, but by the time we got to Batman & Robin... well, we all know how that ended. It nearly bankrupted the studio, and to this day, DC has only tried one more time on the big screen."
Victor, an executive who had been listening intently, leaned forward, interrupting.
"The public eventually lost interest," he said.
Matt smiled and shook his head slightly.
"No, Mr. Steele, the movies just got worse in incompetent hands, and then the public lost interest."
The room was silent for a moment, absorbing the truth of that statement. Matt continued, clicking on the next slide, which showed the early 2000s and the resurgence of superhero movies, including X-Men, Spider-Man, and Daredevil.
"The 1990s saw something of a resurgence, led by Disney's efforts. But even that was short-lived. The success didn't last because the studios didn't understand what they had. They treated these characters as fads, as a way to make money, rather than the global icons they truly are."
Matt paused, letting the weight of that statement sink in before continuing.
"But today, we're in a different era. We now have the technology and the talent to make these stories better than ever. Not just better, but something completely new, something that's already being done but no one has dared to call by its true name."
Clicking on the next slide, the word "CINEMATIC UNIVERSE" appeared in bold on the screen.
"Cinematic Universe?" one of the board members read aloud, sounding curious but skeptical.
Matt nodded and began to explain.
"A cinematic universe is a series of interconnected films where each film is not just a standalone story, but part of a larger, cohesive narrative." As he spoke, he noticed a few traces of interest on their faces.
"Characters from one film appear in others, plots intertwine, and events from one film have repercussions in others. It's about creating a world where all these stories exist together, influence each other, and ultimately lead to a bigger, more impactful conclusion."
The board members exchanged glances, a mix of intrigue and cautious interest evident on their faces.
"My competitor, though, friends, Marvel, has already started down this path," I continued, clicking on the next slide, which showed the Marvel and X-Men logos.
"X-Men was a huge success, with a significant impact at the box office. But that's just the beginning."
Matt flipped the slide, and now Iron Man appeared.
"Now there's Iron Man, which also did well. I know everyone thinks it's just another trilogy, but if you're well-informed, you're aware of the multiple meetings and creative discussions between Marvel and Disney recently."
"I'm convinced Marvel is planning more standalone films, and after all these standalone films, Marvel is planning something unprecedented. They're going to bring all these characters together in one larger-than-life film: Avengers."
"This film will unify all the narratives of the previous films, bringing the characters and their stories together into one massive event. It's a bold and ambitious plan, and it will be announced soon."
The room was silent, the weight of what he was saying settling in. The board members were clearly processing the scope of what Marvel was attempting, according to Matt's words.
"Marvel has an advantage," Matt continued, pacing slightly as he spoke to emphasize the point.
"Iron Man was a C-level hero, known primarily to comic book nerds. But look at him now, he's a household name. And soon, they'll do the same with their other characters, turning lesser-known heroes into global icons."
"But we're in a different position. We already have the most iconic and beloved superheroes of all time: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash."
"These are characters that have been ingrained in popular culture for decades, and I have them in my possession, coupled with my talent... excuse me if I'm being too bold... and the public's expectations for so many years of waiting are the perfect foundation for us to start our own universe and get as far ahead of Marvel as possible."
Matt moved on to the next slide, which showed striking images of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, with their iconic symbols prominently displayed.
"We have the opportunity to build something that can rival what Marvel is planning. No... not just rival it, we can surpass it."
"Like Marvel, we will create standalone films for each of our major heroes. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman; each will have their own story, their own film, where they stand as the central figure. These films will allow us to explore their origins, their challenges, and their triumphs." As he spoke, the slides changed, showing concept art and logos for potential standalone films featuring each of these heroes.
"And then," he said, pausing dramatically before clicking on the final slide, "we will bring them all together in one big movie."
The slide changed to reveal the Justice League logo, surrounded by images of the core team members: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and more.
The room fell silent, everyone's faces drooping and curious, but no one said the first word.
"I understand your point, Mr. Goldman, but..." Marcus's voice was logically the first.
"Why do you keep saying "us"?
"It's your property, DC, not ours. What are you really trying to achieve?" he finally asked with a calculating look that the others shared with covetous eyes.
"What I want from Warner is a distributor for the films in my cinematic universe." A hint of disappointment appeared on their faces, but Matt continued.
"I know this isn't what you'd like to hear, since despite the profits, they're minimal for a company of your caliber, but..."
"It's not just movies."
"Videotape revenue, peripheral sales, on a small scale, of course, but most importantly..."
"While my company will assume the full production costs for most of the films, TV series and alternate-story films are a different world."
Some people's faces lit up at this, but others' not so much.
"Mr. Goldman, that's not from..."
"Excuse me, Mr. Goldman, let's let Mr. Goldman continue," one of the Time Warner executives interrupted Marcus, seconded by the Warner Bros. Discovery executive.
"Thank you, gentlemen. My universe, my DC universe, will not only include movies but also series that expand its story and enrich the world."
"Apart from the usual percentages and fees between us, I'm willing to have the series fully invested in by Warner with the promise that I will personally participate in the scripts and parts of their production, as well as alternative films not directly connected to my universe."
As soon as he finished speaking, more murmurs began in the room, and the executives began arguing among themselves.
Jonas looked at Matthew and gave him a triumphant smile. This was the first step; now all that remained was to wait for the final decision.
Anyway, Matt couldn't wait idly; he wanted his first movie to be in theaters by December if all went well.
Matt saw a couple of sour faces, but most of them were smiling, and that's when he knew he was on the right track.
...
Note: Warner collaborator? Yes. I couldn't think of anything better, and I don't want to center the story around corporate disputes, although they will inevitably arise. Warner Bros. seemed like the best option since, unlike in reality, they can't make decisions or force a film's tone to match their beliefs.
Note: I started calculating box office receipts, marketing, and production costs, and I realized that THE BIG HAND in the movie world isn't companies like Warner Bros., but the movie theaters themselves. Even The Batman, for example, earned directly from the box office at the end of the day only a few million more than the production and marketing costs.
Note: The above means I'll have to juggle box office receipts and profit splits. It's just a fictional story, but I want to keep it realistic in that regard. You know, there may be "intentional errors" in the numbers.