America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz-Chapter 991 - 898 The Beginning of the Fall of Warner

Chapter 991 -898: The Beginning of the Fall of Warner Bros. Team_2

Chapter 991 -898: The Beginning of the Fall of Warner Bros. Team_2

Martin nodded. “I’ve heard about these things.”

Daniel continued, “But Zack Schneider’s ability has been questioned, and his power on the set has been limited. As a result, you can guess what happened—their old methods.”

He smiled. “Besides Charles Roven the producer, DC has also sent a vice president to the set. Kevin Tsujihara also sent a representative.”

Martin laughed upon hearing this. “It sounds like the set is quite lively.”

Daniel said, “Overall, it wasn’t too bad. Kevin Tsujihara learned from Jon Berg’s failed lesson and had his agent, Silverman, take full charge of the set work. Although Zack was very dissatisfied, he understood the rules of Hollywood and didn’t cause too much conflict.”

Martin listened attentively and then asked, “Has the film been completed?”

“The shooting progressed quickly. ‘Batman v Superman’ was released last July, and the team was almost ready to wrap up,” Daniel mentioned. “Shooting started in August, and by October, all filming ended. Now, the post-production is almost entirely completed.”

Since Warner Bros. was in charge of distribution, he knew what was going on there. “Warner and DC are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with Zack Schneider. The director’s cut he submitted was 250 minutes long.”

Martin couldn’t help saying, “Zack Schneider needs enough length to clearly tell a story.”

Daniel said, “Whether he has told the story clearly or not, we shall know in a few days. DC will soon hold the first internal screening for ‘Justice League,’ just for Zack Schneider’s edited version.”

Martin perked up, “Can we get a ticket?”

Daniel shook his head immediately, “I’m a representative of the distributor, so I have to attend. But you probably won’t be able to get one, as DC doesn’t like you.”

Martin sighed, “DC and Warner are embarking on an unprecedented adventure.”

Daniel pondered briefly and said, “But Warner and DC can’t afford to take risks with Zack Schneider. If ‘Justice League’ fails to meet expectations, it will be hard for either Hamada or Kevin Tsujihara to keep their current positions.”

Hearing the implication in those words, Martin jokingly said, “Then I might have to congratulate you soon.”

Daniel’s expression became serious. “Within Warner, my competition with them is almost public. If I were in Kevin Tsujihara’s position, Warner wouldn’t be in its current state, and our cooperation could normalize.”

Many things are selectively forgotten or, let’s say, in the face of interests, competition, and cooperation are constantly changing.

Martin glanced at the time and said, “It’s almost time to knock off. I’ll treat you tonight; let’s continue this conversation somewhere else.”

Understanding that some topics were not appropriate for the current setting and fearing eavesdropping, Daniel immediately agreed, “It’s rare for you to treat; I won’t be polite.”

The two left Warner Bros., heading straight to the restaurant Martin had chosen.

Soon after, Louise also hurried over.

The three of them ate and chatted until after nine in the evening.

…

Outside the big conference room in the Warner Building, doubling as a temporary theater, the strictest security measures were in place.

Entry was strictly prohibited to those not invited.

This was also to prevent any premature leaks of the ‘Justice League.’

Today, DC held an internal screening for Zack Schneider’s edited version of ‘Justice League,’ which included Kevin Tsujihara, Daniel, Hamada, Silverman, and others, all appearing in the conference room.

However, this screening to discuss the fate of Zack Schneider’s version did not extend an invitation to Zack Schneider and his wife.

‘Batman v Superman’s’ box office and reviews fell short of expectations, leading to more severe consequences, with the film’s performance in the offline market also falling far below Warner Bros.’ minimum expectations.

As a result, the anticipation for ‘Justice League’ significantly diminished.

Simply put, this film caused Zack Schneider to lose the trust of Warner and DC.

Kevin Tsujihara arrived last, his gaze sweeping across everyone in the room, including a group of executives and several film evaluation experts led by Blunt.

“Is everyone here?” Kevin Tsujihara sat down, giving a nod to Hamada.

Hamada turned off the lights and had his assistant begin the film screening.

“The Justice League” first screening had begun.

This edited version was nearly 250 minutes long. Although a few shots still lacked special effects and music, the film’s completion level was already very high.

Zack Snyder’s work efficiency and dedication were undeniable.

However, Kevin Tsujihara felt that the movie was too long after watching only about half of it.

“Batman v Superman” had been constantly criticized by numerous fans for its length, monotony, and slow pace.

On the business front, it severely affected the scheduling.

Four hours were quite lengthy, and they had to pause the screening midway to allow the executives a restroom break.

Once the screening ended and the lights turned back on, Kevin Tsujihara said impatiently, “It’s the same old issue; the movie is too long and too slow. When is Zack going to fix this problem?”

Hamada responded, “I feel like half of the film could be cut.”

Daniel completely agreed, “With this length, distribution companies can’t negotiate screen times with cinema companies, which would result in half the usual number of show times per day—who would agree to that from the cinemas?”

It was a very practical issue. Kevin Tsujihara looked directly at Silverman and Charles Roven, “The final length should not exceed two hours.”

Hamada agreed, “120 minutes would be ideal.”

The length was just the most obvious issue; there were many other aspects that Kevin Tsujihara found inappropriate.

He stated plainly, “It seems like Zack has repeated the same mistakes made in ‘Batman v Superman.'”

Daniel said indifferently, “Same style, same problems, he hasn’t improved at all.”

Everyone present had seen “Batman v Superman,” and this “Justice League” was seemingly cut from the same cloth.

Daniel didn’t need to exaggerate or lie, “One can imagine what kind of reception this style will get upon release.”

Kevin Tsujihara’s words still resonated, mainly because they had “Batman v Superman” as a reference,

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He turned to the film experts and asked Blunt, “Please share your thoughts.”

After thinking for a moment, Blunt said, “Just like you all mentioned, several points that drew widespread criticism in ‘Batman v Superman’ are prominently featured in this ‘Justice League.’ First, the pace is too slow, the plot is unclear, it’s overly fan-centric, there’s a severe disconnect between dialogue and action scenes, lacking a sense of social responsibility for the superheroes!”

He had prepared this earlier, “Second, the overuse of slow motion, almost all action scenes include an abundance of slow motion, which I don’t need to elaborate on, as it was heavily criticized in the previous film!”

These comments were acknowledged by the executives from Warner and DC.

Blunt continued, “A dark tone and overly serious characters and plots are not suitable for a family-friendly viewing atmosphere. Over the years, out of all the superhero movies, except for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman’ trilogy, which dark-themed superhero movie has ever been successful? I believe a family-friendly approach is key to success.”

Daniel glanced over subtly but did not say anything.

The executives from Warner and DC were deep in thought.

Blunt’s words alone naturally would not have this effect.

These issues were all based on several well-criticized points about Zack Snyder.

After careful consideration, Kevin Tsujihara said, “We anticipated these issues, and even during shooting and post-production, we continually reminded Zack, but he still made the same old mistakes.”

Silverman chimed in, “Directors are stubborn creatures, they know they’re wrong but won’t make the corrections.”

Kevin Tsujihara turned to Hamada, “What about your thoughts?”

Hamada stated, “I think the film’s tone could be lighter, not so serious and dark.”

At that moment, he suddenly remembered that last year, Joss Whedon, the creator of “The Avengers,” had left Marvel Studios and Walt Disney.