The atmosphere was tense.
As soon as someone spoke, the air was charged with a combative energy, moving straight into a standoff without pause.
Ian said, "The delay at the start of the year—everyone here knows exactly what happened. Anson took on another project when negotiations weren't progressing. I don't think we can blame him for that."
Michael wasn't buying it. "He's also responsible for the delay in salary negotiations. Why shouldn't he be blamed?"
Ian replied, "Negotiations are always a back-and-forth. If you didn't like it, you could have chosen not to renew the contract. Renewing it meant both sides reached an agreement. Now, trying to bring up old issues due to unexpected circumstances lacks professionalism."
Michael leaned forward slightly, ready to respond, but was interrupted by another voice. "I agree. I don't think Anson did anything wrong."
It was Amy Pascal, another CEO of Sony Columbia Pictures.
Her shoulder-length blonde hair curled slightly, giving her a warm and gentle look. But there was no smile on her thin face. Instead, she was on full alert, like a lioness protecting her cubs, with her brows deeply furrowed, showing her seriousness.
"Also, I believe Anson is the only choice for Peter Parker. I believe we completed an outstanding negotiation to keep him."
Amy was standing up for Anson.
Michael glanced over, "The only choice? No. In Hollywood, no one is irreplaceable."
"We can replace Peter Parker anytime because we own the rights. People come to the theaters for Spider-Man, not for Anson Wood. Even if we cast an unknown actor as Peter Parker, the movie would still succeed."
"It's not us who should be grateful to Anson Wood; it's Anson Wood who should be grateful to us for giving him this opportunity."
Michael chuckled softly, clearly feeling confident.
Amy's expression remained stern. "Warner Bros. once thought the same. Look how Batman turned out."
Before Marvel's comics were adapted into films, DC had a long history of successful adaptations, with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman achieving considerable success on the big screen.
In 1989, Tim Burton directed "Batman," with Michael Keaton as the lead. The movie was a massive success. Burton and Keaton teamed up again for "Batman Returns." Though it didn't match the box office numbers of the first film, it was still a hit.
At that time, Burton's dark, gothic style faced heavy criticism. Warner Bros. believed this approach wasn't suitable for the family and kids' market and wouldn't help with toy sales. After creative differences arose, they ousted Burton.
Upon learning this, Keaton reviewed the new script and the studio's direction. He sided with Burton and also left. Warner Bros. then reshuffled the entire project.
In 1995, Joel Schumacher directed "Batman Forever," with Val Kilmer taking over the role. While it didn't outperform the original "Batman," it did better than "Batman Returns" and was considered by many to be the best of the series.
However, during the production of the next sequel, tensions rose between Schumacher and Kilmer. The director wasn't happy with Kilmer's attitude, while Kilmer, feeling irreplaceable after the film's success, became difficult to work with. The conflict led Warner Bros. to choose the director over the actor, and they replaced Kilmer as Batman.
Enter George Clooney, who, after gaining fame for his role as a sexy doctor in the series "ER," took on his first major film role as Batman in "Batman & Robin."
The result? A total disaster. The film bombed at the box office and with critics, receiving widespread scorn. Not only did Warner Bros. suffer significant losses, but the Batman brand itself was damaged to the point where Warner Bros. shelved DC adaptations for years—leaving room for Marvel to step in with "X-Men," "Spider-Man," and "Hulk."
In the present, Michael Lynton's thinking mirrored Warner Bros.' approach, and Amy was pointing out the consequences they had faced.
Michael disagreed. "No, Batman was still successful. Val Kilmer's version was the best. It proves that no actor is irreplaceable."
Amy responded, "Yes, success followed by failure, and we kept shuffling things around until the brand was destroyed. There was no reason to continue managing it."
Michael replied, "That's exactly my point. We shouldn't bet everything on Spider-Man. We need to diversify."
Amy countered, "But we have an opportunity right in front of us. Why would we ignore it and ruin everything that's already set up?"
Michael retorted, "Because Anson is the one dragging us into this mess. He's the iceberg sinking the ship."
Amy said, "You know that incident wasn't Anson's fault. He's the victim. Before the accident, the production was moving ahead of schedule, far exceeding expectations."
Michael shrugged. "It's unfortunate, but he's unable to continue, right? We have to deal with the reality. Look, we're stuck now."
"On one hand, the longer we wait, the more costs pile up. We've already written a check for $180 million. Do we really want to push it further, like 'Titanic'?"
Amy was about to respond, but Michael cut her off.
"On the other hand, sure, we wait. We give Anson a chance. But at what cost? Six weeks?"
Ian corrected, "Three to six weeks."
Michael shrugged again. "We have to plan for the worst. That means we might not even get a healthy Anson in six weeks. Maybe eight? That's two months."
"We've already delayed five months—I don't care why or what happened before," Michael said, cutting off Ian, who was about to speak. "The point is, the production was supposed to start in January, but it's dragged into June. Now, with this delay, it might push to August."
"So, where does that leave us? We're all professionals here. Do I need to explain the details? We want this movie out by next summer, but this delay could cause us to miss the release window. The worst case is we're pushed to summer 2005."
"And hey, that means even more costs. By then, $200 million might not be enough."
"I know the first film was a huge success, but the second one has to reach the same level to justify a $200 million budget. Otherwise, we could end up like the real Titanic, dragged down by the iceberg—Anson."
"Anson was an accident. So was the iceberg."
"I'm not blaming the accident, but here's the point: we can see the iceberg now. Are we going to steer clear of it?"