The executives of the film companies reacted swiftly, and the online media were not far behind.
Banana was the first to release a report:
"The clearest source leak in history — the latest work directed by Michael Bay, Transformers, has been leaked online."
Watermelon News followed with:
"The leaked source lasts one hour. Apart from the first twenty minutes, the remaining portions lack completed visual effects, background music, and dubbing.
Even so, the leaked version has caused a major impact.
As of press time, millions have already watched the leaked footage online."
TMZ added:
"Although the leaked version is incomplete and many parts are missing, the full extent of its impact remains uncertain."
Sky Dance Studio reported the leak immediately and requested FBI intervention. The studio's head, David Ellison, expressed anger at the press conference, declaring they would pursue the matter to the end.
The media, eager to stir chaos, began large-scale coverage and sensationalized the event. As a result, many who had been unaware now knew about the leak.
And once they knew, curiosity arose — people began searching for the source, and the spread only widened.
The executives of Hollywood's major studios were no fools. After their initial collective outrage, they began to sense something strange. If the leak had truly occurred, that was one matter but the situation itself was far too suspicious.
Not only did Sky Dance Studio fail to contain the leak, they allowed it to continue spreading online. Their given explanation — that a small studio lacked the means and resources to contain it was far from convincing.
In the eyes of other major studios, that excuse didn't hold up. Even if containment were impossible, any company would at least try.
Perhaps David Ellison's acting skills weren't up to par, and this slight slip gave him away understandable, but revealing.
The Last of Us and Iron Man didn't share a direct competitive relationship with Transformers, but Sony Columbia Pictures' The Da Vinci Code did and it was scheduled for release in the same window.
If Transformers had truly been leaked, Sony Columbia would be thrilled. But if Sky Dance Studio had staged the whole thing, that changed everything.
The atmosphere in Sony Columbia's executive conference room was heavy.
After watching the one-hour leaked version, the executives confirmed what Ichika Yamamoto had suspected — this was very likely a self-directed performance by Sky Dance Studio.
"So, what do we do now?" CEO Samuel Hopkins asked.
Distribution head Darren Lawson replied, "We can mobilize the media and expose Sky Dance Studio's ploy."
"That's an idea," one executive said, "but the problem is the leak already happened. Whether it's staged or not, millions of viewers have seen it. Once they've seen it, their interest is piqued. Whether it's an act isn't even the main issue anymore."
"Then what do we do? Should we help Sky Dance Studio stop the leak from spreading further?"
The room fell silent. In the current situation, unless the complete version of Transformers was leaked, Sky Studio's plan would remain unaffected.
One executive suddenly suggested, "What if we leak our own movie too?"
Before he even finished, he realized how foolish that sounded. The Da Vinci Code wasn't Transformers.
If Transformers leaked, people could still enjoy the visual effects and action scenes. But if The Da Vinci Code leaked, with all its secrets revealed, there would be nothing left to sell.
Left with no better options, Sony Columbia finally decided to use the media to expose Sky Dance Studio — accusing them of orchestrating the "leak" themselves to win public sympathy.
Sky Dance Studio, of course, denied it and struck back, accusing Sony Columbia of corporate espionage and being behind the leak.
Soon, a war of words erupted between the two studios, neither side willing to yield. But in truth, none of that mattered anymore — because the leaked version of Transformers was everywhere online.
And because the version was incomplete, missing its final effects, it only fueled audiences' curiosity and anticipation to see the finished product in theaters.
Inside David Ellison's villa, laughter filled the air.
"Cheers!"
Four glasses clinked together as they drank heartily.
"David, this move of yours is brilliant. In one stroke, Transformers has attracted countless eager viewers," said Michael Ovitz, his face flushed with excitement, almost purple, as if he'd taken a stimulant.
Mel Gibson added with a chuckle, "I bet Gilbert never imagined we'd pull something like this. Too bad Transformers isn't releasing in the same window as The Last of Us, or I'd love to see how he'd handle that."
Martin Bob added, "The schedule can't be changed now. If it were someone else, there would be no way, but with Gilbert, you never know.
Fortunately, this time the competitor is Sony Columbia Pictures."
Michael Ovitz sighed, "I wonder what our old friends over there will think of us."
David Ellison laughed, "Business competition is perfectly normal, Michael. I think they'll understand."
David Ellison's strategy wasn't particularly sophisticated; any experienced Hollywood veteran could see through it.
It was just that no one had tried this before, and for the tactic to succeed, very specific conditions had to be met.
First, it had to capture the audience's attention. Second, it had to ensure that viewers who watched the leaked portion would still want to go to the theater for the full film.
Transformers accomplished this, which explains the current buzz.
"I believe the positive impact of this leak on Transformers far outweighs any negative effects."
Gilbert expressed his opinion during a joint executive meeting of Warner and Disney, continuing.
"Within forty-eight hours of the incident, over five million people have watched the leaked footage online. Banana Entertainment told me that discussions and related topics reached tens of millions.
Even if just one-tenth of these viewers become interested in the completed film, that's a million potential audience members, translating to tens of millions in box office revenue.
Moreover, we believe the ultimate audience impact could reach tens of millions."
Doug Walter expressed relief, "Fortunately, your reputation intimidated David Ellison. If Transformers had been released in the same window as The Last of Us or Pirates of the Caribbean 2, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
One executive suggested, "Could we do something like this ourselves?"
"Impossible," Robert Ager vetoed, "a trick like this works once, but repeated use harms the film itself. We cannot do this."
"Yes," Gilbert agreed, "we must be clear about one thing: the selling points of each film are different.
For Transformers, the selling point is the visual effects and the towering, powerful robotic lifeforms — the plot leak is irrelevant.
But for The Last of Us, the plot is crucial and cannot be revealed."
Of course, Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest and Iron Man could also employ this tactic. However, as mentioned before, this type of trick is effective once, and copying it afterward yields minimal returns.
After the meeting, Gilbert held a small session with Doug Walter and Robert Ager.
At this small meeting, Gilbert produced a document containing the plot of Transformers along with sketches of Optimus Prime and Megatron's detailed design concepts.
"This… where did this come from?" Doug Walter asked, after reviewing it, thinking Gilbert had somehow stolen the script.
Gilbert smiled, "This was created based on my knowledge of the animation and my understanding of Michael Bay, by having someone draft the outline and design sketches.
I plan to release these online to create some negative impact intentionally."
Robert Ager reviewed the materials as well, exchanged a glance with Doug Walter, and said, "This plan is feasible. Disney and Warner will cooperate with Melon Studio."
"Not just us — this is really helping Sony Columbia too. They'll need to contribute, right?"
The three shared a knowing smile, realizing it was time to reap the benefits.
For a bold studio like Sky Dance Studio, responsible major companies like Disney and Warner don't mind giving a lesson.
Otherwise, where would the face of a major studio be?
.....
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