Suddenly cut off.
"Well..."
Victor was momentarily taken aback, then replied, "Yes, even though Smith spoke in a very composed manner, the fact that he was able to call personally as the Minister of BBC Content speaks volumes. And..."
At that moment, Victor adopted a mysterious tone.
"And what? Just tell me already, don't keep me in suspense," Kyle chided playfully.
"Boss, here's the thing. I have a close friend who is employed by the BBC and is in charge of maintaining information equipment. After my conversation in the UK, I mentioned it casually to him. He happened to have some insights and revealed that the BBC is working with a European rag doll manufacturing company to create a preschool education series. Coincidentally, its theme is strikingly similar to Teletubbies, which we have registered copyrights for globally. The series is tentatively titled 'Teletubbies.'"
This situation is quite a coincidence.
For Victor, that was all he had to say.
For Kyle, what he sensed internally was certainly not a mere coincidence but a sense of relief!
Why?
The series "Teletubbies" was created in its own time and space through a collaboration between the doll production company and the BBC Broadcasting Corporation.
"Damn! Luckily, I secured the global copyright first; otherwise, this gold mine would have slipped away. And I can just imagine the confusion for the folks at BBC Broadcasting Company and Ragdoll Company right now," Kyle thought slyly.
This is indeed accurate.
In reality, the Ragdoll Company and the BBC had completed a fifth of the "Teletubbies" content and were preparing to finalise the broadcast date and register the copyright. However, when they submitted their application documents to the Copyright Office, they were informed that their request could not be approved since a similar copyright had already been registered over 40 days prior.
They are baffled!
BBC: "…."
Ragdoll: "…."
In light of Kyle's boldness, or rather, Kyle's copyright, the two companies were left with no choice but to contact Kyle. After all, they had invested a significant amount into the "Teletubbies" project and held high hopes for its success. Abandoning it was not an option.
"Victor, please make arrangements right away to reach out to them first and evaluate their bottom line. Soon, you and I will head to London personally," Kyle commanded.
"Understood, boss," Victor quickly organised a team.
Seeing the opportunity that was presented to him, Kyle was eager to seize it.
Yes, you might argue that Kylewu appropriated others' accomplishments and demanded exorbitant copyright fees, which is quite a disgraceful act.
Indeed, you are correct.
Kyle never considered himself a virtuous individual. If a man does not look out for his interests, he will face the consequences of fate. Furthermore, Kyle did not see the act of seizing British copyrights as disgraceful but regarded it as a prestigious achievement.
The matter concerning "Teletubbies" has reached a temporary conclusion, but the launch of "Run Lola Run" has run into some difficulties.
"Victor, are you saying that our film "Run Lola Run," originally set for release on April 12, has been blocked by the theatres, and that MGM has influenced major theatre chains?"
Kyle couldn't help but scowl.
"That's correct, boss. Initially, through Page films and some connections I had developed, I had already secured preliminary agreements for 315 screens on the opening day, which would be modified based on box office performance. However, just today, I received a call indicating that many of those theatres have withdrawn my screens. We now have only 120 screens remaining, and that number will likely drop further."
As he spoke, Victor was genuinely enraged.
It was extremely frustrating!
They were on the verge of signing a profit-sharing agreement with the theatres, yet they reneged on their promise.
As the CEO of Page Pictures, he was eager to showcase his skills to his boss with the premiere of their first film. Little did he know that things would go awry. Had it not been for a theatre manager with whom he had a good rapport revealing MGM's interference, Victor would have been left in the dark about the situation.
Damn MGM!
Thud, thud, thud~~!
Upon hearing this, Kyle stifled his anger, tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk, and mused: "Victor, make an effort to get in touch with the theatre chain to see if we can secure more screens. I'll reach out to John Lasseter to see if he can offer assistance."
"Understood, boss."
Victor immediately stood up and left, intending to address the cinemas directly.
Kyle also promptly contacted Lasseter.
Even though John Lasseter is relatively new in Hollywood, he leads the Pixar Five and is the main director of "Toy Story," which topped the box office in 1995. His standing in theatres is significantly more beneficial than that of Page Pictures.
....
"Kyle, you mentioned MGM was behind this."
"Do you need assistance?"
"Assistance? I'm here to help."
"My good friend, don't fret; your concerns are also mine. I will assist you in finding a solution."
As expected, he demonstrated loyalty. Upon receiving Kyle's request for assistance, John Lasseter promptly agreed to help without providing any excuses or half-hearted responses.
His willingness to help stemmed from two reasons: first, Kyle had made a concerted effort to win him over, and the two had developed a good rapport; second, during Pixar's IPO and rights issue phase, it was Kyle who encouraged him to buy all the rights issues, significantly boosting his wealth.
...
Shortly thereafter, Billy—who was located far away in Utah—also got a call from Kyle.
His full name is Billy Jared, and he owns a chain of movie-related stores in Utah. While his chain may not be the largest in the state and does not even rank in the top five with just nine stores, he has been operating for decades and knows the heads of major cinemas well, making him a notable local figure.
Kyle had previously built a good relationship with him during discussions about the licensing for Toy Story merchandise, leading to several follow-up conversations and a budding friendship.
"Kyle, you've come to the right person regarding MGM's schemes."
"You may not be aware, and I won't elaborate, but it suffices to say that I hold a grudge against MGM. They deceived me!"
"Rest assured, Mr. Billy can't speak for elsewhere, but in Utah, I can assist."
One day later.
Thanks to Victor's renewed efforts and with support from Lasseter and Mr. Billy, "Run Lola Run" finally secured some screening slots.
355 screens.
Indeed, that's 40 more screens than the initially planned 315. However, the movie won't premiere across all of North America, but only in California and Utah.
Additionally, the premiere date for "Run Lola Run" has been moved up from April 12 to April 5.
In other words, there are fewer than two days remaining until Kyle's debut film as a director is set to release.