The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 643

The turquoise grass felt as soft as a carpet under his feet. Matthew took his stance and swung the club, sending the small white ball soaring from the ground. It traced a remarkable parabola, arcing through the sky like a falling bomb before rapidly descending.

A faint splash sounded as the golf ball, after flying several dozen yards, landed unceremoniously in a pond.

Matthew crossed his arms and squinted. It looked like he’d missed by a wide margin.

"You're using too much force." Robert Iger approached from behind, a Mickey Mouse-like smile on his face. "You need to work on your swing."

Matthew just sighed.

Robert stood beside him and added, "Come out here and play a few more times. Golf is simple enough."

"I prefer sparring," Matthew joked. "Bob, I'll have to invite you to the club sometime."

Robert quickly waved his hand. "No! That's not the kind of sport an ordinary person can handle."

He suggested, "Why don't we take a break."

"Of course." Matthew knew perfectly well that Robert hadn't sought him out just to play golf, so he handed his clubs to the caddy.The two of them got into a golf cart and drove to a seaside rest area on the course. They found a secluded table, sat down under a massive awning, and had a cup of tea together.

Robert took a sip of his tea and suddenly asked, "Matthew, I was told you invested forty million dollars in Marvel Comics' independent production of Iron Man?"

"That's right." Matthew knew the main event had begun and didn't deny it. "It's no secret in the industry."

"Iron Man is a gold mine. You're going to make a fortune," Robert said with a smile.

Matthew shrugged. "It's been a year and a half since I put that money in, and I haven't seen a dollar back yet."

"It always takes time to see a return, especially with film investments, which are high-risk, high-reward ventures." Robert's face, still holding that characteristic Mickey Mouse smile, was confident. "The profits from Iron Man are just around the corner."

Matthew smiled but said nothing. The success of Iron Man was imminent, and there was no point in denying it.

Robert said, "I've always been curious about why you invested so heavily in Marvel when everyone else was pessimistic about it."

"I just took a gamble," Matthew stated casually.

Of course, Robert didn't believe him. "From what I know, you're not one for gambling."

Matthew nodded. "Gambling was part of the reason."

He paused for a moment, thinking that the smiling Mickey Mouse was not a man easily fooled. He also considered his excellent relationship with Disney, with whom he had always worked well, and added, "On the other hand, it's because it's a superhero movie."

"A superhero movie?" Robert didn't quite grasp what Matthew meant.

"The X-Men series worked. The Spider-Man series worked. The first Fantastic Four worked." Matthew stated plainly. "I think that in the global film market, superhero movies have gradually transformed from a niche category into a mainstream genre with genuine commercial appeal. The future for superhero films is only going to get brighter."

He suddenly asked, "Bob, I assume Disney has reached a similar conclusion, right?"

Robert hadn't expected Matthew's sudden question, and the smile on his face froze for an instant before quickly returning to normal. "Yes, we've done some research in that area."

Matthew looked at Robert and added, "My forty-million-dollar investment wasn't just based on my confidence in the market, but also in Marvel itself."

He asked, "Bob, who do you think knows the most about Marvel's superheroes?"

"Their creators, of course," Robert replied.

"So..." Matthew spread his hands. "I decided to take the risk when I felt that an independent production featuring Marvel's superheroes had a better chance of succeeding than failing."

He sighed. "There's never a guarantee a film will be successful. Every movie investment is, in effect, a gamble."

Robert nodded, completely agreeing with Matthew's words. "Exactly."

As he said this, he suddenly realized that control of the conversation had unconsciously shifted to Matthew, and that his own thoughts were being guided by him.

There were advantages and disadvantages to speaking with such an intelligent man.

Robert secretly shook his head but didn't stay silent, taking the initiative to ask, "I heard you have a multi-picture investment deal with Marvel?"

"Seven or eight of them." Matthew casually threw out a number, then explained simply, "When Iron Man was being planned, Marvel Comics was short on funding, so I took a risk and invested forty million dollars. Marvel was so grateful they promised me future investment opportunities."

Robert's gaze swept over Matthew's face. "So, you're very confident in the future of Marvel's superhero films."

Matthew spread his hands. "Ultimately, the market will decide whether The Avengers project is a success."

"Iron Man has already been a huge success," Robert interjected.

Matthew looked at Robert. The smiling Mickey Mouse had invited him here today for something more than just a game of golf or a discussion about his investment in Iron Man.

"Bob," Matthew asked directly, "you're so concerned with Marvel's superhero movies. Could it be that Disney is interested in competing for the investment rights to future Marvel Studios films?"

Robert was still smiling, but he said nothing.

Matthew lowered his voice slightly. "Or is it that Disney wants to buy Marvel?"

Robert's expression changed for a second. "What makes you suggest that?"

Instead of answering, Matthew asked, "So it's true?"

Again without answering, Robert pressed, "Matthew, how did you arrive at that conclusion?"

"A wild guess." Matthew looked at Robert and understood that his assumption was likely correct. He began thinking about Disney buying Marvel, calculating how he could profit from it, and especially how his investment agreement with Marvel would be protected. He then added, "We've known each other for five or six years, haven't we?"

Robert nodded.

"Do you know what I remember about you?" Matthew didn't need Robert's answer; he spoke directly. "An ambitious, but ethical, professional manager."

In fact, that's how everyone thought of Robert Iger.

"Thank you," Robert said.

Matthew continued, "You started your tenure by acquiring Pixar Studios and quickly stabilizing a somewhat chaotic situation at Disney. I assume you intend to be more than just a replacement for Michael Eisner?"

He didn't hide his thoughts. "I've heard Helen mention more than once that you intend to make Walt Disney the top entertainment media conglomerate in Hollywood and around the world. That's something Helen gets right."

Robert didn't deny it. "I do indeed."

"To get that big, Disney will first have to surpass Warner Brothers, which has been the most successful company in Hollywood since the turn of the century." Matthew had been working in Hollywood for many years, and his understanding and knowledge of the industry were far beyond what they were when he started.

"Disney acquired Pixar Studios, which is a plan to revitalize Disney animation, but you can't rely on animation alone to beat Warner Brothers."

The more he spoke, the clearer his thoughts became. "Warner Bros. has DC Comics. Since the future of superhero movies is so promising, I'm sure you haven't overlooked that asset. The only one that can compete with DC Comics is Marvel. And as it happens, Marvel has just proven the market appeal of its heroes with Iron Man."

Robert slowly shook his head. "If everyone on Disney's board thought as clearly as you do, my job would be much easier."

Matthew asked with a knowing smile, "Did I guess right?"

Robert knew there was no point beating around the bush with a man like Matthew. "Disney's decision to acquire Marvel will likely be announced in the next few days."

Matthew asked again, "Is that why you called me?"

Robert nodded gently. "You're a Marvel investor now, one of the shareholders—and the most famous one of all. If we can convince you, it will influence the decisions of many smaller shareholders."

"I don't own much stock..." Matthew shook his head.

"Marvel has grown so much over the years that its stock is very fragmented. There are many minority shareholders." Robert was obviously well-informed. "As I understand it, you made several acquisitions a while ago that brought your stake in Marvel up to four percent."

Matthew didn't deny it.

Robert added, "In fact, you're no longer a small shareholder. Marvel's stock is fragmented, just like its superhero rights. A four-percent stake can be considered a major shareholder."

This was something Matthew more or less understood. The stock of these older companies was very fragmented on the surface. For example, after Disney acquired Pixar Studios, Steve Jobs became the number one shareholder in Disney, but he only held seven percent of the stock.

As for whether there were consortiums or large investment firms holding shares across multiple accounts, he didn't know.

Robert said directly, "You are the first Marvel shareholder Disney has approached."

He added, "Matthew, sell your Marvel shares to Disney."