Chapter 666: Sky-high Price Deal: A Knife in Disney's Heart
"Mr. Oda, as a token of my sincerity in our cooperation, I have good news for you."
After the negotiation agreement was reached, Su Yang looked at Oda Ichiro and said with a smile. This made Oda Ichiro stunned, and then his face was full of anticipation.
"'Harry Potter', we're actually already filming this movie, but it doesn't matter. I'm allowing Sony Pictures to invest in it. The copyright belongs to me, and we'll split the investment 50-50, and the box office revenue 50-50..."
Su Yang said with a smile, which made Oda Ichiro excited.
Ichiro Oda knows how popular Harry Potter is. Since the book was released, the cumulative sales volume worldwide has reached 300 million copies.
Yes, it's a set, not a book. The cumulative sales of the entire set have exceeded 300 million. This book appeals to both men and women, young and old. It has a huge following in Europe, America, and Asia.
This IP has long been coveted by countless film companies. However, everyone knows that this IP belongs to Qingyao Group and is its cash cow. Qingyao Group will not give up this IP.
Now, Sony Pictures can actually invest in this film. Although they only get box office dividends and the copyright still belongs to Qingyao Group, it is undoubtedly a lifeline for Sony Pictures.
"Mr. Su Yang, thank you so much. If you go to Japan one day, please let me know in advance. I will treat you with the highest etiquette. You are very welcome in Japan. We respect talented people..."
Oda Ichiro said seriously.
“It’s a pleasure to work with you…”
Su Yang extended his hand, and Oda Ichiro also smiled. Yes, it was a pleasure to work with you. This time, it was really a pleasure to work with you.
Although Sony was severely ripped off by Su Yang, in the long run, this cooperation was a win-win for both parties. The investment in "Harry Potter" in particular was immediately profitable. If the film could be released this year, Sony Pictures' performance could potentially turn a profit.
If you want a horse to run fast, you have to keep it well-fed. The same goes for the Sony partnership, though it might seem like trying to get the skin of a tiger. But at this stage, Sony Pictures can't really stir up any trouble. Especially since the copyright is in Su Yang's hands, Sony Pictures can still get a piece of the action.
But it's completely impossible to take over and become the master of the pot. Currently, Sony and Qingyao Group are just banding together for warmth. Even if Disney fails in the future, Sony won't be able to turn the tables and become the master. Because the United States won't allow it, they will have no scruples about taking draconian action.
However, the Americans were hesitant to act rashly with the Qingyao Group. After all, they had suffered a loss before, when they had detained Su Yang, and even with such tactics, they hadn't done anything to Su Yang. Without complete confidence, they wouldn't dare to take action against the Qingyao Group again.
The negotiations were concluded, and in the next few days, the two sides began to formally sign the contract.
It took a full week to complete the entire process, and afterward, a bombshell piece of news was announced.
"Qingyao Group invested $10 billion in Sony Pictures, along with the Harry Potter copyright cooperation, acquiring a 40% stake and becoming the second-largest shareholder..."
The bombshell news came out, and the world was shocked after the announcement.
Sony Pictures, a Hollywood giant, was established when Sony acquired Columbia Pictures. Leveraging its capital, Sony Pictures has since become incredibly powerful. While it has experienced losses in recent years, a lean camel is still stronger than a horse.
Now among the six major Hollywood giants, Sony Pictures is firmly in the top three.
Qingyao Group actually invested in such a giant. And the price was $10 billion. While that might seem like a lot, anyone with a little experience in the industry would know that Qingyao Group got a huge bargain. Sony is currently worth at least $50 billion.
The installment payment issue had not been reported. If it had been, it would have been even more shocking, because $10 billion had to be paid in installments over ten years, and at very low interest rates.
"Holy crap, that's awesome! With a 40% stake, they might even acquire Sony someday..."
"Why invest in Sony? I think it's just as good if I don't..."
"Your vision is too short. Sony's connections and channels are only worth this much. A powerful dragon can't defeat a local snake..."
"This deal is a good one..."
"This is a win-win situation. Harry Potter will be co-produced with Sony. I am really looking forward to it..."
“I’m looking forward to Harry Potter, and even more so to The Matrix during summer vacation…”
"Hahaha, maybe two blockbusters will be released at the same time this summer..."
"I think Harry Potter will be released on Christmas, which is the most important holiday in Europe and America. It will definitely compete with Disney..."
Netizens started discussing it a lot, not only paying attention to the $10 billion deal, but also to the situation of Harry Potter.
Sony was also playing a face-saving trick this time. After all, $10 billion was too low. So they just added the Harry Potter collaboration to the mix. No one can say how much this thing is worth. But some have long estimated that if the Harry Potter IP were to take off, it could drive an industry worth at least tens of billions of dollars, or even more.
So with the Harry Potter collaboration plan, this matter looks much better.
When this news broke, the first to explode were Hollywood giants. American media also began to report on the matter. Qingyao Group was already powerful enough. Now that Qingyao Group has acquired a stake in Sony, it has become even more powerful.
Hollywood giants are well aware that Qingyao Group's US subsidiary and Sony Pictures are two completely different concepts. Sony has been operating in the US for so long that it has access to formidable resources.
Qingyao Group's American subsidiary can't compare to its cinema resources, political resources, and distribution resources. Just over a decade ago, Sony was a giant that dared to compete with Disney.
Now, Sony had the guts to sell 45% of its shares to Qingyao Group for $10 billion. This ruthlessness earned the admiration of other Hollywood giants. They would never have done such a thing.
But now that they saw that Sony was going to be involved in "Harry Potter", the bitterness on the faces of other giants was immediately revealed.
"Hollywood is going to be bustling now. Qingyao plus Sony, this isn't a wolf, nor a tiger, but a tiger with wings..."
In the president's office of Universal Pictures, the president of Universal sighed. Qingyao plus Sony is like adding wings to a tiger.
Disney has been a bit of a monopoly in recent years. Now that Sony and Qingyao Group have joined forces, the Hollywood landscape is poised for a major shift. But for Universal, this isn't good news.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com