Chapter 608： Hold on to copyright and don't let go

The Marvel executives did not hesitate too much. Citibank’s collection action was pressing every step and there was no time for them to hesitate. In just two days, Avi-Allard called Ronan himself, Marvel Comics Willing to conduct formal negotiations on the investment and acquisition of Relativity Entertainment.

Robert Iger and Robert Lee led a team of more than 20 people to immediately start negotiations with Marvel. Marvel has been looking for investors, and its value has reached its lowest point since 1989. The price offered by Relativity Entertainment is also very high. With sincerity, the negotiation between the two parties went very smoothly.

Since Relativity Entertainment has been paying attention to Marvel, all the preparatory work has been prepared. Before Ronan left New York, Relativity Entertainment and Marvel Comics reached a preliminary agreement.

Marvel Comics' PR work against Citibank has not had any effect, and it cannot be delayed.

Relativity Entertainment plans to acquire a 90% stake in Marvel Comics at a premium of 5%, and the remaining 10% will be held by Marvel’s management headed by Avi Allard.

Since the acquisition involves the issuance of shares, Relativity Entertainment will also operate Marvel's delisting. This acquisition will last for several months.

According to estimates relative to entertainment, this acquisition may involve about 380 million US dollars.

And after the acquisition is completed, it must be delisted.

Relevant securities laws have stipulated that if a listed company has less than 600 shareholders and less than 400 shareholders holding more than 100 shares, the listing must be terminated.

Delisting naturally requires the recovery of issued shares.

The two parties reached a preliminary agreement. Scott Swift rushed to New York, and the Pacific Investment Fund provided Marvel Comics with a $40 million loan to repay the loan from Citibank.

The remaining US$4.8 million comes from loans from various sources. As it has not yet expired, Relativity Entertainment will be responsible for it after the acquisition is completed.

After the completion of the acquisition, Marvel Comics will be reformed into a brand-new pan-entertainment Marvel Entertainment Company, officially preparing to shoot Marvel's own superhero movies.

At the same time, the agreement also involves the integration of Relativity Entertainment to Marvel, the complementary use of Marvel comics and Relativity entertainment channels, and many other aspects.

In addition to the crucial financial aspect, there were hundreds of clauses in the preliminary agreement before Ronan.

With the preliminary agreement reached, Robert Iger and Robert Lee also left New York one after another, and the remaining finishing work was handed over to the dedicated acquisition team.

Relativity Entertainment's acquisition of Marvel Comics is finalized!

This acquisition seems to go smoothly, but in fact all the work has gone ahead. It has been four years since Ronan first eyeed the Marvel comics to now reach a preliminary agreement.

During the period, some people headed by Robert Lee were always paying attention to the dynamics of Marvel comics, looking for the most suitable time.

Even if the capital injection after the completion of the acquisition is included, the total expenditure of Relativity Entertainment is only more than 400 million US dollars, which is far below Ronan's psychological expectations.

Various comprehensive factors, coupled with the contradictions proactively provoked by Relativity Entertainment, have effectively depressed the value embodied in Marvel comics, and finally let Relativity Entertainment earn Marvel at a low price.

After the completion of the acquisition, Ronan, Robert Iger, Robert Lee, George Clint, Mary, and the top Marvel top with Avi Allard at the core, formed the Marvel Entertainment Restructuring Committee to fully promote the animation and comics. Pan-entertainment development.

When the restructuring is completed, the preparatory work for "Iron Man" will also be officially put into daily routine.

Avi-Allard and the management of Marvel Comics are not familiar with film production, and Ronan cannot stare at a certain superhero movie project alone, so he needs to find a real superhero movie manager for Marvel Entertainment. .

Those who have the ability and experience and have participated in the production of many successful manga films have naturally become the first choice.

Ronan has already thought of a person to let people do a side survey and evaluation before actually contacting them.

After all, we must continue to dig the corners of the six major companies.

I hope they will not have any comments on this.

In New York, in an office temporarily borrowed by Fox in the 20th century, Sean Downey put down the phone in surprise.

He has just been notified that the shareholders of Marvel Comics are transferring equity in their hands. A company from Hollywood has intervened in the debt and income competition between Twentieth Century Fox, Citibank and Marvel Comics.

That company is called Relativity Entertainment!

Ronan Anderson's Relativity Entertainment!

Sean Downey thought for a while, dialed Avi Allard's phone, waited for the caller to be connected, and said, "Mr. Allard, this is Sean Downey of Twentieth Century Fox. May I ask you to consider How's it going?"

Avi-Allard on the other side said directly: "Marvel Comics will not agree to such non-demanding requests, so be it, Sean, I have something to work on here, goodbye."

Without waiting for Sean Downey to reply, he hung up the phone.

Sean Downey frowned. Twentieth Century Fox’s signature. Is it that bad?

The phone rang, and the call from Citibank, Sean Downey answered the phone and said a few words, his face finally changed.

Citibank informed him that Marvel Comics had repaid the loan!

Putting down the phone, Sean Downey sat in a chair and was silent for ten minutes. Then he began to call and contact each other. Either there was no feedback or bad news was returned.

But when we got off work in the afternoon, more Marvel-related news was gathered, and Sean Downey was absolutely sure that this trip to New York had failed.

How did the plan that should have gone smoothly fail?

Without the loan from Citibank, Twentieth Century Fox could not directly force Marvel comics.

Relativity Entertainment, also from Hollywood, acquired Marvel Comics, and now Marvel is not the same Marvel.

If you do anything to Marvel, it will be relativistic entertainment directly.

Sean Downey relied on Twentieth Century Fox, and he was not afraid of Relativity Entertainment, but this matter involved two big companies in the circle, and he could not decide.

After considering the wording, Sean Downey called the company.

Twentieth Century Fox quickly gave him the latest instructions to ask Sean Downey to withdraw to Los Angeles and temporarily stop intervening in the affairs between Relativity Entertainment and Marvel Comics.

On the second day, Sean Downey received more feedback, knowing that the acquisition of Marvel Comics by Relativity Entertainment was a foregone conclusion, and it was meaningless to stay in New York. He immediately followed the company's arrangements and returned to Los Angeles.

The news soon reached London. James Murdoch, who was always staring at Twentieth Century Fox and was already preparing for his future entry into Twentieth Century Fox, was immediately notified.

James Murdoch made a few phone calls in succession to communicate with the management of Twentieth Century Fox, who was inclined to him. Twentieth Century Fox no longer stared at Marvel comics.

In the 20th century, Fox had its own measure of Marvel.

On the one hand, if you continue, what you get from Marvel comics is no longer comparable to what Fox has done in the 20th century.

On the other hand, it is too difficult to change this acquisition, and the effort is not proportional to the gain.

But this incident has attracted enough attention from James Murdoch and flew from London to Los Angeles.

"What does Ronan Anderson think?" James Murdoch asked: "Suddenly intervened in the affairs of 20th Century Fox?"

Jim Prolos has already speculated: "Some of the things we did may have caused a backlash from Relativity Entertainment and Ronan Anderson."

James Murdoch thought of talking to Ronan Anderson. He thought that he offered very good terms and even planned to convince his father about it. But Ronan Anderson didn’t accept his kindness. For Twentieth Century Fox?

"What good is this for Relativity Entertainment?" James Murdoch puzzled: "Twentieth Century Fox is due to the revenue sharing of "X-Men". Is Relativity Entertainment to stop us and directly buy Marvel? Ronan- Is there something wrong with Anderson's head, for such a small thing, to do such a detrimental thing?"

Jim Prolos did not answer the conversation, instead he was thinking carefully, and soon thought of some rumors in the circle that Relativity Entertainment held the copyright of multiple Marvel superheroes.

James Murdoch shook his head: "Ronan Anderson is really unclear. He refused with generous terms, but spent a lot of money to acquire a company that is going bankrupt like Marvel. This is because the development of Relativity Entertainment is too fast. , Let Marvel Comics drag them?"

Jim Prolos said at this time: "A long time ago, there was news in Hollywood circles that Relativity Entertainment bought the copyrights of dozens of comic superhero characters and related stories from Marvel Comics."

James Murdoch just didn't understand the situation. Hearing this, he gave a slight pause: "Really?"

"It can't be wrongJim Prolos is very sure about this: "But there is no first-line character among them. The most well-known ones are just the long-outdated Captain America and Iron Man. "

James Murdoch dragged his chin to think for a while, and asked: "What is Ronan Anderson's most famous in Hollywood circles?"

Without even thinking about it, Jim Prolos said, "The ability to choose a film project..." He instantly realized: "James, do you mean that these comic characters have a strong film adaptation value?"

James Murdoch nodded slowly: "Other than that, I can't think of any other explanations, and even I think Marvel comics have greater film value in places we can't see."

Jim Prolos still has doubts: "But there is no superhero in the role of a relativity entertainer."

James Murdoch was just speculation and couldn’t give a more convincing reason. He just said: “Judging from Ronan Anderson’s performance, Marvel’s value may be higher than we expected. Jim, hold on. copyright."

Jim Pross nodded: "This is not a problem."