Hollywood What If-Chapter 389

The events that transpired were against Spider-Man 2. Even though NBC was the major TV network that spread the news, other smaller TV stations also covered it.

Even news publishers printed articles related to the incident. In just one night, the news of Tobey Maguire beating a reporter spread so fast that even kindergarteners heard about it.

This news would obviously affect Spider-Man 2 very, very badly. The profit that Sony-Columbia could earn from this project would decrease, perhaps even drop into the negatives.

Sony-Columbia couldn't accept that. They had invested too much money in this project. More than $100 million had already been poured into the movie and advertising. If they backed down now, they would bleed too much.

So, immediately, Sony-Columbia retaliated to protect Tobey.

Besides, Tobey was the victim here. They had the upper hand in terms of the law. They contacted GET TV to assist them.

GET (Great Entertainment Television) was a national television channel owned by Sony-Columbia. Unfortunately, this channel was nothing compared to NBC. It didn't help much.

Sony-Columbia also reached out to numerous newspapers to repair Tobey's image.

It was fortunate that Tobey had security cameras on his property, and they had recorded everything that happened.

The police also had a copy of the footage and were trying to determine how the paparazzi had infiltrated the neighborhood.

The news of Tobey Maguire beating a reporter became a sensation, and many had complex opinions. Some believed Tobey was the victim, while others sympathized with the reporter.

Universal Pictures showed sympathy for the reporter, who was still in the hospital, allegedly "comatose" after the brutal beating he had endured from Tobey.

Sony-Columbia did its best to protect Tobey, spreading the truth about what had actually happened.

Smart people understood that Tobey was innocent. He had only been trying to protect himself. The evidence was clear.

However, the media was a powerful tool capable of manipulating public perception.

Suddenly, two major studios joined the battle!

Walt Disney started attacking Tobey Maguire. While they acknowledged that Tobey had been protecting himself, they still condemned his actions. In their opinion, he shouldn't have hurt the reporter but should have talked to him peacefully instead. They claimed Tobey lacked control over his anger. They also pointed out that Tobey had undergone anger management.

Disney's involvement worsened the situation for Sony-Columbia... but their troubles weren't over yet.

Warner Brothers also joined in! Backed by Time Warner, one of the biggest media conglomerates in the world, they began spamming hateful news against Tobey Maguire!

There were only a few media conglomerates in the entire world, and these corporations controlled the media. News, TV shows, movies, newspapers, and even the internet.

Time Warner, the parent company of Warner Brothers.

The Walt Disney Company.

Viacom, which had acquired Paramount in the '90s.

Sony, the parent company of Sony-Columbia.

Vivendi, which owned Universal Pictures.

News Corporation, the owner of 20th Century Fox.

Perhaps the reason the Big Six became the Big Six was because of their powerful backers.

And this time, those powerful backers were at war with each other... To be precise, three of them were trying to destroy Tobey's reputation, while Sony-Columbia was doing its best to protect him.

The outcome was obvious. Even though Tobey was innocent, it was impossible to maintain his image as an amazing actor.

They began spreading stories that Tobey had anger issues. That he used drugs. That he wasn't a good person.

His image as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man was crumbling. If this continued, Tobey might lose his place in the industry. He might be forced to leave Hollywood and go into hiding.

Thankfully, the police announced that Tobey was innocent. With that, Sony-Columbia began issuing lawsuits against multiple companies just to silence them.

But it was more difficult to deal with the Big Three. They didn't care about justice. They only wanted to destroy Tobey's reputation.

Even though Tobey was the victim, as long as they ruined his public image, their mission would be complete. Although they toned down their attacks, they still focused on his alleged drug use and anger management issues.

Spider-Man had grossed over $1 billion, and the Big Three understood that its sequel would be their toughest competition of the year. Since they had an opportunity to undermine it, they took full advantage.

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox and Paramount remained silent, choosing not to join the battle. They had cooperated with Kazir in the past, so they stayed out of it. That was the best they could do.

Even though 20th Century Fox and Grey Pictures had a partnership, Spider-Man was a separate entity. The movie wouldn't bring them any profit.

As for Marvel Comics, they were also in a difficult position. Spider-Man was their character, so they had to protect its brand. Unfortunately, they lacked the strength to do so. News Corporation provided some assistance, but not much.

......

....

...

Barry Mayer paused what he was doing when his secretary delivered surprising news.

"I can't believe I'll be meeting you today, Kazir."

"Yeah, I apologize for not making an appointment. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to speak with you."

"Of course."

Barry Mayer nodded. He had taken the reins at Warner Brothers after Terry Semel left the company.

As the leader of one of the biggest studios in the world, Barry couldn't ignore the most profitable director of all time.

The two men locked eyes. Barry already had an idea why Kazir was visiting. It was most likely about the Spider-Man 2 controversy. Warner Brothers had been one of the studios condemning Tobey Maguire's actions.

Even though Tobey had been proven innocent, public opinion remained against him. Warner Brothers was partly responsible for that.

"Kazir, I know you understand that this is just business. We're all competing for our own interests. I hope you understand that."

Obviously, Barry wanted to work with Kazir, so he kept his tone respectful. There was always a chance they could collaborate, especially now that Warner Brothers was looking to build its own...

"I understand that very well."

"That's good to hear."

Barry sighed in relief.

"That's why I will fight for my own interests," Kazir replied, his gaze firm and unwavering.

"Hm?"

"Batman."

"!!!" Barry's eyes trembled slightly.

"I want to direct Batman. I heard your studio is searching for a director. Why not me, the most profitable director of the era?"

"..."

Barry fell silent, but he couldn't stop his heart from racing. This... this might be the biggest shock he had received this year. And yet, 2004 was only just beginning.