In the next period, Ryan found himself becoming idle. Apart from needing to edit a promotional video clip, there was hardly anything else to do. The release date for “Saw” was at the end of August, and it was barely the beginning of June. That meant there was still over a month before the premiere.
Naturally, promotional activities needed to be postponed, ideally concentrated in the week leading up to the premiere. The reason was simple: the upcoming summer blockbuster lineup was packed. With the promotional budget for “Saw,” scattering efforts prematurely would likely yield no results.
“Forest Gump” was premiering on July 6th, “The Lion King” on June 15th, and “The Truth About Lies” on July 15th. This year’s summer blockbuster season was hotter than anyone anticipated. Media and public attention were focused on these major commercial films. Premature promotion would only waste the limited budget.
Meanwhile, Ryan was preparing to invest his own money in promotion. Instead of wasting it on television, newspapers, magazines, weeklies, or critics, he planned to put it all into cinemas and video rental stores. About two weeks before the film’s release, they would extensively post promotional posters and play promotional clips in selected cinemas in downtown areas. This promotion would kick off around mid-August, meaning Ryan could relax for quite some time.
Knowing Ryan’s temperament, once he had some free time, he would probably stay at home and continue writing scripts, eager to occupy the space and enrich the studio’s script inventory. However, Helen had other plans. She persuaded Ryan to accompany her to Monroe County, Pennsylvania, to meet someone.
It wasn’t to see little Taylor Swift, but rather because Ryan needed a stockbroker. With hundreds of thousands of dollars in his account, he couldn’t just let it sit in the bank, waiting to depreciate. Besides, he could foresee significant incoming funds and investing them would be the best course of action.
As he looked at the nearby farm, Ryan felt a sense of nostalgia, as if he were back in his hometown of Texas. But the farm before him was only about 11 acres, much smaller than the one in his memories.
“Hello, Miss Helen, Mr. Ryan, welcome to the Christmas Tree Farm.” Swift walked out to greet them, followed by a Taylor Swift who seemed like a fly in comparison. After some brief introductions, Ryan reached out and tousled Taylor’s golden hair, asking, “What’s your name, beautiful?”
“Hello, Mr. Ryan, I’m Taylor Swift. You can call me Taylor.” Taylor Swift replied politely.
“Hello, little Taylor, this is a gift for you.” Ryan took out a box of chocolates he had prepared and handed it to Taylor Swift.
“Thank you, Mr. Ryan.” Taylor Swift said thank you first before accepting the chocolates.
Ryan ruffled Taylor’s hair and couldn’t help but sigh. Who could have imagined that the little girl before him would one day stir up a storm in the music world? Well, it’s best to give up the habit of writing about ex-boyfriends in songs.
Swift smiled and invited the two inside the living room, where they naturally began discussing stock investments.
However, Ryan didn’t accept his advice. Instead, he invested in several companies from his memory, such as Apple, Marvel Comics, and Microsoft. He was only interested in long-term investments, not delving into the industry. Otherwise, he might accidentally be swallowed whole.
Swift was puzzled by this. “Mr. Ryan, forgive me for being straightforward, but Microsoft stocks have always been highly regarded by industry investors and are an excellent investment choice.”
“However, both Apple and Marvel Comics had poor year-end reports last year, and it’s expected that their performance in the coming years won’t improve much. They’re not good investment choices.”
If Apple’s performance was just poor, then Marvel Comics’ performance was simply abysmal. Since 1991, when a group of star illustrators such as Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld left Marvel Comics to form Image Comics, Marvel lost its most appealing authors. In the early 1990s, the value of comic books and cards began to plummet. Between 1993 and 1994, comic sales dropped by about 50%, leading to the bankruptcy of hundreds of comic book retailers. Marvel Comics had to rely on selling copyrights to survive until its official bankruptcy in 1996. It could be said that Marvel Comics’ situation worsened every day, and investors had long lost confidence in it.
Ryan wasn’t aware of Marvel Comics’ plight; he only knew one thing: twenty years later, Hollywood belonged to superheroes. Whoever owned Marvel Comics would have an inexhaustible gold mine.
“While Apple’s performance may not be good, I believe that Steve Jobs will return to Apple sooner or later. So, I’m not investing in Apple but in the future of Steve Jobs.”
“As for Marvel Comics, it’s just a personal preference of mine. If I get the chance, maybe I’ll buy it.” Ryan half-jokingly remarked.
“Alright, Mr. Swift, I’m well aware of the risks involved in this matter.”
“Next Monday, I’ll transfer $3 million to start investing in the stocks of these three companies.”
Seeing this, Swift could only nod in agreement.
As for buying Marvel Comics!
He naturally wouldn’t take it seriously; at most, it was just a joke.
With Marvel Comics’ current performance, it might not be long before it faced bankruptcy. Who would buy a comic book company on the verge of bankruptcy?
After discussing business matters, they began to enjoy the countryside scenery.
The Christmas Tree Farm was very different from an ordinary farm. It was uniquely designed, resembling more of an amusement park than a typical farm. Instead of herds of cows and sheep, there were various entertainment facilities.
After rejecting Swift’s company, the two strolled leisurely through the farm, enjoying the rare natural scenery.
Helen glanced at Ryan deeply and asked, “When you mentioned buying Marvel Comics, were you serious?”
In the eyes of investors, Marvel Comics might be a comic company on the brink of bankruptcy. But in the eyes of Hollywood’s film companies, it was a new attempt. Otherwise, with the shrewdness of Hollywood film companies, they wouldn’t have bought the rights to Marvel Comics’ superhero characters.
“I don’t have that much money, and I can foresee that Marvel Comics will be losing money for a long time to come.”
“As for investing in Marvel Comics, it’s just my personal preference.” Ryan neither admitted nor denied it.
Before computer special effects technology matured, Marvel Comics had no value whatsoever.
“I hope so.” Helen didn’t pursue the matter further.