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Chapter - 260
🕑 Added 2025-10-28 16:45:22 +0000 UTC[Title : Three Strikes. Three Losses.]
….
[Red Studio - HQ]
The morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Red Studio's executive suite, casting long shadows across the mahogany conference table.
Deonte Maravich, the studio's President, stood before a projection screen displaying box office numbers that would make any executive salivate:
[Spider-Man: Web of Destiny] - $1.21 billion worldwide.
The film was produced under LIE Studio and Marvel Studio - but with their relationship with Regal they managed to grab the distribution rights.
Just below it is the film they produced:
[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets] - $942 million.
Certainly, it didn't manage to get that billion dollar mark, but it is no less of a success for them.
"Two films in the top four." Deonte said, his voice carrying the satisfied weight of vindication. "And now, Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Picture. Both of them."
Undoubtedly, the whole of Red Studio is full of energy.
But alas, it wasn't the same with everyone.
….
[Pixy Studio - HQ]
Across town, in a significantly less celebratory atmosphere, Pixy Studios' boardroom felt like a mausoleum.
Their CEO, Elijah Bethell, sat rigid at the head of the table, his jaw clenched as he stared at the same numbers that delighted Red Studio.
[Power Rangers: New Dawn] - $420 million worldwide.
On paper, it is profitable.
In reality, humiliating.
"We spent $180 million." one board member said, his voice carefully neutral. "We made money. Why does this feel like a funeral?"
Because everyone in the room knew the answer.
They hadn't just been beaten - they had been annihilated.
And it was the third time.
A voice finally broke the silence from the end of the room.
“Why are we losing sleep over one kid? A few billion-dollar hits, and suddenly everyone panics?”
All heads turned.
The speaker was Richard Bethell, the eldest of the Bethell brothers.
He held no executive title, had no formal position in the company, and wasn’t even a major shareholder.
Yet when he spoke, the room listened.
“Every few decades, some frog climbs out of its little well.” he said. “This one’s gotten pretty far. Maybe too far.”
His tone sharpened.
“Time we kicked it back down, just when it thinks it’s about to see the sky.”
For a heartbeat, the room went still.
Everyone understood exactly who he meant.
….
It had been a month since the Golden Globes and Oscar shortlisted movies were out.
And today is the day Golden Globes is being held.
Obviously, the discussion across forums started to get heated up, with even the major publication media joining in - trying to coil in as much attention.
Even if it meant getting into the bad side of one of the major studios.
….
└ MovieBuff2000: Alright folks, the nominations are out and this year is WILD. Let's break down the major contenders:
GOLDEN GLOBES - Best Picture Drama Nominees:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Red Studio)
Spider-Man: Web of Destiny (Red Studio)
Frozen (Whitebridge Studios)
The Monuments Men (Apollo Pictures)
Slavery (Vista Crown International)
OSCARS - Best Picture Nominees:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Red Studio)
Spider-Man: Web of Destiny (Red Studio)
Frozen (Whitebridge Studios)
Slavery (Vista Crown International)
American Hustle (Columbia)
Thoughts?
….
└ CinemaSnob87: Harry Potter getting Best Picture noms at both???? For a FRANCHISE FILM??? What timeline is this?
└ CinemaSnob87: That's what happens when you pair Regal's writing with Chris Columbus's direction.
└ CinemaSnob87: Chamber of Secrets wasn't just another sequel. It had themes, depth, and actual character development. Also can we talk about how Red Studio is having the year of their LIVES?
└ CinemaSnob87: Their partnership with Regal has been printing money AND critical acclaim.
….
└ IndustryInsider_LA: Want some tea?
└ IndustryInsider_LA: Word around the studios is that Pixy is SEETHING. Power Rangers: New Dawn was supposed to be their big comeback. They dumped $180M into it. And it did... okay. Made $420M worldwide.
└ IndustryInsider_LA: But it got absolutely BURIED because it released the same weekend as Spider-Man: Web of Destiny.
└ IndustryInsider_LA: Regal's Spider-Man made $1.2 BILLION.
└ IndustryInsider_LA: Power Rangers limped to profitability and now everyone at Pixy is playing the blame game.
….
└ SuperheroFanatic: Power Rangers wasn't bad though? It was actually pretty good. Just had the misfortune of going up against Spider-Man.
└ SuperheroFanatic: That's THREE times now that Regal's films have clashed with Pixy releases:
Following (2011) vs their indie acquisition
Death Note (2011) vs their thriller
Spider-Man (2013) vs Power Rangers
└ SuperheroFanatic: Every single time, Regal won.
└ SuperheroFanatic: At this point it's not even a competition, it's a massacre.
….
└ PixyEmployee_Anon: Throwaway for obvious reasons.
└ PixyEmployee_Anon: I work at Pixy. The mood here is... not great.
└ PixyEmployee_Anon: Our CEO literally banned people from saying Regal's name in meetings. Like Voldemort. We call him "The Director" now in hushed tones.
└ PixyEmployee_Anon: We had a whole slate planned around Power Rangers being our MCU. That's dead now. The investors are furious.
….
└BoxOfficeTracker: Let's look at the full 2013 box office landscape:
TOP 10 WORLDWIDE:
Spider-Man: Web of Destiny - $1.21B (Red Studio/MDC Studio)
Frozen - $989M (Whitebridge Studios)
The Monuments Men - $948B (Apollo Pictures)
Harry Potter CoS - $942M (Red Studio/LIE Studio)
Minimons 2 – $6900M (Universal Crest)
Steelheart – $668M (Warland Pictures)
Celestia – $523M (Warland Pictures)
Emberfall: Catching Fire – $465M (Lionsway Entertainment)
Velocity 6 – $428M (Universal Crest)
Power Rangers: New Dawn - $420M (Pixy)
└BoxOfficeTracker: Regal has TWO films in the top 4. Red Studio is laughing all the way to the bank.
….
└12_AnimationNerd: Can we appreciate that Frozen is the ONLY film that beat Spider-Man this year? Whitebridge Studios came out of nowhere with that one.
└12_AnimationNerd: "Let It Go" is going to win Best Original Song at both ceremonies. Calling it now.
….
└IndieFilmLover: Am I the only one who wants to talk about the sleeper hits this year?
| Driftwood (Lionsway Entertainment) – $32M budget, made $54M, critical darling
| The Summoning (Warland Pictures) – $20M budget, made $319M, horror masterpiece
| Until Dawn (Sony Heritage Classics) – $3M budget, made $20M, best screenplay
└IndieFilmLover: Not everything has to be blockbusters, people. Just remember, even Regal started out like these.
….
└FilmTwitter_Chaos: Film Twitter is already a warzone.
└FilmTwitter_Chaos: Half the people: "Harry Potter deserves everything!" Other half: "It's a children's movie about wizards, calm down."
└FilmTwitter_Chaos: The discourse is TOXIC and I am here for it with my popcorn.
…
└StudioExecutive_Burner: Industry perspective here!!
| The Big 5 Studios This Year:
Red Studio - Absolute dominance. Spider-Man + Harry Potter + their partnership with Regal = they are untouchable right now. Stock price up 340% since 2008.
Whitebridge Studios - Frozen saved them. They were struggling before that. Now they're planning a whole animation division expansion.
Apollo Pictures - Solid year but nothing groundbreaking. The Monuments Men is doing okay, not great.
Slavery - Slavery is their prestige play. Commercial performance is meh but awards buzz is strong.
Pixy Studios - Rough year. Power Rangers underperformed. Their CEO is on thin ice with the board.
….
└HollywoodGossip: Okay can we FINALLY talk about the Regal vs Pixy drama????
└HollywoodGossip: Because there's definitely bad blood there. Like, DEFINITELY.
….
└TheRealTea: @HollywoodGossip - It's not even a rumor at this point.
└TheRealTea: It is documented fact.
└TheRealTea: Timeline of Regal vs Pixy:
| 2008 - Following
Regal takes his first film to Pixy for distribution
They lowball him HARD ($50K advance for all rights)
Regal walks away
Pixy allegedly tries to buy the film behind his back from other parties
Fails
| 2011 - Death Note
Pixy releases their high-concept sci-fi epic "[Mastor]" same month
Death Note destroys it ($380M vs $269M)
Pixy executives publicly dismiss Death Note as "flash over substance"
Ages poorly when Death Note becomes a cultural phenomenon
| 2013 - Spider-Man
Pixy schedules Power Rangers against Spider-Man
Many think this was intentional
Gets obliterated ($1.21B vs $420M)
Pixy's franchise plans in shambles
└TheRealTea: Three strikes. Three losses.
| At what point does Pixy just... stop trying?
….
└MovieHistorian: The [Following] drama was even juicier than most people know.
| I had known a guy from Pixy Studio.
….
└CinemaSnob87: @MovieHistorian - SPILL THE TEA!!
….
└MovieHistorian: Alright, here's what actually went down.
| Regal and Kenau, who still hadn't made his debut, showed [Following] to one of the Pixy Studio executives.
| And apparently, the executive rejected them. In fact he tore the script and threw it away. (very disgusting, I say). But you know what is even more disgusting? He actually sent his assistant to make an offer to buy the film completely.
| What DOES that mean? The film was GOOD. Just that he didn't want to share profits with an unknown filmmaker.
| In the end, Regal was fortunate to get in touch with Red Studio - who actually listened to his conditions and distributed the film.
| [Following] made $202.3M on its tiny budget. Became a cult classic.
| Pixy looked like an idiot.
….
└FilmFanatic99: Wait there's MORE to the story??? I heard there were some wild exchanges between them?
….
└SundanceVeteran: OH BOY. Yeah.
| So apparently after Regal turned down Pixy's offer made by the assistant in some random coffee shop.
| Regal was there with his friend, Keanu Reeves. Yes, THAT Keanu Reeves, though at the time he was kind of in his career wilderness years.
| Anyways when rejected, the dude was pretty pissed, and started talking shit. Something about how Regal made a "student film with delusions of grandeur" and how Keanu's career was "circling the drain."
| Real classy stuff.
….
└MovieBuff2000: What happened next???
….
└SundanceVeteran: So here's where it gets almost mythical, because there are different versions. But the most consistent story is that Regal didn't back down. Didn't get angry. Just got... cold.
| He apparently said something like: "You are insulting my work, fine. But you are insulting my friend? Let me tell you something. Keanu Reeves is going to be one of the biggest stars in the world. When that happens, I want you to remember this conversation. Remember that you mocked him when he was down. And remember that I told you exactly what would happen."
| Then he and Keanu just... left.
| The Pixy exec laughed it off. Everyone there kind of laughed it off.
| But the story got around. Became this weird Hollywood legend.
….
└KeanuFan4Life: Okay but Keanu ISN'T one of the biggest stars right now? Like, I love the guy, but he's done some good films but he's not exactly A-list anymore.
| 47 Ronin just bombed HARD. Man of Tai Chi was barely released.
| So Regal's prediction... hasn't come true?
….
└FilmCriticAnna: @KeanuFan4Life - YET. Hasn't come true YET.
| Keanu's got stuff in development. He's getting better scripts, more interesting roles. But he is not there yet.
| And honestly, I think he needs to collaborate with Regal again. Why is it not happening?
| Still though, I wouldn't bet against Regal's prediction just yet.
….
└IndustryInsider_LA: Here is what people need to understand something.
| Regal was a nobody. Complete unknown. 22 years old. With connections or money. Just made a $15K movie with a camera and some friends.
| For him to stand up to a major studio executive and make that kind of declaration? That takes either insane confidence or insane arrogance.
| At the time, everyone thought arrogance.
| Now? After Spider-Man making $1.2B? After Harry Potter getting Oscar nominations?
| Maybe it was confidence all along.
….
└HollywoodGossip: The thing is, Regal is usually SUPER humble in public. Every interview, every appearance - he is gracious, credits his teams, thanks his collaborators.
| But there are these moments. These flashes. Where you see the steel underneath.
| Like when a reporter asked him about competing with Pixy's Power Rangers and he just smiled and said "I don't compete. I create."
| COLD.
….
└TheRealTea: HOT TAKE:
| Regal is building something bigger than any single studio. He's creating a cinematic universe ACROSS franchises. Spider-Man is connected to his other work thematically if not literally. Harry Potter has his fingerprints all over it even with Columbus directing.
….
└FilmTwitter_Chaos: Twitter just discovered this thread and it's CHAOS!!
Trending:
#1 - GoldenGlobes
#2 - HarryPotter
#3 - RegalVsPixy
#4 - KeanuReeves (???)
#5 - Frozen
….
└CinemaSage_TX: Jumping in late but I want to address something:
| Everyone's focusing on the Pixy drama, but can we acknowledge that Red Studio taking a chance on Regal was BRILLIANT business?
| They gave him creative freedom. They backed his vision. They didn't interfere.
And now they have:
-> A filmmaker who's made them over $2B in 4 years.
-> Oscar nominations for prestige.
-> Box office dominance for profit.
-> Industry respect.
Meanwhile Pixy has:
-> Wounded pride
-> A $180M underperformer
-> A CEO on the hot seat
-> No franchise prospects
Sometimes the best revenge is success.
….
└MovieHistorian:@CinemaSage_TX - Exactly. Red Studio's partnership with Regal will be studied for decades.
| They didn't just bet on a talented filmmaker. They bet on treating him like a partner, not a cog in the machine.
| That loyalty goes both ways. Regal could work with any studio now. He stays with Red.
….
└WildCardOpinion:Okay here's a WILD prediction:
| What if Keanu DOES become huge again? What if Regal was right? Like, Regal has been right about everything else.
| His track record is perfect. So maybe... maybe Keanu's comeback is coming?
….
└KeanuFan4Life:@WildCardOpinion - I want to believe. God, I want to believe.
| Keanu deserves it. He is talented, he is kind (literally one of the nicest people in Hollywood), and he has been grinding. And literally he was there with Regal from the beginning. He deserves to get extra good roles from him.
| Also, if Regal predicted it in 2008... maybe we just haven't reached that chapter yet?
….
└IndustryInsider_LA:Don't tell anyone, but…
| I have heard Regal has a project specifically for Keanu. Something big. Action franchise.
| Can't say more. But watch this space.
….
└FilmFanatic99:@IndustryInsider_LA - WHAT. TELL US MORE.
….
└IndustryInsider_LA:Can't. Literally can't. NDA stuff.
| But if I'm right? That Sundance prediction is about to age like fine wine.
….
└AwardsSeason2014:This thread went from Oscar predictions to Regal/Pixy drama to Keanu Reeves conspiracy theories.
| I love the internet.
….
.
[Evening - Golden Globes]
….
[New Thread Created]
| Thread: GOLDEN GLOBES RESULTS - REGAL SERAPHSAIL WINS DIRECTOR
Posted: December 12, 2013 - 9:47 PM
| HOLY SHIT IT HAPPENED!!
.
….
[To be continued…]
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Comments
Anderson
Thanks for the chapter
Plsc1994 1994
Looks like it is time for the bodyguard to shine.
Mr.NoBo0dy
Hello dear author, I always enjoy reading about fan reactions to the book universe. I'm just a little less keen on Pixis's attempts to destroy the MC; I'd prefer he portrayed himself differently.
