Hollywood Road

In the boardroom at the top floor of the Fox Tower, an air of solemnity prevailed as nearly all members of the board were present. Today, there was only one item on the agenda: the issue with Dave Scolari, the head of the production department.

The second weekend box office for "X-Men 3: The Last Stand" had plummeted, and even the most optimistic projections could not see the North American box office surpassing $250 million. There was even doubt whether it could break the $200 million mark if the downward trend continued.

Twentieth Century Fox had high hopes for this final installment of the "X-Men" series, but Dave Scolari clearly had not met their expectations. After botching "Kingdom of Heaven," the failure of "X-Men 3: The Last Stand" was likely to result in an inability to recoup the investment.

Both projects had seen significant funds invested, and someone had to be held accountable.

"I agree that we should terminate Dave Scolari's contract ahead of schedule," stated a gray-haired independent director assertively. "We need to choose someone exceptionally capable for this position."

A middle-aged man lifted his pen, adding, "I agree."

"Agreed…"

"Agreed…"

The echoes of agreement were continuous. Though there were still corporate procedures to follow, Dave Scolari's fate of ending his term early was sealed.

With the decision to fire Dave Scolari set, Alan Harris, who chaired the meeting, proposed, "Regarding his successor, I have a suggestion."

All eyes turned to the CEO of Twentieth Century Fox.

"I propose Kara Faith, the assistant head of the production department, to take over the director position," Alan Harris stated straightforwardly. "She is the most suitable candidate we currently have."

"I object!" the gray-haired director exclaimed without hesitation upon hearing that the nominee was a young, attractive woman. "She's too young and lacks sufficient experience."

"Experience?" Alan Harris countered immediately. "Are you familiar with Kara Faith?"

Before the other could respond, he continued, "She has led Twentieth Century Fox to success with 'Deadpool,' 'Alien vs. Predator,' and 'Gone Girl,' especially the two films she collaborated on with Murphy Stanton, bringing remarkable reputation and substantial profits to the company."

Alan Harris coughed softly before adding, "Let's not even talk about those earlier achievements. Just last weekend, 'Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire,' produced by Kara Faith, aired its eighth episode, drawing close to 6 million viewers on its first showing! About a third of Fox's cable viewers watched that episode!"

"Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" had become a phenomenal television series, undeniable by anyone present.

However, with such a critical position at stake, opposition was inevitable.

Another middle-aged man scoffed dismissively, "Are those really Kara Faith's achievements? The one making all this happen is Murphy Stanton!"

"That brings me to my next point," Alan Harris responded calmly, without refuting the comment. "Since Murphy Stanton entered Hollywood, he hasn't had a single flop, and all his successes have come with low costs and high returns, a point I believe no one here disputes."

The others exchanged glances, none willing to contradict. Facts and figures were clear, and disputing them would only serve to ridicule oneself.

Alan Harris surveyed the room, "Twentieth Century Fox needs to continue its partnership with such a successful director. We need a connection."

Everyone understood his implication, acknowledging that Kara Faith not only had outstanding personal abilities but also the backing of a limitless future director like Murphy Stanton, making her a strong candidate for the position of head of production.

"But this is nothing more than nepotism!" the objector scoffed even more disdainfully.

"If your proposed candidate had such connections..." Alan Harris stared at him, "I would consider him as well."

The objector opened his mouth but found nothing to say.

Being a director at Twentieth Century Fox, he was no fool, well aware that networking was a significant part of capability.

Although many supported Kara Faith, today's main agenda was to discuss Dave Scolari, and the nomination for head of production was only a preliminary step before a final decision could be made.

Unquestionably, the currently broadcasting "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" was a significant asset for Kara Faith's candidacy.

The series continued to break Fox Cable's viewership records of the past five years. When the eighth episode concluded, the cumulative viewership of the first eight episodes easily surpassed 50 million, significantly impacting the network.

By the ninth episode, Fox Cable set a new record for the highest viewership of a single program, with audience numbers surging past 6.5 million. Including two subsequent rebroadcasts, the total viewership for this episode reached an impressive 10 million.

The season finale of the first season, aired when the viewer base of Fox Limited Television had grown

 by 3.5 million since before "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" began. The finale did not disappoint, drawing over 8 million viewers on its debut night.

This figure was promptly released by Stanton Studios and Twentieth Century Fox, becoming a focal point in entertainment news.

"Game of Thrones' finale sets cable TV viewership record, the death of the Duke of Winterfell captures hearts!"

Headlines like these appeared on the front page of the entertainment section in "Los Angeles Times" and many other major print media the following day.

"Placing a main character in peril did not diminish the viewership of 'Game of Thrones.' On the contrary, it greatly aided the series, last night's season one finale achieved the highest viewership of the season, attracting over 8 million viewers."

"An 8 million viewership record sets a new all-time high for Fox Cable Network!"

"Furthermore, the 11 PM premiere of the finale followed by a rebroadcast attracted an additional 4.9 million viewers, bringing the total viewership for this episode of 'Game of Thrones' to approximately 12.9 million. Twentieth Century Fox even stated that if all forms of replay and viewing were counted, the average viewership per episode of 'Game of Thrones' could reach 9 million, a testament to the series' massive appeal."

Though "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" had concluded its run on Fox Cable Television, the media frenzy was just beginning. Both Murphy and Kara Faith needed this hype to significantly add value to the series in upcoming sales.

"Game of Thrones" aimed for substantial profits, and subsequent rights sales were crucial.

During its first airing, Fox Cable Television paid the production company a licensing fee of $2 million per episode, with Stanton Studios receiving $1 million of this. With ten episodes, that amounted to $10 million, which was far from sufficient to recover the investment.

As for the accounting between Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Cable Television, that was none of Murphy's concern.

Thus, Stanton Studios and Twentieth Century Fox also needed the media to continue generating buzz.

The quality of the series was guaranteed, and with media praise firmly grounded, there was no need for hesitation.

"Murphy Stanton, with 'Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire,' adopts a 'miracle-making' stance to break the curse of fantasy series failing to succeed in American TV, revolutionizing the creative level of Hollywood's fantasy TV series, establishing an unsurpassed peak in the fantasy film and TV industry."

— "Los Angeles Times"

"'Game of Thrones' offers infinite and orderly creative possibilities to actors, directors, and writers, encompassing thousands of well-rounded characters and bizarre, imaginative customs. The completeness of its world, the richness of its details, and the liberty of its narrative are impressive."

— "The New York Times"

In the influential world of the internet, countless fans of "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" heralded the series as an extremely rare masterpiece.

"'Game of Thrones' truly qualifies as epic, with its legends of heroes, grand events, spanning centuries, and covering vast lands. It features plots of intrigue, war, honor, faith, betrayal, and growth, lacking nothing in terms of scope. The series is well-produced, with competent acting and no grandiose facade that falls into the trap of being large but irrelevant."

"The vivid portrayal of characters, who may die at any moment, sets up an overall narrative that doesn't follow the traditional trope of good overcoming evil, making it difficult to predict what will happen next. The lines between good and evil are blurred, unlike the series' depiction of the warm, bright South and the grim, cold North. The large gray area between good and evil, where righteousness unexpectedly collapses and evil occasionally reveals humanity, possesses an attractive force, thrilling and beguiling."

These factors continued to garner sustained attention for "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire," much like a blockbuster Hollywood movie. As the series heated up in North America, it also started to influence overseas markets, with many foreign film distributors and television networks already contacting Twentieth Century Fox to secure broadcasting rights for their regions.

Leading a negotiation team, Murphy and Kara Faith flew to the UK to discuss with a British television network.

___________________

(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)

If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT