Hollywood Road

After arriving in London, Murphy and Kara Faith plunged into intense negotiations. Stanton Studios and Twentieth Century Fox positioned the negotiations for the European rights of "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" in the UK. In addition to a British cable network, companies from France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal also expressed strong interest.

It was evident that many settings in "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" were inspired by European medieval history, with the history of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros reflecting shades of Europe's traditional powers.

Compared to other American series, "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" was naturally suited for European audiences, and the excellent viewership and critical acclaim it achieved in North America ensured high selling prices.

Murphy and Kara Faith first dealt with the British buyers, with Murphy participating but Kara Faith leading the negotiations due to her greater experience.

The negotiations progressed smoother than expected. After a week of back-and-forth with the British TV network, they reached a formal agreement. The network agreed to an exclusive deal for the broadcast and online streaming rights in the British Isles at $2.5 million per episode, with a three-year duration.

The agreement also included an option for the network to have the right of first refusal for the second season under the same terms.

Having secured the British deal, Murphy and Kara Faith each led a negotiation team to engage with other European companies and networks. High-quality television series that had proven successful in the North American market, much like blockbuster Hollywood films, did not struggle in the overseas markets.

Over ten days, through several rounds of negotiations, Murphy and Kara Faith signed formal contracts with TV networks and distribution companies across Europe, converting the future three years of TV and internet broadcasting rights of "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" into substantial revenue figures.

Germany matched the UK with $2.5 million per episode for three years; France was slightly lower but still brought in $2 million per episode; Spain and Portugal secured deals at $1.5 million and $1 million per episode respectively; Italy at $1.2 million per episode...

This European trip alone netted Murphy and Kara Faith a total of $125 million in licensing revenues.

Undoubtedly, the tremendous success of "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" would bring staggering profit figures to Stanton Studios and Twentieth Century Fox.

It was this secure profitability that allowed Murphy and Kara Faith to increase the production budget for the second season and not entirely forego battle scenes. They planned to film the epic battle between Stannis and the Lannisters at King's Landing at the end of the second season.

Without such outstanding profit performance, this battle scene would likely have been cut by Murphy.

"Currently, the development of the peripheral games is under discussion with companies in Silicon Valley."

Walking towards their flight to Los Angeles, Kara Faith discussed the latest developments in North America with Murphy, "Merchandise like T-shirts, figures, toys, etc., will also hit the market as soon as possible, no later than the DVD release date."

Murphy mostly listened, nodding in agreement.

In North America, popular TV shows drive a significant ancillary industry. Not only is the movie entertainment industry streamlined, but TV shows follow suit. A series like "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire," which excels in both viewership and critical acclaim, is essentially a massive money-making machine.

"Welcome aboard this flight…"

Upon boarding the plane, a smiling flight attendant from American Airlines greeted them. Murphy courteously nodded, and he and Kara Faith settled into two adjacent window seats in first class, waiting for the plane to take off.

For some reason, the plane did not take off for quite some time, apparently delayed due to some issue. Both Murphy and Kara Faith, slightly bored, asked the flight attendant for newspapers and began flipping through them.

Perhaps due to the attention their negotiations had drawn on Fleet Street, the entertainment pages of the newspapers featured many reviews and reports on "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire."

However, the British media, always maintaining a certain stature, particularly the influential ones like "The Times," had its criticisms.

"'Game of Thrones' is too realistic and bleak, I don't see the appeal."

From the headline alone, it was clear that some British media still habitually attacked cultural products from Hollywood.

"Having watched the first season of 'Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire' in America recently, my overall impression is that it's too realistic and dark. Aside from the Stark family and some of the Night's Watch, almost everyone else appears to be cunning and self-serving, devoid of faith and principles, only driven by selfish interests. Honor, duty, friendship, family ties—they're all worthless, all easily discarded. And they are all too aware of their own pettiness, their deceit, their shamelessness, but they feel no guilt, because they say: 'This is reality, I must

 live for it, and if I must live like a dog, then so be it. Nothing else matters.'"

"I acknowledge that reality can often be disheartening and oppressive, forcing us to abandon ideals, faith, and principles. But if we are already tasting this bitterness in reality, why must we also suffer through it in a TV series?"

"The symbolic figure of goodness, Ned Stark, dies unexpectedly, leaving viewers shocked and concerned for the future of his children. I ask the directors and writers, if you can so easily kill off a character who carries our hopes and expectations amidst such darkness, what won't you do to his children?"

"A TV series needs realistic elements but also needs to offer a sense of hope. Otherwise, what are we watching?"

"If a show revels in displaying darkness, conspiracy, cruelty, and ruthlessness over and over again, while the goodness and beauty in humanity and our hopes and expectations are brutally slaughtered right before us, always leaving us hopeless, and then earnestly tells us this is reality, then I ask, is this pitiful appeal worth watching?"

Despite the critical nature of the comments, they were not without merit. The harshness of "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" indeed reached a new level not often seen in television.

"What's up?" Kara Faith turned to look at Murphy, noticing the criticism.

Murphy shrugged nonchalantly, "They do have a point."

He handed his newspaper to Kara Faith, who in turn handed hers over, "Take a look at this positive review from 'The Chicago Sun-Times.' Roger Ebert rarely writes TV reviews."

Although Murphy knew that Roger Ebert's review of "Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire" was likely influenced by Twentieth Century Fox's behind-the-scenes efforts, given his status and reputation, he wouldn't have risked it without genuinely recognizing the quality of the series.

Taking Kara Faith's newspaper, Murphy saw Roger Ebert's column.

"Overall, 'Game of Thrones' has managed to avoid 'schizophrenia' in its adaptation so far. Murphy Stanton's approach is very consistent, aimed at refining the original material to highlight key points while keeping the essence of the source. The new scenes added to the TV series are mostly logical and well-justified, with occasional brilliant dialogue. These are commendable — and rare in adapted works."

"The fantasy wave led by 'The Lord of the Rings' has been prevalent in Hollywood in recent years, but it hasn't made much noise on television screens. Now, Murphy Stanton has finally ushered in a new era with 'Game of Thrones,' a major work. While most expected the series to feature a lot of wars, magic, action, and explicit scenes, it turned out that the focus wasn't on these sensory stimulations but rather on the plot and characters."

"Although each episode advances three or four storylines, the plot is by no means scattered; it's actually quite compact and exciting. The technical aspects like cinematography, costumes, sets, and art direction are also meticulously crafted, making the series a beautiful piece of art."

"Murphy Stanton has directed a TV series that could be described as a masterpiece, allowing viewers to fully immerse themselves in this vast and fantastical world, where the Seven Kingdoms and the Nine Great Houses seem almost real. At least for now, it stands as a peak in fantasy television that is incredibly hard to surpass."

Seeing Roger Ebert's unreserved praise, Murphy scratched his head. It seemed that the Pulitzer Prize winner genuinely appreciated his darker thematic style.

"Perhaps it's because there's too much homogeneity among most Hollywood films and directors these days," Murphy thought. "Or maybe our PR team really did an outstanding job?"

After a moment, realizing that these questions had no definitive answers, Murphy decided not to dwell on them further. Having Roger Ebert's endorsement was definitely a good thing.

No one could ignore the influence of this Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic.

Putting down the newspaper, Murphy checked the time and noted that the flight had been delayed by nearly half an hour and still showed no signs of taking off.

"What's going on?" Murphy looked out the window.

Kara Faith, more straightforward, pulled out her phone and made a call. After a few questions, she expressed her frustration, "There's a group of protesters occupying the runway."

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