Actually, the success of theFinal Fantasy VIImovie alone wasn't enough to break Alfonso's spirit.

What truly pushed him over the edge was that the very people who had previously supported his stance against the film had now completely changed sides—going with public opinion and turning against him.

These kinds of people were nothing more than opportunistic fence-sitters, but their damage was real—and Alfonso couldn't handle it.

Afraid of showing his frustration to outsiders, he could only vent in the privacy of his own home.

After letting out his anger for a while, he gradually calmed down.

It's fine. So what if they succeeded? It doesn't affect me. I'll keep making movies, keep running my company. I'll just pretend this whole thing never happened.

Anyway, people's memories don't last long. Give it some time, and no one will even remember what I said or did.

What he really needed to focus on now was his own movie's box office performance.

After all, his fully self-funded, full-VFX film had released around the same time asFinal Fantasy VII.

...

At the time, he even held an extravagant premiere event.

Big names from Detroit Pictures and the film guild showed up to support him.

At the early screenings, professional feedback was mostly positive—many believed the movie would be a commercial hit.

But—there's no pain like the pain of comparison.

Alfonso had evenshamelesslysubscribed to Facebook's video service just to watch theFinal Fantasy VIImovie.

And after seeing it, he wasshocked.

TheFFVIImovie's VFX weren't necessarily top-tier—his own film's visuals were comparable, maybe even better in some ways.

But when it came to high-speed action sequences, the difference was night and day.

Because theFFVIImovie was built entirely using the Unreal Engine.

And Unreal was designed for making games—just as the video game industry was evolving toward more thrilling, fast-paced, kinetic experiences.

As a proprietary tool, Gamestar Electronic Entertainment also had a trove of action data they could leverage directly.

This gave theFFVIImovie an incredible advantage in its action scenes.

Fully-CG movies often struggle with fast movement—any mistakes or inconsistencies can break immersion and turn off the audience.

ButFFVIImanaged to maintain a consistent 90+ grade level of visual quality even during the most intense sequences.

At that point, Alfonso's film simply couldn't compare. The difference was obvious.

There was nothing he could do—Gamestar had true technical dominance. You couldn't buy or fake that kind of strength.

But Alfonso wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet.

He still had control over the mainstream cinema distribution channels, which gave him hope.

At the very least, he thought he could break even...hopefully...

He walked to the second-floor window of his home and carefully pulled back the curtain.

Outside, he saw several reporters posted at the gate and near the exit.

Journalists are like sharks drawn by the scent of blood—they won't stop until they rip their target to shreds.

Final Fantasy VIIhad been a massive success. Facebook's Bob was now riding high, even declaring that the film industry was on the verge of a revolution, and that the catalyst for that revolution was none other than Facebook.

He publicly thankedFinal Fantasy VII—and also sarcastically thanked the filmmakers who had once tried to block the movie, saying thattheir resistance was what gave Facebook the opportunity to rise and disrupt the entire industry.

This was a masterclass in subtle mockery—especially painful for people like Alfonso.

And they didn't even know what the future held. If they did, they'd beeven more terrified.

At the moment, Alfonso's head felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't even sneak outside without being ambushed.

But... this might actually be an opportunity—to promote his own film.

With that thought, he opened the door and stepped outside.

The moment the door cracked open, reporters rushed him like wolves.

"Mr. Alfonso! Mr. Alfonso! Please comment—what are your thoughts onFinal Fantasy VII, the revolutionary film that's taken the world by storm? You were one of its most vocal critics—did you ever imagine it would be this successful?"

"Mr. Alfonso, we have a source claiming you may have accepted incentives to smearFinal Fantasy VII—can you confirm or deny this?"

"Mr. Alfonso, do you admit that by opposingFFVII, you may have inadvertentlypioneered a new era of online film distribution? Will video platforms disrupt traditional cinemas?"

Each question was sharper than the last—completely unanswerable.

Alfonso had no choice but to put on a calm face and say, "I'm sorry, I can't comment on that. But there is something Iwouldlike to say."

The reporters instantly fell silent, eager to hear what he had to say.

"Final Fantasy VII's movie version was certainly well made. But that doesn't change the core of what I believe."

Right now, he had to play it tough. If he showed weakness now, he'd be mocked forever.

Sometimes, staying defiant might actually win back a bit of respect.

"You mean you still stand by your opposition toFFVII? But the movie's performance speaks for itself. According to recent data, it's brought in over $200 million in pure revenue for Facebook. How do you respond to that?"

Alfonso's mouth twitched slightly.

Two hundred million dollars...

His own sources—more accurate ones—told him the actual total might be closer to three hundred million.

A $100 million investment, $300 million in return—that's a phenomenal success.

And not even cinema revenue. Theater releases require revenue sharing. Typically, a movie has to make double or triple its budget just to break even in theaters.

ButFFVII's digital sales? They didn't have to split withanyone—every dollar stayed in-house.

Was he jealous? Of course he was.

But still—he had to keep smiling. Hold the line.

Persistence is victory!

"Final Fantasy VIIwas indeed a success," he said, "but I want to say that the big-budget movie I worked on is just as good. It's still in theaters. You're welcome to go see it."

The implication:Forget that Gamestar stuff—watch my movie instead.

But the reporters weren't biting.

In fact, one of them twisted the knife:

"Mr. Alfonso, according to the numbers I have here, your film has just barely broken $30 million after two weeks. Are you sure you'll be able to recoup your costs?"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com