Chapter 133: Oscars

"Why did it take you so long?" Evelyn asked as she finally saw her son return.

After Charles sat down, he discreetly glanced at Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob sitting nearby and responded with a smile: "Ran into the big guy from Miramax backstage, had a little chat."

"And did you make a new enemy this time?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"He mentioned he had his eyes on one of your actresses and wanted your cooperation. I threatened him not to cross the line, or we'd go down together," Charles said nonchalantly, but Evelyn found his words quite alarming.

"Charles, you're being a bit impulsive. Many actors in ETA have collaborations with Miramax!"

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are big-name actors under ETA, both are Harvey Weinstein's henchmen.

"Don't worry, mother. Worst case, you can have all the actors move to CAA, or come work for Capet Pictures as the president. I'll triple, five times, or even ten times your current salary," Charles chuckled.

Evelyn also laughed and shook her head. "That won't be necessary. ETA is worried about me leaving; that's why they're tying me down with shares."

"Hollywood actresses may not earn as much as their male counterparts, but my team is doing pretty well, especially with Britney Spears as our ace. The shareholders at ETA know how to handle this.

I'm worried about you. After all, Harvey Weinstein has been entrenched in Hollywood for more than 20 years, and his connections run deep."

"I know, but he's not the force he was in the 90s. Over the years, he's offended quite a few directors and producers with his shenanigans at the Oscars," Charles shook his head. "Disney wants to get rid of him, and he's just looking to rebuild an independent film company. Even with Wall Street backing, he can't outmuscle me. My financial resources far exceed his.

Capital seeks profit. Miramax's returns in recent years have been poor. The big films have mostly flopped, and only the actors care about the Oscars.

Do Morgan Stanley, Bear Stearns, or Goldman Sachs care how many Oscars he has? They only care about return on investment!"

Evelyn sighed and smiled, "That man loves to smear others behind their backs. Be careful."

"I know. Let's just hope he doesn't do anything too stupid, or I'll make sure he becomes a pariah," Charles said. He was currently in the phase of capital accumulation and didn't wish to waste time and energy fighting these battles.

However, if Harvey Weinstein wanted to make trouble, Charles wouldn't mind exposing Weinstein's sexual misconduct scandals through financial maneuvers.

Such a high-level scandal would tarnish the entire reputation of Hollywood, which ultimately affects profits.

For the sake of profit, sacrificing one detestable man seems quite straightforward.

Evelyn looked at her son and reminded him, "Charles, see if you can acquire any newspapers or magazines. You need to have your own voice in the media now."

Evelyn was hinting at Charles to start acquiring some newspapers or magazines. Charles nodded; it was indeed something he needed to focus on.

However, traditional newspapers were on the decline, with many news companies facing losses, layoffs, and struggling to transition to digital platforms.

"But, Charles, don't stress too much about this. Harvey Weinstein, as influential as he is in independent films, doesn't hold as much sway in the commercial film industry, which is Hollywood's main focus now.

Given your youth and the incredible wealth you've amassed in just two or three years, people might think you're audacious and reckless.

Harvey probably knows who to mess with and who to avoid, especially thinking of your financial clout. Toppling him wouldn't be hard for you."

Evelyn's analysis, based on her experiences, suggested that an old fox like Harvey wouldn't risk antagonizing a wealthy and young opponent.

After all, Harvey Weinstein had too many scandals. Though the dark side of Hollywood is well-known internally, Harvey's behavior had been excessively blatant, and the small actors he exploited didn't have the strength to retaliate.

"I get it. I'm in no mood to deal with him for now. Hollywood has too many such issues, and addressing them could create a domino effect," Charles continued. The real challenge would come from other Hollywood capitalists interfering, and that's where the true battle would lie.

It might spark a Hollywood upheaval, leading to a market shakeup that would see many fall and others rise.

As the award ceremony continued, Brokeback Mountain had so far won only two Oscars: Best Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Best Supporting Actress went to The Aviator, and Best Actress to Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby, marking her second Best Actress Oscar.

In the Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor categories, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger went home empty-handed.

When the presenter, Al Pacino, announced, "Best Director, Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain!" the crew around Charles stood up and applauded.

"Congratulations!" Charles also stood up to shake Ang Lee's hand. 

Brokeback Mountain was undoubtedly outstanding. Ang Lee, though emotional, delivered a steady acceptance speech on stage, thanking many, including family, crew, and audience.

"Of course, a special thanks to Charles Capet of Capet Pictures. Without him, Brokeback Mountain might still be gathering dust. Thank you, Hollywood's genius boss!"

As the camera zoomed in on him, Charles maintained a smile, though inwardly he pondered if the Best Picture award was now out of reach.

Sure enough, the Best Picture Oscar went to Million Dollar Baby, with Clint Eastwood and his co-producers accepting the award on stage.

*****

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