Chapter 367

Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Wilshire Boulevard, an Audi R8 had stopped in front of the Wilshire Hotel.

Charles opened the door and got out, leaving the valet to park the car as he entered the hotel's banquet hall.

He found his mother; it was clearly another typical Hollywood party. Just last night, he had returned from Miami to Los Angeles.

As he walked, many celebrities and other filmmakers greeted Charles, and he nodded in acknowledgement.

He continued to find his mother first, "Something you want to tell me?"

"Come home with me tonight; Peter Jackson has a script looking for investors," Evelyn, who held the famous director Peter Jackson in high regard, was actively promoting his script.

"Peter Jackson? Isn't he preparing to shoot the film adaptation of the video game Halo? Isn't that a Sony-Columbia project?" Charles was puzzled.

"Sony has backed out of the investment. The budget for Halo is too large, and they have little faith in it," Evelyn said as she guided Charles to a nearby sofa.

"Originally, Peter Jackson planned to have Neill Blomkamp direct Halo, but now that Sony has dropped it, Peter Jackson really believes in Neill Blomkamp's ability, so he's helping him pitch a feature-length version of his short film, Alive in Joburg, from a few years ago.

Alive in Joburg, it mainly tells the story of a group of aliens seeking refuge on Earth and being forcibly relocated from District 9 by the South African government!"

Charles looked at his mother; was his luck really that good right now? Wasn't this District 9? Hadn't he been yearning for this unconventional sci-fi drama film?

Charles nodded, "No problem, but there's no need to go home; have it sent directly to Capet Pictures."

Evelyn nodded, that was fine; after all, the budget for this film wasn't high, and having Peter Jackson as the producer added some buzz.

"By the way, I saw Jackie Chan and I noticed some of your company's higher-ups. Are you planning to enter the east Asia talent agency business?" Charles inquired.

Evelyn nodded, "Yes, ETA has also established an office in Hong Kong. Jackie Chan just transferred from CAA to our ETA, and the actress next to him has also signed with us. The Forbidden Kingdom will be promoted in Los Angeles over the next few days. Jet Li couldn't make it, so Jackie Chan is the main focus!"

"Hey, Jackie," after talking with his mother for a while, Charles started chatting with Jackie Chan, whom he had known for a long time.

"Charles, good evening," Jackie Chan said, shaking Charles's hand and then introducing the young actress Liu Yifei.

"Good evening, Mr. Capet," Liu Yifei, only 21, was very polite, young, and beautiful.

"Miss Yifei, you are really pretty!"

Charles chuckled, "How many cities in the U.S. will you be promoting in?"

"We just came from San Francisco, where we had a promotional event. After the event in Los Angeles tomorrow, the North American premiere the day after tomorrow, then we return," Jackie Chan explained.

"I see," Charles nodded, knowing that neither Jackie nor Jet Li had much box office pull in Hollywood anymore.

Jackie Chan, who knew many people in Hollywood, soon mingled to greet other acquaintances.

"Miss Yifei, shall we dance?" Charles extended his hand in invitation.

Liu Yifei nodded, extending her small hand as Charles led her to the dance floor. Being American-born, Michelle was very familiar with both English and other aspects of American life.

Liu Yifei starring in The Forbidden Kingdom was her direct entry into Hollywood, and with a $70 million investment, it was no small production.

Of course, if The Forbidden Kingdom had better reviews and box office success, Liu Yifei might have achieved wider recognition.

"Do you plan to develop your career in Hollywood?" Charles Capet asked, holding Liu Yifei by the waist on the dance floor.

Liu Yifei shook her head and smiled, "If there's a chance, I'll participate in Hollywood movies, but it's not easy for Asians to succeed in Hollywood."

Charles smiled, "Indeed. Perhaps we'll collaborate in the future, as Capet International has ongoing business relations in east Asia!"

Liu Yifei's acting skills weren't top-notch, but as a leading beauty, she fit the role perfectly. Her attitude towards acting was solid, though talent wasn't her strong suit.

"Mr. Capet, If I could collaborate with Capet Pictures, it would be a dream come true," Liu Yifei smiled.

"Sure, but just call me Charles," he smiled back. "Next time you're in America, I'll show you around."

After that, Charles and Liu Yifei hugged briefly and then parted ways.

The party hadn't ended yet, but Charles left the hotel early, driving to bring Britney Spears back to the Capet mansion.

Britney Spears, who was busy with a new album and her world tour, had also recently launched her namesake perfume, which was quite popular.

"This year's economic situation isn't great in the U.S. and Europe, so the tour and album releases are necessary to maintain income," Charles laughed, holding Britney as they sat on the sofa.

Britney stuck her tongue out, "It's just about a dozen shows in Australia, Japan, Korea, and a few Southeast Asian cities. Mainly, it's to promote the new album!"

Britney didn't lack money, but she did spend a lot. Supporting her family and some real estate investments that went south had taken their toll.

"You've been busy this year. From New Year's Eve shows to Grammy performances, the Super Bowl halftime show, and now the Coachella Music Festival," Charles said, running his hand through her blonde hair. 

"Well, my parents' business failed, and you're always so busy, so I've been working hard, practicing singing and dancing. I don't want the media to keep calling me a lip-sync artist," Britney said, hugging Charles' head and kissing him.

Charles returned a few kisses, squeezed her chest, and said, "Honey, I have some work to do. Maybe you should wait for me in the bedroom while I handle some things in the study."

"Work again?" Britney pouted, then asked, "Thor doesn't come out until the 9th of next month. What work do you have?"

"It's about the new Hulk movie. We've been preparing for a while now and it's set to start filming. The schedule's fixed for next Christmas," Charles said as he patted her, preparing to head to the study.

Britney followed him to the study, looking curious.

Charles sat at his desk, checking emails. The lead roles for the new Hulk were set to be Mark Ruffalo and Marion Cotillard.

Mark Ruffalo wasn't well-known, but Marion Cotillard had just won an Oscar, making her a selling point for the movie.

Thanks to Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk, audiences already knew the origins of Hulk, and the new Marvel Hulk would focus more on his life after transformation.

The movie's primary villain would shift to Abomination, setting a distinctly commercial, action-packed tone without much need for artistic expression.

Everything was to align with the interconnected Avengers universe, given Hulk's high popularity.

"Hey, are you guys recasting for the new Hulk?" Britney asked, coming up beside Charles after navigating the bookshelf for a while.

"The company did approach Eric Bana to continue as Hulk, but he refused," Charles said, pulling Britney onto his lap.

After all, Bruce Banner is a top-notch physicist, and Mark Ruffalo fits the scientist image well.

Eric Bana was the lead in the 2003 Hulk.

"What about Captain America? Who's playing him?" Britney asked while embracing Charles.

"They're still negotiating, but Chris Evans is likely the choice," Charles said without concealing much. Kevin Feige had been in talks, and from the Fantastic Four movies, only Jessica Alba was memorable.

Plus, with the poor reviews and box office of last year's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 20th Century Fox had already scrapped plans for a third movie.

"Chris Evans?" Britney pondered, and Charles prompted, "Johnny Storm from Fantastic Four!"

"Oh, it's him!" Britney remembered.

Britney, wearing just a loose short t-shirt, sat on Charles's lap, continuously teasing him.

Charles slipped his hand under her t-shirt, finding no bra, just her soft mounds. He whispered in her ear, "You won't be begging for mercy tonight, will you?"

Britney's hands moved around for a while before responding, "Well, now I have to drain your energy ahead of time!"

With that, she slid to the floor, using her famous voice to perform a silent but passionate song.

Charles placed his hands on the desk, feeling Britney's dedication while continuing to go through reports.

Tonight was bound to be another wild, unrestrained night!

*****

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