Chapter 247

In Los Angeles, inside a beachside villa in Santa Monica Palisades, Charles Capet was standing by the window, holding Kate Beckinsale.

"Well, look who finally decided to come back!" Kate Beckinsale had been very busy this year. She starred as Pepper Potts in Iron Man, and also appeared in Underworld: Evolution and made a cameo in Juno!

"If I didn't come back, I was afraid Hollywood would forget about me. You know, Hollywood has the shortest memory," Charles joked.

Even at 33 years old, Kate Beckinsale still had an incredible figure and stunning looks.

"You, how could Hollywood ever forget such a big shot like you? Capet Pictures' achievements have reached new heights again," Kate Beckinsale leaned into Charles' arms. Regardless of anything, with his support, she no longer needed to rely solely on the Underworld series.

"Next year, there are two sequels based on Marvel Comics coming out. Besides Sony's Spider-Man 3, 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is also set to be released. Are you worried?"

Charles was concerned about Iron Man's performance at the box office, and as the female lead, Kate Beckinsale was, of course, also very interested.

"Spider-Man 3 can't compare. Sony is also releasing Ghost Rider next year. As for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the first one did well last year, but it wasn't that great, right?" Charles considered Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End the biggest competitors for next summer.

Iron Man would definitely face intense competition during the summer, but Charles Capet wasn't afraid. He was ready to spend $50 million on promotions.

After the new millennium, Sony Columbia's Spider-Man series, Warner Bros.' Harry Potter series, New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings series, and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean series were undoubtedly the most successful IP series.

"I think Iron Man is great. I believe it will astonish everyone next year. After all, Charles Capet never fails, right?" said Kate Beckinsale before passionately kissing Charles.

Charles Capet indeed never failed. He wouldn't allow himself to fail.

Feeling the desire from the woman in his arms, Charles picked up Kate Beckinsale and carried her to the bedroom, where he pressed her beneath him.

"Charles, after wrapping up my scenes for Iron Man in June, I shot a low-budget independent drama, Snow Angels. Do you think the Juno crew will start filming this year?" Kate Beckinsale asked while hugging Charles.

Charles lifted his head, looked at Kate Beckinsale, and smiled. "It will. Juno is also a low-budget indie film. We'll shoot it in Canada, and it'll definitely start by November at the latest!"

Then, Charles removed Kate Beckinsale's nightwear and kissed her chest.

In September, Capet Pictures released a German drama, The Lives of Others. Although it had already been released in Europe and had received praise and good box office results.

However, as a German-language film released in the U.S., it followed the indie film distribution strategy, starting with a screening at the Telluride Film Festival and then opening in 40 theaters in North America.

The Telluride Film Festival took place in San Miguel County, Colorado. It was an event for hardcore film fans, promoting the slogan, "No paparazzi, no star-chasers." They didn't have glamorous red carpets or formal photo ops, and attending stars dressed casually.

Telluride Film Festival focused on film art rather than commercial success, and its influence was not on par with independent festivals like Sundance or the New York Tribeca Film Festival.

For the Halloween slot, Capet Pictures' Matrix Pictures held their annual release of Saw IV.

Charles was also looking forward to another epic war film, 300, that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September, with an official release in November.

"Boss, Universal has a project they want us to collaborate on. It's based on the true story of New York's 1970s drug lord, Frank Lucas, called American Gangster," Phyllis Jones handed Charles a document in his office.

"American Gangster? Ridley Scott is directing it now?"

"Ridley Scott? He just shot the cop thriller The Departed, and now he's directing American Gangster? Charles muttered as he opened the file, still puzzled.

"Universal was developing it since 2004, with Antonine Fuqua as the director, and Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro as leads, but it was halted due to budget issues," Phyllis Jones laughed and added.

"But, Universal signed a pay-or-play contract with Denzel Washington, so he gets paid $20 million whether the movie gets made or not."

"They changed the director and script midway, and maybe after seeing The Departed's success, Universal persuaded Ridley Scott to take over. They also brought in Russell Crowe as the other lead, and the budget now is $100 million!"

Charles glanced through it. It was mostly about Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe's roles, with not much else for the supporting cast.

"Reject it. Do they think I'm stupid? How can this movie have such a big budget? Universal is including the costs of changing directors, writers, and leads. Most of the budget is for the lead cast's salary. The Departed's budget was only $80 million!"

There weren't many big set pieces. There were hardly any special effects or action scenes. The salaries alone for Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe exceeded half the budget.

Although both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe were great actors, they didn't have high returns on investment anymore, so Charles wasn't interested.

Phyllis Jones nodded. After all, Capet Pictures' The Departed was still in theaters, so the boss's lack of interest in Universal's gangster movie was understandable.

Besides, unless Universal gave up North American distribution rights, there was no point in negotiating. Capet Pictures didn't want to just play the investor's role anymore.

Of course, if it were projects like the Harry Potter series or the Spider-Man series, with guaranteed box office success, Capet Pictures would be interested.

As for American Gangster, they could keep dreaming.

*****

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