Chapter 14: Underworld

In West Hollywood, inside the minimalist office of Carpe Films, Evelyn, Charles, and Len Wiseman were seated on chairs.

"Did we plan for today?" Charles asked his mother.

Evelyn nodded and replied, "Lisa will bring Kate over for discussions, and it'll be up to you all to convince her."

Charles nodded. After a short while, Kate Beckinsale and her agent Lisa Kasteler arrived together.

"Charles, did you secure the investment?" Lisa asked.

"Screen Gems agreed to a $10 million investment, but it's not enough. We've reached out to Village Roadshow in Australia and Constantin Film in Germany, and they are both interested in our movie," Charles said as he glanced at the charmingly exotic beauty, Kate Beckinsale, and inquired, "So, what do you think about Underworld?"

Kate Beckinsale nodded and said, "It's a type of movie I've never done before, and there are quite a few action scenes!"

"Right, it's of that style, but it could also become part of your style. Every actor should have their own unique charm," Charles remarked. Recently, Kate had gained fame through the blockbuster Pearl Harbor, albeit mostly as eye candy.

Thanks to the success of Pearl Harbor, her popularity was still high, and many film companies definitely hoped to leverage her fame to develop their movies.

"In Underworld, Kate is absolutely the female lead, the soul of the film," Charles commented, glancing at Len Wiseman with a smile. "I'm sure you've seen the character design we've prepared for Kate in the movie. It's outstanding."

Lisa nodded. Underworld was a commercial film that highlighted the female lead.

"So, what about Kate's pay? $2.2 million is really too low. Kate's current market value is at least $4.5 million!" Lisa pushed for a higher price now that major issues had been ironed out.

"Kate only got a beginner's salary of $50,000 for Pearl Harbor, right?" Evelyn joined the conversation.

Lisa shook her head and smiled. "You can't look at it that way, Evelyn!"

Lisa, from CAA, and Evelyn, from ETA - it was often understood without saying much more.

"$4.5 million is too much. We can give a $1.5 million advance and a 5% share of North American box office profits," Charles countered.

"$2.2 million advance and a 9% box office profit share," Lisa responded.

Charles shook his head earnestly, "A $2 million advance and a 7% share of North American box office profits is our top offer, and Kate must sign a three-film contract."

The negotiations were tough. As Kate's agent, Lisa aimed for a high price for her first film after Pearl Harbor.

Despite the mixed reviews and lower-than-expected box office of Pearl Harbor, it hadn't been a complete loss.

In any case, Kate Beckinsale had established her own name.

Ultimately, Kate Beckinsale signed a three-film deal for Underworld with a $2.2 million paycheck plus 8% share of North American box office profits for the first film.

"We did it. Village Roadshow and Constantin Film will invest $6 million and handle distribution in Australia and Germany, respectively," Len Wiseman said excitedly.

"Great, that brings us up to $16 million. Get moving on assembling the crew, casting actors, choosing filming locations, and setting the shooting schedule as soon as possible," Charles said, rubbing his temples.

"I'll take the distribution contracts from Screen Gems and the other two companies to the bank for a loan. We should be able to secure $6-7 million from the bank, completing our budget!"

"Mom, please get a lawyer to help with Germany's film tax rebates. With Constantin Film involved, it should be simpler."

Charles had been planning for a while to secure European tax rebates for independent films. Germany's film fund was known for being generous.

Soon, throughout February, the Underworld crew began preparations. Charles secured a $6 million loan from the bank with the distribution contracts.

Now, the Underworld production budget stood at $22 million, which was enough. Kate Beckinsale's involvement indeed made the preparation process much smoother.

With funds in place, tasks like casting and location scouting, which had previously been lined up, could now proceed quickly.

Carpe Films was producing, while Screen Gems, Village Roadshow, and Constantin Film would handle distribution, making it a collaborative effort.

In 2002, the Hollywood event of the year, the Oscars, arrived as expected. 

Charles didn't pay much attention, but the highlight of this Oscars was Halle Berry winning Best Actress for Monster's Ball, becoming the first African-American woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress in history.

After the Oscars, it was April. Charles became quite anxious as My Big Fat Greek Wedding was finally set for release. IFC Films secured 108 theaters for its release.

At Carpe Films, Charles sat alone in his office chair, lighting a cigarette.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Evelyn walked in, beaming with joy. She saw Charles smoking in his chair but ignored it.

"Charles, Keira Knightley landed the lead role in Pirates of the Caribbean. It's a magic-epic blockbuster with an investment of over $100 million, comparable to Pearl Harbor. The competition was fierce," Evelyn exclaimed, thrilled that Keira had secured the lead role.

"Congratulations. Is Keira preparing for the role?" Charles asked.

"She's gone back to the hotel. She'll return to the UK with her mother the day after tomorrow and then join the production crew," Evelyn replied.

Charles nodded. Both Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson seemed to still be under 18.

"By the way, any word from Sofia Coppola?" Charles remembered the script for Lost in Translation.

Evelyn shook her head and analyzed, "I guess she's waiting for the release of My Big Fat Greek Wedding to see how it performs before contacting Carpe Films."

Charles thought for a moment and agreed - who would waste time on him otherwise?

"Isn't there a movie premiere tonight? You're not going to check it out? Just going to stay here?" Evelyn asked, puzzled.

"Where's your hot girlfriend? Still in Florida?"

"She's studying, only 17. I'm already 20. What conversations can you have with a minor?" Charles explained randomly.

Evelyn sat down, knowing her son was a bit nervous right now. She decided to stay and keep him company.

*****

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