Chapter 57: Stingy Universal

Underworld began its full North American release last Friday, opening in 2,915 theaters and grossing $23 million in its first weekend, making it the box office champion of the week.

For a low-budget film with a production budget of just $22 million, this was quite an achievement.

In its second weekend, it brought in $9.5 million. Based on the buzz, it was clear that Underworld was rapidly cultivating its own audience.

The film's dark, decadent aesthetic, the heroine's cool look and action sequences, and the vampire-werewolf culture itself had a certain appeal.

Commercially, Underworld was definitely a successful film. As the producer, Charles Carpe was required by the studio to participate in the promotion alongside the cast and crew.

They attended TV talk shows, gave professional media interviews, and hosted Underworld themed interactive events.

They traveled from New York to Los Angeles, and the crew was also set to head to Europe, with London and Berlin being the two most essential stops for promotion.

Early morning, in Charles's beach house in Santa Monica Palisades.

Kate Beckinsale kissed Charles lightly to wake him up. "It's getting late, I need to head to the airport!"

Charles opened his eyes, looked at Kate Beckinsale, then glanced outside the window.

"You'll lead the promotion in the UK, then the director's team will go to Berlin, and there are also stops in Rome and Paris!" Charles said as he sat up, thinking about how the next few days the crew members would spend a lot of time on planes.

"London and Paris, I'll be there, but I won't be staying long. I'm a supporting actress in Martin Scorsese's new film The Aviator, and I need to shoot my scenes," Kate Beckinsale explained.

"The Aviator, the Howard Hughes biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett?" Charles remembered, but not too clearly.

Kate Beckinsale nodded, "I'm playing Ava Gardner, and Cate Blanchett is playing Katharine Hepburn," implying Leonardo DiCaprio would obviously be Howard Hughes.

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio were indeed long-time collaborators. However, back then Leo's acting skills were still in need of development, with his performances often marked by hysterical outbursts.

He had a keen eye for picking scripts and worked with top directors and actors, but his acting needed to mature.

With Scorsese already in semi-retirement, there wasn't a more suitable director for Charles's script of Infernal Affairs.

"Take care," Charles embraced and kissed Kate Beckinsale for a while, and then she left for Los Angeles International Airport.

Upon arriving at Carpe Productions, Charles received a call from his mother.

"I did it! I met Charlize Theron in Venice, and she agreed to let me be her agent!"

"That's great, but be careful while selecting scripts. Most pretty actresses don't have a good eye for scripts!" Charles responded, pondering whether to bring up Britney Spears.

But for now, Britney hadn't called his mother yet, so he decided to wait until she did.

Of course, if Britney didn't call, there wasn't much Charles could do.

"By the way, your Underworld is doing well at the box office. Where are you now?"

"Oh, I'm back in Los Angeles. The others went to Europe for promotion. We also did a bit of promotion for Saw at the Toronto Film Festival recently; it's set for release next month!"

After hanging up, Charles went to his office.

"Dona, has there been any news from Universal about Wedding Crashers?"

Dona Williams shook her head. Universal hadn't given any instructions yet.

"The Passion of the Christ has finished filming and is in post-production. Mr. Gibson wants to discuss the film's marketing with you. And Brokeback Mountain will wrap this month and enter post-production too!"

Charles nodded. The Passion of the Christ was indeed a tricky film; no major distributors wanted to handle it.

Hollywood distributors generally avoided religious films - they weren't profitable and tended to provoke religious protests.

Charles pulled out the phone number of David Bruce, one of the producers of The Passion of the Christ, and dialed it.

"Charles, congratulations, Underworld is a successful movie!"

"Thanks, David. Is there still no distributor for The Passion of the Christ?" Charles asked.

"We've approached all seven major studios, but the feedback hasn't been good. Even independent film divisions of major companies have declined!"

"Here's an idea - after editing, send copies of The Passion of the Christ to each Catholic diocese in America for them to watch and give feedback. Focus on key dioceses like Los Angeles and New York," Charles had to play the Catholic card.

"Screen the film in dioceses, inviting archbishops and parishioners. Approach a few independent distributors; they're less concerned about controversies and more about profits."

"The story of The Bible, the bishops will definitely support us. Amen!"

No matter what, Charles wanted the film to hit theaters soon given its big box office potential.

With the support of Catholic churches, Jewish opposition would be manageable. Religious-themed movies always faced some moral watchdogs.

"I'll arrange it as soon as possible!" David Bruce was also eager for the film's release.

Ah, dealing with Jewish opposition in America was always tough, given their significant influence in finance, politics, and media.

Wall Street, Washington D.C., and Hollywood were powerful hubs, especially Wall Street and Hollywood, which had high concentrations of Jews.

Charles didn't want to be too deeply involved with The Passion of the Christ, preferring to just offer some strategic advice. With his role primarily as a financier, he needed to maintain a certain distance.

Hollywood's major studios, except Sony, had significant Jewish shareholders; it was understandable they wouldn't distribute a film like The Passion of the Christ given its sensitive depiction of Jewish history.

Sony, being Japanese-owned, generally avoided American domestic sensitive topics, striving to please all sides.

Independent distributors like IFC Films, Magnolia Pictures, Newmarket Films, and Summit Entertainment were the real targets.

Lionsgate Films, with its Jewish big shareholders, was also unlikely to release the film.

"Universal is waiting for my funds?" Charles smirked. With a budget of just over $40 million, Universal was being really stingy indeed.

"Forget it!"

*****

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