Chapter 371: Female Directors

At the end of April, when Charles Capet returned to New York from the Bahamas, it was just in time for the 7th Tribeca Film Festival.

Capet Pictures was promoting its romantic comedy 27 Dresses, which would be released in June, and its limited September release of Slumdog Millionaire at the festival.

The young and beautiful actress Blake Lively, who rose to fame with the first season of Gossip Girl, was indeed a darling of the fashion world. She looked absolutely stunning in a Tom Ford women's ready-to-wear outfit.

The Conrad Hotel by the Hudson River in Lower Manhattan was where the crew of 27 Dresses stayed.

In a booth at the hotel cafe, the director of 27 Dresses, Anne Fletcher, and Charles Capet were sitting face-to-face.

Charles was reading a new project Anne Fletcher wanted to prepare for, a romantic comedy written by Peter Chiarelli titled The Proposal.

The script primarily revolved around an executive at a well-known American publishing company named Margaret, who faced deportation to Canada due to visa issues. To secure her residency in the U.S. and keep her job, she "forced" her assistant Andrew to fake a marriage with her, leading to a series of hilarious events.

"Not bad. Like 27 Dresses, it's also about marriage, but The Proposal has a broader perspective, showing the various issues a man and woman face when suddenly confronted with a wedding," Charles definitely wanted to shoot this film.

Importantly, the budget wasn't high either. "Finding a male actor is easy. What we need is a suitable female lead - someone with a strong presence but who can also have a romantic comedy vibe."

Nicole Kidman wouldn't work; her past few rom-coms proved she couldn't sell the genre.

Charlize Theron and Kate Beckinsale were too icy; where's the comedy in that?

Reese Witherspoon, with her weak aura as a blonde, was even worse!

"I think Julia Roberts would be good, but her fee is way too high," Anne Fletcher said somewhat wistfully.

"Julia Roberts?" Charles was also quite incredulous. Since winning the Oscar for Best Actress in 2000 with Erin Brockovich, Julia Roberts had been stuck in a rut like Nicole Kidman.

From 2001 to 2005, she topped the list of highest-paid actresses for five consecutive years. In 2003, she received a record-breaking $25 million for Mona Lisa Smile.

It wasn't until 2006 that Nicole Kidman took the top spot with $17.5 million, but Julia Roberts still charged $15 million, the same as Angelina Jolie now.

However, Julia Roberts' Duplicity this year was sure to flop again, and with the financial crisis, her fee would definitely drop, but it would still be in the $10 million range.

Angelina Jolie's action film Wanted, scheduled for release this year, had a $15 million fee, and after a success, she was likely to join the $20 million club.

Reese Witherspoon demanded between $15 million to $20 million after winning the Oscar for Walk the Line, backed by her past two Legally Blonde films. She had topped the highest-paid actresses list over the last few years.

Since 2000, Julia Roberts hadn't had a successful film, and Nicole Kidman had also seen constant flops since 2002.

But Julia Roberts' reputation as the queen of romantic comedies was incomparable to Nicole Kidman's, mainly because Roberts was the undisputed box office queen of the '90s.

Now Nicole Kidman couldn't even fetch a $10 million fee, with no one willing to hire her even for $7 million.

In Capet Pictures' The Blind Side, Nicole Kidman only received $5.5 million, the same as the 'sweet and naive' Anne Hathaway.

Anne Hathaway only earned $5.3 million for Bride Wars, but once Get Smart was released, her fee would rise significantly.

It's easier for American stars to raise their fees; they either win awards or have solid box office performances.

Marion Cotillard won the Oscar for Best Actress this year and got the highest fee of $4.5 million for The Incredible Hulk.

Of course, it's because Marvel movies belong to the special effects-heavy category, where actor fees are generally low. But even her fee wouldn't go much higher; no Hollywood studio would offer her more than $8 million.

She still had the solid box office foundations of The Da Vinci Code and La Vie en Rose!

"The Proposal's budget is $40 million, so the female lead's fee definitely can't reach tens of millions," Charles thought for a moment, "What do you think about Naomi Watts?"

"She's the right age, has good acting skills, and should fit the role of the female lead," Charles nearly forgot about this actress known for high-protein diets back in the day.

"Naomi Watts?" Anne Fletcher thought for a moment, then nodded, "I'll talk to her. It shouldn't be a big problem, and the movie won't start production until at least September or October!"

After all, Anne Fletcher needed to handle the release of 27 Dresses first since it was her second film, and she took it very seriously.

It wasn't easy for female directors in Hollywood; many big productions didn't go to them, and their main direction was romantic comedies.

Capet Pictures had a pretty good attitude towards female filmmakers in Hollywood; many of Charles Capet's movies emphasized women's leading roles.

Director Anne Fletcher not only had 27 Dresses coming out, but now she also had her next project lined up.

Twilight was also entirely female-led from producer to director and screenwriter.

After Anne Fletcher left, Charles went straight to Blake Lively's room at the Conrad Hotel.

It might have been a coincidence, but last year, Charles had dined with Blake Lively for the first time at the rooftop restaurant of this Conrad Hotel!

"Charles, you're here. Finished your meeting?" Blake Lively hugged Charles as soon as he entered the room.

"All done," Charles wasn't bothered at all that Anne Fletcher had reached out to him through Blake Lively.

Blake Lively definitely got some benefits from being with Charles.

"You look gorgeous today!" Charles said, pressing Blake Lively against the wall and kissing her.

Blake Lively responded passionately, tearing at their clothes, as if releasing the pent-up longing from not seeing each other for so long, or perhaps indulging after being busy for over a year!

*****

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