Chapter 412: Anschutz Entertainment
After leaving the Manhattan Club Hotel dinner, Charles and Ivanka went straight back to the luxury apartment in the nearby Capet Center building.
At the desk, Charles zoned out staring at the hundreds of millions of dollars made by the North American box office of Warner Bros' The Dark Knight.
A billion-dollar North American box office, second only to Titanic's six billion dollars, was currently the second-highest-grossing film in North American box office history!
The current top ten films in North American box office history were as follows:
1. Titanic (1997) - $600.8 million
2. The Dark Knight (2008) - $533.3 million
3. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977, including re-releases) - $460.9 million
4. Shrek 2 (2004) - $441.2 million
5. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982, including re-releases) - $435.1 million
6. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) - $431.1 million
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - $423.3 million
8. Spider-Man (2002) - $403.7 million
9. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) - $380.3 million
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - $377.8 million.
Star Wars: A New Hope, being the first film in the Star Wars series, got renamed as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope after George Lucas's prequel trilogy, which got heavy criticism later.
When Star Wars: A New Hope was released in 1977, it garnered $307 million in box office revenue. It was re-released in 1982 and 1997, the total North American box office reached $460 million.
As the number one film IP series in North America, Charles had to acknowledge the success of Star Wars. The revenue from the merchandise and spin-offs was even more impressive than the box office.
Charles hadn't noticed how amazing Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight was this year, achieving a $533 million North American box office and skyrocketing to the second place in box office history.
"What are you thinking about, Charles?" Ivanka, who was in her pajamas, came over and gave Charles a peck on the cheek.
"Nothing much, just noticed that The Dark Knight became the second highest-grossing film in North American box office history," Charles said, feeling energized by Ivanka's fragrance and then reaching out to caress her thigh.
Ivanka bent over and looked at the North American box office ranking on the notebook, then sat on Charles's lap, seemingly unsurprised. "Titanic is still the best!"
"James Cameron, huh?" said Charles, while reveling in the magnificence of Ivanka's chest, he mused about James Cameron's upcoming film, Avatar, slated for release next year.
Titanic's number one spot would only be maintained for a few more months!
Ivanka was getting heated up by Charles's teasing and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him intensely. She wasn't concerned about James Cameron or anything else at all.
"Babe, I'm the real deal!" Charles whispered into Ivanka's ear, applying gentle pressure with his hand.
"Yeah, honey, you're the best," Ivanka agreed, giving Charles a passionate kiss on the lips.
Shortly, Charles and Ivanka were back in the bedroom. Charles lifted his head from Ivanka's chest, saying, "Babe, you're about to find out how awesome I am!"
"Smack," Ivanka's hand landed on Charles's butt. "Show me then!"
"Roar..."
...
In early October, Charles returned to Los Angeles and received good news from Tom Garfinkel, the president of the Miami Dolphins.
"Did Hard Rock Hotel want to name the Miami Dolphins stadium?" Charles asked over the phone from his office.
The NFL season had started last month. However, Charles had made enhancements during the summer, incomparable to Wayne Huizenga's capabilities.
"Also, Bank of America contacted us!"
"Bank of America? They just acquired Merrill Lynch. The financial crisis didn't affect them that much?" Charles didn't care much about these details.
"Negotiate. My bottom line for the naming fee is $12 million per year, and the term shouldn't exceed 15 years."
After hanging up, Charles smiled. After all, he had spent over a billion dollars acquiring the Miami Dolphins.
"Boss, you have an invitation. It's from Mr. Philip Anschutz of AEG Entertainment," Phyllis Jones entered Charles's office.
"Philip Anschutz, huh? It's likely about MLS again. Unfortunately, I have no interest in developing the MLS," Charles knew Philip Anschutz well, the owner of AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group).
AEG owned many sports and entertainment venues worldwide, including the Lakers' current home, the Staples Center, former home, The Forum, and the Toyota Sports Center.
Moreover, AEG held shares in the Los Angeles Lakers, and the MLS team, Los Angeles Galaxy, was also under the company.
AEG's acquisition of David Beckham for the LA Galaxy indeed increased MLS's visibility. Earlier this year, David Beckham trained with the Arsenal players for three weeks.
"Oh, does the boss want to decline?" Phyllis Jones asked.
Charles shook his head with a smile. "It's just a meeting. AEG is a major sports and entertainment conglomerate, not to mention they own Goldenvoice and Bristol Bay Productions!"
Philip Anschutz's family originally ran an oil business and transitioned to sports and entertainment.
He aggressively promoted MLS to boost AEG's profits from their venues worldwide.
"Boss, the LA Galaxy's performance has been poor this year. They didn't even make the playoffs. Beckham's addition didn't seem to help much," Phyllis Jones whispered.
"Oh, so you're following this stuff?" Charles chuckled, adding, "MLS has 13 teams now with a unique set of rules compared to other mainstream international leagues; MLS rules are just quirky!"
"Oh, right. Did Michael Jackson sign the concert contract with AEG? Is AEG running Michael Jackson's world tour?" Charles inquired.
Phyllis Jones nodded. "Yes, AEG even rented a luxurious villa in Bel-Air for Michael Jackson's family to live in; Boss, you know Michael Jackson's financial situation has been dire these years!"
Charles nodded and waved Phyllis Jones out, murmuring to himself, "Is it coming soon?"
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.