Chapter 465: Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts, although only 18 years old and less than 160 cm tall, still had a good figure as a fashionable young lady in the entertainment circle!

However, even though Emma Roberts was young, she had dated a boyfriend back in 2007, but they broke up last year.

In the evening, Charles and Emma Roberts danced from the ballroom at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel to Charles' villa at Knightsbridge.

The Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel was located east of Hyde Park, next to Grosvenor Square, while Knightsbridge was in the southwest corner of Hyde Park.

In the morning, Charles woke up in bed, which also woke up Emma Roberts in his arms. He glanced at the gray, misty sky outside the window.

"Another gloomy and rainy day, winter in London really sucks," Charles grumbled.

Emma Roberts lay on Charles's chest, kissed it a few times, and laughed, "London's weather is as bland as British food!"

Charles, caressing the petite figure in his arms, felt reluctant to get up. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "By the way, isn't there a saying in Hollywood that groups you, Blake Lively, Kristen Stewart, and Amanda Seyfried as the Four Rising Stars?"

Charles seemed to have seen a cover photo of the four of them together!

Emma Roberts nodded and said, "Oh, that was when Vanity Fair did a beach photoshoot for the four of us last year."

"And then, the name just stuck, right?"

Raising her head to look at Charles teasingly, Emma Roberts added, "And you've had rumors with both Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively; last night, you did it again with me, leaving only Amanda Seyfried!"

Charles twitched his mouth; it seemed that only Amanda Seyfried was left indeed?

Vanity Fair really knew how to pick them; all four had little acting skill, with birth years spanning from 1985 to 1991.

Megan Fox and Odette Yustman were also sexy and gorgeous, but they weren't included!

"Aren't you hungry?" Charles picked up the watch beside him; it was already nine in the morning.

Emma Roberts, resting her chin on Charles's chest, replied, "Just a little. It's Saturday; do you have any plans?"

"Not much. Tonight, my team has an away game in Kingston upon Hull. I'm thinking about whether to watch it," Charles responded.

Kingston upon Hull, commonly known as Hull City, was a newly promoted team in the Premier League this season. To Arsenal, it posed no threat!

"Let's get up and eat something first," Charles didn't think much about it, gently patting Emma. He needed to replenish his energy from last night's exertion.

"Alright!"

Right after the Golden Globes, Charles had left Los Angeles for the UK, but the buzz of the Golden Globes had reached Europe.

Slumdog Millionaire was essentially a British-Indian co-production, with the director, producer, and other key personnel being British, while the actors and crew were Indian.

It won Best Motion Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay in the drama category, while English actress Kate Winslet took home the awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in a Drama.

Last year, after Marion Cotillard won the Oscar for Best Actress, French media had heavily mocked the British.

This year, with Kate Winslet's strong entry with The Reader, British media were heavily promoting her!

In the afternoon, despite London's weather, Emma Roberts's enthusiasm for shopping was undeterred, while Charles went to the Capet Pictures office in the UK.

The Capet Pictures UK office was also the regional international headquarters for Europe.

"Slumdog Millionaire has seen a significant increase in viewers recently. Winning at the Golden Globes and being nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars really gave it a big push," James Tunan said to Charles with a smile.

"Twilight has been incredibly successful. North American box office sales have now reached almost 200 million dollars, and the international earnings are more than 200 million too. By the time it finishes showing, the global box office will definitely exceed 430 million dollars!"

The budget for Twilight was only 40 million dollars, plus 25 million for marketing. Including bonuses and deductions for the main cast, the total cost was around 75 million dollars.

The box office, DVD market, and future paid and free TV broadcasting revenues for Twilight would definitely bring in a substantial amount!

Leaning back in his chair, Charles laughed, "Movie production costs have been rising too fast. In the late 70s, the average cost for a big studio film was 5 million dollars;

By the mid-80s, the average cost had risen to 20 million dollars;

In 2007, reports showed that the average cost of a big studio film was 75 million dollars, with an additional 25 million for marketing, making it around 100 million dollars on average;

Now, with yearly cost increases, it's really hard for movie companies to survive without high box office returns!"

Even the current financial crisis had not stopped the skyrocketing paychecks of Hollywood stars, thanks to Wall Street's hot money giving them negotiating power.

"By the way, is the release schedule for that French movie The Intouchables finalized?" Charles asked.

James Tunan nodded, "It will premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival, with a European release first, followed by the North American market!"

"The Intouchables, along with the remake of the Japanese movie Hachiko Monogatari, need clear coordination with the responsible persons in Asia. These heartwarming movies suit those markets better," Charles was very aware that these films wouldn't make much of a splash in North America.

The primary market for The Intouchables would be Europe, led by France.

As for Hachiko Monogatari, being a remake of a Japanese film, its main market would undoubtedly be Japan!

James Tunan nodded again, "Hachiko Monogatari has been in preparation for several months and is now already in production.

Sherlock Holmes has also completed the reshoot of some scenes in the studio, but director Guy Ritchie has requested additional filming in London!"

Charles thought silently, "Alright, since Sherlock Holmes has been pushed to next year, there's time to fine-tune it, as long as the budget is kept under control!"

These Brits were probably wasting their time on afternoon tea.

*****

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