Chapter 175: Capet Ranch

As December arrived, large-scale releases of major studios' commercial films were not the only thing hitting the theaters; quite a number of art films also premiered, aiming for the Oscars.

First, Disney's children's fantasy blockbuster The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe opened in over 3,600 theaters across North America, grossing over $65 million in its opening weekend.

Since Disney's adaptation of the pirate fantasy film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl raked in at the box office, Disney seemed filled with confidence in commercial fantasy blockbusters.

After obtaining the adaptation rights for The Chronicles of Narnia, ambitious Disney announced plans to develop a series of seven movies to compete with Warner Bros.' globally renowned Harry Potter series.

The success of the first film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, further boosted Disney's confidence.

A week later, Universal Pictures' monster movie reboot King Kong, directed by Peter Jackson with a massive $200 million production budget, opened in 3,600 theaters in North America, garnering $50 million at the North American box office!

Meanwhile, Capet Pictures' No Country for Old Men also began to release on a small scale in North America. The promotion strategy for art films naturally differed from commercial ones.

Once released, No Country for Old Men received widespread acclaim. The number of theaters showing it started to grow, with many critics considering it the Coen brothers' best film to date.

Veteran critic Roger Ebert stated, "No Country for Old Men is shockingly beautiful and lonely. It's a miracle this film was made."

CNN's special editor Tom Charity commented, "No Country for Old Men is a flawless artistic work. It provides a steadfast reflection on cultural degeneration and might be the most satisfying American movie of the year so far."

The Hollywood Reporter praised the film's violence aesthetics, saying, "No Country for Old Men's violence aesthetics go beyond visual pleasure. It uses a critique of death to examine society, guiding audiences to contemplate the roots of violence."

No matter how good a movie might be, there were always some dissatisfied voices; it wasn't all positive reviews.

Hollywood screenwriter Jonathan Romney expressed his disapproval of No Country for Old Men: Although the film was expertly made, it felt hollow in terms of substance, failing to fully present McCarthy's concerns about American societal conditions as depicted in the novel.

However, it didn't matter anymore. By late December, No Country for Old Men was being shown in over 1,000 theaters.

Taking advantage of the Christmas period, Charles also took Britney Spears to the newly purchased large ranch near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, for a vacation.

Situated around 6,400 feet above sea level, this ranch was named Capet Ranch, just an hour's drive from the ski resort town of Aspen. Surrounded by public green space, the ranch featured steams, ponds, intersecting green valleys, and rolling hills covered with lush trees.

A luxurious mountain villa was located near the valley at the foot of the mountains, surrounded by spruces, offering direct views of the snowy mountain slopes and valley scenery.

"Miss Capet has great taste. This ranch is not only beautiful but also huge!" Britney Spears, wrapped in nothing but a blanket, walked over to Charles to admire the snowy mountain view outside.

Charles nodded, hugging Britney's shoulders with a smile, "It is quite big, but it's mainly valleys and hills. The water resources are abundant, and my mom leased it to a ranch company. She doesn't have time to manage it herself."

If managed personally, it would be best developed into a tourist spot for skiing, hunting, and other outdoor activities.

Nevertheless, the current operators of Capet Ranch also offered hunting and other outdoor activities since the entire ranch spanned acres!

Charles shook his arms a bit, feeling sore. Given the warmth inside, he was topless at that moment.

"Heh, ever since we got here, it's like you've been on a battlefield, never letting go of your guns. The coach even said you need to adapt gradually," Britney Spears kneaded Charles' arm.

"How many bullets have you shot in these three days? I bet even you lost count!"

Charles laughed awkwardly. What man could resist the allure of firearms? He completely let loose here.

Besides pistols, he played with all kinds of models, from submachine guns and automatic rifles to sniper rifles. He was satisfied, but his arms paid the price.

"These next two days, I won't go hunting or visit the shooting range. Let's just stay in the villa or enjoy the scenery from the cabin nearby, okay?"

As Charles spoke, he hugged Britney from behind. She wrapped the blanket around both of them.

"Really? You won't even look at the long guns and short guns in your storeroom?" Britney teased, "Remember how excited you were playing with the guns the first day? You didn't even want to sleep."

"Hey, that was my first time seeing so many real weapons after having them prepared. I was really excited," Charles chuckled.

"Every man has this love for firearms!"

Britney turned around and gave Charles a kiss, then asked, "So, what's the deal with you and that Hollywood actress Jessica Alba from a few days ago?"

"The papers say you two are involved!"

Charles immediately took Britney's breasts with both hands and whispered in her ear, "That's just gossip. At that party, Harvey Weinstein was bothering her, so I took her away. You know how bad Weinstein's reputation is in Hollywood!"

By now, Charles could lie without batting an eye.

"Really?" Britney, who had hardly spent quality time with Charles because he was busy hunting and shooting, felt a little hot with his teasing.

Charles nodded, "You know what Hollywood reporters are like!"

Britney Spears, who had been chased and besieged by paparazzi, deeply despised those unscrupulous reporters.

"Yeah," Britney didn't ask further and directly turned to kiss Charles proactively, her hand reaching for Little Charles.

Soon, Charles laid Britney on the thick carpeted floor, as the cold winter snow outside the villa did nothing to affect the warm, spring-like atmosphere inside.

Swiftly enough, the room was filled with the sounds of America's sweetheart Britney gasping.

*****

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