Chapter 59: Chapter 59
Underworld started to slowly fade from theaters about four weeks after its release in North America. It made over $50 million at the box office in North America and over $20 million in the overseas market.
As the producer, Charles Carpe earned $1.9 million. Once the overseas market settles, he'll likely earn another $1 million.
Carpe Pictures had about a million dollars in operating funds left, so Charles paid for the film adaptation rights of the novel The Devil Wears Prada.
"Why so fast?" Evelyn Carpe called after receiving the funds from her son to ask.
"Not a big deal. It's just the remaining $1.3 million. The company still has enough funds to operate. By paying promptly, Carpe Pictures can secure future novel adaptation rights more easily." Carpe Pictures didn't have many scripts stored, so acquiring new ones was a continuous effort.
"Alright," Evelyn agreed, thinking it was good her son had his own plans.
"Lionsgate has made an offer to buy Artisan Entertainment: 160 million in cash and assuming $60 million of Artisan's debt, totaling 220 million."
"Will Artisan agree?"
"They're likely to. The three shareholders of Artisan need to liquidate their shares for cash! Lionsgate's offer is quite sincere."
"I see," Charles hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. Artisan Entertainment, sigh.
In the evening, Charles received a call from Naomi Watts inviting him to dinner.
It wasn't far from Beverly Hills, so he drove his Corvette there. Charles was confused since the newspapers said Naomi Watts was with Heath Ledger.
When he arrived at Naomi Watts's house, she was busy in the kitchen, and two dishes were already prepared on the table.
"Naomi, are we celebrating today? Anyone else coming?" Charles asked, standing at the door.
Naomi Watts turned and smiled, "Just you. Wait a moment, I'm almost done with two more dishes!"
"Oh," Charles nodded, noticing Naomi Watts's blonde hair looked even more striking.
Soon, Naomi Watts took off her apron and brought over the two dishes. Then she fetched a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass.
"What's today?" Charles asked, thinking it had to be a celebration, perhaps a birthday?
"Universal's new movie, King Kong. I got the lead role. The production budget is $200 million, and Peter Jackson is directing," Naomi Watts had signed the contract with Universal today.
"Oh, that makes sense. King Kong is definitely a big movie; good for your career," Charles agreed.
"You should take more commercial films to boost your market influence."
"Congratulations! Cheers!"
They clinked glasses, and Naomi Watts took a sip of wine before asking, "Evelyn thinks I should learn from Nicole Kidman. What do you think?"
"Nicole Kidman is great. She had three movies released this year, The Human Stain, Dogville - both low-budget art films with decent reviews. The other one, Cold Mountain, had a high budget but didn't meet expectations at the box office, causing significant losses for Miramax.
Still, she landed a deal for $17 million for The Stepford Wives, the highest for a foreign actress," Charles commented, knowing Nicole Kidman's string of box office failures started this year.
Naomi Watts was definitely envious of the $17 million payday, but she knew she couldn't compare in terms of commercial success and Oscar accolades.
"I can't compete with her," Naomi Watts admitted, self-aware.
"And what about you and Heath Ledger?" Charles asked curiously.
"We broke up. Heath and I weren't quite right for each other. Now he's with Michelle Williams, his co-star from Brokeback Mountain," Naomi Watts said nonchalantly.
"Oh, I see," Charles laughed. So Brokeback Mountain brought them together.
"It's normal. Hollywood is full of such stories," Naomi Watts remarked, noting the age gap and Heath's flirty nature.
Hollywood stars' private lives were chaotic, and Charles was tired of commenting on them.
"Let's not talk about that. Dinner's ready!" Charles appreciated Naomi Watts's cooking skills, adding to her appeal.
"I heard King Kong is complicated to film?"
"Yes, Peter Jackson is scouting locations in New Zealand. Unable to find the right one, he's planning to build a Skull Island set, along with 1930s New York streets," Naomi Watts recalled.
"Universal Studios has some old New York sets, but they're too small. Jackson wants to build a larger one in New Zealand," Naomi Watts explained.
Charles nodded, understanding why the budget was $200 million. He had watched King Kong, and felt that over half an hour of the film set in 1930s New York was overly long and unnecessary.
The production cost exceeded $200 million, plus a hefty distribution budget. King Kong made around 550 million dollars worldwide, but only about 200 million in North America.
It wasn't a loss, but recouping and profiting relied on subsequent DVD and TV broadcast revenues, which took time. It wasn't a successful commercial film.
"The success of The Lord of the Rings boosted Peter Jackson's ambitions, and Universal has great confidence in him," Charles noted. His peak was The Lord of the Rings, and future The Hobbit installments weren't as good, though they still drew in massive audiences for a box office hit.
"This year, the last installment will be released. The first two have combined box office earnings of over $1.8 billion worldwide, and the third will surely surpass $1 billion globally!"
Peter Jackson was now a top-tier director, and King Kong was another major sci-fi production.
Naomi Watts agreed with Charles's assessment about The Lord of the Rings, finding little to criticize in its plot, scenes, action, characters, and emotional expression.
"So, are you developing any new movies now?" Naomi Watts asked.
Charles shrugged, "Universal hasn't given the green light. Waiting for Saw to release. I don't have the funds, so the work is slow."
"You know, producers often take years to develop a film without funds. You're already doing well, releasing two movies within a year. By comparison, many would envy your efficiency!" Naomi Watts laughed, recognizing Charles's ambition.
*****
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