Bab 327: Chapter 327: NBC Universal
[Note: For those who are concerned of the chapter count compared to the original, this chapter is actually 356th on the original novel. While translating, I deleted some parts of chapters and after that , if the content is not enough, I include the next chapter as well. By doing so, as of now, there is a gap of 30 chapters.]
In Los Angeles, at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in West Hollywood, Charles Capet was chatting with the new Chairman and CEO of NBC Universal Entertainment, Jeff Zucker.
This year, Jeff Zucker, who originally managed NBC TV Entertainment, replaced former chief Bob Wright to become the head of NBC Entertainment.
Before becoming the Vice Chairman of General Electric, Bob Wright oversaw the merger of NBC and Universal, managing NBC Universal Entertainment post-merger.
"Universal Pictures did well with The Bourne Ultimatum this year, earning a solid $220 million domestically and $440 million globally!" Charles said.
Jeff Zucker felt a bit embarrassed facing Charles's praise. The Bourne Ultimatum was indeed Universal's most successful blockbuster this year, with a budget of $110 million yielding a $443 million global box office return.
However, other Universal films like Evan Almighty and American Gangster weren't as successful at the box office.
American Gangster, with a $100 million budget, only grossed $266 million worldwide.
Evan Almighty, with a budget of $175 million, earned $100 million domestically and $74 million overseas, a significant loss.
"Charles, I'm beginning to regret letting go of the Hulk rights to you guys. You've already lined up a new Hulk movie for 2009," Jeff Zucker admitted, feeling a bit helpless with Universal's current slump.
Capet Pictures had an impressive track record. Besides blockbusters like Transformers and Iron Man, even the $30 million comedy Knocked Up achieved $149 million domestically and $219 million globally.
"Don't say that. You know what happened with the 2003 Hulk. Plus, I sold you the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, which was a global success," Charles replied, suggesting they got the better deal.
Jeff Zucker sighed as he heard this and said helplessly, "The script isn't finished yet, and with the Writers Guild's situation, the earliest we can release Angels & Demons is 2009!"
Charles thought to himself, sometimes it's just bad luck. Even Ronald Meyer, the chairman of Universal Pictures, didn't want this.
As he watched Jeff Zucker leave, a crazy idea took root in Charles's mind. General Electric wasn't doing so well after the financial crisis, leading to NBC Universal being sold to the Doncaster group.
NBC Network, Universal Pictures, Universal Studios Theme Parks, Syfy Cable Channel, USA Network, and more assets complemented Capet Entertainment perfectly.
Charles's eyes lit up. If he could merge NBC Universal, Capet Entertainment would become a real media giant.
The idea made his heart race, growing with excitement.
Movies had a significant impact on an entertainment group's value. Looking at Universal Pictures' situation, Charles felt confident.
The Bourne Trilogy concluded this year, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor already seemed like a contender for next year's worst movie.
But what truly caught Charles's attention was the development of Fast & Furious 4 by Universal Pictures, which kickstarted the massively successful Fast & Furious franchise.
Universal's most valuable IP series would undoubtedly be a steady cash cow.
NBC Universal wasn't cheap though.
"Charles," Emily Blunt approached him.
With red hair and a black dress, this English rose looked more stunning than ever.
"Emily, long time no see," Charles warmly hugged Emily Blunt, reminiscing about their previous encounter during The Devil Wears Prada.
"Yeah, it's been a while. You never called me," Emily Blunt sounded slightly resentful.
"Oh, I've just been too busy," Charles explained, recalling Kevin Feige's plans to cast Emily as Black Widow, though he had already chosen Scarlett Johansson for the role.
Charles led Emily Blunt to a couch in the lounge area and asked, "What have you been up to lately?"
"I've been involved in a few independent films. The Devil Wears Prada brought me some attention, and more projects started coming my way," Emily Blunt said, appreciating the opportunities the movie brought her.
"Your acting is good, and you stand out among English actresses," Charles shared his preference for British actresses, noting their distinct charm compared to American actresses.
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Kate Beckinsale were epitomes of sexy allure, Kate Winslet's acting skill was undeniable, and Keira Knightley was the go-to lead for British romance films.
"Universal is speeding up the reboot of The Wolfman after Van Helsing, and they've approached me to play the female lead," Emily Blunt explained.
"The Wolfman, huh? Universal has a bunch of monster rights like The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, and Dracula. They're planning some Dark Universe thing, right?" Charles was aware of it, recalling the mixed success of Van Helsing, though Kate Beckinsale shined in it.
"Is The Wolfman a big-budget movie?" Charles asked, suspecting it might not interest him if it resembled the creatures from Underworld.
Emily Blunt smiled, "It's a $150 million blockbuster, scheduled for release in February 2009."
"By the way, are you free tomorrow? Let's go sailing!" Charles invited.
"Sure, it's the weekend tomorrow!" Emily Blunt happily accepted Charles Capet's invitation.
Charles nodded, planning to pick her up and take her to the King's Dock where the yacht Star was perfect for a date.
Shortly after, Charles made a call to arrange the outing. Upon re-entering, a tall and sexy woman caught his eye.
Wasn't that the young Wonder Woman Gal Gadot herself? An Israeli in Los Angeles?
Could the auditions for Fast & Furious 4 be starting this early?
*****
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