บท 531: Chapter 531
After returning to Los Angeles, Charles Capet established the Universal Studios Hotel Group. He prepared to build new resort hotels operated by Universal Studios within the theme parks of Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Orlando.
"The Wizarding World of Harry Potter began construction in 2007 and is a feature in the Islands of Adventure in Universal Studios Orlando," said Tom Williams, clearly excited about the attraction.
"The entire Wizarding World has a lot of attractions, like Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Platform 9 3/4. Plus, there are numerous shops and pubs. I'm confident that opening this next summer will draw in many visitors!"
"We need to focus on our own IP as well. The Fast & Furious series could also be developed, and we should finalize the resort hotel plans quickly." Charles was familiar with the attractions at Universal Studios, though it didn't quite match the allure of Disneyland.
The star attractions were Jurassic Park and Waterworld, with the rest of Hollywood Studios offering more typical entertainment options.
The infamous box office flop Waterworld led Panasonic to indirectly sell Universal, but it had surprisingly become a popular attraction within Universal Studios.
"I understand. With the Marvel series, we have more product diversity. Spider-Man and X-Men are staples, and Iron Man and Thor merchandise sell very well," Tom Williams acknowledged Universal's previous lack of in-house series.
"How are negotiations with Goldman Sachs and Blackstone going?" Charles asked.
"Goldman Sachs is still considering selling Universal Studios Osaka, but Blackstone is willing to sell. They are asking for a billion dollars and want it paid within 20 months."
Tom Williams had already met with them several times in New York.
Charles thought for a moment. "Agree to Blackstone's terms."
Charles understood that once the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened, it would instantly become the top attraction at Universal Studios.
It was unclear whether to be happy or not. On one hand, the increased visitors would likely boost other projects at Universal Studios. On the other hand, the rights to Harry Potter belonged to Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling, so much of the merchandise revenue wouldn't go to Universal Studios.
It was frustrating that the most popular attraction in their park wasn't even their property.
Look at Disneyland, where most products are based on their own IP. Even though they were working with Lucasfilm to develop Star Wars attractions, Charles knew that by the time the Star Wars attractions opened in Disneyland, Disney would have acquired Lucasfilm.
"Shall we sign the acquisition agreement with Blackstone now or wait?" asked Tom Williams, President of Universal Studios Resort Group, aware that the group was purchasing land near Universal Studios Orlando for expansion.
Charles shook his head. "No need to wait. Complete the acquisition by the end of the year."
After Tom Williams left, Charles took a pack of cigarettes from his drawer and lit one.
Universal Studios' IP fell short in the children's market and lacked the overarching influence to keep up. Many of its projects were still adaptations of early Steven Spielberg movies like Jurassic Park, E.T., and Jaws.
Spielberg held partial rights to these films, and Universal Studios paid millions in royalties to Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment annually. Now, with the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Transformers in design, it was clear that the most popular attractions at Universal Studios were all other people's IPs. How could they compete with Disneyland?
Charles tapped his desk, contemplating the acquisition of Lucasfilm and DreamWorks Animation.
Unfortunately, George Lucas had always maintained a good relationship with Disney, leaving Capet with no advantage in competing with Disney for Lucasfilm. However, DreamWorks Animation wouldn't join Disney. Yet, Jeffrey Katzenberg's ambition to build DreamWorks Animation into a second Disney made him unlikely to sell prematurely. Otherwise, NBCUniversal's acquisition of DreamWorks Animation wouldn't have happened so late in the previous timeline.
Soon, Charles received a message from Senator Gavin Newsom, stating that Speaker of the House Barbara Boxer had gone to meet with the President.
...
In Washington, D.C., at the White House.
Speaker of the House Barbara Boxer and President Barack Obama were sitting in a small conference room.
"Do you think someone under 30 would be just an ordinary person?" Barbara Boxer said, shaking her head and handing a file to President Obama.
"Scott Richard, chairman of Columbia HCA Healthcare Corporation, a strong contender for the next governor of Florida. The conservative forces in Florida have always been strong. With Charlie Crist switching to the Democratic Party, his chances of re-election are slim."
*****
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