บท 559: Chapter 559: Osaka Universal Reform
At night, Charlize Theron took Charles back to her villa in Simi Valley, Ventura County.
As soon as they entered the living room, Charles started kissing Charlize Theron.
"Charles, shouldn't we take a shower first?" Charlize Theron asked after responding for a bit, while helping Charles take off his coat and tie.
"No rush," Charles replied, and after Charlize hung his coat on the rack, he hugged her from behind and directly grasped her chest.
The simple, sexy halter dress Charlize wore did little to cover her. She leaned into Charles's embrace, and as his hand caressed her chest, she turned her head for a kiss.
...
The Golden Globe Awards were held at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills in mid-January. The highly anticipated The Hurt Locker lost the Best Drama Film to the box-office hit Avatar.
The Best Musical or Comedy Film was unsurprisingly awarded to Capet's The Hangover, and Nicole Kidman won the Best Drama Actress award for her role in The Blind Side.
"This is the script Danny Boyle sent, 127 Hours, based on the true story of hiker Aron Ralston who had an accident during a canyon adventure and successfully saved himself," Charles said. "Let Focus Features handle the distribution!"
Danny Boyle's previous film, Slumdog Millionaire, was critically acclaimed and commercially successful. He had a foundation of cooperation with Capet.
127 Hours is based on the true story of Aron Ralston, whose arm got stuck between a rock in a canyon in Utah. Over five days, he tried different methods to free himself, ultimately deciding to amputate his own arm with remarkable courage.
Awards like the Golden Globes or Oscars weren't really Charles's concern.
"By the way, I want to meet with Jeffrey Katzenberg from DreamWorks Animation in the next couple of days," Charles knew DreamWorks Animation also aspired to build its own theme park but lacked the capability.
Joining Universal Studios could work well, especially since Charles planned to acquire DreamWorks Animation in the future.
Adding the Transformers series and Marvel Entertainment IPs to Universal Studios would help, and Capet Lighting's animated film Despicable Me was also set to release this year.
...
At night, Charles went straight to Charlize Theron's villa in Simi Valley.
On TV, a breaking news story about a shooting at a restaurant in North Hollywood detailed 4 dead and 2 injured!
"Land of the free, everyday a shooting spree," Charles commented nonchalantly while holding Theron on the sofa.
"America should ban guns," Charlize Theron shook her head. Such events were so frequent they barely surprised anyone anymore.
Charles lifted her long legs, "What beautiful legs," and began to caress them while kissing her.
"Wait a sec," Charlize pushed Charles away in a bit of a panic, "No, I'm not recovered yet!"
"That won't do," Charles chuckled.
Before long, Charlize was bent on her knees in front of Charles...
...
Next week, Charles went to Osaka to inspect Universal Studios Japan with his assistant Phyllis Jones.
"Boss, Apple is about to launch a large-screen product," Phyllis Jones suddenly approached, holding a laptop and pointing at the news on the screen.
"Hmm, iPad, a bigger Apple phone!" Charles observed. Steve Jobs was set to hold the iPad release event at the end of the month at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
Steve Jobs seemed a bit worn out. He didn't look like he had much time left.
The Osaka Universal Studios Charles took over from Goldman Sachs was actually a mess. In 2007, at Goldman's request, Universal Studios Japan was listed in Japan.
But it delisted after the financial crisis in 2008. Goldman Sachs, Osaka municipal government, and dozens of Kansai financial groups couldn't manage Universal Studios Japan effectively.
After Capet acquired NBC Universal, they bought back 50% of the shares from Goldman, becoming the controlling shareholder of Universal Studios Japan.
However, because Capet Group was still undergoing internal resource integration, there was no concrete plan for Universal Studios Japan yet.
The CEO of Universal Studios Japan, Glen Campbell, poached from Procter & Gamble in 2004, had been managing it for a few years, encountering issues like park water safety and explosive hazards.
Universal Studios Japan had been continuously losing money, which was the main reason Goldman Sachs sold its shares.
In Universal Studios Japan's conference room, Charles sat at the head of the table, listening to the operations director talk about upcoming project plans.
Operations Director Akira Mori bowed, "Universal Studios Japan currently has an annual visitor count of about 7.4 million, which is not even a third of Disney's. We need more attractions for children to increase family visitors.
The project for transforming the Universal Wonderland is ready. New attractions like Sesame Street, Hello Kitty, and Snoopy will replace outdated ones like Jaws and E.T. Adventure.
I was part of the team that constructed The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. I think Universal Studios Japan should also build a Harry Potter World. We've calculated; the budget for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is 40 billion yen!"
"What, 40 billion yen? Do you realize the most expensive ride here, the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, costs only 13 billion yen?" a board member stood up excitedly.
"Universal Orlando's Harry Potter World hasn't even opened yet; who knows if such a big investment will pay off?"
Akira Mori knew the number was intimidating and felt a bit unsure, saying, "We've analyzed it. This would attract visitors from Kanto, and possibly even Korea and China."
"You do know that upcoming projects also include the Marvel Universe Section and the Universal Studios Japan Grand Hotel, right?" asked Steve Blount, Vice President of Universal Parks and Resorts, sitting next to Charles.
Akira nodded, "Now that Universal Entertainment is directly managing it, we have many film and TV properties to use."
"Transformers and Marvel Universe are highly influential IPs. Universal Studios shouldn't just be a movie-themed park; it should be a comprehensive entertainment provider."
Charles's eyes lit up. Glen Campbell had left after Capet took back the controlling shares of the park, and now Steve Blount was managing. Blount was Charles's candidate for replacing Tom Williams to manage the U.S. headquarters.
This Akira Mori seemed promising!
"Quiet, quiet," Charles knocked on the table, getting the shareholders to calm down. He looked at Akira Mori, "40 billion yen, can you guarantee the completion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter?"
"Yes, definitely. If the funding is sufficient, I can ensure it's completed within three years," Akira Mori bowed excitedly.
"Prepare a detailed plan as soon as possible and send it to headquarters along with the Universal Wonderland project. Everyone else, fully support this reform - land purchase, safety hazards, and old facility demolitions. Funding for this, Capet will handle. I'll negotiate with several Japanese banks; they should support us!"
After speaking, Charles left the conference room with Steve Blount, amid the bows of the staff.
*****
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