章節 243: Chapter 243: An Uneasy Summer
This summer in Hollywood, not only did the box office heat up, but there were also plenty of news stories. Big stars Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise each had their own biological daughters.
Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and Australian country singer Keith Urban had a low-key wedding in Australia.
At the end of the North American summer season, Mel Gibson finally experienced the consequences of his anti-Semitic remarks during a drunken episode, feeling the wrath of Hollywood's Jewish community.
His talent agency terminated his contract, his film projects were recast, and despite seeking constant apologies and connections with Jewish alliances, the offended Jewish organizations were determined to give Mel Gibson a deep lesson this time.
In contrast to Mel Gibson's predicament, it seemed Tom Cruise, who was ousted from Paramount, fared much better because he made headlines frequently due to his girlfriend and newborn daughter. Although his career hit a low point, he wasn't abandoned by Hollywood, continuing to be a renowned superstar worldwide.
On August 30, 2006, the Venice International Film Festival opened.
...
Meanwhile, Charles Capet and Gao Yuanyuan traveled from Japan to Hong Kong together. Gao Yuanyuan had spent two days in Japan for leisure before they returned to Hong Kong together.
"Are you going to Venice?" Charles asked, holding Gao Yuanyuan in the bedroom of their villa in Deep Water Bay.
"Yes, Rob-B-Hood will have its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. I am going with the crew for promotion," she replied.
Charles nodded. "Jackie Chan's movies are always big productions here."
"Are you going to Venice? There's the release of Painted Skin. Capet International Pictures will start pre-sales at the Venice Film Festival. Isn't that your movie?" she said.
"Hah, a low-budget pre-sale, and I, the big boss, still have to handle it? Why do I have so many employees then?" Charles laughed. "Besides, it's an oriental fantasy film. Western distributors aren't likely to be interested."
"So, when are you heading to Venice, and how many days will you be gone?" Charles inquired. He himself had never been to the Venice Film Festival, and this year, The Devil Wears Prada would be promoted there.
"The premiere is the night after tomorrow, and I plan to leave tomorrow," Gao Yuanyuan explained.
"Alright, let's go together then. I'll also check out The Devil Wears Prada and its promotional activities at the festival," Charles decided. His Gulfstream G550 was conveniently parked at Hong Kong International Airport.
"Really?" Gao Yuanyuan's eyes lit up, but then she thought it over. "Will The Devil Wears Prada be released in China?"
Charles nodded. "It should be. After all, it's a fashion movie; next year it'll be introduced as a revenue-sharing film."
In the Chinese market, only 20 revenue-sharing films could be introduced annually, and the films for next year were being decided this year.
How to manage any audit issues that arose would be another matter, but it was possible, just like how The Da Vinci Code could be halted during its release.
For now, Charles was only concerned about the release of live-action Transformers and Iron Man in China the next year. Charles had connections with some officials through Han Sanping, so special-effects blockbusters would surely be introduced to the Chinese market.
Although The Devil Wears Prada didn't feature well-known stars, it had high box office returns and a good reputation. It had no political implications or contrary values, so its release should be feasible.
"However, many movies from Capet Pictures can't be introduced as revenue-sharing films; instead, they can only go through flat-repurchase methods," Charles added, but he wasn't worried given the small size of the mainland market at that time.
"Flat-repurchase movies are indeed more numerous, but they still need to pass review and fund their own distribution," Gao Yuanyuan was well aware. Flat-repurchase movies involved buying the distribution rights for certain foreign films outright.
Flat-repurchase movies had lower costs but faced challenges in passing review and finding distributors.
*****
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