章節 692: Chapter 692
In Osaka, Japan, Charles Capet, accompanied by Takeshi Narita, inspected the construction project of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan Resort.
"Osaka is still not as good as Tokyo," Charles said in the hotel suite, looking at the information package of Universal Studios Japan. The gap with Tokyo Disneyland was quite substantial.
"Chairman, once The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens, it will surely attract a large number of tourists!" explained Takeshi Narita, the person in charge of Universal Studios Japan, beside him.
Charles rubbed his forehead, "This project for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan has a huge investment and must have good results. Tokyo Disneyland is just a licensed resort from Disney, and doesn't get much support directly from Disney. Discuss with the committee about introducing more local Japanese anime characters. It should improve things a bit!"
"Understood, I will. Meanwhile, the Transformers zone in the park is very popular right now, and people are still purchasing Marvel merchandise," Takeshi Narita, who was under a lot of pressure, responded. The Harry Potter project was the most expensive zone in Universal Studios Japan.
"Go ahead," Charles waved his hand, signaling Takeshi Narita to leave.
The Avengers had only made 3.6 billion yen at the box office in Japan, and the yen kept appreciating. Against the dollar, it broke 80, currently at 78. Now, 3.6 billion yen was only about 46 million dollars.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 made 9.6 billion yen in Japan, more than 120 million dollars. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides also made 8.8 billion yen in Japan, over 110 million dollars!
Japan didn't seem to love Marvel movies that much. The Avengers had set many new box office records in various countries and regions.
Before long, Phyllis Jones came in and reported to Charles, "Kazuo Hirai, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, has taken over as president of the Sony Group. He is confirmed to take over as chairman and CEO of the Sony Group next year!"
Charles touched his chin. "Hm, Howard Stringer is stepping down."
With Sony entering the Kazuo Hirai era, Charles wasn't happy. Sony's performance under Howard Stringer was declining, which was a good thing for them.
"No choice. Sony has been losing money for four consecutive years, with no improvement in performance. Sony America's entertainment business, which he oversees, is also in the same state," Phyllis Jones shrugged.
"And there's good news too!", she added.
"What's the good news?" Charles asked.
"Alan Horn has agreed to join our Universal Pictures Group as co-president of Universal Pictures Entertainment, starting in November!"
"Oh, that's indeed good news," Charles nodded. "Universal is now mainly into high-concept films, and Alan Horn has a lot of experience in this field!"
Then, Phyllis Jones sat on Charles's lap and whispered, "News Corp is in a mess now. Wendi Deng is meeting Tony Blair frequently. And, there's a lot of conflict within the Murdoch family. Many News Corp shareholders believe that Rupert Murdoch can't lead the company effectively anymore!"
Charles chuckled, "Is there any news about News Corp splitting up?"
The income from newspaper and publishing businesses and the film and TV entertainment business was on completely different levels. If News Corp split up, Rupert Murdoch would inevitably face internal power struggles.
Just like Viacom and CBS, both the Murdoch and Redstone families used a small amount of group shares to control most of the voting rights through their networks. They weren't harmonious within the family.
"News Corp splitting up? Nothing has come out yet," Phyllis Jones said, then remembered something else, "Rupert Murdoch's second son, James Murdoch, resigned from his positions as chairman of News International and CEO of Sky Television. This was because a former News Corp employee accused him of lying at the hearings, misleading the committee!"
James Murdoch's resignation from the roles in News Corp was forced. Though News of the World had stopped publishing, its impact wasn't over yet.
"James Murdoch," Charles knew him well. Resigning now was just for show. Once things calmed down, he'd probably be reinstated.
And Rupert Murdoch's first son, Lachlan Murdoch, managing their business in Australia, couldn't be forgotten either!
"Send some 'gifts' to James Murdoch in Britain through Molly Bloom. That bastard dared to threaten your boss back then," Charles sought revenge. "Now is the perfect time to beat a downed dog!"
With so many radicals in Britain now, sending James Murdoch some dead rats, bullets, or splashing paint and throwing eggs were all normal operations.
"Understood," Phyllis Jones said, hugging Charles's neck. "I'll go back and meet Molly Bloom then. Boss, when are you coming back?"
"Next month. I'll vacation in Asia for a bit first," Charles said as he slid his hand into the woman's shirt, feeling her chest.
"Alright, that's good," Phyllis Jones knew there were indeed many issues in Europe and the U.S. right now, with more protests due to unemployment.
Then, Phyllis Jones leaned close to Charles's ear and seductively asked, "Boss, how do you plan to reward me?"
Charles smiled, kissed her cheek, and said, "How about I reward you with some protein?"
"Ha!" Phyllis Jones laughed and kissed Charles eagerly.
*****
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