章節 549: Chapter 549
Los Angeles, Four Seasons Hotel at Beverly Hills.
Charles, who had come back early from a Caribbean vacation, attended the celebration party for The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
As one of the most commercially influential super IPs in the market, the Twilight series was enviable by everyone.
It could even compete with Warner Bros' Harry Potter series at the box office!
In a suite at the hotel, Charles was kissing the sultry Kristen Stewart on the sofa.
"Mmm," after a passionate kiss, Kristen Stewart leaned in Charles' arms and asked, "Weren't you on vacation in the Caribbean? It's not even Christmas yet, why are you back so soon?"
"I went with my mother, I just got back early," actually, Charles was supposed to return with Megan Fox, but she went home to spend Christmas with her family.
"Oh," Kristen Stewart stroked Charles' chest, "Is Breaking Dawn really split into two parts?"
Charles nodded, "Of course! Next year you'll film Eclipse, and then it'll be the two-part finale of Breaking Dawn!"
As he spoke, Charles slid his hand to the woman's chest, feeling its softness, "I know you like to make indie films, but you understand the importance of the Twilight series to you; Lots of money, lots of fame, it's pretty great!"
Kristen Stewart nodded, "I know, but commercial films are always shot according to a strict schedule. When shooting indie films, there's more room for creativity, you can meet a bunch of interesting people, and the crew is always flexible, never rushed or dragging behind!"
Charles chuckled, "No wonder you always take up indie films every year. But your choice in films, it's a bit low-tier, no?"
"Not at all! I think the films I choose are quite challenging," Kristen Stewart immediately leaned into Charles' ear, "The latest film Capet released, A Single Man, is quite good. It's Tom Ford's directorial debut, quite bold!"
Tom Ford made that film for him and his boyfriend.
"Alright, I'll keep an eye out for you. Capet receives a lot of indie film scripts every day," Charles withdrew his hand from her chest, "Go on, go get the applause and congratulations you deserve!"
"I'll tidy up my makeup first, come to my place tonight," Kristen Stewart lazily got up from Charles' lap.
Afterward, Charles left the room first and headed to the banquet hall.
"Charles, congratulations! Capet made history in Hollywood this year, grossing over 2 billion dollars at the North American box office," Warner Bros' COO and Co-CEO, Alan Horn, appeared at the party.
"Thanks, it's because of the many sequels this year," Charles shook hands with Alan Horn with a smile, films like Transformers 2 and Iron Man 2 contributed significantly, along with the perfect performance of low-budget films like The Hangover and The Blind Side.
Though Charles didn't know why Alan Horn was here, he treated guests well.
"Warner Bros has been the king of Hollywood movies these past few years, especially after merging with New Line. Not to mention the Harry Potter series, DC Entertainment is also very enviable, plus New Line's The Hobbit!"
Charles didn't underestimate Warner Bros; Time Warner's strength was not to be taken lightly.
"We do have some issues with The Hobbit now, with MGM's current troubles," Alan Horn said as he glanced at Charles and laughed. "Capet has also bid for MGM, who knows, maybe our two companies will collaborate on The Hobbit project!"
Charles understood, keeping his expression the same, "We'll see if MGM gives us that chance!"
"Hahaha," both men laughed after this exchange.
Trying to probe my stance on MGM, huh? Was this beating around the bush necessary?
At that time, the two chairs of Warner Bros, Barry Meyer and Alan Horn, were advocates of high-concept films.
Big productions, extensive marketing, and grand scenes had indeed made Warner Bros. thrive in the market over the past few years!
Everyone knew that The Hobbit project was a shared effort between New Line and MGM. It had already started the preparatory work but was put on hold due to MGM's debt crisis.
Currently, the most enticing properties MGM had were The Hobbit and the 007 series. Sony had held a stake in MGM for several years, and Columbia Pictures had released two 007 films, which made them quite happy.
Alan Horn tested Charles on his attitude toward MGM, worrying they might compete with Capet in acquiring MGM.
After all, Capet's approach to acquiring NBC Universal was quite straightforward and brutal!
"MGM's film library is indeed tempting. The 007 series is the crown jewel," Charles said, glancing at Alan Horn. "But it looks like Comcast is quite keen on acquiring MGM now!"
The real contenders with substantial contact with MGM were Comcast, Time Warner, News Corp, and Lionsgate. Capet had barely dipped its toes in, just placing a bid.
Alan Horn's eyes brightened. "It seems like Capet isn't focusing on MGM," he speculated, perhaps because Universal Studios' operations were draining Capet's resources. Charles' mention of Comcast was a clear reminder.
"Comcast Group, they're definitely not low-key," Alan Horn understood Comcast's eagerness to break into the content domain.
"The shrinking DVD market has reduced the profits from movies, making their share of media group profits increasingly small. But the development cycle for movie merchandising is getting longer, making movie IPs more valuable!"
Alan Horn knew why smaller movie companies couldn't shake the Big Six. It's because the Big Six had a more comprehensive film industry!
Movie losses could often be recouped through merchandising like toys and theme parks.
Smaller movie companies had singular revenue streams and couldn't handle losses of tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars from a single film!
Charles held up two fingers and said with a smile, "Firstly, the production rights for The Hobbit are with New Line. With MGM in this state, would Warner Bros. give up the distribution rights for The Hobbit?"
"No," Alan Horn shook his head, with no attempt to hide anything. He explained, "If MGM had the funds, it would handle The Hobbit's domestic distribution, while Warner Bros. would take care of international distribution. If MGM lacks the funds, Warner Bros. would fund and take over The Hobbit's global distribution directly!"
Of course, if 20th Century Fox or Universal actually bought MGM, with New Line holding production rights, at most they'd get the North American distribution rights for The Hobbit. Warner Bros. certainly wouldn't give up the international distribution rights.
Otherwise, Warner Bros. wouldn't green-light New Line's production of The Hobbit. Conversely, Warner Bros. wouldn't get the global distribution rights because neither 20th Century Fox nor Universal would abandon their distributor position for The Hobbit.
After all, News Corp or Capet Group behind them wouldn't lack the funds!
"So," Charles continued, "the only thing worth chasing at MGM now is the 007 series. MGM only has a domestic distribution network. They rely on us Big Six for the overseas market. If one of the Big Six acquires MGM, there's no problem. But if a non-Big Six company buys MGM, then the international distribution rights for 007 would again go to a bidding war!"
After MGM was acquired by Kirk Kerkorian and turned into a hotel brand, it shut down its massive distribution department.
And after MGM merged with United Artists, it had been using United Artists' domestic distribution channels!
"But would MGM's creditors accept our Big Six's bids? Hollywood insiders are very familiar with MGM's situation," Charles said, stroking his chin. "Horn, how much is Warner Bros. willing to pay? Your company has quite a history with MGM!"
Alan Horn shook his head. "MGM is a sinking ship, although it has some gems. But if they ask for too much, it's definitely a no-go."
Charles puckered his lips. That's stating the obvious.
"Alright then, your biggest competitor for MGM is Comcast. They definitely aren't short on cash," Charles said, snapping his fingers to a nearby waiter, who brought over two glasses of champagne.
"20th Century Fox's Avatar made $77 million in its first weekend and has received high praise," Charles said, taking a sip of his champagne. "James Cameron's creations are always extraordinary!"
"Does Charles Capet have anyone he fears?" Alan Horn asked with a big smile.
Bored, Charles shook his head, "One film every 10 years, how much difference can it really make?"
"Alright, let's just enjoy the party," Charles said as he spotted a familiar face in conversation with the Twilight crew across the room.
Jennifer Lawrence. No one knew if she'd still become famous without Harvey Weinstein.
Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games novel, published last year, was named the number-one bestseller by The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, The New York Times, and USA Today.
This year, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was published, receiving even more awards and honors.
And by next year, Suzanne Collins would be publishing The Hunger Games: Mockingjay!
Suzanne Collins had sold the film adaptation rights to Capet even before the first novel was published last year.
With the Twilight series not yet concluded, the next big hit, The Hunger Games, was already on the horizon, ready to go.
Charles mused that playing by this strategy, Hollywood wouldn't have any real competition for the next decade!
Then, by properly managing Netflix and Universal Studios, establishing a strong foothold in streaming, and heavily promoting the theme park resorts, he couldn't even imagine what Capet would look like in the future.
*****
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