In Los Angeles, in a park-like area in southern Burbank, near the Los Angeles River.
A somewhat old three-story building, the new office location for Capet Pictures chosen by Char.
"A simple renovation will do; the space is quite large, and with Highways 5 and 134 nearby, transportation is convenient. To the left are Disney Headquarters, Warner Bros. Studios, and CBS Headquarters," Charles felt it was quite acceptable.
"Mom, please help look after things. I still need to go to Budapest and will probably be there for half a month!"
Evelyn waved her hand, "Don't worry. The recruitment for Capet Pictures will proceed simultaneously. I'll help you recruit the ordinary staff first."
"Charles, you need an assistant!"
Charles nodded. A good assistant is not easy to find!
After signing the lease agreement, Charles entrusted his mother with the renovations and headed directly to the underworld set in Budapest.
In Budapest, Hungary, in the underworld set office.
"Henry, you have a lot of experience!" Charles chatted with one of the film's executive producers.
Henry Winters, a producer hired by Mubao Pictures responsible for managing the crew. Charles had been there for three days, and Henry's work was excellent.
"I've collaborated before; I've been involved in many film projects, both art house and commercial films," Henry Winters said with a smile.
"Oh, and my big fat greek wedding is a big dark horse now. With the increasing number of cinemas, the box office is still rising."
Charles smiled, "Thanks, but that's also because Tom Hanks saw its potential. With the investment and distribution issues resolved, otherwise, this script might not have been developed for who knows how long!"
Henry Winters nodded, certainly agreeing with this opinion. It's inherently difficult for independent producers to secure investment and find distribution.
Charles walked to the window, looking down at Kate Beckinsale in a black tight leather suit in the studio below. Her cool and handsome look, sharp short hair, and fair complexion were striking.
"Kate's styling truly adds a lot to our film," Charles praised.
"In March, Mubao Pictures released resident evil, a game adaptation produced by Constantin Film, which grossed $40 million in North America. It's still showing overseas and has already made over $40 million, with a projected global box office of over $100 million," Henry Winters continued.
"With an investment of around $33 million, it's also a big female-led film, and Milla Jovovich is also transitioning towards action roles."
"This time, Mubao Pictures is again in the lead, and Constantin Film also participated in the investment. The two films are somewhat similar in genre," Charles said with a smile. Otherwise, Mubao Pictures wouldn't have been so quick to support it.
"The vampire and werewolf theme, though always present, also has the undeniable resident evil gaming community. While the adaptation is significant, it still gives many people a fresh feeling," Henry Winters analyzed the two films.
Charles nodded in agreement, noting that zombie films always have an audience.
"Game-adapted films face a difficult choice between general audiences and the gaming community. Respecting the original plot might sacrifice entertainment, while a poor adaptation risks offending the gaming community," Charles chuckled.
"resident evil's box office can pretty much withstand the complaints from the gaming community!"
Henry Winters also smiled. This is where game adaptations are challenging; everything still comes down to the box office.
"lara croft: tomb raider is considered a very successful adaptation. Angelina Jolie's fit for Lara was perfect, and both the gaming community and general audiences accepted it," Henry Winters said, referring to what was then the most successful game-adapted film.
"lara croft: tomb raider?" Charles also agreed, "The sequel should still be filming, right? Paramount really values this IP."
However, Paramount should be the major studio least capable of handling IP series; the results for lara croft: tomb raider 2 were not good.
After Viacom acquired Paramount in '93 and Sherry Lansing took the helm, Paramount developed many films with good reputation and box office.
Paramount's decline was about to begin. Its most prominent series IP, mission: impossible, had its third installment greenlit, but Tom Cruise was busy with other projects!
"Charles, you had the writing team refine the film's worldview and establish a timeline. Is that in preparation for a sequel?"
"Yes, at least to make it more logical and the plot a bit richer, and it also highlights the female lead, Selene, more," Charles didn't hide it. The original plot had direct flaws, but improving it to lay groundwork for a sequel is always good.
This avoids having to re-establish some background if a sequel is developed later, which would seem too abrupt. Leaving foreshadowing in the first film makes the sequel feel more natural.
"However, none of this is important. Only if the box office of this film satisfies the investors will the writing team develop a sequel. It all depends on Wiseman's skill in his directorial debut," developing sequels for successful films is a Hollywood norm, whether by continuing the story or setting up prequels, etc.
After a day of filming, the crew members returned to the hotel to rest.
"Charles, want to come along?" Kate Beckinsale, having changed clothes, saw Char just coming out and invited him.
"I, I'm not planning to go back to the hotel. Tomorrow is the weekend, and I plan to explore the city. I heard Budapest has beautiful scenery," Charles replied, as it's called the 'Little Paris of Eastern Europe,' the 'Pearl of the Danube.'
Kate Beckinsale smiled, "Perfect! I'll treat you to dinner to thank you!"
Charles highlighting the female lead in the film benefited her the most. What if he was young? He, a newcomer, earned a good amount from my big fat greek wedding.
A new producer, participating in two films a year, that's quite good.
Charles didn't refuse. After all, they had met in Los Angeles, so having an acquaintance with him was better than being alone.
The two then drove straight to the city. Budapest is bisected by the Danube River; it's actually two cities, Buda on the left and Pest on the right, combined into one called Budapest.
In July, Budapest's temperature is around twenty degrees Celsius, suitable for escaping the summer heat. If it were winter, it would be cold here.
Meanwhile, director Len Wiseman, who had just walked out of the set with a script in hand, was still looking for Kate Beckinsale to discuss the script together.
"Kate? It seems Char just said he wanted to explore the city, and Kate drove him there. They left a while ago," Len Wiseman asked a crew member and received this reply.
"Charles?" Len Wiseman shook his head and then returned to the hotel to rest.