Lionsgate Films was undoubtedly the most regretful company after the successful release of saw.
At the Saint-Denis Film Festival earlier in the year, Lionsgate Films' buyers had already noticed the 9-minute short film.
They had also reported to their superiors that they could support James Wan in turning it into a feature film. However, when the production manager approached James Wan, Capet Pictures had already purchased the script and signed a directing contract with him.
Moreover, they also lost to Focus's Logan Pictures in the bidding for the distribution rights of saw.
A movie that clearly had the potential to become a horror IP slipped through their fingers, leaving Lionsgate ceo Jon Feltheimer in a very bad mood.
In Beverly Hills, at the ETA headquarters, an important guest arrived today. Evelyn Capet received a call from top American star Britney Spears to discuss her joining ETA.
Ari Emanuel, as the ceo of ETA, attached great importance to this matter. Currently, ETA's big-name stars are Adam Sandler, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law, and Christian Bale.
However, compared to Britney Spears' current influence, they were not enough; Britney's endorsement deals were more than all of theirs combined.
"Britney, if you really agree to join ETA! We will definitely treat your career with the best service attitude," Ari Emanuel said with a big smile.
Evelyn Capet was a little puzzled because Britney had called her directly.
Facing Evelyn Capet's confusion, Britney Spears smiled and said, "I met Charles in New York at the Metropolitan Museum's charity gala in May, and then we attended the VMA's together;"
"Now my Agent can't meet my career and life needs, so I'm preparing to accept Charles's suggestion to join ETA. Charles also said that Ms. Capet's professionalism is impeccable!"
"So that's how it is," Evelyn was a little excited. With Charles's help again, having Britney under her wing would be fantastic.
"Hahaha, that's great! Evelyn is now our ace Agent. Charles has collaborated with us many times, and it's been a pleasure," Ari Emanuel was now relieved. Evelyn had experienced too many surprises in the past two years because of Charles's presence.
Keira Knightley, Naomi Watts, director James Wan, plus other film crew or technical personnel provided to Capet Pictures.
Now she had even convinced Britney Spears; CAA had Madonna, and ETA now had Britney!
Their conversation was pleasant. Britney currently needed to salvage her image, and ETA was, after all, one of Hollywood's top five talent agencies; its public relations capabilities were not comparable to those of smaller agencies.
Evelyn would lead the formation of Britney Spears' management team, responsible for Britney Spears' career investments and daily life.
Of course, Charles also received this news immediately. It seemed Britney Spears had made a wise and decisive decision.
Britney's single "I'm Against the Music," a collaboration with Madonna, had just been released. It was also the first song from Britney Spears' fourth studio album.
"Charles, the loan from Morgan Stanley has arrived, and Universal has given the green light to your project after discussions," Henry Winster came into Charles's office, looking very happy.
"Alright, let's officially start the wedding crashers project. saw's box office is now 55 million US dollars. It's been a month, and most of the films that should have finished their run have already done so," Charles had recently been looking for small independent theater companies to acquire, and the loan was also in preparation for this.
"Universal has ideas for the overseas market, as well as DVD and TV aspects!" Henry reminded him again.
Charles shook his head, "I've already negotiated with Netflix for the DVD market; Netflix will handle online rentals and sales. We've also sent people to Blockbuster to discuss entering their stores for sales, and gradually we can also enter supermarkets like Carrefour. Universal can be responsible for overseas distribution, and just handle theatrical distribution in North America!"
Whether it was DVDs or TV stations, Capet Pictures' films were very popular, so they could negotiate with them directly.
"After meeting with Donna Langley, let's discuss the investment amount for the new film in detail," and of course, they also needed to discuss saw's box office revenue.
In the afternoon, Charles drove to Oxnard City in Ventura County, north of Los Angeles County, which is the small town of Thousand Oaks.
Britney Spears owned a luxurious resort villa in Thousand Oaks. Since her debut, Britney had owned mansions in her home state of Louisiana, New York, and Los Angeles.
However, her Hollywood Hills mansion in Los Angeles was sold last year after her breakup with Justin Timberlake.
"I want to buy a long-term residence villa in Malibu," Britney told Charles her idea after he arrived in Thousand Oaks.
"Malibu, that's a good place! Real estate has always been the first choice for many investors," Charles didn't pay much attention to it. Even if such top luxury villas encountered the Subprime Mortgage Crisis in the future, there wouldn't be a drastic price cut.
"I might buy a residence in New York, definitely Manhattan, or a seaside estate in East Hampton on Long Island," This was Charles's own idea; he couldn't always live in hotels, could he? The privacy was still lacking a bit.
"Last year, I bought a penthouse apartment in New York's Silk Building, a four-story penthouse, which is pretty good. Next time you go to New York, stay at my place!" Britney Spears spent most of her time recording in New York. After all, the headquarters of various record companies were in New York, where there were the best recording studios and musicians.
"It depends on the situation. I only go to New York for film-related business," New York was the base for American independent films, and its proximity to several major Canadian cities allowed for filming there at any time.
Moreover, after the 9, the newly appointed mayor Michael Bloomberg also introduced many film tax rebate policies to attract the development of the entertainment industry.
"However, your collaboration with Madonna is really great, so cool!" Charles praised. This was a collaboration between two divas.
The kiss at the VMA's had not yet faded in popularity, and now with a collaborative song, the buzz had risen again.
Putting his arm around the Lady's shoulder, the current Britney was truly captivating.
"Charles, Mrs. Cape said I need to keep a low profile next. The breakup seems to have caused significant damage to my reputation!"
Charles nodded, "It's a must. You should Focus on singing and your career now. We can't go public; it's not good for your reputation!"
No matter what, Charles himself didn't want to go public either; Britney Spears' exposure was simply too high.