At a reception in the Ritz Hotel in central Paris, Charles met Luc Besson, a man known as the French Spielberg.
"Nice to meet you, Charles, welcome to Paris!" Luc Besson and Charles hugged.
"You too!"
"The scenery in Paris is beautiful, with many tourist attractions to enjoy and visit," Luc Besson said, glancing at Marion Cotillard beside Charles, "and also beautiful and passionate French Young Ladies!"
"This is Marion Cotillard. Her performance in Love Me If You Dare was excellent. Capet Pictures has a script that's quite suitable for her," Charles explained.
Marion Cotillard, who was listening nearby, was surprised. A script suitable for her? How come Charles never mentioned it? From Cannes to Paris, Charles never said there was a script suitable for her?
However, Marion Cotillard was an actress with experience, after all, and she said with a smile, "Good evening, Mr. Luc Besson!"
"Using a French actress? Will it be filmed here in France?" Luc Besson first nodded to Marion Cotillard, then asked Charles about the film.
Charles nodded, smiling, "The American best-selling novel the da vinci code. I bought the film adaptation rights from the author. Many scenes will be shot in Paris."
"Moreover, many important props for the film are in museums, so we may need to apply to film inside the Louvre Museum!"
"Filming inside the Louvre Museum? Charles, you know that's not simple," Luc Besson said.
"I've read the da vinci code novel. It has too many religious secrets, so I'm afraid it will attract a lot of criticism!"
Luc Besson had just finished speaking when he suddenly looked at Charles, as if remembering something. Religious controversy? Then what about the success of the passion of the christ?
"Haha, Charles, you are truly extraordinary!" Luc Besson, who had understood, said, patting Charles on the shoulder.
"The film's investment must not be small, right?" Luc Besson asked again.
"No less than 100 million US dollars!" Charles said it casually, but it made the two people beside him feel a little out of breath.
It is well known that France champions art-house films, which have very low costs, because many French filmmakers are very conservative. Art-house films have low budgets, and with the sale of television, DVD, and other rights at the time of project approval, plus French subsidies and tax incentives, they generally do not lose money.
This conservatism and cautiousness led to the decline of French commercial films. The 2001 film Phantom of the Louvre was a bold attempt at a French commercial film, not only bringing in Sophie Marceau to play the female lead but also being the first film approved to be shot inside the Louvre Museum.
Unfortunately, Phantom of the Louvre left nothing behind except Sophie Marceau's beautiful face.
Luc Besson built films according to the Hollywood model precisely to counter Hollywood, even though he was criticized for producing films that were essentially Hollywood films, just shot in France.
"Capet Pictures will produce it independently?"
"I will distribute in the North America market myself, and for the overseas market, I will sign pre-sale distribution agreements to gather a batch of funds. Capet Pictures has the capability to develop it!" Charles was confident.
Luc Besson also nodded. Whether EuropaCorp would participate still required internal discussion.
"Let's go, I'll introduce you to some celebrities!"
Following Luc Besson's footsteps, Charles realized that the reception was of a high standard. Not only were there executives from old French film companies like Gaumont and Pathé, but there were also many businessmen.
"This is Mr. Antoine Arnault, one of the vice presidents of the LVMH Group!"
"Good evening, Mr. Arnault," Charles knew this guy. He was the LVMH Group's Crown Prince, the eldest son of LVMH Group chairman Bernard Arnault, and already a vice president at the age of 26.
"Good evening!" Antoine Arnault just nodded politely, his gaze not lingering for long.
Charles didn't mind. His father's net worth now exceeded 12 billion US dollars! The LVMH Group was not as formidable then as it would be in later years.
That would have to wait until the Asia market developed, especially China's luxury goods market.
"These people are just like that, do they consider themselves part of the aristocracy?" Marion Cotillard whispered, holding Charles's arm, to comfort him.
Charles smiled, kissed her, and said, "They have the capital to be proud. I just make movies, and I'm still so young!"
"Aristocracy?" Charles shook his head, patted the Lady's arm, indicating it was fine.
However, Charles was already planning in his mind to buy shares in some luxury brands' companies in the future, for diversified investment!
"Charles, they are businessmen, and also many film investors. We need their capital, and they need our films to promote their products and brands!"
Luc Besson seemed not very familiar with those luxury brand shareholders, but he was more acquainted with bankers.
The group sat down, and Charles looked at Jérôme Seydoux, the chairman of Pathé Films, and Nicolas Seydoux, the chairman of Gaumont Film Company, next door. They were brothers!
Gaumont Film Company of France was the world's first film company; Pathé Films was the hegemon of the world film industry before the 1920s.
The rise of Hollywood made it difficult for these two oldest film companies. Now, Pathé and Gaumont had merged their cinema operations and co-built film archives.
"Luc, I heard you're going to build a film city in the 93rd district north of Paris?" Charles asked.
Luc Besson nodded and explained, "Mainly because France lacks large studios. Before, when I shot The Fifth Element, it was also in the UK."
"Europe has three major film sets: Cinecittà in Rome, Italy; Pinewood Studios, located on the outskirts of London, which brought about the 007 series; and finally, Babelsberg Studio in Berlin, famous in earlier years for Fritz Lang's metropolis and Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel."
"However, as the birthplace of cinema, the whole of France has never had a modern large-scale filming location."
Charles understood. Not to mention compared to Hollywood, this was even inferior to several strong European countries!
The 93rd district, that place, was a mixed bag, a gathering place for large numbers of Black and other Latin American immigrants. It was a place where cats feared mice.
However, for Paris, it didn't matter. The city center, starting from the 10th arrondissement, and basically the entire north side of the Seine River, was dirty and chaotic, filled with large numbers of African and Middle East immigrants.
Especially Black people, Black people in France are everywhere.
"Charles, please excuse me for a moment!" Luc Besson left to take a call.
Charles nodded, then turned and chatted with the two Mr. Seydoux, after all, the Gaumont Pathé cinema chain controlled quite a few cinemas.
The surname Seydoux, Charles seemed to remember Léa Seydoux, the Bond Lady in a future 007 film. She seemed to be their granddaughter's generation.