Chapter 103: Just Use Cage

Returning to Britney's residence at Silk Mansion, Charles took off his jacket and threw it on the sofa, still feeling a bit shaken.

After hanging up Charles' clothes, Britney Spears noticed he seemed troubled as he sat on the sofa. "What's wrong?"

Charles kissed her and pulled her onto his lap. "I ran into a robbery in Harlem tonight!"

"Oh my God, are you okay?" Britney anxiously looked Charles over.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. They were robbing someone else!" Charles didn't want to elaborate, thankful the guys weren't armed.

"That's good!" Britney hugged Charles' neck and kissed him. "Why'd you go there? It's the most chaotic neighborhood in Manhattan. Even during the day, it's a mess!"

Charles slipped his hand under her shirt and began to explain. "There was a movie project meeting. I didn't expect him to live there of all places!"

Chris Gardner, now at least a multimillionaire, living in Harlem, huh? With just the film rights fees from this project, he'd be earning millions.

Britney ignored Charles' wandering hands, continuing to hold his neck while giving her input.

"Charles, you should really bring bodyguards when you go to places like that!" It made sense for a public figure like Britney Spears to have bodyguards, but Charles was just a filmmaker known mainly within the industry.

After all, the general public is far more interested in celebrities. Of course, if you're on top of the Forbes list, that's another story.

"We'll see, no rush right now!" Charles was quite keen on staying alive; when the time came, he'd hire several bodyguards for sure.

"Charles, have you had enough?" Britney reminded, "I made dinner."

"Okay," Charles withdrew his hand. "Babe, you're irresistible, really!"

Then, they began their dinner - steaks and red wine.

At the end of the month, Charles' company, Dawn Investments, had acquired a total of 1.82 million shares of Google stock, 0.67% of Google's shares.

That right there was a hundred and sixty million dollars well spent!

In Midtown Manhattan, at Bryant Park between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, and 40th and 42nd Streets.

Charles sat on a park bench, enjoying an artist's performance nearby while talking to his mother on the phone. "Did you buy some Google stock?"

"Yes, I took your advice, had someone buy about 35,000 shares, which cost around 3.5 million dollars!" Evelyn trusted her son's judgment. "Was it too expensive?"

"No, no, no. Hold onto the stock. It's a good long-term investment!"

After hanging up, Charles stood and adjusted his khaki trench coat. He pulled out a few twenty-dollar bills from his wallet and put them in the artist's collection box.

The long-haired artist nodded slightly to Charles. "Thanks!"

Charles glanced at the New York Public Library facing the park and started walking toward it.

"Howard, didn't expect you to want to meet in a place like this," Charles came to discuss with Ron Howard, the director of The Da Vinci Code.

Ron Howard was seated at a table already filled with several books. Seeing Charles, he removed his glasses and smiled. "To understand the mix of secrets from the novel and reality, you have to immerse yourself.

By the way Tom Hanks does not have dates available. Do you have any alternatives?"

Charles nodded. "Professor Robert Langdon, Nicolas Cage is perfect for that role! The Da Vinci Code is essentially a thriller disguised with a religious theme. Cage's look and acting skills are spot on for the renowned symbologist Robert Langdon."

Ron Howard asked, "Cage has a treasure hunt movie, National Treasure, coming out this year. Won't the audience find them too similar?"

Charles shook his head. "No way. National Treasure is an action-packed treasure hunt. The Da Vinci Code revolves around unraveling mysteries about Jesus' descendants. It's all about suspense, thrill, and religious secrets."

"The film is based on a novel with many key real-world clues. Especially the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, which will be a crucial prop. I'll be heading to France soon with Dan Brown to lobby for access to film there," Ron Howard said.

"By the way, Marion Cotillard is a great French actress. When you're in France, you should meet her. EuropaCorp will also help us!" Charles added.

Ron Howard nodded. Nicolas Cage had the talent and fame, which was enough. Regarding the actress, she was just a means to strengthen ties with France, not a critical element.

"One more thing, Howard, we'll have to modify the anti-Catholic themes from the novel. Otherwise, this movie will face massive obstacles," Charles reminded. The power of the Catholic Church is not to be underestimated, with strong influence across Europe and America.

Howard seriously nodded, then smiled. "This film is about suspense and thrill, merely using religious secrets as a backdrop. I've instructed the screenwriters to cut the anti-Catholic themes."

"That's good!"

"Charles, filming in various famous locations is going to raise the budget significantly," as a director, Ron Howard was certainly concerned about the film's production costs.

"Don't worry, once we have the complete script, the budget won't be an issue. At least 100 million dollars will be allocated!" Charles thought to himself, worrying if even 100 million would be enough.

From The Passion of the Christ to the year-end release of Brokeback Mountain, and now preparing for The Da Vinci Code, the controversies in films never ceased - religious disputes, LGBTQ themes, and now mysteries surrounding Jesus.

Charles realized that the timing worked out this year, releasing two controversial films, The Passion of the Christ and Brokeback Mountain, in the same year.

Thankfully, the controversy surrounding Fahrenheit 9/11 was massively amplified due to the presidential election year. With Fahrenheit 9/11 taking the brunt, The Passion of the Christ and Brokeback Mountain could at least avoid most of the backlash.

*****

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