Chapter 162

For her first Hollywood movie, The Da Vinci Code, Marion Cotillard entered Hollywood circles and received an audition notice from the French crew of La Vie en Rose.

Little Sparrow Edith Piaf was an adored singer in the hearts of countless French people. Marion Cotillard was, of course, more than willing to portray her legendary life.

Hence, Marion Cotillard hurriedly flew back to Paris from Los Angeles to participate in the audition for La Vie en Rose.

At night, Charles and Marion Cotillard, who just returned from Los Angeles, dined at the restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower, enjoying the Paris nightscape.

"How do you feel about dining here? The view of the Seine River and the Paris nightscape is incredible," Marion Cotillard couldn't hide her excitement.

Charles put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth, and reflected that indeed, admiring the Paris nightscape from the top of the Eiffel Tower was quite nice.

"I've never quite understood how a heap of iron in the middle of Paris has become a symbol of the city," Charles remarked, referring to how both the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais were constructed for the 1900 Paris Exposition.

An incredibly ugly iron lump had stood in the center of Paris for over a century.

Marion Cotillard paused, unsure of how to explain, and awkwardly replied, "Many Parisians indeed opposed the construction at first!"

"As a famous biographical film, La Vie en Rose could easily win critics' support and praise if done well. You need to really consider how to embody Edith Piaf," Charles brought the conversation back to the movie.

Marion Cotillard nodded, "I will work extra hard! Edith Piaf is also one of my favorite and most respected singers!"

She then looked at Charles and asked, "Are you leaving France soon?"

Charles nodded, "It's already October. I've been in Paris for over three weeks now."

"Charles, I bought a seaside vacation villa in Majorca last year. The environment is great, and you love the Mediterranean scenery, don't you? How about spending a few days there during Christmas? I want to thank you properly!"

Regardless, meeting Charles had indeed changed Marion Cotillard's life. Not to mention the millions of euros in cash.

From the lead role in The Da Vinci Code to now securing the leading role in the French blockbuster La Vie en Rose, Marion Cotillard genuinely wanted to thank Charles.

"We'll see how busy I am then," Charles didn't refuse outright, but it was likely he wouldn't have time.

By the end of October, Charles had already left France and even took the time to exchange views with notable figures in the French entertainment industry, including Luc Besson and Sophie Marceau.

He aimed to promote cooperation between French cinema and Hollywood. Previously, Charles had tasked EuropaCorp's Luc Besson with adapting the script for Taken, which had already begun development.

Meanwhile, under Philip Davis and James Tunan's management at Capet Entertainment, Capet International Pictures had begun organizing its office operations across mainland Europe methodically.

Charles was very satisfied with his newly purchased luxury villa estate in Knightsbridge, West London. It had seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, an indoor swimming pool, a home theater, a game room, a bar, and a study.

Standing in the massive living room, Charles mused that in a decade, this estate would be worth at least 30 million pounds.

"Boss, look, chaos in the vicinity of Paris!" Phyllis Jones brought over several newspapers, including The Times, News of the World, and The Daily Telegraph.

"What's the chaos about?" Charles sat on the sofa and began flipping through one.

"Last night, hundreds of people took to the streets near Paris, burning garbage bins and cars and attempting to storm the town hall. When police responded, the immigrant community began violently resisting!" Phyllis explained.

Charles initially thought it was just another routine protest by the French. After all, for Parisians, demonstrations were as common as daily meals.

But the more he read, the more shocked he became. The scale of the riots in the suburbs of Paris was significant; hundreds of vehicles had been burned in one night.

It all began when two African immigrant boys fled from police in the northern suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, only to hide in an electrical substation where they were electrocuted and killed, sparking significant unrest among the local African immigrant community.

"Unbelievable," Charles clicked his tongue. France seemed to always have some unrest brewing.

Setting the newspaper aside, he thought, what did these events have to do with him? Even if he were in Paris, could the riots reach his upscale hotel?

"By the way, how's the first season of Prison Break doing in terms of ratings?" Capet Television Company's series Prison Break began airing last month.

"On the USA Network, the ratings are averaging about 8.7 million viewers per episode, with the premiere attracting around 10.5 million viewers. It's well-received!" Phyllis Jones smiled.

Charles nodded. It wouldn't be long before it would become a global sensation!

"Halloween's around the corner, and our Matrix Pictures is set to release Saw III," Charles noted, checking his watch with a smile. Releasing a Saw film during Halloween had practically become a routine for Capet Entertainment.

"With low costs and high box office returns, there are dedicated viewers always anticipating it, plus the DVDs sell well. This series has significantly benefited our company!"

Phyllis Jones couldn't understand why the boss loved making big commercial films that required high investments and heavy promotions but posed significant financial risks if they failed. It made more sense to produce low-cost horror films that were guaranteed moneymakers.

Charles laughed too. Snatching a popular series from Lionsgate was even more satisfying than developing one himself.

"I need to pay more attention to the scripts Matrix Pictures receives. Who knows, there might be another low-budget hit!" Everyone loved movies with low budgets and high returns.

With so many scripts and projects, it was just a matter of finding the gems.

*****

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