Chapter 254: Jane Foster?

Near the coast of Los Angeles, on the yacht Star, Charles was kissing Eva Green by the railing.

The beautiful Pacific Ocean, with its gentle sea breeze, was a perfect weekend getaway.

"Hmm, Charles, I'm going to join the crew soon to promote Casino Royale. I'll come back to hang out with you after," said Eva Green, who was wearing a bikini and a sheer scarf.

"Don't worry, I'll be heading to Europe too. We'll see each other soon," Charles said as he wrapped his arm around Eva Green and led her to the sofa in the main hall.

"You know my company, Capet Pictures, is developing superhero movies, right? The script for Thor is already finished. I plan to start filming next year and release it the year after," Charles said, holding Eva Green close to his chest.

Eva Green nodded. This would be a superhero movie that would be developed after Iron Man if it did well upon release next year.

"The main actor is a relatively unknown. I'm planning for you to be the lead actress. You'll become part of the Marvel series," Charles said, while caressing her. "This kind of movie isn't difficult. It's purely commercial, but it will quickly increase your international influence."

Eva Green nodded, having no objections to Charles' arrangement. After all, it was being the lead in a major commercial film.

An opportunity many others could only dream of.

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth and British actor Tom Hiddleston were not well-known at the time.

Having Eva Green as the lead actress provided a good promotional point, especially once Casino Royale was released, and her fame would further increase.

At any rate, foreign actors were cheaper and more compliant than American ones.

Eva Green joining Thor would anchor her in a franchise, brightening her future in Hollywood.

Just like Kate Beckinsale. Once Iron Man is released, she'll regain her fame immediately and won't need to rely on the concluding Underworld series.

"By the way, Charles, I ran into Sophie Marceau in Paris recently. She asked me to say hello to you," Eva Green smiled and gave Charles a peck on the cheek.

"Sophie Marceau? We only haven't seen each other for a few months," Charles chuckled. The sense of conquest with Sophie was more about the mind than anything else.

However, among the mid-generation French actresses, Marion Cotillard was currently the hottest, being the lead in The Da Vinci Code, a global box office hit that couldn't be underestimated.

Of course, this year's most popular movie was undoubtedly Disney's fantasy blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, dominating with a billion-dollar global box office.

After spending a weekend with Charles, Eva Green returned to his work at Capet Pictures in Burbank.

"What? Sony wants Capet Pictures to merge with MGM?" Charles stared at Donna Langley in surprise. "How come I didn't know about it?"

Donna Langley shrugged, "It was suggested by Amy Pascal!"

"4.8 billion dollars, they haven't even held MGM for a year, and now they want it to merge with us?" Charles' eyes widened. "Is Howard Stringer out of his mind, or is Sony's board collectively brain-dead? Do they even have the ability to control Capet Pictures? John Calley and Amy Pascal think they can?"

John Calley and Amy Pascal, the co-chairmen of Sony Pictures Entertainment, attempting to control Capet seemed laughable.

Donna Langley shook her head, "Sony is willing to give up controlling rights. They want to merge Capet Pictures and MGM into a new company, with Sony holding a stake."

"This..." Charles' eyes lit up. This seemed interesting if Capet had controlling rights.

Donna Langley laughed. Clearly, Charles was interested in MGM.

"But Sony has conditions," Donna Langley reminded him.

"What conditions?" Charles was now curious about Sony's price, considering MGM's poor performance and their 4.8-billion-dollar demand seemed like a pipe dream.

"Sony wants to retain distribution rights for the next three James Bond movies and hopes Capet supports Blu-ray high-definition DVDs."

Charles tapped the table. Conditions were something he could consider. "What's the price?"

"Uh, MGM is currently 3.2 billion in debt. The consortium including Sony values MGM at 1.8 billion dollars," Donna Langley said reluctantly.

"Ha," Charles chuckled. No wonder Amy Pascal was just passing the message to Donna Langley.

"So they want me to spend 5 billion dollars to acquire MGM, give up distribution rights for three new Bond movies, and also commit to supporting Sony's Blu-ray DVDs!"

Charles laughed indignantly, "1.5 billion in cash plus 2 billion in debt. Sony can have the distribution rights for Casino Royale this year. No sequels though!"

Do they really think high-definition DVDs will continue the glory of VCDs and DVDs in the entertainment market? With streaming developing so fast, anyone with a clear head can see streaming is the disruptor.

Donna Langley nodded, "I figured you'd say that. John Calley's proposal to the Sony board was more of a speculative try."

5 billion dollars. Sony and a few Wall Street consortiums dared to ask. They spent 4.8 billion, thinking others are as foolish?

Charles' proposal of 3.5 billion would definitely be turned down by Sony-led consortiums too.

Amy Pascal's suggestion was just a simple test, to see if the young Charles Capet might be tempted by the lure of an old Hollywood studio.

Charles Capet's talent had been proven. If MGM and Capet merged, Sony and its partners would be happy to join in the profits.

"Forget it. These guys take me for a fool!"

Charles waved it off. Treat it as a joke.

*****

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