Chapter 47: Welcome to Corleone Entertainment Group
[Chapter 47: Welcome to Corleone Entertainment Group]
Charlie, of course, had no intention of leaving Alicia with a ticking time bomb. When he initially hyped up Independence Day, he hadn't invested that much energy or thoughtfulness into planning it out. Similarly, now using Alicia as a marketing tool, the side effect of her downfall was incidental.
In the bright meeting room, Charlie was sweating profusely as he spoke. Compared to Miramax, the executives at Fox Studios didn't place as much importance on Corleone Studios' upcoming five film distribution deal. They were more focused on the marketing for Fifty Shades of Gray and the subsequent script outlines. The clear, immediate profits were more appealing -- it was projected to make over hundreds of millions and had already proven successful with the trilogy.
After Charlie finished explaining clearly, McCarny and the others whispered among themselves. Watching the expressions on the Fox executives' faces, Etto and Gert trembled excitedly. Wow, another feat by the Godfather! Once Fox gave their approval, Corleone Studios would immediately become a film group with theatrical distribution capabilities. It was a miracle, considering they had started from scratch just over three months ago.
"Clap, clap!" The miracle was realized at McCarny's applause. "Congratulations, Godfather, we've decided to partner with you!"
"Thank you!" Charlie took a deep breath, restraining the urge to shout in celebration, and shook hands solemnly. The two sides spent the entire afternoon finalizing the agreement details.
Fox would spend a total of $30 million purchasing the overseas distribution rights and subsequent copyrights for Fifty Shades of Gray. The first payment of $5 million would be made one month later. Subsequent funds would be transferred into Corleone Studios' account within two years after the release of the two sequels.
Other distribution agreements and promises to assist with bank loans met no objections from Fox. Large companies were masters at making money from other people's money -- they excelled at this kind of leverage. For a small studio like Charlie's without its own sales platform or distribution channels, cash flow alone could easily become their downfall. This was precisely why Charlie had asked Fox for help securing a bank loan.
Even with this contract, it was difficult for Charlie to get a loan. Firstly, banks didn't trust Corleone Holdings; secondly, using funds to acquire a distribution company was hard to get approved; and finally, interest rates would inevitably be sky-high. Charlie was well aware of these harsh realities.
Just like that, the Corleone Group was born!
...
From the first chaos at Independence Day's premiere, Etto and Gert had witnessed everything and were visibly thrilled. Tom Rothman personally saw them out, offering congratulations.
Etto couldn't hold back and picked Charlie up. "Buddy, you're a god! What have we done?"
"Yes!" Gert nodded vigorously, pumping his fist. "Unbelievable -- just four days ago we were in hell."
"Haha, brother, I can't believe I now have a Hollywood mogul as a friend," Colombo laughed. Several other burly men cheered wildly, hoisting Charlie into the air.
"Young Charles, once a muscle head, now a crafty businessman?"
"He truly is the Godfather."
The young men were ecstatic for a while, like they'd gone mad. Passersby looked on with curious eyes. Charlie's efforts had clearly paid off.
...
CAA heard all this, with Brian Lord and Patrick Whitesell both amazed, calling him a "miracle kid." Driven by interests, Charlie rapidly built a vast and tight-knit network. CAA and Fox acted swiftly.
In New York, a Black stockbroker at the firm was stunned to learn about Whitesell's meeting. "What? They want to adapt my personal story and have Black star Will Smith star in it? That's definitely good! Why not?"
Whitesell, now Charlie's official manager, easily handled the task. Then, without pause, he flew back to Los Angeles to join Fox and other CAA members to form a negotiation team.
At the American Bank branch in Santa Monica, faced with this team, a $30 million loan was instantly approved. Fox's reputation earned the bank's favor. The contract income matched this amount.
...
In the Burbank Mafia Company office, Pierza paced anxiously, clutching the phone, pleading, "Carl, we've worked together a long time. Fifty Shades of Gray has been out less than three weeks, and you want to pull it? That's crazy -- it topped the first weekend box office."
"Yes, it did. But now daily earnings don't exceed $400,000, and we're a small theater," the line manager spoke coldly.
Pierza hung up, shaking his head with a wry smile. Did he lose the bet? He had just borrowed five million dollars. If Fifty Shades didn't gross $30 million, the company would owe the bank!
His female assistant knocked. "Boss, Corleone's manager, lawyer, and Fox personnel are here for a meeting."
The odd combination made Pierza's face strange. When he learned their purpose -- that Corleone Studios intended to acquire Mafia -- his expression turned stranger. "I thought Charlie's talk was a joke."
Whitesell smiled: "Obviously not. My client has just signed cooperation agreements with CAA and Fox. We all hope Mafia will join the Corleone family."
Pierza didn't resist long. Faced with such forces, he and the management all gave in. But the negotiations led by Whitesell and Gert made Pierza's face as dark as ink.
"Seven million is a fair price. Our team analyzed that Pierza's distribution capabilities were weak and your recent performance was poor, bordering on bankruptcy."
Wasn't Charlie the cause of the poor performance? Pierza grumbled internally but finally Mafia was sold for $8 million.
After the deal, he felt conflicted: impressed by Charlie's tactics but worried about the company's future.
Pierza grumbled to Gert, "Your boss is now mine too. At least when buying my company, he could have showed up himself."
"Sorry, buddy, he's been laying low lately, always with seven or eight bodyguards," Whitesell explained without worry, pulling out his phone. "Oh, he's calling."
After sharing the good news, Pierza took the call. The voice on the other end gave him a deeper impression of the new boss.
Gunshots accompanied Charlie's light-hearted laughter: "Haha, didn't I tell you I'd buy your company? Just kidding, buddy, I know you're probably frustrated. Don't worry -- with us united, Mafia will grow fast. You'll even get a chance to regain some equity.
In a day or two, I'll sign the contract and hold a press conference. You'll hear plenty of good news then.
Oh, don't mind the gunfire. Welcome to the Corleone Entertainment Group!"
Pierza stood dumbfounded, phone still in hand, raising his eyebrows and eyes wide as dinner plates. "Gert, Whitesell, am I joining some kind of armed gang?"
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.