[Chapter 16: Multiple Parties Paying Attention]
At the end of June, Charlie was in his company office finalizing the rights for the book Fifty Shades of Gray and its film adaptation. After a few days of study and with Gert's advice, he established a separate Corleone Copyright Management company. He placed Fifty Shades of Gray and some newly finalized script treatments under this company's name.
In the presence of Spike Lee, Gore Verbinski, Kevin Feige, and other project co-producers, Charlie signed agreements with the film production team granting them a first refusal and limited-term film rights. This complicated arrangement aimed to maximize Charlie's earnings without overstepping and maintaining market rates. Although Charlie essentially owned all these projects, the complex arrangements helped facilitate the future development of his studio.
...
Right after signing the contracts, Melche knocked excitedly, saying, "Charlie, Yorkton Securities' fund has scheduled a financing discussion with us the day after tomorrow."
Charlie nodded in agreement.
...
Then his phone rang; an unfamiliar number appeared. When he answered, an agitated voice spoke. "Listen, Charlie Corleone, I'm Tupac, Jada is my close friend. Do me a favor -- come forward privately to agree to forgiveness. I'll find a way to keep her out of jail. You'll have my friendship."
Charlie laughed heartily. That tone almost sounded like Murdoch himself!
Feigning a casual attitude and picking his nose slightly, he said, "Oh, it's you. I've heard your records -- they're not bad. But regarding Jada's case, Fox is involved, so I can't really make decisions. You'll need to talk to them."
Charlie ended the call briefly.
...
Gert asked, "Is that Tupac? Is he planning to step up for Jada?"
Charlie shrugged. "I doubt it. The East-West Coast rap gang conflicts are too intense; he's got no time."
"Boss, do you really like rap?" Mord asked. "I used to, but now I think it's all nonsense. Listening to his stuff just makes me want to fight or get angry; it doesn't help at all."
Charlie chuckled. "Haha, you have a point -- but sometimes, listening to rap is just fun!"
Some songs were indeed entertaining, although he preferred country and other genres.
Seeing him relaxed, everyone let go of worries about Tupac.
...
Charlie stood up, calling Mord and telling Kevin, "I'm heading to Chris Book House this morning. You handle the actor interviews and make sure Alicia comes over -- she's our PR focus. We still need to ride the project's momentum to secure financing!"
"Got it!" Feige nodded immediately. After Charlie convinced him, he was now not just a production team member but also Charlie's assistant.
Charlie sketched out a grand vision, intending to groom Feige into an executive at the film company. Feige, a University of Southern California graduate with industry connections, was ambitious and eager to work closely with Charlie.
...
Within a few days, the production crew for Fifty Shades of Gray was assembled -- director, assistant director, cameramen, lighting, props, etc. Once the cast was finalized, they'd secure financing and distribution, then start filming.
Charlie finally felt some relief and turned some focus to promoting Independence Day. In two days, the film would premiere. On opening day, Will Smith and Alicia would perform a dramatic, attention-grabbing stunt, bringing significant attention to Fifty Shades of Gray.
The book's release would coincide with peak interest, and when Fox promoted Independence Day, they'd mention Fifty Shades of Gray. With a hot film project, Charlie wasn't neglecting the book.
In the film industry, beyond quality, a project's success involves a lot of luck. To put it in future terms, holding many copyrights and famous IPs, Charlie was confident that these assets would help his studio grow. Books were the cheapest form of IP marketing.
Charlie hoped to expand his reputation as a writer through Fifty Shades of Gray, eventually launching more books and accumulating a large catalog of rights. This would be his foundation for becoming a media mogul in Hollywood, America, and worldwide.
However, early sales at Chris Book House brought lukewarm feedback; Charlie had to handle it personally.
...
Mord now worked part-time as Charlie's assistant and driver, though he was less capable than Lamont. After some adjustments, he became studio personnel for affairs like HR and logistics -- basically a lapdog and spy. Mord enjoyed it, following Charlie around showing off with ease.
After heading downstairs, Mord drove Charlie quickly, excitedly sharing project team gossip on the way.
...
Meanwhile, Charlie had no idea Tupac had actually called Fox.
McCarny and others were eagerly discussing Independence Day's phenomenal preview box office and planning broader distribution. Upon hearing the news, they laughed.
"Haha, who does he think he is, begging us to drop the lawsuit? That rapper's got to be nuts. Tell him to take that to that shameless bastard."
When they spoke of Charlie, the marketing execs perked up. "Honestly, that so-called Godfather is amazing. After being attacked, his imagination exploded, helping movie marketing. What's impressive is he advised Will to forgive and help Jada.
Now, Will is seen as a great guy by numerous women, even many white women."
Benjamin chuckled. "I've got to admire the Godfather's shameless promotion strategy. The theaters increased opening day counts to 3,000 from an initial 2,500. Clearly, market polls shifted dramatically. Not even that White House guy could pull this off."
"Exactly. That nickname wasn't wrong. The Godfather managed to elevate Will Smith briefly to Tom's level. You know, Tom's Mission: Impossible premiered in 3,000 theaters in May!"
"Haha, we really should thank the Godfather. Next time the movie releases, we'll have to visit him!" The Fox executives were thrilled about Independence Day's prospects.
McCarny laughed, "I bet Will and his agent are already preaching praise for the Godfather."
Someone seriously added, "I heard CAA senior partners are considering signing that guy -- they think highly of him!"
The mood turned tense. Fox executives had mixed feelings about Charlie. Moments later, McCarny pouted, "Yeah, he's definitely talented, even if I don't want to admit it. I thought about hiring him. If he can produce and distribute Fifty Shades of Gray successfully, many companies will take him seriously."
The production manager said, "That's tough. A one-million-dollar drama by a newcomer looks easy but is challenging regarding funds and execution. If filming drags on for half a year, the buzz will fade and results won't be good."
"Unless a professional production company takes over," Benjamin squinted with a smile. "Then he's not as valued. Plus, who would trash Fox over a small gain?"
"Haha, that's right!" Everyone eagerly anticipated the drama.
At that moment, a female assistant said, "I heard the Godfather did a good job early on and is using our investments to raise more funds?"
McCarny straightened up, surprised. "What? He's leveraging our investment to attract bigger funding?"
Expressions grew serious.
Benjamin stroked his chin. "That guy is remarkable. He uses every resource perfectly and has top financial insight."
Some wanted to say it's hard even to think of that, much less do it, but hearing rumors about the project's smooth progress and Charlie's previous magic, they stayed silent.
The production manager said gravely, "If he gets investment and proves his ability, he might get an agreed distribution company. Once the film grosses tens of millions, it will be a huge success. What will we do then?"
Such a big potential gain might make Fox look foolish in the industry and cause executives to lose respect in Murdoch's eyes. The production manager's pointed words exposed ambition and challenged the president.
McCarny glanced at him calmly and said, "His film distribution will be at most North America. If successful, we'll buy global and secondary rights! The biggest profits remain with us."
"Will he agree?" The production manager tried to challenge.
McCarny smiled disdainfully and said ambiguously, "The Godfather is smart."
The implied meaning was that the production manager was foolish, making him blush.
...
Leaving aside Fox executives' complicated feelings, not only top agencies like CAA but many others were inquiring about the Fifty Shades of Gray project, including the distributors of Scream 2, who planned to approach Charlie under previous collaborations.
Charlie's breakthrough into Hollywood looked promising. But for now, he needed to solve the book publication issue for Fifty Shades of Gray.
*****
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