From Hollywood to Media Empire

Charles and Kate Beckinsale first found a restaurant for dinner when they arrived in the city.

"Been shooting for over ten days now, how's it going?"

Charles took a sip of red wine and then asked this English Rose.

"Quite interesting," Kate Beckinsale smiled slightly without much thought, "I've never done this type of film before, it's a novel experience. Action scenes aren't too bad, thanks to my dancing background, the training's been quite satisfying."

Charles asked another question.

"I heard you dropped out of Oxford University to act," he inquired, somewhat puzzled, "Is it the Oxford I know in London?"

Kate Beckinsale laughed and nodded, saying, "Yes, that Oxford. I majored in French and Russian literature. Entering the entertainment industry was partly because I love it and partly because it pays well!"

It was an honest answer. The entertainment industry indeed had a great lure for many people. Although Hollywood was filled with people lacking formal education, Charles himself felt that even as a serious high school graduate, he could outshine many. But Hollywood did have a few from top universities!

He heard that Matt Damon also dropped out of Harvard University, and Natalie Portman was still pursuing her studies at Harvard while acting and hadn't dropped out.

Charles shrugged and laughed, "You know, Hollywood is full of undereducated folks. Someone like me, who graduated high school, is actually quite decent!"

Kate Beckinsale, on the other hand, was a real high achiever!

"Charles, if you want to get into college now, it shouldn't be hard. Plus, your current achievements have already outpaced countless young people," a twenty-year-old millionaire in America was indeed rare; this guy was absolutely self-made.

Charles shook his head. In his past life, he had studied way too long.

Kate Beckinsale didn't dwell on the topic further, considering she had spent three years at Oxford University.

Smart as she was, Kate Beckinsale couldn't quite read Charles, this young man, who felt very deep and enigmatic to her.

For Charles, he couldn't understand why those from Harvard, Oxford, or Yale would come into the entertainment industry either.

"The entertainment industry is an interesting place!" Charles previously didn't see it so clearly, but now, thanks to his status and background, he was slowly understanding the essence of Hollywood.

"Everything's got a price tag, there's almost no moral constraint, profit comes first, right?" Kate Beckinsale laughed.

"Well, everyone's just getting what they need," Charles said, shaking his head. Kate Beckinsale certainly wasn't like the naive and sweet kind of female stars; she saw things clearly.

Kate Beckinsale knew well that even though Charles had just joined the crew for three days, some pretty girls from the crew had already approached him for opportunities, which was quite normal.

But even at twenty, Charles wasn't keen on women; he just wasn't interested in those girls.

Besides, Charles didn't want to waste time or get into trouble with these matters now.

That night, instead of returning to the crew's hotel, they checked into the Hilton Hotel downtown.

Having dinner together, a solitary man and woman, Kate Beckinsale, this blend of classical and modern beauty, certainly fit Charles's preferences.

In the bathroom, Charles held Kate in the warm bathtub. Budapest's average daytime temperature was only a little over twenty degrees, and it dropped to around fifteen degrees at night.

Soaking in a hot bath to relax was indeed comfortable. Charles, with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked at Kate Beckinsale in his arms.

He just realized that Kate Beckinsale's husband was the director of the Underworld series, probably Len Wiseman!

"Kate, what do you think of the director?" Charles suddenly asked. He wondered if Wiseman and her had started dating yet.

"Wiseman? Hmm," the woman leaning in his arms thought for a moment and then said, "Talented. A director not yet thirty, that's rather impressive. We've talked a few times before, and I quite liked him."

Charles understood. Probably, he had arrived too early; otherwise, given more time, they would have gotten together.

Charles didn't know much about Kate Beckinsale's news in his previous life, just some movies and her supposed liking for young actors, maybe.

"Get some rest early. You can wander around the city these two days and treat it as a break," said Charles.

This weekend was fulfilling and satisfying!

When the crew resumed work on Monday, Kate Beckinsale and Charles showing up together didn't cause any buzz.

Relationships within the crew were always messy. Finding warmth during filming and parting ways afterward was entirely normal.

In the writer's room, Charles inadvertently found a game background introduction and a short novel called Love Of Monsters related to White Wolf Games, Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse, both set in White Wolf's fictional World of Darkness.

After reading it, he frowned. The script of Underworld had copied way too much. Could they avoid getting sued?

That night, Charles called Len Wiseman and the set manager, Henry Winstead, for a discussion.

"Take a look. Our script borrowed quite a bit from this game's background and Nancy A. Collins's short novel Love of Monsters. We better address this issue early!"

Len Wiseman, also one of the screenwriters, was stunned after hearing this. "Is it serious?"

Henry, with some experience, said, "Hard to say. Right now, the movie hasn't been released, so not many know. If it gets promoted and White Wolf Games and Nancy A. Collins find out, they could sue us for infringement."

Charles tapped the table. "Henry, contact the people in America to get in touch with White Wolf Games and Nancy A. Collins. Negotiate for their authorization for the script settings; that's all. It's just some similarities; shouldn't be a big deal."

Henry nodded, fully agreeing. This indeed wasn't a big problem; spending some money could resolve it. Handling it now was far better than doing so after the movie was released next year.

"We just borrowed some elements. Will it really cause trouble?" Wiseman was a bit puzzled.

"Yes, it will. If the movie gets released, profits come in, and they sue us. Even if we fight in court, their chances of winning are high," Charles pointed to the files on the desk, "With over seventeen similarities, fighting in court is not a good option. Opting for an out-of-court settlement now is the best for us."

So, Henry passed Charles's feedback to Los Angeles, where his people would handle it.

That night, as Charles was about to sleep, someone let themselves in and snuggled into his bed.

"Kate, tsk...," Charles said, realizing it was Kate Beckinsale. He had given her a room keycard.

*****

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