William And Kate's Hollywood Event 'Essentially Sold Out' as Studios Reserve Tables (Exclusive)

4:00 AM PDT 6/24/2011 by Bill Higgins

0
0
0
0
0
Email
Print
Comments

Getty Images

Universal, Fox, Warner Bros. and Disney have bought $25,000 tables at the black-tie event.

If Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton’s trip to Los Angeles were a movie, its pre-opening box-office sales would indicate an upcoming blockbuster.

•Royal Wedding

The one glitzy event of the Royal couple's July 8-10 visit to Hollywood is the inaugural BAFTA Brits to Watch dinner July 9 at the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets to the black-tie affair were offered only to studios, networks, talent agencies and video game companies.

Kate Middleton, Prince William to Attend BAFTA Event in L.A.

Reps for Universal, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. and Disney tell The Hollywood Reporter that the studios have bought tables. The $25,000 per-table event is now “essentially sold out,” according to one organizer, with confirmations still coming in. A BAFTA source says some of the invitees have bought two tables.

The idea behind selling tickets solely to the entertainment industry is to turn the event into a showcase that introduces 42 young-ish British talents (names have not been released) who have been chosen by BAFTA to meet and hob-nob influential executives and agents. Two of the Britsh talents will be seated at each table.

Kate Middleton's Glam Look at the ARK Charity Gala

Royals have been criticized in the past for basking in the aura of Hollywood. Queen Elizabeth, when she came to Los Angeles in 1983, was the center of attention at a massive dinner held on the Fox studio lot with dozens of stars in attendance. But the BAFTA event is a savvy move because it can be billed by the Royal Family as an effort to boost British talent in a cutthroat business -- and the event also just so happens to be a great chance for William and (especially) Kate to dress up and mingle with the decision-makers of Hollywood.

"A lot of photos are going to come out of this event," says one organizer.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's U.S. Trip: Why KCBS Removed Big Scoop About Itinerary From Website

The Belasco can hold roughly 25 tables with the number of attendees being about 250.

Email: Bill.Higgins@thr.com