The Oklahoman

Director seeks titanic haul for two-house compound

- By Jack Flemming and Neal J. Leitereg

LOS ANGELES—Oscarwinni­ng director James Cameron is eye in ga blockbuste­r sale in Malibu. His prized compound, a collection of two mansions he's owned for decades, hit the market at $25 million.

Cameron, a film industry veteran whose scores of credits include “The Terminator” and “Titanic,” began compiling the estate in the late 1980s, buying an 8,300-square-foot home with six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. He added the place next door in 2003, buying the 7,700-square-foot home of late actor George C. Scott.

Together, the two estates combine for 16,000 square feet on 4 acres and take in views of the rolling hills above Surfrider Beach. There are 11 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a guesthouse, a guardhouse, two pools, two spas, a sports court, a gym and a lounge.

Each home features sunny living spaces sandwiched by beamed ceilings and Saltillo tile floors. One wraps around a dramatic courtyard with fountains, and the other features a custom movie theater fitting for a decorated director.

Both properties are tucked into a four-home cul-de-sac in guard-gated Serra Retreat, and you'd be hard- pressed to find an enclave more jampacked with celebritie­s over the years.

In 2004, singer Olivia Newton-John bought the home opposite Cameron's from the widow of actor Charles Bronson for $ 5.995 million and sold it four years later for over $10 million, records show. Britney Spears scooped up the other home in the cul-de-sac for $6.3 million in 2004 and sold it three years later to “The Mummy” director Stephen Sommers for $10 million.

In addition to the two homes, Cameron has owned plenty of undevelope­d l and in Malibu. He began buying parcels after t he release of “Titanic” in 1997 and eventually amassed a collection of 730 acres of ranchland in the Santa Monica Mountains and planned to develop it into a family sanctuary called “Tranquilit­y Base.”

He eventually put the land on the market for $25 million in 2007 and sold 703 acres of it seven years later to the Mountains Recreation and Conservati­on Authority for $12 million.

Cameron, 66, is known for directing blockbuste­r films with big budgets and groundbrea­king special effects. His films have won 21 Academy Awards over the course of his career. His credits include “Aliens,” “The Abyss” and “True Lies.” Two of his films, “Avatar” and “Titanic,” are the second- and third-highest grossing films of all time, respective­ly.

Where No. 24 played

A piece of Kobe Bryant history has surfaced for sale in the suburbs of Philadelph­ia. His childhood home, where the late NBA legend lived as he gained national recognitio­n on the court at Lower Merion High School, is on the market for $899,900.

The Colonial- style home still features his original metal basketball hoop beside t he driveway, according to the listing agent.

Bryant's father, NBA veteran Joe Bryant, sold the property for $510,000 in 2008, and this is the first time it's been on the market since. The 1950s home is in Wynnewood, an affluent suburb a few miles west of Philadelph­ia. Spanning 3,400 square feet, the house has five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms across two stories.

Flowerbeds and brick accents perk up the exterior, and inside, crown molding rings living spaces such as a dining area with a chandelier, kitchen with a breakfast bar, and a family room with paneled walls and a fireplace. Retro blue, green and crimson carpet lines the bedrooms, and a downstairs den tacks on a fireplace.

Outside, a stone patio descends to the grassy yard.

Bryant, who di ed earl i er this year at 41, spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, notching five NBA championsh­ips, 18 All-Star appearance­s, two scoring titles and a most valuable player award.

It's seen a little bit of lovin'

Singer-songwriter El le King is staging a sale in Hollywood Hills, where her Mediterran­ean- style home full of authentic details and chic outdoor spaces is on the market for $1.665 million.

Spanning three stories, the 1980s abode draws the eye with a wooden garage door, wrought-iron accents and shades of orange and turquoise that break up the white stucco exterior. Three balconies are perched on the front of the home, while a few more extend from the rear.

Dark hardwood floors, crown moldings and arched doorways provide period charm in the common spaces. The living room has a stone fireplace and custom chandelier, and the kitchen adds slabs of rainforest marble. Four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a family room, a study, a wet bar and a dining room with a built-in buffet also lie within about 3,500 square feet of living space.

Almost every room opens to a deck or patio. The outdoor spaces include a dining area set beneath string lights and a patio with a spa and a covered lounge. A tiered garden descends to a turf yard at the edge of the quarter-acre property.

The daughter of actor Rob Schneider, El le King has released two albums over the last six years, including 2018's “Shake the Spirit.” The 31-year-old has been nominated for three Grammys: two for her song “Ex's and Oh's” and one for her duet with Dierks Bentley, “Different for Girls.”

 ??  ?? The suburban Philadelph­ia home where Kobe Bryant lived during his high school days has five bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and about 3,400 square feet. Bryant's father, Joe Bryant, sold the Colonial-style home in 2008. It is on the market again. The house still retains the basketball hoop used by Kobe, according to the listing agent. [TNS PHOTO]
The suburban Philadelph­ia home where Kobe Bryant lived during his high school days has five bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and about 3,400 square feet. Bryant's father, Joe Bryant, sold the Colonial-style home in 2008. It is on the market again. The house still retains the basketball hoop used by Kobe, according to the listing agent. [TNS PHOTO]

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