Chapter 372: Chapter 372: The Old Man's Nemesis
Simon observed Barbara Broccoli with interest as she slightly tilted her chin up, clearly ready to argue her point, but he didn't respond to her previous remark. Instead, he smiled and said, "Barbara, has anyone ever told you that you actually look quite similar to someone else?"
Barbara Broccoli looked momentarily stunned.
For thirty years, the Broccoli family had held the reins of the 007 franchise, and as her father, Albert Broccoli, grew increasingly unwell in recent years, he had been transitioning control of this ace spy series to Barbara and her brother, constantly reminding them to keep a firm grip on 007 and not allow anyone else to meddle.
Simon's recent interventions in the upcoming 007 project and his insistence on replacing the current lead actor, Timothy Dalton, had instinctively made Barbara, who had inherited her father's assertive nature, feel threatened, prompting her near-confrontational question.
Unexpectedly, the young man, whom she regarded as a formidable opponent, casually shifted the topic.
Simon didn't wait for the puzzled Barbara Broccoli to speak again. He continued, "You've seen 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,' I assume. I must say, you and that little girl in the movie, um, Drew Barrymore, look quite alike. It seems she should also be quite grown up by now."
Steven Spielberg's 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' was of course familiar to Barbara Broccoli, and she certainly remembered the little girl from the film.
However, what was Simon getting at?
"Simon, 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,' yes, it's indeed a great film. But, we're not here to talk about that, are we?"
"I understand," Simon nodded as he saw MGM CEO Sherry Lansing approaching hastily. When she got close, he turned to Lansing and said, "Barbara thinks I shouldn't meddle with the 007 series. So, I won't interfere anymore. You go ahead and do as you see fit."
Sherry Lansing looked somewhat displeased.
Simon had inquired about the 007 series several times recently, and she had assured him that the project was progressing smoothly. She hadn't expected the Broccoli siblings to suddenly bring up casting disagreements that hadn't been resolved.
Now that Simon had casually let go, Sherry Lansing didn't think things would just end there.
When Meg Ryan, freshly famous from 'When Harry Met Sally,' wanted to break her contract with Daenerys Entertainment, Westeros had also easily agreed.
What happened next?
As Simon turned and started walking towards Jon Peters, president of Columbia Pictures, who was approaching, Lansing hurried to follow, trying to explain. She didn't care how Westeros would handle the 007 series afterward, even if he shelved it completely, but she didn't want it to affect her.
Seeing Simon already chatting with Peters, Lansing could only wait patiently by the side.
During their casual conversation, Lansing noticed Simon seemed quite interested in Peters' young girlfriend.
Jon Peters was in his forties, and his girlfriend appeared much younger, in her early twenties. Possibly of Latin heritage, her skin wasn't very fair, but she had a sultry face that was likely to attract men, though she didn't seem like Simon's usual type.
Nonetheless, Sherry Lansing remembered the young lady's name: Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Simon hadn't expected to meet Hollywood's famous 'old man killer' at tonight's party.
Catherine Zeta-Jones' track record in Hollywood was nothing short of stellar. Not only did she catch the eye of top Hollywood producer Jon Peters, but she also had relationships with high-profile figures like Steven Spielberg and Sean Connery, eventually marrying Michael Douglas, who was 25 years her senior.
Ascending the ranks in Hollywood was never easy, even if you had the looks, the talent, and were willing to play the game. Many struggled and had to return to their regular lives.
Thus, Catherine Zeta-Jones' rise could be considered somewhat of a 'legend' given her lack of significant backing.
As the conversation flowed, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore also joined.
The talk inadvertently shifted to a movie project Peters was planning to offer the Willis couple, involving a thriller about domestic violence leading to murder, titled 'Deadly Thoughts.' It was akin to 'Sleeping with the Enemy,' but incorporated a murder plot involving a woman helping her friend kill her indolent husband. They hoped Willis and Moore would join, with filming set to start early next year. However, Moore mentioned a potential scheduling conflict with MGM's 'Good Men, Few.'
Peters glanced at Lansing before turning back to Simon.
Simon, however, was looking at Lansing.
'Deadly Thoughts' was shaping up much smoother than 'GoldenEye,' with Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, and Demi Moore all confirmed. The original script had been rewritten, with filming expected to start in November,
aiming for an early August release next year.
The late summer release would help 'Good Men, Few' avoid clashing with heavy hitters like 'Terminator 2' and 'Batman: The Dark Knight.'
Demi Moore had been more cooperative with Daenerys Entertainment than Meg Ryan, accepting a $2 million offer without fuss, so Simon was inclined to accommodate her.
Noticing Simon's gaze, Lansing nodded, "If necessary, we could arrange to shoot Demi's scenes before the end of the year."
Demi Moore suddenly spoke up, "Simon, why don't you take a look at the script for 'Deadly Thoughts'? If it's possible, I'm sure Peter and Jon wouldn't mind making it a joint venture between Daenerys Entertainment and Columbia Pictures."
After struggling for years to gain recognition, Demi Moore cherished the popularity brought by 'Ghost' but understood the benefits of maintaining a connection with Westeros.
Hearing Moore's suggestion, Peters looked hopeful.
Given the box office performance of 'Sleeping with the Enemy' and 'The Hand That Rocks the Cradle' during this summer season, if 'Deadly Thoughts' could join the lineup of Daenerys Entertainment's ten-film project, even splitting half the profits would yield far better results than if Columbia Pictures produced it alone.
However, Simon wasn't interested in joining a project he hadn't even heard of and casually declined.
After a few more exchanges, Peters and others excused themselves.
Yet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, who had introduced herself earlier and had been very well-behaved, noticeably flirted with Simon as she left.
Simon noticed her gesture but merely smiled and turned his attention back to Sherry Lansing.
Knowing what Lansing was worried about, Simon reassured her, "Sherry, I've indeed been too busy lately to bother with the 007 matter. Since the Broccoli family wants to maintain control, let them make another one. After all, the 007 series has never lost money. MGM has been through a lot under Kerkorian's management. Your task now is to restore MGM's operation as a major studio. Be patient for a year, I'll make other arrangements."
Lansing felt relieved and nodded seriously, "Simon, I understand."
Recent news about Daenerys Entertainment potentially entering the MCA acquisition had made Lansing realize why Westeros had initially had the opportunity but chose not to formally intervene with MGM.
Daenerys Entertainment had rapidly risen to match traditional major studios in recent years and had even become a member of the Motion Picture Association of America. If the Westeros System took control of MGM prematurely and then sought to acquire MCA, it would be seen as trying to dominate three major Hollywood studios, which would undoubtedly face antitrust obstacles.
In contrast, merging with MCA first and then intervening in the relatively weaker MGM would be more acceptable and simplify matters.
After sending Lansing off, Simon was about to move when someone else approached.
Throughout the evening, Simon navigated through a crowd filled with flattery, seduction, praise, probing, lobbying, and introductions. After more than an hour of mingling, he finally found a moment to gather with Amy Pascal and other company executives.
Robert Iger, who was also in Los Angeles, casually mentioned something that caught Simon's interest. It was related to ESPN, a subsidiary of ABC's parent company, the Metropolitan/ABC Group. Although Iger had left ABC, he still maintained connections there.
ESPN, founded in 1979 and ranked alongside CNN, HBO, and MTV as North America's leading sports network, was initially funded by the renowned Getty family—famous for a kidnapping case where a ransom was not paid even after an ear was cut off.
Due to ongoing inheritance disputes, the Getty family's influence had waned, and ESPN shares were sold during family infighting in the 1980s, with 80% acquired by ABC and the remaining 20% falling into Nabisco's hands. As ESPN's prospects improved, this shareholding structure had remained since 1984.
During this period, ABC was acquired by Capital Cities, forming the Capital Cities/ABC Group. Nabisco was bought by Reynolds Tobacco in one of America's largest leveraged buyouts. Unnoticed, ESPN's parent company had changed.
Now, mired in debt from a disastrous merger a year earlier, Reynolds Nabisco had to sell many assets to pay off debts. As a tobacco and food company, Reynolds Nabisco's shares in ESPN were naturally seen as 'non-core assets' to be sold.
Although Iger knew Simon had ambitions to expand into television, he didn't expect him to be interested in this particular share. He explained, "Simon, this is just 20% of ESPN, we won't get any control, and the asking price is high, around $200 million. Plus, we'd need approval from Capital Cities/ABC Group."
ESPN's peak valuation reached $50 billion. In the original timeline, Michael Eisner's $19 billion acquisition of
Capital Cities/ABC was considered mainly for ESPN. During the 90s, ESPN firmly established itself as America's leading sports network.
Now, investing $200 million, Simon believed the dividends from this stake alone would exceed that amount in ten years.
Though Simon had broader demands on ESPN and the entire Capital Cities/ABC Group, securing these 20% shares now would be a very profitable investment, regardless.
Instructing Iger to collect more detailed information quickly, Simon checked the time—it was past nine in the evening—and decided to leave with his assistant. Flying from Los Angeles to Seattle took just over an hour, but starting now meant they would likely settle down around midnight.
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