Capítulo 254: Chapter 254: Wrap-up
At the Santa Monica Airport, Amy, returning from a visit to the "Charlie's Angels" set in San Francisco, steps off the company's Falcon business jet with her assistant, Vanessa. The driver is already waiting by the runway.
The two women get into the car, and the driver heads towards Burbank, where a meeting is waiting for Amy.
In the car, Amy, intending to look through some documents during the ride, hears a faint voice from the car radio and looks up. The driver, noticing Amy's attention, reaches to turn off the radio but is stopped by Amy, who gestures for him to turn it up.
"Michael, are you suggesting that 'Dead Poets Society' winning only Best Director is a complete manipulation?"
"Yes, it's totally unfair to Barry Levinson, the director of 'Rain Man'. He created a great film but couldn't get the recognition he deserved. Also, I've never heard of a film winning only Best Director – it's a joke."
"Okay, Michael, calm down. Have you seen Mike Nichols' 'The Graduate'?"
"Of course, I love that film."
"Then I'm sorry to say, 'The Graduate' also only won Best Director."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes."
"But, at least, Simon Westeros' Best Original Score is full of problems. He might be a decent composer, but compared to John Williams and others, he's not yet qualified for an Oscar. It's clearly the result of Daenerys Entertainment's PR efforts."
"Thanks for your call, Michael. This is The Voice of Los Angeles, I'm John McLaren, and today's topic is 'What's up with this year's Oscars?' Let's take the next call."
"Hi, Matthew, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, ma'am. What's your name?"
"Andi," the woman on the other end says without waiting for further questions, "First of all, I want to say that that guy is completely biased and foolish."
"Please don't attack others, Andi. But you can share your opinion."
"Everyone can see that Daenerys Entertainment was the one treated unfairly at the Oscars. Last year, they produced so many excellent films – 'When Harry Met Sally', 'Pulp Fiction', 'Rain Man', 'Dead Poets Society', 'Steel Magnolias' – oh, I just love 'Steel Magnolias', I've seen it five times, and it made my mother cry. And 'When Harry Met Sally', Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are a perfect match. But the Oscars only gave Daenerys 11 nominations, nearly half of Warner's 19. I found Warner's films utterly uninteresting."
"Warner, yes, Sigourney Weaver's 'Gorillas in the Mist' is quite good."
"See, Matthew, you have to think about that, but you can easily list a bunch of Daenerys films without thinking. Maybe it's because of today's show topic. I try to stay neutral, Andi, please continue. What's your opinion on Michael's comments about Barry Levinson and Westeros' Best Original Score?"
"My opinion is the same, he's a fool," Andi ignores Matthew's call for civility, and continues, "Anyone who followed the gossip about 'Rain Man' knows that Barry Levinson left the project during the final stages. Not only that, he publicly criticized Daenerys Entertainment for interfering with the post-production of 'Rain Man' and claimed he had nothing to do with the project. Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise also publicly sided with Levinson and distanced themselves from 'Rain Man'. Now that the film is successful, they're trying to take credit – disgusting. Dustin Hoffman's Oscar speech was clownish; he was just slapping his own face. The final cut of 'Rain Man' we saw on the big screen had nothing to do with Levinson; it was led by Simon Westeros in post-production, and he also completed the score. Without Westeros, there would be no 'Rain Man'. He absolutely deserves the Best Original Score, even more."
"..."
Amy listens attentively to the radio talk show throughout the journey.
The show covers a range of opinions on the controversies and discussions about the 61st Academy Awards.
It's April 7th, Friday.
Over the past week, media and public opinion have not cooled down following the Oscars. The covert media war between Daenerys Entertainment and CAA continues. From the radio show's callers, it's clear Daenerys holds a significant advantage in this public opinion battle.
Despite Dustin Hoffman's heartfelt Oscar acceptance speech touching many of the 43 million viewers, his and the other creators' earlier disassociation from 'Rain Man' cannot be erased.
Many media outlets, without much prompting, have highlighted the contradictions in Hoffman's statements based on public records.
Guided by Daenerys Entertainment, the media quickly leans in their favor.
Even the sole Best Director nomination for 'Dead Poets Society' is considered deserved under Daenerys Entertainment's influence.
'Dead Poets Society' had the potential for multiple nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay. Its final tally of two nominations was not due to lack of merit but the Oscars' deliberate suppression.
After all, a mediocre film like 'Working Girl' received a string of nominations, showcasing the Oscars' extreme unfairness.
Winning Best Director for 'Dead Poets Society' was seen as a compensation for the film. And as for Simon's Best Original Score, Daenerys successfully swayed public opinion by highlighting his crucial role in 'Rain Man's post-production.
Despite spending an additional $2 million on this PR campaign, the returns were more significant.
From March 24th to 30th, the Oscar week, 'Rain Man', which had already fallen to just over $4 million in weekly box office, rebounded with an 18% increase, earning $5.11 million, taking its total to $138 million.
This trend continued, and from March 31st to April 6th, 'Rain Man' experienced another significant rebound of 42%, earning $7.25 million, pushing its total past $145 million.
Following this trajectory, 'Rain Man' is poised to surpass 'Pulp Fiction's $156 million within three weeks, claiming the title of 1988's top-grossing film in North America.
'Dead Poets Society', though not experiencing as significant a rebound as 'Rain Man', still surpassed 'Crocodile Dundee II', ranking tenth in the 1988 box office.
Daenerys Entertainment thus secures seven spots in the 1988 top ten box office, a feat unlikely to be broken soon, even though three of those films are distributed under other studio banners.
Additionally, with 'Rain Man's increasing success, MGM, following the Oscars, tried to find loopholes in their original contract, claiming inconsistencies in profit-sharing terms for the film's soundtrack and merchandise. They demanded $100 million from Daenerys Entertainment and threatened to reclaim the rights to 'The Hobbit'.
A $100 million settlement is obviously out of the question.
It's clear MGM is merely trying to cut a piece from the 'Rain Man' pie.
With their lawyers hinting at a private settlement, Daenerys Entertainment's legal team, after evaluating the lawsuit, confirmed MGM's low chances of winning. Amy decisively refuses the settlement, knowing how Simon would handle such a situation. She did not bother Simon this time and firmly responded to MGM that they are prepared to go to court.
Some people always try to exploit perceived weaknesses.
Although going to court means significant legal fees, taking a firm stance helps Daenerys Entertainment avoid unnecessary troubles in the future. Given MGM's declining state, they are unlikely to spend tens of millions on a low-chance lawsuit, limiting the scope of this legal battle.
Amy arrives at the Burbank headquarters, where Robert Reem and other distribution executives are waiting for her.
Entering April, with the summer season approaching, the meeting's main topic is the promotion strategy for Daenerys Entertainment's summer releases, 'The Bodyguard' and 'The Sixth Sense'. Both films' post-production awaits Simon's return from Melbourne for final review, but preliminary marketing can begin.
As everyone settles in the meeting room, the executive secretary distributes meeting materials. Robert Reem asks Amy, "How's the shooting progress for 'Charlie's Angels'?"
Amy nods, "Going smoothly. Daryl Hannah is performing much better than Phoebe Cates. I'm looking forward to the film's outcome."
'Charlie's Angels', a leftover project from New World Entertainment, started mid-last month.
Simon disapproved of Phoebe Cates' acting and box office draw, ultimately casting Daryl Hannah, who impressed in 'Blade Runner', 'Splash', and 'Wall Street'. Hannah fits the image of 'Charlie's Angels' protagonist Brenda Starr perfectly. The script was reworked, and the budget set at $15 million.
Daenerys Entertainment planned to fund it alone, but two investors from the New World era insisted on staying, leading to each bearing a third of the cost, with Daenerys taking a 15% distribution fee.
'Charlie's Angels' has a two-month shooting schedule and a two-month post-production, aiming for completion by mid-July. Its release is tentatively set for early October, a quieter season but a necessary step for an expanding studio.
Daenerys already has 15 films slated for release this year, starting with 'Blue Thunder'. It's impossible to schedule all for the summer and year-end seasons.
However, if 'Charlie's Angels' turns out exceptionally well, the release date might be adjusted.
In Melbourne, the ripples from the Oscars reach Simon on the 'Batman' set.
Most people easily form opinions based on their biases.
As an Australian son-in-law and winning both Best Editing and Best Original Score Oscars for his work outside directing, Simon becomes a hot topic among Australian media and public. Discussions about how many Oscars Simon will ultimately win become a favorite topic for local media.
As for Simon, neither the glory nor the controversy greatly impacts his work.
Jennifer, seeing the controversy over Simon's Best Original Score win, wanted to release a tape called 'Blizzard' but was stopped by Simon. Every Oscars has its controversies, and so do many of Simon's actions. If he had to prove himself every time, he'd be exhausted.
As the Oscar aftermath fades, 'Batman' nears completion.
Originally planned for a 13-week shoot, it was supposed to wrap up by April 7th. However, Simon's February fainting incident and subsequent delay affected the schedule, leading to extensions until late April.
Thankfully, with 'Batman' scheduled for a December release, there's still half a year for post-production.
Finally, on April 19th, in a large studio built in an abandoned factory on Melbourne's west side, the afternoon wraps up.
With the last scene in the Batcave shot, Simon checks the footage and announces to all crew members, "'Batman', that's a wrap."
After over three months of hard work, the crew responds to Simon's announcement with applause. Adam Baldwin and others, seemingly having planned this, quickly surround Simon and throw him into the Batcave's water pool.
Caught off guard, Simon could have resisted, but he doesn't. He gets up from the water, laughing and playfully threatening everyone. After the fun, the crew starts cleaning up, with a grand wrap party scheduled for the evening.
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