Capítulo 288: Chapter 288: A Novel About Dinosaurs
In the following week, North American media were abuzz discussing Michael Ovitz and the 'infantry soldier' incident. Ovitz, now in an awkward position, was forced to quickly issue a public response letter, vehemently denying that he had threatened Joe Eszterhas during their argument. He stated that Eszterhas was free to leave CAA at any time and that he would absolutely not stand in his way.
However, Eszterhas did not accept Ovitz's explanation. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he reiterated his accusations of verbal abuse by Ovitz and claimed that the threats to destroy his career had caused him severe psychological trauma, to the extent that he no longer felt safe. Eszterhas even mentioned having to sell the home he had recently purchased with his family as a precaution.
Following this, possibly driven by Ovitz, several CAA clients began publicly supporting him. Big names like Sean Connery and Sidney Poitier came forward to express disbelief that the always courteous Ovitz could have spoken to Eszterhas in such a manner, suggesting instead that Eszterhas might have exaggerated the story for sympathy.
While possible, Eszterhas chose not to argue but cleverly continued to play the victim, hinting that the support from these celebrities was pressure applied by Ovitz to silence him.
Media outlets, ever eager for a spectacle, continued to fan the flames.
In the midst of this commotion, on August 23rd, Sony Corporation of Japan suddenly broke through the media focus on the 'infantry soldier' incident by announcing it had reached an agreement to acquire Columbia Pictures for $3.4 billion in cash, assuming the venerable film company's $1.6 billion in debt.
On August 25th, Columbia's board voted to approve Sony's acquisition proposal.
Thus, after a year-long tug-of-war, Sony officially brought one of Hollywood's Big Seven, Columbia Pictures, into its fold.
The $5 billion deal gave Sony assets including the Columbia and TriStar labels, a massive library of over 4,000 film and television titles, the Loews chain of 820 cinema screens, and some television assets.
Since the US television industry was not yet open to foreign investors in the late '80s, Sony also announced it would divest Columbia's television assets upon completing the transaction.
Then, on August 28th, a Monday.
Before finalizing the leadership for Columbia Pictures, Sony joined Daenerys Entertainment for the fourth press conference in recent times, announcing the fourth of the ten-film plan, "A League of Their Own."
Like "Sleeping with the Enemy," "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," and "The Fugitive," "A League of Their Own" was also the work of a newcomer screenwriter. Based on true events during World War II, it tells the story of a washed-up baseball star who attempts to establish a women's baseball team as men are called to war.
This North American sports-themed film might not make waves internationally, but it was one of the year's top ten box office hits in Simon's memory, breaking the $100 million mark.
After "A League of Their Own," on August 30th, the fifth press conference saw Universal Pictures and Daenerys Entertainment announce the fifth film of the ten-film plan, adapted from Stephen King's novel "Misery." "Misery" tells the story of a deranged fan who rescues her favorite author from a car crash, only to imprison him when she discovers he has killed off her favorite character, forcing him to rewrite the story.
Stephen King, famous for his productivity, has seen many of his novels adapted into films, with a new release almost every year. Daenerys Entertainment already owned the rights to King's "Children of the Corn," and earlier this year, an adaptation of King's "Pet Sematary" was released.
However, aside from this year's "Pet Sematary," which grossed over $57 million, most of King's other adaptations have seen modest box office returns, making "Misery," a novel without supernatural elements, initially overlooked until Simon expressed interest, prompting Universal Pictures to take the project seriously.
With five projects announced through five press conferences, Simon intentionally aimed to create a 'brand effect' for the ten-film plan. The media response has been promising, ensuring these films will not lack attention from various platforms, saving millions in marketing costs.
As the projects were unveiled, Hollywood stars became increasingly eager to participate.
In Century City, over a week had passed, but the media's critique and mockery of Michael Ovitz had not ceased, leading him to wonder if someone was targeting him deliberately. However, the root cause was Ovitz's previous low profile, which left the media curious but uninformed about him. Any related information that emerged naturally caused a frenzy.
Recent negative publicity, possibly combined with Daenerys Entertainment's blacklisting and the announcement of five films from the ten-film plan, led to a continuous loss of clients for CAA.
Following Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, Gina Davis, last year's Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actress, was poached by WMA, which also took writer client Michael Crichton, known to Ovitz for an interesting dinosaur novel concept, though not yet famous for blockbuster works.
Ovitz now had more pressing concerns.
While the departures of Davis and Crichton might not seem crucial, WMA's overtures towards Tom Hanks, who was rapidly rising to A-list status with successful films like "Big" and "Turner & Hooch," posed a serious challenge for Ovitz.
The continuous loss of clients risked creating the impression that CAA was on the decline, potentially leading to a domino effect with disastrous results.
Moreover, when Columbia Pictures announced on August 31st that Gina Davis, newly departed from CAA, would star in "A League of Their Own" from the ten-film plan, Michael Ovitz realized he needed to make a decision quickly.
On September 1st, a Friday, a new week began with only a low-budget B-horror film from New Line Cinema quietly released, marking the official end of this year's summer box office season.
This summer, confirmed blockbuster hits included "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," "Ghostbusters II," "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," "Lethal Weapon 2," "The Bodyguard," and "The Sixth Sense," with Daenerys Entertainment responsible for two of them.
Considering the upcoming release of "Batman" and "Back to the Future Part II" at the end of the year, along with Universal Pictures' "Back to the Future Part II," there was still potential for one or two surprise hits, possibly pushing the year's total of $100 million blockbusters to match or exceed the previous years.
The price of movie tickets in North America hadn't significantly increased in recent years, but the jump from only four or five $100 million blockbusters a year to a consistent ten or more signified a robust resurgence for Hollywood, following a period of stagnation in the '70s and '80s.
In this timeline, the rise of Hollywood might be traced back to 1988, when it first saw more than ten films break the $100 million mark in a single year.
Simon's arrival as a significant butterfly effect seemed to have accelerated Hollywood's revival by two years.
Around 8 PM at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, a reception hosted by Sony for the Hollywood insiders was in full swing.
Simon was accompanied by Famke Janssen, chatting with Jeff Goldblum and Gina Davis, a couple both at the brink of A-list status.
With "Batman" nearing completion and expected to meet its box office projections by the end of the year, "Wonder Woman" was likely to start its preliminary planning phase, and Simon was speeding up Famke Janssen's familiarization process. Helena Christensen and Erika Eleniak, the other two candidates, had already ceased their attempts to compete with Famke, and Simon was not about to exert unnecessary effort.
Over the past year, Famke had appeared in a few small roles in films and TV shows. Simon had arranged for her to play minor roles in Robert Altman's ensemble film "Short Cuts" and the collaboration between his company and Columbia Pictures, "A League of Their Own."
These two films were set to receive high attention, and Famke Janssen's stature and appearance were enough to make her stand out.
While discussing "A League of Their Own," Michael Ovitz approached Simon directly.
Everyone present at the banquet hall that evening was well-informed, and when they saw Ovitz heading towards Simon Westeros, they watched curiously, whispering among themselves.
Michael Ovitz, unreserved, went straight to the point upon reaching Simon: "Simon, can we have a private talk?"
"Of course," Simon replied affably.
Nodding to Gina Davis and the others, Simon and Ovitz moved to a corner sofa to sit down, with Famke Janssen tactfully not following.
In the unfolding scenario, Sony's acquisition of Columbia Pictures and the continuous loss of clients at CAA set a complex backdrop. The spotlight was on whether Ovitz could navigate this crisis and how Simon's influence in Hollywood, now intertwined with Daenerys Entertainment's ambitious film slate, would further reshape the industry dynamics.
The conversation between Ovitz and Simon, with Hollywood watching, marked a critical moment, potentially signaling shifts in alliances, strategies, and power structures within the ever-evolving landscape of the movie business.
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