Capítulo 289: Chapter 289: The Real Tycoon
The two sat opposite each other in a corner of the hall, but Michael Ovitz remained silent for a moment, his expression clearly reluctant.
Simon didn't urge him, casually watching the crowd around, enjoying the melodious string music floating over from the dance floor.
A tall, blonde woman in a white off-the-shoulder gown, towering in her high heels to almost six-foot-three, noticed the silence between Simon and Ovitz and, after a moment's thought, approached Simon to say hello: "Hi, Mr. Westeros."
Simon looked up and smiled at the woman, saying, "Hi, Miss Hall."
The woman appeared surprised, her expression mixed with a fitting amount of delight: "Mr. Westeros, you know me?"
"Mick's girlfriend, Jerry Hall, right?" Simon's face held a slightly enigmatic smile, patting the seat beside him, he asked, "Mick isn't here tonight?"
"He's in England," Jerry Hall replied offhandedly, sitting down next to Simon and politely nodding towards Ovitz before turning her attention back to Simon, looking for a new topic. "Mr. Westeros, I heard that 'Batman' is about to finish post-production?"
"Yes, and you can just call me Simon."
Remembering Jerry Hall's role in the first Keaton Batman movie as the mob boss's wife disfigured by the Joker, Simon found the conversation intriguing. It was undeniable, the woman who managed to hold the notorious Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger's attention for years was indeed striking, especially in the prime of her early thirties.
"What an honor, Simon," Jerry Hall shifted her address smoothly, leaning in a bit closer and said, "You can call me Jerry."
Simon, reminded of a certain large-eared mouse, chuckled, "Sounds like a boy's name."
"No choice there, with five sisters, my dad was desperate for a boy."
"Did his wish come true?"
"Not at all."
Simon showed a sympathetic expression.
After a few moments of light conversation, noticing Ovitz's impatience, Simon raised his glass to Jerry, "Jerry, Mr. Ovitz and I have matters to discuss."
Jerry Hall, undeterred, pulled out a business card from her clutch and handed it over, "I'll be in Los Angeles for a while, Simon. Maybe we can grab coffee sometime."
Simon accepted her card, nodding, "Sure."
Jerry, realizing Simon didn't intend to reciprocate with his card, gracefully got up, not forgetting to nod at Ovitz again.
Michael Ovitz, ignoring the woman who just left, watched as the young man nonchalantly placed the business card in his shirt pocket, and finally said, "Simon, Barry and the others have all switched to WMA, let's put all our past grievances behind us, what do you think?"
Simon had anticipated many of Ovitz's possible moves but didn't expect such a proposition.
However, having Barry Levinson and the others jump to WMA seemed indeed a perfect way to resolve the feud, given Simon's well-known close ties with WMA. This move by Ovitz would also serve to protect his clients' careers as much as possible.
Yet, Simon didn't agree immediately, "Michael, I'm not one to hold grudges over a few words, nor am I someone who'd send people with baseball bats into alleys for a beating. You should understand, with the resources at my disposal, targeting someone wouldn't end well for them. But I'm also not one to forgive easily. Those who've crossed me, I simply wish they'd never appear in my sight again."
"Simon, Barry and the others aren't constantly in your sight."
"Michael, you know what I mean. Nowadays, half of Hollywood is within my view. Of course, there are still some corners I prefer not to look into, perfection isn't always good. So, they can stay there."
Michael Ovitz thought of Paramount.
If the young man in front of him was willing to let go of the grievances from those stolen scripts, Paramount would surely not mind leaning towards Daenerys Entertainment.
There might also be MGM, or the increasingly declining Orion, but he clearly didn't intend to do so.
All for the sake of imperfection.
From their previous encounters, Michael Ovitz could tell Simon was a perfectionist. Now, when a perfectionist stops pursuing perfection, it doesn't necessarily mean they've become complacent or fallen. Instead, they might have grown stronger.
After all, nothing in this world is perfect.
After another moment of silence, Ovitz finally conceded somewhat dejectedly, "Simon, if they leave CAA, will that settle things?"
Simon nodded, "CAA has many talented filmmakers, and I do look forward to working with you."
Having made his decision, Ovitz didn't delay further, "In that case, you must also ensure WMA doesn't poach from CAA anymore."
"I can't promise you that, Michael. I'm close with Jonathan, but WMA isn't my company. This is competition between talent agencies."
Maintaining competition between talent agencies was actually beneficial for Simon, so of course, he wouldn't restrict this aspect.
Michael Ovitz also realized something and no longer pressed the issue. Standing up, he extended his hand to Simon, and they shook on it, reaching a tacit understanding. Leaving the party hall, Ovitz got into his car parked outside the Four Seasons Hotel and directly called Barry Levinson and the others through the car phone.
Simon didn't know how Ovitz communicated with Barry Levinson and his group, but by the next day, Hollywood was buzzing with the news that Barry Levinson, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, and Meg Ryan, four top film figures, were about to leave CAA.
The news was quickly confirmed by CAA.
However, the official stance presented to the public was that Levinson and the others left CAA for their career development.
Barry Levinson soon announced his new project with Paramount, "Avalon," with a budget of 15 million dollars, planned for release next year.
Dustin Hoffman announced a year's break from acting to perform in a British stage play. It was soon rumored that Hoffman's scenes in Warren Beatty's new Disney collaboration, "Dick Tracy," were completely cut.
Tom Cruise's agent, Paula Wagner, left CAA with her client, announcing the establishment of Cruise-Wagner Productions through the Los Angeles Times.
Meg Ryan, who had just risen to fame with "When Harry Met Sally," was the least established of the four.
Following the events, Ryan's publicist announced their resignation, and no talent agency seemed eager to extend an olive branch. Ryan hastily declared her sister would temporarily act as her agent and publicist.
Soon after, paparazzi spotted Meg Ryan's boyfriend of over a year, Dennis Quaid, appearing cozy with an unknown actress in a West Hollywood bar. Confronted by paparazzi, Quaid admitted he and Ryan had recently split.
Compared to the still-discussed Michael Ovitz 'infantry soldier' incident, the departure of Levinson and his group from CAA was met with an unusual silence from mainstream newspapers, only publishing innocuous official statements.
To the general public, unaware of the gossip, it seemed these individuals left CAA due to dissatisfaction with Ovitz, criticized by the media.
Of course, the industry always has tabloids eager to stir big news for attention, but these outlets generally have low visibility and dare not explicitly reveal the story's details, merely hinting at them.
Tabloids understand well who can be provoked and who cannot.
If Simon Westeros were merely a director, any level of speculation would be fair game.
Public figures are fodder for the media.
However, when this director is also a billionaire with immense influence in Hollywood, gossip magazines tread lightly to avoid bankruptcy from lawsuits.
In Hollywood, facing media inquiries about the departure of Levinson and his group from CAA, even celebrities known for their outspokenness remained tight-lipped.
Simon Westeros's subtle demonstration of power made many realize that, in the post-studio era, Hollywood had witnessed the rise of a true 'mogul.'
Over the years, executives from various studios maintained a pleasing stance towards A-list stars, wanting to lure them into their projects. Even industry titans like Steve Ross made efforts to court Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Barbra Streisand, and others.
Now, Simon Westeros not only refrained from appeasing stars but decisively knocked several top-tier celebrities off their pedestals.
It was clear to all that unless Simon relented, even if Levinson, Hoffman, Cruise, and Ryan could still scrape by in Hollywood based on their past fame, the loss of readily available resources would inevitably lead their careers into decline.
The involved parties grimly accepted their new reality, refraining from publicly challenging Simon, recognizing their position.
Ultimately, Simon Westeros didn't go to extremes. Further provocation would have been self-defeating. In the days that followed, even the most defiant stars felt a sense of awe towards the seemingly always calm and non-aggressive young man.
As Hollywood still whispered about the CAA departures, the release of the Forbes 400 Richest Americans list sparked another media storm, diverting attention to a new controversy.
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