Capítulo 402: Chapter 402: Compact Camera
At the WMA headquarters in Beverly Hills, Courteney Cox and Jonathan Friedman were discussing a script Courteney had recently received. As they were about to leave, Courteney recalled a newspaper article she had read the day before about the progress of an investigation into an attack that occurred years ago. Unable to restrain her curiosity, she sat back down and said to Jonathan, "Joe, do you know about the Christy Swanson case?"
Jonathan Friedman paused, then nodded, "Yes, I know."
The Santa Monica Police Department had been investigating the assault from four summers ago. Recent media revelations implicated Hollywood actress Christy Swanson. It was reported that before Matthew Broderick had rushed to intercept Simon Westeros that night, it was Christy Swanson who had disclosed Westeros' workplace to them.
This evidence further tilted the situation in favor of Simon.
In reality, as the investigation had progressed, no one believed the claims Matthew Broderick made at his initial press conference. The facts had become clear, but the Santa Monica Police Department had to continue delving into the attack to provide the media and public with an indisputable conclusion.
Although the public tends to sympathize with the underdog, they are not without the ability to discern right from wrong. Once they realize they've been deceived, their anger only intensifies.
The six individuals who had attempted to preemptively 'strike first' at the press conference were now akin to street rats. Most of them wanted to settle and move on from the incident, but Simon showed no signs of letting go.
Courteney Cox took a moment to choose her words carefully before suddenly changing the subject, "Joe, did our company get an invitation to Simon's birthday party this time?"
Simon personally and Daenerys Entertainment had typically sent a batch of invitations to WMA for distribution.
Courteney's question was quite pointed.
However, Jonathan shook his head and said, "Courteney, Simon isn't planning a large-scale birthday party this time. It's likely to be just company executives and close friends and family."
The conversation lapsed into silence.
Today was February 19, just three days away from Simon's birthday. Typically, invitations to a significant event like Simon's birthday party would have been sent out a week in advance.
Jonathan had certainly received his invitation.
However, Courteney, who had met Simon shortly after his arrival in Los Angeles, found herself excluded from the 'close friends and family' group he mentioned.
Life's fortunes can indeed be unpredictable.
Jonathan thought back to another client under his management, Sandra Bullock, one of Simon's closest female friends, who had nearly become his girlfriend. Sandra's career had flourished smoothly over the years.
In contrast, Courteney, despite being the lead actress in the "Scream" series and also a top-tier actress, might face an uncertain future after the conclusion of "Scream 3" this year.
It is notoriously difficult for actresses known for horror roles to transition to other genres.
After all, Hollywood offers limited opportunities for actresses, yet the competition is fierce.
The current Hollywood landscape boasted established actresses like Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Cher; mid-generation stars like Melanie Griffith and Michelle Pfeiffer; and new-generation talents like Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts, all of whom were formidable in their own right. Major studios tended to reserve their prime projects for these actresses.
Jonathan could roughly understand Courteney's thoughts.
The actress who once had the best chance to rise alongside Simon was now on the outskirts of his social circle. The two issues she had just brought up likely represented her hope to use the upcoming birthday party as a chance to personally explain her involvement in the attack and to mend their relationship.
However, Jonathan knew that Simon actually didn't care much about that old attack anymore; it was Janet who was unwilling to let go.
They say women hold grudges the longest.
As for Christy Swanson, the 'guide' for Matthew Broderick and others to attack Simon, she remained a client under WMA.
However, in recent years she had been relegated to minor roles in teen horror films. Since the news broke, Simon hadn't mentioned her at all. While WMA wouldn't overtly blacklist her to avoid media trouble, she was unlikely to receive any significant opportunities going forward.
After a moment, Courteney finally mustered the courage to ask, "Joe, could you possibly get me an invitation?"
Jonathan could only shake his head.
As he understood, this birthday party would be limited to fewer than a hundred guests. For a social gathering in Hollywood, that was a considerable size, but every invitation for Simon Westeros' party was carefully selected.
These days, not just Courteney but many stars under WMA, and indeed countless individuals in Hollywood, were doing everything possible to secure an invitation to Simon Westeros' birthday party.
The guest list for the party wasn't something Simon dealt with himself; Janet managed it
.
Jonathan had indeed managed to secure a few invitations through his connections with Janet for his own contacts, but the guest list was essentially final, and Courteney didn't quite merit him using his favors on her behalf.
After seeing Courteney Cox out, Jonathan reflected briefly before quickly turning his attention to other matters.
During his most recent conversation with Simon, they had discussed developing several male stars around the age of 30 suitable for action films.
Hollywood had its action stars like Dolph Lundgren and Steven Seagal, though they weren't top-tier. WMA's newer generation, including Keanu Reeves, was still somewhat green. Meanwhile, the currently popular Mel Gibson was a bit too old.
Jonathan also considered Tom Cruise, who, if anyone, was ideal for action films at around 30 years old.
However, Simon was completely uninterested in this top-tier, box-office-drawing actor.
Being disliked by such a significant figure in Hollywood, as Daenerys Entertainment deepened its collaboration with Paramount, Tom Cruise's opportunities in Hollywood would likely dwindle further. It was possible that in a few years, he would gradually fade from prominence.
Daenerys Studios.
While Jonathan was pondering potential action stars, Simon was discussing future collaborations with executives from Paramount.
Simon valued commitments. To get Paramount to drop its opposition to the acquisition of MCA, he would not violate any agreements, whether written or verbal.
Their upcoming collaboration included three movies and the joint ownership of the USA Network, each holding a 50% stake.
The key project among the three movies was "Mission: Impossible," which could potentially become a long-running series. However, since he planned not to cast the original actor, Tom Cruise, Simon was in no rush to develop this project, as there was no suitable lead actor in the short term.
Moreover, although they had agreed on three films, the timeline for cooperation was quite flexible; neither party was in any hurry.
Their discussion today focused on the development of USA Network.
Founded in 1977 and initially a joint venture by MCA, Paramount, and Warner, USA Network had remained a basic cable network for over a decade. Compared to its contemporary networks like ESPN, CNN, and MTV, which had found their niches, USA had never established a clear identity. It had dabbled in sports, children's programming, original series, and made-for-TV movies, and in recent years, as reality TV rose in popularity, it ventured into low-cost variety and game shows.
In Simon's memory, networks like ESPN, CNN, and MTV had become dominant in their fields, while USA, although it continued to operate, had never made a significant impact. Eventually, its style shifted closer to the major broadcast networks, relying on original crime and police dramas to boost ratings. However, due to its status as a basic cable network, these series, both in quality and ratings, could never truly compete with the major networks.
The only aspect of USA that Simon appreciated was its 21 million subscriber base.
Assuming an average of three viewers per subscribing household, USA had a potential audience of over 60 million, nearly a third of the US population.
However, because the four major broadcast networks were still in a dominant position and networks like ESPN, MTV, CNN, and even HBO had captured a significant share of cable subscribers, USA's programming had always struggled despite its substantial subscriber base.
Without a flagship show to capture viewers' attention, USA was the kind of network whose channel number was easily forgotten on the remote control.
The primary revenue sources for basic cable networks were carrier fees and advertising.
Carriers paid monthly fees to networks based on viewership and subscriber numbers. Networks like CNN, with high engagement, could earn up to 70 cents per subscriber per month from carriers, with similarly robust advertising revenue.
USA's average carrier fee was merely 15 cents per subscriber, less than a quarter of CNN's, with subscriber numbers also less than half of CNN's.
Therefore, despite having 21 million subscribers, USA's monthly carrier fee income barely exceeded $3 million, with annual revenues including advertising fees only slightly over $60 million.
Simon understood that USA's lack of a clear focus was the main issue. It tried to do everything and ended up excelling at nothing. Networks like ESPN, MTV, and CNN that focused on specific areas like sports, music, and news had all succeeded.
Before acquiring MCA, Simon had already started considering the next steps for USA.
With areas like music, sports, news, and even movies already taken, USA needed to focus on niche audiences.
With the "Beverly Housewives" IP, Simon decided to turn USA into a network targeting women, specifically the vast number of homemakers in the United States.
Despite being the most developed country in the world and experiencing several feminist movements over the decades, the proportion of American women who chose to be full-time homemakers after marriage in the early 1990s was still over 40%. For these women, television was undoubtedly the main pastime.
USA, being a 24-hour basic cable network, was particularly well-suited for the homemakers' demographic.
After operating for many years without much success, Paramount chairman Martin Davis did not insist too much when Simon proposed keeping the equity structure unchanged but demanded absolute control over USA.
After an afternoon of discussion, the two sides essentially finalized the budget and program plan for USA for the coming year.
Over the next year, Daenerys Entertainment and Paramount Communications would jointly invest $100 million in USA for series development, rights acquisitions, and advertising.
In terms of television programming, while relaunching "Beverly Housewives," they would also start another series, "New York Housewives." With the Housewives reality series as the main attraction, Daenerys Entertainment would also continue to develop and acquire a series of programs specifically aimed at women.
At five o'clock, the meeting concluded on time.
While others left, Martin Davis did not rush off and suggested taking a walk with Simon within the Daenerys Studios campus, which Simon did not refuse.
"Actually, Simon, about 'Mission: Impossible,' are you sure we can't give Tom a chance? I think he's quite suitable," Martin said as they strolled along the asphalt pathway in the campus.
Simon simply shook his head, "Martin, it's a matter of principle."
Simon would make compromises when necessary, such as collaborating with Paramount and lifting the ban on Meg Ryan. These were to avoid complications during the MCA acquisition, ensuring he didn't lose out over minor issues. However, Tom Cruise didn't hold any bargaining chips to warrant a compromise from Simon, who also needed to maintain a stance that the studios were the true powerhouses of Hollywood.
Moreover, with Daenerys Entertainment's vast reserve of high-quality IPs, the failure of one or two projects, even a series as formerly successful as "Mission: Impossible," wasn't too concerning.
Feeling Simon's resolve, Martin Davis did not press further, tactfully changing the subject.
Martin Davis, an old-guard unlike Simon, couldn't know the association between Tom Cruise and the "Mission: Impossible" series. His mention was merely due to the pleasant cooperation with Tom Cruise and Paramount over the years, with a bit of personal affinity involved.
Furthermore, as Paramount's performance had begun to decline in recent years, Martin's control over the company had rapidly weakened. He sensed that Paramount might soon face a fate similar to MCA's. Once that happened, his connection with the company would end, so he naturally wouldn't be too concerned over such matters.
His easy relinquishment of control over USA during the afternoon's meeting was also largely due to these reasons.
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