Hollywood has seen its fair share of filmmakers who insisted on writing, directing, and even starring in their projects, ultimately achieving fame. Sylvester Stallone stands as one of the most legendary examples. Unfortunately, Peter Berg is not among them.
In fact, Berg could be considered one of Hollywood's notorious pitfalls.
In the original timeline, Peter Berg's directorial debut, Very Bad Things, was a resounding failure. Yet, this did not stop him—bolstered by his natural "industry advantages"—from continuing to rise in Hollywood. Over the years, Berg directed more than a dozen films, many of which were high-budget productions or big studio tentpoles. However, apart from Hancock, starring Will Smith at his peak, most of his projects flopped—films like Battleship, Deepwater Horizon, and even lesser-remembered titles such as The Rundown and The Kingdom ended up as financial or critical failures.
Nevertheless, Simon finds these kinds of filmmakers quite entertaining—so long as their failures don't impact his own interests.
At this moment, when Peter Berg confidently presented his terms, Simon's expression betrayed no irritation. Instead, he adopted the look of a talent scout discovering a hidden gem, promptly agreeing: "No problem, Peter. I went through the synopsis of Very Bad Things during breakfast, and it's an excellent story."
Peter Berg was visibly surprised by Simon's straightforward response. After a brief pause, he instinctively added, "But, Mr. Westeros, Mr. Morris mentioned in a previous conversation that I'm a newcomer…"
Simon interrupted with a wave of his hand. "Peter, I'm the one in charge. Here's the thing—I think Very Bad Things, if executed properly, has a good chance of competing at the Oscars. So, let's place it under Gaomen Pictures, and I'll have Ella oversee it."
The Oscars?
Peter Berg's surprise turned to palpable excitement. If his project could compete for an Oscar, even just a nomination, it would be enough to solidify his place in Hollywood.
But wasn't this too good to be true?
Seeing Berg at a loss for words, Simon skillfully shifted the conversation: "That said, Peter, if you want to direct this film yourself, we'll need to control the budget for risk management. The cap will be $10 million, and the cast will be decided by us."
That sounded more reasonable.
Even Robert Redford, who was casually listening in, felt the terms made sense.
Peter Berg also seemed to think that reality had returned, but he immediately responded, "Mr. Westeros, $10 million is too low. To be honest, other studios interested in Very Bad Things have offered budgets well above that."
"Money may be important to a film, but it's never the deciding factor," Simon replied calmly. "Good Will Hunting only had a $10 million budget, and look at how much audiences love it. What matters most is the team you work with. Danijelis Entertainment can help you make an excellent film and successfully market it—that's the key."
As he said this, Simon was genuinely concerned that Peter Berg might agree too quickly. So, he wrapped up the conversation before it went too far: "Think it over, Peter. I'll be waiting for your good news."
With that, Simon deliberately redirected his attention to Robert Redford, effectively ending the discussion.
The goal had already been achieved.
Surrounded by guests at the luncheon, Simon had intentionally not lowered his voice during the exchange. By comparing Very Bad Things to the currently successful Good Will Hunting, word would surely spread. Simon had no doubt that the buzz would make other Hollywood studios clamor for the project.
The luncheon continued until 2 p.m.
Simon stayed until the very end, patiently mingling with filmmakers and industry professionals. Just as the event was winding down and he was about to leave, Natasha Richardson, who had spoken with him earlier, stopped him again.
"Simon, I think you owe me an apology."
Simon had just instructed Lady A to ensure Ella Deutschmann handled Very Bad Things properly when he heard Natasha's abrupt remark. He smiled and asked, "Why?"
Natasha Richardson stared at Simon. "You told me I'd die if I went skiing again. That's… absurd."
Simon, quick to make amends, replied, "Alright, Natasha. I'm sorry."
Still, the worry on Natasha's face didn't fade. "But Simon, you've ruined something I love. Even if you take it back now, I still wouldn't dare go skiing again."
"That sounds serious." Simon's lips curved into a slight smile. "How about this: since you're working on Broadway, next time I'm in New York, I'll take you out to dinner. Consider it compensation. Deal?"
Natasha was momentarily taken aback. Was this a genuine invitation or just a brush-off? Despite her skepticism, her tone softened unconsciously: "Simon, that sounds… insincere."
Simon slipped on the coat handed to him by Lady A and replied with a smile: "Dinner is just the beginning. We can discuss more compensation in detail then."
Catching the playful glint in his eyes, Natasha shook her head instinctively. "That's not what I meant. I mean, who knows if you'll even remember this the next time you're in New York. Why not… tonight?"
"I'm afraid tonight won't work. I have a packed schedule."
Seeing Simon's serious tone, and realizing he didn't press her on the ambiguous wording of her suggestion, Natasha had no choice but to agree.
Simon really was busy.
Following the luncheon, he attended a film forum in Park City. This event wasn't officially affiliated with Sundance but was instead organized by several major Hollywood studios as a networking and exchange opportunity. Many filmmakers were present, and Simon made the time to attend. Later in the evening, he had to appear at a fashion party hosted by CK, one of Melisandre's brands.
Even in his brief moments of downtime, Simon's attention remained focused on the film festival.
He'd requested materials on the films being screened at Sundance. Most of the documents were no more than one-page posters or summaries. During transit or short breaks, he flipped through them, hoping to unearth hidden gems or promising new talent.
Thanks to his extensive knowledge, Simon quickly recognized several familiar names among the filmmakers, though most were minor figures. What caught his attention, however, was a noticeable trend: a growing number of films this year were shot with digital cameras.
Seeing this shift, Simon felt it might be time to replicate some of the projects that had achieved miracles in the past, such as The Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity, both low-budget, faux-documentary-style horror films that generated huge returns. Why not make use of the opportunity?
Meanwhile, on the evening of January 19, the 54th Golden Globe Awards were held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
The results were largely within Simon's expectations.
The much-buzzed-about Good Will Hunting went home empty-handed. The award for Best Drama went to The English Patient, while Evita won Best Musical or Comedy. Madonna also fulfilled her wish of winning Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
The awards sparked the usual wave of criticism from the media, primarily advocating for Danijelis Entertainment's two films, Good Will Hunting and Fargo, which many felt had been unfairly overlooked.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association could only shrug.
Danijelis Entertainment's primary focus this year was The English Patient. What else could they do?
The result was that, despite receiving no awards, Good Will Hunting benefited from the media coverage, boosting its momentum and box office returns. Meanwhile, Fargo, which had already been released on home video, experienced a spike in sales.
It was a win-win situation.
Furthermore, Danijelis Entertainment quietly secured the international distribution rights for The English Patient, offering an additional layer of compensation. Historically, The English Patient had grossed $78 million domestically and $150 million internationally.
Although Simon's company hadn't been involved in the film's production, simply handling its international distribution would still yield a tidy profit.
In fact, for the past several years, many of MGM's projects had relied on Danijelis Entertainment for overseas distribution. On one hand, MGM's international distribution capabilities were limited. On the other, as the parent company, Simon naturally prioritized his own firm's interests. Strategically, this arrangement also ensured MGM remained firmly tied to Danijelis Entertainment.
As the new week began, Simon returned to Los Angeles on Monday. The highlight of the week was undoubtedly the eagerly anticipated Egret Corporation financial report press conference.
Scheduled for Wednesday, January 22, at 2 p.m., the event was planned as a grand affair.
Though not groundbreaking, such elaborate financial report announcements were rare. However, given Egret's size, public attention, and, most importantly, its staggering financial data, the effort was entirely justified.
For fiscal year 1996, Egret reported total revenue of $33.6 billion, a 63% year-over-year increase compared to 1995's $20.8 billion—defying industry expectations that growth would stabilize below 50%.
Even more astonishingly, Egret's net profit for 1996 reached an eye-popping $3.5 billion.
To put these figures into perspective:
With $33.6 billion in revenue, Egret ranked among the top 20 companies in the Fortune 500. In terms of profit, Egret broke into the top 10.
But the most critical detail was this: despite standing shoulder to shoulder with century-old corporate giants, Egret's growth showed
no signs of slowing. If this trend continued, the industry struggled to imagine the behemoth Egret might become in the future.
When Jeff Bezos, presenting at Egret's conference center, revealed the company's annual revenue for 1996, many of the hundreds of journalists present couldn't help but recall the company's mysterious motto:
"You Know Nothing."
Over the years, rumors had circulated that Simon Westeros himself had coined this cryptic phrase. Interpretations varied widely, but the sentiment now seemed clear:
The world is changing too fast, and we truly know nothing.
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