Chapter 58 – Not a Big Fan of Bundling
Los Angeles, Burbank. Thomas Gray, general manager of the American branch of Golden Harvest, visited Aaron Anderson at Dawnlight Films' office.
Thanks to the massive success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Golden Harvest and New Line had already begun preparations for the sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Mystery of the Mutants. The production budget had nearly doubled to $25 million, and the release date was set for next spring.
By noon, after lunch with Jennifer Connelly, Aaron drove past the Warner Bros. studio and noticed a sea of luxury cars parked outside and throngs of reporters gathered around.
"What's going on?" Jennifer asked from the passenger seat, curious.
"Didn't you see the news?" Aaron replied as he stopped the car and stepped out.
"Warner Bros. is celebrating reclaiming their studio shares from Columbia. Time Warner's chairman and co-CEO, Steve Ross, spent $3 million to have Steven Spielberg organize an extravagant gala. Around 300–400 top-tier celebrities were invited to the Warner Bros. lot—luxurious, elaborate, and quirky!"
Aaron leaned against the car. He noticed the same Lotus sports car driven by Al Pacino in Pretty Woman. No wonder Lotus sales had surged.
"Wow, that's quite a scene!"
Jennifer took a few glances around. Clearly, all the attendees were major figures from various industries.
Aaron wrapped an arm around her, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "Hollywood moves fast. Newcomers always replace the old. The era of guys like Steve Ross and Lew Wasserman is coming to an end!"
Although Time Warner had acquired Warner Communications, it was Steve Ross of Warner Communications who had outmaneuvered N.J. Nicholas in the power struggle, becoming chairman and consolidating the greatest authority.
Gerard Leven, former president of Time Warner, had thrown his lot in with Ross, becoming his trusted aide and vice chairman of the group.
Leven had long managed HBO, Time Warner's most profitable division, making his influence unquestionable.
Now, however, Steve Ross was unwell, his health declining, while Panasonic was in the process of acquiring MCA, the parent company managed by Lew Wasserman.
"Shall we go?" Jennifer reminded with a smile.
"Yeah," Aaron replied.
Aaron was accompanying Jennifer to ICM to sign her talent contract.
ICM wasn't weak by any means—they represented stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, and Eddie Murphy.
Originally a subsidiary of the publicly listed Josephson International, ICM had been formed in 1975 when Marvin Josephson merged CMA (Creative Management Associates) and IFA (International Famous Artists). Two years ago, Josephson and several senior partners had taken the company private.
Marvin Josephson remained the largest shareholder but wasn't directly involved in talent management. ICM's current president was senior partner Jeffrey Berg.
Marvin Josephson's daughter, Nancy Josephson, worked at ICM as a talent agent.
Upon spotting Aaron Anderson accompanying Jennifer Connelly, Nancy invited him into her office.
"Mr. Anderson, hello. I'm Nancy Josephson."
"Hello," Aaron said, immediately recognizing the surname and roughly guessing her identity.
"Just call me Aaron. Can I call you Nancy?"
"Of course," Nancy smiled.
"Connelly is actually a talented actress, just a bit inexperienced," Nancy continued.
Aaron sipped his coffee. "Her acting is still a little raw, which is why I previously suggested she continue her studies. If she were to go straight into playing a sexy typecast, her future roles would be limited."
Nancy looked puzzled. "So, Aaron, you're confident about Rocketman then?"
Aaron glanced at her. "Given Connelly's current situation, if she turns down a script like Rocketman, she probably won't land any major roles for the next few years—she'd have to wait until graduation."
He shrugged. "Obviously, Connelly isn't planning to wait until graduation to act."
Nancy shook her head. "You're too modest, Aaron. The successes of Sex, Lies, and Videotape and Phone Booth already prove your judgment. Plus, My Wild Heart is receiving high praise at Cannes, and Nicole Kidman, the lead, is set to join your next film, Ghost."
As a former entertainment lawyer, Nancy knew exactly the nature of Aaron's relationships.
"Pretty Woman has already grossed $120 million in North America. Julia Roberts really became an overnight sensation. We owe you a bit of thanks for that."
Aaron waved it off. "No need to thank me. Julia had the talent herself and knew how to seize the opportunity. It's only natural for a project like Pretty Woman to make her an instant star."
He glanced at Nancy. "You didn't call me here just to talk about that, right?"
Nancy smiled. "Of course not. Your first film after leaving CAA, Phone Booth, was a commercial success. Now you're preparing your second project. But with only a few films a year, you know ICM handles packaged projects annually. Don't you think we could collaborate?"
"Dawnlight Films' projects could be managed by ICM. We'd find distributors and investors, without meddling in production," Nancy proposed.
Aaron chuckled. "Without involvement in production, but still using ICM directors and actors… that's what you mean, right?"
Nancy shrugged. "ICM has to earn a return. Beyond your projects, we'll also support any ICM internal projects you want to develop."
Aaron shook his head. "I'm not too fond of packaged projects. A film needs the right people. Plus, I think Dawnlight's projects already attract distributors. There's no need for an extra layer. Let's just maintain collaboration on the actors."
"Sure, you can think it over," Nancy said, not expecting to convince him immediately. After all, producers aren't like directors or actors—many haven't joined agencies and simply maintain working relationships.