Chapter 136 – I Already Have a Date
London — Knightsbridge, Westminster.
Inside the Royal Albert Hall, the 45th British Academy Film Awards were underway.
Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster had just won Best Actor and Best Actress for The Silence of the Lambs.
At the post-ceremony banquet, Aaron raised his glass.
"Congratulations to both of you."
"Thank you," Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins replied, still glowing with excitement.
Aaron smiled.
"The Silence of the Lambs also racked up a ton of Oscar nominations. The buzz in Hollywood is huge.
Buying the rights from Orion was the best decision I made this year."
Jodie shook her head with a laugh.
"Aaron, that was your vision. Orion really missed the mark."
Indeed — Orion had sold the rights to The Silence of the Lambs to Dawnlight, and the film went on to earn $130 million domestically and $270 million worldwide.
To make matters worse, they had also sold The Addams Family to Paramount — which earned over $190 million globally after its release that November.
A disastrous pair of decisions for a studio already drowning in debt.
Not long after, Winona Ryder arrived to congratulate Anthony Hopkins as well.
The two of them had come directly from the set of Bram Stoker's Dracula, still shooting in London.
Dressed in a sleek black suit, her shoulder-length dark hair framing her lightly made-up face, Winona approached Aaron with a sigh.
"I feel like the pressure's been mounting lately."
Aaron frowned.
"You took those over-the-counter pills again?"
Winona Ryder didn't answer. Her long-standing dependence on antidepressants was no secret to him. She was disciplined on set, but once filming wrapped, her usage always crept back.
Seeing her lower her head, Aaron gently patted her shoulder.
"My suggestion? Take on more romantic comedies for a while. Stop choosing such dark, tragic roles.
If you keep misusing medication, it's going to hit your career hard."
Winona was young, beautiful, and innately talented — she didn't lack scripts, only steadiness.
"I haven't seen Depp in a long time…"
Ah. So it was a matter of the heart.
Johnny Depp — a man who collected romantic entanglements with every film he shot. Aaron knew exactly what kind of chaos surrounded him.
"Well… actors are always busy," Aaron said with a sympathetic smile.
"Don't think too much about it. Right now you should focus on your career."
Actors were under far more scrutiny than a producer like him — emotional turbulence hit harder.
Later that evening, Aaron found Catherine Zeta-Jones, who had also come for the ceremony — her TV series Mayflower was nominated in the drama category.
"Aaron, congratulations!"
The sensuous, radiant Catherine nearly beamed when she approached him.
After a brief kiss, Aaron led her to a nearby bar.
Holding her on his lap on a sofa, he said,
"Mayflower: Season Two is about to premiere. Your popularity in the UK is growing fast."
"Darling, I'm only a TV actress. It's a small circle."
The series did well in Britain, but the success didn't travel far.
The UK film industry was stagnant — the market had essentially become Hollywood's backyard.
Aaron chuckled as he kissed her cheek.
"Relax. I'm not just here for Bram Stoker's Dracula. I'm also setting up Dawnlight's UK branch.
British literature and historical stories are gold mines for Hollywood. It's the cultural backbone America doesn't have."
"At this rate, you won't have to worry about opportunities."
Catherine smiled playfully, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Really? Well, with the UK film industry down, the government is offering tax rebates.
The film I'm in — Christopher Columbus: The Discovery — premieres in August. I'll need to do press in the U.S."
Aaron raised his glass.
"Perfect. When you get to the States, come find me."
"Cheers," she said, touching her glass to his.
The next moment, he pulled her close, and their kiss turned fiery.
---
Whitechapel — Bram Stoker's Dracula Set
Aaron studied Gary Oldman's Dracula makeup and felt a jolt of discomfort.
The Japanese costume designer had leaned heavily into Kabuki influences — perhaps too heavily.
Columbia Pictures president Sid Ganis walked up beside him.
"This and A Few Good Men are our studio's two big prestige films this year. Francis won't run behind schedule… right?"
Aaron smiled.
"Relax. We'll wrap next month. Then Francis will jump straight into post-production.
We'll hit the Thanksgiving release date."
Sid exhaled. "Isn't the film a little… extreme?"
Aaron blinked.
"You mean the rating? It's obviously R-rated."
Did Sid really think this would land a PG-13? With its eroticism, blood, and gothic horror?
"Alright then. As long as you're steering the ship, I'm not worried.
No one believes Aaron Anderson makes losing bets anymore."
ICM had leaked the fact that Aaron once fought to acquire The Addams Family, and after Dawnlight bought The Silence of the Lambs on borrowed money, his instincts had become legendary.
Aaron changed the subject.
"You're here to promote The Prince of Tides, right?"
The drama, directed and starred in by Barbra Streisand, had just crossed $60 million in the U.S. and collected several Oscar nominations.
"I'm also heading to the Berlin Film Festival," Sid admitted.
"Interested in tagging along? Dawnlight doesn't have new releases right now.
If we see something promising, Dawnlight can take North America and Columbia–TriStar can take international."
Aaron spread his hands and nodded toward a corner of the set.
"I already have a date tonight — with the Italian model playing one of Dracula's brides."
Sid Ganis just laughed. Convincing Aaron to take on extra work was almost impossible.
Hollywood's major studios all wanted partnerships with Dawnlight.
Sony, in particular, kept courting Aaron — terrified of losing him to a rival distributor.
But Aaron Anderson refused to sign any exclusive distribution agreement.
And that refusal was what made everyone want him even more.