Chapter 281: A National Comedy
At Dawnlight's headquarters in Burbank, Aaron stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of his top-floor office, looking out over the city below.
"News of Michael Eisner being hospitalized is spreading everywhere," he said calmly.
"If nothing unexpected happens, this leak likely came from Jeffrey Katzenberg."
After the news broke, The Walt Disney Company's stock price had already begun to fluctuate.
Tom Rothman, standing nearby, nodded.
"According to the papers, after Eisner was hospitalized, his wife informed close friends—Michael Ovitz and his wife, Roy E. Disney and his wife, as well as Sid Bass and others."
"But strangely… Katzenberg, someone who's worked with him for years, wasn't notified at all."
Aaron chuckled softly.
"Then it's clear—Katzenberg's time at Disney is running out."
Tom Rothman hesitated for a moment before asking,
"Aaron, are you thinking of bringing Katzenberg over to run Pixar?"
Aaron shook his head.
"He wouldn't even consider it."
"After everything he's experienced at Disney, there's no way he'd accept a subordinate position again."
Pixar, after all, was still just a fledgling studio—no feature-length animated film had even been released yet.
Trying to recruit someone of Katzenberg's stature right now? That was pure fantasy.
Later that afternoon, Don Steel arrived with a script sent over by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, proposing a collaboration on a drama project.
"Dead Man Walking," she explained.
"It's adapted from the true story of Sister Helen Prejean."
"It follows her correspondence with death row inmate Matthew Poncelet. Over the final 168 hours of his life, she helps him confront his guilt, break down his emotional barriers, and ultimately face death with genuine repentance."
Aaron flipped through the proposal, nodding slightly.
"Directed by Tim Robbins… PolyGram clearly has a lot of confidence in him."
A few years earlier, Robbins' directorial debut Bob Roberts had also been backed by PolyGram.
Aaron closed the script with a decisive motion.
"It's a strong story," he said.
"Dawnlight can partner with them—we'll handle North American distribution."
A project like this—serious, character-driven, and emotionally grounded—was exactly the kind of film worth supporting.
As for why PolyGram Filmed Entertainment didn't go with its usual North American partner, Gramercy Pictures, Aaron couldn't be bothered to dig into the details.
Don Steel nodded. "I'll inform PolyGram right away."
Not long after, Aaron received an invitation to the annual Sun Valley Conference in Idaho—sent by Herbert Allen Jr. of Allen & Company.
Often dubbed a "summer camp for billionaires," the Sun Valley Conference gathered top figures from media and finance for high-level networking and dealmaking.
The biggest draw, as always, was Warren Buffett—a close friend of Allen's and fellow board member at companies like Coca-Cola and Capital Cities/ABC.
Aaron glanced at the invitation, not overly impressed. Still, it might be worth attending. With Dawnlight's rapid rise, he knew plenty of investors and moguls would be eager to approach him there.
That evening, at the Dawnlight Studios lot, in the parking area near the Friends set, Jennifer Aniston slipped into a Lexus LS400.
The moment she got in, she wrapped her arms around Aaron and kissed him—passionate and unrestrained.
Aaron pulled her close, running a hand along her back.
"So, the set's full of laughter, I assume?"
"Of course," she smiled. "It's a sitcom—the atmosphere is great."
Her natural optimism made her a perfect fit for Friends.
"Come on," Aaron said, giving her a playful pat. "Let's grab a drink."
Soon, they arrived at a bar on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood.
"That night was really something," Aaron said, leaning back on the couch with her in his arms, recalling the Northridge earthquake.
Jennifer laughed softly and kissed his cheek.
"Yeah… good thing it happened in the middle of the night, and the epicenter was in Northridge."
"Otherwise, if reporters had caught us in that situation…" she teased, "you'd have made front-page headlines everywhere."
Aaron chuckled, then kissed her again, his hand sliding over her thigh.
At this point, Jennifer Aniston wasn't yet America's sweetheart.
Season 1 of Friends wouldn't air until September. It would likely take until Season 2 for the show—and her—to truly explode nationwide.
After the kiss, she leaned against him, eyes half-lidded.
"Dawnlight's films lately have been incredible," she said softly.
"Forrest Gump is gaining momentum fast…
Interview with the Vampire has captured a huge female audience…
and My Best Friend's Wedding has already hit $150 million worldwide."
Aaron leaned in, whispering by her ear, his hand brushing her waist.
"When the right romantic comedy comes along, I'll make sure you're in it."
"You're perfect for that genre."
"Don't forget," he added with a grin, "that's how I built my name."
"I know," she said, nuzzling against him.
"Ghost, Sleepless in Seattle—classics."
"And last year's Four Weddings and a Funeral even broke UK box office records."
For any newcomer in Hollywood, landing a role in one of Aaron Anderson's films was nothing short of a golden ticket.
She looked up at him curiously.
"You seem to really value Friends. Are you that confident in it?"
Aaron smiled.
"Confident?"
"That's putting it mildly."
Friends wasn't just another sitcom—it would become a cultural phenomenon, a defining "national comedy" that swept across the United States and the world.
For Dawnlight Television, it would be a long-term goldmine—syndication, reruns, international sales, merchandise…
That was why Aaron kept such a close eye on its production.
Even compared to Dawnlight's first major TV project, ER, Friends held a far more important place in his mind.
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