Chapter 285: Kings Don't Meet
Aaron remembered it clearly—when James Cameron was shooting Titanic, the production ran into constant problems. The budget spiraled out of control, giving 20th Century Fox a massive headache. In the end, they had to bring in Paramount Pictures to share the financial burden before the film could finally be completed—only to become a monument in cinematic history.
When that time came, Dawnlight could easily step in and replace Paramount as Fox's partner.
"Hmm? Sylvester Stallone is here too?"
After finishing his conversation with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Aaron was about to look for Cameron Diaz when he spotted Stallone entering the party.
As two of Hollywood's biggest action icons, Stallone and Schwarzenegger had always been rivals—rarely appearing in the same space. A classic case of "kings don't meet."
In recent years, however, Stallone's film quality and reception had declined. Aside from Cliffhanger, he hadn't delivered a major hit.
This year, he had The Specialist with Sharon Stone lined up.
Still, he wasn't short on projects—he had already filmed Judge Dredd and was preparing another action film, Assassins, both slated for release the following year.
That night, in Aaron's Bel Air villa bedroom—
Cameron Diaz lay sprawled across him, her voice soft with excitement.
"A few days ago, the Houston Rockets held their championship parade. Nearly a million people showed up—it was huge."
"Oh?" Aaron smiled, his hand gliding over her smooth skin.
"So you follow the NBA too?"
"A little," she replied, leaning in to kiss him again.
Meanwhile, in New York—Manhattan, at the Olympic Tower—
The NBA's new round of labor negotiations was underway at league headquarters. Team owners and the players' union clashed fiercely over rookie contract restrictions and the implementation of a hard salary cap.
At the same time, Major League Baseball's earlier negotiations had already collapsed, forcing a mid-season strike.
The MLB shutdown served as a warning to the NBA—if no agreement was reached, the next season could face contraction… or even a full lockout.
Back in Los Angeles, Aaron leaned on the sofa, speaking with Jack Wells over the phone in New York.
"A hard salary cap? The players' union won't accept that," Aaron said.
"That's more like the NFL system."
The NBA, MLB, and NHL all operated under soft salary caps—changing that wouldn't be easy.
"As for rookie contracts," he continued, "we'll see what kind of restrictions they settle on."
The league's rules were still evolving—far from the structured system of the future. Even Aaron couldn't influence much at this stage.
Jack's voice came through the line:
"Most likely, both sides will reach a temporary agreement. No one wants to jeopardize next season."
Aaron nodded slightly.
"To avoid a lockout, both sides will have to compromise."
Listening to Jack Wells on the phone, Aaron merely curled his lip.
"The Rockets finally won a championship—don't let next season turn into a mess."
After that, he asked briefly about the construction progress of the Dawnlight Center arena in Houston, then ended the call.
Meanwhile, as Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures moved ahead with launching the WB and UPN television networks, The Walt Disney Company was the first to feel the pressure.
At a board meeting, Michael Eisner took the lead in proposing the acquisition of a nationwide broadcast television network.
ABC was too expensive, CBS too limited in scope—so Disney ultimately set its sights on NBC, owned by General Electric.
At the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, Dawnlight hosted a celebration banquet as Interview with the Vampire crossed $100 million at the North American box office.
Director Neil Jordan and stars Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Monica Bellucci were all in attendance.
Producer David Geffen clinked glasses with Aaron, smiling broadly.
"The overseas box office has already reached $70 million. Hitting $100 million globally shouldn't be a problem."
Aaron nodded.
"With Tom Cruise leading, it's expected—and Brad Pitt's influence is rising fast too."
Geffen glanced toward the two actors across the room.
"Your eye for talent is sharp."
At the moment, Tom Cruise was filming Con Air for Dawnlight, while Brad Pitt was working on Seven.
Geffen let out a soft sigh.
"The film industry really is booming right now."
Aaron gave a faint smile, then shifted the topic.
"A few days ago, I saw reports about you meeting with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg."
He swirled his drink.
"Katzenberg is almost certain to leave Disney. With his ability, he won't lack opportunities—but I'd guess he wants to start his own studio."
"And given his friendship with Spielberg… if they join forces, that's a powerhouse alliance."
Geffen only smiled, saying nothing.
Katzenberg's departure from Disney was indeed only a matter of time. He did intend to build a new studio with Spielberg—and Geffen himself, with deep pockets and a long-standing friendship with Katzenberg, was prepared to join as well.
Still, the key figure was Spielberg.
He already had his own company, Amblin Entertainment, and maintained strong ties with Universal Pictures and Warner Bros.
If a new studio were formed, Spielberg would focus on creative production, while Katzenberg would handle operations.
Geffen took another sip of wine before continuing:
"Hollywood's six major studios are now expanding into independent film, and foreign capital is pouring in."
"Dawnlight has already taken shape—you can stand toe-to-toe with the majors. What you lack is legacy and a fully built industry chain."
"You've acquired AMC, expanded into cable, bought Orion and Samuel Goldwyn's libraries, and entered publishing… all to strengthen Dawnlight."
He paused, then looked directly at Aaron.
"If one day—you, Katzenberg, Spielberg… and me—joined forces…"
"We could build a new entertainment giant. Break the monopoly of the six studios—and reshape Hollywood."
Aaron froze for a moment, then stared at Geffen in disbelief.
…So that's what you're aiming for?
Classic move.
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