Hollywood Director 1992

[Chapter 336: Lost King of Hollywood]

"Look how thin you've gotten!"

"Yeah, and I've tanned quite a bit."

"After you finish, make sure to rest at home. There's no rush to start filming again; you're not an ordinary director, and no one is pressuring you to shoot."

Upon returning home, Link found himself surrounded by Lily, Monica Bellucci, Jennifer Connelly, Sofia Coppola, and Renee Zellweger, all of whom were inspecting him closely. They even reached out, touching his cheeks, his chest, and his abs, commenting on how tanned and thin he appeared.

In reality, he didn't look that way at all. He had an extraordinary level of stamina and spirit; no matter how busy he was, he never felt tired, let alone thin. However, he did tan considerably. California was tropical, consistently hot and dry with plenty of sunshine. His crew often shot outdoors, and it wasn't just him who got darker; even Sandra, who protected herself well, was sun-kissed, turning from porcelain skin to a lovely bronze during the filming.

With her curvy figure, it was as if she was the delectable roasted meats in a butcher shop, making one feel quite hungry. During filming, he and Sandra had been close, spending many nights together and indulging a bit too much.

---

After a few days of playful chaos at home, Link headed to the film studio to start editing and post-production, completing the film in three weeks. While editing, he also attended a screening of the movie In & Out, for which he served as a writer and editor, contributing about 12%. He noticed a slight increase in his physical prowess -- a 2% boost that felt markedly less intense than a higher increase.

---

"Daniel, now that The Net has wrapped up, let's get started on our next film, The English Patient. What's the budget status? Once that's settled, we can begin casting and considering the locations to shoot."

After the screening, Link walked out of the theater while conveying a few quick words to his longtime collaborator, Danny DeVito.

"Are you really in such a hurry? You've shot two films this year already! How about taking a couple of months off?" Danny adjusted his glasses.

"I'm thinking about a weekend vacation to Hawaii -- relaxing while working on the new script. You guys can keep crunching numbers over here, and once that's finished, start the preparations. The sooner we can wrap it up, the better."

"Alright then!" Danny shrugged, a hint of resignation in his expression. While most directors complained about their yearly film, Link had remarkably filmed three presentations continuously since last October, and yet he couldn't bear the thought of a break, showing more drive than many debt-ridden workers.

There was something uniquely industrious about him, quite unlike anyone else in Hollywood.

"I know this schedule is tough, Daniel, but our company's situation isn't great right now. We've got a lot of competitors breathing down our necks; the seven major studios are practically waiting for us to fail. In times like this, we have to work harder and produce competitive films to bolster our library. It won't last forever. Once we triumph over the seven studios, we'll have more time to relax."

Link patted Danny on his squishy shoulder. Upon hearing this, Danny was a bit moved and somewhat impressed. Earlier, he had complained about Link's workaholic tendencies, which pushed everyone into that mindset too. Now, learning that Link's diligent filmmaking was a countermeasure against the seven studios made a profound impact on him.

"Link, don't worry; I'll ensure the film prep goes smoothly. I won't let you down!" Danny declared, puffing up his chest emphatically.

"Great! You're doing a good job," Link responded, patting his back.

After sorting everything at the studio, he took a private jet with a few women who weren't busy acting and headed to Moon Bay in Hawaii for a vacation.

---

In the third week, The Shawshank Redemption grossed $18.73 million, accumulating $61.19 million in North American box office, ranking second for the week.

First place went to Disney's animated feature Pocahontas, which raked in $34.48 million in its opening week.

Third was The Bridges of Madison County, with $14.66 million, and fourth was Waterworld, with $8.14 million, totaling $58.58 million at the box office, notably less than Shawshank's earnings within the same timeframe.

Given the current box office trends, the media speculated that Waterworld's North American earnings would be around $80 million, indicating a potential loss of up to $100 million.

Universal Pictures had initially appeared to be the season's big winner with Apollo 13 and Casper; however, the immense losses from Waterworld pushed them out of the running.

After assessing the box office performances from the eight major studios, it became clear that Guess Pictures, which performed quietly over the summer, might emerge as the greatest success story.

Their film The Butterfly Effect grossed $142 million with a staggering 13:1 ratio, while The Shawshank Redemption reached $61.19 million after two weeks, also poised to break $100 million based on its momentum.

If either film hit that mark, Guess Pictures would have three films grossing over $100 million in the first half of the year, surpassing the performance of the seven major studios.

...

"Shirley, do you think any of Paramount's remaining films will break $100 million? No? Why not brainstorm some solutions? Are you just going to stand by and watch Guess Pictures become the summer ruler?"

"Ron, I recall you've got two films coming up from Universal. Any chance they will hit $100 million? None? If you ramp up the publicity and get celebs to promote them, would that change anything? Still no? Are you just going to let that bastard Link take us all down one by one while he profits?"

"Terry, what about Warner Bros? Nothing there either?"

"Great!"

Michael Ovitz dropped the phone, leaning back in his office chair, looking dejected and vacant.

During the preliminaries of the summer season, the seven major studios produced hit after hit, exerting immense competitive pressure on the box office while Guess Pictures struggled for any prominence.

Ovitz initially believed that in such a tightly controlled environment, the films from Guess Pictures would falter heavily, crippling Link's power and standing in Hollywood.

However, things did not turn out as he had hoped. Three films were released by Guess Pictures this summer, except for To Die For which had a disappointing box office, The Butterfly Effect and The Shawshank Redemption thrived, despite all the pressure from the seven studios.

At present, The Butterfly Effect reached over $100 million in North America, while Shawshank crossed $60 million after three weeks with expectations to breach the $100 million mark within ten weeks.

These two films were among the top five in summer box office rankings, with Guess Pictures dominating. Such a triumphant position turned the aggressive pursuits of the seven studios into mere farce.

Ovitz's reign was quickly becoming a joke within the industry.

Now CAA was rife with rumors, mocking his inability to overcome Link and falter after multiple failures since Link's emergence. Even his staff's previously respectful gazes transformed into admiration for Link, heralding him as the most powerful man in Hollywood.

Damn it!

...

With a dark expression, Ovitz finished a pack of cigarettes in his office before dialing Michael Eisner's number, weakly asking if the invitation was still on the table.

Eisner replied affirmatively but cautioned that if he accepted, there would be no turning back; he needed to join Disney before summer ended.

Ovitz gritted his teeth and agreed.

To defeat Link and reclaim power in Hollywood, he was ready to risk it. If successful, he would once again wear the crown, punishing those who betrayed and mocked him.

...

Once he decided to join Disney, Ovitz wasted no time revising CAA's leadership, placing loyalists in key positions.

His goal was to maintain significant influence even after leaving CAA; if things didn't pan out at Disney, he could rely on connections to fall back into CAA as a contingency.

As a founder of CAA, he wielded considerable power, and the management adjustments proceeded smoothly initially.

However, his suggested new president was blocked by the board.

Almost half favored Jay Moloney rather than his candidate, Ron Bernstein.

Ovitz was furious to see this unfolding.

Jay had decent ties with Link -- a fact that wasn't a secret in the industry.

To prevent Jay Moloney teaming up with Link in a power grab, he had previously terminated Jay's position under the pretense of restructuring, planning to let the contract expire.

However, over the last six months, Jay had quietly courted support from board members, gradually amassing nearly half their backing.

Had he not convened the board for a presidential appointment ahead of time, Jay might have gained even more support over the upcoming months, threatening to snatch his position in that boardroom.

Clouded with fury, Ovitz swiftly announced Jay's termination -- demanding he leave the Death Star Building immediately.

Yet, his command couldn't pass the board: Jay refused to depart CAA.

The board was stuck in a deadlock regarding the new presidential appointment.

...

"Damn! I have to get rid of him! I'll kill him!"

Ovitz seethed, slamming the office door and roaring in anger. One moment he was cursing at Jay; the next, he was railing against Link, with his furious voice intimidating the front desk assistants.

Ring! Ring!

In the midst of his tirade, the office phone rang. Ovitz, disinterested, nearly smashed it but stopped upon seeing that Link was calling.

His fury mounted.

He had just stumbled in the board meeting.

Link ringing at this moment clearly meant to gloat.

Ovitz answered with a furious click and began cursing Link again.

Ring! Ring!

The phone rang once more, and it was Link again. A twisted grin crept onto Ovitz's face; Link was really going too far. He grabbed the phone and launched into fury.

"Michael, finished cursing? Ready to have a chat?"

As Ovitz belted out all the indignities he felt, Link's calm and composed voice rang through the receiver.

"Chat? Ha, you're just dying to witness my downfall! What for?" Ovitz retorted coldly.

"To discuss collaboration."

"Collaboration?"

"Yes, I heard you were heading to Disney to take the co-CEO spot. Congratulations; that's quite a move!"

"What's that to you?"

"Everything! First, I'm a shareholder and board member at Disney. Secondly, I'm also a movie mogul. If you go to Disney, we will truly be colleagues."

"Ha! So what? You're a minor shareholder with little influence on the board. You can't stop Disney's board from voting me in as co-CEO. Think that's enough to intimidate me into backing down?" Ovitz scoffed.

"Michael, I'm not trying to block your move to Disney; I actually suggested you go there in the first place."

"Ha! That's laughable! You suggested I go to Disney? You must be kidding!" Ovitz retorted, unable to suppress a chuckle despite his earlier mood.

"Michael, the truth isn't important. My intent in calling was to propose collaboration. First, you ought to understand Eisner's motive in inviting you. If he achieves his goal, how would you fare?

Secondly, in the Disney landscape, how much power do you expect to hold in comparison to Jeffrey Katzenberg? Will your position be more stable?

Thirdly, as an agent, you're aware of how difficult it is to get a film project off the ground. Once you take the reins at Disney, you'll need to demonstrate results to secure your role and gain more power. Are you confident of turning profits for Disney?"

There was a brief pause before Link chuckled, "Michael, do you see my point?"

Ovitz, quiet, felt his mood dipping.

Eisner himself was also notoriously power-hungry, perhaps even more than Ovitz.

Michael Eisner had resigned from Paramount in 1984 to take the helm at a struggling Disney, and after his leadership, Disney evolved into a major entertainment empire.

However, Eisner's success morphed into a craving for absolute power, seeking an unyielding grasp on Disney's direction, often clashing with board members, including Disney family members.

This resulted in continuous internal fights at Disney.

Given Eisner's immense authority, unchallenged by even the deceased chair Frank Wells or the former studio head Jeffrey Katzenberg, inviting Ovitz to join wasn't so much valuing his talents but rather attempting to consolidate his own power.

As Link suggested in his first point, once Eisner achieved his objectives, would there still be a place for Ovitz? Could he rival Eisner?

Understanding this brought Ovitz to a dire conclusion: leaving CAA for Disney might be a disastrous choice.

"Michael, if you're thinking about how to go about asserting yourself at Disney, I can assist you." Link's voice broke through.

"You?" Ovitz raised his head, surprised. "What could you possibly offer me?"

"I can help you, but there's a condition: you need to endorse Jay Moloney for the CAA president position."

"You want me to recommend that traitor Jay Moloney to head CAA? You must be joking! That's absolutely impossible!" Ovitz declared firmly.

"Michael, don't be so quick to reject. You currently have two options: stay at CAA or leap to Disney.

If you choose the first, consider this conversation unspoken. If you opt for the latter, then you need to truly reflect on what I said about establishing yourself at Disney and wresting power from Eisner, truly becoming its true authority.

Of course, if you've lost your ambition and prefer to retire at Disney as the media suggests, then consider my suggestion ignored.

However, if you wish to seize power, collaborating with me is essential. No one else in Hollywood has the strategy to assist you. You should think carefully about this proposal," Link concluded.

Click!

...

Hearing Link hang up, Michael Ovitz furrowed his brows.

He wasn't sure whether Link was trying to help push Jay Moloney forward or was signaling him to reconsider jumping ship to Disney while promoting his film career.

Yet Link's argument held some water: Disney was Eisner's domain, and Eisner was notoriously headstrong.

Even as a former Hollywood ruler with deep connections, he doubted if he could usurp Eisner's position at Disney.

However, with Link's backing, a Disney shareholder and movie mogul, did he stand any chance of matching Eisner's strength? The answer was yes.

Link was indeed the new reigning king of Hollywood, a skilled filmmaker who had netted significant earnings alongside Columbia Pictures. Upon his joining Disney, he could make considerable profits for the studio.

If he could drive profitability for the company, Ovitz could solidify his position within Disney, potentially reclaiming the cinematic throne he once held in Hollywood.

Link burgeoned as an ally, but what involved him in all of this? Was it merely a way to get Jay Moloney into the CAA presidency?

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.