Hollywood Director 1992

[Chapter 341: Tigers Waiting for the Elephant to Weaken]

After Guess Pictures' public relations department began to take action, a wave of negative news about Link flooded the media. Reports surfaced claiming he had numerous girlfriends, far more than the number revealed earlier in the year, portraying a chaotic private life.

Aside from filming, he was said to be preoccupied with dating, rarely focusing on serious matters. If it weren't for people like Michael Leeson and Danny DeVito, Guess Pictures would likely have gone bankrupt long ago. His lavish lifestyle was also under scrutiny, with reports stating he owned over ten luxury homes around the world, had gold toilets in his residence, and imported expensive ingredients via private jets. He supposedly swam in Bordeaux wine with his girlfriends in his villa's pool.

Claims even suggested that Link was incapable of directing films on his own, relying heavily on assistant directors to produce movies, which explained why someone who never trained in filmmaking could consistently create successful films. Additionally, it was rumored that he often needed an oxygen tank on set due to his indulgent lifestyle weakening his health.

...

Knock, knock, knock!

"Lily!" Danny DeVito barged into Lily's office, brandishing a newspaper. He pointed to an article and exclaimed, "Have you seen this news? It says that Guess Pictures' success largely relies on me, Michael, and Jon, suggesting someone is sowing discord to damage our relationship with Link.

There's another article claiming Link can't direct; it says several of his films were mainly shot with the help of assistant directors. How can they say such things? This is clearly slander! Our PR team should take action and sue those unscrupulous media outlets to restore Link's reputation!"

Lily glanced at the newspaper Danny handed her, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Danny, I've seen these headlines and reported them to Link. He said to ignore them. The media had hyped him up with overly positive reports, which created issues; this wave of negative news could cool things down nicely."

Danny frowned, "But this could harm Link's reputation."

"It's fine. He values tangible benefits and the company's growth over mere fame," Lily remarked with a smile.

"Alright then!" Danny acknowledged, nodding.

Before he could exit, Michael and Jon along with Mark Amin entered with their copies of the newspaper, suggesting the PR department act quickly to address the negative coverage.

Lily applied the same reasoning she'd used on Danny to brush off the others. After they left, she received calls from Monica and Jennifer, who were furious about the media's negative portrayal. They were bewildered; Link was so physically strong that they had struggled to compete against him in several challenges before. How could he possibly be too weak to work? This was nothing but slander.

Lily sighed, feeling exasperated, and informed Monica and the others that Link was aware and had requested the company not to respond, letting the media's slander continue.

Lily subtly indicated that the company supported this current narrative, aiming to cool the excessive idolization of Link, preventing him from becoming a target.

Monica and the others humorously suggested they should catch Link off guard to tease him, inviting her along. Embarrassed, Lily agreed.

---

"Sofia, is it true that your villa has gold toilets? I have to see this next time I visit!" Nicholas Cage exclaimed as he flipped through a newspaper with his cousin Sofia.

"No, that's fake; there are no gold toilets in our villa," Sofia replied, focused on her book.

"More fake news? Is someone deliberately trying to set him up? I thought when Michael Ovitz switched jobs, the Hollywood drama would quiet down, but clearly, I underestimated the situation," Nicholas remarked.

"Hollywood is pretty complicated now, Link is the target for many; you'd best keep your distance from him; hanging out with him won't do you any good," Francis Ford Coppola warned, watching the news.

"Thanks for the advice, but I can manage my life," Sofia replied defiantly, walking outside with her book.

Old Coppola sighed as he watched his daughter's stubborn retreat.

"Uncle, don't worry. Link is a good guy; I think she will benefit from being associated with him," Nicholas assured.

Coppola huffed, blocking his face with the newspaper and tuning out Nicholas's chatter.

---

"Ha! Did you see that? I told Link to focus on movies and not get involved in anything else. But he wouldn't listen, and now look, the media is digging up dirt on him!" Quentin Tarantino cackled as he shook the newspaper in the bar.

"Link is the most powerful guy in Hollywood now; these negative stories hardly have any impact on him," Steven Soderbergh, bald and pensive, chimed in.

"What does 'most powerful' mean? Everyone is just a director; what matters is filming great movies. Those titles don't mean anything," Quentin scoffed.

Robert Rodriguez chuckled, "Link has been cranking out films without a hitch. He finished one in April and another in July, and there's talk of a new project. He'll release at least three films this year. When will you start filming your next project, Quentin?"

Quentin twitched his eye. In their circle, most directors made one film a year at most while Link managed three, pushing the limits of insanity. Competing with him seemed impossible.

"Hmph! That guy is probably still on vacation in Hawaii and hasn't seen the news. I should call him up and read him some articles, asking if he really wears an oxygen mask while filming!" Quentin laughed, starting to dial.

Alongside Quentin and Nicholas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Ryan Phillippe, and others also took note of the media coverage. In interviews, they criticized the unscrupulous media for maligning Link, calling him one of the finest directors around, with elevated artistic levels and stellar creative capabilities. They emphasized that working with him significantly enhanced their acting skills and labeled the media's reports as pure fabrication.

Regular folks also caught wind of the derogatory news, fueling gossip about Link's private life, painting him as a playboy. These negative reports somewhat offset earlier sensationalism about Link being the king of Hollywood, leading to dwindling articles discussing that title.

Hollywood reverted to a structure dominated by the seven major studios plus Guess Pictures. The previous king of Tinseltown, Ovitz, found himself as just another member amongst the elite studios.

---

In mid-August, Guess Pictures released their fourth film, In & Out. The film was a collaboration between Guess Pictures and MGM. The idea stemmed from Tom Hanks' Oscar acceptance speech from the previous year, telling the story of a high school teacher, Howard, whose sexual orientation was outed just before his engagement. After his identity was exposed, Howard faced many upheavals in his personal and professional life, and ultimately, during his wedding, he chose to embrace his true self and fell in love with gossip reporter Peter.

Starring Kevin Kline, Julianne Moore, Tom Selleck, and Joaquin Phoenix, it was a comedic take on homosexuality. The late-summer box office saw reduced competition amongst blockbusters. In its first week across 1,994 theaters, In & Out grossed $16.79 million -- though this performance lagged behind films like The Butterfly Effect and The Shawshank Redemption, surprisingly, it snagged the weekend box office lead. It became the best launch among the four summer releases from Guess Pictures.

Trailing in second place was Paramount's romance film, Clueless, which earned $14.64 million in its second week, totaling $34.61 million. With a production budget of $12 million, it was poised to exceed $60 million at the box office, marking it a hit.

Universal's comedy, Babe, ranked third, debuting at $8.74 million with a $30 million production cost, covering only its expenses in total.

...

"Link, congratulations on another box office success! The seven major studios are completely unable to suppress your films now," Jay Moloney remarked, sipping tea in the gazebo.

"And congratulations on your promotion and raise," Link replied with a gentle smile.

Jay personally visited Link's Hawaiian estate to express his gratitude after taking over as CAA president, showcasing genuine appreciation.

"Link, thanks again for your support. Without your assistance, I wouldn't just be taking this position; I might well have been ousted from CAA altogether," Jay said, shaking his head, recalling how every moment of that transition was filled with tension.

Link waved his hand dismissively, refusing to accept praise.

In truth, he found Michael Ovitz's strategies somewhat surprising. The last time, their conversation had centered on collaboration, with Ovitz remaining non-committal, and since then, they hadn't revisited the topic. Now, Ovitz backed Jay for the presidency, which implied he'd accepted Link's earlier proposition -- but maybe not entirely. Ovitz thrived on power; as long as Guess Pictures continued to strengthen, his influence would grow. True collaboration might remain elusive, as both parties sought to expand their power.

"Jay, Ovitz's support for you could come with ulterior motives. I'm not entirely clear on what they are; perhaps it'll be useful for you to investigate more deeply," Link suggested.

Jay nodded in agreement.

Although he was uncertain of Link's dealings with Ovitz, his ability to persuade a rival like Ovitz indicated Link's remarkable talent.

"Link, there's one more thing," Jay suddenly stated, pulling out a stack of documents. "There have been recent fluctuations in CAA's stock price after Michael Ovitz and the founders stepped down. The stock dipped from $1.25 billion to approximately $1 billion. Many shareholders are looking to offload their stakes. Are you interested in taking over some shares?"

In the entertainment industry, the 1948 Paramount Decree prohibited film company investors from participating in agency and distribution matters to prevent monopolies, though holding small stakes did not violate antitrust laws. To show support for Jay's tenure, Link planned to arrange for Glimmer Capital to acquire a 2% stake worth around $10-20 million. Including his previous purchase of 1.2%, he would hold a modest quantity.

His reasoning for not acquiring more stems from already holding shares in UTA and having no need to invest in another agency. Moreover, CAA's valuation had peaked and presented limited growth potential, restricting the attractiveness of investment.

Having leftover funds allowed for investment elsewhere.

Jay expressed gratitude for Link's support and pledged to bolster their collaboration. Link reciprocated, looking forward to their joint efforts.

Finally, after surveying the estate, Jay joked that his presence was insufficient to liven the atmosphere, proposing he could introduce some beautiful women from CAA to brighten things up; Link graciously declined.

While he enjoyed dating, he disdained the idea of being pushed into such situations unnecessarily. Realizing Link had no interest, Jay stopped pressing. After spending half the day at the villa, he took his leave.

...

"Link, there are rumors around town that Jay landed as CAA president thanks to your backing. Is that true?" Michelle Pfeiffer, Diane Lane, and Angelina Jolie inquired after Jay left.

"I just lent a hand," Link shrugged while wrapping an arm around Michelle.

"Definitely more than a little help! Jay visits you right after taking over CAA, and he's so respectful; you clearly had a significant part in his ascent," Angelina replied knowingly.

Cameron Diaz and others chimed in in agreement, as they were all CAA talents and had more awareness of internal matters. Hearing of Link's support for Jay's presidency, along with witnessing Jay's respect towards him, they felt a surge of pride that made their gazes toward Link more affectionate and intense.

Link smiled lightly, opting not to elaborate further. He led the group from the dock back to the villa to continue working on a new film project outline.

---

When Jay Moloney visited Link in Hawaii, Universal Pictures' CEO Ron Meyer appeared in Michael Ovitz's office at Disney. A year earlier, one had been the CAA president while the other was the VP. Now, one headed Universal while the other was co-CEO at Disney, both with roughly equal status.

After surveying Ovitz's new office, Ron remarked, "Mike, I didn't expect you to decide on joining Disney in just a few weeks! Your decisiveness is impressive."

"Not entirely unexpected. Michael Eisner extended an invitation last year, but I declined at the time," Ovitz replied, toying with a cigar.

Receiving the offer from Eisner, he had dismissed it, chuckling at the thought of moving from CAA, where he was in charge, to Disney. Such a transition seemed impossible.

Yet, here they were less than a year later, and it had indeed transpired. Occasionally, he found it amusing to reflect on.

"What led you to accept it this time?" Ron asked, taking a drag from his cigarette.

Ovitz cast him an appraising look. "Link once remarked that in Hollywood, movie companies are the protagonists while all other industries serve them, including agencies. Once I saw that even the seven major studios could not defeat Guess Pictures this summer, I considered, if I could run a film company, create more great films, and outdo Guess Pictures, wouldn't that be worth a try? Now, here I am to explore that possibility."

Ron shook his head, "Mike, the film industry is far more complicated than the agency scene. One project's failure can cost a company tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars. The risks are far greater than those in the agency business, which necessitates caution in decision-making. This also explains why the seven major studios don't go all out against Guess Pictures.

Moreover, competition is more intense in the film industry. The battle for box office share and rankings has persisted for decades, and even during attempts to pressure Guess Pictures, rivalries never halted. The seven major studios's seeming weakness derives from this ongoing competition. Once you take over Disney's film sector, you'll grasp how challenging it is to be president of the seven major studios."

"I understand," Ovitz thought with a cold smirk, as if he could be unaware.

After clashing with Link in '93, he had hoped that the seven major studios might unite to crush Guess Pictures and reclaim the Hollywood throne. Yet, regardless of how crafty his schemes were, the seven studios became dead weight when truly facing Guess Pictures, consistently undermining him, leading to defeat after defeat.

The seven major studios often demonstrated they were typical hindrances, making rallying together impossible against Link. Only after recognizing this underlying issue did he accept Eisner's offer to lead the most powerful Disney among them, utilizing the platform to stand against Link and Guess Pictures while also reestablishing his career.

"Mike, while competition is a prevailing trend among the seven major studios, collaboration occurs at times, as against a rapidly rising force like Guess Pictures. Such an approach may maintain supremacy within the film industry. I hope you will retain this perspective upon your ascension to Disney's presidency," Ron emphasized with seriousness.

Ovitz inhaled from his cigar and regarded Ron. "You said that the seven studios are at odds with each other, and even united, they are still inferior to Guess Pictures. So, why persist in allying?"

Ron chuckled, "This is a tactical matter. In Hollywood, the major studios are seven tigers while Guess Pictures is an unusually large, unwieldy elephant. In confronting such opponents, the tigers hesitate, their attacks mitigated by fears of injury. Yet when facing an injured or weakened elephant, the seven will attack with abandon, dispatching the elephant with hasty efficiency.

For the past two years, Guess Pictures has been thriving, without any loss projects, and their financial foundation remained robust. Hence, it's extremely challenging to defeat them. However, the film industry is rife with risks; Guess Pictures won't always enjoy profits. When they reveal faults, it becomes the golden opportunity for the seven major studios to strike hard."

Ovitz narrowed his eyes at Ron's words, suddenly reminded of the project, The Rock, which cost over $70 million; if Guess Pictures mismanaged the investment, it could end up injuring the elephant.

"Mike, one last thing. Word has it that Jay Moloney's successful ascendance at CAA is thanks to your endorsement. Is that accurate?" Ron inquired.

"Yes. I didn't oppose this matter."

"Why? You must understand that Jay's ties to Link would further strengthen Link's power in Hollywood, complicating matters for everyone down the line."

That was one of the primary reasons Ron had come by -- to unearth Ovitz's motives and the potential consequences.

Ovitz shook his head in concession. "I had to make that decision. Among the vice presidents at CAA, he possesses the strongest management capabilities and is well-suited for agency duties. Appointing him ensures smoother progress for the company; giving it to anyone else would lead to internal conflict. CAA is our shared venture; I wouldn't want to see our efforts wasted once I step away. I believe you understand my predicament."

"I get it. But don't overlook that Jay isn't one of us. You should take that into consideration when choosing your successor."

Ron remarked sternly.

Ovitz puffed out a breath of smoke. "Rest assured, half the board members are from our camp, and besides Jay, the other VPs also share our beliefs. While Moloney may have the title of president, his power will be limited. Should he veer from the path, I have a hundred strategies to oust him."

"Fine. I trust your judgment," Ron capitulated, opting not to engage further on the matter.

...

After he left, Ovitz lit a cigar and called Link, inquiring about his return to discuss collaboration matters. Link stated he would be back in September and told him not to rush.

*****

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