Chapter 146 — Disney's Sincerity
At a beachfront villa in Venice, Los Angeles, Jack Wells sat on his sofa, staring at the headline in the morning paper:
Tupac Shakur had been rushed into the intensive care unit.
That meant Poetic Justice would inevitably be suspended.
As for the death of the other man involved in the incident, Jack felt little emotion at all.
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Culver City · Sony Studios
Inside the headquarters of Sony Pictures' Columbia division, Columbia Pictures president Sidney Ganis sat across the desk from director John Singleton.
With the male lead struck by tragedy, there was little else they could do but adjust.
"Recast the lead," Ganis said calmly. "From Boyz n the Hood, give Cuba Gooding Jr. a look. As for the losses, the insurance company will cover them."
The production had an investment of sixteen million dollars. Cancelling outright was not an option.
"I'll speak to him," Singleton replied.
After making his report, he quietly left Ganis's office.
---
Left alone, Ganis picked up a document that had just arrived from Dawnlight Films—the proposal for The Mask of Zorro.
A new-generation Zorro.
A classic Western-flavored action epic.
Directed by Ridley Scott.
With Kevin Costner as the top choice for leading man.
He skimmed through the pages slowly.
"Aaron never fails to surprise," Ganis muttered to himself.
A budget of no less than fifty million dollars didn't alarm him at all.
Even sixty or seventy million would be acceptable—because the pairing of Costner and Scott alone was box-office gold.
---
Evening · The Mosaic Hotel, Beverly Hills
That night, Aaron arrived at a high-level industry mixer with Nicole Kidman at his side. The venue glittered with studio executives, producers, and financiers.
An unfamiliar man approached, glass in hand.
"Aaron, got a moment to talk?"
Chairman of Disney Studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg, walked up to Aaron.
Aaron smiled, kissed Nicole Kidman lightly on the cheek, and murmured, "I'll be back in a moment." Then he turned. "After you, Mr. Katzenberg."
They stepped out onto the balcony. Aaron glanced at Katzenberg's gleaming scalp and chuckled. "Disneyland Paris opens in the next day or two, right? Congratulations."
Katzenberg nodded. "Michael Eisner has already gone to Paris with the team."
He took a breath and continued evenly, "How do you see Hollywood right now? Hot capital is pouring in. With the economic recovery, money will only accelerate."
"Japan's property bubble has burst—stocks and real estate have halved—but their overseas capital remains the largest in the world. Germany's reunification is releasing massive economic potential. Even if Japanese investment in Hollywood cools, European capital will fill the gap."
"Hollywood's globalization is entering a new golden age."
Aaron looked out over the night lights of Los Angeles. "A reshuffle is already under way. Media conglomeration is the trend. Pure movie studios can no longer compete head-to-head with full-spectrum media groups."
Katzenberg nodded. "Film, TV, cable networks, home video, licensed consumer products, theme parks—the industrial chain is becoming tightly integrated."
"Antitrust rules prohibit broadcast networks from merging with major studios, but News Corp's FOX network paired with Twentieth Century Fox has set the precedent. Everyone knows comprehensive consolidation is inevitable—just a matter of time."
Aaron smiled faintly. FOX might call itself the fourth broadcast network, but it had only a fraction of the affiliates of ABC, NBC, or CBS. Without a clear shift from Congress, News Corp wouldn't expand freely.
He turned back. "Mr. Katzenberg—let's be direct."
Katzenberg met his eyes. "Disney wants to acquire Dawnlight Films. If you join Disney, you'll take full charge of our live-action film operations."
"You'll serve as President of the Disney Studios Group, overseeing Disney, Touchstone, Dawnlight—every label in Hollywood production."
"You report only to Eisner or me. Compensation will include a top-tier salary, performance bonuses, and equity."
Aaron blinked. The last time Disney had courted him, the offer was to keep Dawnlight independent under Disney's umbrella. Now it was studio president.
He'd suspected the shift had something to do with Dawnlight's move on Pixar—and with Disney's live-action slump and award drought. Disney was winning with animation; Beauty and the Beast had just landed a Best Picture nomination.
"So?" Katzenberg pressed. "We're sincere."
"I'm sorry," Aaron replied without hesitation. "I won't sell Dawnlight."
"Why?" Katzenberg asked. "At Disney, your reach multiplies—resources, relationships, scale. Dawnlight's returns are concentrated in film. One or two failures could hurt."
Aaron shook his head. "Dawnlight must remain whole and independent. We won't become a subsidiary of any group."
He paused, then added softly, "When a company is growing at full throttle, the last thing you do is give yourself a boss."