Looking at Leonardo DiCaprio across from him, Michael Davenport had a feeling that he was seeing a completely different person compared to their last meeting.
The once exuberant star of the billion-dollar movie seemed to have vanished.
Gone were the peacock-like displays of vibrant feathers.
Previously, Leonardo DiCaprio was the kind of person who wanted to be the center of attention at every wedding and funeral, yearning to be the focus of the world.
Now, Leonardo seemed much closer to the mature version of himself that Michael remembered.
"Michael, congratulations," Leonardo said calmly. "Another film with impressive box office success."
"Thank you," Michael replied with a slight smile.
This was their first interaction with a calm demeanor. After the massive success of "Titanic," Leonardo had taken over a year to mature.
Of course, expecting Leonardo to apologize for past actions was unrealistic.
Michael responded calmly. They might not become friends, but there was no need for constant hostility since there were no direct conflicts of interest.
Leonardo introduced the person beside him. "Michael, this is Tobey, Tobey Maguire. Tobey, this is Michael, Michael Davenport."
Michael shook hands with the future Peter Parker, smiling as he said, "Nice to meet you."
Tobey Maguire also smiled. "We almost worked together."
Michael responded politely, "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
While they didn't clash, neither were they friends. After a few casual remarks, they parted ways.
Encountering both Peter Parker and Mary Jane in one evening was quite amusing.
Michael continued mingling in the banquet hall, exchanging a few words with notable film critics like Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times and Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter. Their views on movies were clearly not on the same wavelength.
But as Michael planned to participate in the Oscar game in the future, maintaining good relationships with these professional critics wouldn't hurt.
If he focused solely on commercial films, he could ignore these guys, as their influence on commercial films was waning. In the age of social media, the voice of professional critics would be pushed to the margins of commercial cinema.
Later on, The Hollywood Reporter even fired Todd McCarthy, their marquee critic, which caused an uproar among professional critics. However, it didn't change the industry's declining trend.
But awards season was the critics' domain, even twenty years later.
After exchanging business cards and pleasantries with Kenneth Turan and Todd McCarthy, Michael moved on.
Soon, he found a better target.
The famous Steven Spielberg was momentarily alone, so Michael quickly approached him.
"Hello, Mr. Spielberg," Michael introduced himself with a smile. "I'm Michael Davenport..."
Hollywood news traveled fast, and Spielberg had heard of Michael. He shook Michael's hand and said, "The producer of 'The Purge' and 'Final Destination,' and president of Relativity Entertainment?"
Although his impression was average, Spielberg, at his level, was very conscious of his public image.
Michael smiled, "That's me."
Spielberg appeared to be a good-natured person, and his words sounded very pleasant. "Two excellent horror films, Mr. Davenport. You're very accomplished for your age."
"Call me Michael," Michael subtly tried to build a rapport. "You've always been my favorite director. I've watched 'Saving Private Ryan' at least ten times. Captain Miller's character is incredibly impactful."
When he was with Tom Cruise, Michael said Cruise was his favorite actor. Now, with Spielberg, it was the same, and he didn't feel any psychological burden.
Michael deliberately steered the conversation to "Saving Private Ryan." "I heard you had the actors undergo a month of military training for this film?" Seeing Spielberg nod, he continued, "The actors did an amazing job."
Most Hollywood stars were quite dedicated and hardworking. Even the later, somewhat unreliable Tom Cruise still performed high-risk stunts himself, injuring his leg in the process.
Of course, Hollywood wasn't short of oddballs who recited lines like "1, 2, 3, 4, 5..." but such people usually rose quickly and fell just as fast, often being discarded by the market and audiences within two or three years.
Without a market, they held no value in the eyes of production companies.
Spielberg found it normal. "That's what actors should do."
Michael added at the right moment, "I even bought a DVD set with behind-the-scenes features. Unfortunately, I didn't bring it today, or I would have asked for your autograph."
He was acting very much like a Spielberg fan.
Spielberg casually said, "You can bring it next time. We will meet again."
Michael laughed happily, then asked, "Not just the film, but I've watched the behind-the-scenes features many times too." He acted like they were old acquaintances. "I saw in the features that veterans of the 101st Airborne Division presented you and Mr. Hanks with Stephen Ambrose's 'Band of Brothers' at the premiere. I've read that book too. Are you planning to adapt it?"
"Yes," Spielberg didn't need to deny such semi-public information. "We're planning to make a miniseries."
Michael asked, "When will it be released? I'm quite eager to see it."
Spielberg replied, "It's still early. There are many issues to resolve."
"Running into difficulties?" Michael probed further.
Spielberg glanced at him, realizing that he had been subtly guided into this topic.
"Funding issues," Spielberg continued as if he hadn't noticed the manipulation. "It's a war theme, requiring significant funds."
He wanted to see what Michael Davenport's intentions were.
Michael made a tentative offer, "Relativity has done well with several films. I have some idle funds."
The implication was clear, and Spielberg couldn't miss it. Michael wasn't worried about that. DreamWorks had stretched itself thin, and funding was becoming increasingly tight over the past few years. The Indian investors were focused on films, not miniseries.
If Spielberg accepted his funding, it would be ideal.
Michael added, "If you need help, feel free to ask."
Spielberg understood Michael's intent. The young man wanted to invest in "Band of Brothers."
However, funding from within the industry wasn't DreamWorks' first choice. Industry companies understood the operational rules too well, making external investment more convenient.
Moreover, where did Michael Davenport's money come from? Spielberg had heard some rumors, even if not many.
"No need," Spielberg directly declined. "DreamWorks can solve this minor issue."
Funds potentially connected to Arabs were not easily used by DreamWorks.
Regardless of their personal indifference to whether the funds were from Arabs or Israelis, as long as the business was profitable, they still had to consider others' opinions.
Michael didn't press further. "That's too bad."
With someone of Spielberg's stature, persistence would be futile. Michael exchanged a few more polite words and then took his leave.
The outcome of this probe wasn't surprising.
Michael guessed that Spielberg might have concerns about his funding sources.
Additionally, internal industry funds were preferable to external investments.
Michael sighed. Investing in "Band of Brothers" through normal channels seemed challenging. Few in Hollywood could force Spielberg's hand.
After being directly rejected by Spielberg, Michael could only shake his head and ponder if he could snag some future DreamWorks projects.
"Vivendi has completed its acquisition of Universal Pictures. They will soon offload some non-performing assets..."
Hearing this, Michael turned to his left and saw renowned producer Frank Marshall speaking. "Universal acquired PolyGram this year, making Universal Music the world's largest record company."
Someone asked, "What about PolyGram's film division?"
Michael stopped and listened intently.
Anyone familiar with the record industry knew PolyGram, but it also had a film entertainment division.
Michael had heard of it, but his understanding was limited due to the preconceived notion that PolyGram was primarily a record company.
Frank Marshall continued, "Universal only acquired PolyGram's record business this year, integrating it into Universal Music. They're currently negotiating to acquire PolyGram's film entertainment division, and a deal is close. Vivendi has reached an agreement with PolyGram's primary shareholder, Philips. The deal will likely be finalized this month."
"Universal Pictures is getting stronger," another person remarked.
"This deal is extensive. The driving force behind the agreement between Vivendi and Philips was Universal's top executives," Frank Marshall continued. "Universal is interested in PolyGram's film library. Titles like 'Four Weddings and a Funeral,' 'The Usual Suspects,' 'Trainspotting,' and 'Notting Hill' have immense appeal."
Hearing this, Michael stepped forward and interjected, "What about PolyGram's distribution department?"
Frank Marshall glanced at him, realizing they hadn't met before, but he still answered, "Universal has comprehensive North American and international distribution channels. PolyGram's distribution department isn't very useful to them and will likely be disbanded."
After further discussion and exchanging business cards, Michael quickly left the banquet hall and called Robert Lee and Garcia Rodriguez.
This party wasn't in vain. Not only did he get acquainted with numerous stars, directors, and producers, but he also obtained this heavyweight piece of information!