[Chapter 971: Have You Thought About What You Want to Do Later?]
The car stopped outside the Hilton Hotel as Eric and Elisabeth quickly made their way inside, dodging the myriad of flashing lights, flanked by bodyguards and hotel security.
As soon as they entered the hotel lobby, Eric heard a friendly voice call out, "Eric, I didn't expect to see you here tonight!"
Looking over, he spotted Nicolas Cage, who was accompanied by Meg Ryan and a tall African American man. It seemed the three had been chatting just before Eric arrived.
As the tall man turned, Eric recognized him as Richard Parsons, one of the rare African American executives in Hollywood, who at the time served as the Vice President of Time Warner and the CEO of Warner Bros.
Seeing the trio approach, Eric greeted them with Elisabeth by his side, saying, "Good evening, Nick, Rich, oh, and Ms. Ryan, you look absolutely stunning tonight."
Aside from his close friendship with Cage, Eric and the other two could only be described as acquaintances. Elisabeth exchanged pleasantries with them before Eric asked, "So, what were you all just talking about?"
"We just got here too," Cage replied, pausing momentarily before smiling knowingly at Richard Parsons, not elaborating further.
Given that Cage, Meg Ryan, and the head of Warner Bros. were congregating at that moment, the topic of their conversation was clearly the upcoming film City of Angels, slated for Easter release.
Richard Parsons, however, showed no sign of shying away from the subject. With a hearty laugh, he said, "We were just discussing the company's City of Angels. Eric, it's a shame we couldn't partner with Firefly on the marketing, but you know, in Warner, those decisions aren't just up to me."
"That's alright, there will be opportunities to collaborate in the future," Eric replied, wearing a look of regret as he shook his head.
After some casual chatter, Eric and Elisabeth made their way towards the elevator. Richard Parsons, citing some unfinished business in the lobby, gave a lingering glance at Eric and Elisabeth as they departed, before turning back to engage with Cage and Meg Ryan once more.
...
As the elevator doors began to close, Elisabeth leaned in curiously, "Eric, do you think Terry Semel will keep his CEO position after his contract ends next year?"
Eric, lost in thought, shook his head in response to Elisabeth's question. "I don't think it's very likely."
Over the years, internal power struggles at Time Warner had seen factions emerge: one faction led by the old guard from Steve Ross, the group's founder, led by Terry Semel; another from early executive Gerald Levin; the third loyalists to Ted Turner from Turner Broadcasting; and a multitude of heavyweight shareholders who had entered during the group's expansion. The company resembled a battleground for various interests.
As one of Steve Ross's designated heirs, Terry Semel had to fight for his position as Chairman and CEO. However, with Time Warner's performance languishing and Steve Ross's influence waning, it seemed improbable for Semel to retain control beyond his current term.
After seeing Richard Parsons, Eric recalled the numerous times his name appeared in news reports regarding the sensational Time Warner-AOL merger. Given what Eric knew, Parsons was likely a key player aligned with Levin's faction.
Although Eric had met Steve Case a few times, Case remained determined to morph AOL into an Internet media empire. Meanwhile, Chris had begun strategizing to capture control of AOL.
On the other hand, AOL could not acquire Time Warner single-handedly; it was evident that there were internal forces at Time Warner actively supporting the merger. With this in mind, seeing Richard Parsons provided Eric some clarity about where support for the merger might originate.
Once Semel vacated his position, any lingering influence Steve Ross had over Time Warner would dissipate.
This meant that Ted Turner's faction, which controlled Time Warner's most profitable cable division, could become the dominant force within the company. Although Turner had stepped back into a semi-retirement, he still had clout to support someone aligned with him as the new Chairman and CEO.
Conversely, Levin's faction had little chance of seizing control unless they sought an alternate route. Facilitating the merger between AOL and Time Warner would undoubtedly boost their influence within Time Warner in the short term, while simultaneously garnering substantial support from smaller shareholders with voting power.
Of course, at that moment, Steve Case was likely still covertly searching for merger candidates. Perhaps he could create some obstacles for them in that regard.
The elevator's arrival chime pulled Eric from his contemplation. He smiled at Elisabeth, raising his arm for her to link with, as they made their way toward the banquet hall.
This whole situation definitely required further calculation.
However, with the upcoming Easter holiday, Eric planned to strategize for potential leverage against Levin's faction within Time Warner.
After all, while the missed collaboration with Firefly stemmed from internal strife, the blame would be laid squarely on the shoulders of whoever had the most power. As the head on Warner Bros. side, Richard Parsons was certainly the prime candidate to take the fall.
To achieve this, one crucial factor remained: that Firefly's Easter film package must significantly outperform Time Warner's City of Angels at the box office.
As this thought crossed his mind, Eric again felt a twinge of regret. Despite the exhaustive marketing efforts from all three companies, neither Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Species, nor The Wedding Singer seemed poised for a breakout success -- at least not to Eric's recollection of box office figures.
It appeared he would have to devise alternative strategies.
...
Declining to step into the media area for photos and interviews, Eric led Elisabeth directly into the banquet hall. They arrived relatively late, and the venue was already bustling with people, leading to some obligatory socializing.
However, since they were not the hosts, after exchanging greetings with several guests who approached them, the duo moved toward the Weinsteins.
"Eric, let me introduce you to a few people," Harvey Weinstein interjected after a brief exchange of pleasantries, making sure to connect Eric with those around him.
These included the creatives behind The English Patient and Good Will Hunting: The English Patient's director Anthony Minghella, lead actor Ralph Fiennes, female leads Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche, along with the best friends Matt Damon, Ben Affleck of the creative team behind Good Will Hunting.
Eric was naturally well-acquainted with these individuals, although he met most for the first time.
The group chatted for a while, but as they sensed Eric and Harvey might need to discuss serious matters, they soon dispersed.
When the others left, Elisabeth chatted with a friend who had also made an appearance as Eric took a sip of his red wine and refrained from diving into discussions about FFM TV at that moment. Instead, he casually asked, "Harvey, how's the preparation for The Horse Whisperer going?"
Upon hearing this subject brought up, Harvey's expression turned slightly peculiar.
Elisabeth had already shared with him Fox's strategy to keep Miramax's art film budgets capped at $50 million.
Deep down, as a businessman, while he recognized the logic, Harvey still bristled at this decision. After all, Miramax had contributed nearly half of Fox's film profits over the years, and he certainly harbored ambitions to continue growing Miramax.
"Robert is directing and starring, and the leading lady is already cast -- it's Kristin from earlier. Other roles are currently being auditioned, and we expect to start filming in May."
With the lead roles unchanged, Eric smiled at the thought of their previous encounter, wondering if the daughter's part would still go to Scarlett Johansson. He had no intentions of interfering in this matter and shifted the conversation to discuss the next steps for FFM TV.
Still, while Eric was adamant about not meddling in The Horse Whisperer's casting, circumstances often had a way of coming to him.
...
In the afternoon, at Firefly Studios.
Amidst filming for Iron Man, Eric diligently continued to prepare for Gravity. He had maintained consistent communication with the film's stars, Jodie Foster and George Clooney.
That evening, they would attend the Oscars, where the Academy had invited Jodie and Eric to present the award for Best Screenplay, prompting them to meet earlier that day to discuss filming details at Firefly Studios.
George Clooney, focused on this opportunity after the dismal performance of Batman & Robin the previous year, was equally invested. Upon hearing news about the presentation, he quickly arrived at the studio.
As the three discussed the techniques for an opening long take, Melanie entered to announce that Miranda Kerr had brought a friend to the studio.
After greeting Jodie and George, Eric stepped out of the shooting stage and saw Miranda hurrying towards him, accompanied by Scarlett Johansson. Eric playfully put his hand on the small of Miranda's back, adopting a mock-serious expression, "Alright, explain to me, what day is it today? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"
"Scarlett is auditioning for a movie today, and I came along with her for support," Miranda said with a cheeky grin, leaning against him, unfazed by Eric's feigned sternness. "And don't think I don't know, Drew used to skip school all the time, and you didn't bat an eye."
Eric shook his head in exasperation. He realized he wasn't the most attentive 'parent' in these matters, clearly indifferent to the issue of kids skipping school.
Not bringing the girls into the Gravity studio, Eric pointed toward the administrative area. "Follow me; we need to discuss why you're interrupting me right now."
Miranda glanced at Scarlett, who wore a reserved expression, then she spoke, clutching Eric's arm. "Eric, can you help Scarlett with Harvey Weinstein? She's really hoping for a role in The Horse Whisperer."
Eric frowned thoughtfully, looking to Scarlett. He was unsure who'd initiated this idea. "Who helped you with the audition, and how did it go?"
"Today's auditions were run by Mr. Weinstein and Robert Redford, and, well, they said my performance was outstanding."
Eric probed further, "And who else auditioned?"
"There were others, but I don't know them very well," Scarlett replied, shaking her head. "But there was Kirsten Dunst; she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress a few years back."
Eric nodded, having grasped the situation.
According to Harvey's production strategy, he would naturally lean towards the more established actress, Kirsten Dunst. That would significantly reduce Scarlett's chances of landing the role.
Eric chose not to comment further and escorted the two girls to his office. He had his secretary prepare coffee as he leaned back in his chair and studied the two increasingly self-conscious girls.
While Eric was generally indulgent with the women in his life, his generosity was not without limits.
Among women, he spoiled Drew the most; though it could come across as improper, he treated her almost like his daughter. Fortunately, she was smart enough to know what was appropriate and what was not. However, Miranda's behavior did not seem mature enough to handle things correctly. Eric was capable of providing everything she desired, but that didn't mean he would tolerate her unrestrained demands.
If he weren't already acquainted with Scarlett Johansson, Miranda would have put a complete stranger before him. While he didn't delve into whether she was using this to her advantage, he certainly wouldn't allow these developments to continue unchecked.
After tapping his fingers on the desk, Eric looked up at Miranda. "So, I imagine school isn't interesting to you anymore. Have you thought about what you want to do later?"
Scarlett had been following Eric's expression, and hearing the question, she stole a glance at Miranda.
Miranda sensed Eric's unusual tone but acted cleverly this time. "Eric, I'll do whatever you ask."
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.