Chapter 363: Vassarman's Invitation

Like the recent Daenerys Entertainment productions "The Ballad of Mulan" and "Driving Miss Daisy," "A Few Good Men" is also adapted from a popular Broadway play. It tells the story of a novice Navy lawyer under immense pressure to investigate a military murder.

The original "A Few Good Men," also known as "Men of Honor" in some translations, starred Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore and was a blockbuster success at the box office. However, the star power of the cast indicated high production costs, which was why Simon was willing to collaborate with MGM on the project.

Sheryl Lansing took the coffee offered by her assistant and thanked her, then turned to Simon, "It's a compelling story, similar in theme to Harrison Ford's 'Presumed Innocent' this summer. It should also garner some Oscar attention."

Harrison Ford's "Presumed Innocent" was another courtroom drama released during the summer.

The film had a mediocre start, but since its release on June 8th, it had quietly accumulated over $70 million in box office revenues, with domestic totals expected to reach $80 million, far exceeding initial industry expectations.

Simon even felt that in the original timeline, "A Few Good Men" was probably a film that followed the trend set by "Presumed Innocent."

"If that's the case, let's start preparations as soon as possible. Additionally, I've already offered the female lead to Demi Moore; she's perfect for the role and already has a contract with Daenerys. For the male lead, Daniel Kaffee, you could approach Tom Hanks."

Sheryl Lansing hesitated, "Simon, I think Hanks is better suited for comedies, and besides, he's not young enough."

"You might want to check out 'A League of Their Own' for a sense of Hanks' range; it's broader than you might think. Besides, Hanks is 34 this year, which is young by Hollywood standards. If necessary, we can adjust the script. The original script for 'Rain Man' involved two middle-aged men, and it was changed to accommodate Cruise as a much younger brother. 'A Few Good Men' could do something similar; the lead doesn't have to be green. He could be a middle-aged man who is ostracized or has made some mistakes, creating a story of redemption that contrasts with his past."

Nodding, Sheryl said, "Actually, Simon, I showed the script to Cruise, and Tom is very interested in the role of Kaffee. Moreover, his asking price is only $6 million, which is $3 million less than what he earned for 'Days of Thunder,' showing real goodwill."

Ensuring the success of "A Few Good Men" by using the original cast was undoubtedly the safest route.

However, Simon had never considered this from the beginning.

Over the years, Hollywood studios had lost too much power to the stars.

Simon's goal was to reclaim the authority that rightfully belonged to the studios. He would not allow Daenerys Entertainment to be passive in front of any star, nor would he, like Paramount did in the original timeline with "Mission: Impossible," engage in a public dispute with his leading man only to reluctantly resume cooperation afterwards.

Although Cruise's offer of $6 million was clearly an attempt to mend fences with Daenerys Entertainment, Simon had no intention of relenting, insisting, "Sheryl, I know you and Cruise are close, but this is non-negotiable. Daenerys will not collaborate with Cruise."

Knowing she had no leverage to negotiate with the formidable young man before her, Sheryl could only express regret for Cruise internally, "Then I'll contact Hanks as soon as possible."

After concluding this matter, Simon shifted the conversation, "We can discuss the next script after 'A Few Good Men' is completed. Also, how are things going with Pierce Brosnan for the 007 role, and what about the rights to 'The Ghost Party'?"

Sheryl shook her head, "Brosnan has declined. Moreover, the Broccoli family suggests letting Timothy Dalton star in one more sequel. We're close to settling the rights for 'The Ghost Party' for $3 million, and it's hard to push the price any lower."

The rights to 007 have always been co-owned by United Artists under MGM and the British Broccoli family, who have also historically controlled the production rights.

Pierce Brosnan, now 37, was older than Hanks. Having struggled in the industry for years, his recent rise to fame with "Mrs. Doubtfire" meant he was unlikely to confine himself to the role of 007.

Simon was not insistent, but remarked, "Even if Brosnan is unwilling, we still need to change the lead. Dalton's Bond films weren't very successful, with his most recent, 'License to Kill,' possibly the poorest performing Bond film in

 terms of box office. Continuing this way is just wasting time."

At the Brisbane meeting, Qintex's shareholders and creditors had proposed Simon join the MGM board or serve as a consultant, both of which he declined.

Officially, Simon had no right to interfere with MGM's operations.

However, having witnessed that meeting, Sheryl knew that if the young man before her wanted to replace her as CEO of MGM, he could do it effortlessly. Despite some reluctance, she dared not ignore Simon's advice, "I'll discuss this with the Broccoli family when I get back."

After finishing her meeting with Sheryl, Simon saw her out and returned to his administrative duties.

It was past six in the evening when Simon, reviewing the rights to the novel "A Time to Kill," was interrupted by a phone call. His assistant informed him that Lou Vassarman, chairman of MCA, was on the line. Surprised, Simon picked up the phone.

After a brief conversation, Simon summoned his assistant and said, "Vassarman has invited me to a cocktail party tonight. Let's go together, and after that, we can fly to San Francisco and spend the night. How about it?"

Jennifer nodded, "Sure, but I won't join you to San Francisco; I have to work tomorrow."

Simon had business in San Francisco, likely requiring a two-day stay.

Hearing Jennifer's response, Simon pretended to be displeased, "Then don't go to the cocktail party either, just go home and rest."

His assistant, bright-eyed, insisted, "I must go."

Simon frowned, half-joking, "You're so eager it might just make me rebellious. And technically, this should be Jenny's job."

His assistant nodded confidently, smiling, "Yes, it indeed is Jenny's duty."

Well, she was another Jenny.

Watching his assistant stride out in her high heels, Simon chuckled and returned to his documents, pondering Vassarman's motives.

According to industry rumors, Panasonic's acquisition team had begun formal talks with MCA's management. On Simon's side, Daenerys Entertainment, Cersei Capital, and Lebenthal Law had formed an acquisition team of about 60 people.

Given the developments, keeping things secret was unlikely.

Presumably, Vassarman had received wind of this and intended to bring Simon into the fray early to drive up MCA's bidding price.

Recalling the original timeline, Panasonic's acquisition of MCA was fraught with difficulty. To prevent MCA's stock price from soaring to unacceptable levels, Simon planned to wait until Panasonic's negotiations with MCA stalled before considering a takeover bid.

Even if Panasonic and MCA's talks proceeded smoothly, unlike in the original timeline, Daenerys could still intervene before the shareholder vote on the acquisition.

However, for tonight, he needed an excuse to placate Vassarman.

Simon soon thought of another matter he was considering, also related to his upcoming trip to San Francisco. This involved a multi-billion dollar acquisition, which might serve as a temporary shield.

At any rate, he couldn't let MCA use him as a bargaining chip to drive up the price.

Resolved, Simon refocused on "A Time to Kill."

"A Time to Kill," a crime thriller novel about racial discrimination and judicial fairness, was akin to the famous "To Kill a Mockingbird."

The original "A Time to Kill" movie, released in 1996, starred Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, and Sandra Bullock, achieving significant box office success and Oscar recognition.

Moreover, two other novels by author John Grisham, "The Pelican Brief" and "The Firm," were hits in the '90s. While their movie adaptations hadn't been released yet, Daenerys had secured the rights to Grisham's upcoming novels along with "A Time to Kill."

However, Simon had no immediate plans to develop these projects.

Next year, Daenerys's blockbuster projects, including those produced in-house and through external collaborations, were already plentiful: "Toy Story," "The Silence of the Lambs," "Scream 3," "A Few Good Men," "Batman: The Dark Knight," "Terminator," and "Far and Away" were all expected to be major box office hits.

The domestic annual box office had already surpassed $5 billion earlier than in the original timeline, but this was still a limited market. These films alone could lead to internal competition, not to mention other studios' major releases like "The Flash," "GoldenEye," and "Captain Hook" next year.

To avoid overly fierce competition, Simon had already decided to delay "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2" until 1992 and put a hold on some other major projects initially slated for early starts. He was also considering slowing down the production pace of the first phase of the DC movie universe.

The '90s was a decade of prolific quality filmmaking, and Simon did not want the market

 to be prematurely dominated by action blockbusters and superhero movies. A diverse cinematic landscape was more sustainable for the long-term prosperity of Hollywood; focusing too intensely on blockbuster commercial films could actually hinder the industry's long-term growth.

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