Chapter 212: Contemporary Competition

At night, Arthur and Jennifer Aniston felt the pounding rock music as soon as they entered a bar on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.

The bar's business was still booming, seemingly unaffected by the recent turmoil in Los Angeles.

After finding a booth, Jennifer Aniston wrinkled her nose. "The smell of marijuana is really strong!"

She leaned into Arthur's ear. "Do you use this stuff now?"

Arthur shook his head. "This stuff just slows my thinking down. Cigarettes are enough for me."

He then hugged her, his hand starting to move up her inner thigh. "You don't trust me?"

Jennifer Aniston smiled, taking the drinks brought by the waiter. "Alright, I trust you on this. Let's toast!"

Meanwhile, because Warner Bros.'s Lethal Weapon 3 had broken another box office record, Mel Gibson was unusually excited. He was now a bona fide action superstar in Hollywood.

Moreover, he was preparing for his directorial debut, The Man Without a Face, an independent production by Icon Productions.

At this moment, his partner Bruce Davey walked in and saw Gibson drinking on the couch. "You met with Michael Ovitz from CAA. Are you thinking of leaving WMA?"

Two years ago, Gibson and Davey had formed Icon Productions. Their first production, Forever Young, a romantic drama starring Gibson, was set to be released at the end of the year in collaboration with Warner Bros.

Hearing Davey's question, Gibson looked up. "Yes, he wants me to leave WMA and join CAA. Michael Ovitz also doesn't like Arthur Smith from Galaxy Studios. He thinks that young upstart in Hollywood needs to be taught a lesson!"

Bruce Davey sighed. How could he not know how much Mel Gibson hated Arthur Smith?

Gibson, with his hot temper, had been humiliated by Arthur after being rude to Winona Ryder and was certainly looking for revenge.

"Did you agree?" Davey knew he couldn't dissuade Gibson. "Arthur Smith is not an easy target now. Michael Ovitz has made many enemies. What can he do to Arthur Smith?"

Gibson was on the rise, and Davey believed he should focus on his career.

"CAA is just as good as WMA, and Ovitz agreed to only a 5% commission. As long as we can outshine Galaxy at the box office, that's all that matters," Gibson said confidently.

"You saw the success of Lethal Weapon 3 in terms of box office and reviews. Do you really think The Bodyguard will be a match? On Independence Day, CAA also has Boomerang, starring Eddie Murphy, opening on the same day as Galaxy's A Few Good Men. How much can Galaxy's summer blockbusters achieve against such strong competition?"

Although The Bodyguard starred Kevin Costner, Gibson didn't think it could beat Lethal Weapon 3.

As for Boomerang, it starred Eddie Murphy, with Robin Givens as the female lead. Givens had recently divorced Mike Tyson, who was imprisoned for raping a beauty pageant contestant. The film was highly topical.

And A Few Good Men? Sure, Tom Cruise played a dashing Navy lawyer, but his Days of Thunder last year hadn't been well received.

Bruce Davey frowned. "Eddie Murphy is very popular, but A Few Good Men has a strong cast too. Tom Cruise is paired with recent Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins."

After learning the release date of The Bodyguard, Gibson had suggested to Warner Bros. executives to release Lethal Weapon 3 in the same month, aiming to compete head-to-head. Now, with CAA's support, Gibson was ready for battle.

"So what? Tom Cruise is just another pretty face," Gibson scoffed. He looked down on muscle-bound action stars like Stallone, who were limited to action roles. Similarly, he had no respect for Cruise, who was all about image and charm.

"But Tom Cruise is also a CAA client," Davey reminded him.

Gibson just laughed. "A Few Good Men isn't a CAA package deal. Besides, Michael Ovitz has long been unhappy with Tom Cruise's agent, Paula Wagner. They only care about their own interests, not CAA's. Paula Wagner handles all of Cruise's affairs, and CAA has little say."

Davey cautioned, "Arthur Smith is a young man who rose to fame instantly and hasn't faced many setbacks. He might act rashly and without considering the consequences. Who knows what he might do in a fit of anger?"

A person who chased Mel Gibson down in a parking lot for a beating wasn't someone with a calm temperament.

Gibson involuntarily flinched, remembering the beating from Arthur in the parking lot last year. It had been both physically and mentally scarring.

But, letting it go was impossible. As a filmmaker, hitting Arthur's movies was the best revenge.

Gibson stood up from the couch and waved his hand. "Enough said. When The Bodyguard releases, let's team up with CAA to leak some negative press."

Bruce Davey, who had worked with Gibson for years, understood their shared fate. He felt a bit resigned. Michael Ovitz had already made many powerful enemies in Hollywood. Now, they were adding the audacious Arthur Smith to the list.

Did he really believe a magazine in Britain calling him Hollywood's most powerful man made it true?

At that moment, Arthur, who was enjoying a night out with Jennifer Aniston, was well aware of the competition from The Bodyguard and A Few Good Men.

However, Arthur didn't seem to care. The summer season was always competitive, and in the end, it was the quality of the films that mattered.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.