Chapter 387: Was It Too Soon?

[Chapter 387: Was It Too Soon?]

Eric thought that the rumors about him and Connelly would fade away over time, especially since neither of them was actively responding. However, he severely underestimated his own influence and the media's, as well as the public's curiosity about the matter. Once the New York Post published intimate photos of him and Connelly at the Fox headquarters, within just a few days, both he and Connelly became the center of attention for paparazzi, leading to numerous tabloid gossip stories.

Fox was of course secretly amused. While they were careful not to stir the pot too much for fear of antagonizing Eric, they couldn't stop other media from running wild with speculation. In the last two weeks leading up to the release, Fox heavily shifted their promotional focus for the film, Hot Shots!, onto Jennifer Connelly. Thanks to this gossip, the promotion for Hot Shots! exceeded their expectations and even saved them a significant amount in marketing costs.

Faced with the constant tailing of paparazzi, Eric not only bolstered his security but also began to look forward to the era of media monopolies. During the late '80s, media channels in America were quite dispersed, with over fifty media companies operating on various platforms. Consequently, the flow of information was relatively free. However, a decade later, the media industry would go through numerous mergers and consolidations, with over 90% of the information channels controlled by six major media groups. At that point, as long as he held enough sway in Hollywood, even minor inconveniences like being hounded by paparazzi wouldn't require him to address them directly; someone would take care of it for him.

Eric initially planned to stay at Joanna's place until she left for Poland, but due to the impact of the current events and with more pressing matters at year-end, he reluctantly moved back to his own mansion in Beverly Hills, despite Joanna's mild complaints.

...

As November rolled in, Eric started making final preparations to oust Robert Shea. During the first few weeks of November, he hosted several parties at his Beverly Hills mansion, inviting various levels of management and staff from Firefly to strengthen connections. Simultaneously, he had a few discreet meetings with Michael Lynn, Robert Shea's right-hand man.

After wrapping up production on Basic Instinct earlier that year, Jeffrey planned to take six months off at his farm in Maryland, gearing up to resume work when Eric's Twister project kicked off the next year. However, after hearing about Eric's plans, Jeffrey hurried back to Los Angeles, intending to assist in stabilizing the situation at Firefly once Eric made his move.

Jeffrey had no family in Los Angeles. He arrived on a flight from Maryland at 7:30 PM on November 13. Eric personally picked him up at the airport. In the arrivals hall, Jeffrey appeared with a small suitcase, greeting Eric with a warm hug and passing his luggage to a bodyguard who had accompanied Eric. The two then headed outside together.

"You look so lonely, Jeffrey. It's really quite sad. Maybe you should find someone," Eric said.

"I'm not really thinking about that; Chris probably wouldn't accept it," Jeffrey replied, shaking his head. He then quickly added with a grin, "But you've been quite the talk of the town in the papers lately, another Jennifer, huh?"

"It was just a publicity stunt from Fox for Hot Shots!. I didn't think it was a big deal and went along with it, but I didn't expect it to have such a huge impact."

Jeffrey continued, "I feel like this girl isn't as captivating as Aniston; she's a bit too polished."

While Aniston could be a bit temperamental around him at times, it was just a natural reaction for a girl in love. However, Aniston was far more charming in social situations than Drew, and Jeffrey had grown fond of her despite having only interacted a few times.

Eric couldn't help but sigh. Aniston's management contract still lay with Kepler, which meant he could always track her updates. Since their breakup early in the year, Aniston had transformed into a career-oriented woman, fully immersed in acting. The second season of Friends was well underway, with average viewership numbers exceeding 20 million -- quite impressive.

Besides that, Aniston had also taken on two film roles. One was a small cameo with only five minutes of screen time in a summer release, which did reasonably well. The other, a romantic comedy scheduled for Christmas release, Eric had seen a trailer for on TV. Produced by Warner Bros., it featured her alongside Matt Dillon, but it left him with no clear memory. It likely resulted from the butterfly effect.

Thanks to the unexpected success of Pretty Woman the previous year, Hollywood saw an influx of romantic comedies that year. Eric figured that after Ghost, the ratio of such films would only increase in the next two years.

Unfortunately, even though Eric kept a close watch on Aniston, he was confident she was doing the same. Otherwise, she wouldn't have sent him that anonymous gift for his birthday. Yet, it had been nearly a year since they last saw each other.

Jeffrey compared Aniston to Connelly, noticing Eric's low spirits, so he wisely chose to change the subject.

The paparazzi that had followed them to the airport had raised their cameras but quickly dropped them when they saw Jeffrey with Eric. They snapped a few hasty shots and, in some cases, didn't even bother to waste film, opting to lower their cameras instead. With five or so bodyguards surrounding Eric and Jeffrey, the paparazzi knew better than to intrude.

...

Once Eric and Jeffrey were safely in the car, with the driver being the only other person present, the remaining four bodyguards headed towards a black Chevrolet at the back.

"Isn't this being a bit too cautious?" Jeffrey asked once the car started moving.

"It's mainly to prevent the paparazzi from cornering us. If they trapped me alone, getting away would be impossible," Eric pointed out, then added, "Back in September, a Warner board member was abducted while vacationing in Greece. He was extorted for a million dollars and barely made it back alive. Being careful is always wise. I'm a high-risk kidnapping target, and the worst part is I don't have any family. If they got me, there wouldn't even be anyone to negotiate a ransom."

Jeffrey chuckled. "That can't be true. We wouldn't abandon you."

Eric joked back, "The point is, kidnappers might not know that. They could just as easily decide to off me after realizing they have no contacts to reach."

"In that case, I think you should consider getting married sooner."

"I'm not planning on that," Eric shook his head.

Jeffrey understood Eric's disposition; their views on life differed significantly. He knew further arguing was pointless. They engaged in light conversation until they arrived at Jeffrey's apartment. ...

Once inside, Eric mentioned, "I had someone tidy up for you this morning, but I didn't buy any food. You'll need to make a trip to the supermarket tomorrow. You should really consider hiring a maid."

"I don't need a maid; I'm not even sixty yet; I'm not immobile," Jeffrey replied, motioning for Eric to take a seat on the sofa. He then busied himself preparing coffee. After a while, he handed Eric a cup before taking his place on the opposite end of the sofa.

Having held back due to the presence of others in the car, Jeffrey turned serious and asked, "Eric, do you think this might be a bit rushed?"

Eric understood that Jeffrey was referring to the plan to oust Robert Shea. He shook his head, "If Robert had the capability to help Firefly thrive, I would have been willing to grant him whatever authority he needed. But he lacks the ability and is excessively chasing power within the company while constantly plotting his own agenda. Someone like that inevitably harms Firefly's growth."

Jeffrey countered, "But he holds 25% of the shares."

"Exactly, and that's what worries me most. I have enough confidence in Firefly's future. As it grows, doing nothing now would only exacerbate the conflict with Robert later. With his shareholder status, the fallout from our clash will impact the company more significantly down the line. It's better to remove him sooner than later."

"It seems you've given this considerable thought. After Robert's departure, who do you intend to put in charge?"

"Michael Lynn, Robert's current second-in-command. I've had a few discussions with him and promised some incentives. However, I won't give him too much power. For a company to grow quickly, a singular vision is essential, just like Disney. Warner Bros. serves as an example of what not to do. Even though Warner merged with Time and became the biggest Hollywood entity, their internal conflicts escalated and impacted their operations. Despite its massive scale, I believe it will eventually be surpassed."

...

Three days after Jeffrey arrived back in Los Angeles, on November 16, Friday, MGM's Rocky V, Fox's Hot Shots!, and Robert Shea's ghost-themed comedy spoofing Ghostbusters, Ghost Detective, were all set to premiere, officially marking the start of the Thanksgiving holiday box office.

Besides these films, other major releases included Coppola's The Godfather Part III, Schwarzenegger's Kindergarten Cop, and a sequel to the 1987 box office hit Three Men and a Baby, all scheduled for the Thanksgiving-Christmas period. Additionally, Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break was set to debut on December 21.

Notably, this holiday season had initially been dominated by Home Alone, which would have held the box office crown for ten weeks, squeezing other films out. The fact that Home Alone had no sequel this year meant that its substantial box office revenue, over $200 million, would now be shared among other films.

*****

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