Chapter 793: Countermeasures!

After returning to Atlanta for Christmas, Martin had just touched down in Los Angeles when his phone rang with an urgent call from David Fincher. Wasting no time, he headed straight to Beverly Hills to drop off his luggage before rushing over to the studio at Disney Studios.

As he entered the small conference room, he found Louise, Graham, and David Fincher already waiting for him. Spread across the table were several freshly printed newspapers, their entertainment sections buzzing with the latest reports on "Argo." The headlines were dominated by eye-catching photos of Ron Stern and the other rescued individuals.

Martin had already read these reports on his flight. Taking a seat at the table, he shook his head in frustration, muttering, "These bastards are lowering the level of Oscar public relations every year."

Louise greeted him with a knowing smile. Martin thought to himself, I've always won my awards honorably. The first time I snagged the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, I earned it with blood, sweat, and tears. Last year, I won Best Actor because my competition was weak, practically handing me the win.

David Fincher, visibly anxious, broke the silence, "Eyewitnesses are coming out of the woodwork, accusing us left and right. The media's latching onto it, and we're getting hammered."

Martin glanced at the incriminating photos in the newspaper. "Ron Stern... I remember him. Saw him at the premiere."

Graham chimed in, "Ron Stern was a Marine stationed at the embassy when he was rescued. After retiring, he moved to Seattle and took a job as a bank security guard."

Martin leaned in, "Have we reached out to him?"

Louise, always efficient, replied, "We've made contact, but all he told us was he'd stick to the truth in his media interviews."

Martin frowned, "Is that all?"

"Clearly, someone got to him first," Louise said. "We're still working on him."

David Fincher, exasperated, added, "Every movie based on real events takes some creative liberties. If we stuck strictly to the facts, it would be a documentary, not a drama."

Louise continued, "I dug deeper. Ron Stern's financial situation is not good. His wife is unemployed, their children have special needs, and the family is burdened by debt. Yet, somehow, his drug-addicted son recently checked into an expensive rehab clinic."

Martin nodded, unfazed. "What steps have we taken to counter this?"

Graham replied, "Tony Mendes is on board. He'll do interviews to counter Stern's claims."

Tony Mendes had a vested interest in the film's portrayal of events. Not only did he personally reach out to Ron Stern, but he was also actively cooperating with the crew. The Tehran rescue was the defining moment of his career, and he wasn't about to let anyone undermine his role.

Graham added, "We've also contacted Mark Hansen and Michael Cohen from the diplomatic corps, who were also rescued by Tony. They're willing to give interviews in our defense."

Louise picked up, "And I've been in touch with the CIA. They've been supportive of the film, and any attack on 'Argo' is an attack on their credibility. They're preparing a statement to back us up."

Martin set down the newspaper he was holding. "These are all solid steps to dilute the negativity."

He pointed to the headlines about alleged government deals and asked, "Is there any truth to these behind-the-scenes deals?"

"There must have been a behind-the-scenes deal for the rescue of the 65 hostages," Graham began, his tone matter-of-fact. "The unfreezing of assets and the supply of F-14 Tomcat parts are real. But whether these are directly linked to Tony's rescue operation, only the CIA's top brass or the decision-makers from that time would know for sure."

Martin wasn't particularly concerned with the actual events. His criteria for the truth surrounding "Argo" were straightforward: Anything that benefited the film was true; anything that harmed it was false.

Louise broke the silence, "These measures are purely defensive." She had firsthand experience from the previous year's Oscar campaign: "To really gain an advantage, we need to go on the offensive as well."

David Fincher leaned forward, "Do we know who orchestrated this? Have we identified them?"

Graham shook his head. "No clear leads yet, but the suspects are likely among the crews competing for the Oscars this year and those who've had run-ins with us over major awards."

The primary goals for "Argo" were Best Director and Best Picture, evident from the series of preliminary awards it had already secured. Anyone familiar with the Hollywood awards season could see that.

Martin got straight to the point, "In a few days, the Academy will send out Oscar ballots to all members. Who are our main competitors this season?"

Graham responded, "I've spoken with Spielberg and analyzed the landscape. 'Lincoln' is focused on Best Actor. Other films like 'Les Misérables' and 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' aren't significant threats. Our main competition is 'Life of Pi' directed by Ang Lee."

Martin stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We don't need to focus on who's behind this. We just need to identify our main competitor and go after them aggressively."

Louise nodded in agreement. "Our objective isn't to uncover the mastermind behind these attacks. This kind of sabotage is becoming standard in the awards season PR game. It's been happening every year and will probably get worse."

She glanced at Martin. Harvey Weinstein had set the precedent for ruthless Oscar campaigning, and Martin's own approach wasn't far behind. The bar for Oscar PR was continually being lowered, turning what was once a prestigious competition into a spectacle.

Martin declared, "Our next move is to target 'Life of Pi' and hit them hard."

Louise asked, "Are we escalating the competition?"

David Fincher, catching the gist of their plan, cautioned, "Graham and I saw 'Life of Pi.' It's an excellent film. It's a tough competitor."

Graham concurred, "It's a strong contender in terms of quality, and they've done extensive PR as well."

Martin nodded, "Alongside our standard publicity and lobbying efforts, we need to employ strategies that can only be used once. They won't be effective a second time."

David Fincher inquired, "Are you talking about discrediting the competition?"

Martin replied, "In the era of Harvey Weinstein, discrediting competitors through media and public opinion was considered standard PR."

Louise understood where Martin was headed. He was planning to use more unconventional tactics.

Martin thought for a moment and then said decisively, "We need Tony and the other key players to speak up for 'Argo' in the media. Louise, you handle that. I'll focus on launching our counter-attack."

David Fincher, eager to make a final push for the Best Director Oscar, leaned forward, "Just let me know what you need from me."

Graham added, "GK Films can allocate substantial resources to this effort."

Louise nodded, already anticipating the steps she'd need to take.

Martin continued, "I've been mulling this over during my flight from Atlanta. I have a rough plan, but I'd appreciate your input..."

In reality, his strategy was inspired by tactics from his past life and lessons learned from Megan Ellison. Megan had become a significant force in the Oscar race post-Harvey Weinstein, not just because of the quality of her films but also due to her shrewd PR maneuvers.

The Oscars, Martin mused, were akin to an alternative American election. Just as elections were rife with underhanded tactics, the Oscars, from publicity stunts to PR machinations, were no different.

His proposal garnered immediate approval from Louise, Graham, and Fincher. They understood that in the high-stakes world of award season, sometimes unconventional methods were necessary. Besides, an Oscar win could translate into substantial financial gains.

After the meeting, Martin was the first to leave the Disney studio. Once in the Escalade with Bruce, he instructed, "You need to find Judy."

Bruce, who had been quietly observing from the corner of the meeting room, nodded. He understood the gravity of the situation. "Judy's on a business trip. I'll go to her as soon as she gets back."

Martin pointed to the back seat, "And don't forget to bring a gift."

Bruce silently agreed. For Martin, he had gone above and beyond numerous times, enduring personal discomfort for the sake of their brotherhood. It was a bond forged through countless trials.

After dropping Martin at the "La La Land" set, Bruce contacted Judy and scheduled a meeting for the next afternoon.

Meanwhile, Louise and Graham swung into action. They coordinated with the media, ensuring that Tony Mendes, Mark Hansen, and Michael Cohen gave interviews that day.

Louise also reached out to their CIA contacts.

The next morning, at a press conference, the CIA spokesperson praised "Argo" for accurately depicting the agency's rescue efforts, calling it a rare and positive portrayal of the CIA in Hollywood. They lauded David Fincher's direction as masterful.

Entertainment Weekly soon published an interview with Tony Mendes, who extolled the film's authenticity, claiming it was 80% true to life. He explained that any fictional elements were necessary to emphasize the urgency of the rescue mission.

Mark Hansen and Michael Cohen, who also lived through the events, echoed this sentiment in People magazine, stating that "Argo" was an almost perfect reenactment of their experience.

Despite these efforts, Martin knew it wouldn't be easy to erase the negative press. As the saying goes, a lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put on its shoes.

In this world, sometimes the rumor-spreaders were the ones telling the truth, while those refuting them spun elaborate lies. Yet, paradoxically, the public often believed the latter.