Chapter 202: Soaring Over Innocence

Los Angeles.

September 12th marks the beginning of another week.

Amy Pascal gets up early in the morning to find the viewership numbers for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," which officially premiered last night, in her hands.

On the very first day of the autumn season, the viewership for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" reached 23.7 million. Unsurprisingly, the average viewership for this phenomenal reality show's first season is expected to be around 25 million, with the highest viewership possibly breaking the 30 million mark.

Robert Iger sends word that ABC is considering raising the advertising prices for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" again.

Since a buyout agreement was signed, this matter has little to do with Daenerys Entertainment.

The company's next focus for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" is on overseas syndication distribution and the sale of remake rights.

Despite being a reality show with a strong sense of immediacy, its hot topicality still offers excellent syndication potential. Some Canadian TV stations have already been in touch, considering Canada's market capacity is much lower than the US's, Robert Iger estimates that each episode's broadcasting rights could go for about $250,000. Although this is a significant gap from ABC's purchase price, packaging the whole season still represents a considerable income, almost without any additional cost.

Moreover, many countries overseas are also contacting Daenerys Entertainment in hopes of acquiring the remake rights for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

Due to the success of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," Amy is now looking forward to the viewership performance of "Survivor," "Big Brother," and "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," which are set to premiere this week.

In terms of movies, during the week Simon has been away, Amy has successfully negotiated a collaboration agreement with John Hughes for "Uncle Buck." However, there are still some details to be discussed with Warner Bros regarding the collaboration on "Soaring Over Innocence." The weekly meeting is held directly at the company's Burbank branch, and after the meeting, Amy heads to Warner Bros. studios to meet with Terry Semel.

Close to noon, the two choose a restaurant near Warner Bros. studios to dine and discuss business.

Located near several major studios, many Hollywood celebrities choose to dine at this restaurant. As soon as Amy and Semel sit down at their reserved spot, some people come over to greet them.

Despite the warmth of the greetings, Terry Semel distinctly feels that Harrison Ford, Jessica Lange, and Michelle Pfeiffer show more eagerness towards Amy Pascal.

Hollywood is always pragmatic.

Terry Semel understands that Warner Bros. is not the only option for these celebrities; more often, Warner Bros. needs to strive for cooperation with them.

Compared to this, Daenerys Entertainment has become an anomaly.

Since last year's "Run Lola Run," several North American box office hits have rapidly elevated this less than two-year-old company. This also means that Daenerys Entertainment has enough strength to further the careers of even Hollywood's top stars.

Robert De Niro is the most typical example.

This two-time Oscar-winning actor's status in Hollywood is unparalleled. However, before "Pulp Fiction," De Niro had no North American box office hits exceeding one hundred million dollars. Neither "The Godfather Part II" nor "Taxi Driver," despite their fame, had box office earnings of more than a few tens of millions of dollars.

"Pulp Fiction," although an ensemble film, helped De Niro break away from a series of lukewarm box office performances.

Now, this two-time Oscar-winning actor is promoting "Dead Poets Society" in collaboration with Daenerys Entertainment. The film's box office potential seems not very high, but another script signed by Westerly might change that.

In fact, due to Daenerys Entertainment's capacity to enhance the careers of movie stars, Terry Semel received similar requests before this lunch meeting.

After exchanging greetings, Amy and Semel casually order lunch and start discussing business.

"Regarding 'Soaring Over Innocence,' since you and Simon agreed on a movie contract that stipulates Warner Bros. has no right to participate in the development of potential sequels if the film achieves a North American box office of over one hundred million, the rights should belong to Daenerys Entertainment. I don't wish for us to continue disputing over this issue," Amy states firmly.

Terry Semel shakes his head, "But this is not standard practice, Amy. If Warner Bros. and Daenerys co-invest in the production, we should own half of the film's rights, including participation in the sequel, as it's our rightful interest."

Amy does not relent, saying, "If you insist on this point, Terry, we'll have to wait for Simon to return to make a decision. You know Simon's temperament; a detail that shouldn't have been controversial has been dragged out this long, he might even cancel this collaboration entirely. Warner Bros. has already announced our upcoming collaboration, benefiting from it in stock prices. If there's a reversal, you would surely face accusations of deliberately announcing false news."

Terry Semel counters, "Amy, if Simon does this, Daenerys Entertainment won't be able to acquire the rights to 'Wonder Woman' and 'The Bourne Identity' either."

Amy remains unfazed, asking, "Are you trying to see if Simon would really do that?"

After a moment of silence, Semel finally nods, "Alright, Amy. Then, who do you plan to cast as the leads in the film?"

With the issue resolved, Amy casually mentions, "We're thinking of casting Meg Ryan as the female lead. Her straightforward charm fits the film perfectly, plus, she owes our company a film contract."

Meg Ryan, who became an A-lister with "When Harry Met Sally," is a satisfying choice for Terry Semel, who then inquires about the male lead.

Amy admits, "We haven't found a suitable candidate yet."

Semel suggests, "What about Mel Gibson?"

After some consideration, Amy asks, "Can Mel fit it into his schedule?"

Seeing a chance, Semel confirms, "Of course. Mel will finish shooting 'Lethal Weapon 2' before the year's end. 'Soaring Over Innocence' is scheduled for late next year, so the film could start production in the first half of next year, right?"

Semel's suggestion comes from Mel Gibson himself, who, like Robert De Niro, has become increasingly famous in Hollywood over the past few years but lacks a box office hit exceeding one hundred million dollars. Last year's "Lethal Weapon," with a box office of over sixty million dollars, is his most successful commercial film to date.

Both Warner Bros. and Gibson himself are not confident about "Lethal Weapon 2" slated for next summer. The success of the first film baffled many, leaving it uncertain whether audiences would welcome a sequel.

Hence, Mel Gibson urgently needs a film to secure his star status.

"Soaring Over Innocence" seems perfect.

This project was personally selected by Simon Westerly. Besides this, Mel Gibson had also heard about the collaboration between Warner Bros. and Daenerys. The agreement stipulates that until a film exceeding one hundred million dollars at the box office is produced, the contract remains active, indicating Daenerys Entertainment's reluctance to continue disputes with Warner Bros.

Therefore, the chances of "Soaring Over Innocence" succeeding at the box office are very high.

Although Westerly has so far proven his eye for films only with "When Harry Met Sally," and all other Daenerys Entertainment projects were his scripts, compared to other Hollywood filmmakers, Westerly's success rate in selecting films is significantly higher.

Securing this film contract would provide Mel Gibson with a safety net against the risks of "Lethal Weapon 2." If everything goes smoothly, he might even join the ranks of actors in the billion-dollar box office club.

Amy hesitates upon hearing Semel's explanation, recalling, "Last time you recommended Mel for Bruce Wayne, but Simon rejected it."

"That's because Simon wanted to cast a newcomer for Batman, just like with 'Superman'," Semel explains. "Amy, Mel is absolutely suitable for the role in 'Soaring Over Innocence.' Maybe we should arrange a meeting to discuss this project in detail."

After some thought, Amy agrees, "We'll see after the contract is signed, and ultimately, Simon will make the decision."

"Simon will agree," Semel smiles, pointing westward. "He's currently in Australia, and Mel is Australian too."

While Amy and Semel discuss in Los Angeles, it's already the morning of September 13th in Melbourne, 18 hours ahead.

Simon and Janet wake up in Brisbane, Queensland, in the northern part of Australia, where they had rushed to visit the set of "Beyond the Horizon," produced by George Miller and starring Nicole Kidman.

Determined to woo Hollywood's Australian contingent, and recognizing George Miller as a talented director worth collaborating with, Simon made a special trip.

During breakfast, George Miller also mentions the topic Amy and Semel are discussing across the ocean. Hollywood is such a networked circle, and he had received a call from Mel Gibson. Having started their careers together with the "Mad Max" series, Miller and Gibson share a closer relationship than with Warner Bros.

Beyond the "Mad Max" and "Lethal Weapon" action series, Mel Gibson has also starred in successful romantic comedies like "What Women Want," making him a fitting choice for the role, plus, it's a favor to a friend. Simon agrees readily.

However, after breakfast, Nicole Kidman approaches Simon to politely decline the role in "Angel's Mission."

The script for "Angel's Mission," originally intended for Bo Derek, indeed has some issues. Since Nicole declines, Simon doesn't insist.

After breakfast, Simon and Janet bid farewell to Miller and others, not heading straight back to Melbourne but flying to Hobart, the capital of Tasmania to the south of Melbourne.

Simon hasn't forgotten his ambition to secure this vast island at the world's end, with Janet quietly acquiring various properties on the island.

With the Johnston family's assistance, Simon's shell companies recently acquired over 500 square kilometers of vast woodland in northern Tasmania for just 7 million dollars. Although the local government imposes strict restrictions on activities like logging, Simon never intended to cut down these precious forests, making those restrictions irrelevant.

Including other farms and woodlands, Simon now owns 150,000 acres of land.

However, this pales in comparison to the Kidman family, which owns nearly 10,000 square kilometers (about 24 million acres) across Australia, truly a super landowner.

Compared to the relatively small Johnston family, the Kidman family is vast, tracing back to Nicole's great-grandfather Sidney Kidman. Over generations, the Kidman family has grown to over a hundred members. Nicole's branch has drifted from the family's core, enjoying some benefits through the family trust but lacking significant influence, which is why Nicole seldom discusses her family publicly.

After spending a day in Tasmania, it's time to return.

Returning to Melbourne in the evening, Simon browses his land documents while Janet dials several numbers on the car phone, eventually getting through after multiple attempts.

"What, Singapore? Why is she always hiding in Singapore... She doesn't want to marry, and dad won't force her on anyone. Do you have her number in Singapore... How long is the flight from here... Just asking, I'm not chasing her there... Bye."

After hanging up, Simon asks, "Still not there?"

"She's off to Singapore on a business trip again. I think we should visit Melbourne less often. Just this visit and she's running all over the place," Janet says with a smile, understanding yet frustrated. "But it's understandable. Despite dad being nice to you these days, he used to be quite stern with me, even forcing me to go on blind dates. That's why I preferred staying in Los Angeles."

Simon grows curious about Janet's aunt, realizing he hasn't even seen a photo of Veronica Johnston.

Asking about the aunt, Janet replies, "She's much like the rest of us. Dad treats her more like a daughter than a sister, even though she's younger than Tony. She's afraid of dad too, hehe, actually, everyone in our family is."

Simon listens, smiling, "Your dad seems nice to me."

Janet leans in, kisses Simon, and says, "Dad couldn't be happier with you, how could he be harsh? But things might change over time. Wait, you know what I mean."

Pretending ignorance, Simon shakes his head.

Janet playfully calls him a "little rascal," then leans on his shoulder, eventually resting on his lap, perhaps too tired from the day's activities.

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