Chapter 81: Sincerity

[Chapter 81: Sincerity]

Without a doubt, the actor who benefitted the most was Julia Roberts. As Pretty Woman continued its run, Julia felt as if she had stepped into an entirely new world. In this new realm, everyone treated her with such respect and kindness; they practically treated her like a princess.

While recording a talk show for ABC, the entire production team revolved around her. The show's director carefully considered every little detail, regularly asking for her opinions during the recording process.

At the same time, she received lucrative movie deals, advertising contracts, endorsements, and various other offers pouring in. Her paycheck skyrocketed to $5 million after the weekend box office came in, a figure that left many male stars in the dust.

Al Pacino had also completely shed the shadow of his failures from four years prior and appeared rejuvenated. Friends from the industry, whom he hadn't spoken to in a long time, suddenly reappeared, and parties were being thrown one after the other.

Of course, where there was celebration, there was also disappointment. Richard Gere, who began promoting his new film, Road House, undoubtedly found himself as the most disheartened. His agent had previously boasted about the project, while trash-talking Eric's new film. Though Richard understood the reasoning behind what his agent did, he still felt that declining Eric's offer was a way to do Michael Ovitz a favor. Thus, he opted for Road House.

If Pretty Woman had not achieved such colossal success -- if it had merely broken even -- Richard would not have felt so strongly about his decision. Unfortunately for him, Pretty Woman soared, collecting box office earnings in the first week that rivaled the total gross of many films. Watching all of this unfold, Richard found it increasingly difficult to remain calm.

This agitation led him to forget that choosing to walk away from Pretty Woman was primarily his choice. If an actor was determined to pursue a film project, even if CAA placed obstacles in their way, they could not outright prevent the actor from pursuing it. However, Richard naturally placed all the blame on CAA, feeling like a pawn in Michael Ovitz's game of personal power.

...

At Coca-Cola's Atlanta headquarters, a crucial meeting was underway regarding Columbia Pictures. At that moment, Coca-Cola President Bob Paddock stood with materials about Home Alone and Pretty Woman, challenging Columbia's president, Cohen Blount, seated at the other end of the table.

"The bet agreement -- this was your first mistake," Bob declared. "However, thanks to Home Alone, Columbia's stock price rose from $12 to $14, so we can call this mistake a wash."

Once Bob finished that statement, he moved on to another document. "But next, your blunders directly led to Eric Williams jumping ship to Fox. Estimates suggest that Pretty Woman might gross $200 million in North America, and its overseas earnings could surpass 50% of the North American total. Just from box office revenue, Fox could gain at least $80 million -- a sum that Columbia should have seen."

Cohen Blount did not dare to dispute anything, sitting quietly while awaiting the final decision from the Coca-Cola board. In truth, he had already known his fate. The high-ranking executives in film companies often appeared glorious, but few understood the immense pressure behind the scenes.

Investments could run into the tens of millions, and the outcome of each film could cause significant shifts within the company. Some individuals faced dismissal due to massive losses, never to recover, while others enjoyed promotions following successes, reveling in newfound power and benefits, all while juggling the anxiety of upcoming projects.

Cohen Blount understood that the criticism he faced was just an excuse, with Eric Williams merely a trigger. His real issue was his opposition to Coca-Cola selling Columbia to the Japanese.

Rumors had circulated that Coca-Cola's board had officially decided to negotiate a sale to Sony. Under those circumstances, it didn't matter whether Blunt stayed or left -- he would be going soon, regardless.

To secure his position, he had reached out to many people to form a coalition against the sale. Naturally, such efforts hadn't gone unnoticed by Coca-Cola's upper management. If he succeeded, no one would complain. But if he failed, he would face the dire consequences.

"... Therefore, I now officially announce the board's decision: effective immediately, Cohen Blount is relieved of his duties as president of Columbia TriStar Group," Bob Paddock said, reading the board resolution. They discussed a few other matters before adjourning the meeting. As for Cohen Blount, he exited with a semblance of dignity and wasn't escorted back to the Columbia headquarters by security.

...

Looking quite downcast, Blunt Cohen left, but Bob Paddock did not. He made his way to another meeting room.

"Hello, Mr. Paddock," a woman standing up from the sofa greeted him warmly.

Bob shook her hand with a smile, saying, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Amy."

"It's no trouble. I just arrived myself."

Amy Pascal had recently left Columbia in displeasure.

"My assistant already shared my thoughts with you, Amy. What do you think?"

Amy observed, "Mr. Paddock, I feel I have no need to return to Columbia now. Although I've resigned, I've heard that Columbia is about to be sold to Sony. What would be the point of going back, just to risk being laid off again in a few months?"

"Of course not, Amy. You're an incredibly talented executive. Even if the Japanese take over Columbia, they wouldn't dare make drastic changes to management. I've reviewed your departure from Columbia. If Cohen Blount had listened to your advice, he wouldn't have signed that bet agreement that cost Columbia millions. And then Eric Williams wouldn't have wandered off to Fox."

Amy responded, "Mr. Paddock, it's pointless to discuss the past now. I'm more interested in why you want me back at Columbia."

Bob looked at her and asked, "Amy, you know Eric Williams, right?"

That confirmed her suspicions. Amy nodded, "Yes, but we've only met a few times. He probably wouldn't remember me now."

"Come on, how could he forget? Without your help, how would Home Alone have achieved its box office miracle?"

Although Amy had gained no benefit from her previous involvement -- and even lost her job because of it -- hearing Bob bring it up still filled her with a sense of pride.

"Mr. Paddock, if you expect me to persuade Eric Williams to return to Columbia, that seems unlikely. Everyone knows he already signed three film contracts with Fox this year. By next year, Columbia will be under Sony's ownership."

Bob shook his head. "It's not as clear-cut as that. I've had people look into that contract, and it's not very tight. Fox only wants the distribution rights for the sequel to Home Alone, so there's no clause preventing Eric from working with other studios during his time there. Once we start negotiations with Sony, Columbia will need some good news to boost stock prices -- like... a blockbuster film."

"But..."

"Don't worry, Amy. I understand your concerns. To ensure a smooth collaboration with Eric Williams, the board has already relieved Cohen Blount of his presidency at Columbia."

Amy was taken aback. "Really?"

Bob nodded. "Absolutely. Otherwise, with Cohen Blount's connections, the board wouldn't want to cause a fuss, especially since he wouldn't last much longer in his position anyway. When you meet with Eric, you can mention this to show our sincerity."

Amy pondered a moment before raising another issue. "But Eric works at a fast pace. Completing three films in a year is already quite a stretch for him. How can we guarantee the quality if he does more?"

"We will schedule his new movie for the summer, and given his current popularity, as long as the film isn't atrocious, hitting $100 million at the box office during the summer won't be an issue. Additionally..." Bob lowered his voice slightly, "I'll ensure there's enough budget for the second Fox film. We could even hire someone else to direct it, allowing him to focus solely on the movie he makes for us."

After a brief hesitation, Amy nodded. "I'll do my best to give it a shot."

*****

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