before time

Arnon Milchan was juggling many projects, but among the most critical was convincing Al Pacino to come on board and allow the collaboration of two prominent actors. One of them was Johnny Depp, and the other was the man he was visiting. They had sent the script to Pacino's agent, along with a modest monetary gift of a few thousand dollars, possibly some favors, which seemed to touch the agent's heart. It didn't take long for this to have an effect—the agent recommended the script over the others that were being considered.

But this was Hollywood.

A juicy paycheck and a meeting were key steps, and if they could get the famous actor, securing a stable cast would be much easier. The filming locations, mostly in New York, Chicago, and Miami, were nearly complete and readily available from the production companies. For this reason, Arnon Milchan hadn't had time to sit down and talk. He had recently met a young writer who claimed to have a great script, which Arnon ignored, unaware that Billy was in the lobby for the script and that the author, Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk, was losing confidence after facing numerous rejections. The companies had offered a maximum of $10,000, but then set his work aside, leaving him with restrained frustration that soon turned into disappointment and a touch of fury toward the industry.

Arnon Milchan arrived at Al Pacino's house, parked his car on the curb, and waited at the door for 10 minutes until Pacino came down, his black hair tousled and a cigarette in hand. He invited Arnon inside, dressed casually in an open pink shirt. Arnon remained calm—his main strategy was to let people ask their questions.

-The script has a touch of a movie I just worked on, Casino, - commented Pacino.

Arnon smiled, knowing that Pacino's agent understood his way of thinking perfectly.

-I can't deny there are similarities, but there's a key difference. In this, you're not the sharp, quick-witted guy you were before. Instead, you're more the shoot-first-ask-questions-later type. But age has dulled that edge, changed that impulsive nature. This time, we explore the bond between two people—a seasoned mentor and someone who sees you as their master. I'd say you're playing a washed-up gangster, with a lot on his mind.- Arnon took a sip of water. - What's fascinating here is the human side, the sensitive, vulnerable elements. It's not just about bullets and betrayals; this mafia follows a code, and moral dilemmas come into play. -

The conversation covered many points, especially around the character's role. Arnon, having spent time studying the script, provided several well-founded opinions, particularly his favorite—about the fate of men who end up dying. He shared a real-life case study with Pacino, detailing the guilt and other complex emotions that are hard to grasp when life hangs in the balance.

-Who will be my co-stars? - asked the veteran actor.

-We have a few options, but Johnny Depp is a strong favorite. He has an excellent perspective on how to portray his role. You could meet with him, or whoever is chosen—we can work around your schedule. - Arnon replied.

-Thanks for the insight. You've given me a lot to think about. I'll talk to Hall and carefully consider how to approach this role.- - Pacino commented, closing the deal.

-I'll travel soon, but feel free to discuss details with Danny DeVito or Mark Johnson. We're working together on this through Lux Films, Baltimore Pictures, and Mark Johnson Productions. - Arnon concluded with a handshake, securing a crucial point for moving the project forward.

***

Billy was organizing everything, but his involvement in Gattaca was still pending—his participation in a few scenes was just a matter of necessity. The most important thing now was balancing all the matters concerning his companies, which demanded his attention.

For instance, he held a 78% stake in Apple, and his businesses were moving at a breakneck pace. The cash flow from Warner couldn't have come at a better time—a tough blow for the board and two co-presidents who were now under his financial control, forced to follow orders. Being a CEO requires a deeper vision than merely managing meetings and sticking to a set schedule.

Steve Jobs secured his share in the company, and they made significant production cuts, slashing at least 45 products. Now, the company was left with just six: headphones, computers, Macintosh, laptops, recorders, and walkie-talkies. To Steve, it seemed like a complete waste of time when it came to product decisions.

-I've made the necessary adjustments, and we need to let go of this number of employees. - Gil Amelio remarked, surprising the room. The reduction of 500 employees wasn't expected initially, but under Billy's proposal, it became easier to offer employees the choice to either take a six-month salary cut or receive a generous severance package.

Some opted for transfers to Billy's other companies, like the one responsible for web development. The Lux Animation project was still up in the air, along with the development of Messenger—a private chat service that required more staff. Other gaming companies under Billy's umbrella, such as Blizzard, also needed more people for administrative tasks and site maintenance.

-The next item on the agenda is the decision to cut either the recorders or the walkie-talkies. - commented Gil Amelio.

The board voted as expected, eliminating some obsolete models. The next step was to present the motion to the general shareholders' meeting, leading to the company's delisting from the stock market.

-Billy's proposals are as follows... - Anne began, standing in for Billy. - Let's improve the processors, and build computers that can handle faster information processing—graphic rendering, computation, and memory. We need to implement USB to replace diskettes. The company is already beginning to take different approaches, and the Universal Serial Bus is likely the most important technology in the coming years. If we can adjust our computers year by year to meet these demands, that would be fantastic. -

-That's quite a challenge.- muttered the head of the technology department.

-He wants it by next year, and that's why you get paid. - Anne growled. Her fierce personality fascinated Steve for two reasons—it was exactly what was needed, someone who could push.

-Better processors, chips... for what purpose? - Steve Jobs inquired, as part of a pre-arranged conversation.

-Development of web applications, and Mac-specific applications.- Anne replied, seeing hesitation. - We'll handle that. Just make sure you build a powerful system. One more thing: the computer screen has to change. It's cumbersome to work with the current design. I want it to look like this. -

She handed over a series of sketches—a large screen, a mock-up of an iBook, portable computers, and miniatures, with ideas on battery life, design, and functionality.

-These are some designs we'd like to consider. We want a sleek, flat, and regular shape—something different from the typical boxy design.- Anne remarked.

Demand after demand, Coll Bernard had a headache and was unable to explain the technicalities to them. They just wanted results. Anne, however, was content with half measures, leaving the rest to the experts. Steve's eyes gleamed—he couldn't be the bad guy... not yet!

...