Chapter 306: Not by Chance

The auditions for the male lead of "Misery" concluded after 5 p.m.

This final round of auditions was limited to three candidates, with the last to audition being Don Johnson, Melanie Griffith's husband.

Initially, Simon didn't believe Don Johnson, known for his tough-guy roles, could portray a writer convincingly. However, after being requested by the Griffith family's connections and viewing Johnson's carefully prepared audition tape, Simon changed his mind.

Moreover, Don Johnson and Susan Sarandon were of the same age, potentially creating a unique on-screen chemistry.

After discussing character insights and performing script excerpts, with Susan Sarandon herself arriving to act out scenes, the audition lasted an hour and a half. Don Johnson was essentially confirmed for the male lead, with only salary and other details to be discussed with his agent.

As everyone joked and left the audition room at the end of the workday, Don Johnson, staying behind, said to Simon, "There's one more thing, Simon. Melanie and I plan to hold a baptism ceremony for Dakota on the 16th next month. I wonder if you'd be available to attend. You did name the little girl, after all."

Months earlier, at the "Lethal Weapon 2" box office celebration party, Simon whimsically named the Johnsons' unborn daughter 'Dakota,' nearly forgetting about it later.

The child was born in October, and the Johnsons truly chose the name, even spreading the news that Simon had personally named her.

The infant girl thus attracted considerable media attention. Vanity Fair magazine, after offering a handsome fee, featured a family photo of the Johnsons on its November cover, again mentioning Simon's role in naming the baby.

Simon's explanation of the name 'Dakota' meaning 'eternal smile' even sparked debate among linguists.

"16th next month, huh," Simon pondered. "Don, I'm not sure if I'll be in Los Angeles then, but I'll definitely attend if I am."

The release date for "Batman" was set for December 22, with the Los Angeles premiere on December 20. Simon didn't plan to involve himself too much in the film's promotion, so he might not return before then.

Don Johnson, unaware of Simon's schedule but happy with his promise to attend if in Los Angeles, extended his hand, saying, "Then it's a deal."

Simon shook hands with Don Johnson, smiling, "Of course."

With the main crew of "Misery" nearly finalized, the only project left for next year in the ten-movie plan was "A League of Their Own."

Since the ban on CAA was lifted, the production team officially extended an invitation to Tom Hanks.

After "Big," Tom Hanks had become a leading man but lacked the strong box office appeal of many veteran actors. Therefore, the offered salary of $5 million was reasonable, and Simon did not haggle.

Sony, having just acquired Columbia Pictures and eager to spend big, set a budget of $25 million for "A League of Their Own."

Tom Hanks would take $5 million, Geena Davis $2 million, and director Penny Marshall, who had risen to prominence after "Big," also commanded a fee of $5 million.

With $12 million allocated to the three main creators and ensuring $10 million for production costs, there wasn't much left for other cast members. Madonna, who had a minor role in the original, was definitely out of the question, with many supporting actors receiving minimal weekly pay.

However, projects led by Simon never lacked for actors, even if it meant working at a loss, so the tight budget did not impact the quality of the cast.

Besides actively working on projects, Simon was also scouting for the remaining movies in the ten-film plan.

The next day was November 16, Thursday.

"The Land Before Time" was opening the next day, with its premiere held in the evening at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

The bustling premiere started at 5 p.m. Simon attended alone, briefly stopping on the red carpet for photos before heading directly into the theatre. At 8 p.m., the premiere concluded, and most guests moved to a nearby hotel for an after-party.

Simon planned to leave early but was stopped by Terry Semel.

In the hotel ballroom, after mingling, Semel and Simon found a corner: "Here's the thing, Simon, next month's 'Time' Magazine Person of the Year has been confirmed by Time Inc."

Seeing Semel's congratulatory expression, Simon understood, "Me?"

"Of course, who else but you could qualify?" Terry Semel laughed. "Frankly, you've had the qualifications for the past couple of years. So, you should schedule a photo shoot for the cover soon, and this time, you can't dodge the interview."

'Time' Magazine Person of the Year.

Simon sighed internally, aware of what this meant.

As a globally influential news magazine, each issue's cover person was highly anticipated. Some individuals even created fake 'Time' magazine covers to gain fame.

The 'Time' Magazine Person of the Year was the highlight of the magazine's annual covers.

Such a feature was not easily granted.

There were predictions last year that Simon would be 'Time' Magazine's 1988 Person of the Year. However, Time Inc. chose to dedicate the honor to 'Endangered Earth' instead of Simon.

Facing public skepticism, 'Time' Magazine explained that Simon was too young and did not meet the criteria for Person of the Year.

Suddenly, this year, he met the 'criteria.'

This was no coincidence but seemed inevitable.

With a bit of thought, it was clear that Warner Bros. had influenced the decision. Time Inc. and Warner Bros. had concluded an acquisition agreement, ending the struggle with Paramount.

At 21, Simon's qualification as the nation's wealthiest individual was sufficient. Coupled with the desire to promote "Batman" next month, this year's 'Time' Magazine Person of the Year naturally could not fall to anyone else.

There's never been truly impartial and neutral media in the world. With 'Time' Magazine now under the new Time Warner, it naturally leaned towards the company's interests.

Simon vividly remembered how, in his original timeline, "Wonder Woman" received 'careful nurturing' from Time Warner's media outlets after its release. The director of "Wonder Woman," Patty Jenkins, who had no qualifications for such recognition, was nominated for 'Time' Magazine Person of the Year under the pretext of 'redefining how the world should view women.'

Thinking this, Simon didn't refuse but said, "However, Terry, I'm heading to Europe this weekend."

"That's not an issue. As long as you cooperate, we'll send someone to Europe for the photoshoot and interview, likely towards the end of the month."

"Let them contact my assistant then," Simon nodded, his recent years of attention leaving him less excited, changing the subject, "You're really going for $1 billion in damages from Sony for the Guber-Peters production company."

Sony had confirmed Hollywood veterans Peter Guber and Jon Peters to lead Columbia Pictures, offering them lucrative salaries and acquiring their production company for $200 million in cash.

However, since Guber-Peters Production Company was originally associated with Warner Bros., Sony had just completed the acquisition when Warner sued Sony for breach of contract by Guber-Peters, demanding $1 billion in damages

.

Hearing Simon bring this up, Semel laughed, "You know Steve; he really dislikes the Japanese reaching into Hollywood. This is our turf."

Simon knew Warner eventually extracted $600 million from the Japanese, serving as Sony's first 'tuition fee' in Hollywood. Admiring Steve Ross's tactics while reminding himself to avoid similar mistakes, he followed the premiere. The next day, "The Land Before Time" officially opened in North America with 2,206 screens.

Universal Pictures' "Back to the Future II," the sequel to the 1985 box office champion "Back to the Future," was set for release on Wednesday, November 22.

To avoid competing with "Back to the Future II," six new films premiered on November 17, including the Daenerys Entertainment and Warner Bros. collaboration "The Land Before Time," Paramount's "Harlem Nights," and Orion Pictures' "Sea of Love," each opening with around 2,000 screens.

Daenerys Entertainment's collaboration with Warner Bros. on "The Land Before Time" was formidable, but the other studios seemed to find "The Land Before Time" more 'manageable.'

As for the following week, aside from Daenerys Entertainment's Highgate Studios releasing the officially titled "The Gucci Mark" documentary on Gucci fashion, "Back to the Future II" virtually dominated the Thanksgiving box office.

Ella Doichman was puzzled by Simon's decision to pit "The Gucci Mark" against "Back to the Future II," but Simon offered little explanation.

From memory, compared to the first installment's domestic box office of over $200 million, the sequel's revenue halved. Universal allocated all available resources to "Back to the Future II," with a budget of $40 million. Although the film still broke $100 million, it fell short of expectations, making "Back to the Future II"'s perceived strength less daunting, and "The Gucci Mark" less impacted.

On another front, after receiving Simon's approval, Nancy convened another meeting on acquiring EA on Friday, with James Rebel flying in from the East Coast to attend.

Cersei Capital's funds couldn't be repatriated in the short term, but Nancy planned to contact EA over the weekend, likely without needing that money. However, with the year's revenues tallied, Daenerys Entertainment could afford EA within the $350 million budget without relying on Cersei Capital's assets.

After the EA acquisition meeting, Simon dismissed others and discussed the MCA acquisition plan with Amy and James.

After facilitating Sony's deal with Columbia, Michael Ovitz likely pushed for Panasonic to acquire MCA's parent company, Universal. Like Sony's Columbia purchase, this deal would also drag on, giving Simon ample opportunity to intervene.

Simon's plan to acquire MCA was previously hinted at to his assistant but came as a surprise to Amy and James, followed by excitement.

Acquiring MCA would elevate Daenerys Entertainment as Hollywood's largest studio, instantly covering gaps in records, television, content, and theme parks.

However, challenges existed.

MCA's current market value neared $4 billion, with Amy and James believing Daenerys Entertainment might need to prepare $8 billion.

MCA Chairman Lew Wasserman's $8 billion offer to Sony last year was no secret.

Knowing the economic trends for the coming year, Simon was more optimistic than Amy and James, understanding the acquisition wouldn't require as much. Even if it reached $8 billion, the figure posed little problem for Simon.

After halting operations in the U.S. junk bond market, Cersei Capital's assets were sufficient to reach $8 billion. The upcoming Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and subsequent Gulf War's impact on oil prices would further enrich Simon.

Entering the 1990s, the prices of major Hollywood companies would only rise, making an early acquisition of Universal advantageous for Daenerys Entertainment.

However, this was not a straightforward endeavor.

Simon merely informed Amy and James of his plans, instructing them to start preparations. Compared to EA's market value of under $200 million, acquiring a behemoth like MCA, a giant of the era, would officially begin next year at the earliest.

Additionally, Simon opted not to pursue a hostile takeover, thus not instructing James to start acquiring MCA shares early. While this strategy could save some funds in the future acquisition, it risked misunderstanding from MCA's management, potentially leading Lew Wasserman and others to anticipate a hostile takeover.

Saving a billion or two at the risk of MCA management's hostility was not worth it for a deal worth tens of billions.

After lunch with everyone following the meeting, Simon headed to Los Angeles International Airport to pick up Janet, arriving around 2 p.m.

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