In the original timeline, the production team behind "Jade Flame," which largely replicated the formula of "Basic Instinct," was indeed formidable.
The film was directed by William Friedkin, who had previously helmed "The Exorcist" and "The French Connection." The screenplay was written by Joe Eszterhas, the creator of "Basic Instinct," and the lead role was played by Linda Fiorentino. The film had a substantial budget of $50 million.
Unfortunately, both "Jade Flame" and another of Joe Eszterhas' films released in 1995, "Showgirls," were box office disasters. This marked the downfall of a screenwriter once highly sought after in Hollywood, from which he never recovered.
There was another reason why Simon and Jonathan discussed this script.
William Friedkin was married to Sherry Lansing, the head of MGM.
Hollywood isn't known for allowing someone to live off one success forever. Although William Friedkin once directed the phenomenal "The Exorcist," which not only exploded at the box office worldwide but also became the first horror film in Hollywood history to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, times had changed. Friedkin was now completely out of vogue. He could barely survive on his past glory, with his films consistently flopping, forcing him to take on TV directing jobs most of the time.
As a wife, Sherry Lansing naturally wanted to consider her husband's future. Over the years, she had tried to recommend projects for Friedkin to direct. Given recent trends and his expertise, Lansing saw "Jade Flame" as an opportunity for Friedkin to make a comeback.
Simon valued Sherry Lansing as one of the few female executives in Hollywood history but couldn't justify investing in such a high-budget project that was destined to fail.
MGM, having just recovered, couldn't afford such a risk.
Since Simon wasn't interested in the project, Jonathan didn't press further and instead changed the subject. "The review of the Disney acquisition should be concluded in Washington by next month at the latest. Vivendi isn't satisfied with the current management. They've likely tried to poach some people from your side, haven't they?"
Simon nodded and smiled. "Have they contacted you as well?"
For the past six months, Jeffrey Katzenberg had left, Michael Eisner resigned due to illness, and Frank Wells was about to retire. The three executives who had led Disney from decline to prosperity in the 1980s were gone. Vivendi, which was about to acquire Disney, was dissatisfied with the remaining management and had begun searching for the next leader for the company.
In Hollywood, the most powerful entity right now was undoubtedly Daenerys Entertainment, making it the primary target for poaching talent.
However, while the traditional idea of preferring to be the head of a chicken rather than the tail of a phoenix made sense, the current gap between Disney and Daenerys was too vast, and Disney was a mess. Most of the core team at Daenerys could clearly see the future trends in Hollywood. Staying with Daenerys, even if it meant sharing a large pot, was far more attractive than jumping into a broken bowl.
As for those willing to jump ship, Vivendi wasn't interested in second-tier executives.
Beyond Daenerys, prominent independent producers or executives from talent agencies were suitable targets.
Michael Ovitz was originally a good candidate.
However, Ovitz was no longer the most powerful person in Hollywood. Previously, Eisner had invited him, and they had almost reached an agreement. Then, Vivendi launched its bid to acquire Disney. As a staunch opponent of the acquisition, Eisner was ousted, and Ovitz, closely associated with Eisner, naturally couldn't secure the position.
This left Jonathan, who had a close relationship with Simon, as another suitable candidate.
Jonathan nodded when Simon asked. "Yes, but I turned them down."
If Daenerys Entertainment hadn't burst onto the scene, Jonathan Friedman would have jumped at the chance to lead a major Hollywood studio. While running a talent agency might seem glamorous, it's ultimately a service-oriented job. Even if one owns a share in the agency, the lack of fixed assets means the company's value is relatively low. In comparison, leading a major film studio would mean real power.
This was the main reason why Michael Ovitz, in another timeline, was willing to give up his position as Hollywood's most powerful man to become Disney's number two.
But things were different now.
Jonathan realized that, compared to the ever-expanding Daenerys Entertainment with a market value exceeding $100 billion, Hollywood's other major studios were only going to decline further, a decline inevitably exacerbated by Daenerys. Jonathan didn't believe that his personal relationship with Simon would be enough to protect any company he might lead from Daenerys' growth.
Thus, moving to Disney wouldn't just fail to gain Simon's support; it could also erase any past goodwill.
Jonathan often regretted his decision.
He'd had the chance to join Daenerys Entertainment early on. If he had, he would now be a core executive within the company and possibly a billionaire or even a multi-billionaire after Daenerys went public.
In comparison, although he had become the head of WMA, his accumulated wealth over the years barely exceeded $50 million, much of which came from investment tips occasionally provided by Simon.
Simon was pleased that Jonathan had made this choice.
Disney was a target for Simon.
Although he was grateful for Jonathan's help in the past, Simon wouldn't alter Daenerys Entertainment's expansion strategy for his sake.
The two then discussed Daenerys' latest external cooperation plans, Paramount's deal with DreamWorks, and other topics, with the conversation punctuated by social niceties. It wasn't until 10 PM that Simon left Jonathan's party with Charlize Theron and stayed in a nearby mansion in Beverly Hills.
Over the weekend, the most talked-about news in Hollywood came from MGM.
Although not officially announced, news quickly spread that MGM was set to reboot the 007 series and had secured two collaborative projects with Daenerys.
James Bond's appeal needs no explanation.
Along with the reboot news came reports that MGM had gained more control over the 007 franchise, significant positive news for the long-dormant studio.
The two projects secured with Daenerys were even more eye-catching.
One was a series adaptation of the popular 1970s TV show "Charlie's Angels," and the other was a film series based on Robert Ludlum's bestselling novel, "The Bourne Identity."
In all the reports, "series" was a key word.
This suggested that the 10 projects Daenerys was partnering on might not just be 10 individual films but series productions, similar to the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. Even if they didn't reach the heights of the DC Cinematic Universe, the profits from film series would far exceed those from standalone movies.
Without concrete details, people had been willing to wait patiently.
But now, with MGM snatching two projects, Hollywood was in an uproar. Studios and talent agencies alike were eagerly reaching out to Daenerys Entertainment.
On October 10th, a new week began.
Forbes released its 1994 list of the 400 richest Americans, instantly capturing everyone's attention.
However, when they saw Simon Westeros at the top with a personal wealth of $300 billion, many people lost interest.
$300 billion.
Wasn't this the figure that many media outlets had been speculating about?
Moreover, Forbes' vague handling of certain data didn't escape the notice of some astute observers. Being clever, they naturally guessed what had transpired behind the scenes.
Because of the rapid decline of the Hearst family against the Westeros system earlier in the year, coupled with the Westeros system's efforts to woo several major American media groups, mainstream North American newspapers like the "New York Times" and the "Los Angeles Times" didn't raise much objection to the $300 billion figure. Even the typically open internet platforms, largely controlled by the Westeros system, couldn't stir up much controversy.
However, some media questioned the relevance of the Forbes list, given the enormous gap between the wealth of the top-ranking individual and the rest.
There was no suspense.
Simon Westeros had a personal wealth of $300 billion, while the second-richest person on the list had just $28 billion—a gap of more than tenfold. The combined wealth of all 400 individuals on the Forbes list was $638.3 billion, meaning Simon Westeros alone accounted for nearly half.
Such a disparity led some to wonder if there was any point in continuing the list at all.
It was just too one-sided.
Simon had tried to minimize the attention on this issue, but the public's interest wouldn't die down.
With only a month left until the midterm elections, it was a critical time in the U.S. political landscape. Simon, being an obvious target, couldn't escape scrutiny.
As soon as the list was published, many politicians in the final stages of their campaigns revisited the topic of Simon's wealth. Those on the opposite side of the Westeros system were especially vocal, promising to push for legislation to curb the unchecked growth of personal wealth and reviving discussions about a targeted "wealth tax."
While Simon could influence most mainstream media to tread carefully on topics related to the Westeros system, he couldn't silence all politicians or control the vast network of local media across the U.S.
But Simon wasn't just a passive observer.
Following the Forbes list, the Westeros system's media and political lobbying teams began collecting statements from various politicians, carefully noting who could be supported and who needed to be blacklisted. The lists would be kept clear.
Simon lacked neither patience nor time, and certainly not money. Even if he couldn't deal with someone immediately, given ten years or so, he could maneuver to bring down politicians who opposed the Westeros system.
For Simon, this was not difficult.
For the die-hard opponents, unless they had lived saintly lives from birth, Simon had the resources to dig up their past. Even if someone were a saint, it wouldn't be impossible to drag them down. If they refused to fall, their family or friends might not be as steadfast.
In this world, no one was invulnerable.
Alongside the release of the Forbes list, Daenerys Entertainment Group also announced its first quarterly financial report since going public on the following Wednesday.
From July to September 1994, Daenerys Entertainment Group reported revenues of $6.708 billion, up 39% year-over-year, with net profits of $771 million, up 21% year-over-year.
Both key metrics exceeded Wall Street's expectations.
Moreover, the report highlighted growth in Daenerys' core businesses—film, television, games, and music. Even though many had witnessed the phenomena created by Daenerys in 1994, the numbers were still staggering.
The day the report was released, Daenerys' stock price rose 2.3%. By the close of trading on Wednesday, the Hollywood entertainment giant had a market value of $127.3 billion.
On July 1st, Daenerys Entertainment's market value at the close of its first trading day was $112.8 billion.
For months, the media and investors had doubted the sustainability of Daenerys' stock price, with some even placing large short bets. Yet, despite some volatility, the stock maintained a strong upward trend overall in the three months since its IPO.
In that time, Daenerys' stock price had risen 12%, and its market value had grown from $112.8 billion to $127.3 billion. Although the increase from the 110 billion range to the 120 billion range might not seem dramatic, the $14.5 billion increase in market value in three months exceeded the total market value of most companies on the U.S. stock exchange.
Given Simon's 81.9% stake in Daenerys, his wealth increased by $11.8 billion from this one company alone over the past quarter. Daenerys Entertainment Group contributed $104.3 billion to Simon's personal fortune.
On the other hand, despite being impacted by a formal antitrust investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, Cisco and AOL, two core tech companies in the Westeros system, quickly resumed their upward trajectory as the internet boom continued.
Two days after Daenerys released its report, Cisco and AOL also published their quarterly reports on Friday, October 14th.
This was no coincidence.
Given the inevitability of quarterly reports following an IPO, Simon wanted to release all related topics within the same week.
Cisco and AOL reported growth even more striking than Daenerys', with both companies' stock prices rising over 3% on Friday. At the close of trading that day, Cisco's market value reached $87.9 billion, having overtaken GE as the largest U.S. company by market value.
AOL's market value also climbed to $71.6 billion.
Based on Simon's 46.3% stake in Cisco and 65.5% stake in AOL, the two companies contributed $40.6 billion and $46.9 billion to Simon's wealth, respectively. Adding Daenerys' $105.6 billion contribution, Simon's holdings in just these three companies amounted to $193.1 billion.
These three companies alone brought Simon nearly $200 billion. When considering the entire Westeros system—including Egret, Melisandre, Cersei Capital, Verizon, Nokia, BHP, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, SUN, Tinkerbell… What would the total amount be?
More and more people began to realize that the $300 billion figure in the Forbes list might be significantly understated.
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