Chapter 274: Defeat Link and Divide the Cake

[Chapter 274: Defeat Link and Divide the Cake]

After returning to Los Angeles, Link felt much more comfortable.

Philadelphia, located on the East Coast, had a humid continental climate that often brought rain and snow during the last two months of the year. The average daily temperature in December hovered around 41 degrees Fahrenheit, with nighttime temperatures often dropping below freezing. Link and his crew had to endure the cold weather while filming, making it one of the most challenging shoots of his directing career.

In contrast, winter in Los Angeles was warm and pleasant, with temperatures rarely dropping below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, far more comfortable than Philadelphia. The unique climate of Los Angeles played a significant role in its status as the entertainment capital of the world.

"Hey, how's the training going?" Link asked as he stopped by the training center on his way to the studio to edit a film. He wanted to check on the Batman crew, which included Ben Affleck, Ryan Phillippe, and several supporting and stunt performers.

"It's going well. Ben and Ryan train regularly and are in good shape. I've been teaching them some martial arts moves, so they'll be ready for the action scenes," replied action director Yuen Woo-ping, dressed in a casual outfit.

"Great! Just make sure they practice more, especially Ben. He's playing Batman, so his fight scenes need to look cool and pack a punch," Link said.

"Absolutely! I'll work with them more," Yuen Woo-ping assured him.

Link nodded and spent some time working out at the training center before heading to the studio to edit.

---

As production wrapped for The Sixth Sense, the Hollywood film market was gearing up for the holiday season. Starting in November, several blockbuster movies began hitting North American theaters.

These included MGM's sci-fi film Stargate, Columbia Pictures' horror movie Frankenstein, Warner Bros.' Interview with the Vampire, Disney's The Santa Clause, Paramount's sci-fi film Star Trek: Generations, and Guess Pictures' The Mask and Good Will Hunting.

The Mask premiered on November 11, grossing $37.11 million from 2,360 theaters to capture the number one spot at the box office. In its second week, it faced tough competition from Interview with the Vampire, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, and earned $31.37 million, taking second place.

However, The Mask made $26.35 million in its third week, surpassing Interview with the Vampire and Star Trek: Generations, reclaiming the number one box office position. Over three weeks, the film accumulated a total of $94.83 million, and projections indicated it would surpass the $100 million mark in North America soon.

Along with Dumb and Dumber, Speed, and Se7en, Guess Pictures had four films this year that grossed over $100 million in North America. If Pulp Fiction, which they co-produced, was included, it would become five, with a total box office revenue exceeding $800 million. This performance was impressive and generated envy across the industry.

The Los Angeles Times predicted that Guess Pictures would likely secure the title of overall box office champion in Hollywood this year, marking a historic first for an independent film company to take this crown. Such achievements indicated a major shift in the Hollywood film industry.

Meanwhile, Businessweek published a new survey showing that Guess Pictures had surpassed its initial valuation of $500 million, with the next round of financing potentially valued at $1 billion, attracting numerous willing investors. If the second financing round went well, Guess Pictures would rank as the eighth largest movie company by market capitalization, solidifying its place among the "new big eight."

As a result, Link's net worth surged past $3 billion, even reaching $4 billion.

...

"Damn it! Is this guy robbing us?" Michael Ovitz fumed as he looked at the numbers in the newspaper, his fists banging against his desk.

After getting chewed out by Link over the phone last time, he felt humiliated and constantly hoped Guess Pictures would go bankrupt. But contrary to his wishes, the past few months had brought continual success for Guess Pictures, with one blockbuster after another, and Link was making money hand over fist.

Fortune magazine estimated Link's net worth exceeded $2.6 billion, making him the highest-paid celebrity in Hollywood at that time. Each time he saw those headlines, Michael felt like he might explode.

He picked up the phone and called Ron Meyer, the current president of Universal Pictures, asking how they planned to deal with Link.

Ron said that Universal Pictures would continue to produce big-budget films and compete directly with Guess Pictures and other studios for box office sales, adding that they were also considering collaborations with Link to secure a higher box office share.

Michael was dissatisfied with that response. He pressed Ron if they had any sharper tactics in mind. Given that Guess Pictures was racking up significant box office numbers, other studios were struggling as their films failed to perform well. Guess Pictures was becoming a formidable force, akin to a deep-sea shark.

If they let it continue to grow unchecked, the earnings of Universal and other studios would be severely impacted. "The rise of Guess Pictures is a reality we have to face, but we need to find ways to curb its growth," Ron said, admitting the challenge.

Michael suggested that Ron consider stealing talent and projects from Guess Pictures while also ramping up the pressure on their marketing campaigns, effectively increasing their costs. They needed to keep the heat on until Guess Pictures eventually went under.

"Michael, that's too difficult. Hollywood isn't just Universal. If we push back against Guess Pictures, Columbia, Warner Bros., and MGM could all collaborate with them. Such efforts would be pointless and a waste of time and money," Ron replied.

"No matter the cost, we should act. Do you want to see Guess Pictures become a giant and dominate Hollywood?" Michael shot back.

"Michael, I've said it before, there are many companies in Hollywood beyond Universal. You're telling me things I already know. If you can persuade other studio heads, I'd be willing to help. Until then, my priority is managing the business effectively and maximizing profits for shareholders."

...

Ron concluded the call, leaving Michael gritting his teeth. He quickly dialed Sherry Lansing at Paramount Pictures, Barry Diller at Fox, Michael Eisner at Disney, and Terry Semel at Warner Bros., inviting them all to band together to undercut Guess Pictures.

Everyone agreed, asking him to facilitate communications between them. As long as everyone was willing to collaborate, they would act when the time was right.

...

Meanwhile, Michael Eisner suggested he consider becoming the CEO of Disney, allowing him to manage Disney's production division. The proposition tempted Michael; Disney was one of the big seven in Hollywood and the highest-valued entertainment company. By joining Disney, he could leverage the company's resources against Link and Guess Pictures.

However, Michael hesitated to accept immediately, realizing that, as the president of CAA, he enjoyed solid connections with all the major studios, and he couldn't afford to jeopardize that network. If he moved to Disney, he would become a competitor, making it more challenging to collaborate against Link.

...

After hanging up, Michael thought of Nicole Kidman, who could be a valuable pawn in his plans. Now that she was cast as the female lead in the Batman sequel, she might have an opportunity to connect with Link during filming. If she played her cards right, she could have a chance to bring Link down.

He called Nicole, telling her Link had wrapped The Sixth Sense and was back in Los Angeles, urging her to keep in touch with him and cultivate their relationship.

"Michael, I really want to do that, but you know how Tom is. He's so possessive. Occasionally when I go out shopping with friends, he interrogates me when I come back, asking where I went, what I did, and if I met any guys. He even questions who called me and what we talked about. He has me dressed according to his taste. Honestly, it's suffocating. I don't have the time or chance to seduce Link. Maybe you should find someone else," Nicole said, her tone laced with frustration.

Michael thought for a moment and realized Tom Cruise indeed had tendencies like that. "Nicole, don't worry. I'll have a chat with Tom and tell him to ease up on you," he reassured her.

"Will he listen to you?" she asked skeptically.

"I'll convince him," he replied confidently.

"Okay, I trust you, but this is risky. If the media catches wind of this, my reputation will be ruined, and Tom will leave me. I could end up with nothing. I hope the company can provide some compensation ahead of time," Nicole added.

Michael agreed, while hoping she would engage more genuinely with Link instead of staying stagnant. Nicole promised she would.

...

After hanging up, Michael called Tom Cruise, urging him to give Nicole more freedom and let her interact with Link.

Tom complained that Nicole was getting increasingly distant, not only sleeping in separate rooms, but refusing to hold his hand. Whenever they went out, she looked like she was dressing up for a date. He suspected she might be unfaithful.

Michael advised him to calm down and focus on defeating Link; everything else could be addressed later.

After he had talked some sense into Tom, Michael went through the company's actress roster, preparing to find two backup options. He planned to tackle the issue from multiple angles, determined to bring Link down.

*****

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