Chapter 139: Malibu

"Your mother called me." On Monday morning, after dropping Scarlett Johansson off at the school gates, Duke gave her some instructions. "She'll come pick you up after school today. Don't wander off, understood?"

The little girl got out of the car and wobbled toward the school. Duke waited until she was through the gates before starting the engine and driving away. By the time he arrived at Duke Studio, his agent, Nancy Josephson, was already waiting in his office.

Lately, Nancy had focused most of her energy on the greenlight negotiations for Saving Private Ryan. After frequent talks with the upper management of several major Hollywood studios, her efforts had gradually yielded preliminary results.

"Both Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox have clear intentions to invest," she said.

Sitting across from Duke, Nancy Josephson gave a brief overview of the situation. "Thanks to their successful collaboration on Independence Day, the two companies are interested in working together again, and they have the utmost confidence in you. The only problem right now is that Walt Disney wants in, too. Just like Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox, they pushed the project into the preliminary review stage right after receiving our script."

"What are Warner and Fox's attitudes on that?" Duke asked.

"The revenue Independence Day can bring in is simply too high." Nancy Josephson offered a wry but happy smile. "Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox don't want to share the profits of Saving Private Ryan with anyone else so easily."

"When will they pass the review stage?"

This was the issue Duke cared about most. "I want to know the approximate timeframe for the greenlight!"

"October at the earliest." Nancy Josephson sounded a bit helpless. "After being here this long, you must know by now, Duke: no investment by a Hollywood production company is a simple matter."

Duke could only nod. If the rumors were true, and a Hollywood CEO could greenlight tens or hundreds of millions of dollars for a film with just a few words, he wouldn't have to go through so much trouble and waiting every time.

Unfortunately, any commercial entity had mature operational systems and checks and balances on power. Every investment was both a risk and an exercise in caution.

"Also, Duke," Nancy Josephson continued, "Disney doesn't want to give up. Their people are still negotiating with Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox. Michael Eisner personally called me yesterday to ask how you felt about Disney investing."

"Do you have any thoughts on Disney?" she asked.

"Having the support of another major film studio will only benefit the movie."

Although Michael Eisner had a bad reputation for being dictatorial, that had nothing to do with Duke. "As long as Disney doesn't overly interfere with filming and production, I personally welcome them. If they support the director's cut agreement I proposed, I welcome them with both hands."

By now, it was basically a given for Duke to receive top-tier director treatment and secure directorial powers, including final cut privileges. Nancy Josephson was just waiting for the project to pass its preliminary review before negotiating specific terms with the eventual co-producers.

Of course, according to Nancy Josephson, if Duke personally voiced his support for Disney joining the investment lineup, they would owe him a small favor. If he ever needed Disney's help in the future, as long as the request wasn't excessive, someone with Michael Eisner's credibility wouldn't refuse.

Hollywood was a place of both competition and cooperation, making certain relationships quite delicate to handle. But the prerequisite for all this was that Duke, just like Spielberg, now had the capital to negotiate with the major studios.

The difference in status and treatment between a rookie director and one who had achieved top-tier box office results in Hollywood was so vast that even "chasm" was an understatement.

The two discussed Saving Private Ryan and the investors for a bit longer before the topic gradually shifted.

"I just got the news, Duke."

Nancy Josephson brought up ICM's rival agency. "Michael Ovitz has stepped down from CAA. Starting next month, he'll join Walt Disney as their CEO."

"Who's taking over CAA?" Duke immediately grew interested.

"An old acquaintance of yours. Martin Bob, one of the founders of CAA, defeated Eno Martin to become the new head of the agency."

Hearing Nancy's words, Duke slowly nodded. The man was one of the heavyweights at CAA; in terms of both seniority and power, he was second only to Michael Ovitz. It was no surprise he won the internal power struggle.

The transition of power at CAA meant the end of their internal competition. As long as the entertainment agency giant was driven by its inherent model, it was bound to keep moving forward, likely gathering even more Hollywood stars and directors under its wing.

If he remembered correctly, the internal friction would soon shift to Walt Disney. Although he didn't know the exact dates of Michael Ovitz's tenure and departure in his past life, this agency titan—once hyperbolically described by the media as the most powerful man in Hollywood—would soon exit the historical stage and gradually be forgotten.

Facts would also prove that compared to a film and media titan like Michael Eisner, Michael Ovitz fell considerably short in ability and other aspects.

Just as Duke and Nancy Josephson were discussing his next film project, over at CAA headquarters in Century City, numerous people were filing into a conference room to prepare for the agency's major package project.

"Mel, long time no see."

Dressed in a sharp suit and looking utterly refreshed, Sean Connery walked over and hugged Mel Gibson. "Thank you for the invitation."

"There is absolutely no one in all of Hollywood more suited to play a Scottish noble than you."

Pulling back slightly, Mel Gibson let out a hearty laugh. "This film tells a story about Scottish independence. How could I forget someone who has always championed Scottish independence?"

Hollywood directors and stars often had their own political affiliations and causes. This had been true for years, and films wrapped in politics frequently achieved unexpected box-office success.

The last to enter the conference room was Sherry Lansing, CEO of the investing studio, Paramount Pictures. Her presence alone demonstrated just how much importance Paramount attached to this package project.

After some brief pleasantries among the parties, the preparatory meeting officially kicked off.

"The actors currently confirmed are me and Sean."

As the director and male lead, Mel Gibson quickly brought the meeting to the main topic. "For the female lead, I plan to invite the French actress Sophie Marceau. She fits the character profile, has a degree of international fame, and has always wanted to break into Hollywood, so her asking price won't be high."

No one objected to the suggestion. As the project's primary producer, Mel Gibson clearly wielded considerable influence. He continued, "The film's production budget is 55 million dollars, and it will be officially titled Braveheart. The main exterior shooting location will be in Ireland, and the Irish Military has agreed to provide us with the necessary assistance."

He looked toward Sherry Lansing. "Has Paramount confirmed the release date?"

"We will be taking your advice," Sherry Lansing replied directly. "The film's North American release will be placed on the weekend right before Memorial Day."

Aside from the Independence Day holiday in the Summer Season, this was the other crucial release window. It fell on the last Monday of May every year and was a statutory holiday. Combined with the two-day weekend, it created a continuous three-day short vacation, making it an extremely favored release slot for major commercial blockbusters.

"Sherry, CAA will coordinate with Paramount."

Since this was the first package project he had spearheaded after taking control of CAA, Martin Bob naturally wanted it to succeed. "I think we should invest resources into a series of promotional campaigns the moment official preparations begin. We need to let the market know as soon as possible that a major production like this will be released on Memorial Day next year."

"Paramount has already formulated a comprehensive promotional plan."

Although Paramount Pictures' Forrest Gump was a massive hit, it was a legacy project left behind by her predecessor. As the new CEO, Sherry Lansing also needed a blockbuster to secure her position. "In fact, starting next week, the preliminary promotional plan for this film will launch. Viacom will deploy its media resources, including CBS."

An investment of over fifty million dollars was already classified as a major production in this era. Combined with Mel Gibson's box office draw, as long as the promotion was on point, attracting the attention of moviegoers wouldn't be difficult at all.

"Are there any strong competing films releasing in the same window?" Mel Gibson suddenly asked.

"Not at the moment..."

Martin Bob flipped through the documents in front of him and said, "Judging by the currently announced release slate, there are no major productions in the same window."

"Mel, with your track record over the past few years," another CAA agent smiled and said, "coupled with the full support of CAA and Paramount Pictures, as long as we announce the film's release for the Memorial Day release window, any other films intending to release then will likely take the initiative to adjust their schedules."

Mel Gibson had an inherently rebellious and arrogant personality, and he nodded in direct agreement. The films he had starred in over the past few years had been consecutive massive hits, and he truly deserved such high praise.

When the new Monday arrived, CAA and Paramount Pictures held a joint press conference to officially announce their new collaborative project, Braveheart, along with its release date. Although they didn't reveal too much about the film's content, the fact that Mel Gibson was both directing and starring still triggered a considerable stir.

Duke didn't pay any attention to this. Recently, Sofia Coppola, Zack Snyder, John Schwartzman, and others had successively returned from their vacations. He reconvened his team and began drawing up storyboards and scripts, all while waiting for the results of Nancy Josephson's negotiations with the studios.

Of course, Duke didn't neglect to keep an eye on the real-time box office of Independence Day, either. After all, it directly impacted his actual income, especially the overseas box office. If it met expectations, the resulting profits would directly surpass the North American box office.