Warren Beatty

Warren Beatty

The summer box office was in full swing, and Hollywood's major film companies were pulling out all the stops, racing to outdo one another.

But the big news in Hollywood now was that Japanese electronics giant Sony was acquiring Columbia TriStar Pictures;

and the three-way brawl between Time Inc., Warner Communications, and Gulf+Western, Paramount's parent company!

Time Inc., which owned assets such as Time Warner Cable, Time Magazine, and HBO pay television, and Warner Communications, which owned Warner Bros. film and television entertainment, Warner Cable, Warner Music, and Warner Books, had spent nearly two years negotiating;

just as Time Inc. and Warner Communications announced that their merger was about to be completed, Gulf+Western (Paramount's parent company) suddenly launched a hostile takeover bid for Time Inc.!

HBO, under Time Inc., was the first company in the United States to transmit television signals by satellite and was renowned for its high-quality series.

Aaron was no stranger to HBO. Its business model, which completely abandoned advertising and charged subscription users instead, was absolutely innovative.

At CAA headquarters, Aaron was on the phone with Nicole Kidman in his office, discussing their upcoming trip to New York with the Wild at Heart crew to meet the film's director, David Lynch!

"Keep your chin up. It won't be a problem. Wild at Heart is mainly funded by Europe, including France's Canal+ television network."

"I dealt with them in Cannes before, and we got along pretty well. We just need to talk things over with David Lynch when the time comes."

Aaron had previously recommended the television rights to Sex, Lies, and Videotape and Cinema Paradiso to Canal+.

"Besides, Wild at Heart's main investor is the United Kingdom's PolyGram, which only recently entered the film industry."

"I'm fairly appealing to them!"

After all, Michael Kuhn, who oversaw PolyGram Filmed Entertainment's operations, had approached him and asked him to help find a North American distributor to partner on Wild at Heart.

Everyone knew that the American film industry was exclusionary, making it difficult for foreign film companies to handle their own distribution in the United States. PolyGram had a powerful international record distribution market, but it was still a newcomer in the film business;

therefore, PolyGram's productions would certainly focus on low-budget independent films and would need a North American distributor as a partner.

Sex, Lies, and Videotape, which Aaron had personally discovered, had won the Cannes Palme d'Or. That title was now his greatest asset;

and if Sex, Lies, and Videotape performed well after its theatrical release in August, Aaron's reputation would become even greater.

Meanwhile, Michael Ovitz had just finished a long-distance call with the Japanese side when his assistant, Susan Miller, soon brought Warren Beatty into the office.

"Good afternoon, Michael!"

"Good afternoon, Warren. Have a seat," Michael Ovitz said, motioning for him to sit. "Susan, bring in two cups of coffee."

Warren Beatty sat down on the sofa. "I want to talk about Al's involvement in Dick Tracy."

"Why did he turn down a blockbuster like that to take part in some stupid romance movie?"

Michael Ovitz rubbed his eyes. "We should respect his choice. Al is mainly preparing for the upcoming The Godfather Part III."

"Dick Tracy already has you, Dustin Hoffman, and Madonna Ciccone. It has more than enough attention as it is!"

"I heard one of your young CAA agents played quite a role in this matter?"

"Warren, it's just business..."

That afternoon, Aaron had just arrived in the CAA lobby and was preparing to leave the company.

"Are you Aaron Anderson?"

At his assistant's direction, Warren Beatty walked toward the young man before him.

Aaron turned around. He immediately disliked the other man's tone and expression. "Yeah, that's me. What is it?"

"Young man, Hollywood isn't as simple as it looks. You should learn some respect," Warren Beatty warned as he looked at Aaron.

Fifty-two-year-old Warren Beatty had won the Oscar for Best Director in the early eighties, but he had not produced much work in recent years;

just the year before last, he had written, directed, and starred in the massive flop Ishtar alongside Dustin Hoffman and French actress Isabelle Adjani!

Aaron smiled. Warren Beatty had countless scandals attached to his name, most of them sexual. A few years earlier, his three-way scandal with Isabelle Adjani had also been exposed.

"Respect? And then what?"

To Aaron, Warren Beatty was nothing more than an outdated old star. If he were as formidable as Clint Eastwood, Aaron might indeed have had some reservations!

"I heard you think Dick Tracy is a bad film?"

Aaron sighed. "Is this because Al Pacino took Pretty Woman?"

"That was Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg's decision, and the director also thought highly of Mr. Pacino."

"One role is the male lead, while the other is the third male lead. Mr. Pacino would make his own choice too!"

"Kid, Hollywood runs on resources. Keep this up and you won't get anywhere. Believe it or not, you won't be able to sign a single star in the future?" Warren Beatty said with a smile.

Aaron noticed that quite a few people around them seemed to be watching the show, while none of CAA's higher-ups had stepped in to defuse the situation.

"Resources matter, but so does ability. Hollywood isn't what it used to be," Aaron said, stretching lazily.

"You're going to stop me from signing stars?"

"Haha." Aaron laughed and stepped closer. "Director Warren Beatty, who's spent nearly ten years making just one self-directed, self-starring flop, is going to blacklist me?"

Warren Beatty's face turned livid. He made up his mind that he would make Aaron pay for this later.

"Didn't you just ask me what I thought of Dick Tracy?"

As he spoke, Aaron took several steps back, glanced at the crowd around them, and shouted, "Everyone, please bear witness here: Pretty Woman, which will be released next year, is a film I believe in!"

"Mr. Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy wants to compete with this film at the box office, but I respect my elders."

"As long as next year's Dick Tracy earns half of Pretty Woman's box office, I'll admit defeat. I'll leave CAA immediately and never work in entertainment representation again."

"But if I win... forget it. If I win, you won't even be qualified to speak to me anymore!"

Aaron's earth-shattering declaration stunned everyone present. A rookie agent was actually going head-to-head with a veteran Hollywood star?

Pretty Woman and Dick Tracy were both projects CAA had helped Disney prepare. Jeffrey Katzenberg favored one, while Michael Eisner valued the other.

But Pretty Woman's investment was tiny, while Dick Tracy was a star-studded blockbuster!

Upstairs, Michael Ovitz saw what was happening but made no move to stop it, because it would greatly promote both films.

Michael Ovitz also did not care how the bet between the two would end. One was a newcomer, the other an aging former star—either way, CAA could do without them.