Chapter Summaries

Aaron Anderson attended the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum dedication with Nicole Kidman, then discussed Hollywood regulation and possible media mergers with President Bill Clinton. Aaron revealed that he hoped to enter television by acquiring the AMC cable channel.

• Aaron explained the museum's address and Raoul Wallenberg's role to Nicole, who asked about his $5 million donation made in connection with Steven Spielberg.
• Aaron told Nicole that Schindler's List had succeeded commercially and that Dawn had supported Spielberg's film without interfering in its production.
• At dinner, Aaron urged Clinton to ease MPAA restrictions, and Clinton said his office would speak with Jack Valenti.
• Aaron told Clinton that antitrust rules prevented major television networks from acquiring film companies, while proposed mergers awaited congressional approval.
• Aaron said he wanted to enter television by owning a cable channel and named AMC as his target.

Aaron rejected Haim Saban’s request to collaborate, then returned to Los Angeles as Dawn prepared to film Forrest Gump. At Disney, Michael Eisner pursued Miramax, considered acquiring Dawn, and planned to bring Joe Roth in as he maneuvered against Jeffrey Katzenberg.

• Aaron met Haim Saban in Washington, learned Saban Entertainment mainly produced children’s and family series, and told him to submit any script to Dawn.
• Aaron returned to Los Angeles as director Robert Zemeckis and the cast attended the launch press conference for Dawn’s $60 million film Forrest Gump.
• Aaron and Elizabeth Hurley celebrated her leading role in Forrest Gump at a Santa Monica hotel.
• At Disney’s Aladdin celebration, Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg discussed acquiring Miramax and agreed Dawn was unlikely to accept a deal.
• Michael Eisner asked Frank Wells about Jeffrey Katzenberg’s contract negotiations and told him to approach Joe Roth about managing Disney’s live-action film business.

At a Beverly Hills reception, Aaron discussed Monica Bellucci’s upcoming work and the Viacom-QVC bid for Paramount Communications with Ted Turner. Turner suggested that media groups would eventually absorb film companies, leaving Dawn’s future in question.

• Aaron told Monica Bellucci that Dawn and Geffen Pictures were collaborating on Interview with the Vampire and arranged a possible cameo for her.
• Aaron encouraged Monica to learn English, shoot Victoria’s Secret lingerie ads, and prepare for his trip to Cannes.
• Aaron discussed Sumner Redstone and Barry Diller’s competing Paramount bid with Ted Turner, who noted that Comcast’s Roberts family was backing Diller.
• Aaron and Turner discussed how film studios and television networks were converging into media groups, and Turner hinted that Dawn could attract potential buyers.

Aaron reflected on Ted Turner's media empire and the impending Paramount bidding, then traveled to Cannes with Catherine Zeta-Jones for The Mask of Zorro's international premiere. The film received strong reviews, and Catherine prepared to return to the United States for its promotion.

• Aaron considered TBS Group's television networks and film library after meeting Ted Turner, while noting that Viacom had won the bidding for Paramount.
• Aaron and Monica Bellucci discussed the Hollywood reception and Paramount's sale in the bedroom of Bel Air Villa.
• As the summer box-office season began, Aaron took Catherine Zeta-Jones to Cannes for The Mask of Zorro's international premiere.
• Aaron praised Catherine's performance and discussed the film's upcoming promotion and Spanish premiere, which the Spanish royal family would attend.
• The Mask of Zorro premiered at Cannes and received favorable reviews, including praise from Le Monde and Le Figaro.

Aaron discussed the Cannes prospects of Farewell My Concubine and The Piano, then met with Golden Harvest’s team about Rumble in the Bronx. He invited Joey Wong to dinner and warned her that Hong Kong’s film industry would decline as Hollywood expanded, before they spotted the Farewell My Concubine leads taking photos.

• Aaron and Sophie Marceau discussed Four Weddings and a Funeral’s success in Europe and the Cannes prospects of Farewell My Concubine and The Piano.
• At a reception in Cannes, Aaron and Brad Grey discussed promoting the films, meeting the Golden Harvest team, and Hollywood’s possible access to Mainland China.
• Aaron met Leonard Ho, Stanley Tong, Jackie Chan, and Joey Wong, and learned that Rumble in the Bronx would begin filming in July.
• Aaron invited Joey Wong to dinner, asked whether she had considered Hollywood, and warned that Hong Kong’s film industry would struggle against Hollywood’s expansion.
• Aaron walked along the beach with Joey Wong, and she pointed out Leslie Cheung, Gong Li, and Zhang Fengyi taking commemorative photos.

Joey Wong and Aaron discussed her plans to join the Rumble in the Bronx production in Canada, while Aaron and Sophie Marceau talked about films at Cannes. Farewell My Concubine received glowing reviews, and Brad Grey urged producer Hsu Feng to promote it in Hollywood to improve its Oscar chances.

• Aaron walked Joey Wong back to her hotel, offered to arrange travel for her, and invited her to visit Saint Margaret Island.
• Aaron and Sophie Marceau discussed Steven Soderbergh's King of the Hill, Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing, and the Spanish film The Lover.
• Farewell My Concubine drew lavish praise from Cannes president Gilles Jacob and several publications.
• Brad Grey told Hsu Feng that Farewell My Concubine was certain to receive an Oscar nomination but would need a publicity campaign to compete for a win.
• Brad Grey recommended that the Farewell My Concubine crew travel to Hollywood before the next awards season to conduct public relations activities.

Aaron spent time with Joey Wong aboard a yacht in Cannes, where they discussed her upcoming work and Hong Kong cinema. After learning that “Farewell My Concubine” and “The Piano” had jointly won the Palme d'Or, Aaron kissed Joey and asked her to stay with him before returning to Hong Kong.

• Aaron took Joey Wong on a yacht trip and discussed her possible departure from France and her film salary.
• Aaron told Joey that Hong Kong actresses earned less than actors and predicted that upcoming Hollywood blockbusters would demonstrate Hollywood's strength.
• The Cannes Film Festival awarded the Palme d'Or jointly to “Farewell My Concubine” and “The Piano,” while Leslie Cheung lost Best Actor to David Thewlis.
• Aaron told Joey about the awards and invited her to the celebration banquet, but she declined because she was not part of either film's crew.
• Aaron kissed Joey aboard the yacht and asked her to stay with him that night before he took her to Nice Airport the next day.

After seeing Joey Wong off to Hong Kong, Aaron attended an AIDS charity dinner with Sophie Marceau and discussed Victoria’s Secret campaigns and his trip to Spain. In the corridor, he met Oxford student and actress Kate Beckinsale, whom he helped after her heel broke, and hinted they might work together.

• Aaron saw Joey Wong onto a flight bound for Hong Kong and prepared to return to Paris with Sophie Marceau.
• At Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS fundraising dinner, Aaron told Sophie Marceau about Victoria’s Secret’s European expansion and its plans for her to shoot a French campaign.
• Sophie Marceau discussed promoting Fanfan in Paris and Aaron’s plans to attend The Mask of Zorro’s Spanish premiere with the Spanish royal family.
• Aaron caught Kate Beckinsale when her high heel broke, helped her to a lounge, and learned she was an Oxford student and part of the Much Ado About Nothing cast.
• Aaron praised Kate Beckinsale’s distinctive beauty and suggested they might work together, exciting her.

Aaron celebrated Dawn’s growing success in Paris and attended the Madrid premiere of The Mask of Zorro, where he discussed Catherine Zeta-Jones’s next role and met Penélope Cruz. The chapter ended with Cruz flirting with Aaron and inviting him to get a closer look at her.

• Sophie Marceau told Aaron that Dawn’s French subsidiary and the marketing for Four Weddings and a Funeral were doing well, and they discussed Luc Besson’s planned film Léon: The Professional.
• The Mask of Zorro opened in North America with $22 million in its first weekend, and Aaron traveled to Madrid for its premiere.
• Aaron encouraged Catherine Zeta-Jones to pursue the female lead in Edward Zwick’s upcoming historical romance Legends of the Fall.
• Aaron spoke with director Ridley Scott and star Kevin Costner at the premiere banquet.
• Penélope Cruz approached Aaron, praised Dawn’s Cannes success, and flirted with him; Aaron told her she was playing with fire and asked her to call him Aaron.

While touring Madrid with Penélope Cruz, Aaron learned that Houston Rockets owner Charlie Thomas wanted to sell the team and arranged to meet him. Back in Los Angeles, Aaron visited the Pulp Fiction set and confirmed that he and Jack Wells would meet Charlie Thomas in Houston on June 1.

• Aaron toured Madrid with Penélope Cruz, who showed him the city and asked him to return to Spain in the future.
• Jack Wells called Aaron to report that Charlie Thomas planned to sell the Houston Rockets after the team lost to the Supersonics in the playoffs.
• Aaron told Jack Wells to arrange a meeting with Charlie Thomas and promised Penélope Cruz he would contact her when he returned to Spain.
• Aaron gave Penélope Cruz a custom Cartier jewelry set before leaving Madrid for the United States.
• Aaron and Jack Wells visited the Pulp Fiction set in Los Angeles, where John Travolta and Uma Thurman filmed a dance scene.
• Jack Wells told Aaron that their meeting with Charlie Thomas was arranged for June 1 in Houston.

Aaron Anderson pursued the purchase of the Houston Rockets, meeting with owner Charlie Thomas in Houston while another potential buyer, Leslie Alexander, also showed interest. The chapter ended as Aaron arrived at Compaq Center and prepared to compete for the team.

• Aaron discussed the Rockets’ value and his plans to buy the team with Jack Wells, who said Angel Company was building a training base in Texas.
• Aaron traveled to Houston with Christiana Yeri to meet Charlie Thomas about acquiring the Rockets.
• At the Hilton Hotel, Aaron and Christiana discussed filming progress on Pulp Fiction, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and The Mask, and Christiana asked to audition for The Mask.
• Aaron decided that he would build a new arena for the Rockets if he bought the team.
• Aaron met Charlie Thomas at Compaq Center and learned that Leslie Alexander was also interested in purchasing the Rockets.

Aaron acquired the Houston Rockets for $85 million and promised to build a new arena as he set championship ambitions for the team. Meanwhile, he prepared for the Rockets’ roster changes and discussed the high-budget Interview with the Vampire with Monica Bellucci.

• Aaron offered Charlie Thomas $85 million in cash for the Rockets and promised to fund a new arena in Houston.
• Aaron signed the acquisition agreement with Charlie Thomas at NBA headquarters in Manhattan.
• Aaron told Ray Patterson and Rudy Tomjanovich that he aimed to win a championship and would personally fund a new arena in Houston.
• Aaron instructed Ray Patterson and Rudy Tomjanovich to strengthen the Rockets’ roster for a championship run.
• The Interview with the Vampire production held its launch press conference in New York, and Aaron discussed Monica Bellucci’s role and future prospects with her.

Aaron celebrated buying the Houston Rockets and urged Jack Wells to pursue a gradual acquisition of IMG. Later, he discussed Winona Ryder’s career and future projects before taking her to bed.

• Aaron told Jack Wells to build a sports agency and gradually acquire IMG, offering to provide the money.
• Aaron reviewed the box-office earnings of The Crying Game, Scent of a Woman, and Schindler's List, which helped fund his acquisitions.
• Aaron noted that Jurassic Park opened in 2,407 North American theaters and earned $47 million over its opening weekend.
• Winona Ryder visited Aaron and discussed Reality Bites, her upcoming films, and her ambitions to become a producer.
• Aaron advised Winona Ryder to pursue more commercial films to boost her popularity and pay, then carried her into the bedroom.

Aaron attended the Saturn Awards, where Bram Stoker's Dracula won several awards, and began investigating the adaptation rights to The Lord of the Rings after spotting Peter Jackson. He then celebrated Jennifer Connelly's graduation from Stanford, before planning a trip to Vancouver to visit the set of Rumble in the Bronx.

• Jurassic Park surged past $120 million at the North American box office while receiving both praise and criticism, and The Mask of Zorro passed $80 million in North America and $50 million overseas.
• Aaron attended the Saturn Awards with Francis Ford Coppola, where Bram Stoker's Dracula won several awards.
• Aaron spotted Peter Jackson and asked Ethelind Beckett to investigate who held the film adaptation rights to The Lord of the Rings.
• Aaron met Winona Ryder at a banquet, where they discussed her upcoming films and Dawn Pictures' releases.
• Aaron attended Jennifer Connelly's Stanford graduation ceremony, and she invited him to celebrate with her in her gown.
• Aaron told Jennifer Connelly he might travel to Vancouver to visit the Rumble in the Bronx set, then they returned to the hotel to celebrate.

Aaron spent time with Jennifer Connelly in San Francisco and explained why he had bought the Houston Rockets. He then traveled to Vancouver to meet Joey Wong, gave her a villa near Stanley Park, and planned to stay with her for about a week before Rumble in the Bronx began filming.

• Aaron told Jennifer Connelly that he had bought the Houston Rockets because Los Angeles sports teams were not for sale and Charlie Thomas was selling the team.
• Aaron said he planned to buy property in Houston and build a dedicated arena for the Rockets.
• Aaron met Joey Wong in Vancouver before filming began on Rumble in the Bronx and gave her a two-story villa near Stanley Park.
• Joey Wong told Aaron that Jurassic Park was popular and that Dawn's Schindler's List and The Mask of Zorro were doing well in Japan.
• Aaron told Joey Wong he would stay in Vancouver for about a week, and they left the hotel to get something to eat.

Aaron spent time with Joey Wong in Vancouver, encouraged her to invest in Hong Kong real estate, and returned to Los Angeles as Speed opened and Heidi Fleiss's arrest shocked Hollywood. At Dawn Pictures, Aaron ordered negotiations to acquire Saul Zaentz's rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

• Aaron took Joey Wong to a villa overlooking Burrard Inlet and promised to make time for her when she visited the United States.
• Aaron urged Joey Wong to buy Hong Kong real estate and planned to invest 40 or 50 million US dollars there.
• After the Hong Kong Rumble in the Bronx crew finished preparations, Aaron returned to Los Angeles, where Heidi Fleiss's arrest dominated the news.
• Aaron discussed Heidi Fleiss, Pulp Fiction, and its cast with Jack Wells and Uma Thurman at a West Hollywood bar.
• Speed opened in 2,134 North American theaters and earned 14.5 million US dollars in its first three-day weekend.
• Aaron instructed Ethelind Beckett to negotiate with Saul Zaentz to acquire his rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Aaron agreed to pay Saul Zaentz $16 million for the rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, while Dawn Steel updated him on Disney’s purchase of Miramax and the contest for Paramount. At home, Aaron offered Catherine Zeta-Jones a role alongside Jennifer Connelly in My Best Friend’s Wedding.

• Aaron approved Dawn Steel’s plan to acquire the adaptation rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for $16 million.
• Dawn Steel told Aaron that Disney had bought Miramax for $60 million and that Sumner Redstone and Barry Diller were competing for Paramount.
• Aaron and Catherine Zeta-Jones discussed the strong box-office performances of The Mask of Zorro and Speed.
• Aaron invited Catherine Zeta-Jones to star with Jennifer Connelly in the romantic comedy My Best Friend’s Wedding, and she accepted without reading the script.
• Catherine Zeta-Jones noted that Elizabeth Hurley was filming Forrest Gump with Tom Hanks.

Aaron visited the Interview with the Vampire set in New Orleans, where he discussed Brad Pitt’s doubts and Anne Rice’s opposition with David Geffen while Monica Bellucci prepared to film in Europe. Back in Los Angeles, Aaron learned Dawn had acquired the rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and he encouraged Christiana Yeri as she planned to scout Brazilian models.

• Aaron saw Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt on the Interview with the Vampire set and discussed the film’s demanding makeup with David Geffen.
• David Geffen told Aaron that Brad Pitt had considered leaving the film, but he persuaded him to stay by warning of a forty-million-dollar contract penalty.
• Aaron and Monica Bellucci discussed her upcoming European filming with Kirsten Dunst and Brad Pitt, and Aaron said he would not be going to Europe that year.
• Aaron returned to Los Angeles and learned that Dawn had acquired the rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings from Saul Zaentz for sixteen million dollars.
• Christiana Yeri told Aaron that she planned to scout Brazilian models for her agency, and Aaron suggested they could be considered for the upcoming Victoria’s Secret fashion show.

At the Four Weddings and a Funeral celebration, Aaron congratulated Sophie Marceau and Hugh Grant while discussing future projects and catching up with Elizabeth Hurley. Elizabeth arranged to meet Aaron privately after revealing that she and Hugh were effectively broken up.

• At the celebration, Aaron congratulated Sophie Marceau on Fanfan’s success and praised her popularity in Europe.
• Aaron considered Richard Curtis for Notting Hill and planned to cast Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman in the film.
• Elizabeth Hurley told Aaron that she and Hugh Grant were close to publicly announcing their breakup, then reported that Forrest Gump was filming smoothly.
• Elizabeth Hurley invited Aaron to meet her privately, and he told her to get a room and wait for him.
• Aaron congratulated Hugh Grant on his newfound stardom and thought about Kate Beckinsale for Legends of the Fall and the search for a female lead for The Mask.

Aaron returned to the banquet after spending time with Elizabeth Hurley, then attended the MTV Movie Awards and met with Charles Dolan to negotiate Dawn’s acquisition of AMC Cable Network. The talks ended with Aaron insisting that Dawn own more than 51 percent and control AMC’s operations.

• Aaron left Elizabeth Hurley’s hotel room and saw Hugh Grant departing with a young woman before he and Sophie Marceau returned to their villa.
• The 2nd MTV Movie Awards honored films and performers, including A Few Good Men, Denzel Washington, Sharon Stone, and Untamed Heart.
• Aaron met Charles Dolan in Manhattan and offered $120 million for AMC Cable Network while taking on its $80 million debt.
• Charles Dolan proposed selling Dawn half of AMC and granting it content production rights while CVC continued operating the network.
• Aaron rejected shared ownership and demanded that Dawn hold more than 51 percent and manage AMC, while CVC could assist.