Chapter Summaries

Aaron reviewed new film and television projects, discussed upcoming productions with Tom Rothman, and tracked changes in sports ownership. The chapter ended with Aaron watching a potential sale of the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden Group while remaining focused on his Houston Rockets.

• Aaron praised Edward Zwick's rough cut of "Legends of the Fall" and celebrated Kate Beckinsale's first Hollywood production with her.
• Aaron and Tom Rothman discussed the success of "Philadelphia," the departures of Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy from Amblin Entertainment, and Gus Van Sant directing "Good Will Hunting."
• Aaron asked about preparations for "Con Air" and learned Jan de Bont was assembling the crew while Tom Cruise trained for the film.
• Dawn Pictures and Dawn TV supported AMC as TCM entered competition, while "ER Season 1" and "Friends Season 1" prepared for fall premieres.
• Jack Wells told Aaron that Glen Taylor had bought the Minnesota Timberwolves for 88 million dollars, and Aaron asked him to monitor CVC and ITT Corporation's possible acquisition of MSG Group.

Aaron encouraged Kate Beckinsale to take the female lead in Scream while Dawn searched for a director, then discussed Sophie Marceau’s missed chance to star in To Die For and her upcoming work on Braveheart. Sophie invited Aaron to join her on the Braveheart set in Scotland, then led him to the restroom.

• Aaron pitched Kate Beckinsale the female lead in Scream, and she agreed to the role despite the film still lacking a director.
• Sophie Marceau told Aaron she had been traveling between London, Paris, and New York and had noticed her growing popularity in Europe.
• Sophie praised Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway, while Aaron criticized Allen’s conduct and morality.
• Sophie said Gus Van Sant had cast Julia Roberts instead of her in To Die For, and Aaron comforted her about missing the role.
• Sophie told Aaron she would film Braveheart in Scotland that summer and invited him to come with her.
• Sophie pulled Aaron into the restroom.

Aaron learned that Dawn could join the MPAA only by acquiring or replacing one of its seven full members, and he considered pursuing MGM/UA or Universal. The chapter ended with those studios appearing to be the likeliest to change ownership.

• At the Oscars, Farewell My Concubine won Best Foreign Language Film, while Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin, and Tom Hanks won acting awards.
• At Vanity Fair's Oscar party, Aaron asked MPAA chairman Jack Valenti about Dawn joining the association, and Valenti explained that membership required replacing or acquiring an existing member studio.
• Aaron considered buying MGM/UA, and Sophie Marceau explained that Crédit Lyonnais might sell it after building up its value.
• Aaron concluded that CAA was influencing MGM through Crédit Lyonnais and pursuing Universal for Seagram, while Panasonic's leadership was considering shedding MCA Universal.

Aaron discussed David Fincher’s screenplay for Se7en, its religious themes, noir style, and bleak ending. David said he had approached Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, but the timing was not right, leaving Aaron stunned.

• Aaron and David Fincher discussed how Se7en used John Doe’s religious fanaticism and brutal murders to explore human nature, law, and redemption.
• David explained that the film would use dark, damp visuals and distinct lighting for each murder to create a noir atmosphere.
• Aaron urged David to assemble the crew quickly so production could move forward.
• David told Aaron he had sent the screenplay to Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, but the timing was not right.
• Aaron was stunned to hear that David had approached Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington.

Aaron advanced Dawn’s Se7en and Scream projects, then traveled to San Francisco to begin filming with Joey Wong. Their reunion was interrupted by news that Disney president Frank Wells had died in a helicopter crash.

• Aaron and David Fincher discussed casting Se7en, and Aaron urged him to consider Brad Pitt after Denzel Washington proved unavailable.
• Drew Barrymore agreed to join Scream, Wes Craven accepted the project, and Brad Pitt gladly accepted the role in Se7en.
• Aaron met Cameron Diaz at a West Hollywood club and took her back to his Bel Air villa.
• Aaron traveled to San Francisco to film with Joey Wong, who thanked him for supporting The Blood and Tears History of Chinese Laborers.
• Christiana Yeri called Aaron to report that Disney president Frank Wells had died in a helicopter crash at a Nevada ski resort.

After Frank Wells died in a helicopter crash, Michael Eisner took over as Disney president instead of honoring the promise that Jeffrey Katzenberg would succeed Wells. Katzenberg realized Eisner had shut him out, while Aaron predicted Disney would delay any move against him until the company’s turmoil eased.

• Frank Wells died in a Nevada helicopter crash during Easter 1994, and Michael Eisner mourned him publicly.
• Jeffrey Katzenberg waited for Eisner to discuss Wells’s successor, then learned the board planned to have Eisner serve as chairman, CEO, and president.
• Eisner called Katzenberg only to confirm he would attend the employee luncheon, then took over Wells’s work and announced he would also serve as president.
• Katzenberg realized he had been excluded from Disney’s decision-making and that his long relationship and hopes with Eisner were over.
• Aaron discussed Disney’s leadership change with Christiana Yeri and predicted Eisner would wait for the turmoil to pass before acting against Katzenberg.

Aaron attended a Hollywood reception with Catherine Zeta-Jones, discussed her career and other stars, and drove her back to Beverly Hills. He also considered the approaching World Cup and the summer releases from Dawn, Disney, and Pixar.

• Aaron recognized that Frank Wells's death had ended the balance between Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg and that Katzenberg's departure from Disney was nearing.
• Aaron asked Catherine Zeta-Jones about her new acting offers, and she described filming Shadowlands and Miramax taking over The Crow after Brandon Lee's death.
• Aaron and Catherine saw Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis leave the reception together and discussed their relationships.
• Aaron and Catherine talked about the World Cup, American sports, and Catherine's support for Swansea.
• Aaron drove Catherine back to Beverly Hills as she prepared to promote My Best Friend's Wedding, while he considered Dawn's summer films, Disney's The Lion King, and Pixar's coming 3D animated feature.

Aaron spent the day with Catherine Zeta-Jones and later met Christiana Yeri for dinner while Jack Wells and John Levin clashed with a Japanese restaurant over its rule requiring diners to remove their shoes. The dispute ended in violence, and Aaron left with Christiana as the restaurant emptied.

• Aaron and Catherine Zeta-Jones planned a weekend trip to Santa Catalina Island aboard his yacht.
• Jack Wells told Aaron that Governor Pete Wilson had sent a letter thanking them for helping rebuild Los Angeles.
• Aaron took Christiana Yeri to dinner and suggested she visit Paris when Pulp Fiction went to Cannes the following month.
• At the restaurant, John Levin refused to remove his shoes and explained that his family had been killed by the Japanese.
• Jack Wells struck the waiter, and his group beat him in a restroom before Jack kicked him as well.
• Aaron left the restaurant with Christiana Yeri, who remarked that Jack Wells was quite interesting.

Aaron attended a New York cocktail party with Monica Bellucci, discussed her growing Hollywood success and Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s crime and redevelopment policies, and offered to establish Dawn’s headquarters in Times Square. Afterward, Aaron and Monica left together, and she promised to help him relax when they got home.

• Aaron attended an upscale cocktail party at the Carlyle Hotel with Monica Bellucci and praised her as the sexiest woman there.
• Monica Bellucci told Aaron that Philadelphia had performed strongly overseas and that she would star in John Carpenter’s horror film In the Mouth of Madness.
• Aaron spoke with Mayor Rudy Giuliani about New York’s falling crime rate and praised his Times Square redevelopment plan.
• Giuliani asked whether Dawn Pictures Group would move into Times Square, and Aaron said Dawn planned to build its New York headquarters on the site of Landmark Theatres’ theater.
• Aaron and Monica ran into Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley as they left the hotel, then discussed their rumored relationship in the car.
• Monica told Aaron she would help him relax when they got home, and Aaron promised to find time to accompany her to Italy.

Aaron discussed Sony Pictures Entertainment’s turmoil, helped Gwyneth Paltrow pursue a role in Se7en, and hosted George W. Bush at his Texas ranch as the Rockets contended for the NBA title. News of Richard Nixon’s death and the massacre in Rwanda turned the gathering toward politics and international affairs.

• Aaron explained Sony’s studio leadership changes and restructuring to Monica Bellucci.
• Viacom sold MSG Group to CVC and ITT for $110 million.
• Gwyneth Paltrow told Aaron she had auditioned successfully for Se7en after meeting David Fincher and Brad Pitt.
• Aaron took Monica Bellucci to his Texas ranch, where he hosted George W. Bush and his team and discussed the Rockets’ season and Bush’s campaign.
• George W. Bush left after news arrived that former president Nixon had died, and Aaron and Jack Wells discussed Reagan’s illness and the Rwanda massacre.

Aaron pursued Dawn's expansion into newspapers by negotiating to acquire the Houston Post and agreeing to help MediaNews Group buy the Los Angeles Daily News. After arranging financing for Dawn's broader plans, he prepared to travel to New York for financing negotiations and the company's headquarters project.

• Aaron noticed the Houston Post was for sale and considered acquiring it as Dawn's entry into the newspaper industry.
• Aaron met MediaNews Group CEO William Singleton, who offered to sell the Houston Post to Dawn Pictures Group in exchange for help acquiring the Los Angeles Daily News.
• Aaron agreed to assist MediaNews Group with the Los Angeles Daily News acquisition and told Jessica Parker to arrange over $500 million in corporate bonds for Dawn.
• The Houston Rockets beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first game of the NBA playoffs while Aaron and Monica Bellucci discussed basketball and the World Cup.
• Aaron told Monica Bellucci he was going to New York for financing negotiations and to advance Dawn's headquarters project.

Aaron pursued the Houston Post acquisition in a meeting with Hearst chairman William Randolph Hearst III, but the two failed to reach an agreement. Aaron planned to keep Dawn's newspaper ambitions and remained in New York to oversee its financing, while Jennifer Connelly discussed her upcoming premiere and a new film role.

• Aaron learned that Ace Ventura: Pet Detective had passed $100 million worldwide and discussed the release plans for The Mask and Dumb and Dumber with Ethelind Beckett.
• Aaron asked about MediaNews Group's planned acquisition of the Los Angeles Daily News, and Ethelind Beckett said the negotiations looked promising.
• At dinner, William Randolph Hearst III offered to sell Dawn Northern California newspapers if Aaron abandoned the Houston Post acquisition, while Aaron countered by asking for the San Francisco Chronicle; Hearst refused.
• Aaron told Jennifer Connelly that Hearst wanted the Houston Chronicle to dominate Houston's newspaper market and said he would remain in New York to oversee Dawn's financing.
• Jennifer Connelly invited Aaron to the My Best Friend's Wedding premiere and told him she had joined John Singleton's drama Higher Learning, which would also feature Ice Cube.

Aaron discussed the Rockets' playoff prospects with Jennifer Connelly, while Dawn expanded its publishing and newspaper businesses and My Best Friend's Wedding opened strongly. At the Met Ball, Aaron accompanied Sophie Marceau, discussed her upcoming role in Braveheart, and praised Sandra Bullock for her performance in Demolition Man.

• Jennifer Connelly asked Aaron about the Rockets' playoff run, and they discussed the team's next matchup against the Suns.
• Dawn accelerated its acquisition of the Houston Post, formed Dawn Publishing Company, and My Best Friend's Wedding earned $16 million on its opening weekend.
• Quentin Tarantino brought Pulp Fiction to Cannes, where its premiere caused a sensation.
• Aaron attended the Met Ball with Sophie Marceau and discussed her upcoming Braveheart filming in Scotland.
• Aaron met Sandra Bullock near the restroom and told her that her performance in Demolition Man was good.

Aaron Anderson discussed Cannes and film projects with Sophie Marceau and Paula Wagner, then expanded Dawn Pictures into newspapers and approved development of Twister. The chapter ended with the Houston Rockets advancing to the Western Conference Finals and Dawn acquiring major newspaper stakes.

• Aaron left a ball with Sophie Marceau, and they discussed her invitation to present at the Cannes Film Festival and Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.
• Paula Wagner told Aaron that Anne Rice had changed her mind about Tom Cruise’s casting in Interview with the Vampire and that preparations for Mission: Impossible would begin after Con Air.
• Pulp Fiction won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
• Aaron and William Singleton signed agreements for Dawn’s $120 million acquisition of the Houston Post Group and Dawn’s 45% stake in the Los Angeles Daily News.
• Aaron instructed Houston Post editor-in-chief Karen McKee to sell the printing plant, cut costs, and grow circulation, while Dawn provided support.
• Dawn Steel brought Aaron a tornado disaster-film script called Twister, which he approved for development, as the Houston Rockets defeated the Phoenix Suns 4–3 to reach the Western Conference Finals.

Aaron celebrated Pulp Fiction’s Palme d’Or with Quentin Tarantino and discussed Dawn’s films and box-office prospects. As Interview with the Vampire opened strongly, Aaron visited Joey Wong and planned a trip with her to Lake Tahoe.

• Aaron praised Quentin Tarantino’s work at Dawn’s celebration banquet for Pulp Fiction and encouraged him to enjoy the film’s success.
• Aaron drove away with Christiana Yeri, who updated him on Scream’s filming and discussed Pulp Fiction’s Cannes competition.
• My Best Friend’s Wedding passed 50 million US dollars at the North American box office, and Aaron’s Rockets defeated the Jazz to win the Western Conference Finals.
• Aaron visited Joey Wong on his yacht, discussed the progress and casting of The Blood and Tears History of Chinese Laborers, and planned a vacation at Lake Tahoe with her.
• Interview with the Vampire opened in 2,600 North American theaters and earned 36.38 million US dollars in its first three days.

Aaron discussed the NBA Finals with Joey Wong and Jack Wells while the United States followed the O. J. Simpson murder case. After the Houston Rockets forced a decisive Game 7 against the New York Knicks, Aaron and Jennifer Connelly planned to fly to Houston to watch the championship game.

• Aaron told Jack Wells that he believed the Houston Rockets would win the Finals, and Joey Wong said she supported the team.
• Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were found murdered in Los Angeles, and O. J. Simpson became the suspect in a nationally televised police chase.
• The Rockets lost Games 4 and 5 to the Knicks, then won Game 6 at Compaq Center, setting up a championship-deciding Game 7.
• At a Beverly Hills cocktail party, Aaron told Jennifer Connelly he was thinking about Pixar's first feature-length animated film and Dawn's growing ambitions.
• Aaron invited Jennifer Connelly to fly with him to Houston for Game 7, and she agreed.

After celebrating the Rockets’ championship with Jennifer Connelly, Aaron returned to Los Angeles and reviewed the acclaim for The Lion King while checking on Toy Story’s progress. He then offered John Kluge $180 million in cash for Orion Pictures’ film library, and Kluge left the proposal pending discussion with Metromedia’s other shareholders.

• Jennifer Connelly celebrated the Rockets’ championship with Aaron, then told him she was leaving to film Higher Learning while he planned to return to Los Angeles for Forrest Gump’s release.
• The Lion King opened to more than $45 million, earned strong critical praise, and Aaron read reviews describing its visual achievement and emotional depth.
• Ethelind Beckett told Aaron that Toy Story had begun voice recording with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.
• Aaron met John Kluge and offered $180 million in cash for Orion Pictures’ film library, arguing that only about 1,200 of its nearly 1,500 copyrights were mainstream.
• John Kluge said he needed a few days to discuss Aaron’s offer with Metromedia’s other shareholders.

Aaron discussed the Lakers’ struggles and the NBA draft with Jerry Buss, then celebrated Catherine Zeta-Jones’s rising career and Dawn Pictures’ summer releases. After Dawn acquired Orion Pictures, Aaron decided to integrate its assets and strengthen Dawn’s international distribution, leaving the company with a library of more than 2,500 films and the standing of a seventh major studio group.

• Aaron met Jerry Buss, who said the Lakers would retain family control while considering minority investors, and Aaron declined to attend the NBA draft because the Rockets had traded their first-round pick.
• Aaron visited Catherine Zeta-Jones, who praised the prospects of My Best Friend’s Wedding in Europe and discussed Elizabeth Hurley joining GoldenEye.
• Aaron anticipated the releases of Forrest Gump and The Mask after My Best Friend’s Wedding and Interview with the Vampire had performed strongly at the North American box office.
• Metromedia sold Orion Pictures to Aaron’s Dawn for 185 million dollars after negotiations that followed Dawn’s 180-million-dollar offer.
• At the Forrest Gump premiere, Aaron told Brad Grey to set aside the Orion label, integrate its assets, and improve Dawn Pictures’ international distribution network.
• Dawn’s acquisitions of the Samuel Goldwyn Films and Orion Pictures libraries brought its film rights to more than 2,500 titles and established it as the Seventh Major Film Group.

Aaron reflected on Forrest Gump’s acclaim and its opening success as Dawn expanded the film’s release. He then learned that Paramount and Warner Bros. planned to launch broadcast networks, leaving him to consider whether Dawn should pursue a television station too.

• Aaron read glowing reviews of Forrest Gump and discussed its reception with Elizabeth Hurley before its wide release.
• Forrest Gump opened in 1,550 theaters, earned $24.5 million in its first three-day weekend, and Dawn added nearly 700 theaters amid strong audience interest.
• Jovin Adams told Aaron that Paramount and Warner Bros. planned to establish the UPN and WB broadcast networks as media regulations loosened.
• Aaron considered Disney’s likely interest in acquiring ABC or NBC and weighed the cost of a broadcast network for Dawn.
• Jovin Adams urged Aaron to consider buying a television network to help distribute Dawn’s productions.

At a reception, Aaron Anderson discussed newspaper and magazine ventures with Otis Chandler, who also told him that Disney chairman Michael Eisner had been hospitalized. Aaron considered who might take over Disney and how the company would replace Jeffrey Katzenberg if Eisner could not manage it himself.

• Aaron Anderson met Otis Chandler at a Beverly Hills reception, where they discussed Dawn's newspaper acquisitions and its competition with Hearst Corporation.
• Otis Chandler proposed that Dawn Publishing Company collaborate with the Los Angeles Times on an entertainment and lifestyle magazine, and Aaron welcomed the idea.
• Otis Chandler told Aaron that Michael Eisner had been seriously ill and hospitalized, and that he had secretly met with Barry Diller and Michael Ovitz.
• Aaron and Otis discussed Michael Ovitz as a possible Disney successor and considered who could assist Eisner in place of Jeffrey Katzenberg.
• Aaron said Jeffrey Katzenberg was capable but criticized his greed and limited vision of the wider entertainment business.