Chapter Summaries

Disney faced growing pressure as Michael Eisner negotiated with General Electric over NBC, while Jeffrey Katzenberg's media campaign damaged Eisner's reputation. The chapter ended with Katzenberg quietly raising Eisner's recent heart surgery as a succession concern for Disney shareholders.

• Michael Eisner discussed General Electric's proposal to sell Disney half of NBC and its content production business, while Sid Bass pushed for Disney to acquire NBC outright.
• Aaron took Catherine Zeta-Jones to Las Vegas and discussed MGM's remaining value and Dawn's growing film library and box-office success.
• The New Yorker published Jeffrey Katzenberg's account of how Michael Eisner forced him out of Disney, and newspapers widely reprinted it.
• Sid Bass urged Michael Eisner to keep negotiating with Jack Welch as DreamWorks, the failed NBC talks, and opposition to a Virginia Disneyland project added to Disney's troubles.
• Jeffrey Katzenberg revealed that he had arranged the article and told an associate to highlight Michael Eisner's heart surgery and Disney's succession concerns.

Aaron discussed DreamWorks SKG’s challenge to Disney and the ongoing efforts to acquire MCA Universal while preparing to spend time in New York. Michael Eisner tried to recruit Michael Ovitz to Disney, and Aaron later celebrated the early success of Friends with Jennifer Aniston.

• Aaron and Dawn Steel discussed Jeffrey Katzenberg’s DreamWorks SKG, Michael Eisner’s rivalry with him, and Dawn’s pending acquisition of MCA Universal.
• Aaron asked Dawn Steel to keep a close eye on Dawn Film Studio while he stayed in New York, and she reassured him that Brad Grey and Tom Rothman were helping.
• As reports about Michael Eisner’s health unsettled Disney’s stock, he tried to persuade Michael Ovitz to join Disney, but Ovitz remained focused on Seagram’s MCA acquisition and CAA.
• At a West Hollywood bar, Aaron told Jennifer Aniston that Friends had earned good reviews, rising ratings, and a renewal for a second season.
• Jennifer Aniston told Aaron about the cast’s Las Vegas trip and their episode pay, and he praised her portrayal of Rachel Green.

Aaron learned that CAA president Ronald Meyer owed $12 million in gambling debts and resented Michael Ovitz, who wanted his CAA shares as collateral. Aaron considered using Ronald’s grievances to gain information about Panasonic’s planned sale of MCA, while worrying that Edgar Bronfman Jr. might outbid Dawn Pictures.

• Jack Wells told Aaron that Ronald Meyer had accumulated heavy gambling debts and had longstanding grievances against Michael Ovitz.
• Jack explained that Ovitz had taken most of CAA’s consulting fees from the MCA deal, treated Meyer like a subordinate, and now wanted Meyer’s CAA shares as collateral for another loan.
• Aaron asked whether Ronald Meyer knew anything about Panasonic selling MCA, and Jack said Ovitz had handled the acquisition while Meyer had played little part.
• Aaron told Jack that Dawn could promise Ronald help if he revealed important information, and Jack asked whether he should contact him.
• Aaron worried that Edgar Bronfman Jr. might bid aggressively for MCA, then invited Jack to talk over drinks about the Houston Rockets before Aaron left for New York.

Aaron met with major banks to secure financing for Dawn’s planned acquisition of MCA Inc., while Jack Wells sought intelligence on rival bidder Seagram through Ronald Meyer. The chapter ended with Jack leaving a club with Uma Thurman after discussing her rising fame.

• Aaron told Peter Peterson and representatives from major banks that MCA Inc. was undervalued and that Dawn would restructure and take it public after acquiring it.
• Thomas Labrecque and other bankers pledged substantial loans, contingent on Aaron guaranteeing Dawn’s IPO plan.
• Jack Wells asked Ronald Meyer to gather information about Seagram’s position, its acceptable price for MCA Inc., and its plans for DuPont shares.
• Jack offered Ronald a low-interest, unsecured 10 million US dollar loan and urged him to cooperate, and Ronald agreed to share any information he obtained.
• Jack left the club with Uma Thurman and praised her popularity after Pulp Fiction.

Aaron approved several film projects for Dawn Pictures, including hiring John Woo for Broken Arrow and backing Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day. He also discussed a loan to Ronald Meyer and learned that Angel Company had acquired a 40% stake in IMG Sports Agency.

• Aaron approved preparations for The Rock with Sean Connery in mind and assigned John Woo to direct Broken Arrow.
• Aaron agreed to provide additional funding for The Blood and Tears History of Chinese Laborers after its budget ran out.
• Ethelind Beckett gave Aaron Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day script, and Aaron agreed that Dawn would invest $75 million in the film.
• Aaron and Jack Wells discussed Wells Fargo’s $10 million loan to Ronald Meyer and Meyer’s conflict with Michael Ovitz at CAA.
• Jack Wells told Aaron that Angel Company had acquired 40% of IMG Sports Agency, and Aaron encouraged him to pursue full control.

Aaron met Seagram CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. at a Time Warner reception and made clear that Dawn would compete against Seagram for MCA Universal. Afterward, Aaron and Monica Bellucci left the reception together, discussing films and their plans.

• Aaron asked Jack Wells about Edgar Bronfman Jr. and learned that Seagram faced opposition to acquiring MCA from some members of the Bronfman family.
• At a Time Warner reception, Edgar Bronfman Jr. told Aaron that Seagram was determined to acquire MCA and had enough cash to do so without financing.
• Aaron warned Edgar Bronfman Jr. that Dawn Pictures Group was not to be underestimated and left the conversation.
• Aaron spoke with Peter Guber, then returned to Monica Bellucci and discussed Sony Pictures Entertainment’s losses and her recent film work.
• Aaron and Monica Bellucci left the hotel after seeing Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone being interviewed about The Specialist.

Edgar Bronfman Jr. worried that Aaron Anderson and other bidders had complicated Seagram’s effort to acquire MCA. In New York, Aaron arranged for Monica Bellucci to star in Giuseppe Tornatore’s next film and agreed to help America Online buy back Paul Allen’s shares, then wondered whether Allen had joined DreamWorks SKG.

• Edgar Bronfman Jr. complained that Aaron’s popularity and Dawn’s success had drawn more competitors into the MCA acquisition, while Herbert Allen Jr. said Seagram would have to offer more.
• Aaron told Monica Bellucci that she would star in Giuseppe Tornatore’s The Star Maker, with Crescent Moon Pictures as its North American investor.
• Steve Case asked Aaron to help America Online repurchase Paul Allen’s shares after Microsoft’s interest threatened the company.
• Aaron agreed that Dawn would buy the remaining 10% of America Online shares that Steve Case could not afford to repurchase.
• Aaron discussed Microsoft’s likely shift toward competing with Netscape and wondered whether Paul Allen had been approached by DreamWorks SKG.

Aaron and Christiana Yeri discussed Dawn's film successes and her possible starring role in Broken Arrow as Disney rejected Michael Eisner's bid for NBC. Michael Eisner considered pursuing CBS and recruiting Michael Ovitz, while Sid Bass worried about Dawn acquiring MCA Universal and urged Disney to build its television network.

• Aaron and Christiana Yeri celebrated Dawn's box-office successes and discussed Christiana's possible role as a policewoman in Broken Arrow.
• Sid Bass rejected Michael Eisner's proposal to acquire 49% of NBC Radio and Television Network's shares.
• Michael Eisner told Sid Bass that CBS was Disney's next acquisition target and that he was trying to recruit Michael Ovitz as Disney's new president.
• Sid Bass asked Michael Eisner about Dawn acquiring MCA Universal, and Michael Eisner warned that the deal could make Dawn Hollywood's dominant studio.
• Sid Bass concluded that Disney needed to expand its television network and film and television supply chain to compete with Dawn.

Aaron learned that Salomon Brothers had lost key executives and clients to Long-Term Capital Management, but he remained confident in Dawn’s funding. Later, he discussed films and their prospects with Sophie Marceau and director Frank Darabont, whose The Shawshank Redemption had disappointed at the box office despite strong reviews.

• Jessica Parker told Aaron that John Meriwether and other executives had left Salomon Brothers to found Long-Term Capital Management, which had raised $1.25 billion and drawn away clients.
• Aaron reassured Jessica that firms including Carlyle Group, Vanguard, and Fidelity Investments were willing to fund Dawn.
• Aaron and Sophie Marceau watched Greenwich Village’s Halloween parade and discussed the box-office performance of Clear and Present Danger and The Mask.
• Sophie told Aaron that Léon: The Professional was nearing its US release with some controversial scenes cut, and Aaron said the cuts helped it secure an R rating.
• Aaron met Frank Darabont at a bar, praised The Shawshank Redemption, and heard that its initial box office had reached only $16 million despite positive reviews.

Aaron advised Sophie Marceau to turn down an erotic arthouse film and protect her growing Hollywood career. In Washington, he discussed Dawn’s planned MCA acquisition with Leon Panetta, who said President Clinton would support the deal.

• After leaving the bar, Sophie Marceau asked Aaron about director Michelangelo Antonioni’s offer to appear in Beyond the Clouds, and Aaron advised her not to take the role.
• Sophie Marceau agreed to stay focused on mainstream Hollywood films, including Braveheart, which was set to be released the following year.
• After Halloween, Aaron visited President Clinton in Washington, then met Carlyle Group head Stephen Norris, whose firm was interested in Dawn.
• Aaron told Leon Panetta that Dawn’s acquisition of MCA was its best opportunity to expand and explained why he was not pursuing Turner Broadcasting System.
• Leon Panetta said Clinton would support Dawn’s acquisition of MCA, citing the opportunity to return Universal to American ownership and Lew Wasserman’s waning influence.

Aaron warned Leon Panetta about Rahm Emanuel and Willie Brown, then pressed Panasonic to move forward with selling MCA to Dawn. The chapter ended with Yoichi Morishita agreeing to assign Tsūzō Murase to handle negotiations with Dawn.

• Aaron told Leon Panetta he wanted Rahm Emanuel removed from the White House and warned him to distance himself from Willie Brown.
• Aaron criticized Clinton’s ties to Jewish officials and raised concerns about negative newspaper coverage of him and Dawn.
• Pete Wilson won reelection as California Governor, while George W. Bush was elected Governor of Texas.
• Aaron met Panasonic president Yoichi Morishita in Japan and argued that MCA was underperforming and that Panasonic should sell it.
• Yoichi told Aaron Panasonic would accept offers the following January, and Aaron proposed that Panasonic could receive New Dawn shares as part of the deal.
• Yoichi agreed to urge Panasonic’s board to act and assigned Senior Vice President Tsūzō Murase to liaise with Dawn over MCA’s sale.

Aaron discussed Panasonic’s stake in MCA and the coming shift to VCDs and DVDs, then traveled with Joey Wong to Beijing to gauge China’s developing VCD and film markets. He promised Joey a role in Dawn’s upcoming Hollywood film Rush Hour as they discussed her move toward a Hollywood career.

• Aaron, Jessica Parker, and Tom Rothman discussed Panasonic’s interest in retaining influence over MCA and the changes VCDs and DVDs could bring to Hollywood home entertainment.
• Jessica Parker told Aaron that Seagram’s Edgar Bronfman Jr. had met with Yoichi Morishita without reaching an agreement, and that Dawn had acquired a 10% stake in America Online from Paul Allen.
• After spending three days with Norika Fujiwara in Osaka, Aaron traveled with Joey Wong from Hong Kong to Beijing and saw crowds attending The Fugitive, one of China’s first imported revenue-sharing blockbusters.
• Aaron and Joey discussed the limited number of imported-film slots, early VCD sales, and pirated discs appearing in coastal cities as Wanyan expanded its distribution network.
• Aaron told Joey that Dawn had completed The Blood and Tears History of Chinese Laborers after raising its budget to $18 million, and said Jackie Chan’s Rumble in the Bronx had earned Dawn over $10 million in profit.
• Aaron promised Joey a role in Rush Hour, which Dawn planned to film with Jackie Chan the following year, and encouraged her to pursue Hollywood work as Hong Kong film production declined.

Aaron inspected Beijing’s VCD market and discussed China’s inflation and film industry with Joey Wong before returning to Hollywood, where he talked with Roland Emmerich about Independence Day and met the Legends of the Fall cast. He left Brad Pitt with the promise that they might work together in the future.

• Aaron discussed China’s inflation, film releases, and the prospects for VCDs with Joey Wong in Beijing.
• Aaron and Joey Wong visited a Beijing video store, and Joey later returned to Taipei for the Golden Horse Awards while Aaron went back to the United States.
• Aaron discussed Independence Day’s special effects and planned release with director Roland Emmerich.
• Aaron attended the Legends of the Fall post-screening banquet and spoke with Edward Zwick about his Gulf War film project Courage Under Fire.
• Aaron praised Brad Pitt’s performance in Se7en, and Brad said David Fincher had won him over.

Aaron spent time with Kate Beckinsale before turning his attention to Dawn Pictures’ upcoming acquisition of MCA Universal and the political support behind it. After Willie Brown was murdered, Leon Panetta assured Aaron that Dawn would be protected in Washington as it competed with the Bronfman family for MCA.

• Aaron celebrated Kate Beckinsale’s first Hollywood premiere with her and suggested she move into his secluded villa, but she preferred her West Hollywood apartment while she was still a newcomer.
• Aaron attended a Lakers game with Jennifer Connelly and learned that Willie Brown had been shot and killed by robbers in Oakland.
• Aaron met Leon Panetta at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and told him to keep Willie Brown’s death from affecting Dawn.
• Leon Panetta said Dawn would have Washington’s support, could join the MPAA even if the MCA acquisition failed, and would compete directly with the Bronfman family for MCA Universal.

After George W. Bush won the Texas governorship, Aaron and Jack Wells responded to Hearst’s pressure on the Houston Post. Jack obtained damaging material from former reporter Rudolph Harrison and paid him to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

• Aaron brought Jennifer Connelly to George W. Bush’s victory celebration, where Jack Wells told him that the Houston Chronicle was preparing to challenge the Houston Post over its reporting.
• Aaron warned Jack that former Washington Post reporter Rudolph Harrison knew a great deal, and Jack assured him that Harrison would keep quiet.
• At his Brenham Farm, Aaron discussed investing more in Texas, joked with Jennifer about becoming president, and reassured her that the Federal Reserve’s rate hike should not derail Dawn’s MCA acquisition.
• On Thanksgiving night, Rudolph Harrison met Jack at a Houston-area manor and handed over the materials he had brought.
• After the lawyer approved the documents, Jack paid Rudolph $100,000 to sign a nondisclosure agreement, and security personnel took him away.

Aaron managed the Houston Post’s competition with the Houston Chronicle, then returned to Los Angeles and warned Pixar to protect its animators from DreamWorks. After meeting several filmmakers, he reconnected with Winona Ryder and left with her.

• Aaron told Jack Wells that the Houston Post could challenge the Houston Chronicle and suggested acquiring the paper when an opportunity arose.
• Aaron reviewed Hakeem Olajuwon’s contract and thought about bringing Shaquille O’Neal to Houston after it expired.
• At Dawn Film Studio, John Lasseter described DreamWorks’ animation plans and Jeffrey Katzenberg’s recruitment of Disney animators, and Aaron warned him to guard Pixar’s staff while preparing Toy Story for release.
• Aaron spoke with Kevin Costner about his dispute with Kevin Reynolds over Waterworld’s cut.
• Aaron encountered Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, then reunited with Winona Ryder, who was promoting Little Women, and went with her to a bar before they decided to leave together.

Aaron encouraged Winona Ryder to pursue more commercial films as they discussed her career and the women-led production of Little Women. He also reflected on feminism’s gradual rise in Hollywood and Sony’s troubles, while considering Marvel’s valuable character rights.

• Aaron told Winona Ryder that her recent arthouse films could limit her career growth and urged her to choose more commercially viable projects.
• Winona Ryder agreed to seek more commercial scripts, and she and Aaron discussed the critical acclaim for her Little Women.
• Winona Ryder described Little Women’s female-led creative team, and Aaron recalled trying to recruit producer Amy Pascal to Dawn.
• Aaron and Winona Ryder discussed Sony’s financial and management problems, including the Spider-Man and Men in Black rights held by Dawn.
• Aaron explained that successful female-led films could gradually increase actresses’ influence and advance feminism in Hollywood.

Aaron checked in with Winona Ryder and discussed Dawn's upcoming films with Dawn Steel at the Golden Globe nomination party. They approved Jan de Bont to direct Twister, while Men in Black remained delayed and Broken Arrow still needed a male lead opposite John Travolta.

• Aaron urged Winona Ryder to tell him if anything troubled her, and she agreed.
• Aaron and Dawn Steel discussed Jan de Bont directing Twister with a budget exceeding 90 million dollars, and Aaron approved preparations for a Christmas-season release the year after next.
• Dawn Steel told Aaron that Men in Black had a completed script adaptation and Barry Sonnenfeld as director, but preparations would not begin until at least the second half of next year.
• Dawn Steel said Nicolas Cage was unavailable for Broken Arrow because he was filming Leaving Las Vegas, and Aaron accepted that Cage could not join the project.
• Dawn Steel listed Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Christian Slater, and Val Kilmer as candidates for Broken Arrow, and Aaron told her to keep pursuing the alternatives.

Elizabeth Hurley celebrated her Golden Globe nomination with Aaron, while Aaron discussed Dawn’s growing slate and distribution network with Sophie Marceau. The chapter ended with Aaron and Sophie leaving after encountering Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner as Mission: Impossible prepared to begin filming.

• Elizabeth Hurley hugged Aaron and celebrated her Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe nomination for Forrest Gump, then pulled him into a hotel restroom.
• Aaron and Sophie Marceau discussed the praise for Léon: The Professional and Gaumont’s planned French science-fiction blockbuster.
• Aaron explained that Dawn was focusing on costly blockbusters and expanding its distribution network, while Sophie questioned his focus on commercial films.
• Aaron and Sophie discussed the fictional romance between William Wallace and Princess Isabella in Braveheart.
• Aaron encountered Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner, and director Brian De Palma discussing Mission: Impossible, then left the hotel with Sophie.

Aaron discussed Jim Carrey’s success and Sophie Marceau’s acting preferences before Dawn Entertainment’s contest with Seagram for MCA Universal came into focus. As both sides prepared to bid, Michael Ovitz warned Edgar Bronfman Jr. that Aaron’s resolve and financing made Dawn the chief threat.

• Aaron and Sophie Marceau discussed Jim Carrey’s hit films and whether she would consider acting in American comedy.
• Aaron asked Jessica Parker about PolyGram’s interest in MCA, and she said Dawn, Seagram, Bertelsmann, and Ronald Perelman were the main interested parties.
• Aaron dismissed Ronald Perelman as unable to afford MCA and said Bertelsmann’s media interests made its involvement plausible.
• Michael Ovitz warned Edgar Bronfman Jr. that Dawn had Wall Street support and that Aaron was prepared to commit heavily to the acquisition.
• Edgar said Seagram could sell its DuPont stock but worried that a higher bid would face opposition, then decided to wait for the bids.