Chapter Summaries

Aaron arranged financing for Dawn’s expansion after Toy Story’s success, while Michael Ovitz and Edgar Bronfman Jr. discussed Seagram’s entry into Hollywood as the Big Six media conglomerates took shape. Edgar decided to meet with François Gille about MGM.

• Aaron told Jessica Parker to reassure David Komansky that Merrill Lynch would underwrite Dawn’s public offering, and she reported that First Interstate Bank and Wells Fargo might issue up to 700 million US dollars in bonds.
• Aaron said he had instructed Tom Williams to negotiate with the Rank Organisation for half the shares in Orlando Universal Studios, while planning to restart Universal Studios Japan and expand Universal Music Group.
• Michael Ovitz told Edgar Bronfman Jr. that Kirk Kerkorian had returned to Los Angeles and shown interest in acquiring MGM/United Artists.
• Michael Ovitz explained how Aaron had dismantled MCA’s old structure, replaced its senior management, and moved Lew Wasserman to manage MCA Records.
• Michael Ovitz described Hollywood’s Big Six and suggested Seagram could acquire MGM, then expand into other businesses such as music.
• Edgar Bronfman Jr. asked Michael Ovitz to arrange a meeting with François Gille.

Aaron watched the Rockets tie their playoff series with the Jazz and discussed MCA, the Houston Post, and Fox News Channel with Texas governor-elect George W. Bush. Bush offered to help Aaron get involved with FNC in exchange for a small favor.

• Aaron brought Jennifer Connelly to watch Game Two, where the Rockets beat the Jazz 140-126 and tied the series.
• The Rockets lost Game Three, then Drexler scored 41 points and Olajuwon scored 40 as Houston beat Utah in Game Four to force a decisive fifth game.
• After the game, George W. Bush asked Aaron about Dawn's takeover and reorganization of MCA, and Aaron said the company had become a record label under Universal Music.
• Bush told Aaron that Houston judge Greg Abbott had resigned and said the Houston Post's effort to overtake the Houston Chronicle depended on Aaron.
• Bush said Fox planned to launch a cable news channel and offered to help Aaron get involved with FNC in return for a small favor.

Aaron traveled to New York to negotiate Dawn’s participation in FOX’s FNC News Channel with Rupert Murdoch. Aaron demanded at least a 30 percent stake for Dawn, and Rupert agreed to have their teams discuss the details.

• Aaron decided Dawn should pursue a stake in FNC and told Jennifer Connelly they would go to New York.
• Aaron and Jennifer discussed her upcoming role opposite Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy before she returned to Los Angeles and Aaron went to New York.
• The Houston Rockets defeated the Utah Jazz 95–91 in Salt Lake City and advanced to face the Phoenix Suns.
• Aaron watched Sunset Boulevard with Rupert Murdoch, who asked why Dawn was pursuing television while it was restructuring MCA Inc.
• Aaron offered Dawn’s Houston Post shares and cash for at least 30 percent of FNC, while Rupert said their teams could negotiate the specifics.

Aaron discussed FOX’s push into cable television with AMC Cable Network president Jovin Adams, then spent time with Sophie Marceau as she promoted Braveheart. After the film’s strong reviews and opening weekend, Sophie prepared to continue its European promotional tour.

• Aaron and Jovin Adams discussed FOX’s plans to launch Fox News Channel and Fox Sports Cable Network and compete in cable television.
• Sophie Marceau returned to Aaron’s villa after promoting Braveheart, which had opened below Casper at the box office but received strong reviews.
• Aaron praised Mel Gibson’s direction and the film’s passionate epic storytelling while noting its fictional romance between William Wallace and Princess Isabella was unrealistic.
• Sophie told Aaron she planned to visit Cannes for one or two days before traveling to Edinburgh for Braveheart’s premiere.
• The next morning, Aaron prepared breakfast, then joined Sophie in the bathroom and kissed her.

Aaron discussed Hollywood releases, Carolco Pictures’ bankruptcy and the Terminator rights at the Se7en premiere before leaving with Winona Ryder. At his Bel Air villa, he advised Winona to pursue more commercial roles as she considered a new historical film.

• Apollo 13 opened strongly, while Toy Story passed $160 million at the North American box office and $100 million overseas.
• The Houston Rockets advanced to the Western Conference Finals after defeating the Phoenix Suns, and Aaron discussed the NBA playoffs and expansion with Brad Grey.
• Brad Grey told Aaron that 20th Century Fox and Canal+ were competing to acquire bankrupt Carolco Pictures, and Aaron said its creditors were waiting for the company to go bankrupt.
• Aaron attended Se7en’s premiere and left with Winona Ryder after the screening.
• Winona told Aaron she was close with Gwyneth Paltrow and was considering a historical film with Daniel Day-Lewis, while Aaron advised her to choose more commercial projects.

Aaron followed Hollywood news and industry deals as Seagram acquired MGM/United Artists, while Ronald Meyer left CAA to become MGM Pictures president. The chapter left Aaron considering MGM a potential competitor, especially because United Artists held The Hobbit film distribution rights.

• Aaron read about Hugh Grant's arrest for soliciting a prostitute and discussed the story with Winona Ryder.
• Aaron learned that Lee Mi-kyung represented CJ Group in investing in DreamWorks and noted that Disney was acquiring ABC.
• Nobuyuki Idei fired Sony America head Mickey Schulhof, while Edgar Bronfman Jr. acquired MGM/United Artists for $1.6 billion.
• Ronald Meyer told Michael Ovitz that he had accepted the MGM Pictures presidency, accusing Ovitz of taking too much from CAA.
• At Seagram's MGM reception, Aaron congratulated Edgar Bronfman Jr. and noted that United Artists held The Hobbit distribution rights.

Aaron enjoyed a private encounter with Elizabeth Hurley, then discussed the Rockets’ championship and the NBA’s looming labor dispute before planning Universal’s expansion in Orlando and Japan. He insisted Universal retain controlling ownership and operating rights in Japan as Dawn prepared to go public.

• Aaron praised GoldenEye to director Martin Campbell, then took Elizabeth Hurley upstairs, where she asked him to stay for dessert before dinner.
• Michael Ovitz accepted Disney’s invitation to become its president after Edgar Bronfman Jr. brought Ronald Meyer in to manage MGM, splitting CAA’s senior executives.
• The Houston Rockets swept the Orlando Magic in the Finals, and Hakeem Olajuwon won FMVP; Aaron told Jack Wells that a Rockets three-peat would be difficult and warned that the NBA risked a lockout.
• Aaron told Tom Williams to buy back the Rank Organisation’s stake in Orlando Universal Studios and move ahead with expanding the resort as Dawn prepared for an IPO.
• Aaron rejected Japan’s proposed licensing model for Universal Studios Japan and told Tom Williams that Universal must control its stake and operations, with Wall Street financing the project.

Aaron discussed the NBA lockout, Rush Hour, and Chinese filmmakers with Joey Wong after picking her up from the airport. During a beach walk, Joey met UCLA student and aspiring actress Kelly Lin, whom Aaron recognized.

• Aaron told Jack Wellstone that a hard salary cap and rookie contract restrictions would be difficult for the Players' Union to accept.
• Aaron picked up Joey Wong at Los Angeles International Airport and drove her to his Malibu villa.
• Joey told Aaron that Chinese Laborers had been renamed and would screen at Cannes before its Hong Kong release.
• Aaron and Joey discussed John Woo's Broken Arrow, Jackie Chan's planned Rush Hour, and the North American market for Chinese films.
• Joey met UCLA student Kelly Lin on the beach, signed her notebook, and learned she had appeared in a television drama.

Aaron and Joey Wong discussed Hong Kong’s property boom, while Hollywood’s major studios agreed to push for a single DVD standard. At Michael Eisner’s home, Joe Roth and Peter Schneider rejected Michael Ovitz’s leadership, and Eisner watched without intervening.

• Aaron reassured Joey Wong that Hong Kong’s property market would not face trouble until the handover, despite the speculation boom.
• MPAA chairman Jack Valenti gathered the seven major film groups, whose leaders agreed to press electronics manufacturers to unify DVD formats.
• Joe Roth learned he was expected at Michael Eisner’s home with Michael Ovitz and grew resentful at the prospect of serving under him.
• Michael Ovitz arrived at Eisner’s home and found Joe Roth and Peter Schneider arguing with Eisner.
• Joe Roth and Peter Schneider told Ovitz they would not work under him, while Eisner watched coldly and said nothing.

Michael Ovitz faced resistance over his appointment as Disney president, while ICM prepared to exploit CAA’s upheaval. Aaron discussed upcoming projects at Dawn Universal and attended the Con Air premiere, where he spoke with Paula Wagner about Mission: Impossible.

• Peter Schneider and Joe Roth rejected Michael Ovitz’s leadership, and Michael Eisner refused to help him, leaving Ovitz under pressure to accept the Disney contract.
• Nancy Josephson told Jeffrey Berg that Bill Haber had left CAA and Richard Lovett had taken charge with a group of new managing partners; Berg urged patience while ICM watched CAA’s artists.
• Aaron suggested Will Smith as Jackie Chan’s partner in Rush Hour and asked Dawn Steel about Good Will Hunting, which Gus Van Sant was preparing with Matt Damon set to star.
• Aaron attended the Con Air premiere and discussed Mission: Impossible’s overseas filming and prospects with Paula Wagner.

Aaron assessed Universal’s upcoming releases and pushed ahead with adapting Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World, while predicting Waterworld would struggle at the box office. At the Sun Valley Conference, Michael Eisner made clear that Disney viewed Dawn’s Pixar and Universal Studios as its strongest rivals in animation and theme parks.

• Aaron told Dawn Steel to begin developing an adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World and predicted Waterworld would earn limited North American box office.
• Con Air opened with $24 million over its first three days, and the Rush Hour crew signed Will Smith and Salma Hayek to join Jackie Chan.
• Aaron brought Joey Wong to the Sun Valley Conference, where she recognized Warren Buffett and noted Aaron’s reported fortune of more than $3 billion.
• Michael Eisner met Aaron and praised Dawn’s acquisition of Universal and Pixar’s success with Toy Story, which had earned more than $120 million in North America and $100 million overseas.
• Aaron acknowledged Dawn’s disadvantages in television distribution as he considered the difficulty of building a nationwide broadcast network.

Aaron backed Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet project and discussed Nicole Kidman’s upcoming films and Universal’s box-office prospects. After Nicole warned him that Miramax was pursuing The Terminator rights, Aaron dismissed the company as an unlikely contender.

• Aaron met Baz Luhrmann in New York and agreed that Crescent Moon Pictures would support his Romeo + Juliet adaptation, which he planned to shoot in Sydney.
• Nicole Kidman told Aaron she was finishing To Die For and would next star in Jane Campion’s The Portrait of a Lady, then invited him to visit Australia.
• Aaron and Nicole discussed Universal’s recent hits, the costly Waterworld, and plans to turn films and Pixar into theme-park attractions.
• Nicole warned Aaron that Harvey Weinstein and Gale Anne Hurd had discussed Miramax acquiring The Terminator rights.
• Aaron laughed off Miramax’s ambitions and said the rights would not be easy to obtain.

Aaron discussed Hollywood’s film business and the NBA negotiations with Jack Wells before meeting Tom Hanks, who was preparing to direct That Thing You Do!. He then met eighteen-year-old Liv Tyler at the bar and went dancing with her.

• Aaron and Jack Wells discussed Waterworld’s weak reception, other successful films, and the NBA labor negotiations.
• Jack Wells reminded Aaron to attend the October opening of Houston’s Dawn Center Arena, and Aaron discussed Michael Ovitz’s move to Disney.
• Aaron said Jeffrey Katzenberg was recruiting animators from Pixar, prompting Ed Catmull to give Pixar employees raises.
• Aaron ran into Tom Hanks, who told him preparations were complete for his film That Thing You Do!.
• Liv Tyler introduced herself to Aaron, spoke about Stealing Beauty, and invited him to dance for her eighteenth birthday.

Aaron spent the night with Liv Tyler, reviewed the casting of Romeo + Juliet, and watched Disney’s acquisition of ABC make it the world’s largest media conglomerate. The chapter ended with Jennifer Aniston visiting Aaron as she promoted Friends Season 2.

• Aaron kissed Liv Tyler at a dance floor, then left with her and spent the night in a Manhattan hotel.
• Aaron spoke with Joey Wong, who was going to Hong Kong with the Rush Hour crew, and said he would visit after traveling to Japan.
• Aaron reviewed the Romeo + Juliet plan and noted that Baz Luhrmann had chosen Leonardo DiCaprio for the male lead.
• Disney acquired Capital Cities/ABC for $19 billion, becoming the world’s largest media conglomerate, and Aaron took notice of ABC executive Robert Iger.
• Jennifer Aniston visited Aaron while promoting Friends Season 2, and the two kissed at his townhouse.

Aaron spent time with Jennifer Aniston in New York before traveling to Osaka to advance plans for Universal Studios Japan. As DreamWorks worried about Disney’s growing reach, Aaron and Tom Williams looked to Sumitomo for support and prepared to tailor the park to Japan.

• Aaron and Jennifer Aniston spent the evening together, and Aaron told her he was heading to Japan to work on Universal Studios Japan.
• Jeffrey Katzenberg warned Steven Spielberg that Disney’s parks, stores, and expanding media empire made it a formidable rival, while they discussed Dawn and Pixar’s strengths.
• Disney’s acquisition of ABC intensified competition among Hollywood studios, prompting Time Warner to accelerate its acquisition of TBS.
• Aaron arrived in Osaka with Tom Williams and met Panasonic president Yoichi Morishita, but Panasonic showed little interest in joining the theme park project.
• Aaron told Tom Williams to pursue Sumitomo’s support, retain more than 51 percent of operating rights, and incorporate Japanese culture into Universal Studios Japan.

Aaron met with Japan’s prime minister, reunited with Norika Fujiwara in Tokyo, and discussed Japan’s economy and entertainment industries. He then learned that the DVD Consortium was setting a global standard and invited Norika to vacation with him in the United States before his trip to China.

• Aaron met with Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who supported Dawn Pictures Group’s plan to build Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.
• Aaron returned to Tokyo and reunited with Norika Fujiwara, then discussed his films and Japan’s pachinko industry with her.
• Tom Rothman told Aaron that Sony, Toshiba, and other companies had formed the DVD Consortium to establish a global DVD standard.
• Norika told Aaron that the Yamaguchi-gumi had taken part in disaster relief after the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
• Aaron invited Norika to join him for a vacation in the United States after his upcoming trip to China, and she agreed.

Aaron discussed DVD standards and possible game development with Sony president Nobuyuki Idei, then advised Joey Wong on her VCD investment and offered her a role expanding Universal Records in Mainland China. He left Joey preparing to promote her VCD brand and consider becoming Universal Music’s agent.

• Aaron met Nobuyuki Idei in Tokyo and discussed Sony’s role in forming the DVD Consortium and the success of Sony’s PS console.
• Nobuyuki Idei proposed that Sony and Dawn collaborate on computer games, but Aaron deferred the idea because Universal’s acquisition required his attention.
• Aaron returned to Hong Kong and learned from Joey Wong that Rush Hour would begin filming soon and that Miramax had acquired North American distribution rights for Temptress Moon.
• Joey Wong told Aaron that Speed and Bad Boys had earned over 30 million yuan each in Mainland China, while True Lies had grossed 100 million RMB.
• Aaron explained that DVD would eventually replace VCD but advised Joey Wong to proceed with her VCD factory and promote its brand through CCTV.
• Aaron offered Joey Wong the chance to represent Universal Records in Mainland China, and she expressed interest because she owned two audio-video stores in Beijing.

Aaron dismissed Barnaby Swire’s proposal, protected Joey Wong from a reporter, and ordered his bodyguard to break Jimmy Lai’s hand and leg. At a meeting with Raymond Chow, Aaron predicted Jack Chan’s Rush Hour would become a major hit, and Joey Wong expressed interest in returning to films if it paid well.

• After lunch, Aaron rejected Barnaby Swire’s suggestion that Dawn and Swire Properties work together in the United States.
• Aaron’s bodyguard separated Joey Wong from an Apple Daily reporter, and Aaron later ordered his bodyguards to teach Jimmy Lai a lesson by breaking one hand and one leg.
• Universal Music began establishing subsidiaries and consolidating businesses in Japan, Hong Kong, and Taipei, including plans to revive Capital Artists.
• At Lan Kwai Fong, Raymond Chow discussed Golden Harvest and Thunderbolt with Aaron, who predicted Rush Hour would make Jack Chan an international star.
• Joey Wong told Aaron she might make films again if she could earn money easily, and the two went home together.

Jimmy Lai was brutally assaulted and robbed, while Aaron attended the Miss Asia finals and met newly crowned champion Kristy Yang. Aaron invited Kristy to celebrate with him the next night, hinting that they might work together.

• Two foreigners attacked Jimmy Lai in an alley, broke his right arm and leg, robbed him, and left him unconscious.
• Newspapers reported Jimmy Lai's severe injuries, and Aaron left the matter to Angel Security Company bodyguards.
• Aaron and Michael Kadoorie discussed Swire Group's property sales and the approaching handover while watching the Miss Asia finals.
• Kristy Yang won Miss Asia and three additional awards, while Florence Kwok received the Most Media Attention Award.
• At the post-pageant ball, Aaron discovered that Kristy studied at York University and had signed with ATV after winning the title.
• Aaron revealed that he owned Dawn Pictures Group and invited Kristy to celebrate her victory with him the following night.

Aaron returned to Joey Wong before taking Kristy Yang to lunch, giving her expensive jewelry and promising to support her budding entertainment career. After confronting Eric Tsang over his leering at Kristy, Aaron took her to fly to Macau and offered to introduce her to people at Golden Harvest.

• Aaron returned to the Repulse Bay villa and reunited with Joey Wong, who said she would stay in Vancouver after Rush Hour finished filming.
• Aaron took Kristy Yang to Fook Lam Moon, gave her Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry, and discussed her upcoming work at ATV and his plans to invest in Hong Kong films.
• Aaron told Kristy Yang that he wanted to build an entertainment company in Hong Kong and invited her to visit Macau with him.
• After Aaron and Kristy left the restaurant, Eric Tsang leered at Kristy, and Aaron insulted him before walking away with her.
• Eric Tsang cursed about Kristy as his tall friend surnamed Tang warned him that Aaron was a billionaire with powerful connections.
• Aaron reassured Kristy in the car, promised to introduce her to people at Golden Harvest, and took her to the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal helipad.