Hollywood Hunter

"Mike, we certainly want to work with Barry, but his new script is too lacking in selling points. And, we can't accept the $25 million budget."

"I understand your thoughts, West Germany, Paramount must also look forward to one or two projects from the 10 films of Daenerys Entertainment, but because you use less glorious means from Simon Westeros With that incident in hand, do you think he has the possibility to cooperate with you?"

"You're wrong, Mike. It's because we know our situation that we will meet you today. I guess other studios probably don't want to discuss this project with you anymore?"

"..."

Paramount Studios in Hollywood.

Paramount Pictures President Sidney Garnes and Michael Owitz are discussing the new play of Barry Levinson, Avalon is a'land of bliss' in European mythology, and the story tells about immigrants from Eastern Europe The stories of the struggles of the Krinchinski family who immigrated to the United States at the beginning of this century.

For that project, although Dustin Hoffman still got his second Oscar, and it was a bit of a face-saving, in fact, all the main creatives such as Barry Levinson were quite embarrassed.

Barry Levinson has been focusing on creating his own new script in the first half of the year, hoping to be ashamed of this project.In early July, Levinson finally completed the script, and several Hollywood studios also expressed interest in it, and all parties began to contact.

However, when Daenerys Entertainment suddenly announced plans for 10 foreign cooperation movies, things started to turn sharply.

Originally, the families of interested Disney, Columbia and Warner brothers have firmly expressed their rejection. Only Paramount has not completely spoken to death.

These days, Michael Overitz has secretly regretted more than once why he did not prevent Barry Levinson and others from trying to shirk their responsibility. Now, the entire CAA has been included in the blacklist of Daenerys Entertainment.

Silent for a moment, Michael Ovitz said: "West Germany, in this case, talk about Paramount's conditions?"

"Barry’s new script should be aimed at impacting the Oscars and has little box office potential. Therefore, Paramount can only give a budget of up to $12 million, of which $2 million is Barry’s compensation. Of course, we can add another net 10% profit sharing clause."

Michael Ovitz was a little angry: "West Germany, $2 million. Do you think this is possible?"

After Barry Levinson's debut in the 1970s, he was quickly promoted to a first-line screenwriter and switched to director, even if not counted, and other blockbuster films were enough to make him among the first-line directors with a $5 million filmmaking base.

What's more, no one can completely deny the contribution of Barry Levinson.

Right now, after two consecutive episodes, Paramount is only willing to offer $2 million for a new film directed and directed by Barry Levinson, which is simply an insult.

Sidney Garnes ignored Michael Owitz’s ridiculous question and raised his wrist to look at his watch. He said: "I have another meeting right now, Mike, you can go back and think about it, call after you decide. give me."

Depressedly leaving Paramount Studios, Michael Ovitz was thinking about how to talk to his client all the way.

Paramount was apparently taking advantage of the fire, but Barry Levinson apparently had no other choice.

or.

For the time being, Barry let go of the project and started a commercial film with a better look.

This idea was then dispelled by Orwitz.

Matthew Broderick, who had a entanglement with Simon Westeros, was completely abolished. Now, although Daenerys Entertainment has not publicly released any words, Hollywood dares to continue to cooperate with Barry Levinson. There are not many film companies at all.

Even, even within the CAA, many stars are now deliberately avoiding Barry Levinson.

Back at the CAA headquarters in Century City, I just sat down behind my desk,

Michael Ovitz frowned.

This is another more serious problem facing CAA.

After Jonathan Friedman became the WMA president, he began to ambitiously want to recapture the customers that were lost from WMA.Kurt Russell and Gotthard Han are both first-line stars dug by CAA when the former WMA president Stan Carmen died three years ago. This time it was clearly WMA's counterattack.

Picking up the microphone on the table and making a few calls, Michael Ovitz quickly contacted Kurt Russell.However, the invitation to make an appointment for dinner was directly rejected. Although Kurt Russell was very polite, he said that the follow-up matters will be handled by the couple's lawyers.

This obviously has no room for change.

Moreover, the Russells are no longer the first wave of stars recently.Michael Ovitz is well aware that not only WMA, but other talent agencies in Hollywood are waving hoes against CAA recently.

Michael Owitz was once ambitious to want to hollow out the essence of all other talent agency companies in Hollywood, relying on CAA's unique packaging mechanism to get more and more generous rewards for the stars, this thing was very smooth.However, after Simon Westero appeared, in the past two years, Michael Ovitz found himself simply out of order. Many customers who wanted to win the CAA, Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner , Brian de Palma, etc., all ended in failure.

Now, as Daenerys entertains, CAA has even begun to be turned around.

CAA's packaging strategy is not outdated, but more and more popular, but Ovitz also understands why this happens.

In the final analysis, it is Hollywood's resource competition.

In previous years, because of the successful launch of a large number of very successful box office boxing projects, CAA has no disadvantage in Hollywood.Not only has it successfully recruited a large number of first-line stars to join, but projects involving CAA can also obtain resources from various aspects such as the screen of the production studio.

However, the rise of Daenerys Entertainment caused CAA to quickly lose these advantages.

Many non-CAA clients who rely on Daenerys Entertainment for a series of blockbuster movie cafes have attracted more attention from Hollywood studios, and have more popular blockbuster movies. Robert De Niro and Kevin Coase Stars such as Turner and Sandra Bullock can also request better quality resources from the studio.

In comparison, the commercial performance of its celebrities is obviously inferior to that of Daenerys Entertainment's movies, and CAA has gradually fallen into a disadvantage in this regard.

Now, Daenerys Entertainment's 10 film plan, once all the participation of the CAA star is excluded, will undoubtedly widen this gap.After all, these 10 movies will definitely occupy the best quality schedules, the most generous announcements and the richest screens in the next two years.At the same time, no one would doubt that there will be a significant increase in the number of stars.

With this trade-off, CAA's first-line stars are likely to be squeezed into the second line in a year or two.

Michael Ovitz couldn't help but think of the recent Sony's acquisition of Colombia. As the leader of this merger, Sony had also expressed his intention to be the leader of Sony's film and television entertainment business.Now that the M&A case is basically settled, Sony has not mentioned this matter anymore.

Talent agency companies do not have any fixed assets and are destined to be difficult to grow.

Seeing Simon Westeros, Michael Eisner, Barry Diller and others in the production industry has become popular in the production industry, fame and fortune, of course, Orwitz also has a similar idea.

In the end, it was because of Simon Westero.

After weighing for a long time, Michael Ovitz picked up the phone again and skillfully dialed a number without consulting the address book.

The phone was connected, but Westero was not in the company.

Michael Ovitz chatted a few words there, but the other party only indicated that he would relay the message, but did not mean to help him transfer the call.

Putting down the microphone, Owitz was thinking about how to deal with the matter, and the fax machine in his office rang.

The page from the fax machine had only four names: Barry Levinson, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, and Meg Ryan.

There is also a handwritten'W' logo in the lower right corner of the paper.

W, Westeros.

Slightly stunned, Ovitz immediately understood that Simon Westero meant that CAA must draw a line with these four people before the dispute between the two sides can be resolved.

Westero apparently completely ignored Matthew Broderick, who had previously been transferred to the CAA and is now completely abolished.

Clearly demarcating the boundaries, obviously is to cancel the contract with these four people.

just.

Can CAA do this?

Not to mention that these four are all top-tier Hollywood first-class cafes. If you cancel the contract with these four stars for self-protection, what will other customers under the CAA think?

However, after a short period of anger, Ovitz suddenly realized that perhaps other customers of the company did not mind him doing so, and might even expect him to do so.

After all, Barry Levinson and four of them left CAA. Other large talent agencies obviously would not easily accept it. Small agency companies probably would not dare to provoke Daenerys Entertainment. They could only do it alone.

Hollywood solo stars are not without them.

Jack Nicholson has been dissociating himself from several major talent agencies for years, and is still very popular.Before joining WMA, Robert De Niro had also been in a solo state.

However, if the four people who had been oppressed by Daenerys Entertainment had to go it alone, they would lose the support of the resources of large talent agencies like CAA, and Hollywood studios would not dare to cooperate with them easily. Can be described with an uncertain future.

People are selfish.

The drop in the coffee of these four first-line filmmakers actually means opportunities for others.

and.

Michael Ovitz also has to admit that this is undoubtedly the most favorable treatment for CAA.

However, it is difficult for Ovitz to persuade himself to succumb to Simon Westeros.

In a bad mood, the outside assistant knocked on the door, and Ovitz looked up and saw a CAA scriptwriter client appear at the door.

This is Joe Ezette Haas. Because of the success of the film, Ezette Haas is currently one of the most valuable screenwriters under the CAA. His highest sales price for several previous scripts was as high as $1.25 million.

Thinking of the meeting that was set in the afternoon, Owitz temporarily put away the resentment, got up with a smile, and greeted to shake hands with Ezetehas, said: "Joe, come in and sit down."

Joe Ezethas looked a little unnatural, and sat down in the reception area with Ovitz.Gossip a few words and took a sip of the coffee that the secretary had just brought in. Ezethas said: "Mike, this is the case. My original agent, Guy McElwan, you remember ?"

Owitz nodded and said, "Isn't he going to Colombia as a producer? It's been a long time since I saw him."

"You also know," Ezethas continued: "Sony is about to acquire Colombia. Guy finds that he is not too suitable as a producer. He wants to return to the agency industry."

Owitz recalled the information of Guy McElwyn and nodded quickly: "Gay is still very capable in this regard. In this case, let him come back directly. We will take the time to make an appointment. Time to talk."

"No, it's not like this," Ezethas shook his head, his face a little more embarrassed, said: "Guy has confirmed that he will go to ICM, this time, actually, you know, me and Guy's The relationship is very good, and I want to keep him as my agent."

Ovitz converged his expression: "Joe, do you want to leave CAA?"

Joe Ezethas nodded: "Yes, Mike, I hope you understand."

Today, a series of things have made Michael Owitz's mood extremely bad. Hearing that the customer that CAA has spared no effort to support over the years has to leave, his bad mood suddenly broke through a certain critical point, and he shook his head without hesitation, coldly. : "Joe, I won't let you go."

Joe Ezethas didn't expect Ovitz's tone to be so firm, he was stunned and said, "Mike, I can pay the penalty."

"No," Orwitz shook his head again. "Joe, you are CAA's most precious asset. I won't agree to you leaving."

Joe Ezette Haas was dissatisfied: "I am not a CAA asset, I am a person."

"Well, you are a person. You can't leave anyway, at least, you don't want to leave CAA one step before your contract ends."

"Mike, I just heard that Kurt Russell and Gody Han and his wife have left. Why are you embarrassing me?"

"Why, Joe, do you know how much resources CAA has invested in you over the years, do you know how much thought I have spent on you, in short, you want to cancel the contract in advance, which is impossible."

Feeling Ovitz's unreasonable and firm tone, Joe Ezethas was also angry.

The two's voices grew louder and louder, and soon turned into a quarrel, Ovitz's roar reached the corridor.

"...Don't forget, CAA gave you a worth of $1.25 million... You are nothing without CAA... Don't even think about it, I will bombard you with lawsuits and make you unable to take one step Get close to the typewriter and let you completely abolish...I let you eat shit, you have to eat shit... Have you seen those outside, do you want to escape, CAA infantry soldiers will find you from anywhere, then Smash your head...I don't care what the outside world thinks, those guys just want to write a script for Robert Redford..."

The quarrel between the two became more and more fierce, and it was only after several assistants of Ovitz rushed into the office feeling that something was wrong, they stopped a physical conflict in time.

However, things did not end there.

The next day, Joe Ezette Haas published the details of the meeting in an open letter, accusing Ovitz of violent acts of personal threats against him.

Michael Ovitz's image in Hollywood has always been low-key, mysterious and omnipotent. Whether it is a Hollywood studio executive or a first-line star, Ovitz has been in awe in recent years.Once Joe Ezette Haas’s open letter was released, both Hollywood internal and external media were in an uproar.

The personal image that Michael Owitz has carefully created over the years has fallen into collapse. Under the deliberate and unintentional suppression of Daenerys Entertainment, the situation of CAA has become even more unpleasant.