As the Oscars ceremony began promptly at 6 p.m. at the Shrine Auditorium, Simon was at the Cape Dume estate, spending time with the women and children. Sophia Vesey had flown in from Europe today.
Although there was another Melisandre party tonight, Sophia wasn't here for that. She had been invited by Janet.
The reason was the latest pregnancy checkup.
They had known for a while that Sophia was expecting twins, but they hadn't paid much attention to the gender. If they had wanted to, a DNA test could have confirmed it in London. Now, after the routine checkup at the four-month mark, the gender of the twins was revealed through an ultrasound—one boy and one girl.
Dragon and phoenix twins.
Janet was the first to hear the news and excitedly shared it with Simon, who immediately thought that the names he had chosen last year could be perfectly used: the boy would be named Greenwich Westeros, and the girl would be Sienna Westeros.
Following this, Janet invited Sophia to stay in Los Angeles for a few days.
Since becoming pregnant, Sophia had rarely visited North America, partly to avoid the two Janets and partly to stay away from the children.
Though Janet hadn't made a big deal out of the situation, there was still an underlying tension.
However, with Janet's personal invitation, Sophia couldn't refuse, so she took the opportunity to come.
Worried that the three women might clash, Simon made sure to finish work early that day. But when he arrived at the Cape Dume estate around 4 p.m., the scene he had feared didn't materialize. The three women were getting along, and the children were happily engaged. Sophia had brought an enormous pile of gifts—some for the two Janets, and others for the three children, enough to fill an entire room.
In the end, as always, no one dislikes gifts.
Sophia's emotional intelligence was no less than Simon's, who had lived through two lifetimes.
Not only that, but after Simon finished work early and returned home, Sophia, while clearly affectionate towards him, skillfully managed to shift attention away from herself by framing Simon as the common enemy of the three women. With laughter, they jokingly attacked Simon for his philandering ways, casting themselves as victims.
Both Janets were sharp enough to understand Sophia's intent and played along enthusiastically.
Simon did as well, adopting a "guilty as charged" posture.
As the Oscars ceremony kicked off at the Shrine Auditorium, they turned on the TV.
It provided a good conversation topic.
In reality, the biggest issue in relationships is often a lack of things to talk about. As long as there's something to discuss, relationships naturally strengthen over time.
This year's Oscars were once again broadcast by ABC, though the host was David Letterman from CBS's Late Show with David Letterman.
Danerys Entertainment had recently begun researching and engaging with the three major networks, with the primary target being ABC.
Simon had also realized that while NBC had The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and CBS had Late Show with David Letterman, ABC lacked a strong late-night talk show, only airing a low-rated news program called Nightline in the same time slot.
Given the popularity of talk shows featuring major stars, which often became major revenue drivers for their networks—Oprah Winfrey, Jay Leno, and David Letterman frequently topped television income rankings—it was clear that in America's commercialized television industry, a show's success was directly tied to the host's salary. Some news anchors even made tens of millions a year.
Currently, the most popular late-night talk shows, The Tonight Show and The Late Show, earned NBC $150 million and CBS $50 million in advertising revenue annually. In contrast, ABC's Nightline brought in just $10 million a year.
Watching Letterman host the Oscars, Simon quietly made a mental note.
If they acquired ABC in the future, even if they couldn't poach hosts from other networks, they would need to develop a late-night talk show to replace Nightline.
Letterman, clearly uncomfortable with the Oscars' pacing, made a number of awkward jokes and struggled to deliver zingers about the year's hottest films, leaving Simon unimpressed. The audience's reaction was lukewarm compared to the lively atmosphere Billy Crystal typically created as host.
Thankfully, Letterman's awkward performance didn't dampen the excitement of this already memorable ceremony.
The excitement in the Shrine Auditorium was palpable when Forrest Gump took home its first Oscar for Best Film Editing.
This year had produced so many outstanding films. Whether it was Forrest Gump with its 13 nominations or The Dark Knight Rises with just three technical nominations, both were eagerly anticipated by audiences. Other films like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Heat, Legends of the Fall, and Little Women were also hugely popular, far from the days when most Oscar-nominated films were relatively unknown to the general public.
Another major point of interest, heavily hyped by the media beforehand, was whether Tom Hanks would make history by winning back-to-back Best Actor Oscars after his victory last year for Philadelphia.
An hour into the ceremony, the Westeros household moved their conversation from the living room to the dining room for dinner.
By around 8 p.m., with the ceremony more than halfway over, dinner was finished, and Danerys Entertainment had already won nine awards out of its 26 nominations. With several major awards likely going to Forrest Gump, Simon was confident that the company would take home at least half of its nominations.
After dinner, Simon prepared to head into the city.
Not only did he need to personally congratulate tonight's winners at the Melisandre party, but he also had other meetings scheduled, including a discussion with Sylvester Stallone about the freshly finalized Jumanji project. Most importantly, Warren Buffett was expected to attend tonight's party.
Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway, was a major shareholder in ABC's parent company, Capital Cities/ABC, and he had a close relationship with Tom Murphy, the current chairman and CEO of Capital Cities/ABC. The two men were aligned when it came to their approach to ABC.
Danerys Entertainment's plan to acquire Capital Cities/ABC hinged on Buffett's support. If the legendary Omaha investor approved the deal, it would essentially be a done deal.
With the Melisandre party now well-established, Sophia no longer had to personally oversee the event, so she didn't accompany Simon to the Sunset Tower Hotel in the city.
As Simon was about to leave, Janet, in her usual fierce manner, told him he didn't need to come back tonight. The three women were planning to have a girls' night and share secrets.
By the time Simon arrived at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, it was 9:30 p.m.
The Oscars had concluded.
As predicted, Forrest Gump had dominated, winning eight of its 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor—outperforming its original timeline's six awards. This was clearly the result of Danerys Entertainment's aggressive PR campaign.
Tom Hanks had made history as the first actor to win back-to-back Best Actor Oscars, solidifying his place in Hollywood history.
In addition to Forrest Gump's haul, Danerys Entertainment also picked up six more Oscars for categories where Forrest Gump hadn't won, such as Best Original Score and Best Documentary Feature.
In total, Danerys took home 14 out of 26 nominations.
A massive success.
After intentionally keeping a low profile the previous year, Danerys Entertainment had once again emerged as the big winner at the Oscars.
And rightfully so.
The previous year had produced an abundance of great films, many of which came from Danerys. After the ceremony, there were even online discussions voicing support for some of the films that hadn't won awards.
When Simon arrived at the party, the first thing he did was congratulate the Forrest Gump team. Soon after, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver approached him. As the star of last year's blockbuster True Lies, Arnold was naturally present at this year's Oscars. Despite their failed negotiations for Jumanji, Arnold was still invited to the Melisandre party.
Simon wasn't one to hold grudges over business deals unless someone crossed a serious line.
Arnold got straight to the point after a quick greeting. "Simon, I heard you're considering Sylvester for that project. Sylvester's a great guy, but he doesn't have a knack for comedy. Maybe we can talk about this again, don't you think?"
Before Simon could respond, Stallone and his girlfriend, Jennifer Flavin, joined them. Stallone greeted everyone warmly and, as if by coincidence, asked, "What are we talking about?"
The two action stars had a long-standing rivalry, and Simon had no intention of letting them clash at his party. He smiled and said, "Oh, nothing much." Then, turning to Arnold, he added, "Sorry, Arnold, but the decision's final. Maybe next time."
With that, Simon gestured to Stallone and nodded to Arnold before walking away.
Having been overshadowed by Arnold for years—and even wronged by him once—Stallone couldn't help but smirk as he glanced at his rival before following Simon.
Hollywood news travels fast.
Arnold had heard earlier that day that Danerys had chosen Stallone for the role. At that moment, he realized that the casting director's mention of a backup option had been no joke, and he began to regret his misstep.
Over the past few years, Arnold had also noticed the growing trend of special effects-heavy films in Hollywood, while traditional muscle-bound action
movies were losing their appeal. He had set his sights on Jumanji from the moment he read the script outline, convinced that the role was perfect for him. That confidence had led him to try and negotiate for more.
Simon's final offer last week had left Arnold on the fence, and he had nearly accepted it.
Arnold was well aware of Danerys' tough negotiating stance.
However, after some persuasion from his agent and his own desire to push a bit further, he rejected the offer, only to see it slip away entirely.
As Simon and Stallone walked off, Arnold couldn't help but feel a flash of anger towards his agent.
And an underlying sense of unease.
Maria Shriver, who had quietly stood by his side throughout the conversation, noticed her husband's shifting mood and whispered, "Arnold, I don't think this is a big deal. Warner Bros. is inviting you to star in Eraser. We're not short on opportunities."
Arnold, who had a big frame but a mind to match, shook his head with a wry smile. "It's not the same, honey."
It was precisely because he had no shortage of offers that Arnold had felt confident enough to negotiate with Danerys. Warner Bros.' Eraser was one of the key projects he had been offered, and they had even matched Danerys' $15 million offer.
However, Eraser was just another traditional action film like the ones Arnold had been starring in for years. He knew that taking on such a role wouldn't push his career forward; it would simply be more of the same. In fact, if the project failed, it could harm his star power. Stallone's recent decline in popularity was largely due to his constant repetition of his on-screen persona, leading audiences to grow tired of him.
Jumanji, on the other hand, was different.
Not only was it a cutting-edge special effects blockbuster, but it also featured roles tailored for action stars like Arnold, with a fresh twist on the usual lone hero concept. It had the potential to captivate audiences in a way that hadn't been seen before.
But now, it seemed that chance had slipped away.
Meanwhile, even though Simon had chosen Stallone, he still believed that Arnold was the better fit.
However, since the decision had been made, Simon wasn't going to change his mind lightly.
This film would be a challenge for Stallone. If successful, it could help him break free from his usual roles. For Simon, it was also an experiment.
Even if it failed, it wouldn't be the end of the world.
Danerys Entertainment could easily absorb the failure of one or two projects.
Especially since this was a co-production.
Simon initiated these projects not out of any desire to help other studios grow but to maintain balance in Hollywood. At his core, he had no interest in fostering the success of rival studios.
Stallone, eager to discuss the project in detail, had sent his girlfriend away and accompanied Simon to the rooftop bar of the Sunset Tower Hotel. As they sat down, the action star earnestly shared his thoughts on the project, and Simon began outlining his own vision.
For Stallone to succeed in Jumanji, the key would be creating a sense of "contrast."
The success of the original film was largely due to its light-hearted, comedic tone. But that didn't mean Stallone would need to resort to slapstick humor—that would be the job of the supporting characters.
In the version with Dwayne Johnson, Johnson's role wasn't particularly comedic either. His success came from the character's contrast: a muscular adventurer with the personality of a nerdy, shy guy. Stallone would need to create a similar contrast while staying true to his own style.
It was similar to what had helped Arnold break into comedy with Twins. In that film, the comedic elements came from Danny DeVito, as well as the stark contrast between the two brothers.
Stallone took the project very seriously, and the two talked for over half an hour. It wasn't until Bryce Levinson came over to say hello that Stallone remembered Simon had other engagements. Otherwise, he would have continued the conversation all night.
After Stallone left, Simon turned his attention to Bryce, who was dressed in a shimmering silver sequined dress, looking like a mermaid. He patted the seat next to him and smiled. "What brings you here?"
Bryce didn't hesitate to sit beside him and pointed toward the bar area. "Don't blame me for interrupting. I was sent over."
Simon glanced in the direction Bryce had indicated but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
However, he quickly understood. She had likely been sent by Grace Spurlock. Grace had mentioned during a phone call over the weekend that she would be coming to the West Coast for the party. It wasn't surprising that Bryce was tagging along, though it was also possible that Bryce had approached Simon on her own. After all, the last time she had crossed paths with Janet in Florida, she had been thoroughly put in her place, and it didn't seem like she had learned her lesson.
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