"Strictly speaking, Jumanji is a CG-heavy visual spectacle, and its success or failure will largely depend on the story and effects. While the creative team is important, they aren't the deciding factor. Whether Schwarzenegger or Stallone plays the lead doesn't make much difference. Terry, I initially leaned towards Arnold simply because the character fit his image. But now that the story has been rewritten, Stallone is the better fit, and the project has already begun preparing around him. I can't switch actors at the last minute."
The private beach on the west side of Point Dume Estate.
It was July 8th, a Saturday.
Simon had returned to the West Coast the evening before, and since there were no work plans for the weekend, Terry Semel had come to visit the estate directly.
The two men were discussing Jumanji and Eraser, two upcoming film projects.
The conversation was sparked by the box-office disaster of Stallone's Judge Dredd the previous week. Disney had invested $90 million into the film, and its domestic box office was only expected to be around $25 million. Adding to the disappointment of Die Hard 3 at the start of the summer, Warner Bros. was starting to have doubts about Stallone, who had already been signed as the lead for Jumanji, and this concern extended to Eraser, another project set to star Schwarzenegger.
The budget for Eraser, scheduled to start filming in September for a release next summer, had been calculated at $100 million.
While a $100 million budget might have been justifiable last year when True Lies performed well at the global box office, the failure of two back-to-back old-school action films had made Hollywood rethink the viability of these muscle-man, world-saving, hero-driven movies.
Concerned about the risks, Warner's executives were now looking for ways to scrap Eraser.
This sort of thing happens frequently in Hollywood.
But aside from the few million dollars already spent on pre-production, the real issue was that Schwarzenegger had signed a pay or play contract, which is common for Hollywood A-listers. In simple terms, once the contract is signed, because the star reserves time for the studio, the studio must pay the actor's full salary whether or not the film is made.
The pay or play clause is meant to address exactly this type of situation, where film projects are often canceled for various reasons.
Schwarzenegger's contract salary was $15 million, and Warner wanted to avoid wasting that money. So they came up with the idea that Simon could revert to the original plan and have Arnold replace Stallone in Jumanji. This would solve two problems at once: Warner could cancel Eraser and avoid the risk of Stallone becoming a box-office poison.
Unlike Warner's pay or play deal with Schwarzenegger, the powerful Daenerys Entertainment didn't sign such agreements with stars—even for a long-term deal with Stallone. If Daenerys wanted to back out, it wouldn't need to pay much compensation. Of course, it would take a slight hit to its reputation, but in Hollywood, that wasn't a big deal.
Seeing Simon's refusal, Terry Semel didn't give up and said, "Simon, as long as you agree, Warner can cover all the additional expenses. I can even release a statement saying that it was our insistence that made you change your mind."
Simon still shook his head. "Don't bring this up again. I'm not replacing Stallone at the last minute. In my opinion, what you should do is figure out how to reduce Eraser's budget."
Terry Semel smiled bitterly. "If I could, don't you think I would have already?"
"It's simple to me. Move the filming location from the U.S. to Australia or Canada, or even Europe. That way, you can get a tax rebate of millions. Then, have a proper conversation with Arnold. If he avoids stunts like Sean Connery holding up the entire crew while he goes golfing with friends, you'll save a few more million. Terry, the reason True Lies worked last year is because Daenerys Entertainment had people closely monitoring it. Otherwise, the budget would've easily exceeded $100 million. As it was, True Lies only cost $90 million."
As Simon mentioned this, Terry Semel couldn't help but think of Waterworld.
$175 million.
That film's budget had ballooned because of concessions to Kevin Costner's demand for a comfortable filming location. They had agreed to film in Hawaii, a renowned tourist destination.
No one could have predicted the issues the tides would cause. Millions of dollars in sets were repeatedly destroyed, delaying production and forcing Warner to throw more and more money at the project. What was supposed to take three months stretched to eight months, and by the time it was done, Waterworld's budget had reached an unprecedented $175 million.
Now, Waterworld was set to release on July 28th, far away from early summer heavyweights like Jurassic Park 2. Warner could only hope the project wouldn't be a complete disaster.
Because of the debacle with Waterworld, Warner was now like a frightened bird, constantly fretting over these two new projects. After all, Waterworld had dragged down Time Warner's stock for over half a year.
The Dow Jones Index, representing the broader market, had risen 26% from July last year to June this year, while Time Warner's stock had only risen 18% during the same period, largely due to Waterworld. The company's market value was only $18.6 billion in a booming market.
Without Waterworld dragging it down, Time Warner's market cap would have easily surpassed $20 billion by now.
The movie business's ripple effect was undeniable. Waterworld was already a sunk cost, but Warner couldn't afford another failure like it.
Since Simon wasn't willing to change his mind, Terry Semel had no choice but to go back and cut Eraser's budget.
There was no way Warner could spend $100 million; they'd have to bring it down to $70 million to meet expectations. Considering next summer's lineup of new films, including the next 007, Mission: Impossible 2, and The Mummy, all of which seemed more promising than Eraser, it was crucial for Warner to proceed carefully. And that wasn't even counting Daenerys' projects.
Daenerys Entertainment had many films in development, from a new Conjuring Universe film to James Cameron's Titanic, Jim Carrey's next project, and Jackie Chan's Rush Hour. While some of these might not be blockbusters, the competition was fierce.
Terry was tempted to ask directly but thought better of it.
That would be too much like prying into trade secrets.
After walking together on the beach, with the summer breeze still pleasantly cool, Terry finally brought up another matter. "Simon, did you meet Jack Welch last week?"
Simon nodded, still a bit confused. "Yes, we played golf on Independence Day. Why?"
Terry hesitated for a moment before saying, "I heard that Welch had dinner with Levin last night."
Jack Welch and Gerald Levin.
General Electric and Time Warner.
Simon's heart skipped a beat.
It seemed like his actions had inadvertently set in motion another potentially monumental event.
If General Electric were to acquire Time Warner, the merger of NBC and Time Warner alone would be a powerful combination. If they could successfully create synergy, General Electric would not only maintain its industrial dominance but also become one of the world's largest media giants, even able to compete with Daenerys Entertainment.
That would truly be two titans standing tall.
If this merger happened, Simon would have to admit that Welch had a sharp eye. Burdened by the Waterworld fiasco, Time Warner's stock price was significantly undervalued. To put it in perspective, Simon would gladly pay $20 billion just for HBO, should Time Warner spin it off.
Not to mention Warner Bros., which had been a cash cow for Time Warner in recent years, largely thanks to the strong performance of its DC film universe.
Everything was turning upside down.
As Simon processed this, Terry Semel waited for a response. After some thought, Simon finally said, "Terry, I wasn't aware of that. But as a friend, my personal advice is that if this is true and there's a chance it could go through, you should be more proactive in getting involved. That way, you'll have more control in the future."
As co-CEO of Time Warner alongside Robert Daly, Terry Semel was effectively second in command, only beneath Chairman Gerald Levin. Simon had always hoped Semel could eventually replace Levin and fully take control of Time Warner.
But plans never keep up with changes.
If General Electric made a bid for Time Warner, Semel would face an additional hurdle in the form of GE as the parent company.
On the other hand, Jack Welch was known for giving his managers considerable autonomy. Without this, it would have been impossible for GE to remain so orderly despite its enormous size.
So if Semel wanted to run Time Warner, he would need to get involved in this acquisition and build relationships with GE early on, ensuring he had a voice in the future company.
Terry had shared this information with Simon hoping for some advice.
Hearing Simon's thoughts, he quickly realized that being actively involved was indeed a much better strategy than resisting the merger.
Given Time Warner's depressed stock price, the company's shareholders and board were very likely to accept an acquisition offer from GE.
After talking for a while longer, Simon saw Terry off and returned
to the Shell Villa, still mulling over the implications of the conversation.
That morning, the family had stayed home, with the women and children playing around in the outdoor pool by the ocean.
As Simon walked through the villa toward the poolside terrace, he saw two girls in swimsuits approaching: Zoe Parks and Chrissy Goff, both with baby faces.
Janet was certainly not indifferent to the recent gossip about Simon.
Her reaction was to bring Chrissy Goff, who was currently in Los Angeles undergoing physical training for Jumanji, to the Point Dume estate this weekend to act as a maid.
Simon thought to himself that perhaps he should stop recommending books like Dream of the Red Chamber to Janet.
Such feudal nonsense.
Clearly, Janet had trained Chrissy well, as the girl showed no signs of resentment or dissatisfaction. In fact, she seemed to be fully embracing her new role.
Simon couldn't help but admire Janet's skills.
If she could turn a pampered, haughty lady into a dutiful servant, handling Chrissy Goff, who was much lower in the pecking order, was child's play.
In fact, many of the women around Simon had been trained and managed by Janet, from the small group of models in training to the Ukrainian girls, and even the extensive teams of personal maids and guards.
Simon didn't have the time or inclination to deal with such matters.
Over the years, Janet had managed everything flawlessly, and no particularly troublesome issues had ever come up.
Zoe and Chrissy greeted Simon politely as he passed, and when he asked what they were up to, they explained that the lady of the house had suddenly developed a craving for coconut juice, and they were off to prepare it.
After stepping aside to let the two girls pass, Simon made his way to the poolside terrace. If it weren't for the careful supervision of the two young children, Melbourne and Nick, splashing around in the pool, the scene could almost be described as scandalous. Janet, Jennifer, and several female attendants were all dressed in swimwear. While Janet was wearing a sexy bikini, Jennifer and the maids had opted for more conservative athletic-style swimsuits. But even those couldn't hide their well-toned bodies.
What's that saying?
Even in a potato sack, a beautiful woman can still make it look like high fashion.
Nothing could be truer.
Simon came up to Janet, bent down to kiss her, and asked, "Where's Ciel?"
Janet, who had been casually flipping through a folder, put the documents aside and smiled. "Isha's with her inside."
Knowing his daughter wasn't interested in sunbathing or swimming, Simon didn't press further. He squeezed into the lounge chair with Janet and glanced at the document she'd been reading. The title was just an acronym: ITER. He had already read it, so he didn't pick it up again.
ITER stood for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.
It was part of something Simon had initiated in Ukraine back in April, which had been quietly progressing ever since.
Among other things, SpaceX had now been officially established.
Compared to Elon Musk's original company, Simon's version of SpaceX was far broader in scope, covering everything from rockets and spacecraft to controlled nuclear fusion and space reactors, and much more.
And SpaceX was just one piece of Simon's larger plan.
The Westeros system's consulting and headhunting teams were still scouring the globe for talent, with the goal of establishing a series of high-end life sciences research labs based out of top U.S. universities. The main focus would be to unravel the mysteries of human life.
The pursuit of immortality was too far-fetched.
Simon was pragmatic.
With his knowledge of biology, he understood that achieving immortality was a slim possibility, at least for the next century.
On a genetic level, humans are like finished products from the moment they're born.
Like a building.
Different materials and construction methods result in different lifespans. A wooden house might last 20 years, while a reinforced concrete structure could stand for 100 years.
The human body, once constructed, has a predetermined lifespan based on its materials and structure. Even with the best care, it's impossible to exceed certain limits.
To change this, you'd have to start with the genetic construction of the embryo—essentially replacing the "wood" with "steel and concrete." But for a fully built "house," all you can do is make repairs and renovations. You can reinforce the structure, but you can't fundamentally change its materials.
As for ITER, the document had been sent to Simon by some Washington insiders after they heard about the formation of SpaceX.
Essentially, they were hoping Simon would become their next financial backer.
ITER was an international project. The very name—International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor—made its purpose clear.
To solve humanity's energy problems, the U.S. President at the time, Ronald Reagan, and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev had agreed on a plan to build a large Tokamak fusion reactor during a summit in 1985. The plan was finalized in the early 1990s.
However, in the following years, the world underwent drastic changes. The Soviet Union collapsed, the Gulf War erupted, and many countries experienced economic downturns. As a result, the ITER project was shelved.
Mostly because it was too expensive.
$5 billion might not seem like much, but that was just the cost of building an oversized Tokamak device.
The Tokamak method of controlled nuclear fusion, proposed by Soviet scientists in the 1950s, had long been a topic of debate in the scientific community. Many scientists believed that Tokamak would ultimately prove to be a dead end, not worth continued investment.
Therefore, $5 billion might be wasted on a doomed project.
For these and other reasons, the plan was shelved.
When word got out that Simon was interested in such things, someone quickly sent him the information. If Westeros, the billionaire, was willing to foot the bill, then all problems would disappear. After all, $5 billion was hardly a big deal for Simon Westeros these days.
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