After lunch, Simon spent the afternoon in meetings for two upcoming films from New World Pictures.
It was Friday, October 18.
Next week marked the start of Daenerys Entertainment's Halloween film season on October 26, with the release of Annabelle, the latest installment in the Conjuring Universe produced by New World Pictures.
The story of Annabelle is based on a 1970 case provided by the paranormal investigators, the Warrens, and revolves around a doll possessed by an evil spirit. The production budget for the film was set at $15 million—far exceeding the $6.5 million budget of the 2014 version from the original timeline, even without accounting for inflation.
In the original timeline, Warner Bros. greenlit Annabelle as a spinoff of The Conjuring only after the 2013 success of the latter. With no concept of a Conjuring Universe back then, Warner kept expectations low, employing a modest budget and hiring a cast and director made up entirely of newcomers. To everyone's surprise, the film became a massive hit, grossing over $200 million worldwide on a $6.5 million budget. It was only after this success that Warner began to seriously develop the Conjuring Universe.
This time around, things were very different.
The Conjuring Universe had already gained traction with two successful series—The Conjuring and The Haunting in Connecticut. With Annabelle, Daenerys Entertainment treated the project with high importance from the start, allocating a $15 million production budget and assembling a more experienced cast and crew.
For instance, the lead role went to Madeleine Stowe.
Although Madeleine Stowe had been in the industry since the 1980s, her career had been relatively quiet despite her acknowledged beauty and acting talent. She had worked with major stars like Kevin Costner, Jack Nicholson, and Daniel Day-Lewis, but what she lacked was the right opportunity. Annabelle, a film heavily reliant on its lead actress, was just such an opportunity.
While horror films rarely elevate actors to A-list status, a successful entry in the Conjuring Universe could help Stowe shed the "pretty face" label and earn more respect and resources in Hollywood.
The role of the lead actress in Annabelle had been hotly contested for these reasons.
The film was completed two months ago, and marketing efforts were already underway. The afternoon meeting focused on finalizing the release strategy for the coming week and discussing post-release promotional plans.
The other major project discussed was American Pie.
The casting for this teen sex comedy had been completed recently. In contrast to the $15 million budget of Annabelle, the first American Pie film was produced on a budget of $10 million. However, being a Daenerys Entertainment project, it still attracted many young actors—or actors pretending to be teenagers—eager to land a role.
Inspired by American Pie, Simon realized it was time to spark another wave of teen films over the next few years.
The last major wave of teen films had occurred during Simon's early years in the 1980s when he launched franchises like Final Destination, The Butterfly Effect, and Scream. By now, these franchises had largely faded from the spotlight. With the rapid rise of blockbuster films in recent years, teen films had fallen into a lull.
American Pie was the perfect opportunity to reignite this trend.
To support this initiative, Simon instructed Daenerys Entertainment to secure long-term contracts with the actors cast in the film. Most of the deals were for three to five films, essentially locking in these new—or pretending-to-be-new—stars for the next decade.
The plan was to use the same cast for multiple projects, including horror films, sex comedies, and parody films. This strategy would create a cohesive brand and make the market more receptive to this ensemble of actors.
In essence, it was akin to the "Brat Pack" approach, where a core group of actors collaborated across various films.
For the actors, this arrangement was also beneficial.
Teen film actors often faced short career spans and high turnover rates. After a few films, many were quickly forgotten by audiences. By establishing a stable ensemble for teen films, Daenerys Entertainment could control costs, maintain continuity for franchises, and provide actors with sustained career opportunities.
As for American Pie, the film was positioned as the flagship of New World Pictures' new wave of teen films, slated for a prime summer release next year. If the reboot achieved success comparable to the original, New World Pictures could once again compete with the major studios in the summer box office race.
The afternoon meeting devoted an hour to Annabelle and the remainder to American Pie and the broader teen film strategy.
Simon's particular interest was in the roster of young talent Daenerys had signed recently.
With Simon's involvement, many of the names were familiar.
Of course, his attention was mainly drawn to the actresses.
The roster included Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Jordana Brewster, whose youthful beauty was striking but fleeting. There were also Reese Witherspoon, Anna Faris, Jennifer Esposito, Shannon Elizabeth, Keri Russell, and even Charlize Theron, who had unexpectedly made her way onto the list.
One film couldn't accommodate all these actresses, but Daenerys' upcoming plans ensured that each of them would have promising opportunities.
Simon even entertained the idea of throwing a party to gather all the girls together for some "entertainment," though he ultimately shelved the thought due to his current lack of energy.
As the meeting wrapped up, Simon brought up The Hangover.
The idea for this project had come to him during a recent trip to New York. To promote the casinos controlled by the Westeros system, Simon planned to set the film in Atlantic City instead of Las Vegas. This would allow him to preemptively film the R-rated comedy that would later become a cultural phenomenon.
However, unlike American Pie or Annabelle, the production schedule for The Hangover had to be pushed to the year after next due to a fully packed slate for next year.
The delay would give the project ample time for creative development.
It would also serve as a vehicle to support the Brat Pack-esque ensemble Simon was cultivating, allowing them to compete with the current crop of comedy stars.
After wrapping up the week's work, Simon headed back to the East Coast the next day.
The four major fashion weeks had concluded, and it was now time for the final rehearsals for the first season of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Simon needed to oversee the preparations personally.
Then, there were personal matters to attend to—namely, women and children.
Things had become... complicated.
Following a decision he'd made last month, the Westeros family was now expecting three more children.
Grace was pregnant with one.
Maria was carrying another.
And lastly, there was Irene Lande, who was also pregnant.
The first two were manageable. It was the last one—Ms. Lande—that was proving troublesome. Simon hadn't exactly planned this one. It had been more of a spur-of-the-moment whim, a risky venture that hit the mark.
Now, he had to deal with the consequences.
This trip was largely about addressing this situation.
Irene often teased Simon, half-joking and half-bitter, with lines like, "You can't marry me anyway," making her intentions clear. But marriage was out of the question. If Simon dared divorce Janet, as she had once ominously put it, the result would be "gutting him like a fish."
No hidden meaning there—Janet meant it quite literally.
Simon had never entertained the idea of divorcing Janet.
After an entire Sunday of discussions with Irene and her family, they finally reached an agreement.
The first matter was custody.
The child would be raised by the Lande family. Though they weren't concerned about money, Simon agreed to pay $1 million per month in child support until the child turned 18. Any unused funds would go into a trust managed by Irene. While $1 million a month might be unaffordable for most billionaires, for Simon, it was a trivial amount.
As always, money wasn't the issue.
The next point of contention was the surname.
Unlike other men who father children out of wedlock and refuse to acknowledge them, Simon insisted the child bear the Westeros surname. The Lande family, however, had their reasons. Irene had mentioned before that her family had no male heirs; it was just her and her sister. If the child—hopefully a boy—could carry the Lande name, it would ensure the family legacy.
After much debate, the Lande family compromised. The child would take the Westeros surname but would include "Lande" as a middle name.
Finally, there was a surprising request Simon hadn't anticipated.
The Lande family wanted the child to be raised in the Jewish faith.
Unbeknownst to many, the Lande family was indeed Jewish.
Simon, who had little sensitivity to religious matters and no entrenched biases, agreed without hesitation. The Lande family's nervous but earnest request was met with a simple, "Sure."
This implicitly acknowledged the child as Jewish.
Simon didn't care.
After a full day of negotiations, with additional discussions about various details, the lawyers prepared over 100 pages of legal documents regarding the child.
While Simon's upbringing as an orphan in a welfare institution made him fundamentally pragmatic, he had no objections to such arrangements. As he had with Janet and their prenuptial agreement, he believed preemptively settling these matters was beneficial for all parties.
That evening, Simon was invited to stay for a party hosted by the Lande family.
As he mingled, Simon noticed many influential Jewish figures from the East Coast business and political spheres in attendance
. It dawned on him that this child might represent more than just a familial matter.
It didn't take much thought to understand why.
The vast Westeros system had grown to wield substantial influence over global politics and economics. Its key industries—Hollywood, fashion, and Wall Street—were domains where Jewish communities had traditionally thrived. Hollywood, in particular, was essentially a Jewish stronghold before Simon's rise.
Despite this, Simon's own ethnic background remained ambiguous to most. Aside from the Johnstons, few knew much about him.
Of course, one thing was clear: Simon Westeros wasn't Black.
(That's a joke.)
In any case, while Simon himself didn't care about ethnicity or religion, others clearly did.
Whether Anglo-Saxon, Jewish, Italian, French, or British, Western societies maintained distinct and tightly knit communities. Even in a world that would appear more integrated a decade or two later, ethnic divisions would remain stark.
These divisions naturally entailed competing interests.
Simon's refusal to disclose his ethnicity left many to assume, perhaps, that the orphaned boy from a welfare institution didn't know himself. In such cases, their hopes turned to his descendants.
But Janet and the two Jennys were unmistakably Anglo-Saxon, as were the children they bore. Sofia's twins, while not Anglo-Saxon, had no Jewish connections either.
If these children were to inherit Simon's empire and dominate industries like Hollywood and fashion, there was no guarantee they'd maintain the current inclusivity toward different ethnic groups.
Simon's indifference toward race and religion was no secret to those around him.
Now, with a child on the way with Irene Lande, the situation had changed.
The Lande family represented the Jewish financial elite in America and was a prominent force in the fashion industry.
If this child, bearing the Westeros name, could someday inherit Simon's legacy, it would ensure that Jewish communities retained significant influence within the Westeros system.
This may well explain why the Lande family ultimately conceded on the surname issue.
Whether the child was named Lande or Westeros carried profoundly different implications for many stakeholders.
At the Lande family's mansion in Manhattan, Irene Lande walked arm-in-arm with Simon, mingling with guests. After chatting briefly with Terry Semel, she led Simon to another part of the room and finally whispered to him, "You've figured it out, haven't you?"
Simon nodded. "Yeah. It seems like I've been played."
Irene frowned and jabbed him lightly. "Get it straight, you jerk. You're the one who got me pregnant. If anyone's been played, it's me!"
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