Los Angeles, Daenerys Studios.
A-girl (Assistant) held a folder in her arms and glanced at her wristwatch as she walked toward her boss, who had just finished a meeting with Pixar's management team.
"You have one year left, John. Get a revised plan ready as soon as possible. I expect to see it right after New Year's," Simon said coldly as he strode out.
John Lasseter, who had just endured a stern reprimand, slightly lowered his head as he followed Simon. "I promise, Simon, I'll get it done as soon as possible."
Simon didn't break stride as he turned to A-girl and asked, "What's next?"
"The screening of The Frighteners. Everyone's already waiting," A-girl replied.
Simon nodded and quickened his pace. A-girl hurriedly followed.
Since returning from the East Coast, Simon had spent the past few days reviewing Daenerys Entertainment's film projects for the next couple of years. His earlier meeting with the Pixar team had focused on A Bug's Life, a 3D animated film scheduled for release at the end of the following year.
Compared to Toy Story and Finding Nemo, A Bug's Life was one of Pixar's less successful films in terms of both critical acclaim and box office performance.
The reasons were numerous.
In Simon's view, the primary issue was the storyline's emphasis on the romantic subplot between the two ants, Flik and Princess Atta. The narrative focused on Flik's love-driven rebellion against the grasshopper gang, culminating in the couple's union. This theme skewed too adult and lacked the broad appeal needed for all-age audiences. Additionally, since it wasn't a live-action "prince and princess" fairy tale, it was harder for audiences to connect emotionally. These seemingly minor flaws significantly contributed to A Bug's Life being a weak link in Pixar's portfolio.
By contrast, other Pixar films were anchored by universally relatable themes. Toy Story focused on friendship—perfect for all ages. The box office-breaking Finding Nemo centered on family bonds, which resonated even more widely. Even The Lion King, transformed into 3D animation thanks to Simon's interference, emphasized the theme of personal growth, maintaining its all-age appeal despite its Hamlet-inspired revenge story.
The logic was simple: as long as the quality was ensured, films with broader audience appeal would naturally perform better at the box office.
Simon had flagged this issue when A Bug's Life entered production, but Pixar's team had clearly not fully adhered to his guidance. Success breeds complacency, and even the most disciplined creators can become overconfident. During the meeting, Simon had uncharacteristically lost his temper and issued a directive: Pixar must revise the film to tone down the romance between Flik and Princess Atta, shifting the focus to friendship instead. He also suggested enhancing the role of the circus bug troupe, making them more endearing and merchandise-friendly.
Leaving Pixar's headquarters, Simon returned to a screening room in the administrative wing of Daenerys Studios. The director of The Frighteners, Peter Jackson, along with lead actors Ben Stiller and Mia Sara, were already present, as were Danny Morris and several New World Pictures executives responsible for the film's distribution.
After a brief exchange of greetings, everyone took their seats.
Simon headed to the middle of the second row, the spot with the best view. A-girl handed him a briefing document as he sat down. Just as Simon began skimming through it, he caught a faint, unfamiliar perfume scent from his right. Turning his head, he saw Mia Sara, the female lead of The Frighteners, sitting next to him. The actress, whose refined beauty exuded an elegance reminiscent of Hong Kong's golden-era actresses, looked slightly nervous as she asked, "Mr. Westeros, is it alright if I sit here?"
Simon merely nodded slightly before returning his focus to the document, which outlined key details about the film.
Moments later, the lights dimmed, and the screen lit up.
The original draft of The Frighteners, written by Peter Jackson, told the story of Frank Bannister, a man who gains the ability to communicate with ghosts and partners with them in a scam business. Things take a dark turn when he encounters a malevolent spirit responsible for a string of murders.
Simon had found the initial script deeply flawed.
Western ghost films often suffer from a significant drawback: they lack a cohesive and convincing framework for humans to combat supernatural entities. As a result, many protagonists in these films defeat ghosts through coincidences, ill-defined rules, or even love-induced redemption—all of which come across as contrived.
For example, in the original draft of The Frighteners, the protagonist defeats the villainous ghost using ghostly machine guns conjured by a deceased sheriff. Absurd.
In contrast, Eastern ghost films, particularly Hong Kong productions, have a well-established arsenal of tools and rituals: glutinous rice, cinnabar ink, talismans, black dog blood, donkey hooves, and so on.
For Daenerys Entertainment's The Conjuring cinematic universe, Simon had personally overseen the development of a more Westernized but equally systematic approach to dealing with ghosts, which had proven highly effective. For The Frighteners, Simon had given Jackson a copy of the Hong Kong classic Mr. Vampire, urging him to draw inspiration and overhaul the script. The result was a completely different story—one that was far more cohesive and commercially viable.
Peter Jackson's willingness to listen and adapt was one of his greatest strengths. Unlike many auteurs with rigid creative visions, Jackson had no qualms about taking investor feedback seriously. He removed numerous extraneous subplots from the original script and incorporated several ideas from Mr. Vampire. The final script was streamlined and effective.
On the big screen:
The film opens with a comedic sequence in a haunted castle. The owner hires Frank Bannister, a supposed paranormal expert, to exorcise the ghosts.
Frank, played by Ben Stiller, enters the scene with a hilariously inept air, fumbling through an obviously staged "ghost hunt." Stiller's innate comedic timing, honed during his Saturday Night Live days, immediately sets the tone. Compared to Michael J. Fox, who had played the lead in the original version, Stiller's natural awkwardness and humor make him a better fit for the role.
The sequence ends with Frank declaring the house ghost-free, collecting his fee, and leaving the castle.
As Frank drives away, two ghosts—one appearing from the backseat, the other from underneath the car—materialize. Initially alarming, the ghosts quickly reveal themselves as Frank's partners-in-crime, jokingly chiding him as they count their ill-gotten earnings.
This amusing opening establishes the characters and their dynamic: Frank is a con artist with genuine paranormal abilities, and his ghostly "accomplices" aid him in staging fake hauntings.
As the trio discusses how to spend their latest windfall, the mood shifts. A shadowy figure emerges from a nearby car, leaping across the road and disappearing back toward the castle. Frank's car then crashes into a tree.
The screen fades to black, displaying the title The Frighteners and rolling the opening credits.
In just five minutes, the film sets up its premise, characters, and tone, blending humor and the supernatural seamlessly. Simon was particularly pleased with the visual effects.
In the original version, the ghost effects were amateurish and cheap. This time, Daenerys Special Effects' Australian division delivered stunning visuals: the ghosts appeared ethereal and translucent, as if they could dissipate with a gust of wind—convincingly capturing the essence of a post-mortal spirit.
The polished effects, combined with Jackson's deft use of them, reassured Simon that Jackson was fully capable of handling The Lord of the Rings.
Simon's thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice beside him: "Mr. Westeros, I've been meaning to thank you personally for giving me this opportunity."
It was Mia Sara, taking advantage of the opening credits to speak.
Simon, pulled from his musings, responded with a curt "Mm" and gestured toward the screen, signaling her to focus on the film.
She fell silent.
The main story began with a funeral. The deceased was a small-town museum employee. Although Frank wasn't responsible for the man's death, his paranormal abilities made him curious. At the funeral, he met the man's daughter, Lucy—played by Mia Sara.
It was love at first sight.
To get closer to Lucy, Frank introduced himself and suggested her father's death might not have been a heart attack but the work of a malevolent spirit.
Unsurprisingly, Lucy dismissed his claims as nonsense, developing a negative impression of him.
Determined to win her over, Frank began investigating the case. His ghostly companions provided comic relief as they advised him on both the mystery and his romantic pursuits.
Meanwhile, similar deaths began occurring across town, each attributed to sudden heart attacks.
As the story unfolded, Lucy eventually came to believe in ghosts and joined Frank in uncovering the truth. However, Frank's frequent presence at crime scenes made him a suspect in the eyes of the local sheriff. At the same time, the malevolent spirit targeted Frank to thwart his investigation.
The plot reached a climax in the town's police station, where a chaotic battle between the living and the dead unfolded.
In the end, the investigation led back to the castle from the opening scene. The real villain was revealed to be the castle owner's daughter, Barbara, who had died years ago but was resurrected through dark magic. To maintain her undead existence, she had been killing and harvesting souls as offerings to sustain herself.
The final showdown was a visually spectacular battle, with justice prevailing and Frank and
Lucy becoming a couple.
When the film ended, the group moved to an adjacent conference room for discussion. A-girl discreetly led Mia Sara away, and everyone else acted as if nothing had happened.
Unlike the earlier frustration with A Bug's Life, Simon was largely satisfied with The Frighteners. He suggested minor tweaks to the soundtrack and discussed release strategies with New World Pictures for the upcoming Easter season. Then he turned his attention to Peter Jackson and Ben Stiller.
Both were rising stars under Daenerys Entertainment.
For Peter Jackson, it had been eight years since he worked as an assistant director on Batman Begins. Simon now believed Jackson was ready to helm The Lord of the Rings.
Given Daenerys Entertainment's packed schedules for 1997 and 1998, the earliest The Lord of the Rings could be released was the end of 1999. Jackson would have three years to bring the Middle-earth trilogy to life.
The plan was still to film all three movies back-to-back. Considering the monumental workload involved, three years wasn't long.
As for Ben Stiller, a former member of the "Frat Pack," he had received significant backing from Simon. In just the second half of this year, Stiller had worked on two Daenerys projects: The Frighteners and his directorial effort, The Cable Guy, starring Jim Carrey.
Next, Simon planned to cast Stiller in The Hangover, a film intended to promote Atlantic City.
If The Hangover succeeded—even if it didn't replicate its original success but simply crossed $100 million domestically—it would solidify the Frat Pack as a formidable force, rivaling Hollywood's older generation of comedic stars.
That said, Simon didn't plan on working with the Frat Pack long-term. Over time, their value-for-money ratio would decrease. While their films would reliably generate box office revenue, most profits would be consumed by the cast and crew, leaving studios with meager returns. This ran counter to Simon's business philosophy.
After wrapping up discussions with the two men, it was already the end of the workday.
Peter Jackson and Ben Stiller left first. Simon then spent another hour with Danny Morris, reviewing New World Pictures' upcoming film development slate for the next two years.
If this year had been a period of transition, Daenerys Entertainment would go full throttle starting next year, leaving little room for other Hollywood studios. The ultimate goal was to consolidate Hollywood's major studios, establishing Daenerys Entertainment as the undisputed, near-monopolistic leader of the industry.
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