Chapter 302 — Their Greatest Rival?
Burbank — Dawnlight Headquarters
Sitting inside his office, Aaron set down the newspaper in his hand and laughed softly.
"Jeffrey Katzenberg's hatred toward Disney really runs deep."
Beside him, Don Steel nodded.
"Disney's near-monopoly in animation has generated profits that countless people envy."
"Jeffrey Katzenberg bringing together David Geffen and Steven Spielberg to establish DreamWorks SKG makes the goal pretty obvious."
"Right now, some Disney employees have already started defecting to Katzenberg."
"There's no question that DreamWorks SKG intends to challenge Disney's animation empire."
Aaron tapped lightly on the desk.
"And beyond that, Katzenberg's actions are making Michael Eisner miserable."
"He refuses to acknowledge Katzenberg's brilliance, and he doesn't believe DreamWorks has a future. He hasn't even publicly commented on the company's formation."
After all, Eisner and Katzenberg had known each other for nearly twenty years.
The creation of DreamWorks SKG had awakened an intense competitive instinct inside Eisner. The future battle between Disney and DreamWorks was already beginning to take shape—and it would only grow more vicious over time.
What made things even worse was the deeply personal nature of the conflict.
Eisner harbored an uncontrollable hostility toward Katzenberg and desperately wanted to witness his failure.
Meanwhile, Katzenberg carried the bitterness of someone who believed he had been betrayed and pushed out.
"By the way," Aaron asked, changing the subject slightly, "how are things progressing with Matsushita?"
Don Steel immediately understood what he meant and shook her head.
"No concrete news yet."
"Matsushita's board is still discussing the matter, and our valuation of MCA Universal's assets is still ongoing."
Aaron nodded slowly.
"I'll probably be spending much more time in New York from now on."
"You'll need to keep a close eye on Dawn Studios here."
The Don studio lot in Los Angeles now contained nearly ten soundstages along with complete production facilities and outdoor shooting locations.
Not only could it fully support Dawn's own productions, but it could also lease space to outside film crews.
At this stage, Aaron's main focus was completing Dawn's acquisition of MCA.
Don Steel smiled confidently.
"Don't worry. With Brad Grey and Tom Rothman helping manage operations, Dawn won't have any problems."
Seeing her confidence, Aaron finally relaxed.
Right now, nearly everyone in Hollywood believed DreamWorks SKG would become Disney's greatest enemy—the company that would finally shatter Disney's domination of animation.
And the reason was simple:
Jeffrey Katzenberg's flawless track record at Disney inspired enormous confidence.
But who could possibly imagine that Aaron's quietly hidden ace—Pixar—was about to release the world's first fully 3D computer-animated feature film next year?
Toy Story.
Aaron leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
"When Toy Story finally premieres next year…"
"I really wonder what expressions Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg will have on their faces."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"DreamWorks SKG…"
"Are they really Disney's greatest rival?"
As newspapers continued speculating about the health of Michael Eisner, concerns over Disney's leadership caused significant fluctuations in The Walt Disney Company's stock price.
At the moment, Eisner held every major position within Disney—Chairman, CEO, and President—all concentrated in his hands.
Under those circumstances, the issue of succession had become impossible to ignore.
The problem was that none of Eisner's chosen executives truly satisfied investors.
Peter Schneider, head of Disney Animation; Joe Roth, head of Disney's film division; and Rich Frank, who oversaw Disney Television and Home Entertainment, all failed to inspire confidence.
In order to calm shareholders, Eisner once again began lobbying his longtime friend and childhood neighbor, Michael Ovitz, the chairman of Creative Artists Agency.
---
Inside a Japanese restaurant in Beverly Hills, Michael Eisner and Michael Ovitz sat across from one another.
"There's still no guarantee that Seagram will successfully acquire MCA Universal," Eisner said.
"And don't forget—Aaron Anderson's Dawnlight is the hottest name in Hollywood right now."
"Even if Seagram eventually buys MCA Universal, what then?"
"You'll just end up taking orders from the cold-blooded, unpredictable members of the Bronfman family."
Eisner had repeatedly invited Ovitz to join Disney and help him run the company.
But at the moment, Ovitz's entire focus was on helping Seagram acquire MCA so the Bronfman family would fulfill the promises they had made to him.
Ovitz merely smiled and clinked glasses with him.
"My main priority right now is the MCA acquisition."
"After all, I'm still Matsushita's transaction advisor."
"I honestly don't have time to think about anything else."
"And I still have CAA to manage."
Truthfully, Ovitz was somewhat unsettled by Dawnlight's sudden involvement.
If Seagram acquired MCA Universal, he would instantly rise to become the head of one of Hollywood's six major studios.
But if Dawn succeeded instead, the situation would have nothing to do with him.
Aaron Anderson's reputation alone was enough to overshadow anyone else.
Besides, despite Eisner's repeated attempts to recruit him, there had never been much sincerity behind the offers.
Every conversation ended without real progress.
Compared to the promises made by Edgar Bronfman Jr., Disney's terms simply weren't attractive enough.
Eisner took a sip of sake and shrugged.
He had no intention of allowing Michael Ovitz to become another Jeffrey Katzenberg.
There was no way he would hand Ovitz too much real power.
At this point, however, Eisner wasn't as anxious as before.
Dawnlight's involvement had become a major variable in Seagram's acquisition attempt.
In a sense, Aaron Anderson's participation had actually done him a favor.
---
That evening, inside a nightclub in West Hollywood, Aaron held Jennifer Aniston close as they swayed together on the dance floor.
Their heated kisses mixed with the pulsing music and flashing lights.
"Annie," Aaron murmured near her ear, "Friends Season 1 has already aired three episodes."
"The reviews are excellent, and the ratings keep climbing."
Jennifer pressed herself against him, visibly surprised.
"You're actually keeping track of it?"
Aaron laughed softly, his hand sliding around her waist.
"Of course I am."
"I told you before—I've always believed this sitcom would be a huge success."
"And NBC has already renewed it for a second season."
"Once Season 1 finishes airing, Friends is definitely going to explode in popularity."
Jennifer nodded.
"Before the premiere last month, the studio flew the entire cast to Las Vegas for team-building."
"One of the producers even told us this was probably the last time the six of us would ever appear in public as ordinary people."
"After this, we'd all become stars."
At present, Jennifer Aniston and the other five cast members had signed contracts paying them $22,500 per episode for Season 1.
With twenty-five episodes in the season, each actor would earn roughly $560,000 total.
Aaron leaned close and blew softly against her ear.
"You looked absolutely stunning in the first episode."
"That wedding dress entrance…"
"Soon enough, the name Rachel Green is going to be known everywhere."
Jennifer kissed him again on the cheek, smiling sweetly.
"As long as you liked it."