A call from Jensen came through through a payphone with a burst of static and urgent energy.
"Duke, we've got a situation on set. A real one." Jensen's voice was strained, the usual professional sheen completely gone, replaced by the raw adrenaline of a man trying to contain a live grenade.
"Hopper... he's completely lost it. He camped outside the place where we put the daillies for an hour, demanding Feinstein hand over the film cans. He says he needs to lock himself in a room and 'live with the footage,' and that it will help him feel the film better."
"Feinstein, to his credit, refused. And said that the film was a goddamn mess and needed professional structure, not a psychedelic being on charge. Hopper started screaming about his vision being diluted, about corporate hacks..."
"Feinstein yelled back about professional standards and unprofessional people... I was at lunch and then out of set cause one of the motorcycles stopped working, for God's sake, Duke. I was just getting a goddamn sandwich, trying to get some minutes away from this madness..."
The story tumbled out in a frantic, disjointed narrative. Spielberg, seeing the confrontation escalate from a war of words to a physical standoff, had sprinted to find Jensen.
By the time Jensen had burst back into the editing suite, the situation had detonated.
"...and Feinstein, the poor bastard, just snapped. Hopper got in his face, called him a hack, and Feinstein just grabbed the nearest film can, and threw it at Hopper's head. It missed, thank Christ, smashed into the wall instead. But then they were on each other."
"Not a scuffle. A real, proper fistfight. Shoving, grabbing, wild swings in a room full of millions of dollars of fragile film stock. Peter and Spielberg had to physically pull them apart."
"Hopper is in his trailer right now, threatening to quit. Feinstein is swearing to anyone who will listen that he'll never work with the 'unhinged maniac' again. The whole set is paralyzed."
Duke listened, his expression hardening.
His mind, however, didn't focus on the drama, the insults, or the thrown film can.
"Is the footage damaged?" he asked, his voice dangerously calm, cutting through Jensen's hysteria.
A pause on the other end, as if Jensen was remembering things. "No. No, the cans were sealed. The actual film... it's fine."
"Good," Duke said. "Then the problem is personnel."
He began issuing commands, his tone flat. "Pull Feinstein immediately and pay him his full rate for the entire shooting period. Add a twenty percent bonus for his discretion. Have him sign a comprehensive NDA before he leaves the lot, I don't want a word of this in the trades."
"Duke, he threw a film can at the director!" Jensen protested, still caught in the emotional wake of the event.
"And Hopper provoked an experienced professional to the point of physical violence," Duke countered, he wanted to minimize the attack by Feinstein since he had helped protect the film stock.
"Feinstein's reaction, while unprofessional, is understandable. Hopper's behavior is the root cause, Feinstein is replaceable. Hooper, is not. Let's contain the damage."
He continued, his plan forming with chilling speed. "Spielberg will supervise the film stock now."
He let that sink in for a moment before delivering the part that truly mattered.
"But Jensen, listen to me. This is the most important part. Your next call is to Peter Fonda, tell him to control his man, he wanted Hopper's vision. He guaranteed he could manage him and he has failed."
"He either controls his partner, or I will shut the entire production down and sue them both into oblivion for breach of contract."
The line was silent for a beat, before Jensen let out a sigh. "Clear, Duke."
"Good, handle things." Duke hung up.
He made a note to increase Spielberg's bonus, at least he was earning his keep.
---
In a United California Bank conference room.
Seated across the vast, gleaming table from Senior Vice President Robert Weismann, were Duke and David Chen both dressed in suits.
Weismann, a man whose tailored suit and placid demeanor were his armor, began with the easy victory. "Mr. Hauser, Mr. Chen. The True Grit project is, frankly, a banker's dream. John Wayne, just his name on a contract reduces perceived risk by an order of magnitude."
"Combined with Hal Wallis's proven track record and Paramount's distribution muscle, this is a textbook secure investment. United California is prepared to extend the full line of credit you've requested for the production. It's a pleasure to support what is sure to be a classic."
He smiled, a practiced, professional expression. "Your success with The Graduate has certainly helped paved the way. An Oscar-winning producer and a bestselling author… it's a great combination."
Duke gave a slight, acknowledging nod.
Weismann then turned a page in the thick prospectus Chen had prepared. His smile tightened almost imperceptibly.
"Now, as for the other matter, the proposed acquisition of Marvel Comics."
He let the name hang in the air, "A hostile tender offer is an aggressive strategy. Your prospectus makes a bold case, focusing on the value of the intellectual property."
"Could you walk me through that? The current state of Marvel is not really particularly profitable. How does this acquisition intend to change that?"
This was the moment. Chen opened a supplementary file.
"The current lack of profitability is a feature of their structure, not their assets," Chen began, his voice calm. "The primary constraint is their distribution deal with Independent News, which is owned by their direct competitor, National Periodical Publications DC Comics."
Weismann's eyebrows rose. "A competitor controls their access to the market?"
"Precisely," Duke said, taking the lead.
"It's a chokehold. The contract artificially limits the number of titles Marvel can publish. It's like owning a gold mine but only being allowed to extract one bucket a month."
"The demand for their characters Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Hulk far outstrips their ability to supply it. The first and most immediate lever for profit is to break that constraint."
"And how do you propose to do that, given the contractual obligations?" Weismann asked, leaning forward, his mind engaged by the problem.
"We don't break the contract; we end the relationship upon acquisition and replace the distributor," Duke stated. "We have already identified a superior partner. Charlton Comics."
Chen smoothly interjected, laying out a comparative chart. "Charlton is a smaller, less glamorous company. But they possess one critical asset Marvel lacks: their own, fully owned distribution arm."
"By acquiring Marvel and immediately signing an exclusive distribution deal with Charlton, we accomplish two things. First, we instantly double, potentially triple, Marvel's publishing output, flooding the market with the product readers are demonstrably hungry for. The revenue increase will be immediate and substantial."
"And second?" Weismann prompted, his eyes gleaming with understanding.
"Second," Duke said, a smile touching his lips, "we severely weaken our primary competitor, DC. We strip them of the revenue they earn from distributing Marvel's books."
"Basically, we grow our market share while simultaneously shrinking theirs.."
Weismann sat back, steepling his fingers again, a new respect in his gaze.
"This is… a far more sophisticated approach than I initially anticipated," Weismann admitted.
He stayed quiet for a moment. "The projected revenue increases from licensing, based on your existing success with film and publishing, are… ambitious. But given your track record, not unbelievable."
He went silent again for a long moment, weighing the plan against the cold, hard numbers and the team presenting it.
"Very well," Weismann said finally, his decision made. "The True Grit financing is approved, as discussed. And for the Marvel acquisition…"
He gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Union California is prepared to underwrite a significant portion of the acquisition cost after an investigation on the asset."
The meeting concluded with handshakes and the quiet rustle of papers.
---
Second chapter today.
I went to a Sonic today and man this chain really went downhill after private equity bought it