Since Simon didn't intentionally lowball the budget and had proposed a reasonable figure, Jerry Bruckheimer had no issues and quickly agreed. Simon then turned to Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan also nodded. "I'm fine with it too."
In truth, the chairman of Westinghouse felt the budget was a bit low. Half of $70 million was only $35 million, which seemed like small potatoes. However, he knew that things had to be taken step by step.
Regardless, securing a blockbuster project directly from Simon Westerov today would give him a strong position when facing the Westinghouse board. Those people had always been critical of his transformation strategy.
"Good, that settles it," Simon said, then turned back to Bruckheimer. "As for the script, it needs some changes. Specifically, the character of Edward Lyle, who's been evading U.S. surveillance for years—his setup feels a bit forced. I'd like to replace him with a young tech genius."
Pausing for a moment, Simon had another flash of inspiration. "Better yet, make it a young woman. Let's say her parents were scientists working for a secret federal agency, killed while trying to expose an illegal surveillance network. The woman, also in the know, gets caught up in the fallout and has to go on the run, seeking revenge. She stumbles upon the male protagonist's predicament and reaches out to him."
After Simon finished, Michael Jordan was the first to chime in. "That's good. Harrison paired with a young woman—yes, that's good."
As for why it was good, Michael Jordan, not being a filmmaker, couldn't quite articulate it. He awkwardly repeated his praise twice.
Jerry Bruckheimer also agreed.
This setup was far more exciting than two older men being chased by federal agents. "It's a great change. Plus, I think it sets up potential for a sequel, especially with the woman taking on Edward's role. Simon, do you have any actresses in mind?"
"Not yet. Let's get the script sorted first," Simon said, then wrapped up the discussion. "Let's leave it at that for today. We'll schedule a formal meeting next week to hash out the details."
Both men nodded.
With the main business concluded, the rest was casual. Simon had other plans and intended to leave after some light mingling.
Most of the party guests were hoping to get closer to Simon, but a few had deeper intentions. After discussing the Nasdaq situation and LinkedIn's operations with Michael Ovitz, the CAA head casually remarked, "Simon, wouldn't it be in Daenerys Entertainment's best interest to let the Japanese continue running Columbia, just like with Disney?"
When Vivendi acquired Disney, the domestic backlash was even stronger than when the Japanese bought Columbia. However, the deal still passed Washington's scrutiny, largely due to the Westeros system's influence.
From nations to individuals, favoritism is innate.
With other studios under foreign ownership, Daenerys Entertainment naturally received more government favor.
Given Ovitz's intelligence-gathering skills, it was no secret to him that Daenerys Entertainment had actively pushed Disney into foreign hands.
Simon didn't deny it, smiling as he replied, "That's true. But, Mike, the thing is, nothing stays the same forever. The constant coming and going is the norm in Hollywood. Rather than futilely resisting this inevitable trend, I prefer to guide it in a direction that benefits us. There's a Chinese saying for this: 'It's better to divert than to block.'"
Simon even deliberately switched to Chinese for the last four words.
Coming and going was indeed the essence of Hollywood. Even seemingly permanent studios like Warner Bros. and Paramount had changed hands countless times over the past century, with only their logos remaining. Since the 1980s, this turnover had accelerated and would continue for years to come.
Since this was an inevitable industry trend, Simon's goal was to ensure that this coming and going aligned with Daenerys Entertainment's interests—or, in other words, to keep the turnover ongoing.
Chaos meant instability, which meant no steady growth.
Take this situation, for example.
In the upcoming year of 1998, the Asian financial crisis would hit Japan, making Sony most vulnerable to letting go of Columbia. This was the perfect time to push Westinghouse to buy back the studio. Missing this opportunity could mean Sony might dig its roots deep into Hollywood, something Simon didn't want to see.
Similarly, Westinghouse itself was also a target for Simon.
Both Westinghouse and the recommended acquisition of Columbia Pictures would become messy—very messy.
Combined with his memories of the original timeline, it was almost certain that Michael Jordan, after completing what would later be mocked as his "General Electric corporate espionage" mission—selling off Westinghouse's core businesses and dabbling in media assets—would fail miserably. The result would be more turnover.
More chaos, more instability.
While everyone else was in turmoil, the stable Daenerys Entertainment would only grow stronger.
After hearing Simon's explanation, Michael Ovitz simply smiled and didn't press further. He even said, "Maybe I should take some time to learn Chinese."
"Not a bad idea."
Simon raised his glass to Ovitz, then turned to Amy Adams and Jessica Chastain, who had been peeking at him from a distance for a while.
Seeing Simon look their way, the two women quickly approached.
Michael Ovitz tactfully excused himself.
As the women stepped forward, Simon smiled. "You've been eyeing me for a while. What's up?"
Both women felt a bit embarrassed. They had been looking for an opportunity but hadn't found one, mainly because they felt out of place among the big names and were even more intimidated by Simon Westerov. Now, feeling the warmth of Simon's smile, they relaxed.
Jessica spoke first. "Mr. Westerov, we just wanted to thank you."
"Oh?"
"For choosing us to be in Paranormal Activity."
"No need for that."
Simon then studied Jessica, suddenly struck by an idea related to the Enemy of the State project he had just discussed with Bruckheimer.
The young female character they had envisioned—Jessica seemed perfect for it.
In the original timeline, Jessica Chastain frequently portrayed strong, independent leaders or powerful women, such as the determined CIA agent in Zero Dark Thirty or the capable spacecraft commander in The Martian. What Simon needed now was a resilient woman who could stand toe-to-toe with Harrison Ford emotionally, not a Bond girl-style decorative vase.
Jessica noticed Simon's sudden scrutiny and felt her heart race. She instinctively tensed, then forced herself to relax and meet his gaze. "Mr. Westerov, is there something wrong?"
"Just thinking about something," Simon said, snapping out of it. He then took a moment to appreciate the two women from a more personal perspective and smiled. "Also, you both look stunning tonight."
The two women fit Simon's preferred type of Hollywood actress.
With a base score of 70 to 80, they could easily reach an 80-plus with some careful styling.
Faced with Simon's sudden compliment, Jessica pretended to be shy, while Amy also seemed flustered, her eyes darting around.
Unfortunately.
There were too many people around.
Otherwise, this might have been the perfect opportunity to, well, follow Lena's advice.
Simon didn't bother with a slow buildup, mainly because he didn't have the time. He got straight to the point. "I'm flying to Mexico for the weekend. A new estate just finished construction at the southern tip of Baja California. Would you like to join me?"
Amy's mouth fell open.
Jessica didn't hesitate, subtly grabbing Amy's arm to stop her from saying something foolish, and replied directly, "Sure."
"Then let's go."
Amy finally snapped out of it, her eyes widening. "Simon, right... now?"
Simon checked his watch. "It's 8 p.m. now. We'll take off from LAX and be there in an hour and a half."
Jessica remembered something. "Simon, do we need visas for Mexico?"
Simon thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not sure. But it's nighttime, and it's dark. I can easily sneak you across the border."
"..."
The two women didn't know how to respond to the joke but quickly realized that this was Simon Westerov. Taking two people through customs on short notice was nothing to him.
Seeing their realization, Simon smiled. "Alright then. I'll go say goodbye to Mike first."
Amy, still cautious, called out to Simon. "What about our passports? Shouldn't we bring them?"
Simon was accommodating. "Sure. Where do you live? We can stop by on the way."
Amy shook her head. "They're not with us. Since we might be promoting Paranormal Activity overseas soon, our assistant took them to handle some paperwork."
"Then have her bring them to the international airport. Give her a call," Simon said, pointing outside the villa. "Wait for me in the front yard."
As Simon walked away, Amy and Jessica headed outside, pulling out their phones to call Lena.
About half an hour later.
At an entrance to Los Angeles International Airport, Lena Kane, who had rushed over after getting the call, noticed one of two black cars roll down its window. Jessica waved her over.
Approaching the car, Lena handed over two passports while excitedly saying, "You guys are really—"
She stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the man sitting between the two women in the backseat. Flustered, she quickly put on her most polite smile and leaned down to wave through the window. "Good evening, Mr. Westerov."
Simon hadn't paid much attention, but noticing the girl's resemblance to Selena Gomez, he felt a spark of interest. "Do you have Latin heritage?"
"Yes," Lena quickly nodded, thrilled to have a chance to chat with the mogul. She handed the passports to Jessica and added, "About one-eighth. My grandmother was from Mexico."
"Ah, we're heading to your grandmother's homeland for the weekend. Want to come along and see it?"
"Uh..."
Caught off guard, Lena had no idea how to respond.
Then she saw the man reach over and open the car door. "Get in."
"I, uh..." Lena stammered, but her body moved quickly, squeezing into the car. Jessica and Amy rolled their eyes as Lena continued, "I didn't bring my passport."
Simon chuckled. "Even better. I'll sneak you across."
The bodyguard in the front seat had already stepped out and gestured for Lena to move further in. She climbed over Jessica, her petite frame barely over five feet tall, and ended up sitting on Simon's lap. She feigned embarrassment. "Sorry, Mr. Westerov. It's a bit cramped."
Jessica: "..."
Amy: "..."
It seemed their round-faced assistant's pre-party pep talk hadn't been just hot air.
Impressive.
Simon, feeling a small hand that had initially rested on his thigh now creeping up to his shoulder, was also speechless.
He had thought he'd caught a Selena Gomez lookalike, only to realize she was more of a wildcat.
A very wild one.
The car door closed, and they soon arrived at a runway inside the airport, where a Boeing 767 was waiting.
The three women followed Simon out of the car, gazing at the private jet under the airport lights, feeling a sense of unreality.
At the foot of the stairs, Simon pointed to two female guards nearby and said, "I'll wait for you upstairs."
He then climbed the stairs.
One of the guards stepped forward, politely stopping the three women. "Ladies, if you have any prohibited items, please let us hold onto them for now."
Seeing the other guard holding a metal detector, the women knew this was a security check and cooperated fully. As she raised her arms for the scan, Amy waved her handbag. "Do keys count?"
"Keys are fine."
The guard who had spoken earlier apologized and began carefully searching their bags.
A few minutes later, after Jessica's two-inch keychain knife was confiscated, the three women finally boarded the plane. They were led to a lounge in the midsection and seated, but Simon was nowhere to be seen. Lena asked the attendant, who didn't answer, only instructing them to fasten their seatbelts as the plane was about to take off.
Once the attendant left, the three women, now strapped into their seats, exchanged glances. Lena was the first to laugh, her round face flushed with excitement. She muttered, "Well, this is perfect. We're trapped here, Jessica's self-defense weapon is gone, and Simon can do whatever he wants with us."
Jessica was speechless.
She had been mortified earlier when the guard confiscated her tiny knife, which she used for opening packages or trimming nails. It was less than two inches long, shorter than her pinky finger, but the guard had treated it like a Damascus sword, even giving her a look as if she were a terrorist. Was it really that serious?
Amy, seeing their round-faced assistant's faux pitiful expression and obvious excitement, could only roll her eyes.
This one was a real vixen.
No comparison.
She even started to regret insisting on bringing their passports. Wouldn't sneaking across the border have been better?
Instead, they'd ended up with this wildcard.
Amy had initially thought Lena's pre-party advice was just to encourage them, like how people often spout grand philosophies they themselves don't follow.
Now, however, she was certain that Lena would not only follow through but might even steal the spotlight from her and Jessica.
What kind of mess was this?
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