As Chris Lee mentally deconstructed the success factors behind Taken for future reference, he didn't ignore his boss's question for long. He soon replied, "John, if you think it's necessary, I can reach out to our contacts in Asia soon."
John Calley asked, "Can't we just sign Jackie Chan or Jet Li directly?"
"Jet Li has a three-film contract with Daenerys, so we won't have a chance until he fulfills that," Chris Lee explained, then paused and added, "As for Jackie, we could try. But after last year's Rush Hour, his asking price is now on par with Hollywood's top-tier actors. Last year, when we tried to bid for Police Story 4, Disney won by offering a significant amount. Even if we're willing to pay, Jackie's schedule is packed; Rush Hour 2 begins filming later this year."
After weighing his options, John Calley decided, "In that case, it's better to start by reaching out to Asia."
Chris Lee nodded.
In truth, he didn't hold out much hope.
Under the dominance of Daenerys Entertainment, the current Hollywood landscape had shifted. The issue wasn't just whether other studios could produce good movies; the playing field itself had changed.
Take Taken as an example. With a production budget of $25 million, the marketing spend would normally be around $10 million. However, given the recent omnipresence of the film's promotion across networks, TV, print media, and online platforms, it was clear that this level of visibility wasn't achievable with just a $10 million marketing budget.
So why was it possible?
Because Daenerys Entertainment owned ABC and numerous cable channels.
Because the Westeros system controlled Egret, the largest online platform.
Because Simon Westeros had excellent relationships with the family dynasties behind The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and other major newspapers.
As a result, when a Daenerys Entertainment film was released, these media platforms would naturally give it ample exposure without needing much prompting.
Moreover, thanks to Daenerys Entertainment's track record of blockbuster hits, coupled with the studio's strategic pressure, major theater chains in North America and overseas also prioritized Daenerys films. They offered better screen allocations, prime time slots, and even engaged in their own marketing to boost ticket sales.
This systemic advantage inherently made Daenerys films more likely to achieve higher box office returns.
The advantage extended beyond theaters. In the home video market, Daenerys controlled Blockbuster, the largest global video rental chain. Egret's Amazon e-commerce platform had also seen exponential growth in video sales in recent years.
Television followed the same pattern.
Together, these resources formed an invisible wall, creating a "the strong get stronger" dynamic for Daenerys Entertainment. Meanwhile, other studios, the "weak," grew weaker.
For the weaker studios, the outcome was often elimination.
Sony Pictures, despite ousting Peter Guber and Jon Peters, had been in a continuous state of financial losses in recent years. Rumors of Sony's potential exit from Hollywood circulated frequently.
As an insider, Chris Lee saw the situation more clearly.
In the past few years, a favorable global economy had allowed Sony to hold on. But now, with the bursting of the tech bubble, Sony's core businesses were inevitably impacted. On top of that, Tinkerbell Electronics' products like the iPlayer and iCam were eroding Sony's traditional markets in players and cameras. Internet-driven music piracy was also causing the rapid decline of Sony's record label business. Unless a miracle occurred, the Japanese conglomerate would likely have no choice but to abandon its movie division this time.
At 67, John Calley could retire comfortably if Sony exited Hollywood and he lost his job. Chris Lee, on the other hand, was only 41, in the prime of his career, with many years still ahead of him.
As such, following the failure of The Devil's Own, Chris Lee had started to focus on his own future.
After the two Sony executives concluded their discussion at the VIP screening room, it was already evening when they left the theater.
That night, after dinner with his family, Chris Lee headed out again, driving to the Bel Air mansion of WMA chairman Jonathan Friedman.
It was a cocktail party, one of the many that Hollywood's major talent agencies frequently hosted to facilitate networking between filmmakers and studio executives, fostering collaborations.
Friedman's sprawling mansion overlooked the glittering Los Angeles skyline. The party was relaxed and elegant, accompanied only by occasional soft piano music played by guests.
Looking around, the backyard was filled with Hollywood heavyweights: Sylvester Stallone, Roland Emmerich, Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman, Will Smith, Michael Bay, Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino... all big names.
For Chris Lee, these were invaluable networking opportunities.
Like a diligent farmer tending his fields, Lee made sure to greet everyone, one by one, until he bumped into Alec Baldwin, one of the Baldwin brothers, and exchanged a few words. It was then that Baldwin let slip that Simon Westeros was also present, having arrived just a few minutes earlier. Lee's excitement surged.
If he lost his current position within the next two years, Chris Lee's most likely career path would be as an independent producer for a while.
And in today's Hollywood, the best partner for a producer was undoubtedly Daenerys Entertainment.
After a few more quiet inquiries, Lee learned that Simon was on the second-floor terrace. He didn't rush to approach him immediately but continued to mingle, ensuring he maximized his interactions with other guests. He even lingered by the poolside piano, listening to Al Pacino play a piece, before finally heading toward the staircase leading to the terrace.
There, he happened to run into John Woo and another familiar face: Chow Yun-fat. Recognizing both men, Lee greeted them warmly: "Hello, Mr. Woo, it's great to see you. And you must be Mr. Chow, from A Better Tomorrow."
Chow Yun-fat, who was in the U.S. for some post-production voice work on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, nodded politely. "Hello. And you are?"
"I'm Chris Lee, currently the president of Columbia Pictures," Lee replied, pulling out his business card and handing one to each of them.
John Woo, initially reserved, brightened upon hearing Lee's introduction. He accepted the card and extended a handshake.
As they exchanged pleasantries, Lee took the opportunity to probe. "Mr. Woo, I've seen Broken Arrow and Mission: Impossible 2, oh, and of course, A Better Tomorrow. With Chinese martial arts being so popular in Hollywood lately, have you or Mr. Chow considered new projects? Perhaps we could collaborate?"
The two men exchanged a glance. Woo replied, "I just wrapped up Face/Off and don't have any immediate plans. Mr. Chow is in a similar position. But as for new ideas, I'm sorry, we don't have any at the moment."
"That's no problem," Lee pressed on. "Perhaps we could brainstorm together sometime. I'm sure we could come up with something great. How about tomorrow?"
Woo gave Chow Yun-fat a subtle signal before responding, "I'm sorry, Chris, both of us are tied up tomorrow."
"That's fine. Could I at least get your contact information? We can start with a phone call."
This time, Woo didn't refuse, though Chow Yun-fat mentioned that he'd be heading to New York on Monday for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's post-production and wouldn't be staying in Los Angeles. He entrusted Woo to handle any further discussions.
Feeling he had made progress, Lee was pleased with the interaction and watched the two men walk off before ascending the staircase to the terrace.
The moment he stepped onto the second-floor terrace, Lee immediately spotted his target.
Simon Westeros was lounging on a long sofa near the railing, flanked by four women. On his left were the two Species actresses, and on his right sat an Asian woman and Mia Sara, the lead actress from The Frighteners.
Lee recognized the three women but took a second glance at the Asian woman, realizing she was the same actress who had played Jet Li's kidnapped sister in Taken. Even though Eastern and Western aesthetics differ, the actress's beauty had caught his attention during the afternoon screening.
She was truly stunning.
Seeing her here now, Lee felt a sense of inevitability.
Of course, Simon Westeros wouldn't miss such a beauty.
Or perhaps, she had been handpicked by Simon in the first place.
In addition to Simon and his companions, several others were seated nearby: Jonathan Friedman, the host; and key figures from Taken and The Frighteners, including Jet Li, Ben Stiller, Doug Liman, and Peter Jackson.
It seemed like a casual celebration of their recent successes.
Spotting Lee, the group turned to look at him.
Friedman, nearest to the staircase and recognizing Lee, stood up to greet him with a handshake. Before anyone else could rise, Friedman gestured for Lee to sit in an empty seat nearby.
The terrace, a spacious 1,000 square feet, was arranged with six sofa sets in a semi-circle around an oval coffee table, providing ample room for a dozen or so guests to hold a casual gathering.
Once seated, Friedman introduced Lee to the group. Lee, though eager to exchange business cards with the likes of Jet Li, Doug Liman, and Peter Jackson, restrained himself for now, knowing there would be opportunities later.
Simon, aware of Sony Pictures' recent management shakeup, was meeting Columbia Pictures' new president for the first time. After the introductions, he casually asked, "How's the post-production on Verhoeven's Starship Troopers coming along?"
The question caught Lee off guard. Although it felt slightly inappropriate for Simon to inquire about a competitor's sensitive project, his relaxed demeanor made it hard to refuse. Straightening his posture, Lee replied, "Starship Troopers is being handled by the TriStar team, but from what I've seen, the CG effects are quite impressive—very impactful."
Simon nodded without much reaction, then added, "I imagine Norio Ohga must be pretty upset these days?"
Lee hesitated briefly but decided to be candid. "Mr. Ohga held a video conference with us this morning. He's... not pleased."
Simon chuckled, his hand idly stroking the slender waist of the Asian actress beside him. "You know, Chris, just focus on doing your job. At the end of the day, Hollywood is for us locals. The Japanese are the outsiders. They come and go, but we remain the true masters of this industry."
Lee instinctively nodded but quickly realized the deeper implication of Simon's words.
Was Simon subtly encouraging him to help hasten Sony's "departure"?
It wasn't far-fetched. As the head of Columbia Pictures, Lee could easily undermine Sony's efforts if he chose to.
Glancing at Simon for confirmation, Lee saw that the young tycoon had already shifted his attention elsewhere. Jonathan Friedman, however, was watching him with a knowing smile.
Storing these thoughts for later, Lee decided not to linger too long. He excused himself shortly afterward.
Once Lee was gone, the group quickly resumed their conversation, chatting about various topics.
Finding a rare moment of respite, Simon turned to the Asian woman beside him. Speaking in deliberately clumsy Mandarin, he asked, "What was your name again? 'Qiqi'? That's interesting."
The woman, clearly charmed but slightly confused, corrected him with a smile. "It's 'Qin,' Mr. Westeros. In Chinese, it means 'diligent' or 'hardworking.'"
"Oh, I see."
She added shyly, "Actually, Mr. Westeros, you can call me Angel—that's my English name. In Chinese, it's Jiang Anqi."
Simon smiled. "Angel suits you better. It matches your beauty—you really do look like an angel."
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Westeros."
"You can call me Simon. And there's no need to be so formal."
"I wouldn't want to be impolite."
"It's not impolite. Among close friends, we call each other by our first names. Aren't we close now?"
Angel, clearly accustomed to navigating social interactions, caught the subtle flirtation in Simon's words but pretended not to notice. Blushing just enough, she replied, "Alright, Simon."
Sitting nearby and overhearing the exchange, Jet Li couldn't help but silently marvel at Simon's smoothness.
The young mogul's Mandarin was flawless, yet here he was, deliberately feigning awkwardness to charm the girl. Truly a master at his craft.
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