While Gilbert was busy with post-production on his film, Sandra Bullock's agent, Rory Toledo, was being interrogated in CAA President Michael Ovitz's office.
"I told you to push for the packaging deal, and you said you couldn't do it? What do you mean you can't? What kind of outrageous demands could Gilbert possibly make?" Michael Ovitz's furious spittle nearly drowned Rory Toledo.
Rory Toledo protested, "Mr. Ovitz, it's not that I didn't try, but I failed."
Another CAA partner, Martin Bob, calmly motioned for Michael Ovitz to relax, then asked Rory Toledo kindly, "How did you approach it?"
Rory Toledo quietly replied, "I went to Sheena Boone and tried to convince her to push the packaging deal together. But Sheena Boone said she was just an agent and had no right to interfere with Gilbert's crew, so she refused me."
"You useless idiot! If Sheena Boone could convince Gilbert, she would have done it herself already; why would she need you to cooperate with her?" Michael Ovitz was so angry he slammed an ashtray onto the wool-carpeted floor.
Though the sound wasn't loud, it was enough to startle Rory Toledo.
"Alright, alright," Martin Bob waved his hand, dismissing Rory Toledo.
Rory Toledo, relieved, quickly exited the oppressive office.
Now, CAA's two titans began discussing their strategy. Martin Bob suggested, "How about we use our resources to obstruct Gilbert? We'll make him realize that without our packaging deal policy, he won't be able to take a single step in Hollywood."
"How do we obstruct him?" Michael Ovitz asked.
"By digging up dirt and constantly leaking it to the media to create public animosity," Martin Bob proposed.
"No," Michael Ovitz shook his head. "I had someone investigate Gilbert. He doesn't do drugs, doesn't mess around with women, has no illegitimate children, and hasn't harmed any children. His few rumored girlfriends won't be enough to smear him."
"What about going after his father?"
"Even worse. Old Gilbert left Hollywood a long time ago. You'd be escalating the conflict." Michael Ovitz rejected the idea.
The son, Gilbert, was the one currently on fire. Old Gilbert hadn't been involved in Hollywood for a long time; going after him would be, to put it harshly, crossing a line and could make them enemies of all Hollywood.
Martin Bob thought for a long time, then suggested, "I remember that Keanu Reeves, the star of Speed, has quite a few bad habits, Michael. We could focus on that."
Michael Ovitz's eyes lit up. "That's a good angle. Has Speed's release date been set?"
"Word is it's early May," Martin Bob replied.
"Do we have any films releasing around that time?" Michael Ovitz asked again.
Martin Bob recalled all the projects CAA was handling and thought of one film: "Sylvester Stallone's Cliffhanger is also set to release in May."
"Good," Michael Ovitz clapped his hands. "We'll use that film to go up against Gilbert's Speed. I hear his new film is an action movie. I wonder how it will fare against Stallone's film?"
A cold smile appeared on Martin Bob's lips: "It's going to die a terrible death..."
Why was Michael Ovitz so determined to bring Gilbert under CAA's wing and implement his packaging deal?
This all had a bit to do with Disney Chairman Michael Eisner.
Everyone knew that Michael Eisner and Michael Ovitz were childhood friends and had always had a good relationship. What wasn't widely known was that Michael Ovitz greatly admired his friend Michael Eisner's foresight.
During a meal together, Michael Eisner casually revealed his high regard for Gilbert. This immediately gave the shrewd Michael Ovitz a strong intuition. He began to regret kicking out Sheena Boone, the female agent, so early. He also started thinking about how to push the packaging deal onto Gilbert's crew and then poach Gilbert to develop him into CAA's star director.
He initially thought that with CAA's reputation, Gilbert would easily submit to him. But unexpectedly, Gilbert didn't even have to lift a finger; Sheena Boone, that "bitch," blocked CAA at the gate.
Since that was the case, CAA might as well show some muscle. Anyway, according to the plan, Gilbert's Speed was already scheduled to compete with CAA's Cliffhanger. Even without this issue, CAA would still use some competitive tactics.
In the film market, it's normal for films released at the same time to compete and use various strategies against each other. Even with Disney and Warner behind Speed, CAA wasn't afraid. The only thing to be careful about was not to escalate the conflict, as CAA couldn't withstand an assault from two giant film companies.
Competition between Hollywood companies also operates under an unspoken set of rules. Everyone implicitly adheres to these unwritten rules, never breaking them. Playing by the rules ensures long-term survival in Hollywood. Breaking them would lead to ostracism from the industry.
Gilbert was unaware that CAA was after him; clearly, Sheena Boone hadn't told him. However, the female agent evidently understood CAA's style and had contacts within CAA. Upon hearing the news, she immediately sought out Gilbert to discuss a counter-strategy.
"Currently, it looks like CAA plans to use Cliffhanger to counter Speed. Sylvester Stallone is starring in that film; do you have confidence?" Sheena Boone still had some concerns.
Gilbert took a sip of his coffee and said, "In the fierce summer blockbusters, we'll constantly face competition. Even without Cliffhanger, there would be other films. We're not afraid of competition, and I have confidence in the film's quality."
Hearing Gilbert say this, Sheena Boone felt a little relieved. However, she would still do her part.
"During the film's promotion, we'll assist Disney and Warner Bros. Pictures. In terms of media advantage, even Columbia Pictures plus CAA can't match us," Sheena Boone stated.
"Hmm," Gilbert nodded. "I expect them to look for dirt on Keanu Reeves. Remind his agent to be extra careful during this time."
"Okay, I'm on it." Sheena Boone made a note, then discussed Naomi Watts' work: "I've secured a few roles for Naomi, mostly in small-budget romantic comedies. Her roles are generally third or fourth leads, and her pay has increased quite a bit."
"It's much better than her previous situation; at least she doesn't have to work in restaurants and bars anymore," Gilbert said.
That's true. She wouldn't be living paycheck to paycheck, could afford health insurance, and could rent expensive gowns.
However, the one who had developed the best was still Cameron Diaz. Since starring in Final Destination, Cameron Diaz had received a lot of attention, with a steady stream of film offers and endorsement deals. Her agent was ecstatic, exclaiming that they had struck gold.
Cameron Diaz wasn't a client of Sheena Boone's agency, so she didn't pay much attention. However, ICM's operational capabilities were very strong, and Cameron Diaz's internal rating at ICM had risen several levels, giving her increased importance. It's likely that ICM would arrange several major projects for her next.
As long as she continues to succeed as expected and takes on a few more major projects, Cameron Diaz will be well on her way to becoming an A-list Hollywood actress.
---