At 10 a.m., Mia Kirshner arrived at the Malibu-based Daenerys Studios half an hour early for the production meeting for Girl, Interrupted.
After her Oscar nomination for Little Women and the recent success of Sleepy Hollow, Mia had quickly risen to the forefront of Hollywood's most promising new stars, all at just 21 years old. Many actresses at that age were still waiting for a minor role as a supporting character, and Mia, having started as a child star, deeply appreciated her fortunate position.
Accompanied by her assistant, Sherry, Mia arrived at Office Building No. 3. Most others had yet to arrive, and the reception staff was surprised by the lead actress's early arrival, though Mia kept her own thoughts to herself.
Settling into a waiting room, Sherry made a phone call, returning after a while to say, "They said Mr. Westeros is currently in a meeting but will be informed of your request to see him."
Mia's eyes filled with disappointment, though she hid her frustration. Arriving early was an attempt to catch a glimpse of him, but it seemed unlikely.
Despite the assumptions about her as another of Simon Westeros's many romantic interests, Mia knew it wasn't entirely accurate. She'd never even been intimate with him. She was one of the few young women under his protection who hadn't been romantically involved with him, though everyone assumed otherwise.
Having experienced Hollywood's dark side from a young age, Mia knew what a privilege it was to be shielded from unwanted advances and to live almost like a princess. Meeting Simon only a handful of times over the years, she had come to see him as a protective figure, almost like a father—someone who gave her a rare and valuable sense of security.
Though disappointed that he couldn't see her, Mia eventually brightened up as Sherry handed her a cup of coffee and the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter. She glanced at the cover, realizing today was Friday.
The box office results for the long eight-day Independence Day holiday week, from July 4 to July 11, had just been released.
Despite competition from The Birdcage, The Rock, and The Phantom, Sleepy Hollow had retained its number one position for a second consecutive week, grossing $46.73 million over the holiday period. Without the $9.22 million it earned on July 4, its seven-day second-week earnings were $37.51 million, showing a drop of only 27%.
In just two weeks, Tim Burton's critically acclaimed fantasy horror film had grossed a total of $88.9 million domestically, far surpassing its original timeline performance.
Spectre, the latest 007 film, took second place again. In its fourth week, it brought in $35.62 million over the eight-day holiday period, with a seven-day gross of $27.43 million. With ticket sales boosted by the holiday, its box office drop was a minimal 29%.
Having crossed the $200 million mark with a current total of $211.42 million, Spectre was now expected to easily reach $300 million domestically.
Meanwhile, Sleepy Hollow's revised box office estimate had also risen above its initial $150 million forecast due to its strong second-week performance.
The underperformance of the three new releases on July 4 explained Sleepy Hollow and Spectre's sustained success.
In third place was Disney's The Rock. Although Sean Connery starred, the absence of original key creators Michael Bay, Nicolas Cage, and Jerry Bruckheimer had a clear impact on the film's performance. Critics rated it only 6.1 out of 10, and attempts to incorporate 007-inspired Easter eggs were poorly received.
With a budget of $70 million, The Rock had earned only $26.59 million in its eight-day debut, well below Disney's original $40 million projection for the holiday week. The film's domestic box office was now expected to reach just $70-80 million.
Taking fourth place was MGM's The Birdcage, with a debut week gross of $23.91 million. With a production budget of $31 million, the comedy was financially successful, though unlikely to reach the $100 million milestone it had once achieved. Market saturation had lowered its forecast to $60 million.
The Phantom, Sony's $47 million comic adaptation, rounded out the top five but grossed only $9.43 million over its eight-day debut, making it another underwhelming release for Sony.
With three major releases underperforming, the North American box office had only one major release scheduled this week—Eddie Murphy's The Nutty Professor.
The Nutty Professor had originally been a Universal Pictures production and a box office hit that entered the top ten for the year. However, Simon had personally arranged for the film to go to Fox.
Despite the rising prominence of blockbusters, Eddie Murphy's longstanding star power kept him at the top in Hollywood, leading to a production budget of $54 million for The Nutty Professor, making it Fox's summer blockbuster. The film was slated for a July 12 release, carefully timed to avoid competition.
Initially budgeted at $40 million, it exceeded projections by $14 million, causing friction with Fox executives. With a production and marketing cost totaling $74 million, the film would need a box office miracle to recoup costs solely through domestic release, as Murphy's international appeal was uncertain.
Simon had considered these factors when recommending Fox over MGM for the project. However, if The Nutty Professor performed as well as it had historically, Fox was likely to see a decent profit.
Browsing through The Hollywood Reporter, Mia skimmed over the various box office numbers and industry news until 10 a.m. rolled around and the Girl, Interrupted production team gathered in a nearby conference room for the meeting.
In contrast to its original $40 million budget, Simon had limited this production to $20 million.
Although Mia was riding a wave of acclaim from her recent roles, she only received a $2 million paycheck, while Angelina Jolie, despite an impressive audition, was paid just $100,000.
The supporting cast, even those with some name recognition, were paid at the union minimum rate, aiming only for the opportunity to appear in a film that Simon Westeros had shown particular interest in.
Director James Mangold received $1.5 million, a bit less than Mia. However, as director, writer, and producer, he had also signed a profit-sharing agreement, which would reward him if the film succeeded financially.
Since this was the team's first production meeting, everyone took turns introducing themselves and sharing their insights on the script and characters. The two-hour discussion flew by, ending at noon.
As the meeting wrapped up, Mia was approached by two actresses from the supporting cast—Brittany Murphy and Kadee Strickland. Neither of them had interacted with Mia before, but they eagerly suggested lunch.
Mia, familiar with Hollywood's social dynamics, knew the two actresses hoped to use her as a bridge to Simon. She considered them briefly, noticing that they likely didn't match Simon's tastes, and smiled, "Sure, I was planning to grab some seafood at Venice Beach. Let's go together—lunch is on me."
"Oh, no way," Brittany Murphy insisted with a laugh. "We'll cover it. You're our star, after all."
The two actresses flanked Mia, skillfully guiding her out of the meeting room without giving anyone else a chance to join. Mia, feigning ignorance, grabbed her white Hermès bag and, with friendly goodbyes to the others, left the room with them.
As they exited, Sherry was already waiting outside. Seeing the two actresses beside Mia, Sherry gave a slight nod and stepped forward. "Mia?"
"Yes?" Mia responded curiously.
Sherry glanced meaningfully at Brittany and Kadee before addressing them directly. "Sorry, could you give us a moment alone?"
Understanding Sherry's status, the two actresses showed a hint of reverence and agreed to wait by the elevator.
Sherry then led Mia to a quieter spot away from the meeting room. "Mr. Westeros would like to join you for lunch at the studio restaurant."
Mia's eyes brightened in surprise, and she nodded, forgetting her recent disappointment. But glancing back at the two actresses, she added, "Let me say goodbye to them."
Sherry nodded, and Mia quickly went over to the two, offering a polite excuse before leaving with Sherry.
As they watched Mia and Sherry walk away in the opposite direction, Brittany and Kadee realized what had happened, feeling a pang of envy.
Meeting someone like Simon Westeros was a rare privilege. Many women in Hollywood dreamed of catching his eye, but even getting a glimpse of the man in person was a challenge few ever managed.
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