Chapter 50: Kevin Costner
Burbank—Dawnlight Films.
Aaron Anderson sat down with director Edward Zwick and screenwriter Bruce Robinson to discuss the project Ghost.
Edward Zwick was very interested in directing this fantasy romance, a story adapted from Shakespeare's Macbeth.
"For the female lead, Nicole Kidman would be perfect," Zwick said, "but the male lead is going to be harder to cast."
He knew big-name male stars were rarely willing to play a ghost. Without a star, Aaron would struggle to secure financing. After all, his own film Glory had only received nominations for Best Supporting Actor and several technical awards, which held little appeal for investors.
"I'm leaning toward Kevin Costner," Aaron said. "The script has already been sent to him. When the time comes, I'll meet with him personally. And don't worry about production costs—they won't be less than $15 million."
At the time, Kevin Costner was at most a second-tier Hollywood star, but Aaron knew that once Dances with Wolves hit theaters at the end of the year, that would change everything.
Aaron tapped the table. "If there are any script revisions needed, make sure they're finalized quickly."
Bruce Robinson nodded. "No problem. I can adjust the script according to the director's requests."
In mid-February, Tony Scott's action-crime film Revenge, starring Kevin Costner, was released. Its opening weekend brought in only $6 million, dropping to $2.8 million the following week, and reviews were poor. Revenge could be considered a flop.
At the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, Jack Wells arrived with Kevin Costner. Aaron rose to greet them.
"Mr. Costner," Aaron said, giving Jack a playful wink.
"Aaron Anderson, right? You've made a name for yourself at CAA," Costner smiled. "Just call me Kevin."
"Have a seat. What would you like to drink?" Aaron asked.
"Coffee, please."
"I'll leave you two to chat," Jack Wells said.
"I hear you two go way back?"
"Yes, we both started out in the mailroom," Aaron said with a laugh. "Jack's pretty solid, right?"
"Yeah, a really good young guy."
Soon, a server brought over two cups of coffee and some cake.
Kevin Costner took a sip. "I read the Ghost script. I can take on the role, but I'm currently tied up with post-production on Dances with Wolves. You'll have to wait at least three months—okay?"
Aaron nodded. "No problem. We'll start filming in June. The shoot should take about ten weeks, mainly in Chicago."
Aaron was well aware of Kevin Costner's situation. His self-directed and starred film Dances with Wolves had gone over budget. Not only had he invested his $3 million salary as director and actor, but he also had to worry about upcoming marketing and promotion costs.
Because Orion Pictures, the film's investor and distributor, was facing a financial crisis, there wouldn't be much budget for marketing. The film would have to rely on word of mouth. Orion was now releasing more films annually than MGM, but most of them were losing money.
Dances with Wolves, a Western, was already considered a risky bet, and the recent flop of Revenge had pushed Kevin Costner's career into a lull. For Ghost, he couldn't turn down the role, and the $2.7 million salary was acceptable.
"Okay, once your crew is ready, you can let me know about rehearsals. Do you need me for any auditions?"
Aaron took a sip of his coffee. "The female lead will be Nicole Kidman from Australia. She just appeared in David Lynch's Wild at Heart. Once pre-production is complete, we'll arrange auditions and rehearsals for the actors."
The conversation between Aaron and Kevin Costner went smoothly. In fact, the failure of Revenge had worked in their favor!
With the director and leads locked in for Ghost, and the crucial investment and distribution secured, Aaron turned to staffing Dawnlight Films. By March, the company had recruited essential personnel: finance, operations, office clerks, and more.
"Jessica, is Orion's financial situation really that bad?"
Aaron leaned back in his chair and asked the company accountant, Jessica Parker, who had previously worked at Orion.
"Yes. After Dances with Wolves went over budget, Orion launched The Silence of the Lambs with a $19 million production cost. They now have several upcoming releases, and if the box office underperforms, it'll get even worse."
Aaron shook his head. Couldn't even powerhouse films like Dances with Wolves and The Silence of the Lambs save Orion?
At least the overseas distribution rights for Dances with Wolves had already been sold to fund production.
"Maintaining independence while trying to emulate the vertical integration of major studios—too many of these projects lose money."
Orion still had decent distribution capabilities, owning their own theaters—though few in number—but still more than Miramax or New Line. Miramax had grown through the Weinstein brothers managing New York's Century Theaters, and New Line was founded by Robert Shaye with his small theater chain.
Jessica Parker glanced at Aaron. "Actually, two years ago, when Orion was in heavy losses, John Krueger was brought in as a major shareholder. Now he wants to sell the company while keeping its independence, but no one wants to take it over."
John Krueger was the founder of Metromedia. A few years back, Rupert Murdoch acquired seven of Metromedia's TV stations to form the foundation of FOX.
Aaron smiled. "Orion's losses have only grown. Selling the company won't be easy. The quality of the films is poor—ten or more releases a year, only one or two profitable. The rest, even with decent budgets, are losing money. They don't have the vertical integration of a major studio either."
Indeed, this independent approach was something only Aaron Anderson could pull off. His judgment was his greatest advantage.
In the future, even relying solely on profits from films, Dawnlight Films could become an industry leader. And Aaron wasn't one to settle for just that. Beyond film and TV production and distribution, there were broadcast networks, home entertainment, interactive games, and merchandise markets to tap into.
He smiled to himself, already envisioning the empire to come.