Chapter 163 – Shall We Keep Going?
"Yes, I know who you are," Aaron said, looking at Penélope Cruz.
"The Spanish film you starred in—Jamón Jamón—was impressive."
Her sleek, glossy hair, sultry gaze, and full crimson lips radiated an untamed allure.
"Really?" Penélope smiled shyly.
"May I buy you a drink?"
Faced with the expectation in her eyes, Aaron shook his head gently.
"Not tonight. There will be another chance."
After all, The Mask of Zorro would soon be shooting in Spain, with many Latin actors involved.
Salma Hayek herself had already been arranged to join the cast.
---
That evening, in their hotel room, Jennifer Connelly sat at the vanity.
"Aaron… are we heading back home now?"
"Yes," he replied, stepping behind her and leaning down to kiss her neck.
"Mmm…" Jennifer tilted her head back, returning the kiss warmly.
"This time, Britain really took a hit," she said softly.
"Quantum Fund and the other hedge funds all went after the pound."
She smiled and nestled into his arms.
"You made money too, didn't you?"
Aaron nodded.
Dawn Funds had entered with $50 million at ten-times leverage, right at the pound's peak—
forcing Britain out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism entirely.
Last year, twelve European nations had signed the Maastricht Treaty, laying the groundwork for a unified Europe.
After this crisis, calls for a single currency and freer capital flow would only grow louder.
Aaron knew well—
the EU and the euro were no longer far away.
---
By late September, after returning to Los Angeles,
the Anglo-French co-production Damage premiered.
Meanwhile, Sleepless in Seattle soared to $120 million in North America and over $100 million overseas, achieving a global box office of $220 million.
Aaron closed his position when the pound fell to 1.6 against the dollar.
With $50 million at ten-times leverage, he had mobilized $500 million.
The pound collapsed from 2.0 to 1.6, earning Dawn Funds $100 million.
After taxes and fees, Aaron personally walked away with $70 million in net profit.
---
New York. Manhattan. Upper East Side.
A Mitsubishi EVO pulled up outside a newly purchased townhouse on East 75th Street.
Aaron and Nicole Kidman stepped inside together.
"It's beautiful," Nicole said, settling into his lap.
"And Sleepless in Seattle did pretty well too."
Aaron chuckled, his hand sliding lightly over her thigh.
"Over two hundred million worldwide," he said.
"Is that just 'pretty well' to you?"
"You can't really compare this film directly to Ghost."
Nicole Kidman looped her arms around his neck and leaned in for a kiss.
"The production budget for Sleepless in Seattle was only twenty million dollars. It must have made a solid profit, right?"
Aaron nodded.
In North America alone, the film had earned $63 million, with another $25 million overseas. After deducting the $20 million production cost and roughly $16 million in marketing and distribution expenses, Sleepless in Seattle was undeniably a major success.
"So," Aaron said, pressing her gently back onto the sofa and looking down at her with a smile,
"what kind of gift do you want?"
Nicole laughed softly, pulling him closer until he was resting against her. She breathed into his ear and whispered,
"I want you. I want you to stay with me for a few days—can you do that?"
Aaron thought for a moment, then nodded, sealing his answer with a kiss.
Speed had already wrapped filming. The Mask of Zorro was heading to Spain for location shoots. Philadelphia was about to begin production.
Meanwhile, Interview with the Vampire and Forrest Gump were still searching for suitable directors, and the British film Four Weddings and a Funeral had just completed shooting.
For once, Aaron truly had time to rest. Pixar, too, was quietly preparing its first full-length 3D computer-animated feature.
The next day, Aaron and Nicole flew to the French Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy for a vacation.
Back in Hollywood, former MGM chairman Giancarlo Parretti was sentenced to prison on fraud charges. Crédit Lyonnais injected another $350 million into MGM to keep it afloat.
At the same time, media tycoon John Kluge, owner of Orion Pictures, withdrew further funding and failed to secure new investors. Banks soon declared Orion bankrupt, transferring ownership to its creditors.
Yet even those upheavals paled in comparison to the storm brewing at Disney and Time Warner.
At Disney, tensions between Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner and studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg were no secret. The opening of Euro Disney fell far short of expectations, saddling the company with massive debt and sending Disney's stock price into turbulence.
In contrast, Katzenberg's division was thriving. Beauty and the Beast had grossed $245 million worldwide, became the first animated film ever nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, won Best Original Song and Best Original Score, and sold over 22 million VHS copies.
That kind of success emboldened Katzenberg. He openly challenged Eisner in meetings, accusing him of poor preparation and neglecting scripts. Eisner, in turn, began systematically stripping Katzenberg of authority, blaming him for the studio's live-action failures despite the animation department's triumphs.
Once longtime allies dating back to their Paramount days, the two men finally found themselves on opposite sides of an irreconcilable power struggle.
In a hotel bedroom on Saint Barthélemy, Aaron lay on the bed speaking with his assistant, Evelyn Beckett, on the phone.
"Michael Ovitz visited Steve Ross on Long Island," she reported.
"There's also a Canadian spirits conglomerate interested in entering Hollywood—possibly acquiring Time Warner."
Aaron exhaled slowly.
Was CAA preparing to broker yet another massive acquisition?
Nicole lifted her head, brushing her hair back as she smiled at him.
"Aaron… shall we keep going?"
Aaron set the phone aside and nodded.