A_nobody
patreon
Chapter 216: I’m Finished
🕑 Added 2025-01-01 10:38:21 +0000 UTC"Over five years ago, Duke Rosenberg was still part of CAA, but during an evaluation, someone made a wrong decision and let him go. After *Speed*, we had the chance to sign Duke Rosenberg again, but someone made another wrong decision and pushed strongly to sign Mel Gibson instead!"
In the meeting room, Pat Kingsley's cold words echoed throughout. She didn't care about the increasingly sour expression on Martin Bob's face as she continued, "And what was the result? Not only did Mel Gibson fail to bring significant profits to CAA, but he also caused immense trouble!"
Her gaze briefly passed over to Eno Martin, and the two exchanged an unspoken look. Pat Kingsley went on, "Speed made over $340 million globally, *The Rock* made over $400 million, *Independence Day* grossed $912 million, and *Saving Private Ryan* earned $649 million. In less than five years, with just four films, Duke Rosenberg's personal box office total has reached $2.3 billion!"
Walking past several of the partners, Pat Kingsley returned to her seat, gripping the edge of the conference table and asking pointedly, "What does Mel Gibson have to compare with Duke Rosenberg? Scandals? The number of times he's been blacklisted by major studios?"
"Pat, that's not fair," one of the partners beside Martin Bob began, adjusting his glasses, but Pat Kingsley interrupted forcefully, "Not fair? Then what should we say? If we had signed Duke Rosenberg back then, CAA would now have both him and Spielberg as ace directors. Don't pretend you don't know how much a top-tier director can drive business for an agency! Can Mel Gibson do that? Even if you count every film he's starred in over the last twenty years, his total box office earnings still don't match Duke Rosenberg's!"
The partner opened his mouth, but no words came out. In this industry, nothing is more persuasive than numbers and business success.
"And there's more," Pat Kingsley sipped her coffee before continuing, "Ever since Mel Gibson's scandal broke, major companies have been pressuring us."
She looked around at the others. "Hasn't anyone noticed? Since the Golden Globes, many of our projects have been delayed or pushed aside by various companies, and we've encountered numerous difficulties. This is something CAA hasn't faced since the '90s."
"That's true."
Many people nodded in agreement, including some who were usually aligned with Martin Bob.
"And one more thing," Kingsley added, "Spielberg is considering leaving CAA."
Eno Martin picked up from where Pat Kingsley left off. "We all know the reason behind these unexpected difficulties."
"Mel Gibson has offended the entire Hollywood establishment! We need to do something," he said, turning to Martin Bob. "What do you think, Martin?"
Eno Martin and Pat Kingsley were clearly using the Mel Gibson situation to corner him, and Martin Bob knew it. But he also knew that they were right. Over the past month, CAA had indeed faced numerous challenges, with the top executives of the major studios—led by Jewish power brokers—applying considerable pressure. All of it pointed to Mel Gibson.
What they wanted was no more than the seat he was sitting in. Although he didn't face immediate risk of being ousted, handling this situation poorly could cost him the support of many, eroding his advantage within the company.
Business competition has no room for sentimentality, Martin Bob thought. If he didn't act, most of the partners in the room would likely shift their allegiance to Eno Martin.
But what should he do? Terminating Mel Gibson's contract seemed like the most appropriate option. In fact, that was exactly the outcome Pat Kingsley was aggressively pushing for.
Had Tom Cruise really sided with Duke Rosenberg? He couldn't help but think about it. Hollywood was no stranger to enemies temporarily setting aside their differences for mutual benefit.
Should he really sever ties with Mel Gibson?
At this point, it seemed like he had no choice but to let go of Mel Gibson, but doing so also posed problems—otherwise, it wouldn't have dragged on until now.
What would other clients think if he abandoned a struggling client like Mel Gibson? How would future clients he wanted to sign view this?
Recently, rumors had already spread that he was about to drop Mel Gibson, which had directly caused Will Smith to reject his invitation and sign with William Morris instead.
Is this the consequence of dropping Mel Gibson? But what if he didn't drop him?
His eyes scanned the room, taking in each of the partners. They were all shareholders and agents of CAA, many holding contracts with A-list or top-tier stars. Without their support, even as the largest shareholder, his only option would be to step down.
It was a difficult decision, and he had been forced into this position by them!
As he looked at Eno Martin and Pat Kingsley, the image of a young figure—Duke Rosenberg—flashed in his mind. What had Duke done behind the scenes?
After a long period of contemplation, Martin Bob finally spoke slowly, "CAA will terminate its contract with Mel Gibson. We'll call a press conference as soon as possible, and I will personally announce it to the media."
The meeting ended just ten minutes later. Though CAA hadn't made an official announcement yet, Mel Gibson had already received the news.
Sitting in his living room, he wasn't the explosive, wild man of the past. Instead, he quietly drank one glass after another. Over the past month, he had been beaten down to the point of numbness. Compared to the overwhelming public and media backlash, and the projects that had dropped him, being cut loose by CAA seemed trivial.
"I'm finished," he muttered to himself, drinking. "I'm finished."
"No, Mel, there's still a chance!" His publicist sat nearby. "You still have the Oscars. If you can just meet with Duke Rosenberg and get him to publicly forgive you, your situation will improve, at least a hundredfold!"
"Really?" Mel Gibson asked, dazed.
"This is your last chance!"
"Get someone to order a suit for me. I'm going to the Oscars!"
...
"Yes, I'm going to the Oscars!"
As she walked towards the uniquely designed eye-shaped villa, Catherine Zeta-Jones kept psyching herself up, "I have to go to the Oscars!"
Of course, these words could only stay in her mind. She and her agent followed behind Panny Kellis. The promotional strategy for *Chicago* was her only shot.
"Please, make yourselves at home."
Though Duke found it strange that Panny Kellis had brought Zeta-Jones and her agent along, he didn't show it. He had the maid prepare coffee and tea, and asked Tina Fey to call Nancy Josephson and Robin Grand back from the terrace.
"Panny, tell me about your plan."
Kellis was there to discuss a new promotional angle for *Chicago*, and she already had a plan in mind. She handed four documents to Duke, Robin Grand, Nancy Josephson, and Tina Fey.
After skimming a few lines, Duke's eyes twitched. This would definitely put him in the center of attention.
"Duke, ever since your incident with Mel Gibson, you've been the focus of both the media and the public, with an extremely positive image."
Panny Kellis began to explain, "I don't know if you've noticed, but over the past two years, the flow of information has been speeding up. Directors, especially top-tier ones like you and Spielberg, can no longer stay behind the scenes. You are stars within the directing world. Though you may not be as sensational as Hanks or Cruise, your every move draws attention."
"So, you're suggesting setting me up in a relationship," Duke immediately understood her intent, "using a romance rumor to promote the film?"
"Not exactly. A rumor only sparks short-lived curiosity. It doesn't do much to boost a film's success."
Glancing at Zeta-Jones, Kellis continued, "But a long-term, stable, and gradually intensifying relationship—one that captures the attention of both the media and the public—can serve as a catalyst for a successful film!"
Neither Duke nor Kellis mentioned feelings in any of their discussions; they were treating this purely as a business arrangement.
"Is there no one more suitable?" Duke frowned.
While having couples in films was taboo, no such rule applied to directors and actors—as long as the director didn't act in the film. Hollywood had many examples of director-actor couples.
"The only real stars in the *Chicago* cast are you and Cruise," Kellis shook her head. "If Cruise were linked to Zeta-Jones, it would certainly grab attention, but it would be seen as a scandal, and it wouldn't benefit the film."
"What do you all think?"
Hearing Duke's question, Robin Grand leaned over and patted his arm. "My experience and judgment tell me this is an effective promotional strategy."
"I agree with Panny's plan," Nancy added.
They all knew that while their input was important, the final decision lay with Duke. In the past, he might have rejected this outright, but after years in Hollywood, he understood that every success was hard-earned and required full effort.
Although Warner Brothers was handling distribution, given the nature of the film, they wouldn't invest as much in promotion as they had for *Independence Day* or other summer blockbusters. *Chicago* was fully financed by Duke's studio, with a production cost of $20 million. After Warner took its 10% distribution cut, most of the profits would go directly to him.
He is very clear about the importance of publicity for a film. If this film is managed properly, the potential revenue could be tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars. Which is more important than a fake romance that will not last long?
"Yes, I agree."
After saying that, he looked at Kellis and added, "Also, during this period, I hope Miss Jones will be mindful of her behavior and stay away from other men. I don't want this to turn into a scandal!"
"We will have a strict agreement signed with Miss Jones!" Kellis briefly explained a few more details, "The initial plan is for the relationship to last one year. Duke, you need to pay special attention—this is a series of events: your first public date, your first time holding hands, your first kiss. I will have a detailed plan for each step."
Duke had seen this kind of promotional strategy many times before, so he didn't object to Kelli's plan.
"I've already chosen the first event where you two will appear together!" Kellis, clearly experienced in these matters, knew how to seize opportunities. "The red carpet at the Oscars!"
