Mia and Jessica had been here once before, but this was Wayne and Hannah's first time.
"Come on, it's just a regular party. You just need to stay by my side," Wayne squeezed Hannah's hand gently and spoke softly.
Hannah originally didn't want to attend any party.
Although Jill Talwoman wasn't exactly at the top of the Hollywood and Beverly Hills elite, like Rupert Murdoch or Ralph Roberts, who were considered big shots across the entire United States, she still belonged to the upper class.
Her daughter's birthday party would naturally attract upper-class guests, something that didn't excite Hannah.
However, she and Lily had always had a good relationship. With it being Lily's birthday, it would be rude for her not to attend, so she reluctantly decided to come along.
As soon as the four of them arrived, they quickly drew the attention of many guests.
After all, more than 80% of the attendees were women. Although some couples with children were present, it was rare to see one man with three women. Wayne and his group stood out.
"Who is he? Are all three of those women his dates?" someone couldn't help but ask curiously.
Immediately, someone exaggeratedly replied, "You don't know him? Wayne Anderson, surely you've heard of that name?"
"Are you talking about the boss behind Hemera Pictures, the new Hollywood billionaire 'Mr. Wayne'?"
"Who else could it be?"
"Wow, he's even more handsome than the rumors say! No, actually, he's even more handsome than the rumors!"
"But he's also a well-known playboy, isn't he? He has at least three girlfriends, and plenty more lovers."
"Still, I've heard he's very generous with his women, right?"
"I'd love to get to know him…"
By now, there were almost 200 guests present. Some had even higher status than Wayne, such as the Mayor of Beverly Hills and his wife, a granddaughter of the Hearst family, Anne Hearst who controls billions in assets, and even a female state senator from Los Angeles. But Wayne's group was still the center of attention.
Wayne also quickly noticed several familiar faces, including Julia Roberts and her niece Emma Roberts, who were there with their parents. Then there were the Olsen twins, the real stars, and their younger sister trailing behind them.
He also spotted Catherine Zeta-Jones, who had just thrown a fit at him the night before but was now standing by "Dr. Pym" and sneaking glances his way.
Among other celebrities, he also saw Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, and even a young Britney Spears with her parents.
Sierra, the CEO of Hemera Pictures and a new member of the women's club, had also been invited to the party.
"No surprise, Mr. Wayne, you're always the center of attention wherever you go," Jill Talwoman soon approached with Sierra and two other women.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jill introduced the two women.
"Let me introduce you. This is Nina Jackson, head of production at Disney. She's produced films like *The Sixth Sense* and *Remember the Titans*, and she's currently producing *Pearl Harbor* and *The Princess Diaries*."
Upon hearing this, Wayne showed just the right amount of surprise as he recognized the woman.
In addition to her work at DreamWorks, Universal, and Disney, Nina Jackson would later become an independent producer, with *The Hunger Games* series as one of her signature works. She was a very seasoned and talented producer.
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Jackson," Wayne smiled and shook her hand, then turned to the other woman.
"And this is Kathryn Bigelow, another very accomplished director, screenwriter, and producer," Jill continued.
Wayne's eyes briefly flashed with a strange look because Jill hadn't mentioned an important detail—this stunning woman, who looked like she was in her 30s despite being in her 50s, was actually Cameron's ex-wife.
Yes, *that* Cameron, the "King of the World" James Cameron.
Of course, what mattered most wasn't her past, but the fact that both women were skilled producers with impressive careers.
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Bigelow," Wayne shook her hand as well, then glanced inquiringly at Sierra.
"You guessed right. Nina and Kathryn have both agreed to join Hemera Pictures as producers."
Wayne raised his eyebrows.
Kathryn Bigelow joining Hemera didn't surprise him. After her divorce from Cameron, even though she received a large settlement that made her financially secure, her career had been stagnating.
Perhaps due to Cameron's influence, many saw her as merely a pretty face, and few were willing to invest in her projects. But in reality, Kathryn was not only an excellent producer but also an even more talented director. In his previous life, she had become the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director. She just needed the right opportunity.
But Nina Jackson, on the other hand, seemed to be doing well at Disney, where the head of production was considered a high-ranking position with significant power. So why would she leave for a smaller company like Hemera?
Was it for the money?
Wayne's guess was correct. Nina Jackson wanted to switch to Hemera Pictures for financial reasons.
Though Hemera was much smaller than Disney, its compensation was far better!
She had previously switched from Universal to DreamWorks, and then from DreamWorks to Disney, all for better positions and pay. Now, joining Hemera Pictures as a producer on a movie meant she could make much more than before.
At Disney, her annual salary was $200,000. Even with performance bonuses, her pre-tax income was only around $450,000 per year.
However, if she joined Hemera Pictures as a producer, her pre-tax earnings for a single film would start at $500,000!
Producers like Sierra and Mia had already increased their salaries to $2 million after producing just a few movies.
Without needing to raise her own investment, earning such a high income was equivalent to the level of a top-tier Hollywood producer.
Jerry Bruckheimer, a legendary producer, could earn tens of millions from a single movie, but that required him to raise the investment himself. For example, he had started seeking investment for *Pirates of the Caribbean* two years before filming began in September 2002.
With her abilities, Nina's salary could easily surpass $1 million after two or three films. That was far more than what she made at Disney.
Another reason Nina wanted to switch was the increasing internal power struggles at Disney.
These internal battles would continue until 2005, when Robert Iger replaced Michael Eisner as Disney's new CEO, putting an end to the chaos.
Nina wanted to focus on making money and avoid getting caught up in this internal warfare. Otherwise, she might end up as collateral damage and lose her job.
Voluntarily switching companies and being forced out under bad circumstances were two very different outcomes.
With both of these reasons in play, she chose to join Hemera Pictures.
Wayne was delighted with this news.
As his company produced more movies, the demand for producers would increase, and constantly reaching out to agencies for producers would become a hassle.
"Well, welcome aboard to both of you at Hemera Pictures!"
After a brief chat, Sierra led Kathryn Bigelow and Nina Jackson away, as many eyes were still on them, waiting for a chance to greet Wayne.
Just as they left, three unexpected figures approached—three women, one older and two younger, with the highest status of anyone at the party, even surprising Jill Talwoman.
"Hello, Mr. Anderson. I'm Anne Hearst."
The elegant, fashionable woman in her 30s smiled and shook Wayne's hand.
Wayne was genuinely surprised to hear her name this time.
As the third-generation leader of the Hearst family, Anne Hearst could almost represent the entire Hearst family. She was only a generation or two behind someone like Rupert Murdoch, and their statuses were nearly on par.
That Jill Talwoman had managed to invite someone of Anne Hearst's caliber to her daughter's birthday party was unexpected.
What was even more surprising was Anne's true intention.
"This is my daughter, Amanda Hearst, and her cousin, Lydia Hearst. They're both big fans of yours."
After introducing her daughter and niece, and complimenting Wayne, Anne began chatting about Hollywood and Hemera Pictures' development. Eventually, she revealed her real purpose—she wanted to invest in Hemera Pictures.
As Hemera continued to grow, it was only a matter of time before others would want to get involved—whether through investment, controlling shares, or even a full acquisition. Wayne was not surprised by this.
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What Wayne didn't expect was that the first person to come knocking would be Anne Hearst from the Hearst family.
But on second thought, it wasn't that surprising. The Hearst family, with 15 daily newspapers, 36 weekly papers, and over 300 magazines globally, plus 29 television stations in the U.S., and ownership of cable networks like A+E and ESPN, is just as powerful as other media giants like Comcast, Viacom, and News Corp. In the fashion world, they're undisputedly No. 1.
However, when it comes to the film and music industries, the Hearst family lags far behind the other media giants.
Even though they have their own film production company, it's not even close to the level of the "Big Seven" studios, and they're far behind even companies like Miramax and Lionsgate.
Acquiring Hemera Films, a rapidly rising studio now ranked in the top five among mid-sized Hollywood production companies, would undoubtedly help close the gap between the Hearst Group and the other media giants, filling an important missing piece for them.
After figuring this out, Wayne couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smile, saying, "May I ask, is this your idea, Ms. Hearst, or the Hearst Group's idea?"
"Is there a difference?"
"Of course, and a big one."
Anne Hearst was silent for two seconds, then smiled helplessly and shrugged. "Alright, it's my idea. My grandfather is rather old-fashioned, especially after being burned by investments in several film companies. Even Wall Street wolves have taken a beating in Hollywood more than once, so he's given up on the idea of getting involved in Hollywood."
"But you and your Hemera Films have given me new hope. In my opinion, if anyone can shake the Big Seven's position and become the new giant of Hollywood, your Hemera Films has a better shot than DreamWorks!"
Wayne was surprised again, as he realized that Anne Hearst was genuinely sincere when she said these things, not offering empty flattery.
"I think it would be hard for me to convince my grandfather, which means buying into Hemera Films is just my personal idea. So, are you going to turn me down?" Anne Hearst asked.
Wayne stared into her eyes for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled, a charming grin that made Anne's heart skip a beat. He said, "No. If it were the Hearst Group's idea, I'd refuse without hesitation. But since it's your idea, I might consider it."
"Why?" Anne asked curiously.
She didn't think it was because Wayne had feelings for her.
Though she was well-maintained, she was nearly forty and couldn't compare to Wayne's three girlfriends and a slew of mistresses in terms of looks. Wayne wasn't accepting her investment for that reason.
"Because you're a sharp, genuinely smart person. Working with you would give me access to most of the Hearst family's resources without the trouble of dealing with the complex dynamics of a large family," Wayne said frankly.
"Of course, if you want to buy in, you'll have to meet my conditions."
(End of Chapter)
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