Chapter 12 – Don't Expect Too Much
Burbank, Disney Studios.
In recent years, Disney had teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. But with support from Walt Disney's nephew, Roy Disney, and major shareholder Sid Bass, the company brought in former Paramount executives Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Under their guidance, Disney underwent a dramatic revival, quickly reclaiming its place as one of Hollywood's "Big Six" studios.
Under the leadership of Michael Ovitz, Disney also founded the Touchstone Pictures label, dedicated to producing adult-oriented films. Disney was no longer just a studio for children's films and animation.
Now, Disney had launched another live-action division, Hollywood Pictures, creating internal competition with Touchstone. Domestic releases carried the Disney name, while international distribution was handled by Buena Vista International. Jeffrey Katzenberg served as Disney's Chairman of Film, overseeing both animated and live-action production.
Pretty Woman's director, Garry Marshall, producer Steven Ruther, and screenwriter J.F. Lawton were all CAA clients.
In the hallway, Aaron spoke with Disney's executive producer Gary Goldstein.
"Still deciding on the cast?" Aaron asked.
"Yeah," Gary replied. "For the male lead, Garry favors Christopher Reeve. For the female lead, we've extended offers to Karen Allen and Molly Ringwald—but we haven't heard back yet."
Hearing this, Aaron felt completely powerless. He had no leverage in these casting decisions—he was only involved in script discussions with J.F. Lawton.
Christopher Reeve, star of the Superman series, was an established name. Karen Allen and Molly Ringwald were both experienced and reasonably priced actresses. Even though Superman IV: The Quest for Peace had been a critical flop two years prior, Reeve had suffered some setbacks but remained a respected actor.
Aaron shook his head. "No news? They probably just don't want to take on a role like this."
Pretty Woman was always intended as a low-budget romantic comedy. For many male stars, the story seemed childish. Disney might have been willing to increase the budget for a top star like Tom Cruise, but the script would never even reach him—it would be rejected outright.
"Next, we'll continue sending invitations," Gary continued. "If nothing works, we'll start considering younger, up-and-coming actresses."
Aaron understood perfectly. Touchstone was targeting actresses with established résumés first. If none were suitable, they'd look to new talent. Nicole Kidman would have to compete with other young actresses. Given Aaron's current position, he had no authority to ensure the producers picked her for the lead role.
After all, Aaron was only helping to accelerate Pretty Woman's progress. Producer Steven Ruther and project head Jeffrey Katzenberg were the ones officially developing the film.
Aaron spoke briefly with screenwriter J.F. Lawton before leaving. The script was now basically solid, and there was no need for a talent agent like him to linger.
By early April, Nicole Kidman's film Dead Calm premiered. A low-budget thriller, it showcased her performance sufficiently. Meanwhile, Quentin Tarantino sent Aaron a script titled True Romance. Aaron signed a management contract with Tarantino, representing him as both screenwriter and director.
"The style is heavy postmodern dark humor," Aaron noted.
Going through the first draft, Aaron had to grit his teeth to finish it. The handwriting was sloppy, the sentences riddled with grammatical errors. Simply spelling words correctly was already an accomplishment for Tarantino.
However, Aaron couldn't expect too much from Quentin Tarantino, who hadn't even finished high school.
"I'll have someone proofread it first, then help you pitch it to Hollywood directors and producers," Aaron said to Tarantino over the phone.
"Thank you, Aaron!"
Back at CAA, Aaron immediately contacted a typist in the editorial department to start proofreading the manuscript.
The editorial assistant flipped through the pages and widened her eyes in shock. "I just skimmed a few pages, and I can spot at least nine grammatical errors per page!"
Aaron sighed. "It's okay. Our client's educational background isn't strong. Just spend a little extra time proofreading. Besides, Quentin isn't directing this himself—otherwise, it wouldn't even need editing."
After finishing the script, Aaron received a call from Miramax about discussing Steven Soderbergh's upcoming trip to Cannes.
He drove his Chevrolet to Miramax's Los Angeles office and called Soderbergh on the way.
"Steven, where are you?"
"On vacation in Florida. Are you coming?"
"No, I'm just giving you a heads-up. I'll probably be at Cannes by the end of the month. Right now, I'm heading to Miramax to discuss the Cannes plan."
"End of the month, got it. I'll arrange my schedule…"
Aaron hung up and exhaled. While he was busy coordinating everything, Soderbergh had just gone off to Florida for vacation!
Miramax was still a relatively small distributor. Their Cannes trip was mainly to acquire new films to bring back for domestic release. They also had high hopes for Sex, Lies, and Videotape.
"Harvey, I heard your internal screening went well. You were pretty satisfied with Sex, Lies, and Videotape, right?" Aaron asked as he settled in at the office.
Harvey Weinstein looked at him and said, "$1.2 million, plus marketing and other costs… The total investment for this film could easily exceed $3 million. I hope our judgment is right."
Aaron smiled. "If this were my own film, I wouldn't have sold it for that price. But you have to trust the process. By the time Sex, Lies, and Videotape comes back from Cannes full of awards, you'll see just how wise this decision was."
"Alright, just make sure Steven Soderbergh coordinates properly once he gets to Cannes," Harvey emphasized.
"Don't worry. Newcomers are always eager for the platform."
After leaving Miramax, Aaron received a call from Nicole Kidman.
"A director wants me to meet at the Culver Hotel tonight to discuss a script…"