Chapter 23: Warren Beatty
It was the bustling summer season, and Hollywood's major studios were all trying to outdo one another.
The biggest news, however, was that Japanese electronics giant Sony was moving to acquire the Columbia-TriStar Motion Picture Group. Meanwhile, a three-way showdown erupted between Time Inc., Warner Communications, and Paramount's parent company, Gulf & Western Industries!
Time Inc., with assets like Time Cable, Time magazine, and HBO, had spent nearly two years negotiating with Warner Communications, which owned Warner Bros. Entertainment, Warner Cable, Warner Music, and Warner Publishing. Just as the merger between Time and Warner was about to be finalized, Gulf & Western Industries launched a hostile bid for Time!
HBO, a Time subsidiary, was the first U.S. network to transmit television signals via satellite and was renowned for its high-quality programming.
Aaron was well-acquainted with HBO. Its subscription-based model—completely abandoning traditional advertising—was a true innovation.
At CAA headquarters, Aaron was on the phone with Nicole Kidman, coordinating their trip to New York to meet David Lynch on the set of Wild at Heart.
"Stay relaxed. No problem," he told her. "Most of the investors in Wild at Heart are European. Canal+ from France is involved. I've worked with them before at Cannes; the relationship is solid. It'll just be a matter of discussing details with Lynch."
Previously, Aaron had recommended the TV rights of Sex, Lies, and Videotape and Cinema Paradiso to Canal+.
"Also, the main investor in Wild at Heart is Britain's PolyGram, which recently entered the film industry. I have a good connection there," he added.
Michael Kuhn, responsible for PolyGram's film division, had approached Aaron to help find a North American distributor for Wild at Heart. U.S. film distribution was notoriously insular, making it hard for foreign companies to release films independently. PolyGram, strong in international music distribution but new to film, needed a local partner.
Aaron's track record with Sex, Lies, and Videotape, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, was his strongest leverage. By August, if the film performed well at the box office, his reputation would grow even further.
Meanwhile, Michael Ovitz had just finished a long call with Japan. Soon after, assistant Susan Miller led Warren Beatty into the office.
"Good afternoon, Michael," Beatty greeted.
"Good afternoon, Warren. Have a seat," Ovitz replied, motioning him to the sofa. "Susan, bring in two cups of coffee."
Beatty settled in. "I want to talk about Al's involvement with the Dick Tracy project. Why would he turn down a major blockbuster to do a silly romance?"
Ovitz pressed his eyes briefly. "We should respect his choice. Al is preparing for The Godfather Part III. Dick Tracy already has you, Dustin Hoffman, and Madonna; it's high-profile enough."
"I heard a young CAA agent had quite an influence on this," Beatty added.
"Warren, it's all business," Ovitz replied calmly.
Later that afternoon, Aaron was leaving the CAA lobby when he was approached.
"You must be Aaron Anderson?" Beatty asked, guided by his assistant.
Aaron turned, slightly put off by the intensity in Beatty's gaze. "Yes, that's me. Can I help you?"
"Young man, Hollywood isn't as simple as it looks. You need to approach it with reverence," Beatty said, locking eyes with him.
At 52, Warren Beatty had won an Oscar for Best Director in the early 1980s but hadn't produced much notable work in recent years. Two years ago, he directed and starred in a major flop, Ishtar, alongside Dustin Hoffman and French actress Isabelle Adjani.
Aaron smiled inwardly. Beatty's life was riddled with scandals—mostly romantic escapades—and the infamous three-way incident with Adjani a few years back was still public knowledge.
"Reverence, huh? And then?" Aaron replied coolly.
For Aaron, Warren Beatty was just a faded star. If it were someone truly formidable, like Clint Eastwood, he might have been cautious—but Beatty? Not so much.
"I heard you think Dick Tracy isn't a good film?" Beatty asked.
Aaron sighed. "Is this because Al Pacino took Pretty Woman?"
"That was the idea of Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg. The director favored Mr. Pacino as well. One film has him as the lead, the other as the third male role. He gets to choose!"
"Kid, Hollywood is about resources. At this rate, you'll have trouble signing even one star. Believe me, one day you won't be able to sign anyone at all," Beatty said with a smile.
Aaron noticed several people nearby were watching intently, and no CAA senior executives came to intervene.
"Resources matter, sure—but ability matters more. Hollywood isn't what it used to be," Aaron stretched and replied.
"You think you can stop me from signing stars?"
He laughed, stepping closer. "Warren Beatty, director of one colossal flop in the past ten years—are you really going to try to blacklist me?"
Beatty's face darkened. He was determined to make Aaron pay for that audacity.
"Weren't you just asking me about Dick Tracy?" Aaron continued. He took a few steps back, glanced at the crowd, and raised his voice:
"Everyone, witness this. Pretty Woman, releasing next year, is the project I back. Mr. Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy can compete at the box office, but I respect my elders. If Dick Tracy earns even half of what Pretty Woman makes, I'll leave CAA and never work in talent management again. But if I win… well, then you won't even have the right to speak to me!"
The room went silent. A rookie agent was openly challenging a Hollywood veteran—a shocking, unprecedented act.
Both Pretty Woman and Dick Tracy were Disney projects backed by CAA. One had Jeffrey Katzenberg's support; the other had Michael Eisner's.
Yet Pretty Woman's investment was relatively modest, while Dick Tracy was a star-studded blockbuster.
Michael Ovitz, observing from upstairs, didn't intervene. This public confrontation would generate buzz for both films, serving as unintended promotion. After all, whether the bet succeeded or failed mattered little to CAA—a rookie versus a fading star was inconsequential in the grand scheme.