Chapter 66: The Deeper Meaning of Playing with Clay
With Boyz n the Hood moving smoothly into production, Dawnlight Films shifted its main focus back to Ghost. After two weeks of shooting in New York, the crew returned to Sony's Culver City studios in Los Angeles.
On set, they were filming the romantic pottery scene between the leads—a tender, intimate moment destined to be paired with a sweeping score.
That iconic image of lovers molding clay together… Aaron could already picture it etched into film history. Compared to the original cast, Kevin Costner was far more striking than Patrick Swayze, and while Demi Moore had her charm, Nicole Kidman outshone her in both elegance and allure.
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That afternoon, Aaron ran into Sidney Ganis, president of production at Columbia Pictures.
The conversation quickly turned to box office. Carolco's sci-fi blockbuster Total Recall, released in early June, had smashed past $100 million in just six weeks. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and led by Arnold Schwarzenegger, it carried a massive $63 million budget.
And now Carolco was doubling down with Terminator 2: Judgment Day, again starring Schwarzenegger but helmed by James Cameron, with an unprecedented $100 million budget. Thanks to Mike Medavoy, who had recently jumped from Orion to head Sony/Columbia, the sequel's distribution was secured by Columbia instead of Orion.
Sidney smiled ruefully. "Meanwhile, Pretty Woman has blown past $160 million in North America. Looks like it'll close around $180 million domestic, with overseas already topping $250 million. Nobody saw that coming from a Disney rom-com."
Aaron chuckled. "Relax—Ghost won't disappoint. A supernatural romance, love that transcends death… heartfelt and magical. Audiences will connect with it."
Sidney tilted his head. "Still, look at the box office board. Pretty Woman sits at number one. Right behind it? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with $135 million. And wouldn't you know—it seems both those films trace back to you."
Third place belonged to Paramount's The Hunt for Red October at $122 million—all three spring releases. Summer blockbusters were lagging behind, aside from Total Recall. Days of Thunder, Back to the Future Part III, and Another 48 Hrs. all struggled to hit nine figures.
"The new Die Hard 2 is doing fine," Sidney added. "Ten days in, it's already at $60 million."
Aaron still couldn't believe the Turtles had clawed their way to second place. He doubted Die Hard 2 could top them. But his eye was on Fox's Christmas release Home Alone. That one, he was certain, would blow past the Turtles.
Sidney then mentioned, "CAA sent over a project—Bugsy. It's a 1930s–40s gangster biopic about Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel. Barry Levinson to direct. They're pushing Warren Beatty for the lead."
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "And why are you telling me this? What am I supposed to do with that information?"
Sidney smirked. "Dick Tracy just limped past $50 million. It might crawl to sixty, but that's it. Beatty's reputation has cratered—too many scandals. I'm skeptical about Bugsy, but I wanted your take."
Aaron didn't hide his amusement. "You need me to spell it out? Dick Tracy already proved the point. Beatty's fifty-five years old. Bugsy Siegel was dead at forty-one—charismatic, dashing, the epitome of Hollywood's golden-era gangster-playboy. Putting Beatty in that role? That's not casting, that's desperation. Sony must be swimming in cash if they can afford that indulgence."
Watching Beatty's decline gave Aaron no small satisfaction. The worse it got, the better.
Sidney nodded. Gangster biopics had Oscar potential, sure, and Hollywood was increasingly romanticizing mobsters. Even if he wasn't keen, CAA might still wrangle support from Jon Peters, Peter Guber, or Medavoy.
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That evening, Aaron left the Sony lot with Nicole Kidman.
"Just another month, and Ghost will wrap," he told her.
Nicole nodded. "And how's your other film, Boyz n the Hood?"
"Going well. We start shooting next month." He frowned slightly. "The only risk is filming in rough neighborhoods, but since most of the creative team and cast are Black, I don't expect major trouble."
Nicole was tied up with Ghost, and Jennifer Connelly was preparing to report to Disney's The Rocketeer.
Back at Dawnlight's Burbank office, Jennifer stopped by before heading to her set.
Aaron pulled her into his lap. "So it's true? The Rocketeer's budget just went up another $10 million?"
Jennifer nodded. "That's what I heard—Michael Eisner himself pushed for it. He wants the costumes, the jetpack, and all the props perfected."
Aaron smiled. "Makes sense. For Disney, the big money isn't in the movie—it's in the toys and merchandise. The film is just the engine to drive sales."
He leaned in and kissed her. Jennifer had been bouncing between rehearsals and Stanford, and he hadn't seen her in weeks. She melted into him, lingering after the kiss.
Aaron chuckled, running a hand over her curves. "Got everything sorted with school?"
She nuzzled his neck. "All set. Shooting runs fourteen to sixteen weeks. I'll be back at Stanford by mid-November—just before Thanksgiving."
"Perfect timing."
Jennifer tilted her head. "By the way, that Italian film I did. Any buzz overseas?"
Aaron shook his head. "Not much. It got a Palme d'Or nomination at Cannes, but it's really just a quiet family drama. Some critics liked it, though. In the U.S., Miramax is releasing it in October as an art-house title."
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