Amy said, "Yes, but this year and next year are definitely out of the question. If everything goes smoothly, the earliest the company could do an IPO is probably 1992."
As his business horizons broadened, Simon gradually stopped resisting the idea of taking the company public. He understood, too, that if Daenerys Entertainment wanted to keep growing bigger and stronger, going public was necessary, no matter how you looked at it.
The reason Simon brought it up with Amy was still tied to her compensation contract.
Back when Amy joined, the contract she signed with Simon included a corresponding cash dividend and an equal amount of equity as an award. Outsiders had all kinds of valuations for Daenerys Entertainment, but the company wasn't listed after all, so Amy's equity award was hard to quantify.
Amy's contract would expire early next year. Simon wanted to postpone delivering her equity award until around the time the company went public, and Amy agreed.
But hearing Amy say that, Nancy caught the other meaning buried in her words with sharp instinct. She tested the waters by repeating, "If everything goes smoothly?"
"Don't go guessing," Amy said with a laugh, cutting her off. "Speaking of which, the main buildings at Daenerys Studios in Malibu are already finished. Do you want to go take a look tomorrow and pick an office building so you can design the interior yourself?"
"Of course. I'm not going to save money for our boss."
Even as she said it, Nancy couldn't help turning the earlier matter over in her head.
Cersei Capital had accumulated a huge sum of money overseas. Anyone who wasn't an idiot knew that money only showed its value if it got spent as soon as possible. Hoarding it would just let inflation keep eating it away.
Among the companies in the Westeros ecosystem, the one most suited to and most in need of using that money for large-scale expansion was Daenerys Entertainment. And the targets for expansion could only be the Hollywood Big Seven.
In the blink of an eye, Nancy had even narrowed down the acquisition target.
Among the current Big Seven, Columbia and MGM had just changed hands. They wouldn't be sold again anytime soon, and Simon probably wouldn't think much of either company.
Rupert Murdoch was aggressively building his own global media empire. He wasn't going to sell Fox.
Paramount had just taken a hit with The Rockeeter, but its film business over the past two years had been very strong, and its stock price was on the high side. Paramount chairman Martin Davis had turned down acquisition offers several times in recent years, making him a poor target.
Time Warner was simply too large. Daenerys Entertainment couldn't swallow it.
Disney had been in a rapid recovery over the past few years, its stock rising quickly. The Bass family and the Disney family, who held large stakes, wouldn't let go easily.
That left only one option, MCA, the parent company of Universal Pictures.
If it were up to Nancy, she would choose MCA without hesitation too.
Beyond film, MCA's businesses in television, music, and theme parks would complement Daenerys Entertainment extremely well. And MCA's aging chairman, Lew Wasserman, wasn't as resistant to outside acquisition as Martin Davis.
The next afternoon.
Because it was Saturday and there was still the Batman celebration party that night, Daenerys Entertainment's executives, big and small, all rushed over to Malibu to inspect the studio campus they would be moving into by midyear.
Compared to the barren hillside it had been at the start, the mountainside plot five kilometers into Malibu from the Pacific Coast Highway had been transformed.
After a full year of construction, the main buildings in all three tiers of the studio complex, from top to bottom, had been completed.
The top tier was the administrative zone, with five office buildings of varying sizes, three to five stories each. Unlike the old-fashioned low buildings and bungalows of traditional studio lots, these five staggered buildings all used tall glass curtain walls. Each one had its own look, minimalist but stylish, with a modern sense of design.
In addition to offices, the five buildings also included employee leisure spaces like restaurants, cafes, and gyms.
The most eye-catching features of the second tier were three two-story factory-style office loft buildings, each 150 meters long and 30 meters wide. Their exteriors combined red brick, tempered glass, and black steel beams, and their roofs used a lofted attic-style design that gave them a strong artsy vibe.
In this era, the loft office model still hadn't caught on.
So when Simon personally sketched the initial drafts back then, he had stunned a lot of people, and the finished result looked outstanding.
These three loft buildings would house creative divisions like Pixar Animation, Daenerys Effects, Blizzard Studio, and the West Coast teams of Marvel Entertainment.
Pixar's teams still weren't very large at the moment, but even accounting for future expansion, each loft building's theoretical two-level interior space of 9,000 square meters was enough to accommodate an office staff of five hundred to a thousand people.
In addition to the three loft buildings, the second tier also included a large circular activity center in a glass and steel style, covering 2,500 square meters. Inside were a hall that could hold 1,200 people and several smaller rooms for around a hundred each, suitable for screenings, parties, meetings, and other uses.
The lowest tier of the studio complex held six soundstages of varying specifications and a large post-production center.
Of course, those were only the primary buildings.
Besides the top tier with just five office buildings, the second and third tiers also had other structures like restaurants, shops, warehouses, and dormitories.
Still, across a studio campus that covered fifty hectares, the footprint of all these buildings wasn't actually that large.
Because cars were so common in the U.S. and public transit in Los Angeles was so lacking, excluding land reserved for landscaping and future use, the largest space inside the studio complex was actually devoted to parking. Across the three-tier campus, there were six parking lots of varying sizes, enough to hold three thousand cars at full capacity.
After walking through the studio grounds once, while everyone else continued touring, Amy, Nancy, and Jennifer made their way to the guardrail of the parking lot on the second tier near the cliffside.
Leaning against the railing, with a sheer drop of more than ten meters below and a distant view of blue sea merging into blue sky, Nancy took a deep breath in enjoyment. Then she pointed curiously at the shell-shaped building taking form at the Dume Point estate in the distance and asked Jennifer, "When will that be finished? It looks so beautiful."
With Simon out of Los Angeles, the female assistant had to juggle multiple roles, both assistant and housekeeper.
Following Nancy's gaze, Jennifer said, "Not until next year at the earliest. The interior is a headache. A lot of things have to be custom-made."
Nancy leaned forward a little, full of envy, her tone sour. "Building such a conspicuous mansion, people are definitely going to call the boss extravagant again. Hearst got criticized for years."
William Randolph Hearst, the founder of the Hearst Corporation, had spent most of his life building Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, and even now, many people still criticized it as excessive.
Jennifer protested, "Simon's just building a house he likes. How is that anywhere near Hearst-level extravagance?"
Nancy nodded with a straight face, but her tone was teasing. "Yes, yes. Whatever Simon does is always right."
Jennifer's face reddened slightly, and she decided not to bother with Nancy anymore.
Nancy withdrew her gaze, turned to look at the loft buildings on the second tier, and said to Amy, "Honestly, I'd rather work in those attic-like buildings. They're way better than the office blocks up there. I think this kind of space inspires creativity."
"That's why those three buildings are for Pixar and the others," Amy said. "But if you really want to bring your own division here, that's fine too. There's a lot of empty space right now. You can take the second floor of Loft Three."
"Then it's settled. I'll make time to talk to the designer about a renovation plan."
Nancy nodded immediately. She didn't care about any potential status difference between the first-tier administrative zone and the second-tier office zone. Comfort came first. Besides, even if the consumer products division moved to the second tier, no one would dare look down on them.
As she spoke, Nancy looked around at the wide-open space and thought of yesterday again. She tested the waters with Amy. "Our office buildings in Santa Monica and Burbank are rentals, so once we move here, we can just terminate the leases. But Amy, this place is already spacious enough. If we end up with a second studio campus, what then?"
All three women by the railing were extremely smart. Hearing Nancy say that, Jennifer immediately looked over with suspicion.
Noticing Jennifer's expression, Nancy couldn't resist teasing again. "Really now. Even Janet knows, and I'm the one being kept in the dark."
As the closest person to Simon in the company, and with her connection to James, Jennifer naturally knew about Daenerys Entertainment's plan to acquire MCA. Even though Simon was in Australia recently, he had been discussing it nonstop with James and Amy, and sometimes the assistant had to relay messages.
Amy laughed. "Then just pretend you don't know. You're only the president of the consumer products division. Are you trying to steal my job?"
"Maybe I am." Nancy bared her small white teeth in a mock threat and pressed, "So, two major campuses. What do we do?"
Amy said, "We have plenty of high-quality IP in our hands right now. Once the staff from the other campus move here, this place will be full. The space freed up over there can be used to expand superhero attractions, add a horror-movie district, things like that. It'll make the theme park more appealing to visitors."
In fact, after Simon and Amy proposed the plan to acquire MCA, they had already discussed this.
Universal Studios in Burbank covered 212 hectares. Daenerys Studios in Malibu covered 50. If they bought MCA, Daenerys Entertainment's studio footprint would be larger than the combined existing studio acreage of every other major Hollywood production company.
But that didn't trouble Simon at all.
A major reason Simon wanted MCA was for its theme park business.
Film theme parks had enormous potential over the next twenty or thirty years.
As long as the acquisition went smoothly, Simon would invest more heavily in the theme park side, building more attractions inside Universal Studios to draw visitors, while shifting that side's film and television production operations over to Malibu.
And besides, at its peak, MGM had once owned as many as six shooting bases in Los Angeles. Even if he couldn't reach MGM's golden-age scale, Simon was confident Daenerys Entertainment's future growth would be enough to absorb both studio campuses.
Hearing Amy say this, Nancy understood immediately. After thinking for a moment, she said, "That really is a great idea."
Amy warned her, "Keep it confidential. If word gets out, forget stealing my job. Simon will fire you on the spot."
"Of course I understand."
As the three women chatted, Robert Rehme, Ira Deutchman, and Robert Iger, who had flown in from the East Coast that morning, walked over together.
It was already evening.
The Batman celebration party was scheduled for seven o'clock at Simon's mansion on the hillside in Pacific Palisades. After a few words, Amy and Jennifer hurried off to Pacific Palisades to check the party preparations, while everyone else dispersed for the time being.
Daenerys Entertainment's parties had undoubtedly become the most sought-after gatherings in Hollywood over the past two years, especially in the past few months.
The ten-film plan from the second half of last year was still underway. With Batman's box office explosion, the DC film universe plan about to unfold represented, for Hollywood filmmakers, even more chances to rise to fame overnight.
With the birth of North America's first film projected to break $400 million domestically, Adam Baldwin, the male lead of Batman, who previously wasn't even considered third tier, shot straight into the ranks of top-tier stars. Valeria Golino, who played Catwoman, also firmly established herself in Hollywood.
And the film's supporting cast, William Dafoe, Tommy Lee Jones, Anthony Hopkins, and the rest, all saw their profiles rise sharply as well.
It was easy to imagine that even if the other DC film universe entries over the next few years reached only half the commercial height of Batman, the plan would still be a powerful star-making machine. For countless Hollywood people hungry for a break, this was the kind of opportunity they dreamed of, a chance to climb.
So, to get an invitation to tonight's celebration party, many people threw everything they had at it.
The party had originally been planned for two hundred people, but under waves of favors and obligations that were hard to refuse, it ultimately expanded to more than five hundred.
The official start time was seven, but a little after six, Simon's mansion was already packed with famous faces, and the swarm of paparazzi drawn by the news nearly clogged the mountain road. Amy had no choice but to send security outside to keep traffic moving.
As darkness fell, the mansion filled with a glittering, decadent glow. Men and women in luxury gowns and tailored suits drifted through every corner of the house, hunting for any chance to launch themselves into the stratosphere.
The bright young man everyone had been hoping to see did not appear. So the Daenerys Entertainment and Time Warner executives in attendance, along with Hollywood power players, all became the most watched, most aggressively approached targets of the night.
But the reason a circle was a circle was that some people could see it right in front of them, close enough to touch, yet no matter what they did, they could never force their way in.
This time, the mansion's main house was not fully open.
At the staircase entrance leading to the second floor, two bodyguards stood with arms crossed, repeatedly blocking guests who tried to go upstairs under various pretexts to ingratiate themselves with the big shots.
Inside the second-floor study, only Amy and Jonathan Friedman were there.
Leaning against the edge of the desk with her arms folded, Amy looked seriously toward Jonathan Friedman by the bookshelf. "Joe, we have to make this completely clear today. Adam and Valeria's contracts, and everyone else's contracts, cannot be changed. The DC film universe is an enormous plan. If every time a film hits big, actors feel they aren't getting enough and demand contract changes, then the whole plan won't be able to continue."
Maybe it was true that you took after the boss you worked for. Jonathan Friedman could clearly feel Simon's presence in Amy as she spoke. "Amy, even if the pay can't be changed, there are other areas. For example, the Batman character figures involve the actors' likeness rights. I think Adam and Valeria should have the right to receive an appropriate share from toys that use their images. Also, the restrictions in their contracts on appearing in other films during the contract term are too harsh."
"Joe, I remember very clearly, the contract includes the relevant derivative licensing clauses. And we aren't making figures of the actors themselves. We're making figures of the characters they portray. At the end of the day, they're only a vessel. As for restricting their ability to appear in other films, that's to ensure they can properly fulfill their obligations under contract."
Amy paused, then continued, "Joe, if you need it, I can find the list of the final candidates for Batman back then. You can look at where they are now, and where Adam stands. If he didn't get this role, Adam would still be a nobody who doesn't even qualify as third tier. He might have stayed that kind of nobody for the rest of his life. Batman gave him everything. Simon told me before, he never expects the actors he makes famous to be grateful. He's not someone who believes in people's hearts. He only expects them to honor the agreement they signed. And Adam's five-film contract, if he completes it all, his total salary comes to $30.3 million, over six million per film on average. That's already top-star pay. Daenerys Entertainment hasn't shortchanged him. With the popularity Batman brings him, Adam can also take other movies and all kinds of endorsements. That alone is enough to give him a very rich income, and the same goes for everyone else. So Joe, I hope this is the only time we ever have this kind of conversation."
After a brief silence, Jonathan Friedman quickly nodded and softened into a smile. "All right, Amy. You know how it is. We agents have to follow our clients' wishes."
Amy still looked displeased. "You can help them understand how much Christopher Reeve was paid when he played Superman. The first Superman made $300 million worldwide, and Reeve's salary for Superman II was only five hundred thousand. It didn't even reach one million until the third film. Joe, if we hadn't signed contracts in advance, with Batman's box office numbers right now, they could name whatever salary they wanted for the sequel, twenty million, thirty million, or even demand box office participation. Whether we accept it or not, that would be their right. But once you sign a contract, you have to follow it."
With Amy holding that line, Jonathan knew nothing would come of it. Going directly to Simon would likely be even worse. So he said, "Amy, I'll pass it along to them."
Seeing Jonathan about to leave, Amy called after him. "Joe, I need a name. Who was it that proposed modifying the contract?"
Jonathan gave a bitter smile. "Amy, can we end it here? Consider it a favor I owe you."
Amy held his gaze for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Joe, I hope you remind them. Honor the contract, and there will be more opportunities to work together in the future. Otherwise, you know what Simon is like. If anyone obstructs the DC film universe plan, they won't have any foothold left in Hollywood."
Downstairs in the living room, Adam Baldwin, surrounded and fawned over as he chatted and laughed with guests, spotted Jonathan and immediately walked over, his eyes full of questions.
Adam Baldwin's agent, Matthew Steelt, also moved in.
Jonathan instinctively glanced up the stairs. Not seeing Amy, he led the two of them to a secluded corner of the backyard and spoke to them in a low voice.
Among the main cast of Batman, the one with the most confidence to try renegotiating with Daenerys Entertainment was undoubtedly Adam Baldwin, the man playing Bruce Wayne. Amy had clearly already suspected that in her earlier words. Asking for a name at the end was simply her way of getting confirmation from Jonathan.
The favor Jonathan owed had, in effect, shielded Adam Baldwin from a lot of fallout.
But upstairs, Amy had no intention of letting the matter go.
Leaving the study, Amy went to another sitting room on the second floor. Nancy, Jennifer, Valeria Golino, Sandra Bullock, and a whole group of women were gathered there, the sofas in the room and out on the terrace filled to the brim.
After greeting everyone, Amy called out her assistant, Vanessa Linde, and gave instructions in the hallway outside. "Tomorrow, go find out what scripts Meg Ryan has been reading lately. Who she's been in talks with, what productions she's approaching, who she's planning to work with. I want the results on Monday."
Vanessa didn't ask questions. She nodded. "All right."
"And one more thing," Amy said. "Tomorrow, tell Finance that the Batman creative team bonus plan that's being drafted is canceled. No need to compile it."
This time Vanessa was startled and asked uncertainly, "Canceled?"
"Yes," Amy said. "Also, over the next few days, find a way to let the news slip out. Because someone wanted to break the contract and renegotiate, all planned extra bonuses are canceled."
Vanessa understood and nodded, then tested the waters. "Amy, are we really canceling it?"
Twenty million dollars. If it was all canceled because of a few people's little schemes, the Batman team would hate certain people to the bone.
She just didn't know who it was trying to renegotiate.
Amy shot her assistant a glare. "Why are you asking so much? Just do your job."
Vanessa shrank back. "Fine. I understand."