Chasing Stars in Hollywood

Madonna's pursuit of Hollywood success could only be described as a series of persistent failures.

Golden Raspberry Awards? She didn't care.

Box office flops? The loss was on the producers anyway.

Despite a few sporadic positive reviews for cameos like in "Pulp Fiction," the Queen of Pop was not a key factor in those successes.

In short, Madonna, whose singing career had reached its peak, was always yearning for Hollywood.

The star recently found a very provocative project, "Body of Evidence." The script was about a woman accused of murder after her lover dies during their affair and her subsequent fight to clear her name in court.

Essentially, "Body of Evidence" was a mix of "Basic Instinct" and "Presumed Innocent."

"Basic Instinct" needs no introduction. "Presumed Innocent," a crime drama starring Harrison Ford two years ago, involved a prosecutor accused of murdering his mistress, who ultimately discovered that the real killer was his wife.

"Presumed Innocent" grossed over $86 million in North America against a $22 million budget, making it a box office hit.

Daenerys and MGM's "A Few Good Men" last year could be seen as following in "Presumed Innocent's" footsteps.

"Body of Evidence" took the femme fatale element from "Basic Instinct" and the courtroom drama from "Presumed Innocent."

In the original timeline, "Body of Evidence" made quite a splash, which is why Simon remembered it well.

The film's main selling point was Madonna's explicit scenes.

However, it turned out that audiences weren't as interested in Madonna's nudity as anticipated. The film, with a budget of $30 million, only grossed a little over $13 million.

"Maggie, I read the script, but I don't see what this film has to attract viewers besides your explicit scenes."

Madonna, sensing Simon's lack of interest, immediately said, "Simon, don't you think this script is very similar to 'Basic Instinct'? Plus, the genre is one of those popular courtroom crime dramas from the past couple of years."

"Alright, let's analyze this," Simon said as he noticed Madonna inching closer with her face up, seemingly about to lean in. He took a step back and said, "The success of 'Basic Instinct' was largely due to its controversy. The high-IQ female lead manipulating the police created intense dramatic conflict, which was a major selling point. 'Presumed Innocent' was successful because of its intricate plot and the big twist at the end. So, you see, both of these films might have had explicit scenes, but that wasn't what brought audiences to the theaters."

Madonna, seeing Simon step back, moved closer again.

After divorcing Sean Penn and parting ways with Warren Beatty, the Queen was now single.

"But Simon, 'Body of Evidence' has all those elements you mentioned."

"Sorry, Maggie. Some elements might be there, but they're not prominent," Simon shook his head. "What I see is a female lead who sleeps with all the key characters in the film and then gets them to help her clear her name. Compared to Catherine in 'Basic Instinct,' this is inferior. Catherine uses her high intelligence, and her desires are just that—desires. She even uses her desires to put herself in more danger, confidently playing a game of life and death with the male lead."

"How about this, Simon, you help me rewrite the script, or better yet, you direct it yourself."

As Madonna spoke, she reached out a small hand, hooking her finger into Simon's suit pocket, her eyes filled with obvious flirtation.

Simon, no longer retreating, watched Madonna's actions with interest and said, "Maggie, I have a date tonight."

Sarah Michelle Gellar, who had been carefully holding onto Simon's arm, slightly lifted her chin at being mentioned and exchanged a glance with the equally not-so-tall Madonna.

Madonna, however, just glanced at the girl and directly asked her to leave, "Little one, can you let me have a moment alone with Simon?"

The Queen's commanding presence and matter-of-fact tone made Sarah Michelle Gellar feel a bit insecure, instinctively looking to Simon.

Simon gently shook his head at the girl, then turned to Madonna, indicating Sidney Pollack not far away, "Maggie, I have some business to discuss with Sidney. Daenerys is not interested in 'Body of Evidence.' You might want to talk to someone else."

"That's really unfortunate," Madonna said, her tone cooling noticeably upon Simon's direct refusal. She didn't press further but did say with a hint of bitterness, "Men are indeed unreliable. I didn't expect your tastes to change so quickly."

After Madonna left, Simon took Sarah over to where Robert Redford, Sidney Pollack, and Barbra Streisand were chatting.

The three Hollywood veterans had all risen to prominence in the 60s and 70s. Their collaboration on "The Way We Were" was a classic from the 70s, and Redford and Streisand even had a romance.

Moreover, all three were represented by CAA at this time.

After greeting everyone, Simon started talking to Sidney Pollack about "The Firm."

Pollack was the original director of "The Firm." To be honest, Simon didn't think Pollack was the best fit for a legal thriller. Pollack's most famous films, "Out of Africa" and "Tootsie," leaned more towards romance, as did "The Way We Were."

However, considering Pollack's directorial skills and his involvement in the original project, Simon still extended an invitation.

"Simon, I can direct 'The Firm,' but I have one condition," Pollack was straightforward. "I must have control over the casting."

Redford and Streisand, both savvy individuals, made excuses to leave when this came up.

Simon, equally direct, said, "Of course, Sidney. However, the male lead has already been decided. Other than that, you can choose whoever you want, as long as it's within budget."

"I know Daenerys has approached Keanu Reeves," Pollack said. "But Simon, I don't think Keanu is suitable."

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Keanu is better suited for comedies. 'The Firm' is a serious drama."

"Perhaps you should watch 'Point Break,' Sidney. In that crime drama, Keanu played a cop and received widespread acclaim for his performance."

"Alright, Simon, let's be honest. I want Tom Cruise to play the lead in 'The Firm.'"

Simon's eyes narrowed slightly, a figure of Michael Ovitz flashing in his mind.

Sidney Pollack was one of the earliest Hollywood figures to join CAA during its rise. His career peaked in the 80s with "Tootsie" and "Out of Africa," both CAA-packaged projects.

Because of this, Pollack was one of Ovitz's staunchest supporters.

In the "Infantryman" incident a few years ago, where Ovitz clashed with renowned screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, Pollack was one of the few Hollywood figures to publicly support Ovitz in the media.

This time, Pollack clearly hoped to use "The Firm" as a chance to help CAA client Tom Cruise escape his predicament with Daenerys Entertainment.

Although CAA had terminated their contracts with the three after the "Rain Man" debacle, Ovitz had maintained close ties with them, possibly out of compensation. Simon had turned a blind eye to this.

After "Rain Man," Tom Cruise's recent films, "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Days of Thunder," had both been commercial successes. However, with Daenerys Entertainment's growing influence in Hollywood, other studios had become more cautious about working with Levinson, Hoffman, and Cruise.

Barry Levinson's "Bugsy," which should have been an Oscar contender in 1992, disappeared from the scene. After Daenerys partnered with Paramount, the studio dropped Cruise, leaving him without a film release in 1991.

In reality, Simon had never explicitly told other studios not to work with the trio. Dustin Hoffman starred in "Hook" last year, and Tom Cruise's "Far and Away," in collaboration with Columbia, would be released this summer.

On the surface, their careers seemed normal.

When Hoffman joined "Hook" last year, Peter Guber and Terry Semel had also spoken on his behalf.

Simon had softened his stance slightly then but maintained his fundamental attitude: Daenerys Entertainment would not work with the trio.

Meg Ryan's "unbanning" started with her signing a one-film deal with Daenerys Entertainment, likely why Pollack made his request today.

Ovitz probably hoped Cruise could collaborate with Daenerys once to signal a complete reconciliation and dispel studios' concerns about working with him.

Faced with Pollack's straightforward request, Simon showed no displeasure and simply shook his head, "Sidney, if you insist on this, I'm afraid we'll have to part ways. I hope we can work together in the future."

Pollack, seeing Simon's firm stance, became slightly angry, "Simon, that incident is long past. I don't understand why you're still holding on to it. You're a big figure now. You shouldn't be so petty."

"Sidney, I believe those who think 'big figures' should be generous and forgiving are engaging in a form of extortion, a kind of moral blackmail by the weak against the strong. For those I don't want to forgive, I'm sorry, but I won't forgive any of them. And I think I've been generous enough. I haven't targeted them directly. Until now, they've all been doing quite well, haven't they? So, please don't ask for more."

After finishing, Simon didn't wait for Pollack's response. He raised his glass slightly and walked

 away.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, who had been by Simon's side, had experienced a whirlwind two hours, meeting countless big names like Madonna, Sidney Pollack, Barbra Streisand, and Robert Redford. It felt like stepping into another world.

Thinking back, it was almost unbelievable.

Sarah's mother was a small-time actress who never made it big and had pinned her hopes on her daughter. From the age of four, Sarah had been auditioning constantly, becoming prematurely mature due to early exposure to the industry.

The role of Julie Mayer in "Desperate Housewives" was Sarah's first substantial television role in over ten years. Given that the project was reportedly personally overseen by Westeros, both mother and daughter saw it as a breakthrough opportunity.

Then, this afternoon, the agency conveyed a message that Westeros wanted to meet Sarah.

After confirming it wasn't a joke, Sarah saw her mother almost tear up in excitement.

After a heartfelt talk with her mother and arrangements by WMA, Sarah found herself by Simon's side that evening.

Simon left Barbra Streisand's party with Sarah Michelle Gellar around ten o'clock.

Initially, Simon felt that "The Firm" didn't quite match Pollack's style. In the original timeline, Pollack directing the project was likely another CAA package deal.

Ovitz often justified assigning directors to unfamiliar genres by citing diversity.

However, many directors have their own styles, and Simon felt this approach was somewhat chaotic.

Moreover, Ovitz's forced combinations often involved high-budget films, inevitably leading to some major failures.

While the package deal model was still popular in Hollywood for its efficiency, Daenerys Entertainment was a strong exception.

Unless Simon deemed it appropriate, no agency, whether CAA, WMA, or ICM, could force an entire team onto Daenerys Entertainment.

With Pollack out, Simon decided to find another director.

Returning to Cape Dume Point Manor, Simon, who had been deep in thought, finally remembered the girl beside him.

Despite her young age, Sarah Michelle Gellar clearly knew what was about to happen. She showed no signs of shyness, even clumsily trying to flirt with the man beside her.

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