Chapter 176 – Victoria's Secret, Huh
At the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Aaron sat down with director Robert Zemeckis to discuss the adaptation of the new project, Forrest Gump.
The original novel of Forrest Gump carried a sharp satirical edge, using the character of Forrest to mock and criticize various aspects of American society.
"In terms of the script," Aaron said calmly, "screenwriter Eric Roth shifted the tone toward something warmer and more sentimental. He cut out many of the novel's harsher satirical elements and reshaped the story to better suit mainstream American tastes."
Leaning back on the sofa, Aaron reflected that the current screenplay had essentially become a celebration of America—a classic, uplifting, mainstream Hollywood narrative.
Zemeckis nodded in agreement.
"The script adds a lot of historical events and centers everything around a tragic yet beautiful love story. Roth clearly put a great deal of creative effort into reworking the material."
"By the way," Aaron asked, "has Tom Hanks officially agreed to take the lead role?"
After all, the protagonist was a man with limited intelligence—hardly an easy role. Tom Hanks had become extremely popular this year thanks to Sleepless in Seattle.
Aaron smiled.
"Don't worry. He's already read the script and is quite interested. His only condition is that the historical events depicted in the film are all real."
The production budget for Forrest Gump was set at $60 million.
Tom Hanks's salary would be $7.5 million, while Zemeckis would receive $5 million.
The female lead had already been decided: Elizabeth Hurley, the British newcomer who had delivered a striking performance earlier this year in the action film Passenger 57.
There was no need for the director or lead actor to accept reduced pay just to get the film made.
Aaron knew perfectly well that, in another timeline, Forrest Gump had suffered from budget constraints, forcing both Hanks and Zemeckis to lower their upfront fees in exchange for profit participation.
But Aaron also knew just how massive the film's box-office success would be. There was no reason to save a few million now only to lose tens of millions later.
After Zemeckis left, Elizabeth Hurley emerged from the bedroom. She was wearing a silky, semi-transparent nightdress that clung to her figure, her curves impossible to ignore.
"Aaron," she asked softly, settling directly into his lap, "are you really letting me play the female lead in Forrest Gump?"
Aaron chuckled, lowered his head, and kissed her lightly.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Don't tell me you don't want the role?"
Elizabeth Hurley's robe hung loosely, revealing the delicate lace lingerie beneath.
"Aaron, you know that's not what I meant," she said softly.
"All right," Aaron replied, lowering his head to kiss her neck. "Forrest Gump will probably begin filming no later than next summer. The female lead doesn't have many scenes, but the role is crucial."
"If you do well in this film, establishing yourself in Hollywood won't be a problem."
He smiled, brushing his lips along her skin. "That's some incredibly sexy lingerie."
Elizabeth slipped the robe off completely and pulled his head closer, whispering teasingly,
"Aaron, this is Victoria's Secret. Men love it."
Aaron lifted his head slightly. "Victoria's Secret?"
"Yes," she said with a smile, kissing him lightly. "It's the best-selling women's lingerie brand right now."
"What—doesn't it look sexy enough? Not tempting enough?"
Aaron shook his head. "I was just wondering—which company owns the Victoria's Secret brand?"
At this point in time, there was no world-famous Victoria's Secret Fashion Show yet.
Without that runway spectacle, there were naturally no legendary VS supermodels either.
"It belongs to Limited Brands," Elizabeth replied without hesitation. "They're a publicly listed American company, and Victoria's Secret is their most important asset."
"I see," Aaron said, kissing her lips thoughtfully. "So tell me—what do you think would happen if we found a group of stunning, curvaceous models and put them on a runway wearing this lingerie?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "It would probably drive men crazy… but isn't that a little too bold?"
"It is," Aaron admitted. Even on her alone, the lingerie was intoxicating—helped, of course, by her flawless figure.
Since the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show didn't exist yet, Limited Brands' valuation likely hadn't reached its future heights.
Aaron felt he could make his move early.
"Aaron," Elizabeth murmured impatiently as she began tugging at his clothes, "shouldn't we be doing what we're supposed to be doing right now?"
---
Limited Brands was owned by Les Wexner and currently valued at around $2.2 billion.
He had acquired Victoria's Secret in the 1980s and grown it into the largest lingerie retailer in the United States, with over 350 stores nationwide.
In addition to Victoria's Secret, Limited Brands also operated The Limited, a women's fashion chain, and Express, a youth-focused casual clothing brand.
But Aaron had little interest in those—Victoria's Secret was the real prize.
Soon after, Aaron reached out to Franklin Templeton, one of Limited Brands' shareholders.
Franklin Templeton was a major U.S. asset-management firm headquartered in San Mateo, California, managing nearly $50 billion in assets and dominating the West Coast investment scene.
The firm was currently led by second-generation heir Charles Johnson, who served as Chairman and CEO.
"You're interested in Victoria's Secret?" Charles Johnson asked with a smile.
He himself had always admired the brand. After all, Les Wexner had purchased it for just $1 million, and in barely a decade turned it into a billion-dollar empire.
"Limited Brands has plenty of labels already," Aaron said casually.
"If you're interested, we could partner up—Franklin Templeton and myself—to acquire Victoria's Secret."
"I'm confident I can dramatically boost both sales and brand influence. The only question is whether you're interested."
His tone was relaxed, almost indifferent. Given Aaron's current status—and the undeniable appeal of the brand—there would be no shortage of funds even if Franklin Templeton declined.
He approached them first simply because they were close by—both based in California.
Charles Johnson paused for a moment.
"Aaron… I'll need to take this back and discuss it."