Chapter 267 — The Balance Shattered
With the sudden death of Frank Wells, the delicate balance between Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg at The Walt Disney Company was completely broken.
Eisner's move to consolidate power into his own hands effectively cut off Katzenberg's path to advancement.
Aaron understood that Katzenberg's departure from Disney had now entered a countdown—unless Eisner had a sudden change of heart.
But that seemed unlikely.
Eisner had always been wary of Katzenberg, frequently criticizing him in board meetings. Over time, Disney's shareholders had also begun to lose confidence in Katzenberg. Major stakeholders like Sid Bass and Roy E. Disney were firmly aligned with Eisner.
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At the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, Aaron attended a reception with Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Thanks to the success of The Mask of Zorro, this "British rose" had begun to blossom in Hollywood.
The film had grossed over $250 million worldwide and received solid reviews. Although it only earned two technical nominations at the Oscars, its quality was undeniable.
"How is it?" Aaron asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her lightly. "Getting more scripts now?"
"Mmm, yes," Catherine replied excitedly. "After The Mask of Zorro was released, quite a few directors and producers have approached me."
"Last year, I filmed The Hudsucker Proxy in Wilmington, North Carolina, directed by the Coen Brothers. It was produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment's subsidiary, Working Title!"
Working Title had now been fully acquired by PolyGram and held a strong reputation in the British film industry—especially after contributing to the hugely successful Four Weddings and a Funeral.
With a global box office exceeding $250 million, that film had also firmly established Dawnlight's presence in the UK.
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"By the way," Catherine suddenly asked, "have you heard about the comic adaptation The Crow that Miramax Films took over?"
Aaron nodded. "Of course. During filming last year, the lead actor Brandon Lee was accidentally killed by a prop gun. It was widely reported."
Brandon Lee, after all, was the son of Bruce Lee—the incident had drawn massive attention.
"Yes," Catherine said. "When I was filming in Wilmington, The Crow production resumed there after Miramax took over and reshot some scenes."
Originally a Paramount Pictures project, the film had lost studio confidence after the tragic accident. Miramax later acquired the rights and continued production.
"Miramax…" Aaron scoffed lightly before leaning in to kiss her again.
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Just as Aaron and Catherine were enjoying their time together, Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis arrived at the event, appearing close and intimate.
The two had worked together the previous year on What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which also featured a young Leonardo DiCaprio—who earned both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor thanks to that role.
Later, as Aaron and Catherine left the hotel, they happened to see Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis just getting into a car and driving off.
Aaron raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Isn't Johnny Depp dating the British model Kate Moss?"
"Their relationship has been all over the news…"
Catherine Zeta-Jones smiled—it was only natural, after all, she was British.
Aaron shrugged.
"Juliette Lewis used to be Brad Pitt's girlfriend. Then she worked with Johnny Depp last year on What's Eating Gilbert Grape…"
"It's not surprising if something sparked between them."
In fact, Juliette Lewis and Brad Pitt had also co-starred in Kalifornia.
And in the upcoming Natural Born Killers—directed by Oliver Stone and written by Quentin Tarantino—Lewis played the female lead. Brad Pitt had originally been offered the male lead, but turned it down.
For men like Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt, though, attention from women was never in short supply—Aaron had long grown used to that.
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"By the way," Catherine asked, "the U.S. is hosting the World Cup this year, right? Los Angeles must be expecting a surge of tourists?"
She was referring to the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Aaron nodded. "We're already seeing the influx."
Despite hosting the tournament, the United States had always struggled to grow soccer domestically.
Late last year, Major League Soccer had begun preparations—hoping to ride the momentum of the World Cup to develop the sport.
But the reality was clear: the U.S. was a sports powerhouse, dominated by American football and baseball, followed by basketball and ice hockey.
Soccer still had a relatively small audience.
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"This year," Aaron added, "both MLB and the NBA are heading into new rounds of labor negotiations. Hard to say how that'll turn out."
MLB had already started its season, while the NBA regular season was nearing its end.
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"Football culture is huge in the UK," Aaron said, glancing at her. "Which team do you support?"
Catherine didn't hesitate.
"Of course, my hometown club—Swansea City."
"Though they've been stuck in the lower divisions for years. After the Premier League was formed last season, Swansea ended up back in the second tier."
Swansea, after all, was the second-largest city in Wales.
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Soon, Aaron drove along Hollywood Boulevard, heading back to Beverly Hills with Catherine.
She still had promotional work to do with Jennifer Connelly for My Best Friend's Wedding, which was set for a May release.
While Aaron's main focus was on the July blockbuster Forrest Gump, the upcoming releases in May and June—My Best Friend's Wedding and Interview with the Vampire—were just as important.
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At the same time, Aaron was closely watching Disney's summer animated feature The Lion King.
The film was already generating significant attention—and notably, it was another major project overseen by Jeffrey Katzenberg.
That alone made it impossible to ignore.
The absence of a strong foothold in the children's market only made Aaron look forward even more to Pixar's first fully 3D animated feature.
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(End of Chapter)