[Chapter 100: Embraced on Both Sides]
After the party ended, Link dropped Quentin and the others off in the parking lot. He drove Jennifer Connelly back to her apartment to spend the night.
Their relationship had grown more intimate since their date at Magic Mountain. The two of them had been getting together regularly, enjoying each other's company in all the ways they liked. They split their time between Link's new apartment and Jennifer's place.
Jennifer had a fresh beauty about her and a slightly romantic disposition. However, she was also an adventurous woman with a fiery personality. Fortunately, Link was fit enough to keep up with her, and they enjoyed every moment together.
After their dates, Link would always head back to the Golden Oak Apartments to rest. Monica was aware of his seeing Jennifer but didn't mind much.
In Italy, it was quite normal for successful men to have a few lovers. In fact, it seemed almost unattractive if a man didn't have one after hitting it big. After Jennifer came into the picture, Monica treated him even better. She made him breakfast daily, accompanied him while shopping, and became bolder in the bedroom, trying a variety of passionate positions that seemed to drain him completely.
Link reciprocated by buying Monica a sports car as a gift, bumping up the maximum limit on her credit card to $200,000. He also made sure to leave suitable roles for Monica, offering her auditions for parts like the female lead in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and the second female lead in Final Destination.
Additionally, he planned to start a management company and hand it over to Monica to run. It was 1992, and many future stars were still unknowns -- like Renee Zellweger and Matt Damon. Signing them early on and nurturing their careers could provide a lucrative opportunity down the line. With this agency, he wouldn't be constrained by big agencies like CAA either.
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After the weekend, Link returned to the office to manage the film projects.
Paranormal Activity had entered its 14th week, officially surpassing $300 million at the North American box office, reaching a total of $302 million, with an overseas gross of $252 million. The total revenue amounted to $554 million.
Link had earned $285 million from ticket shares and various rights income. Despite the financial success from Paranormal Activity, he faced criticism and backlash. Peers in the industry dubbed him a hack director, claiming he didn't understand the art of cinema and was merely a market disruptor.
His reputation in Hollywood was mixed. However, the film's success attracted the attention of the seven major studios, which proposed to acquire Guess Pictures, offering $15 million for Link to bring his company to work for them.
Link refused. With the box office subsidy system in place, he would rather close the company than work for others.
The major studios then proposed a cooperation plan and hinted that cooperation would be beneficial to both sides. If they did not cooperate, they would treat him as a rival, causing Guess Pictures to go bankrupt and making him unable to gain a foothold in Hollywood.
Link didn't take their warning lightly. The major studios had backing from large media conglomerates -- financed by Jewish interests on Wall Street. They controlled theaters, agencies, news media, and even had influence in the White House.
If they truly decided to unite against Guess Pictures, Link knew he wouldn't stand a chance with his current resources. After deliberation, he reached out to the major studios to propose a partnership.
He was considering three partners.
First was Columbia-Sony Pictures. While negotiating the overseas rights for Paranormal Activity, he had already finalized plans to cooperate with Columbia. As long as everything went smoothly, they would continue their relationship.
The other two were New Line Cinema and Miramax. Warner Bros. was planning to acquire New Line, and if successful, it would become a subsidiary under the Warner Brothers banner, focused mainly on independent films. Partnering with New Line meant partnering with Warner Bros.
On the other hand, Miramax had been doing exceptionally well in the independent film sector, releasing multiple box office hits like Sex, Lies, and Videotape, My Left Foot, Cinema Paradiso, and Everybody's Fine gaining numerous Oscar nominations and awards. Their success also caught the attention of the major studios.
Recently, Walt Disney had made an offer to acquire Miramax for $80 million, proposing a $700 million production plan and promising the Weinstein brothers considerable autonomy. If that acquisition went through, Miramax would also become a subsidiary of Disney.
Partnering with Miramax would be akin to collaborating with Disney. Temporarily working with these three companies could ease the tensions with the major studios, reducing pressure on Guess Pictures.
While collaborating with these companies, Link could seize opportunities to earn more and position himself as a player in the industry. Once funded, Guess Pictures could enhance its marketing and distribution channels, gradually freeing itself from the grip of the major studios.
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After finalizing partnerships with these companies, Guess Pictures lined up three more film projects.
The first, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, had a budget of $12 million. Link took on roles as investor, executive producer, and artistic director. The director was Tom Shadyac, recommended by Jim Carrey, with Jim starring as the lead, and Monica playing the second female lead, while other casting was still pending.
Next, Pulp Fiction was a collaboration with Miramax and A Band Apart, with Quentin at the helm and an expected investment of $10 million. Guess Pictures was merely investing in this project and wouldn't handle the production.
Finally, Se7en was set to partner with New Line, aiming to start production in the second half of the following year. The director hadn't been finalized yet, but Robert Shaye hoped Link would take on that role. Link had yet to respond.
This collaboration opened doors for Link. Should he find interest in any of the film projects from these studios in the future, he could propose investments elsewhere if any requests were denied, crafting a win-win situation.
Besides the collaborative projects, Guess Pictures had two independent films in the works.
The Blair Witch Project, budgeted at $50,000, had Link serving as producer, screenwriter, and editor, with Sofia Coppola as the assistant director and cinematographer, starring Renee Zellweger, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck. Filming was expected to start next week.
Final Destination had a budget of $15 million, making it Link's third directorial venture, with production projected to start in March or April of next year.
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"Daniel, get in touch with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Check on their preparations and have them come to the office for screen tests. We'll be shooting in the mountains next week," Link said as he made a call to Danny DeVito.
"Okay, Link! I'll reach out to them right away."
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