Chapter 259: The Kid's Got the Look
While Aaron and Nicole Kidman were enjoying their romantic getaway in Australia, Hollywood itself was anything but calm.
The aggressively expanding Viacom had recently acquired both Blockbuster and Paramount Communications, but the rapid expansion came at a cost—soaring debt and worsening financial pressure.
Faced with mounting liabilities, chairman Sumner Redstone began considering the sale of certain assets to ease the burden. At the top of that list was the sports powerhouse, Madison Square Garden (MSG Group).
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Naturally, there was no shortage of interested buyers.
One was Charles Dolan, head of Cablevision (CVC), along with telecom giant ITT Corporation.
After selling AMC to Dawnlight, CVC still retained several valuable media assets, including the Playboy Channel—run in partnership with Playboy—and the premium cable network Bravo, co-owned with NBC.
MSG Group itself was no small prize.
Back in 1977, Gulf+Western (Paramount's predecessor) had acquired MSG for $185 million. Now, years later, its valuation had climbed close to $1 billion—making any acquisition a massive undertaking.
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Meanwhile, Barry Diller—who had previously battled Redstone for control of Paramount—had ultimately lost out.
It seemed Hollywood was slipping further and further from his grasp.
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At the same time, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Eon Productions made a major announcement regarding the future of the James Bond franchise.
After Timothy Dalton stepped down from the role following the 17th Bond film, the new 007 was officially confirmed:
Pierce Brosnan.
Interestingly, this wasn't the first time Brosnan had been considered. As early as 1986, producer Albert R. Broccoli had wanted him to take over as James Bond in The Living Daylights.
But due to contractual obligations with the NBC series Remington Steele, Brosnan had been forced to turn it down—opening the door for Dalton instead.
Now, years later, the role had finally come full circle.
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And this time…
Hollywood seemed to agree on one thing:
The new Bond?
Yeah… the kid's got the look.
At this moment, on Hamilton Island—nestled in the heart of the Whitsundays within Australia's Great Barrier Reef—the white sands stretched endlessly alongside crystal-clear waters, forming a picture-perfect tropical escape.
Inside a private beachfront villa, Nicole Kidman straddled Aaron, her golden hair flowing wildly as the moment burned with intensity.
Some time later, flushed and glistening with sweat, Nicole slipped down and collapsed softly against his chest.
"So?" she murmured, catching her breath. "Isn't the scenery here incredible?"
"It's peaceful too… perfect for a getaway, right?"
Aaron smiled, his hand gliding over her smooth, pale skin.
"It really is. Makes it easy to relax," he said.
"And with Australia's most beautiful woman keeping me company… who could possibly resist?"
Nicole leaned in and kissed his cheek lightly.
"I'll be heading back to Sydney soon," she said. "I've got promotional events for The Pelican Brief."
"And you? Going straight back?"
Aaron nodded.
"Yeah… it's about time."
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By the end of February, Aaron had returned to Los Angeles. The Chinese-language film Blood and Tears of Chinese Laborers, backed by Dawnlight's subsidiary, had entered its final stages of pre-production.
Meanwhile, Rumble in the Bronx—a co-production between Dawnlight and Golden Harvest starring Jackie Chan—was performing exceptionally well across Hong Kong and Asia.
The film pulled in HK$56 million in Hong Kong alone, along with NT$120 million in Taipei. Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia also delivered strong box office results.
Aaron recalled that around 1994, mainland China would begin implementing the revenue-sharing import film policy—though the exact timing remained unclear.
For now, Hong Kong films were still treated as imports unless co-produced, meaning they didn't benefit from the same advantages.
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That evening, inside a West Hollywood club—
Jack Wells was animatedly recounting the recent 1994 NBA All-Star Game, held at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
"The East starters were Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, B. J. Armstrong, Derrick Coleman, and Kenny Anderson—even Patrick Ewing came off the bench!"
"Our West lineup had Hakeem Olajuwon, Shawn Kemp, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, and Mitch Richmond."
"The East won 127–118, and Pippen took MVP—but honestly, the real highlight was the showdown between Olajuwon and Ewing!"
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Aaron shrugged.
"This year's the 1994 FIFA World Cup—and it's being held in the U.S."
"The Rose Bowl in Los Angeles is one of the main venues. I've barely kept up with that, let alone the All-Star Game."
Truth be told, he hadn't paid much attention even to last month's Super Bowl—though Dawnlight certainly had. Their summer film ads during the halftime show had proven highly effective, prompting more studios to follow suit this year.
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As Aaron spoke, his gaze drifted across the club—landing on a young man nearby.
"Jack, you know that kid?" he asked.
Jack glanced over and nodded.
"Yeah. That's Leonardo DiCaprio. Twenty years old."
"He worked with Robert De Niro in This Boy's Life, and with Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis in What's Eating Gilbert Grape."
"He just got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor—and now he's also nominated for the Oscar in the same category."
Jack smirked slightly.
"What, you see something in him?"
Aaron smiled faintly.
"Just think the kid's got a good look."
But in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, he had been standing beside Johnny Depp—the reigning heartthrob of Hollywood.
At this stage, Leonardo DiCaprio was still far from that level.
In terms of fame, status, and influence… he was just another newcomer at the bottom of the industry.
Jack shook his head.
"Guys like him? Hollywood's full of them. Without the right opportunity… it's almost impossible to break through."