Normally, Sunday isn't a great day for parties because the next day is a workday.
But today was special.
With 'Lethal Weapon 2' entering its fifth weekend, Warner Bros. Pictures saw its North-American gross pass the $100 million mark after Friday and Saturday screenings, so the celebration was set for tonight.
Because 'Lethal Weapon 2' is the first Warner Bros. release since Dante's 'Gremlins' five years ago to cross $100 million domestically, the party at the Beverly Hills Hilton is lavish; Warner's helmsman Steve Ross flew to Los Angeles even while the takeover lawsuits among Time Inc., Warner and Paramount Communications are at their fiercest.
At a luncheon for the crew today he reportedly handed each principal creative a luxury sports-car key in person.
That generosity is exactly why Warner can keep top filmmakers close: the 'Old Cowboy' Clint Eastwood has shot exclusively for them for a decade, and heavyweights like Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand and Cher are all Ross's intimate friends.
Only after two warm personal calls from Ross did Simon finally accept the invitation.
Since Daenerys Entertainment announced its ten-picture slate, Simon may not yet be Hollywood's most powerful man, but he is certainly the most invited; the hoopla over 'Lethal Weapon 2's box-office didn't dampen the frenzy around him.
Even this Warner triumph is expected to finish with barely half the gross of 'The Sixth Sense'.
Because Simon demands partners supply scripts, all seven majors, scores of indie companies, top producers and every agency are flooding Daenerys with screenplays.
These days Simon carries a stack of scripts wherever he goes.
Daenerys already has casts roughly set for next year's 'Ghost', 'Pretty Woman', 'Dances With Wolves' and 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', but the ten-picture announcement has agencies and stars in an uproar.
Ten films mean ten sets of openings.
Everyone knows Daenerys can rocket an actor to the A-list; lesser names are desperate for the lift, and even established superstars can't stay calm.
Hollywood's pie is only so big, when newcomers rise, someone on top must fall.
Inside the Hilton ballroom.
The instant Simon appeared every compass-like gaze swung to the entrance and locked on the young man framed in the doorway.
Steve Ross hurried over with a small entourage; he knew spotlighting Simon was awkward but he would fly to Delaware tomorrow and had no other window.
"Simon, great to see you again", he beamed, hugging him. "Flying solo tonight? No matter, we'll find you a partner".
After returning the embrace Simon asked, "And you, Steve, how've you been?"
"You know I'd love to take a swing at Martin Davis".
Simon laughed. "He wouldn't stand a chance".
Ross chuckled, clapped Simon's shoulder and turned. "You know everyone, ah, this is Barbara; she just asked for an intro".
Simon nodded to Terry Semel, Mel Gibson, Joe Pesci and director Richard Donner, then shook Barbra Streisand's hand. "Ms. Streisand".
"Call me Barbra, Simon".
"Of course, Barbra".
After brief chatter Gibson and the others drifted back into the crowd.
Ross led Simon to a corner table, ordered drinks and said, "I spoke with George Kirgo this afternoon; the WGA circus against Daenerys should end. Have someone touch base tomorrow and it'll be wrapped up".
Simon was no longer worried about the WGA probe, but he nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Steve. How's the lawsuit going?"
He meant the three-way takeover battle.
Paramount's surprise June bid for Time had derailed the almost-sealed Time-Warner merger; after Time resisted, Paramount sued…
The lawsuit pushed the matter to the federal court in Delaware, demanding an injunction against the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Bros.
As is well known, for Tax Avoidance and other reasons, many major North American corporations are incorporated in Delaware.
What caught Simon's attention was that, to fend off Paramount's offer, Time Inc. had recently restructured its all-stock deal with Warner Bros. into a cash-and-stock acquisition.
Steve Ross heard Simon's question, a confident look on his face, and said, "The ruling will come down next month, no big deal".
"Then let me be the first to congratulate you on becoming the head of Hollywood's biggest media company".
Steve Ross raised his glass to Simon with a smile, feeling very pleased with himself.
Given how things stood, the ongoing lawsuit, because of Time Inc.'s fierce resistance, had all but doomed Paramount to leave empty-handed.
Moreover, thanks to the suit, the Time-Warner merger had hit snags, yet Warner Bros. under Steve Ross had unexpectedly gained more advantages. Not only had Time upped its offer for Warner, but Time's executives, originally the acquirers, now desperate to avoid being swallowed, were bending over backwards to secure Warner's cooperation, recently making major concessions on future power-sharing in the new company.
Now, although Warner Bros. was still nominally the target, it had in fact taken the driver's seat in the Time-Warner deal.
Steve Ross loved discussing corporate tactics and negotiation tricks with those around him, and without hiding anything he continued to share inside details of the acquisition with Simon.
After chatting warmly for more than ten minutes, the veteran Hollywood mogul finally came to the point: "Simon, how exactly do you plan to schedule Daenerys Entertainment's ten films?"
Simon was still digesting the merger details Ross had just divulged, gaining sudden insights. He'd been tracking the deal, hoping to learn lessons for his own future moves, and Ross's personal briefing had deepened his understanding considerably.
Time Inc., Warner Bros., and Paramount Communications were all public companies, yet the driving force behind the drama wasn't the shareholders but self-interested, scheming management teams.
Consequently, Paramount Communications' lawsuit, filed in the name of protecting Time shareholders, had aimed at the wrong target from day one. Time's management, the ones with real say, cared little whether shareholders pocketed an extra billion or two; they cared only about safeguarding their own few million or few hundred million windfalls and their grip on the company.
Hearing Ross bring up the ten films, Simon snapped out of his thoughts and gave a wry smile. "Scripts have been flooding in lately, Steve. Honestly, I was reading them in the car on the way here. Scheduling hinges on script quality".
"Simon, I saw the 'Batman' footage this afternoon, it's absolutely stunning. While both 'Look Who's Talking' and 'Batman' are still unreleased, I'm sure we'll have a terrific partnership. So, out of those ten films, Warner isn't asking for much, just give us two more. Deal?"
"I'm also looking forward to more cooperation with Warner, Steve, but you know it has to be the right project".
"I understand, Simon. Warner's library is vast, pick anything you like. And if another script catches your eye, tell Terry; he'll move heaven and earth to get it. I also know Daenerys Entertainment has a deep reserve of IP. If you're willing to bring some of it to Warner, we can accept terms even tighter than usual".
Simon had in fact already screened Warner's first batch of scripts and roughly locked in his targets.
However, with the WGA dispute still unresolved, caution kept him from announcing the chosen projects just yet.
Feeling Ross's unblinking stare, clearly unwilling to let the matter drop, Simon feigned hesitation, then finally said, "All I can say, Steve, is that Warner will definitely have slots among those ten. Exactly how many, I can't promise. And even if we don't partner on those projects, you know Daenerys and Warner will keep developing 'Batman' sequels. Since you've seen the footage, I'm sure you're confident".
That was exactly the assurance Steve Ross had come for tonight.
Warner and Daenerys already had two joint productions, and Ross had read Simon's earlier move; he feared the young man might hand all future openings to rival studios. 'Batman', and 'Superman' and 'Wonder Woman' were on his mind.
Still, the more co-projects with Daenerys Entertainment, the better.
"In that case, enjoy the rest of the party", Ross said, champagne glass raised in a toast to Simon, then added self-mockingly, "I can already feel countless eyes criticizing this Old Man for monopolizing your time".
Simon stood to see Steve Ross off and was heading for some food when Jonathan Friedman beat everyone to the punch, cutting straight to the chase: "Simon, have you picked the projects?"