As the Westeros system successfully concluded the Eaglet Corporation financing deal and the Christie's acquisition, May 1993 arrived.
With the summer season approaching, many blockbuster films were in their final stages of promotional campaigns.
Daenerys Entertainment's flagship summer release was theoretically "Superman," although under the original agreement, Warner Bros. was responsible for its distribution.
Other major releases included "Sleepless in Seattle," a collaboration with Disney, "The Pelican Brief," another partnership with Warner Bros., and "The Firm," starring Keanu Reeves, which Daenerys Entertainment itself would distribute. Besides these, during the four-month summer season, Daenerys Entertainment's subsidiaries, New World Pictures and High Gate Pictures, would also be releasing their own films.
Meanwhile, Daenerys Entertainment's music division underwent a rebranding to Daenerys Music Group (DMG). This change was mostly in name, as Simon did not plan any major restructuring of the music business in the short term.
Additionally, Barry Weiss, the former president of Jive Records who had discovered acts like the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, joined DMG under Daenerys Entertainment's invitation.
Following the reorganization, Richard Palmese, previously the president of Universal Music, was appointed CEO of Daenerys Music Group, overseeing the overall operations of DMG.
Large music groups, after years of development, are typically composed of many subsidiary labels.
What was once Universal Music appeared as a single entity but in reality comprised seven active labels, such as Geffen Records (home to Guns N' Roses), Decca Records (Cher's label), and Futurist Records (focused on death rock). Many other sub-labels, once vibrant, had become dormant following the departure or decline of their artists.
Barry Weiss was appointed president of Infinity Records, a DMG subsidiary. Although this position was equivalent to his former role at Jive Records under RCA, the resources and authority available to him at Infinity Records far exceeded those at Jive.
Infinity Records aimed to focus on developing teen pop artists, with DMG providing maximum support for the promotion and marketing of these signed talents.
Simon could have offered Weiss a higher position, but within the vast DMG, a top role would only burden him with unnecessary administrative tasks. By entrusting Weiss with Infinity Records, he could concentrate on the teen pop segment.
With the initial adjustments to the music business complete and Barry Weiss in place, the next step was to scout for new talent.
Unlike Hollywood, where actors' statuses are clearly stratified, the music industry divides artists into just two categories: those who are famous and those who are not.
While there are indeed different levels of status among musicians, the competition in the music industry is far more intense than in Hollywood. Unsuccessful actors can still linger in the background and wait for opportunities, whereas aspiring singers cannot rely on a steady stream of minor roles. Without a recording contract and recognition, they are effectively nobody.
Furthermore, singing typically requires less technical skill compared to acting, making it more accessible to a larger number of people.
As a result, the number of young people dreaming of becoming stars in the music industry is comparable to those struggling in Hollywood.
Record companies receive countless demo tapes from hopefuls daily, and thousands of albums are released annually, with over 90% failing to make any impact.
Given this context, it's no wonder that artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna are incredibly rare.
For this reason, larger record companies are often more cautious about signing new artists, as a failed investment in a heavily promoted singer could cost the responsible executive their job.
With Infinity Records' goals set, Simon began to personally scout potential teen pop stars, seeking names familiar from his memories.
Among the numerous candidates, Simon identified a group he was interested in: the Backstreet Boys.
This group of five young men from Orlando, Florida, had recently formed and submitted their demo to Infinity Records after learning that DMG was looking for young talent. Simon immediately noticed them.
However, there were some issues to address.
While all five members had promising vocal abilities and potential, two of them were underage, with the youngest, Nick Carter, being only 13 years old.
Given Simon's interest in the "Backstreet Boys" name, the problem was left to Barry Weiss to resolve.
Entering the music industry early is often advantageous, and there are no restrictions on minors starting their careers. However, a 13-year-old middle schooler is not ideal for a boy band targeting the teen market, and promoting underage members involves additional challenges.
The solution was simple: replace the underage members with older, suitable young men.
The original members, who had submitted their demo without high expectations, were thrilled to be selected. They readily agreed to Infinity Records' request for replacements.
Consequently, a ten-year contract was quickly finalized.
Barry Weiss also secured the permanent rights to the "Backstreet Boys" name. This meant that regardless of member changes or the group's disbandment, the name would belong to Infinity Records, and former members would be prohibited from using it for any commercial activities.
For Simon, the Backstreet Boys represented a trial run for Infinity Records, aimed at developing a process for quickly and efficiently producing teen pop stars.
Creating a band from scratch is never easy and requires significant investment.
To demonstrate his commitment to Infinity Records, Simon allocated a year to the Backstreet Boys project, allowing Barry Weiss to utilize DMG's resources freely. He also planned to meet with Weiss weekly to monitor progress and provide guidance based on his memories.
Simultaneously, Infinity Records began scouting other potential teen pop stars.
Simon hoped to emulate the Korean system of nurturing pop stars from a young age, signing promising talents at 14 or 15 and providing them with comprehensive training in vocals and stage presence. Such artists, once launched, would have a higher chance of success and a longer career, compared to those who started without such preparation.
With this goal in mind, Simon naturally turned his attention to the famous Mickey Mouse Club under Disney.
The Mickey Mouse Club, a Disney Channel youth variety show, featured performances of singing, dancing, and skits.
While its ratings were mediocre and it was expected to be canceled within a couple of years due to declining viewership, Simon remembered that many of its members later became famous. Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling were among those who would emerge from the show in the coming years.
Under Simon's direction, Barry Weiss began quietly scouting talent from the Mickey Mouse Club.
However, most of these prospects, like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, were only 12 or 13 years old. DMG wasn't interested in nurturing them for five or six years before they could debut, so they were not suitable for signing at that time.
The one member who seemed appropriate in age was Keri Russell, who at 17, had a striking appearance but lacked the vocal prowess of her younger peers. At 17, she also lacked the malleability needed for long-term development, leading to her being passed over.
Simon had also considered launching a music talent show to scout for young artists. This would not only provide Daenerys TV with a new hit reality show but also help the music division find talented singers.
After some deliberation, he decided to postpone this idea.
Daenerys TV's current lineup of reality shows, like "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" still had strong viewer engagement. Most importantly, Simon planned to save such high-impact shows for their own broadcast network, which they intended to acquire in the future.
As time flew by, May 14 arrived, a Friday.
The summer blockbuster "Superman" was set to release on June 4.
To avoid clashing with this heavyweight film, the summer season officially kicked off today.
On this day, North American theaters saw the release of Fox's "Hot Shots! Part Deux," Columbia Pictures' "My Genius Family," and New World Pictures' "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story."
However, the most significant event this Friday in North American media was the official conclusion of "Jurassic Park's" run in theaters.
After five months, "Jurassic Park" had amassed a total North American box office of $356.71 million.
Simultaneously, its overseas run was also nearing its end, with Japan alone contributing an impressive $120 million in ticket sales. Other major markets like the UK, France, and Germany each grossed $40-50 million.
Following the weekend's tally, "Jurassic Park's" overseas box office totaled $573.11 million, with an estimated additional $50 million expected from remaining markets.
Thus, by mid-May, when "Jurassic Park" ended its North American run, the global box office for this dinosaur sci-fi epic had reached $929.82 million, with final figures likely approaching $980 million.
Even though it fell short of the $1 billion mark, a global total of $980 million was enough to surpass the record set by "Batman: The Beginning," making "Jurassic Park" the highest-grossing film in history.
With $980 million worldwide, after deducting all production, marketing costs, and profit shares for Spielberg and other key contributors, Daenerys Entertainment would still net $200 million from box office revenues alone.
And box office earnings were just a fraction of "Jurassic Park's" profit potential.
Merchandise sales for the film had reached $1.3 billion over the past few months, generating nearly $200 million in profits. It was projected that by the time "Jurassic Park 2" was released, merchandise sales could hit $2 billion.
Including future revenue from video releases, TV broadcasts, and Universal Studios' planned "Jurassic Park" theme park attractions, this single film was set to bring Daenerys Entertainment no less than $1 billion in net profit.
As "Jurassic Park" concluded its North American run, sparking discussions abroad about Hollywood's dominance, North American media noted the slow progress in developing a sequel.
Spielberg had wrapped filming "Schindler's List" and was returning to Hollywood for post-production.
Yet, in recent interviews, Spielberg's responses about a "Jurassic Park" sequel were ambiguous, and Daenerys Entertainment executives offered similarly unclear replies, hinting at underlying tensions.
According to Spielberg's contract with Universal, following "Schindler's List," he still owed Daenerys Entertainment one more film.
However, there was evident disagreement between Spielberg and Daenerys Entertainment regarding the "Jurassic Park" sequel.
The likely issue was a dispute over profits.
Daenerys Entertainment expected to earn over $1 billion from "Jurassic Park," while Spielberg's compensation, including salary and profit shares, was around $45 million.
For any Hollywood filmmaker, $45 million is a substantial sum.
But Spielberg felt undercompensated.
Had he received the standard 20% net profit share deal he had with Columbia for "Hook," he would have made at least $200 million.
Of course, the failure of "Hook" meant Spielberg didn't earn much from it, which is why he had accepted the fixed 10% of North American box office revenue for "Jurassic Park," securing a guaranteed payout regardless of the film's financial success.
However, with "Jurassic Park" becoming a massive hit, Spielberg saw the seemingly favorable deal as a trap.
This perspective is understandable.
Still, with the contract already signed, changes were not feasible.
For Spielberg, if Daenerys Entertainment wanted him to direct the sequel, they would need to offer a more lucrative deal to compensate for what he viewed as a shortfall from the first film.
Historically, Spielberg earned a staggering $250 million from the first "Jurassic Park," while his compensation for the sequel dropped to $70 million. This time, having only received $45 million for the first film, Spielberg expected higher returns for the sequel to offset what he perceived as a loss.
Moreover, in Hollywood, major filmmakers often believe that studios are unlikely to replace them. This standoff between Spielberg and Daenerys Entertainment was seen as a strategic negotiation tactic.
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