346 - Hollywood: Blueprint (Patreon)

346 - Made to Look Like a Monster

A different angle and a new soundtrack could make an ordinary piece of footage tell a very different story.

The clip on the television had been filmed during Joker. Zack Snyder, Robert, and others on the crew had caught Evan dancing on set. They had edited the recording, added music, and given it to him as a joke. Later it became an extra on a commemorative director's-cut cassette distributed to some of the film's most devoted fan groups. Warner also hoped to bundle that cassette with Batman Begins on home video once the newer film had finished its theatrical run.

Someone had taken the same images and darkened them. The playful soundtrack was gone; an eerie one had replaced it. Evan's absorbed expression, harmless in the original, now looked disturbing.

"This footage suggests Evan Rosenberg has had psychological problems for some time," a commentator declared. "Look at his behavior. A normal person wouldn't wear an expression like that."

The clip gave way to a talk-show set. In recent weeks, programs like this had covered Evan's wealth, investments, and relationships. This one took the allegations further.

"It may also explain why his former girlfriend Katie describes him as abusive," the host said. "We're told that even at university, he was drawn to violent, dark films. His experimental shorts were filled with blood, and classmates struggled to understand what he was trying to say."

The screen switched to an interview. A caption identified the speaker as a former classmate.

"His professors praised his ability, yes. But a lot of us thought his talent was headed in the wrong direction. Even the short exercises were full of violence. Sometimes I couldn't find a story in them at all."

Harvey Weinstein rose from his desk, crossed to the television, and turned the sound almost all the way down. The images kept moving.

He recognized the method. It did not require every detail to be false. The most effective attack began with things that had happened, rearranged them, and supplied a conclusion the evidence did not support. Finding the footage, the former classmate, and a national platform so quickly would have taken coordination.

"Show this clip often enough and people will start treating him as unstable whether he is or not," Harvey said. "Abuser, madman, monster. Anthony, what do you suppose comes next?"

Minghella looked as unsettled as he felt. He and Rourke had wanted to hurt Evan's standing. He had not expected their move to become an opening for a campaign this large.

"Why?" he asked. "What does it accomplish? A former girlfriend accusing him and people calling him unhinged won't necessarily ruin him. He's a director, not a star who has to sell his own face."

"That's naive."

Harvey sat down again. His past dealings with Evan had been cordial enough, but he had no particular desire to see the younger man prosper forever. He took a thick cigar from a drawer, clipped the end, and lit it while Minghella waited.

"Whoever is doing this won't stop after one day," he said. "They're building a reputation he can't shake."

"But why go this far?"

"Hollywood needs directors and producers who make money. What it doesn't need, from the point of view of every studio that isn't Warner, is one man who keeps making money for the same rival. Warner has taken more than its share. If the other companies can't win that business back at the box office, making the man behind it harder to sell is another option."

Minghella stared at him. "You think the other five studios could be involved?"

"Maybe fewer. Maybe more people than you think." Harvey drew on the cigar. "Keep this going, and plenty of casual moviegoers will associate his name with cruelty and instability. They don't need a verdict to decide they would rather buy a ticket to something else."

Anthony could see the point. A filmgoer choosing a weekend movie might hear a damaging allegation without ever learning how the story had been assembled. Even if Evan lost neither a lawsuit nor a dollar immediately, the campaign could make his next release a harder choice for part of the audience. Allegations of abuse could also drive away viewers who did not want their ticket money to support him.

"Stop thinking about it," Harvey said. His mood had changed. "And forget any part you played. Put your attention on The English Patient. Forget the photographs. Forget Rourke. If Warner decides to hit back, you don't want them looking at you."

The studios could trade blows for years and survive. A director with one film in production did not have the same protection. Minghella nodded, got to his feet, and left. He had seen enough. Finishing his film mattered more than watching Evan's troubles unfold.

Across Burbank, Warner Bros. CEO Jeff Robinov and Bruce Rosenblum watched the same program from Jeff's office. Jeff had worked with Evan as the studio's production chief before taking the top job; Mark Feldman remained one of its senior executives. For a while neither spoke.

"His successes are making people impatient," Jeff said at last.

The smear angered him, but its commercial logic was plain. Warner's recent income came from its own big productions, especially sequels, and from Evan's films. The two streams had kept the studio ahead of its major rivals.

Evan's superhero hit had also brought DC's characters new life and given Warner a path beyond a single successful release. Merchandising, licensing, and future films could make that advantage last for years. Other studios could try to imitate the style, but none controlled the same catalog of DC characters, and none had Evan directing its expansion.

That did not mean every rival had conspired together. It did mean more than one stood to gain if his audience began to turn away.

"Do we move now?" Bruce asked, tapping the arm of his chair. "By tomorrow morning, other outlets will be on this. It won't be limited to the commentators and publications already running it. He's the story everyone wants to cover."

"Have publicity call the editors we know," Jeff said. "Ask them to hold back until there's something more than a recut video and a few insinuations."

He turned toward the window. The sunlight outside made the office look calmer than it felt.

"And tell John Gray to stay in Boston. Reporters will find the set soon enough. John can deal with them and leave Evan room to work. As for the rest, I want to know who is pushing this beyond CAA and the outlets friendly to Disney."