Although Walt Disney had once created such classic animated characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, by the time the 1980s arrived, the company still wasn't considered one of Hollywood's top-tier film studios. That began to change in the 1980s, when Michael Eisner took over as the head of the animation giant.
It was during his tenure that Disney became one of Hollywood's "Big Seven" studios and grew into a massive media conglomerate with a market value in the billions of dollars.
Of course, like anyone in a position of power, he practiced cronyism and gradually became increasingly self-inflated.
Still, in early 1991, even if Michael Eisner was prone to nepotism, he was at least appointing people with genuine capability—like his nephew, Carter Eisner.
"Carter, excellent job!" Sitting behind his desk, Michael Eisner looked at his nephew. "Decisive, bold—you never hesitate when it's time to act. Keep it up."
Truthfully, he hadn't expected Carter not only to quickly establish himself at Touchstone Pictures but also to achieve such remarkable results. While everyone had believed Ryan Jenkins was a genius, many still thought The Sixth Sense's success had an element of luck. Except for Miramax, the other studios remained hesitant. Who would've thought his widely doubted nephew would be the first to act and partner with Jenkins? As for the result—just look at the box office for Home Alone.
With that, all doubts about Carter vanished entirely. He had firmly secured his position, and Disney's board was even considering expanding his authority in live-action film production.
Although Carter Eisner felt a sense of pride, he remained humble in front of his increasingly authoritarian uncle. Besides, he knew full well—he had made the call to greenlight Home Alone, but without that boy, the outcome might've been entirely different.
He still remembered what director Chris Columbus said after the film's release: "Without Ryan, this movie would be half as good. He's a genius. You won't find a trace of The Sixth Sense in Kevin's character."
"Carter, maintain a good relationship with Ryan Jenkins." As Carter was about to leave the office, Michael Eisner gave another reminder. "We don't need to secure all his projects, but we must ensure that when he has a new idea, Disney is the first studio he thinks of."
Back in his office at Touchstone Pictures, Carter Eisner sat in his chair and thought about everything that had happened since the movie's release. It all felt like a dream.
With a total investment of $18 million, the film had grossed nearly $250 million to date—and it wasn't even out of theaters yet. If luck held out, it might even surpass The Sixth Sense to become the top box office film of the year.
And that was just North America. Since launching in Europe and the Far East in December, the film's overseas box office was also surging. Carter had no doubt the international earnings would match the domestic haul.
Even if Ryan Jenkins' final payout would exceed $8 million, no one could deny it was a fantastic deal. The current net profit alone nearly matched the combined profits of all other Disney films last year. The other Hollywood giants were green with envy.
Hollywood isn't that big—any major development is impossible to hide from industry insiders. Carter had already heard that all the major studios were eyeing Ryan Jenkins' future projects and actively courting him and his two closest associates.
At that thought, Carter couldn't help but admire Harvey Weinstein's foresight. To be honest, he himself had merely followed in Weinstein's footsteps—at best, he'd had a bit more guts than others.
But Weinstein was different. When the boy returned to Los Angeles from London, he was a complete unknown. Even though his work had already made it onto the national bestsellers list, nobody knew he was the author. In such circumstances, Weinstein had unwavering belief in his creative spark, bought the script for The Sixth Sense, and insisted on casting him and his guardian in lead roles. Miramax ended up reaping enormous rewards—and earned its place in Hollywood.
Some might say Miramax discovered Ryan Jenkins, but Carter saw it the other way around: Ryan Jenkins had made Miramax. The original script for The Sixth Sense had been making the rounds in Hollywood for a while—anyone with half a brain would've bought that outstanding screenplay.
What's more, the moment Ryan Jenkins stepped forward with his teenage writer identity, would any of the problems facing a newcomer have remained problems?
Carter Eisner sighed. He was envious—very envious of Miramax.
It was clear that Ryan Jenkins was someone who valued old relationships. His third project had also gone to Miramax. The film, starring Nicole Kidman, was set to release on Valentine's Day. If it grossed over $100 million again, it would cement Jenkins' reputation as a top-tier screenwriter.
And that wasn't all. How much revenue had Miramax earned from The Sixth Sense? Rumor had it the overseas box office was close to $200 million, and more than 30 million VHS tapes had sold in North America!
My God. Just thinking about those numbers made Carter wish he could turn back time two years—he'd swim across the Atlantic if it meant signing Ryan Jenkins to Disney.
No! He'd sign him to himself, make him his exclusive client, and become his agent. Look at Paige Kinsley—just by representing him, she had become one of the hottest agents in Hollywood.
Back to reality. Carter opened a report—an authoritative analysis of last year's Hollywood studios, often used to guide investment and operations.
He barely flipped a few pages before jumping out of his seat. Grabbing Ryan Jenkins' profile, he read it over and over. The boy had become a media sensation, no less famous than any A-list Hollywood star. The paparazzi trailed his every move.
Fortunately, Touchstone had maintained close contact with Paige Kinsley and knew that Ryan was currently with the Terminator 2 crew in New Mexico. Word was, he had taken quite a beating during the filming of some action scenes.
Just a few days ago, Carter had chatted with Nicole Kidman at a party, and she'd mentioned visiting the set in New Mexico soon. That was an opportunity—after all, relationships don't just happen. You have to meet people to build them, right?
As for an excuse or reason—those were always easy to find.
…
Out on a deserted highway in New Mexico, a long trail of lights stretched for kilometers, illuminating half the night sky. A massive film crew, hundreds strong, was hard at work. James Cameron stood atop a temporary tower, shouting commands through a megaphone to coordinate departments.
Inside a trailer serving as the makeup room, Ryan leaned against the door, watching the makeup artist paint Arnold Schwarzenegger's face. He couldn't help but joke, "Arnie, you look like a moldy potato!"
"Potato?" Schwarzenegger straightened up. "Have you ever seen a potato this strong?"
"All right, Ryan, stop fooling around. If we don't finish on time, James is going to blow a gasket again." The makeup artist gave him a pleading smile.
"Fine, I'll head out." Ryan shrugged and stepped outside, gazing at the trail of lights stretching into the distance.
They were about to shoot the film's climactic highway chase. Originally, the plan was to rent a section of highway between Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the state government had agreed.
But plans often change. After the new year, California authorities reneged on the agreement, forcing the crew to relocate to a deserted stretch of road in New Mexico.
Surprisingly, James Cameron hadn't exploded in rage. But considering the cost was almost half as much and they had unlimited nighttime access, it made sense.
This action scene was a massive undertaking. Not only were cars and helicopters mobilized, but over 800 people were involved. Since it was a night shoot, the props department had laid over ten kilometers of power cables, bathing the entire highway in brilliant light.
Coordinating a set of this scale wasn't easy. From all the films Ryan had seen in his previous life, the directors who best handled large-scale scenes were undoubtedly James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and that chubby New Zealander.
Click.
Ryan pulled the charging handle on his M16. The prop gun looked almost identical to the real thing, just much lighter. In the next scene, Linda would be using it in a shootout with the T-1000.
"Scene 32, Shot 56—Action!"
Sarah Connor took cover behind a box truck's door and engaged in a fierce shootout with the T-1000. The police vehicle rocked violently.
It looked intense, but the vehicle wasn't actually moving—just shaking in place. The fire and explosions on set were small fireballs. The impressive effects seen in the final film would mostly be added in post-production.
In this shot, Ryan was just a background character. He crouched in a corner of the truck, clutching two Kevlar vests to keep them from slipping off his body.
Despite all the safety precautions, accidents still happened.
When Linda Hamilton stepped out from behind the truck door to shoot, she moved too forcefully and accidentally fell out of the vehicle, slamming her knee hard against the door with a loud thud.
Ryan was the closest. He immediately jumped from the truck.
Seeing the sweat pouring from her face, he knew something was wrong.
"Doctor! Someone's hurt—get over here!" Ryan shouted to the crew.
Several people, including Cameron, rushed over. The crew's medic quickly examined Linda and breathed a sigh of relief. "Doesn't look like the bone's damaged."
"Thirty-minute break!" James Cameron shouted, then knelt beside Linda. He really did look like a caring boyfriend.