Just off the phone with Disney… Think you had a call earlier?
Actually, they are thrilled with the news about the fight on set, shutting down production and the fact Andrew has been drug into a sexual and drug scandal! Pack it in. We have no job here.
Spent a few hours with their PR person. The suggestion is we put Andrew and Minna in a relationship for the next few months.
Disney thought is we make it look like Francis became unhinged because of jealousy, the fight looks less on Andrew baiting him, more on Francis. They’ll help with that narrative in the press. We reckon it won’t be too difficult to turn it on to Lyon. He has a history of being difficult and it hasn’t harmed his reputation.
Only problem is he is erratic, so we’re not sure we communicate with his people. If we don’t, however, seeing the Lyon family vs Disney might be a spectacle of the ages. What’s your take? Either way - we cannot do this in a way Andrew or Minna find out.
The next suggestion is we put Minna in rehab with Andrew’s public support. It will eliminate the suspicion he has been using with her and shows him as a positive role model in this debacle. Disney is adamant we find a way to keep his name clean.
We give it a few months after rehab, a few think pieces on how well she is doing and have them amicably split in time for both to enjoy the latter half of their summer. If the narrative fits, we can look at a reunion around Okja for a while. Fab press for the film.
Disney’s been great about this, really. They’re already pulling the strings for a Vanity Fair profile on “Cinderella” after Min’s out of rehab. I have an outline for that, if you want, but it’s mostly a redemption arc and tying her mental health into why she abused and how working on Cinderella made her realise she needed to become better.
This whole thing isn’t her fault, but on behalf of Minna I want to apologise. She’s mortified her private life is all over the news and that Andrew’s been drug into it. Let’s get a conference call together this week to discuss, agree next steps and then bring Andrew and Minna into it. I don’t care if she disagrees - if we decide to do this, she’ll wear a goddamn diamond ring if we tell her.
