Eszterhas' first produced screenplay was "F.I.S.T.", directed by Norman Jewison. Eszterhas contributed to the script of 1983's highly successful "Flashdance", and wrote the screenplays for "Jagged Edge", "Jade", "Betrayed", "Sliver", and "Basic Instinct". In 1989, Eszterhas planned to leave Creative Artists Agency because an old friend was restarting his agency. Michael Ovitz, then the chairman of CAA, threatened to prevent CAA actors from acting in Eszterhas' future projects. Eszterhas wrote a letter that loosened the stranglehold that CAA had on Hollywood.