HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 381


Dawn Of The Dead was Zack Snyder's first movie. It was also his first step into stardom. Zack Snyder had a unique filming style that followed Noir genre.

As for Kazir, perhaps his uniqueness was his fast filming... This kind of talent only worked for someone like him, since he already had an idea what to film. The vision was already completed in his mind and there was no reason to experiment.

Usually, when creating a movie, more than 30% of the scenes might not be included in the official film.

The best example was Ridley Scott's Kingdom Of Heaven. This movie was based on a historical event. However, a lot of scenes didn't make it to the theater version so the plot became confusing. Causing the film to flop.

When Ridley Scott had the chance to prove himself in the DVD version, he gave the movie justice. At least the plot had more sense compared to the theater version.

For Kazir, wasting scenes rarely happened because the complete version of the movie was already in his mind. His vision was firm and rarely changed.

Anyway, that was Kazir's unique talent. His strong memory regarding movies that he watched.

As for Zack Snyder, he was known for using darkish lighting effects in his movies. It became his originality. It also helped his career.

This was one of the reasons why Kazir wanted Zack Snyder to work for him... The second reason was the possible creation of DCEU. Zack, in the future, would be the one responsible for the creation of DCEU.

Now that Kazir officially joined Marvel's side, of course he didn't want to see the success of the DCEU. If possible, he wanted the DCEU to fail. So hiring Zack Snyder was part of his plan.

Once Zack Snyder became part of the 20th Century Fox family, then it would be hard for Warner Brothers to hire him... It depends on the contract and salary though.

'Now that I think about it, Zack didn't visit Grey Pictures after our meeting. It seems that he decided to work with Universal Pictures, huh...'

From the looks of it, Universal Pictures offered Zack a contract he could never say no... Which was a mystery because Zack Snyder was just a newbie, basically a nobody.

Universal Pictures owned the rights to Dawn Of The Dead. He was relieved a little bit since it was not Warner Brothers... Kazir didn't know that Universal Pictures was cooking something.

'Perhaps we can have another chance to work next time. I still have the adaptation rights of 300 after all. I believe Zack is interested in this comic. As for Mara, I have no idea about her at all. Let's just forget about her.'

While Kazir was in deep thought, his eyes kept staring at Scarlett. By the way this was normal for many men. Once in a while, they would stare at nowhere, their minds devoid of anything.

"Hm? What are you looking at? Am I that pretty that you can't stop staring at me?"

Scarlett stared back but Kazir was just staring... Seconds passed and Scarlett started getting flustered because the guy never averted his gaze at all.

"A- Anyway, me and Sofia have something to do, so bye!"

"Huh? Oh, Scarlett, you are still here? I thought you already left?"

Kazir stopped daydreaming and realized that Scarlett was blushing for some unknown reason.

"You never changed at all."

"I guess so." He scratched his hair.

"Take care. See you next time. You look tired, you should probably need a sleep."

Scarlett waved at him before entering the elevator.

'... I need sleep? Am I really that sleep deprived? Since when did Scarlett worry about me?'

Kazir shook his head before looking at Erica who witnessed the whole bantering.

"Is there something you want to say, Erica?"

"Sir, you have a strong sex appeal. I can understand why some women in the company pester me about your contact information... Ahem, anyway. You're usually mature but sometimes you act stupid and childish, although you only show your childish side to few people."

"Thanks, I guess."

Kazir had no idea why Erica said that.

"Let's go to Salvatore's office."

Salvatore was one of the biggest agents in CAA. His position was just lower than the co-chairman since many of his clients were famous celebrities. Even Scarlett Johansson was getting a steady foothold in the industry. Even Enzo Park was doing well.

Salvatore's status was equal to Pat Kingsley who was Tom Cruise's agent.

In fact, Salvatore also had his own secretary and his office was huge.

The secretary saw Kazir and Erica and she immediately called her boss.

"Director, Sir Barlowe is waiting for you in his office."

Kazir didn't think twice and opened the door. Erica stayed outside, knowing that Kazir's meeting with Salvatore was something private.

Kazir then found Salvatore at his working table. The agent looked tired. If Kazir was haggard, then Salvatore was dead tired. His eye bags had their own eye bags! How is that even possible!?

The red bull cans on the table also attracted Kazir's attention.

"How's my co-chairman!?"

"Kazir, don't jinx it."

Salvatore sighed and greeted Kazir with a bro hug.

The two found their seats.

"Do you need coffee or Red Bull?"

"I'm fine with water."

"Kazir, I guess you know the reason why I called you here."

"Scarlett was here in the building, did you also talk to her?"

"No, but she greeted me earlier. You're the first client I will talk to about my situation."

"You don't have to worry, Salvatore. We are not partners, I already considered you as my brother."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Salvatore nodded slightly.

"Kazir... If we lose next week, are you fine with leaving CAA?"

"..."

Kazir already heard that Kevin Huvane wanted to become the CEO by kicking Bryan Lourd out of the company.

Kevin Huvane and Salvatore were on the same side. If Salvatore helped Kevin win the voting next week, then Salvatore would get the position of Co-chairman of CAA.

However, if they lost, there might be a chance that Salvatore would be expelled from CAA.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter
Luckily Kazir Grey day dreaming came off as endearing instead of creepy in front of a young adult Scarlet Johnson variant.
This his good looks saves his hide at the Studios company after hearing about his half sister Maria Grey.
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 382


CAA had three co-chairmen, this was used so that no one could dominate the company. CAA was founded because agents were tired of WMA bossing them.

Because of this, every agent could become a co-owner of CAA as long as the money he or she brought to the company was significant. (I can't confirm this part, I just know that every agent is a legitimate partner of the company. CAA is also a private company.)

However, despite having three co-chairmen, the company only had one CEO. This position was currently held by Bryan Lourd. In a way, this position technically held the authority over the company. This was the position that Kevin Huvane was striving to acquire.

Lately, Kevin Huvane's side was getting stronger and they decided to start voting for election against Bryan Lourd. With more shareholders on his side, the election for a new CEO was authorized and it would happen next week.

The situation seemed good to Kevin Huvane but there were always unpredictable things that could happen. Such as Bryan Lourd and Richard Lovett working together...

Richard Lovett was also one of the three co-chairmen.

If that happened, Kevin Huvane might lose his position instead and it could also affect Salvatore's position in the company.

So it was understandable why Salvatore seemed stressed.

"Salvatore's, I trust you. Grey Pictures is already steady and we have 20th Century Fox as our backer. The company is stronger now compared to five years ago."

Hearing Kazir's response, Salvatore slightly smiled. His tired face alleviated a little.

"The reason why I stayed at CAA is because of you. I trust you. And you're also the first person who trusted me... Let's exclude my brother since we're relatives, but anyway, you sure understand right?"

"Haha, of course." The agent laughed.

"If you want to start an agency, I will leave CAA and become your client again."

"Thanks Kazir, your answer helped me a lot."

Salvatore suddenly felt brave. He didn't fear the outcome of the election anymore. But that bravery only lasted a few seconds.

The agent remembered that Kazir was not the only client he had. Sure Kazir was the most significant client but it didn't mean that the others were not important.

Every one of his clients was important. They all found their footing in the industry. Everyone had steady projects and made millions yearly... It would be painful to let them go.

So if possible, Salvatore would fight for the election to make sure that he would get the best outcome.

"It's nice to talk to you, Kazir."

"I'm glad I can help."

The two stood up and hugged again.

"Oh by the way, before I forget, do you mind speaking with Brianna? I'm a little bit worried about her."

"Brianna? Are you talking about her interest in Monster?"

"That's right... I actually want her to talk to a psychiatrist but I don't know how to convince her." Salvatore sighed and shook his head.

"..."

Kazir felt like the situation might not be that simple.

Monster was a movie that Brianna was super interested in doing. However, she failed to get the leading role. Instead, Charlize Theron got the role.

Brianna almost shaved her brows just to show her seriousness. Kazir recalled that Brianna was a bit unstable while training for the role of a serial killer prostitute...

'Is this the reason why Brianna didn't have any role lately?'

"Don't worry, she's doing fine. She's just been depressed lately." Salvatore added.

Kazir nodded.

'I hope so, because Brianna is deep into Method Acting. If she failed to get out of her role, she might lose herself.'

Method actors were known to do extreme stuff just to master their art. Method acting could create trauma, especially if the character they portray is mentally unhealthy.

"I will talk to her tomorrow."

Knowing that Brianna might need help, Kazir decided to talk to her tomorrow.

Kazir knew the danger of depression. In fact, in his past life, he also underwent therapy. He had four therapists in his lifetime. If not for them, he might have killed himself earlier. Although attending therapies also remind him of his trauma so he couldn't be confident about its effects.

'Therapy is not a popular thing in the early 2000s. Although mental health would be recognized later on so therapists became a stable job.'

As of now... Kazir believed that he didn't need a therapist. His life was going well in the right direction. Sure, he was afraid of women but that was a defense mechanism that he didn't hate. This trauma protected him, sort of...

"I will contact Brianna to tell her to visit your studio tomorrow." Salvatore said.

"Thanks. Good luck with the election."

"Yeah, I might have to talk to Enzo and Fremont tomorrow."

"I'm sure they will understand."

The two bid farewell and Kazir left the company.

.........

......

...

The next morning arrived. Kazir texted Angelina good morning but the woman didn't respond, perhaps she was still sleeping.

After that, his car was already waiting outside of the house. As usual, his bodyguard Anderson was the driver.

"Good morning, Anderson."

"Good morning, sir."

Half an hour later, the car reached the studio that Sony-Colombia used to film indoor scenes.

"Sir, this is your schedule for today. Miss Willow wants to talk to you after the filming to talk about CCU."

Right when Kazir entered the studio, Erica was already there to greet him with work.

"Thanks, Erica." Kazir chuckled, he was used to this kind of situation. In fact, he was lucky today because he only had one meeting.

As for filming for 8 hours, that was Kazir's fun time so he didn't think of it as work. At least not that much.

"Oh, Miss Evans is already waiting for you... I advise you to be prepared because she's not looking great."

Erica whispered.

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 383


Kazir went into the studio. He saw the crew members working and he was greeted with good morning, Kazir returned the greeting.

"Sir, Brianna is in the trailer." Erica reminded him.

"Thanks."

Even though the studio was indoor, the crew still prepared trailers for the cast to use. These actors and actresses needed privacy after all... It didn't help that celebrities were arrogant and loved to have their own space. Well, they were the faces of Hollywood so they have the reason to act arrogant.

Sometimes, trailers were used to do drugs, have sex, and do makeup/change clothes... These three things were the normal stuff happening in trailers.

God knows how many celebrities used their private trailers to have sex.

Kazir headed to one of the trailers designated for female extras. Typically, female extras and background actors share a single trailer, taking turns using the space whenever they need to change clothes.

"Brianna? Are you there?"

Kazir knocked on the door, asking for permission to enter.

"The door's open. You can go in."

Hearing the approval, Kazir opened the door and found Brianna sitting in front of a mirror.

"Hi Brianna, we haven't met for quite a while."

"Good morning, Kazir."

Kazir studied the woman. Overall, Brianna seemed fine. However, he felt something odd about her gaze... Kazir felt like the woman was lifeless because her eyes didn't have emotions. Like a serial killer who didn't show sympathy for her victims.

Kazir gulped.

Kazir realized that if Brianna successfully got the role in Monster, she might drown in the character and completely lose herself.

Thankfully, Brianna didn't get the role.

"Brianna, Salvatore is worried about you so he wants me to talk to you."

"Don't worry director, I'm fine." She smiled.

'Yeah, you look fine...'

This was not the Brianna who participated in Wanted. This was also not the Brianna who starred in Runaway Bride. The person in front of Kazir was a different Brianna Evans.

'She is really talented. A chameleon who can easily change the color of her skin.'

Kazir admitted that the woman was a great actress. Her acting could attract every director in the industry.

"Brianna, do you want to do a cameo in my movie? Don't worry it's just a short scene and you don't have to say a line at all."

"I want to. Salvatore stopped me from participating in any film lately."

When she heard that she would have a chance to act in front of a camera, Brianna became excited.

"That's great to hear. But I have to tell you that your role is only a vase, a background character."

"That's fine with me. You don't even have to pay me at all."

The woman easily agreed. Usually, she had an agent who would negotiate for her salary, sometimes it was Salvatore, and sometimes a different agent.

"Okay. Now, let's get to the job. Here's the background information of your character."

Kazir gave Brianna a thin document, listing all the information about her role. This made Brianna a bit surprised. She didn't expect that she would have to read a background profile for this cameo.

For the record, Brianna was now in her late 30s and she had worked in the acting industry since college. She was a theater stage actress from Australia, and she also had her fair share of experience working in movies... Although her roles were usually vases.

So she didn't expect that this background character would actually have her own story.

"I know that you're an actress who loves diving into your character's story so I prepared something for you. Well then, see you later. The crew will call you once the set is ready."

Brianna nodded and started reading.

"Shella Vancob. A woman in her 30s who wants to be a famous actress. She was from the UK but went to America to pursue her dream of becoming a famous actress..."

Brianna felt like the character resembled her life.

She was clueless about the reason why Salvatore wanted her to talk to Kazir. So she didn't understand the purpose of this cameo.

While she was reading more, her mood slowly changed. She was internally absorbing the essence of the character, to become her. She closed her eyes, merging with Shella Vancob.

Then, the door opened. This trailer was for extras to use and they didn't expect to see a famous actress inside.

Shella, I mean, Brianna opened her eyes and greeted the person.

"Good morning."

"Good morning-- Wait a minute, are you Miss Brianna Evans?"

"That's right. That's me."

Brianna's eyes were lively, unlike earlier. She smiled and waved her hand at the actress.

"W- wha--!! C- Can I get an autograph!? I'm a fan!"

"Of course."

"Wha--!"

The female actress almost squealed.

Because the trailer was for female extras, Brianna decided to leave the trailer and check the studio.

As of now, the crew members are adjusting the seats. The studio looked like a restaurant.

This was the scene where Dr. Octopus attacked Peter Parker in the restaurant to ask him about Spider-Man's whereabouts.

Brianna looked around and saw some actors she recognized such as Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. They became famous after the success of the first movie.

"Oh, looks like you came out of the trailer."

Kazir saw Brianna.

"So here's your role. You're the waiter who will bring coffee to Peter Parker and Mary Jane. You will smile at them and leave."

"Alright."

Brianna knew that this was the usual role for a vase. A vase is a term used when a beautiful woman is used as a background character, just to make the scene pleasing to the eye.

However, even a small screentime was very important to extras, because that could become their opportunity to be recognized by other directors.

Even an extra who had one line had a higher salary compared to other extras who were just in the background.

Kazir was satisfied when he saw that Brianna looked fine now. At least her eyes didn't look dead.

"That's great to hear. Oh, after this scene, don't immediately leave. I have a script here that might take your interest. I know you want to participate in the Academy Awards, so maybe this script can help you."

Brianna then looked at Kazir with surprise.

+++++

[Author's Note: If you're interested in reading more, you can check out my Patreon. Currently, HWI has 177 advance chapters on Patreon. You can also vote on polls that can determine the trajectory of this novel.]

P@treon link: https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 384


"Do you love me or not?" Mary Jane asked an important question, staring at Peter Parker.

"I..." Peter Parker paused, he didn't know how to respond.

Mary Jane was waiting for his answer, hoping to hear "yes".

"I... don't."

Peter looked down, with his eyeglasses, becoming a bit blurry.

Mary Jane looked disappointed.

"You don't," she said back to him.

"Um, excuse me. But here's your order. A cup of latte and cappuccino. Have a great day!"

Their conversation stopped when a woman in her 30s put their orders on the table. She smiled at them before leaving.

Mary Jane bit her lip and closed her eyes for a second. Then, she stared at Peter.

"Kiss me," she said.

"Kiss you?"

"I need to know something. Just one kiss." She touched Peter's hand.

The two closed their eyes and their lips slowly came closer.

Unfortunately, right before their lips touched, Peter's spider-sense started acting up!

A fucking car dived into the restaurant!

The glass wall cracked as the car crashed into the restaurant, destroying the property.

Peter grabbed Mary Jane and protected her from the danger. The debris flew everywhere.

The waitress screamed and started running away as she witnessed the destruction.

"Cut-!"

Kazir uttered and the performance stopped. Based on his reaction, he had no intention of reshooting the scene. Probably because the performance was on point.

The crew members clapped their hands, congratulating the cast and extras who participated in the scene.

Even Brianna was congratulated.

"Ma'am, I'm a fan. I want to say that you're an amazing actress." Kirsten said to Brianna.

"Thanks. You too, you're an amazing actress." She replied.

If this happened seven years ago, Brianna might be over the top in celebration. Becoming a background character in a big-budget movie was a huge accomplishment for a nobody like her. Especially when the movie was directed by Kazir Grey.

This was enough to boost her credentials as an actress.

But now, Brianna already reached the top and she was recognized as one of the most talented actresses in the industry.

Brianna saw Kazir talking to Alfred Molina, probably about the next scene. Because Dr. Octopus was the one responsible for throwing the car into the restaurant.

"Okay, let's take a break."

A few minutes later, Kazir announced the lunch break. People needed to eat to gain energy. Kazir understood the importance of eating at the right time so he would make sure that the crew and the cast would have the time to eat and rest.

Furthermore, Kazir was also hungry.

"Brianna, let's eat together. I'm sure you're interested in the script I talked about earlier."

"Yes, director." Despite being both clients of Salvatore, Brianna still showed respect to Kazir.

After all, directors like Kazir had a higher status than Brianna. Also, Kazir was the person who introduced Brianna to Salvatore. She would never forget that goodwill.

"By the way, your acting is on point. I thought you're really a waitress."

"I worked in a restaurant as a waitress before auditioning for Taken. I have experience."

The two found a restaurant near the studio... This restaurant also had some crew members eating. This was one of the nearest restaurants in the studio so it was obvious why some of the crew members were eating here.

The crew greeted Kazir, Brianna, Erica, and Anderson.

"I want two bacon sandwiches and cold water," Kazir said to the waiter.

"That's also my order." Brianna followed.

While waiting for their orders, Kazir decided to give the script to Brianna.

"Actually, I have two scripts here for you. It depends on what you like to choose."

Kazir gave her two documents. One with the title of La La Land, and the second had the title of Nomadland.

Brianna looked at the two documents and then stared at Kazir.

The guy chuckled and explained.

"Fremont Smith is interested in filming an art film, to compete at the Academy Awards. However, he can't find a good script that will help him. You know, the Academy Awards is very picky. So I decided to help him and wrote these scripts."

Kazir was now a master in lying.

"La La Land is a musical. While Nomadland is about a woman who travels around the country with her van."

Brianna felt like the characters of these two scripts had no mental illness... Which was a big factor in winning an Oscar statue.

You see, the members of the AMPAS(Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) had a thing with psychotic characters, especially when the said characters were based on real life.

Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute serial killer.

Heath Ledger as the Joker. A fictional character but had a strong impact on the comic industry. Joker is the definition of insanity.

Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers in the movie Black Swan. A ballerina who slowly loses her sense of reality and falls into madness.

The list just keeps going on...

Anyway, Brianna didn't know that Kazir had no intention of giving her a dangerous role. However, he also knew that Brianna was interested in winning the Oscar.

This was the best thing he could do to help her.

"You can only choose one. Since you have experience working with Fremont once, I'm sure that you know his ability. You can convince him to join you in this endeavor."

"..."

Brianna was silent. Her heart was actually beating fast. These two scripts were created by Kazir Grey! One of the best screenwriters in the industry!

"Each of these two had their pros and cons so choose wisely... Ah, you also have to sign an NDA if you want to take the scripts. You know, for security."

If people knew that Kazir wrote two new scripts, the Big Six might kick the door of the Writer's Guild just to get a copy. This kind of method was frowned upon, but the Big Six were powerful enough to disregard the consequences.

+++++

[I created a poll for this where patrons can vote between La La Land and Nomadland. Based on what you can see, most patrons voted for La La Land.]

[Hey, I just want to promote my Pat reon and Ko-fi. For $10 you can read 177 chapters of HWI and other content about my Pat reon and Ko- fi].

P@treon link: https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

Ko-fi link: https://ko-fi.com/pujimaki

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 385


La La Land was a musical romantic comedy-drama film. The film originally stars Ryan Gosling as a jazz musician and Emma Stone as an aspiring actress who meets and falls in love while pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles. Of course, now that Kazir moved the timeline, this piece of art would become part of his portfolio as a screenwriter.

The film was notable for its homage to classic Hollywood musicals, its vibrant cinematography, and its original music.

La La Land received critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including six Academy Awards, with Emma Stone winning Best Actress. This was also the reason why Kazir recommended this film to Brianna. Brianna Evans worked in the theater stage and she knew how to sing. She was good at singing, to be honest.

The film's themes of love, ambition, and the tension between personal aspirations and romantic relationships resonated with many viewers. This was a box office success and also an art film that was recognized by the Academy Awards.

To make it better, the female lead was not mentally crazy. A great thing for Brianna who was deep into method acting.

"Director, La La Land seems promising, but it's a musical. Two years ago, Chicago was released and won many awards from the Academy Awards. Perhaps the Academy members might be tired of musicals."

"That's also right. But you have to remember, the purpose of La La Land is for you and Fremont to win the Best Actress and Best Director respectively."

Actually, the original director of La La Land won the Best Director. This was also the reason why Kazir chose this script. La La Land could give Brianna and Fremont the golden statues they were eager to get.

"Director, this is a musical... Do you even know how to write a song? I mean, there are song lyrics on the script, but I have no idea about their tones and rhythm."

Composing a piece of music was not that easy. It could even take months or years to perfect a song.

"About that, I have a copy of the album here. You just have to listen to it... For the record, I'm not that good with singing so you guys can decide how much you tune it."

"I didn't know that you also have this kind of talent. Sometimes I feel like you're not a human at all. Tell me, are you an alien or time traveler or something?"

"Actually, I'm a time traveler. The movies I directed are all from the future. I stole all of them." Kazir replied very seriously.

Brianna just nodded, treating what he said as a joke.

"As for the choreography, Fremont can hire a professional choreographer. He can also hire a musician."

Kazir estimated that Fremont could finish this project in at least two years. This was not Fremont's expertise so it might take a while for him to get the knack for musical.

"If you're not confident, then how about Nomadland?"

"La La Land and Nomadland almost have the same name. Both had the word Land in the end."

"That's right. But unlike La La Land, Nomadland is a realistic film. There's no musical in between."

"Nomadland" is an American drama film about a woman in her sixties who, after the economic collapse of her hometown in rural Nevada, decides to become a modern-day nomad, living in her van and traveling across the American West.

The film explores themes of economic hardship, community, and resilience, capturing the lives of those who choose to live on the road outside of conventional society.

Nomadland is actually based on a non-fiction book, so it was based on real life.

The film received widespread acclaim for its direction, screenplay, cinematography, and the lead's performance. It won several prestigious awards, including the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress.

The film is praised for its storytelling and its authentic depiction of the nomadic lifestyle.

'In my opinion, Nomadland is better than La La Land in terms of recognition. This movie won three Academy Awards. However, the box office of this movie is not that great. It only made $39 million, unlike La La Land which grossed more than $472 million.'

The difference between the two was huge.

Of course, Nomadland would only take a year to film and this kind of genre would not be a problem to Fremont. As for La La Land, Fremont had no experience in musical so the creation of this movie might take a while.

Both movies had their pros and cons.

"You can convince Fremont. That guy is not an amateur anymore. He knows how to determine the value of a script."

"Thanks, director, I will treat you to a nice restaurant once I win the Best Actress Award."

"... That's at least a year from now on. Do you know how long is that?" Kazir joked and Brianna laughed.

Kazir was relieved to see Brianna smiling. It was actually concerning how easy it was for Brianna to change her whole personality.

'Perhaps she really needs a professional therapist... I should probably talk to Salvatore about this.'

A person's mind is a powerful tool, but also a dangerous one.

Their orders arrived and the two started eating.

.........

......

...

The filming of Spider-Man 2 was smooth sailing overall. There were some problems but Kazir had enough experience to fix them.

While the filming of Spider-Man 2 was happening, the 3rd week of January just passed.

This week, The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King just surpassed $350 million in North America. As for the international box office, it already grossed more than $270 million.

Warner Brothers forecasted that the last movie of the trilogy could possibly surpass $1 billion based on how fast the box office climbed.

Meaning, the number one movie of 2003 might become Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King. With that, Finding Nemo would lose its number-one spot on the ranking! Good for Warner Brothers, but bad for Walt Disney.

Well, profit-wise, none of them lost. They still made huge money after all.

++++

[Author's Note: I'm not going to lie, I chatgpt'ed the summaries of the movies because I also have no idea what these movies actually are. Anyway, I want to say thank you guys for all of your support! I appreciate it.]

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 386


A new year had arrived, and production studios were once again busy preparing for their upcoming releases. Many were already promoting their films in hopes of earning more at the box office.

January, being the first month of the year, was relatively quiet in terms of blockbuster releases, except for one. Universal Pictures had released a romantic comedy titled Along Came Polly, which was expected to surpass $150 million at the worldwide box office.

Other than Along Came Polly, January remained uneventful for new films. However, this lull only applied to recent releases.

Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was continuing to dominate the box office. The number of people watching the film every day was astounding.

Some moviegoers even attended screenings dressed as characters from the film, wearing elaborate costumes of Dwarves and Elves. The Lord of the Rings had become more than just a film franchise. It was now an integral part of Western pop culture. Many fans engaged in live-action role-playing (LARPing) and played Dungeons & Dragons using LOTR as a core influence.

Merchandise sales for The Lord of the Rings had already surpassed a billion dollars. Every time a new movie in the franchise was released, merchandise sales skyrocketed.

It was undeniable that The Lord of the Rings had a stronger consumer base than the Continental Cinematic Universe (CCU). LOTR offered a vast range of products, including wigs, toy swords, toy bows, and detailed costumes, while CCU primarily relied on action figures.

Taking into account the officially licensed video games, merchandise, and box office earnings, Forbes estimated that The Lord of the Rings franchise had generated between $3 billion and $7 billion in total revenue.

It was obvious why Warner Brothers was determined to hold onto the franchise. They had no intention of letting it go, especially with the possibility of The Hobbit adaptation.

While The Lord of the Rings was making history, Wanted 2 had officially ended its theatrical run, concluding with a worldwide box office total of $821 million.

Although this was $200 million lower than its predecessor, Wanted 2 was still recognized as a box office success, especially considering its production cost of just $100 million (plus marketing expenses). Unfortunately, Wanted 2 failed to surpass Finding Nemo, which had grossed $871 million worldwide.

.........
......
...

"Hey, did you hear the rumors?"

"Hm? Are you talking about that?"

"Yes, that! That's right!"

At the reception desk of Grey Pictures, two receptionists whispered to each other while idly waiting for visitors. With little to do at the moment, they passed the time by gossiping.

People loved to gossip, especially when the topic was juicy.

Recently, rumors had been circulating about Kazir Grey and Brianna Evans. The two had been spotted leaving a restaurant together, looking rather close, as if they were more than just friends.

Naturally, the two receptionists were eager to discuss their boss's supposed romantic entanglement.

Kazir Grey was known throughout the company as a serious, hardworking man. Everyone was also well aware that he was deeply in love with his girlfriend, Angelina Jolie.

However, some tabloids had begun publishing stories suggesting that Kazir and Brianna were having an affair.

Of course, tabloids were notorious for fabricating stories. In some ways, they were even worse than fanfiction. At least fanfiction openly admitted to being fictional, whereas tabloids often pushed misleading narratives, making people believe they were true.

This time, their target was Kazir and Brianna.

"What do you think? Are the rumors true? I thought Mr. Grey was devoted to his girlfriend."

"In my opinion, he should leave Angelina. That woman has already been through a divorce and a failed relationship. Her past romantic history isn't great either."

"I actually agree with you. Kazir Grey is the best thing that's happened to Angelina… I'd be really sad if they broke up."

"For me, Brianna Evans is the better choice. She has a stronger career, and she's never been involved in any scandals, except for this one. I also heard she's been single since 1997, which shows how serious she is about her career."

"Your opinion sucks. Just shut up and do your job. Don't spread baseless gossip unless you want to get sued."

A new voice interrupted their conversation.

"Who said that?!"

One of the receptionists turned around, only for her face to go pale.

Standing there with a cold stare was Erica Mendez.

"M- Ma'am, it's nice to meet you," one of the receptionists stammered, her confidence crumbling.

"I don't feel the same."

Without another glance at them, Erica walked past the reception desk, clearly unimpressed. It was unprofessional and outright disrespectful for company employees to gossip about their boss's private life.

She made a mental note to contact Human Resources. These two didn't deserve to work at Grey Pictures with such an unprofessional attitude.

'If they wanted to gossip, they should've done it somewhere I couldn't hear them.'

Erica sighed.

The truth was, Kazir had already spoken to Angelina about the situation to clear things up. Their conversation had gone well, but afterward, Angelina had started acting a little strange.

Erica could sense it.

She had worked with Kazir long enough to want the best for him, both professionally and personally.

Kazir and Angelina were still in a relationship and remained affectionate toward each other. But for some reason, Erica had a gut feeling that their relationship wouldn't last much longer.

It certainly didn't help that tabloids kept flooding the media with claims that Kazir was cheating on Angelina.

Frustrated, Erica had already contacted their legal team to file lawsuits against these tabloids. Most of them were small publishers, so the legal battle wouldn't take long.

However, the damage had already been done. The smear campaign against Kazir's reputation was clearly deliberate.

 

[Lillie Jones]

That's just great adding more fuel to the fire, Can Kazir Grey pull his reputation out of this media smear campaign against Hollywood's greatest director of the year.
Although, Angelina Jolie has been strangely absent these last few chapters as Kazir Grey has had a busy schedule for Brianne Evans.
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 387


"Let me check... It's done, huh. It looks amazing. The UI is simple and easy to use. The comment section is also not that bad, people who created an account can react to comments."

Kazir explored the new website of Grey Pictures. The internet industry was booming despite the dot-com bubble crash that had happened a few years ago.

This website was designed by him based on how websites looked in his past life, clean, simple, and easy to use. Of course, he had only provided an example, while the actual programming and coding were handled by professionals.

This website had taken quite a while to build. To be honest, it took two years to complete because the internet was still a new industry with no clear rules to follow.

On the website, news about their upcoming projects was displayed on the front page. People could also check their past movies by searching for their titles in the search box.

Each movie had a comment section where people could share their honest opinions. Of course, there were still no comments since the website had just launched today.

Kazir decided to comment on one of the movies, as he already had an account.

-- 10/10. I love the movie! I love it so much that I bought both the regular and deluxe DVD versions. I watched both versions just to see the differences. Guys! I highly recommend buying both versions because they are amazing!

Deluxe DVD versions of movies were rarely available for rental because they tended to sell out quickly. This was especially true for CCU movies, which were always in high demand.

Kazir was personally promoting his movies on the website.

"Speaking of websites... I wonder when Facebook will be created. I heard the website will be launched this year, but I have no idea when."

Facebook was actually founded in February 2004, just one week from now.

Knowing the potential of this website, Kazir was excited to invest in it.

He had already acquired shares from Google, holding a 7% stake.

After receiving $1 billion from 20th Century Fox, Kazir diversified his investments. For every company he recognized, he invested a portion of the money. It was better than letting it sit in the bank and depreciate. It was also a good way to protect his money from taxes since they couldn't tax funds that were invested in the stock market.

Kazir was also interested in Netflix, but he wasn't in a rush to invest. He was waiting for the moment Netflix launched its online streaming service. That would be the right time to buy in.

Financially, Kazir's life was in great shape. He had no fear of losing money. In fact, he had no idea where to spend it. He wasn't a materialistic guy, though his film library at home was now filled with old movies, ranging from silent films to black-and-white classics and early color films. His collection was worth more than $7 million because the films he had were authentic originals.

Sometimes, there was a novelty in watching old movies on videotape. In the next few years, people would lose interest in VHS technology, but Kazir would keep his collection.

He checked every movie section of the website until he reached the TV Show section. There was only one TV show that Grey Pictures had produced so far: Game of Thrones.

This TV show had received amazing ratings, averaging 19.28 per episode. The show had already aired its ninth episode three days ago, and it had been a great success.

Next week would be the last episode of the season. Unlike most TV shows that had 20+ episodes per season, Game of Thrones only had 10 episodes.

The reason was the budget. Every episode cost millions to produce. Since the audience loved the show, the second season was already in production.

Kazir checked the comment section and was surprised to see that someone had already shared their thoughts on the show.

-- It's an amazing show! I'm excited to watch it next week!

The comment was short, but Kazir could sense the sincerity. He smirked.

Since Season 1 was a success and Season 2 was on the way, Grey Pictures understood that they had to increase the budget.

They had only broken even with revenue this season, but their profits in the next season seemed promising, so Grey Pictures was not hesitant to invest more.

Naturally, the actors also received a salary increase for the next season.

Emilia Clarke's salary per episode was around $12,000, but in Season 2, her pay per episode might double, depending on negotiations between her agent and the producers.

If Kazir remembered correctly, by the time Game of Thrones reached Season 7, many of the actors were making $500,000 per episode, including Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen, and Kit Harington, who played Jon Snow.

Obviously, the production studio wouldn't offer that kind of salary unless the TV show was highly profitable.

'By the time we're done, the valuation of this TV show will be around $1.5 billion... The problem is, when should we end it?'

Season 8 had been a disaster, and even the cast admitted it. They had failed to deliver a satisfying ending. Kazir didn't want that to happen again.

While surfing the website, his phone rang, and Kazir glanced at it.

"..."

It was Angelina.

The current scandal circulating in the industry was affecting Kazir's reputation.

He had already explained everything to Angelina, so he thought things were fine.

"Hey, babe, how's your day?"

He answered the call, and Angelina responded.

"Kazir, I think you should turn on your television..."

"Hm?"

Kazir raised an eyebrow but did as she suggested. Angelina remained on the phone as Kazir turned on the television in his office.

He switched to a news network.

-- Breaking news: Tobey Maguire beat a reporter to death.

"..."

Kazir was speechless.

++++

[Author's Note: Yeah, I guess this is a filler chapter, huh? I just want you to be ready because I'm cooking up this year's (2004) plot against Kazir. This will be one of Kazir's worst years, perhaps the worst one.]

[As for why I'm doing this to our MC, well, life is never easy. Sometimes, you have to go through hardships.]

 

[a guy1013]

did that even happened in real life

 

[Espec22]

did that even happened in real life

Click to shrink...

Are you for real?

 

[a guy1013]

Are you for real?

Click to shrink...

The Tobey killing a guy because his irl version is what this FF version is based on like does he have the capability to be soo angry to kill someone that is what I'm asking

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 388


"Ugh... That motherfucker..."

Tobey Maguire cursed under his breath while applying a cold compress to his head.

His neck had a small cut, and his head had a bump from the scuffle earlier.

He slowly touched the bandage on his neck, the sensation of his throat almost being sliced still lingering. Thankfully, Tobey trained three times a week for his role as Spider-Man, so his reaction time was quite fast.

"Tobey, our situation isn't great."

A woman in her forties entered the hospital room. She sighed as she looked at Tobey's appearance.

"It's a good thing your face doesn't have any scratches. You'll still be shooting tomorrow."

"I don't even know if the shoot will happen tomorrow," he replied.

The woman shook her head. This incident had happened so quickly that she didn't have time to respond.

The woman was Tobey's agent. Her name was Diana Taylor.

"Tobey, be honest with me. What you did was self-defense, right?"

The female agent asked.

"What the fuck, Diana? I'm not lying to you! That fucker attacked me first!" Tobey roared.

"I know, I know."

The agent tried to calm the actor down. Diana asked the question because she knew Tobey had some anger issues, especially when he was drunk. Though lately, Diana could see that Tobey was changing for the better. He rarely went to clubs anymore. If he had to get drunk, he'd just invite some of his friends and party at his own property.

But still, the situation was against them.

"Okay, Tobey, tell me the story—"

"I also want to hear it."

"Kazir!"

Kazir appeared with Jezebel. The two were the ones responsible for Spider-Man 2.

Jezebel briefly glanced at Diana before looking at Tobey. Diana knew that the female producer had issues with other women, so she decided to stay silent.

Agents had thick skin. As long as they made more money, they would do almost anything.

'Besides, keeping quiet is easier than twerking on the table...' Diana thought to herself.

As for why she made that comparison, it was probably based on her experience...

So the agent sat in the corner, waiting for Tobey's full story.

"Director, I swear, I'm not the bad guy. I'm the victim here! I was just trying to protect myself!"

Tobey's face flushed red, perhaps from shame or hatred toward the reporter.

"Tobey, I trust you."

Kazir nodded, reassuring the actor. Kazir had witnessed Tobey's gradual change. There was probably more to the story about why Tobey attacked the reporter.

"Wait, really!?"

Tobey was stunned. He couldn't believe Kazir would easily believe him.

"I know you're doing great and changing to be a better person. I'm proud of you."

"..."

Hearing Kazir's response, Tobey suddenly wanted to cry. Damn, that was the greatest thing he'd heard all day. Everyone who heard the story believed Tobey was the bad guy, but Kazir was different.

"Kazir... Thank you so much."

"Tobey, don't cry on me... I'm not comfortable with men crying on me." Kazir could see the tears building up in Tobey's eyes.

"Y- Yeah, hehe, sorry sorry." Tobey snorted and then laughed, forcing himself not to cry.

He wiped his eyes and began telling the story.

"First of all, that guy isn't a reporter! He's a paparazzi! A stalker! He'd been following me from the studio yesterday. His car followed me everywhere I went. I got irritated, so I decided to confront him. Instead of asking me questions, he started taking pictures, and the flashes of his camera almost blinded me. It was already 6 p.m. at that time, so it was dark."

"Because I was mad, I decided to give him the middle finger! That bastard smirked instead and kept taking pictures. At first, I wanted to beat him, but I controlled myself. I returned to my car and decided to go home and relax, hoping to forget about it."

"You did the right thing," Kazir nodded.

The story should have ended there. Unfortunately, the paparazzi kept following him.

When Tobey reached Beverly Hills, he thought the paparazzi would stop stalking him. Beverly Hills was a safe neighborhood where many celebrities lived. This neighborhood had strong security to protect the privacy of its residents.

The stalker should have been stopped by the guards right at the gate of the subdivision where Tobey lived.

However, things didn't go as planned. For some reason, the stalker got into the neighborhood where Tobey lived!

And you know what happened next? The stalker even entered the house where Tobey was living. He found Tobey opening a bottle of whiskey, and that's where the scuffle occurred.

Tobey easily overpowered the stalker... smashing his face badly. Tobey was already mad at the stalker, and he used this chance to teach him a lesson.

He called the police and reported that someone had trespassed on his property and tried to harm him.

"This isn't the first time this has happened. Some paparazzi have been pestering me lately, and I don't know why. They're asking me stupid questions, and I'm slowly losing my mind. The last person received all of my wrath."

The stalker was sent to the hospital.

Tobey thought everything would be over after that.

However, just minutes after the incident, breaking news was released by NBC, a TV network affiliated with Universal Pictures.

The headline was that Tobey Maguire beat up a poor reporter to death after the reporter allegedly asked him some questions.

Now, that was the stupidest thing. Yet almost everyone believed the news without even hearing his side of the story or the police report!

How many people lost their jobs due to false allegations? Probably a lot.

++++

[Author's Note: Since today is April 1, I decided to post two more chapters later. And no, this is not an April Fool's joke. I missed a few days, so this is my way of making it fair. Also, I'll announce something later.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 389


The events that transpired were against Spider-Man 2. Even though NBC was the major TV network that spread the news, other smaller TV stations also covered it.

Even news publishers printed articles related to the incident. In just one night, the news of Tobey Maguire beating a reporter spread so fast that even kindergarteners heard about it.

This news would obviously affect Spider-Man 2 very, very badly. The profit that Sony-Columbia could earn from this project would decrease, perhaps even drop into the negatives.

Sony-Columbia couldn't accept that. They had invested too much money in this project. More than $100 million had already been poured into the movie and advertising. If they backed down now, they would bleed too much.

So, immediately, Sony-Columbia retaliated to protect Tobey.

Besides, Tobey was the victim here. They had the upper hand in terms of the law. They contacted GET TV to assist them.

GET (Great Entertainment Television) was a national television channel owned by Sony-Columbia. Unfortunately, this channel was nothing compared to NBC. It didn't help much.

Sony-Columbia also reached out to numerous newspapers to repair Tobey's image.

It was fortunate that Tobey had security cameras on his property, and they had recorded everything that happened.

The police also had a copy of the footage and were trying to determine how the paparazzi had infiltrated the neighborhood.

The news of Tobey Maguire beating a reporter became a sensation, and many had complex opinions. Some believed Tobey was the victim, while others sympathized with the reporter.

Universal Pictures showed sympathy for the reporter, who was still in the hospital, allegedly "comatose" after the brutal beating he had endured from Tobey.

Sony-Columbia did its best to protect Tobey, spreading the truth about what had actually happened.

Smart people understood that Tobey was innocent. He had only been trying to protect himself. The evidence was clear.

However, the media was a powerful tool capable of manipulating public perception.

Suddenly, two major studios joined the battle!

Walt Disney started attacking Tobey Maguire. While they acknowledged that Tobey had been protecting himself, they still condemned his actions. In their opinion, he shouldn't have hurt the reporter but should have talked to him peacefully instead. They claimed Tobey lacked control over his anger. They also pointed out that Tobey had undergone anger management.

Disney's involvement worsened the situation for Sony-Columbia... but their troubles weren't over yet.

Warner Brothers also joined in! Backed by Time Warner, one of the biggest media conglomerates in the world, they began spamming hateful news against Tobey Maguire!

There were only a few media conglomerates in the entire world, and these corporations controlled the media. News, TV shows, movies, newspapers, and even the internet.

Time Warner, the parent company of Warner Brothers.

The Walt Disney Company.

Viacom, which had acquired Paramount in the '90s.

Sony, the parent company of Sony-Columbia.

Vivendi, which owned Universal Pictures.

News Corporation, the owner of 20th Century Fox.

Perhaps the reason the Big Six became the Big Six was because of their powerful backers.

And this time, those powerful backers were at war with each other... To be precise, three of them were trying to destroy Tobey's reputation, while Sony-Columbia was doing its best to protect him.

The outcome was obvious. Even though Tobey was innocent, it was impossible to maintain his image as an amazing actor.

They began spreading stories that Tobey had anger issues. That he used drugs. That he wasn't a good person.

His image as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man was crumbling. If this continued, Tobey might lose his place in the industry. He might be forced to leave Hollywood and go into hiding.

Thankfully, the police announced that Tobey was innocent. With that, Sony-Columbia began issuing lawsuits against multiple companies just to silence them.

But it was more difficult to deal with the Big Three. They didn't care about justice. They only wanted to destroy Tobey's reputation.

Even though Tobey was the victim, as long as they ruined his public image, their mission would be complete. Although they toned down their attacks, they still focused on his alleged drug use and anger management issues.

Spider-Man had grossed over $1 billion, and the Big Three understood that its sequel would be their toughest competition of the year. Since they had an opportunity to undermine it, they took full advantage.

Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox and Paramount remained silent, choosing not to join the battle. They had cooperated with Kazir in the past, so they stayed out of it. That was the best they could do.

Even though 20th Century Fox and Grey Pictures had a partnership, Spider-Man was a separate entity. The movie wouldn't bring them any profit.

As for Marvel Comics, they were also in a difficult position. Spider-Man was their character, so they had to protect its brand. Unfortunately, they lacked the strength to do so. News Corporation provided some assistance, but not much.

.........

.......

...

Barry Mayer paused what he was doing when his secretary delivered surprising news.

"I can't believe I'll be meeting you today, Kazir."

"Yeah, I apologize for not making an appointment. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to speak with you."

"Of course."

Barry Mayer nodded. He had taken the reins at Warner Brothers after Terry Semel left the company.

As the leader of one of the biggest studios in the world, Barry couldn't ignore the most profitable director of all time.

The two men locked eyes. Barry already had an idea why Kazir was visiting. It was most likely about the Spider-Man 2 controversy. Warner Brothers had been one of the studios condemning Tobey Maguire's actions.

Even though Tobey had been proven innocent, public opinion remained against him. Warner Brothers was partly responsible for that.

"Kazir, I know you understand that this is just business. We're all competing for our own interests. I hope you understand that."

Obviously, Barry wanted to work with Kazir, so he kept his tone respectful. There was always a chance they could collaborate, especially now that Warner Brothers was looking to build its own...

"I understand that very well."

"That's good to hear."

Barry sighed in relief.

"That's why I will fight for my own interests," Kazir replied, his gaze firm and unwavering.

"Hm?"

"Batman."

"!!!" Barry's eyes trembled slightly.

"I want to direct Batman. I heard your studio is searching for a director. Why not me, the most profitable director of the era?"

"..."

Barry fell silent, but he couldn't stop his heart from racing. This... this might be the biggest shock he had received this year. And yet, 2004 was only just beginning.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 390


Kazir understood it very well. Showbiz is not that simple. It is an intense competition aimed at making more money.

He didn't blame Warner Brothers and Walt Disney because he understood their situation. These two companies just wanted to take advantage of the situation to defeat one of their rivals.

Sony-Colombia was getting stronger, and they didn't want that to happen. If Kazir were in their position, he would have done the same.

However, even though he didn't blame them, he was still filled with anger. He was human, after all. He had feelings. And he didn't like that the three giants were trying to destroy his project. He didn't like it at all.

Thankfully, Kazir was mature enough to control his emotions. He was not stupid. He had experienced so many things in life and knew that life was not over just because of one mistake. In his opinion, he had experienced far more painful things than this.

So what if Spider-Man 2 flopped?

Would it affect his position in the industry?

Yes, but Kazir understood that it would never stop him from making movies.

If Hollywood wanted to kick him out, he had other countries to migrate to.

Well, TV shows were also not a bad option.

Kazir was not afraid. As long as he could pursue his art, it didn't matter.

However, he also understood that the situation would badly affect everyone around him.

Tobey Maguire and the cast of Spider-Man 2 would be affected.

The crew members who worked hard to finish the project would be affected.

The workers from Sony-Colombia would be affected.

This was not just about him. Kazir was the director, and it was his responsibility to make sure that the project would be a success.

So he didn't hesitate to contact the current Chairman/CEO of Warner Brothers, Barry Mayer.

'If I have to work with Warner Brothers to protect Spider-Man 2, so be it. This is not about me anymore.'

Kazir stared at Barry, who seemed surprised by what he had just said.

"Kazir, can you repeat what you said? You want to direct Batman?"

"That's right. Or is there someone else you want to handle the project?"

"..."

There was actually a new director they were interested in working with. But compared to Kazir, the value that the new director could bring to the table was insignificant.

Kazir was the most profitable director for a reason. His creations were all aimed at making money.

His artistic passion was about making money. That was the reason why so many studios wanted to work with him because their mission was the same.

"I've been interested in Batman. He is my favorite superhero. Actually... If Warner Brothers had acquired the shares of Grey Pictures, I wanted to work with DC Comics and Warner Brothers to revive Batman."

"..."

Unfortunately, the acquisition failed, and Grey Pictures became part of 20th Century Fox. Even though it was wrong, Barry blamed Terry Semel for that mistake.

The value that Grey Pictures could have brought to Warner Brothers was immense.

The last live-action Batman film was Batman & Robin. The result was so awful that Warner Brothers hid the Batman movie adaptation rights in their film library for almost a decade. They wanted people to forget about Batman with nipples... The costume designer was immediately fired after that.

Who thought that putting nipples on Batman's armor was a good idea?

Barry took a deep breath. He suddenly wanted to call his secretary to bring cold water to calm him down. Instead, he made do with warm tea.

Barry took a sip of the tea.

Of course, they wanted to work with Kazir. In fact, they had wanted to contact Kazir in hopes that he would direct at least one of their DC movies.

"Kazir, you do understand that you're actually helping your enemy by doing this."

Marvel Comics and DC Comics were rivals, yet Kazir wanted to do something outrageous.

"I know it well... But do I even have a chance?"

He smiled, but his gaze didn't seem happy.

"I will only direct Batman... A trilogy at best. But I want Warner Brothers and Time Warner to stop sabotaging Spider-Man 2."

Trilogy? Barry almost jumped. A trilogy was a huge commitment. Still, he controlled himself.

"Kazir, you know that's hard to do. I'm just a CEO of a multi-billion company. I don't have influence."

"No deal then."

"... I will contact some people."

It would be stupid if Barry said no. Of course, he would agree with Kazir.

"Glad to hear it."

The only way to stop Warner Brothers from sabotaging Spider-Man 2 was by giving them an equal or better deal.

Kazir directing Batman was enough. Barry hated to admit it, but Kazir had enough power to negotiate with them.

This was just a verbal agreement, but it meant that the negotiation had started. It meant that Kazir had a high chance of directing Batman. Of course, Salvatore and the producer would discuss the contract in further detail.

The two shook hands.

"It's nice working with you, Barry."

"The pleasure's mine. Good luck with your movie this year."

"Hm."

Even though they had an agreement, it was obvious that the two were not on good terms.

........

.....

...

It was subtle, but Time Warner slowly stopped talking about Tobey Maguire. It seemed that Warner Brothers was serious about working with Kazir. Their reason was simple. If Kazir could make another $1 billion superhero movie, then the deal was absolutely worth it.

Besides, condemning Tobey Maguire wouldn't help them much. Spider-Man already had a solid fan base. The best that this incident could do was lower the box office earnings by a few million. Even then, the chances of Spider-Man 2 earning more than $700 million were still high. Why? Because Kazir Grey was the director of the movie.

His presence alone was enough to offset the scandal.

Thankfully, February 1 arrived, and another big news event buried the issues related to Tobey Maguire.

During the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performed, but due to a "wardrobe malfunction," Janet's breast was exposed during the live broadcast.

This became a huge sensation, and the controversy surrounding Tobey Maguire died down.

++++++

[Author's Note: I posted three chapters today! Since it's April Fool's Day, some authors like to prank their readers with fake chapters or jokes about dropping their novels, but I'm doing the opposite.

After giving it some thought, I've decided that Hollywood What If will likely conclude somewhere between Chapter 600 and 750. If all goes as planned, it should be finished within this year unless procrastination strikes or something unexpected happens, such as me being dead.

I just want to take a moment to thank you all for your continued support. If you'd like to read ahead, feel free to check out my Patreon or Ko-fi!]

 

[Lillie Jones]

Kazir Grey directing Batman to save Spider-Man 2 skin , which his going to be good but Kazir Grey has enough clout for negotiating the terms.
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 391


During the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show on February 1, 2004, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performed together, leading to a controversial incident often referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction." At the end of their performance, Timberlake reached across Jackson's chest and pulled at her costume, unexpectedly tearing away part of her top, exposing her right breast to the television audience for about half a second. This incident, broadcast live to millions of viewers, led to widespread media coverage, public backlash, and significant changes in broadcasting regulations and policies regarding indecency.

The incident had a lasting impact on both artists' careers, the broadcasting industry, and the cultural landscape. Janet Jackson faced significant professional consequences, including being blacklisted by some media outlets and the Grammys, while Timberlake's career continued to flourish.

It was unfortunate that Janet Jackson suffered the most, even though it was not her fault. Her career practically turned to dust after that "wardrobe malfunction." Justin Timberlake was the one who pulled the dress incorrectly, yet his career remained largely unaffected.

This incident was proof that showbiz was harsher on women.

However, for Grey Pictures and Sony-Columbia, it was a heaven-sent opportunity. The suffering of others became their blessing.

In just one day, the entire public shifted its attention to the Super Bowl incident. No one cared about Tobey Maguire anymore. The news about him had already been overanalyzed and recycled.

Sony-Columbia even worked to amplify the Super Bowl controversy so that people would quickly forget about Tobey Maguire. They had to do it, otherwise, they would suffer further repercussions.

In the span of one night, the issues surrounding Tobey Maguire disappeared. Although Universal Pictures and Walt Disney were still keeping the controversy alive, Warner Brothers had stepped away from the battle. After all, Kazir had already promised to work on Batman.

In fact, when Barry Meyer contacted James Lee, the President of DC Comics, James Lee immediately agreed to the idea.

Barry Meyer understood James Lee's excitement. Kazir Grey's name carried immense weight. Whenever his name was included in the credits of a movie, that movie was almost guaranteed to be a box-office success.

Batman was an essential character for both DC Comics and Warner Brothers. Just like Superman, Batman was the face of both companies.

They knew they had the power to revive the Batman franchise because of its profitability.

However, the last live-action Batman movie had been a critical and commercial failure. Audiences didn't like it, and since then, Warner Brothers had vowed that if they were to reboot Batman, they had to ensure it would be a massive success.

Kazir was the best guarantee they could find. His salary was not a problem. As long as Kazir could make Batman popular on the big screen, paying him would be more than worth it.

Since Warner Brothers owned DC Comics, they technically held the rights to all of DC's superhero characters.

Their merchandise sales had been stagnating, but if Kazir directed Batman and the film turned out to be a massive hit, Batman-related merchandise could experience a tenfold increase in sales.

The revenue Warner Brothers could earn just by hiring Kazir as a director was staggering.

So, the best decision was to stop attacking Tobey Maguire. It was no longer worth it.

Warner Brothers wanted to maintain a good relationship with Kazir, now that they were going to work together.

As for the Marvel vs. DC rivalry, that was a battle for another day.

If there was one thing Barry Meyer and James Lee were hoping for, it was that Kazir would help them build the DC Universe. However, Kazir didn't make any promises.

He was only interested in creating a Batman trilogy. The rest was up to DC.

After all, Grey Pictures still owned the rights to some Marvel characters, which they had returned to Marvel in exchange for better profit shares.

Kazir would obviously side with Marvel Comics.

As for the possibility of Kazir sabotaging Batman, Warner Brothers would make sure to include a clause in the contract to prevent that. Just to be safe.

But Kazir wasn't stupid enough to destroy his own reputation.

.........
......
...

With January over, the filming of Spider-Man 2 was also nearing completion.

The production of the film had already been underway long before Kazir even joined the project. While he was busy with Pirates of the Caribbean, the props, sets, and cast had already been prepared by the production team. They were simply waiting for Kazir to officially come on board and begin filming.

Kazir had a reputation for being an efficient director with a clear vision, which allowed the production to proceed smoothly without much hassle.

Initially, Sony-Columbia had considered halting filming to allow Tobey Maguire to stay out of the media spotlight for a while.

However, Tobey personally spoke to Jezebel, arguing that postponing production would result in financial losses. The cast would also waste time waiting.

Kazir agreed with Tobey.

In the end, filming continued. Tobey stayed at a nearby hotel while shooting was ongoing.

"Kazir, thank you so much."

"Hm?"

Kazir glanced at Tobey, who was holding a can of beer. Tobey was allowed to drink, but only inside his hotel room.

"If not for you, I might be drowning in depression right now."

"...?"

"Because of you, I realized that there are still people who believe in me. And I don't want to disappoint them. I'm going to work hard and prove to everyone that Tobey Maguire is a great actor. Thank you, Kazir, for helping me see that."

"I hope you continue to have that kind of perseverance."

The two chuckled. Now Kazir understood why Tobey had invited him to his room for a talk.

"I believe you can do it. You have the talent to back it up."

"Thanks."

Tobey took another sip of his beer, feeling renewed determination.

 

[Luizinho]

The boob thing in the superbowl was planned, not an accident.

 

[Zai9000]

The boob thing in the superbowl was planned, not an accident.

Click to shrink...

Yeah I think Patrick CC mentioned it in his video Timberlake is a huge fucking snake just hearing as Patrick described the Britney situation and how this fucker planned to make himself more famous from their break by making her look bad just boiled my blood.