-
The site has now migrated to Xenforo 2. If you see any issues with the forum operation, please post them in the feedback thread.
-
Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
-
The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.
HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF
- Thread starter Pujimaki
- Start date
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
Thanks for the chapter
HWI 170
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
[Shout out to Shylar!]
Hollywood What If Chapter 170
The group began their 'bidding'. The 25% fee went down to 22%.
They were very careful in this negotiation. Because everyone knows that 1% is already $1 or $2 million at the box office. They couldn't make a mistake.
Perhaps this negotiation was the most difficult they had ever experienced. Even though they had the approval of their companies to negotiate the box office fee with Kazir Grey, they could not afford to do it arbitrarily.
Gritting their teeth, they settled on a 22% box office distribution fee. In their opinion, this amount was already heartbreaking. It could lead to a loss of millions of dollars for them.
But the lure of the scripts in Kazir's hands was stronger. To be honest, they have the means to read his script and plagiarize it.
However, it would destroy their reputation and their association with Grey Pictures would be forever severed. They would never choose a short-term profit over a long-term one.
Besides, their plan was to buy the script along with the sequels. If they plagiarized the first movie and it was successful, the sequels might not get the same treatment.
It was better to negotiate with Kazir Grey than to be greedy. Besides, they would gain his trust and cooperation. This could lead to further cooperation. After all, Kazir Grey is a great director and his movies are profitable as always. Even John Wick made money in the videotape market.
In fact, Grey Pictures started producing DVD discs of Taken and John Wick. The profit from the DVD's got bigger and bigger as the year went on. Last month alone, the profit from DVD discs was $12 million. No joke, the influence of DVD players and DVD discs was getting stronger.
The DVD player was introduced in the U.S. in 1997, and more and more families were buying them.
Imagine if these movies went to the Big Six, it means more money in the bank!
Well, even the movies he wrote were already profitable. The Big Six were not petty and gave him some leeway, hoping to cooperate next time.
After hearing all their offers, Kazir decided to end the meeting. He said he would decide after three days. He had to think about it seriously, and the producers understood his reasoning.
After making promises, the producers left the building one by one. They do not intend to leave together. Appearing in public with a producer from another company would bring trouble.
Kazir took a deep breath and sighed. He leaned back in his chair and relaxed. It was very early in the morning, but he was already being harassed by 5 movie companies.
'Five producers... Now that I think about it, no one from Sony-Columbia was there. Maybe they are too late to react. Or maybe they are waiting for the right moment to contact Grey Pictures.'
His first negotiations with Sony-Columbia were unsuccessful. At the time, he was hoping that Sony-Columbia would distribute Taken, but the negotiations didn't go anywhere. In the end, Grey Pictures worked with Paramount instead.
Sony-Columbia wanted 35% of the box office as a distribution fee at that time, and that was too much for Grey Pictures.
'Sony-Columbia doesn't have a strong presence in Hollywood and is always being outbid by the other giants. What they need is a big movie that can produce sequels.'
Whenever he heard of Sony-Columbia, all Kazir could think of was Spider-Man. Other than that, Kazir had few movies to associate with Sony-Columbia.
Besides, the company rarely produced its own movies. They would only invest if the movie looked promising.
Most of the time, they make a profit by buying movies and distributing them, or distributing movies from studios that didn't have the ability to distribute their movies.
Having a distribution network was very difficult to achieve. It takes time, a very long time. Even buying a company that had a distribution network was very hard to find, because they would be bought by the Big Six as soon as possible.
Especially for international distribution, it was almost impossible to acquire one, because it was a valuable thing. The ability to distribute your products to many countries to reach the consumer is not that easy.
In a way, the Big Six have the right to demand a 30% share of the box office. Still, Kazir didn't give a damn.
'You want my scripts? Lower the distribution fee.'
He closed his eyes for a second and calmed his mind. There was no need to make a decision today. He had to think about it seriously.
Besides, he has to find Fremont Smith to ask him about the progress of Taken 2.
"Ah, I remember, it should be Director Smith now."
He chuckled. Fremont Smith signed up for membership in the Director's Guild. He needed recommendations from three directors to get approval. Salvatore Barlowe had enough connections to help Fremont Smith with that.
Unlike Kazir, who had experience in making big-budget films, Fremont Smith was afraid that his expenses might reach the limit, so he gladly agreed to sign a contract with the insurance company to make sure that the money provided would be enough for the film.
'In this aspect, maybe only someone like me can do it right.'
Once you become a famous director, it would be hard to stay within the budget. Sometimes they have to spend more just to shoot the scenes that the director wants.
On top of that, if the director is not satisfied with the footage, the shooting may be extended.
Perhaps the most famous director in this category was none other than James Cameron. He was known to be like this. His movie budget kept increasing as the filming went by.
'Well, this is Fremont's first movie, so I think he will not go over budget.'
Frankly, Grey Pictures was in a tight spot at the time.
++++++
[You can visit my Patreon if you want to read more and if you want to support me. I have 136 advanced chapters there for just $10.]
https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki
Hollywood What If Chapter 170
The group began their 'bidding'. The 25% fee went down to 22%.
They were very careful in this negotiation. Because everyone knows that 1% is already $1 or $2 million at the box office. They couldn't make a mistake.
Perhaps this negotiation was the most difficult they had ever experienced. Even though they had the approval of their companies to negotiate the box office fee with Kazir Grey, they could not afford to do it arbitrarily.
Gritting their teeth, they settled on a 22% box office distribution fee. In their opinion, this amount was already heartbreaking. It could lead to a loss of millions of dollars for them.
But the lure of the scripts in Kazir's hands was stronger. To be honest, they have the means to read his script and plagiarize it.
However, it would destroy their reputation and their association with Grey Pictures would be forever severed. They would never choose a short-term profit over a long-term one.
Besides, their plan was to buy the script along with the sequels. If they plagiarized the first movie and it was successful, the sequels might not get the same treatment.
It was better to negotiate with Kazir Grey than to be greedy. Besides, they would gain his trust and cooperation. This could lead to further cooperation. After all, Kazir Grey is a great director and his movies are profitable as always. Even John Wick made money in the videotape market.
In fact, Grey Pictures started producing DVD discs of Taken and John Wick. The profit from the DVD's got bigger and bigger as the year went on. Last month alone, the profit from DVD discs was $12 million. No joke, the influence of DVD players and DVD discs was getting stronger.
The DVD player was introduced in the U.S. in 1997, and more and more families were buying them.
Imagine if these movies went to the Big Six, it means more money in the bank!
Well, even the movies he wrote were already profitable. The Big Six were not petty and gave him some leeway, hoping to cooperate next time.
After hearing all their offers, Kazir decided to end the meeting. He said he would decide after three days. He had to think about it seriously, and the producers understood his reasoning.
After making promises, the producers left the building one by one. They do not intend to leave together. Appearing in public with a producer from another company would bring trouble.
Kazir took a deep breath and sighed. He leaned back in his chair and relaxed. It was very early in the morning, but he was already being harassed by 5 movie companies.
'Five producers... Now that I think about it, no one from Sony-Columbia was there. Maybe they are too late to react. Or maybe they are waiting for the right moment to contact Grey Pictures.'
His first negotiations with Sony-Columbia were unsuccessful. At the time, he was hoping that Sony-Columbia would distribute Taken, but the negotiations didn't go anywhere. In the end, Grey Pictures worked with Paramount instead.
Sony-Columbia wanted 35% of the box office as a distribution fee at that time, and that was too much for Grey Pictures.
'Sony-Columbia doesn't have a strong presence in Hollywood and is always being outbid by the other giants. What they need is a big movie that can produce sequels.'
Whenever he heard of Sony-Columbia, all Kazir could think of was Spider-Man. Other than that, Kazir had few movies to associate with Sony-Columbia.
Besides, the company rarely produced its own movies. They would only invest if the movie looked promising.
Most of the time, they make a profit by buying movies and distributing them, or distributing movies from studios that didn't have the ability to distribute their movies.
Having a distribution network was very difficult to achieve. It takes time, a very long time. Even buying a company that had a distribution network was very hard to find, because they would be bought by the Big Six as soon as possible.
Especially for international distribution, it was almost impossible to acquire one, because it was a valuable thing. The ability to distribute your products to many countries to reach the consumer is not that easy.
In a way, the Big Six have the right to demand a 30% share of the box office. Still, Kazir didn't give a damn.
'You want my scripts? Lower the distribution fee.'
He closed his eyes for a second and calmed his mind. There was no need to make a decision today. He had to think about it seriously.
Besides, he has to find Fremont Smith to ask him about the progress of Taken 2.
"Ah, I remember, it should be Director Smith now."
He chuckled. Fremont Smith signed up for membership in the Director's Guild. He needed recommendations from three directors to get approval. Salvatore Barlowe had enough connections to help Fremont Smith with that.
Unlike Kazir, who had experience in making big-budget films, Fremont Smith was afraid that his expenses might reach the limit, so he gladly agreed to sign a contract with the insurance company to make sure that the money provided would be enough for the film.
'In this aspect, maybe only someone like me can do it right.'
Once you become a famous director, it would be hard to stay within the budget. Sometimes they have to spend more just to shoot the scenes that the director wants.
On top of that, if the director is not satisfied with the footage, the shooting may be extended.
Perhaps the most famous director in this category was none other than James Cameron. He was known to be like this. His movie budget kept increasing as the filming went by.
'Well, this is Fremont's first movie, so I think he will not go over budget.'
Frankly, Grey Pictures was in a tight spot at the time.
++++++
[You can visit my Patreon if you want to read more and if you want to support me. I have 136 advanced chapters there for just $10.]
https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki
HWI 171
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
[Shout out to Spencer Wells, Gabriel C, Jae, and Sundeep J!]
Hollywood What If Chapter 171
The building had a training room. This was the place where Tae-Won Park trained the cast of Taken 2 and The Bourne Identity.
Kazir Grey checked the place and nodded when he found some actors he recognized. However, he did not see Matt Damon and Liam Neeson.
Both actors were famous and busy. Matt Damon was filming a commercial today and would not be back until tomorrow.
As for Liam Neeson, he would come at 1 p.m. and leave at 4 p.m. He only has to go to training 3 times a week.
This was one of the conditions he said before signing a contract for Taken 2. The good thing was that Liam Neeson was serious about training. He always showed up 3 times a week, true to his contract.
During his walk, he found Enzo Park, who was teaching the stunt actors how to fall to the ground with minimal pain.
Enzo Park saw him and greeted him.
Kazir nodded, signaling that they could continue.
As he expected, Kazir found Fremont Smith filming experimental scenes in the training studio. He was filming the stunt performers "fighting" to improve his experience.
He was practicing with the stunt actors.
"Director Grey."
Fremont Smith finished rehearsing when he saw Kazir approaching.
"How are you doing?"
When Kazir came closer, he noticed that Fremont had lost weight and looked haggard. A normal appearance for directors while in the process of creating films.
Even Kazir suffered the same treatment whenever he had a project.
"I'm fine. I just practice so I have more ideas to use. I'm also studying a lot of cuts."
Grey Pictures agreed to let Fremont Smith participate in the post-production of Taken 2, but if his director's cut didn't meet their criteria, Grey Pictures would decide to edit the film themselves.
Usually directors don't have the right to participate in post-production and edit the film, they can only make suggestions. Maybe only a few directors in Hollywood get that privilege.
Grey Pictures has already been generous in giving Fremont that privilege. Hopefully Fremont Smith will appreciate this opportunity and do his best.
The two talked for a long time. As a veteran director with many successful films under his belt, Kazir Grey began to talk about his experience.
Fremont Smith listened intently. He knew most of what Kazir was saying because he had been his assistant director for three years, but there was nothing wrong with listening. In fact, it could remind him of important aspects of filming.
Like preparing the scenes. The director should have a clear vision in his mind of what he wants to portray. If possible, the director should draw it in the storyboard to have a proper understanding.
For example, if the director wants to film a scene with an overhead view, he may need to prepare a crane depending on the distance.
If he wanted to capture an explosion from different angles, he had to prepare dozens of cameras in different locations.
Let's not forget the theme of the movie. The color palette was the best way to portray it.
The blue color palette represents cold, isolation, melancholy and calm in the movie. An example was when Officer K (Ryan Gosling) was staring into the mirror after losing something important to him in Blade Runner 2049. The color palette in this scene was blue.
In the same way, the orange color palette could represent warmth, sociability, friendliness, and happiness.
"Thank you, director. I learned a lot."
"No, unlike me, who didn't graduate from a film/performing arts university, I'm sure you already studied these subjects in college."
"Still, thank you, director. It's completely different to hear it from a professional director."
"You're just praising me. Anyway, we are both directors now. I guess I will have to call you Director Smith." Kazir chuckled.
"You can after the success of Taken 2." Fremont Smith replied.
"It will be a success. Definitely."
"That's right."
It was a mystery where this confidence came from. Perhaps every director should be confident in their films, or there would be no reason to make them.
After talking to Fremont Smith, Erica Mendez contacted Kazir and told him that another person was looking for him.
'As expected...'
Kazir said he would be there.
When he reached the lobby, he found a person sitting in a chair. The man was nervous and was wiping his sweat.
Kazir didn't know who he was. However, he could tell from the man's appearance that he might be of Asian descent.
"Director Grey. I'm Lee Himura from Sony-Columbia. We would like to work with you on The Bourne Identity."
'Exactly what I expected. He's from Sony-Columbia.'
Kazir nodded. The man's last name alone meant that he was from Japan, which was understandable. After all, the parent company of Sony-Columbia was none other than Sony, a huge company based in Japan.
Lee Himura didn't bother to talk nonsense. He got right to the point.
"After some thought, we came to the conclusion that the other companies were offering you a 22% box office distribution fee."
"..."
Kazir was speechless.
'From the looks of it, someone leaked what happened earlier. There's a snitch!'
"That's right." Kazir nodded.
"Then I'm happy to say that Sony-Columbia is willing to work with Grey Pictures for 20% of the box office. The company was willing to buy the three scripts for $1 million each."
'Not bad'. Kazir listened.
"Also, we were hoping you could write a script for us. We want to make a movie based on an old TV show from the 80s."
"What TV show?"
"21 Jump Street." Lee Himura licked his lips before he said it.
When Kazir heard this, he couldn't help but feel that the future was becoming unpredictable. He could not help but smile.
++++++
[Since I already listed my top underrated anime and manga here, I might as well list my top 5 best completed novels / light novels / webnovels.]
1. Lord Of The Mystery: Probably the best webnovel out there. I've read it twice and I like it that much.
2. The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria (Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria): This is the first light novel I finished and it left a strong impression on me.
3. Mushoku Tensei(Jobless Reincarnation): I fell in love with this light novel, watching Rudeus slowly change his life for the better is gratifying to see.
4. Back to the Sixties: Farm, Get Wealthy & Raise the Cubs: Now this novel has a female protagonist and it's a slice of life. Still, there's something about this novel that keeps me reading it for weeks non-stop.
5. Legendary Mechanic: Mecha, action, sci-fi, universe, adventure. I have so much fun reading this webnovel.
Hollywood What If Chapter 171
The building had a training room. This was the place where Tae-Won Park trained the cast of Taken 2 and The Bourne Identity.
Kazir Grey checked the place and nodded when he found some actors he recognized. However, he did not see Matt Damon and Liam Neeson.
Both actors were famous and busy. Matt Damon was filming a commercial today and would not be back until tomorrow.
As for Liam Neeson, he would come at 1 p.m. and leave at 4 p.m. He only has to go to training 3 times a week.
This was one of the conditions he said before signing a contract for Taken 2. The good thing was that Liam Neeson was serious about training. He always showed up 3 times a week, true to his contract.
During his walk, he found Enzo Park, who was teaching the stunt actors how to fall to the ground with minimal pain.
Enzo Park saw him and greeted him.
Kazir nodded, signaling that they could continue.
As he expected, Kazir found Fremont Smith filming experimental scenes in the training studio. He was filming the stunt performers "fighting" to improve his experience.
He was practicing with the stunt actors.
"Director Grey."
Fremont Smith finished rehearsing when he saw Kazir approaching.
"How are you doing?"
When Kazir came closer, he noticed that Fremont had lost weight and looked haggard. A normal appearance for directors while in the process of creating films.
Even Kazir suffered the same treatment whenever he had a project.
"I'm fine. I just practice so I have more ideas to use. I'm also studying a lot of cuts."
Grey Pictures agreed to let Fremont Smith participate in the post-production of Taken 2, but if his director's cut didn't meet their criteria, Grey Pictures would decide to edit the film themselves.
Usually directors don't have the right to participate in post-production and edit the film, they can only make suggestions. Maybe only a few directors in Hollywood get that privilege.
Grey Pictures has already been generous in giving Fremont that privilege. Hopefully Fremont Smith will appreciate this opportunity and do his best.
The two talked for a long time. As a veteran director with many successful films under his belt, Kazir Grey began to talk about his experience.
Fremont Smith listened intently. He knew most of what Kazir was saying because he had been his assistant director for three years, but there was nothing wrong with listening. In fact, it could remind him of important aspects of filming.
Like preparing the scenes. The director should have a clear vision in his mind of what he wants to portray. If possible, the director should draw it in the storyboard to have a proper understanding.
For example, if the director wants to film a scene with an overhead view, he may need to prepare a crane depending on the distance.
If he wanted to capture an explosion from different angles, he had to prepare dozens of cameras in different locations.
Let's not forget the theme of the movie. The color palette was the best way to portray it.
The blue color palette represents cold, isolation, melancholy and calm in the movie. An example was when Officer K (Ryan Gosling) was staring into the mirror after losing something important to him in Blade Runner 2049. The color palette in this scene was blue.
In the same way, the orange color palette could represent warmth, sociability, friendliness, and happiness.
"Thank you, director. I learned a lot."
"No, unlike me, who didn't graduate from a film/performing arts university, I'm sure you already studied these subjects in college."
"Still, thank you, director. It's completely different to hear it from a professional director."
"You're just praising me. Anyway, we are both directors now. I guess I will have to call you Director Smith." Kazir chuckled.
"You can after the success of Taken 2." Fremont Smith replied.
"It will be a success. Definitely."
"That's right."
It was a mystery where this confidence came from. Perhaps every director should be confident in their films, or there would be no reason to make them.
After talking to Fremont Smith, Erica Mendez contacted Kazir and told him that another person was looking for him.
'As expected...'
Kazir said he would be there.
When he reached the lobby, he found a person sitting in a chair. The man was nervous and was wiping his sweat.
Kazir didn't know who he was. However, he could tell from the man's appearance that he might be of Asian descent.
"Director Grey. I'm Lee Himura from Sony-Columbia. We would like to work with you on The Bourne Identity."
'Exactly what I expected. He's from Sony-Columbia.'
Kazir nodded. The man's last name alone meant that he was from Japan, which was understandable. After all, the parent company of Sony-Columbia was none other than Sony, a huge company based in Japan.
Lee Himura didn't bother to talk nonsense. He got right to the point.
"After some thought, we came to the conclusion that the other companies were offering you a 22% box office distribution fee."
"..."
Kazir was speechless.
'From the looks of it, someone leaked what happened earlier. There's a snitch!'
"That's right." Kazir nodded.
"Then I'm happy to say that Sony-Columbia is willing to work with Grey Pictures for 20% of the box office. The company was willing to buy the three scripts for $1 million each."
'Not bad'. Kazir listened.
"Also, we were hoping you could write a script for us. We want to make a movie based on an old TV show from the 80s."
"What TV show?"
"21 Jump Street." Lee Himura licked his lips before he said it.
When Kazir heard this, he couldn't help but feel that the future was becoming unpredictable. He could not help but smile.
++++++
[Since I already listed my top underrated anime and manga here, I might as well list my top 5 best completed novels / light novels / webnovels.]
1. Lord Of The Mystery: Probably the best webnovel out there. I've read it twice and I like it that much.
2. The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria (Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria): This is the first light novel I finished and it left a strong impression on me.
3. Mushoku Tensei(Jobless Reincarnation): I fell in love with this light novel, watching Rudeus slowly change his life for the better is gratifying to see.
4. Back to the Sixties: Farm, Get Wealthy & Raise the Cubs: Now this novel has a female protagonist and it's a slice of life. Still, there's something about this novel that keeps me reading it for weeks non-stop.
5. Legendary Mechanic: Mecha, action, sci-fi, universe, adventure. I have so much fun reading this webnovel.
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
thanks for the chapter
HWI 172
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
Hollywood What If Chapter 172
Sony-Columbia was the weakest of the Big Six, no one could deny that. What they needed was a bunch of movies that would make them relevant.
For the next few decades, the only movie that made them relevant was Spider-Man, anything related to Spider-Man like Venom, Spider-Verse, and um, Morbius? Maybe? Men In Black is great, but its influence was weaker compared to Spider-Man.
If this negotiation ended in cooperation with Sony-Columbia, one thing was for sure, Sony-Columbia would gain the power to fight the other movie companies.
In the first place, the reason for the company's weakness was the lack of good movies in their library. They were different from Warner Bros that could film Batman every decade. They didn't have the strength in animation that Walt Disney had.
'In short, my decision can change the balance of power in this industry...'
Such a thought made Kazir smile. He could not believe that a director like him could do such a thing. Was it even possible? Or perhaps Kazir was just being arrogant.
The scripts he wanted to sell were all comedies with one or two sequels in them. That meant Sony-Columbia could make a profit for at least a decade if they did it right.
These movies were: Bruce Almighty, Anchorman and Horrible Bosses. These movies did well at the box office, grossing at least $200 million worldwide.
In fact, Kazir was interested in selling the romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Although he decided to wait a few years before making a decision.
'20% box office fee is not bad. No, it's a steal. Almost no company would make that deal unless they are crazy.'
Well, given the situation, Sony-Columbia was crazy to offer that kind of deal.
"How many films does Sony-Columbia want to distribute?"
If Sony-Columbia only wanted to distribute The Bourne Identity, then this negotiation was over. It would be detrimental to sell three of his scripts for one movie distribution. It should be at least 3 movies.
"Four to five movies."
Kazir nodded. He could sense the sincerity. Maybe Sony-Columbia was getting desperate because their competitors were getting better while they were stagnating.
"I'll be honest, of all the producers who contact me, you from Sony-Columbia is the most sincere."
"I'm glad to hear that." Lee Himura smiled. However, he didn't feel good about this negotiation. Obviously, Sony-Columbia was the loser in this transaction.
If it weren't for his boss' nagging, Lee Himura wouldn't be doing this. If there was one good thing, it was that the responsibility for negotiating a 20% box office share with Grey Pictures was not his. It came from higher up.
If that negotiation leads to disaster, he is innocent... Although he could be fired if that happened. So his mood was not good. He only hoped that Kazir Grey would not ask for a lower distribution fee.
"Still, I have to think about it. Just like I said before, I need three days to think about it."
'If another movie company offered me a better deal, of course I would sign with them.'
Kazir smiled. There was nothing wrong with his decision.
'Even if I upset one or two of the Big Six, I still have other companies to work with. Of course, let's pray they don't work together to destroy me like they did with DreamWorks. Splitting the company in two.'
"I understand."
Lee Himura bowed. He had already done his best. Anything less than 20% would be detrimental. This was the lowest they could offer. If Kazir Grey still said no, so be it.
The Sony-Columbia producer shook Kazir's hand before leaving.
.........
......
...
While the negotiations were going on, 20th Century Fox invited him to participate in the pre-production of Napoleon Dynamite III, which was to be released in the summer or later this year.
Kazir was no fool, he knew this was just a way for Tom Rothman to talk to Kazir personally.
He had already done his job and turned most of the work over to the writers. In fact, Kazir didn't touch the Napoleon Dynamite III script that much. He just made some suggestions.
He knew he was no genius. It would be better for the writers to build the plot.
'If I'm not mistaken, this could be the last movie. Completion of the trilogy. The actors' salaries are getting higher and higher and Fox Searchlight Pictures can't afford them anymore. Before the salary got bigger, they decided to finish the trilogy and get as much money as possible.'
As for the outcome of the final installment of Napoleon Dynamite, Kazir Grey had no idea. That movie never happened in the original timeline.
As he expected, when Kazir visited the filming studio, he saw some people he recognized.
The director, Hugo Lameire, looked at Kazir and nodded. There was no handshake or greeting. The director just walked by.
'... I have no idea why he's like that, but who cares.'
He shrugged. Kazir then found Ed Helms, Pedro Pascal and even Reese Witherspoon. The actors greeted him, but none stayed long.
As for Kazir, he was mature enough to understand the situation. He kept his smile and talked to the writers of the film.
But a minute after he talked to them, Tom Rothman appeared out of nowhere like a fucking mushroom.
"Kazir! Haha, nice to meet you! How's your day going? By the way, congratulations on John Wick and The Hangover 2! Damn, I still regret not signing a contract with you!"
"Tom, my day is going well..."
'Until you showed up.'
He swallowed the last part of the sentence. It seemed that even the big shot of 20th Century Fox was interested in his scripts to show such enthusiasm.
'So who am I meeting with tomorrow, Michael Eisner, Michael Ovitz? Or maybe Brad Grey.'
He shook his head. Such was the life of the most sought-after director of the era.
Sony-Columbia was the weakest of the Big Six, no one could deny that. What they needed was a bunch of movies that would make them relevant.
For the next few decades, the only movie that made them relevant was Spider-Man, anything related to Spider-Man like Venom, Spider-Verse, and um, Morbius? Maybe? Men In Black is great, but its influence was weaker compared to Spider-Man.
If this negotiation ended in cooperation with Sony-Columbia, one thing was for sure, Sony-Columbia would gain the power to fight the other movie companies.
In the first place, the reason for the company's weakness was the lack of good movies in their library. They were different from Warner Bros that could film Batman every decade. They didn't have the strength in animation that Walt Disney had.
'In short, my decision can change the balance of power in this industry...'
Such a thought made Kazir smile. He could not believe that a director like him could do such a thing. Was it even possible? Or perhaps Kazir was just being arrogant.
The scripts he wanted to sell were all comedies with one or two sequels in them. That meant Sony-Columbia could make a profit for at least a decade if they did it right.
These movies were: Bruce Almighty, Anchorman and Horrible Bosses. These movies did well at the box office, grossing at least $200 million worldwide.
In fact, Kazir was interested in selling the romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Although he decided to wait a few years before making a decision.
'20% box office fee is not bad. No, it's a steal. Almost no company would make that deal unless they are crazy.'
Well, given the situation, Sony-Columbia was crazy to offer that kind of deal.
"How many films does Sony-Columbia want to distribute?"
If Sony-Columbia only wanted to distribute The Bourne Identity, then this negotiation was over. It would be detrimental to sell three of his scripts for one movie distribution. It should be at least 3 movies.
"Four to five movies."
Kazir nodded. He could sense the sincerity. Maybe Sony-Columbia was getting desperate because their competitors were getting better while they were stagnating.
"I'll be honest, of all the producers who contact me, you from Sony-Columbia is the most sincere."
"I'm glad to hear that." Lee Himura smiled. However, he didn't feel good about this negotiation. Obviously, Sony-Columbia was the loser in this transaction.
If it weren't for his boss' nagging, Lee Himura wouldn't be doing this. If there was one good thing, it was that the responsibility for negotiating a 20% box office share with Grey Pictures was not his. It came from higher up.
If that negotiation leads to disaster, he is innocent... Although he could be fired if that happened. So his mood was not good. He only hoped that Kazir Grey would not ask for a lower distribution fee.
"Still, I have to think about it. Just like I said before, I need three days to think about it."
'If another movie company offered me a better deal, of course I would sign with them.'
Kazir smiled. There was nothing wrong with his decision.
'Even if I upset one or two of the Big Six, I still have other companies to work with. Of course, let's pray they don't work together to destroy me like they did with DreamWorks. Splitting the company in two.'
"I understand."
Lee Himura bowed. He had already done his best. Anything less than 20% would be detrimental. This was the lowest they could offer. If Kazir Grey still said no, so be it.
The Sony-Columbia producer shook Kazir's hand before leaving.
.........
......
...
While the negotiations were going on, 20th Century Fox invited him to participate in the pre-production of Napoleon Dynamite III, which was to be released in the summer or later this year.
Kazir was no fool, he knew this was just a way for Tom Rothman to talk to Kazir personally.
He had already done his job and turned most of the work over to the writers. In fact, Kazir didn't touch the Napoleon Dynamite III script that much. He just made some suggestions.
He knew he was no genius. It would be better for the writers to build the plot.
'If I'm not mistaken, this could be the last movie. Completion of the trilogy. The actors' salaries are getting higher and higher and Fox Searchlight Pictures can't afford them anymore. Before the salary got bigger, they decided to finish the trilogy and get as much money as possible.'
As for the outcome of the final installment of Napoleon Dynamite, Kazir Grey had no idea. That movie never happened in the original timeline.
As he expected, when Kazir visited the filming studio, he saw some people he recognized.
The director, Hugo Lameire, looked at Kazir and nodded. There was no handshake or greeting. The director just walked by.
'... I have no idea why he's like that, but who cares.'
He shrugged. Kazir then found Ed Helms, Pedro Pascal and even Reese Witherspoon. The actors greeted him, but none stayed long.
As for Kazir, he was mature enough to understand the situation. He kept his smile and talked to the writers of the film.
But a minute after he talked to them, Tom Rothman appeared out of nowhere like a fucking mushroom.
"Kazir! Haha, nice to meet you! How's your day going? By the way, congratulations on John Wick and The Hangover 2! Damn, I still regret not signing a contract with you!"
"Tom, my day is going well..."
'Until you showed up.'
He swallowed the last part of the sentence. It seemed that even the big shot of 20th Century Fox was interested in his scripts to show such enthusiasm.
'So who am I meeting with tomorrow, Michael Eisner, Michael Ovitz? Or maybe Brad Grey.'
He shook his head. Such was the life of the most sought-after director of the era.
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
thanks for the chapter
HWI 173
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
Hollywood What If Chapter 173
Kazir knew that Tom Rothman was interested in his screenplays. Four of the scripts he sold were blockbusters. That was enough to prove that Kazir had what it took to be the best screenwriter in Hollywood.
Se7en, the first screenplay he sold. More than $300 million at the worldwide box office.
Meet The Parents, the last script he sold. The box office was already over $200 million.
In that era, before the 2000s, $200 million was an amazing feat.
But it seemed that Kazir's movie could do it easily. None of his movies had a box office of less than $200 million.
Perhaps it would be better to call him Kazir Grey, the 'More Than $200 Million Guy'.
That is, when Tom Rothman successfully buys a script from him and turns it into a movie. The chances of the movie making more than $200 million were high.
This result was enough for Tom Rothman to lower the distribution fee.
He believed that the money they could get from The Bourne Identity was minuscule, but it would be too bad too pass on the other scripts.
'At best, we can get 20-30 million dollars, but we have to subtract the publicity and the prints. So the profit we can get is only 10-20 million dollars. Not bad, because Kazir's movie will never go below $200 million.'
Of course, The Bourne Identity could flop and 20th Century Fox may never recoup its investment. But Tom Rothman was willing to gamble just to get the three scripts from Kazir.
'I know Kazir will make a good movie. He knows the formula for making a good movie.'
As long as nothing unexpected happened, The Bourne Identity would definitely be well received. Maybe that was why Matt Damon was interested in the role.
"Nancy already told you that 20th Century Fox is ready to distribute your movie and the distribution fee is 23% of the box office. Well, I decided to make it 22%. How about it, Kazir? Are you interested?"
After talking nonsense for a few minutes, Tom Rothman decided to talk to Kazir about his decision.
"It's a good contract. But, Tom, I need to know how many movies 20th Century Fox plans to distribute."
"Two to three films. That's the best we can do."
Anything more would be too much for 20th Century Fox.
"I understand." Kazir nodded.
He could sense Tom Rothman's sincerity... Unfortunately, his sincerity was not enough to convince him.
"Tom, there are still two days before I can make a decision. I hope you understand. I need to give this some serious thought."
"Okay. I just hope you choose 20th Century Fox. Kazir, we have a good working relationship and the first company to distribute your movie is none other than 20th Century Fox."
"Yes, and I'm grateful for that."
After visiting the studio and talking to Tom Rothman, Kazir Grey returned to Grey Pictures.
Tomorrow they have a script reading to familiarize themselves with their roles.
.........
......
...
"We've met for the second time, Director Grey."
Sony-Columbia CEO Frank Price shook hands with Kazir.
After three days of negotiations, Kazir chose the best option.
Many film companies contacted him, hoping to work with him. Unfortunately, only Sony-Columbia satisfied him.
For 20% of the box office, Sony-Columbia would distribute his four films. In return, Sony-Columbia paid Kazir $3.5 million to buy his three screenplays. Of course, if Kazir was interested in writing the sequels to these films, Sony-Columbia would pay him more than $1 million per sequel.
In addition, Kazir Grey agreed to write a screenplay for 21 Jump Street. But the best he could do would be next year. He was going to be busy this year, he could feel it.
Sony-Columbia didn't have a problem with that because they couldn't release that many movies at once.
In fact, the higher-ups would decide which script to adapt first. They have to read the three scripts and make a decision.
"Kazir, since you are the writer, I wonder which movie you want to make first?"
"Hm, I think Bruce Almighty is not bad. But it depends on Jim Carrey's decision." He shrugged.
"When I wrote the script, I imagined Jim Carrey as the protagonist. Although we have to keep this fact a secret because we don't want Jim Carrey to ask for an extravagant salary."
Frank Price agreed. If Jim Carrey's agent found out that the script was written in Jim Carrey's image, the agent might ask for a whopping amount of dollars.
"I see. So you want Jim Carrey to be the male lead? Honestly, considering the role of Bruce Nolan and his hilarious antics, I think Jim Carrey really fits the part."
As for how Sony-Columbia convinced Jim Carrey to take the role, Kazir Grey has no idea.
'Well, they'll probably use the power of money to convince a superstar like Jim Carrey.'
Finally, Kazir's problem with the distribution of The Bourne Identity was over. His next three films also found a company to distribute them.
As for Paramount's grumbling, Kazir didn't care. Once Taken 2 came out, their relationship would be over.
'Damn it, I'm like an orphan living in different places every night. I have no place to call home.'
He sighed. For two years he didn't have to think about this problem, but this year he had to find another distributor. All he could do was produce movies that could bring him profit and fame so that the distributors would look for him instead.
"Well... How about I go to the Sundance Film Festival?"
He remembered a certain movie that was released this year...
Kazir knew that Tom Rothman was interested in his screenplays. Four of the scripts he sold were blockbusters. That was enough to prove that Kazir had what it took to be the best screenwriter in Hollywood.
Se7en, the first screenplay he sold. More than $300 million at the worldwide box office.
Meet The Parents, the last script he sold. The box office was already over $200 million.
In that era, before the 2000s, $200 million was an amazing feat.
But it seemed that Kazir's movie could do it easily. None of his movies had a box office of less than $200 million.
Perhaps it would be better to call him Kazir Grey, the 'More Than $200 Million Guy'.
That is, when Tom Rothman successfully buys a script from him and turns it into a movie. The chances of the movie making more than $200 million were high.
This result was enough for Tom Rothman to lower the distribution fee.
He believed that the money they could get from The Bourne Identity was minuscule, but it would be too bad too pass on the other scripts.
'At best, we can get 20-30 million dollars, but we have to subtract the publicity and the prints. So the profit we can get is only 10-20 million dollars. Not bad, because Kazir's movie will never go below $200 million.'
Of course, The Bourne Identity could flop and 20th Century Fox may never recoup its investment. But Tom Rothman was willing to gamble just to get the three scripts from Kazir.
'I know Kazir will make a good movie. He knows the formula for making a good movie.'
As long as nothing unexpected happened, The Bourne Identity would definitely be well received. Maybe that was why Matt Damon was interested in the role.
"Nancy already told you that 20th Century Fox is ready to distribute your movie and the distribution fee is 23% of the box office. Well, I decided to make it 22%. How about it, Kazir? Are you interested?"
After talking nonsense for a few minutes, Tom Rothman decided to talk to Kazir about his decision.
"It's a good contract. But, Tom, I need to know how many movies 20th Century Fox plans to distribute."
"Two to three films. That's the best we can do."
Anything more would be too much for 20th Century Fox.
"I understand." Kazir nodded.
He could sense Tom Rothman's sincerity... Unfortunately, his sincerity was not enough to convince him.
"Tom, there are still two days before I can make a decision. I hope you understand. I need to give this some serious thought."
"Okay. I just hope you choose 20th Century Fox. Kazir, we have a good working relationship and the first company to distribute your movie is none other than 20th Century Fox."
"Yes, and I'm grateful for that."
After visiting the studio and talking to Tom Rothman, Kazir Grey returned to Grey Pictures.
Tomorrow they have a script reading to familiarize themselves with their roles.
.........
......
...
"We've met for the second time, Director Grey."
Sony-Columbia CEO Frank Price shook hands with Kazir.
After three days of negotiations, Kazir chose the best option.
Many film companies contacted him, hoping to work with him. Unfortunately, only Sony-Columbia satisfied him.
For 20% of the box office, Sony-Columbia would distribute his four films. In return, Sony-Columbia paid Kazir $3.5 million to buy his three screenplays. Of course, if Kazir was interested in writing the sequels to these films, Sony-Columbia would pay him more than $1 million per sequel.
In addition, Kazir Grey agreed to write a screenplay for 21 Jump Street. But the best he could do would be next year. He was going to be busy this year, he could feel it.
Sony-Columbia didn't have a problem with that because they couldn't release that many movies at once.
In fact, the higher-ups would decide which script to adapt first. They have to read the three scripts and make a decision.
"Kazir, since you are the writer, I wonder which movie you want to make first?"
"Hm, I think Bruce Almighty is not bad. But it depends on Jim Carrey's decision." He shrugged.
"When I wrote the script, I imagined Jim Carrey as the protagonist. Although we have to keep this fact a secret because we don't want Jim Carrey to ask for an extravagant salary."
Frank Price agreed. If Jim Carrey's agent found out that the script was written in Jim Carrey's image, the agent might ask for a whopping amount of dollars.
"I see. So you want Jim Carrey to be the male lead? Honestly, considering the role of Bruce Nolan and his hilarious antics, I think Jim Carrey really fits the part."
As for how Sony-Columbia convinced Jim Carrey to take the role, Kazir Grey has no idea.
'Well, they'll probably use the power of money to convince a superstar like Jim Carrey.'
Finally, Kazir's problem with the distribution of The Bourne Identity was over. His next three films also found a company to distribute them.
As for Paramount's grumbling, Kazir didn't care. Once Taken 2 came out, their relationship would be over.
'Damn it, I'm like an orphan living in different places every night. I have no place to call home.'
He sighed. For two years he didn't have to think about this problem, but this year he had to find another distributor. All he could do was produce movies that could bring him profit and fame so that the distributors would look for him instead.
"Well... How about I go to the Sundance Film Festival?"
He remembered a certain movie that was released this year...
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
thanks for the chapter
HWI 174
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
[Shout out to David H!]
Hollywood What If Chapter 174
Palenque Simone rubbed his eyes as he watched the movie on the big screen.
Normally, watching movies was entertaining and relaxing, unless the movie was a horror movie. Horror movies were for the purpose of scaring the audience.
In this situation, the movie in front of Palenque Simone was a horror movie. However, he didn't feel scared at all. In fact, he was bored and sleepy.
'It really hurts my eyes to watch such a movie! The camera shakes so much that my head hurts! Besides, I feel like this is not a movie at all. It's like footage! Not a professional movie at all.'
Around this time, the found footage genre did not exist. The Blair Witch Project was the first kind of its genre that became successful. It basically popularized the genre.
Besides Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield were also found footage movies.
Anyway, Palenque Simone didn't know why his boss told him to watch this movie and try to buy the rights.
Palenque Simone was an intern five years ago. He graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in psychology. But he didn't want to go to a hospital or become a counselor or anything like that.
Instead, he was interested in the minds of movie characters. He loves to study the psychology of movie characters.
He studied Catherine Tramell, a fictional character from Basic Instinct. He especially likes to study Hannibal Lecter... The guy was quite interesting.
Of course, Palenque was not crazy. He just wanted to know how psychopaths think.
Because of this hobby he decided to work in Hollywood. The first project he took part in was a great success. It was none other than Napoleon Dynamite.
Remembering his life in Hollywood, Palenque Simone felt that he had it better. At least he had a steady job and the salary and bonus were amazing. Since all the films that Director Grey made were successful, the bonus he received was also considerable.
In addition, his job was now the director's assistant after his friend, Fremont Smith, started his own movie.
Palenque could not help but sigh. It would be a lie to say he was not jealous.
Palenque and Fremont were on the same starting line, but now his position was higher than his.
Well, Fremont Smith had experience in filmmaking because he had graduated from a film school.
In addition, he signed a contract with Salvatore Barlowe, which made his way easier. One of the reasons why Kazir Grey decided to help him.
'At least my salary increased...'
To be honest, Palenque was interested in making a movie, but his experience was not enough. He needed more time to gain experience and knowledge to be a director. Not that being a director is easy.
Before becoming an assistant director, Palenque was part of the props team, responsible for making and preparing background scenes.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, he realized that the horror movie was over and stood up as the credits rolled. He was still confused as to why he was here and why he had to buy the movie.
'Director Grey watched the movie two days ago while hiding his identity. Then he called me and said that I must buy the movie, but I must not show any intention of being interested in the movie so that the price won't be high.'
In order for this to happen, Director Grey told him to buy the film on the last day of the screening.
The Sundance Film Festival lasted ten days, and today was the last day.
The audience clapped tiredly and left. In fact, only a handful of people watched the movie. The answer was obvious, the movie was not good at all!
Still, Palenque Simone decided to face the director of The Blair Witch Project just to finish the job.
With a business smile, Palenque found the director and opened his mouth.
"Hello, are you the director of this movie?"
"Me? Yes, I'm one of the directors of this movie. I'm Daniel Myrick."
Palenque nodded. Most of the time only one director is credited in a movie. That might have something to do with the Director's Guild rules that only one director be credited on a movie.
Still, others have co-directors in movies, such as the Coen brothers and the Wachowski sisters.
In The Blair Witch Project, two directors could be credited because they were not registered in the Director's Guild of America.
"I'm Palenque Simone, and I'm interested in buying your movie."
Director Grey said that Palenque could not say his affiliation at the beginning, to keep the information hidden.
Hearing Palenque's words, Daniel Myrick was stunned at first. But he smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I can't, not anymore. Someone already bought the movie yesterday... I apologize."
Daniel Myrick thought this movie was nonsense. So when he heard that someone was interested in buying his movie, he didn't think twice and sold it for $15,000.
He thought the buyer would back out, so he sold it quickly.
Now that someone was interested, he could not help but feel helpless. Life was never fair.
"I see. Then can I know the company that bought it?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to tell you."
Palenque sighed. He just wasted his time here. He was not even sure how to explain this to Director Grey.
With no choice, Palenque Simone left the Sundance Film Festival and found the opportunity to call his superior.
"I'm sorry, director, but the film is already sold."
"It's okay. You can go back now."
"Yes."
Kazir was not very interested in the movie. He was interested in the profit, but cheating the whole country with viral marketing was pretty dirty in his opinion. It was different from his fake relationship with Cameron Diaz. Well, their relationship was not technically fake because they were actually dating, albeit with an expiration date...
"I wonder who bought the movie..."
Kazir thought to himself.
Hollywood What If Chapter 174
Palenque Simone rubbed his eyes as he watched the movie on the big screen.
Normally, watching movies was entertaining and relaxing, unless the movie was a horror movie. Horror movies were for the purpose of scaring the audience.
In this situation, the movie in front of Palenque Simone was a horror movie. However, he didn't feel scared at all. In fact, he was bored and sleepy.
'It really hurts my eyes to watch such a movie! The camera shakes so much that my head hurts! Besides, I feel like this is not a movie at all. It's like footage! Not a professional movie at all.'
Around this time, the found footage genre did not exist. The Blair Witch Project was the first kind of its genre that became successful. It basically popularized the genre.
Besides Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield were also found footage movies.
Anyway, Palenque Simone didn't know why his boss told him to watch this movie and try to buy the rights.
Palenque Simone was an intern five years ago. He graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in psychology. But he didn't want to go to a hospital or become a counselor or anything like that.
Instead, he was interested in the minds of movie characters. He loves to study the psychology of movie characters.
He studied Catherine Tramell, a fictional character from Basic Instinct. He especially likes to study Hannibal Lecter... The guy was quite interesting.
Of course, Palenque was not crazy. He just wanted to know how psychopaths think.
Because of this hobby he decided to work in Hollywood. The first project he took part in was a great success. It was none other than Napoleon Dynamite.
Remembering his life in Hollywood, Palenque Simone felt that he had it better. At least he had a steady job and the salary and bonus were amazing. Since all the films that Director Grey made were successful, the bonus he received was also considerable.
In addition, his job was now the director's assistant after his friend, Fremont Smith, started his own movie.
Palenque could not help but sigh. It would be a lie to say he was not jealous.
Palenque and Fremont were on the same starting line, but now his position was higher than his.
Well, Fremont Smith had experience in filmmaking because he had graduated from a film school.
In addition, he signed a contract with Salvatore Barlowe, which made his way easier. One of the reasons why Kazir Grey decided to help him.
'At least my salary increased...'
To be honest, Palenque was interested in making a movie, but his experience was not enough. He needed more time to gain experience and knowledge to be a director. Not that being a director is easy.
Before becoming an assistant director, Palenque was part of the props team, responsible for making and preparing background scenes.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, he realized that the horror movie was over and stood up as the credits rolled. He was still confused as to why he was here and why he had to buy the movie.
'Director Grey watched the movie two days ago while hiding his identity. Then he called me and said that I must buy the movie, but I must not show any intention of being interested in the movie so that the price won't be high.'
In order for this to happen, Director Grey told him to buy the film on the last day of the screening.
The Sundance Film Festival lasted ten days, and today was the last day.
The audience clapped tiredly and left. In fact, only a handful of people watched the movie. The answer was obvious, the movie was not good at all!
Still, Palenque Simone decided to face the director of The Blair Witch Project just to finish the job.
With a business smile, Palenque found the director and opened his mouth.
"Hello, are you the director of this movie?"
"Me? Yes, I'm one of the directors of this movie. I'm Daniel Myrick."
Palenque nodded. Most of the time only one director is credited in a movie. That might have something to do with the Director's Guild rules that only one director be credited on a movie.
Still, others have co-directors in movies, such as the Coen brothers and the Wachowski sisters.
In The Blair Witch Project, two directors could be credited because they were not registered in the Director's Guild of America.
"I'm Palenque Simone, and I'm interested in buying your movie."
Director Grey said that Palenque could not say his affiliation at the beginning, to keep the information hidden.
Hearing Palenque's words, Daniel Myrick was stunned at first. But he smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I can't, not anymore. Someone already bought the movie yesterday... I apologize."
Daniel Myrick thought this movie was nonsense. So when he heard that someone was interested in buying his movie, he didn't think twice and sold it for $15,000.
He thought the buyer would back out, so he sold it quickly.
Now that someone was interested, he could not help but feel helpless. Life was never fair.
"I see. Then can I know the company that bought it?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to tell you."
Palenque sighed. He just wasted his time here. He was not even sure how to explain this to Director Grey.
With no choice, Palenque Simone left the Sundance Film Festival and found the opportunity to call his superior.
"I'm sorry, director, but the film is already sold."
"It's okay. You can go back now."
"Yes."
Kazir was not very interested in the movie. He was interested in the profit, but cheating the whole country with viral marketing was pretty dirty in his opinion. It was different from his fake relationship with Cameron Diaz. Well, their relationship was not technically fake because they were actually dating, albeit with an expiration date...
"I wonder who bought the movie..."
Kazir thought to himself.
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
Thanks for the chapter
HWI 175
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
[Shout out to BotsBoy 408, bomber-harris, and David J!]
Hollywood What If Chapter 175
On camera, Matt Damon walked down the street. The snow was blowing around, making the scene almost white.
Matt Damon looked around and saw two people in police uniforms...
"Cut! Ten minute break!"
Kazir announced after 30 seconds of footage. The crew started moving around.
The fan/blower responsible for creating the snow effect was turned off.
There were many ways to replicate the snow, such as small paper flakes or even shredded white plastic. These items have a similar appearance to snow once captured by the camera.
This time, the crew decided to use paper flakes.
It was impossible to rely on the weather and hope that it would snow on the exact day they were going to shoot the snow scene. In addition, cold weather would affect their production. Some people would get sick.
The fan/blower shot snow(paper flakes) over a distance to make it realistic.
If there was one bad thing about using these materials, it was that they were slippery. So Matt Damon had to watch his steps so that he won't slip.
To minimize expenses, they decided to shoot this scene in Los Angeles. Originally, the crew wanted to go to Switzerland for authentic scenes, but Kazir decided against it...
Frankly, he never likes to move. Even promoting his films around the globe was the last thing he wanted to do as a director. Of course, being interviewed was the second least. And attending a party was the third least.
'The original Bourne Identity was shot in France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Mykonos... Going to France and Italy is enough.'
As for the other countries, Kazir and his crew would try to make it as authentic as possible.
Traveling to many countries would only make them tired... Um, maybe some of the crew members liked to travel the world, but Kazir Grey was not on that list.
"Director, how's my acting?"
Matt Damon asked the director. Matt Damon was a professional actor and was even nominated for the Best Actor Award.
For this role, Matt Damon even interviewed people who suffered from amnesia. On this basis he built up his character as Jason Bourne. Of course, he still needed the director's approval.
"It's good."
Kazir nodded and decided to let him watch the clip. Most of the time the directors didn't want to show the monitors to the actors.
Some actors would become aware of their appearance and facial expressions if they watched their acting on the monitor, especially if they made a mistake.
In Matt Damon's situation, Kazir decided to show him his acting in order to praise him and show him that he had to maintain the role of a clueless/depressed man suffering from amnesia in the hope of finding his true identity.
"Um, director. Do you mind if we reshoot? I feel like I can relate to Jason Bourne more now."
Seeing Matt Damon's reaction, Kazir shook his head and agreed.
'As expected, some actors will pester their directors just to get a perfect shot. Maybe Matt Damon is the type of actor who uses his understanding to get into a role.'
"Fine, but Matt, you have to understand. This movie is an action movie, there's no need for too much drama. You don't have to be too expressive unless you have to be. Don't push yourself too hard. Hell, as long as you can act cool, I don't have a problem."
Adrien Brody in The Pianist got super depressed and even broke up with his girlfriend.
Shia Labeouf in Fury. Just to experience the real suffering that the soldiers went through, the guy literally didn't shower for a month... What a fucking commitment.
Of course, let's not forget Heath Ledger in his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Kazir didn't want Matt Damon to go through the same thing, because this movie wasn't serious at all. This movie was meant for men's entertainment, nothing else. So Kazir didn't need an Oscar performance.
"I understand." Matt Damon nodded. He took a deep breath.
Just like that, they decided to reshoot the scene. Even though it was only a 30-second scene.
But this time Matt Damon almost slipped. Luckily he didn't fall, otherwise it would have been bad. The scene had to be reshot. They shot it 3 times just to get a better scene. In those 30 seconds, Matt Damon showed his helplessness perfectly as he walked out into the street.
As the scene progressed, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) felt the police officers staring at him.
Realizing that they were following him, Jason Bourne decided to go to the U.S. Embassy to present one of his dozens of passports. Jason Bourne had so many passports with different identities and nationalities. He had no idea why he had a lot of passports.
The police could not enter the embassy without permission, so Jason Bourne had time to rest and think about his situation.
Unfortunately for him, even the people inside the embassy were looking for him. Jason Bourne began to evade his pursuers and exited the building...
"Cut!"
Kazir announced, frowning as he looked at the monitor. He saw a signage written in English.
"That sign... It was supposed to be in Swiss-German."
To be honest, Kazir was not sure what language it was. But he knew they were speaking German.
For authenticity, Kazir made sure that even the signs on the street were written in a foreign language.
"I-I'm sorry, director."
Efren Reyes, the prop master, apologized and immediately signaled his crew. He had become head of the props team after Harold Witsend became producer.
"Do we have someone who speaks Swiss-German?"
"Yes, we hired one."
"Good, ask him for the details."
Kazir sighed... They have to spend more time preparing the props, affecting their schedule.
Hollywood What If Chapter 175
On camera, Matt Damon walked down the street. The snow was blowing around, making the scene almost white.
Matt Damon looked around and saw two people in police uniforms...
"Cut! Ten minute break!"
Kazir announced after 30 seconds of footage. The crew started moving around.
The fan/blower responsible for creating the snow effect was turned off.
There were many ways to replicate the snow, such as small paper flakes or even shredded white plastic. These items have a similar appearance to snow once captured by the camera.
This time, the crew decided to use paper flakes.
It was impossible to rely on the weather and hope that it would snow on the exact day they were going to shoot the snow scene. In addition, cold weather would affect their production. Some people would get sick.
The fan/blower shot snow(paper flakes) over a distance to make it realistic.
If there was one bad thing about using these materials, it was that they were slippery. So Matt Damon had to watch his steps so that he won't slip.
To minimize expenses, they decided to shoot this scene in Los Angeles. Originally, the crew wanted to go to Switzerland for authentic scenes, but Kazir decided against it...
Frankly, he never likes to move. Even promoting his films around the globe was the last thing he wanted to do as a director. Of course, being interviewed was the second least. And attending a party was the third least.
'The original Bourne Identity was shot in France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Mykonos... Going to France and Italy is enough.'
As for the other countries, Kazir and his crew would try to make it as authentic as possible.
Traveling to many countries would only make them tired... Um, maybe some of the crew members liked to travel the world, but Kazir Grey was not on that list.
"Director, how's my acting?"
Matt Damon asked the director. Matt Damon was a professional actor and was even nominated for the Best Actor Award.
For this role, Matt Damon even interviewed people who suffered from amnesia. On this basis he built up his character as Jason Bourne. Of course, he still needed the director's approval.
"It's good."
Kazir nodded and decided to let him watch the clip. Most of the time the directors didn't want to show the monitors to the actors.
Some actors would become aware of their appearance and facial expressions if they watched their acting on the monitor, especially if they made a mistake.
In Matt Damon's situation, Kazir decided to show him his acting in order to praise him and show him that he had to maintain the role of a clueless/depressed man suffering from amnesia in the hope of finding his true identity.
"Um, director. Do you mind if we reshoot? I feel like I can relate to Jason Bourne more now."
Seeing Matt Damon's reaction, Kazir shook his head and agreed.
'As expected, some actors will pester their directors just to get a perfect shot. Maybe Matt Damon is the type of actor who uses his understanding to get into a role.'
"Fine, but Matt, you have to understand. This movie is an action movie, there's no need for too much drama. You don't have to be too expressive unless you have to be. Don't push yourself too hard. Hell, as long as you can act cool, I don't have a problem."
Adrien Brody in The Pianist got super depressed and even broke up with his girlfriend.
Shia Labeouf in Fury. Just to experience the real suffering that the soldiers went through, the guy literally didn't shower for a month... What a fucking commitment.
Of course, let's not forget Heath Ledger in his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Kazir didn't want Matt Damon to go through the same thing, because this movie wasn't serious at all. This movie was meant for men's entertainment, nothing else. So Kazir didn't need an Oscar performance.
"I understand." Matt Damon nodded. He took a deep breath.
Just like that, they decided to reshoot the scene. Even though it was only a 30-second scene.
But this time Matt Damon almost slipped. Luckily he didn't fall, otherwise it would have been bad. The scene had to be reshot. They shot it 3 times just to get a better scene. In those 30 seconds, Matt Damon showed his helplessness perfectly as he walked out into the street.
As the scene progressed, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) felt the police officers staring at him.
Realizing that they were following him, Jason Bourne decided to go to the U.S. Embassy to present one of his dozens of passports. Jason Bourne had so many passports with different identities and nationalities. He had no idea why he had a lot of passports.
The police could not enter the embassy without permission, so Jason Bourne had time to rest and think about his situation.
Unfortunately for him, even the people inside the embassy were looking for him. Jason Bourne began to evade his pursuers and exited the building...
"Cut!"
Kazir announced, frowning as he looked at the monitor. He saw a signage written in English.
"That sign... It was supposed to be in Swiss-German."
To be honest, Kazir was not sure what language it was. But he knew they were speaking German.
For authenticity, Kazir made sure that even the signs on the street were written in a foreign language.
"I-I'm sorry, director."
Efren Reyes, the prop master, apologized and immediately signaled his crew. He had become head of the props team after Harold Witsend became producer.
"Do we have someone who speaks Swiss-German?"
"Yes, we hired one."
"Good, ask him for the details."
Kazir sighed... They have to spend more time preparing the props, affecting their schedule.
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
thanks for the chapter
HWI 176
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
Hollywood What If Chapter 176
"Are you okay?"
Cameron Diaz asked Kazir worriedly when she noticed that Kazir had a stuffy nose.
"It's not that bad. I'll sleep early tonight."
He stayed up all night yesterday and was affected by the cold. Fortunately, he only had a stuffy nose and his general health was fine. He had been working hard lately because he had important positions within the company and the production crew.
Salvatore Barlowe and Erica Mendez were still looking for a professional manager who would meet Kazir's requirements.
"Hm."
Cameron Diaz nodded and squeezed his arm.
"I think your friends are looking for you. You can have fun with them. I'll just stay here." Kazir said to her.
He glanced at the group of models attending this particular party. Before she was an actress, Cameron Diaz was a model.
"Well, take care of yourself."
Cameron kissed him on the cheek and approached her friends.
'Our contract ends after this movie, I don't know why she keeps doing this.'
Kazir shook his head and forgot about it. He couldn't afford to be controlled by his emotions.
It was April 3, 1999. Paramount was throwing a party tonight to celebrate the success of The Truman Show.
Kazir was invited to the party because of his recent association with the company. Even though Grey Pictures had signed a distribution deal with Sony-Columbia, Paramount was mature enough to understand that.
Besides, they might work together again, and Kazir Grey was known as a director who didn't make flops.
Next week the crew would go to Italy to shoot the corresponding scenes. Kazir decided to give himself some time to have fun... Although going to a party was not fun in his opinion.
However, because he decided to take some time off, the crew took some time off as well. Today, filming ended early.
The box office of The Truman Show was 264 million dollars. This gives Jim Carrey another achievement in the industry. Of course, the plot of The Truman Show was amazing. Even Kazir praised the movie.
The mood at the party was very good. Especially when another movie that Paramount invested a lot in did well recently.
Meet the Parents grossed $160 million in North America this April. On top of that, the international box office was $75 million. That brings the total to over $235 million. Everyone knows that the movie would still go up, especially the international box office.
"Haa-choo!"
With that, Kazir Grey decided to go to the bathroom and blow his nose. After he threw the tissue into the trash, he felt great that he could breathe again.
It was uncomfortable to have a stuffy nose. He washed his hands and spent a few minutes in the bathroom to get ready.
This was not his first time at a party. He had seen people trying to talk to him, trying to get to know him. Of course, Kazir understood that this process was important. But it was tiring.
On top of that, some girls tried to flirt with him even when he was with someone else.
Just as he expected, as soon as he returned to the party, people started approaching him.
Luckily, the first people to greet him were someone he knew.
Salvatore Barlowe and Brianna Evans were talking to Kazir. Their relationship was more like business partners, Kazir respected them both.
"I can't believe you got the Paramount to agree."
"What can I do? I just showed them all the benefits if they cast Brianna."
Salvatore was now a famous agent and many actors and actresses hoped to become his clients or get a better role in a movie. Hell, even men might not hesitate to go to bed with him just to get a nice role.
Like Kazir, the agent suffered from endless flirtations from the opposite sex.
Unfortunately, Salvatore Barlowe's aesthetic was on the Asian side. He was attracted to Asian women. His standing in the industry improved after he signed Kazir.
As for Brianna Evans, she contacted Kazir to thank him for recommending her. Brianna was a theater actress from Australia. It was very difficult for her to enter Hollywood and she had to work part-time just to survive.
All she had was talent for acting, but she realized that talent was not enough. Most of the time, the most important thing in this industry was the connection and fame. Luckily she met someone like Kazir and Salvatore who helped her in her career.
Now she has three successful movies in her resume, which were Taken, The Truman Show and Meet The Parents. She was no longer a novice in this aspect, especially when the three movies were all blockbusters.
Because of this, Brianna Evans had a chance to compete for the female lead role in Runaway Bride. Brianna's talent was highly regarded by Paramount after working with her.
Also, Paramount was hesitant to hire Julia Roberts because of her huge salary. Even though the director wanted to cast Julia Roberts, he couldn't fight Paramount too much.
So spoiler alert, Brianna Evans became the female lead in Runaway Bride, which was in the process of pre production.
Kazir nodded and congratulated her. He didn't know what the future might hold for Brianna, but he was ready for it.
After all, he was the first variable to change the future.
Just like Brianna, another famous actor appeared and talked to Kazir.
Kazir Grey didn't expect this actor to approach him on his own.
He didn't expect Jim Carrey, the protagonist of this party, to talk to him.
"Hello, Director Grey. Congratulations, you're not only a talented director but also a talented writer."
"Thank you."
+++++
[Author's Note: I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Don't take this novel seriously, just have fun and be peaceful].
[As for the inconsistency in the box office, I suck at math and numbers, so I always forget the exact box office for movies. I wrote that The Hangover grossed over $500 million, but in another chapter I wrote that the box office was $400 million. Consider this a plot hole, and the author deserves a 1-star review for the number inconsistency.]
[I'm good at thinking and setting up plots, but I'm never good at numbers. And yes, I'm an Asian who sucks at math. Fuck math!!!]
"Are you okay?"
Cameron Diaz asked Kazir worriedly when she noticed that Kazir had a stuffy nose.
"It's not that bad. I'll sleep early tonight."
He stayed up all night yesterday and was affected by the cold. Fortunately, he only had a stuffy nose and his general health was fine. He had been working hard lately because he had important positions within the company and the production crew.
Salvatore Barlowe and Erica Mendez were still looking for a professional manager who would meet Kazir's requirements.
"Hm."
Cameron Diaz nodded and squeezed his arm.
"I think your friends are looking for you. You can have fun with them. I'll just stay here." Kazir said to her.
He glanced at the group of models attending this particular party. Before she was an actress, Cameron Diaz was a model.
"Well, take care of yourself."
Cameron kissed him on the cheek and approached her friends.
'Our contract ends after this movie, I don't know why she keeps doing this.'
Kazir shook his head and forgot about it. He couldn't afford to be controlled by his emotions.
It was April 3, 1999. Paramount was throwing a party tonight to celebrate the success of The Truman Show.
Kazir was invited to the party because of his recent association with the company. Even though Grey Pictures had signed a distribution deal with Sony-Columbia, Paramount was mature enough to understand that.
Besides, they might work together again, and Kazir Grey was known as a director who didn't make flops.
Next week the crew would go to Italy to shoot the corresponding scenes. Kazir decided to give himself some time to have fun... Although going to a party was not fun in his opinion.
However, because he decided to take some time off, the crew took some time off as well. Today, filming ended early.
The box office of The Truman Show was 264 million dollars. This gives Jim Carrey another achievement in the industry. Of course, the plot of The Truman Show was amazing. Even Kazir praised the movie.
The mood at the party was very good. Especially when another movie that Paramount invested a lot in did well recently.
Meet the Parents grossed $160 million in North America this April. On top of that, the international box office was $75 million. That brings the total to over $235 million. Everyone knows that the movie would still go up, especially the international box office.
"Haa-choo!"
With that, Kazir Grey decided to go to the bathroom and blow his nose. After he threw the tissue into the trash, he felt great that he could breathe again.
It was uncomfortable to have a stuffy nose. He washed his hands and spent a few minutes in the bathroom to get ready.
This was not his first time at a party. He had seen people trying to talk to him, trying to get to know him. Of course, Kazir understood that this process was important. But it was tiring.
On top of that, some girls tried to flirt with him even when he was with someone else.
Just as he expected, as soon as he returned to the party, people started approaching him.
Luckily, the first people to greet him were someone he knew.
Salvatore Barlowe and Brianna Evans were talking to Kazir. Their relationship was more like business partners, Kazir respected them both.
"I can't believe you got the Paramount to agree."
"What can I do? I just showed them all the benefits if they cast Brianna."
Salvatore was now a famous agent and many actors and actresses hoped to become his clients or get a better role in a movie. Hell, even men might not hesitate to go to bed with him just to get a nice role.
Like Kazir, the agent suffered from endless flirtations from the opposite sex.
Unfortunately, Salvatore Barlowe's aesthetic was on the Asian side. He was attracted to Asian women. His standing in the industry improved after he signed Kazir.
As for Brianna Evans, she contacted Kazir to thank him for recommending her. Brianna was a theater actress from Australia. It was very difficult for her to enter Hollywood and she had to work part-time just to survive.
All she had was talent for acting, but she realized that talent was not enough. Most of the time, the most important thing in this industry was the connection and fame. Luckily she met someone like Kazir and Salvatore who helped her in her career.
Now she has three successful movies in her resume, which were Taken, The Truman Show and Meet The Parents. She was no longer a novice in this aspect, especially when the three movies were all blockbusters.
Because of this, Brianna Evans had a chance to compete for the female lead role in Runaway Bride. Brianna's talent was highly regarded by Paramount after working with her.
Also, Paramount was hesitant to hire Julia Roberts because of her huge salary. Even though the director wanted to cast Julia Roberts, he couldn't fight Paramount too much.
So spoiler alert, Brianna Evans became the female lead in Runaway Bride, which was in the process of pre production.
Kazir nodded and congratulated her. He didn't know what the future might hold for Brianna, but he was ready for it.
After all, he was the first variable to change the future.
Just like Brianna, another famous actor appeared and talked to Kazir.
Kazir Grey didn't expect this actor to approach him on his own.
He didn't expect Jim Carrey, the protagonist of this party, to talk to him.
"Hello, Director Grey. Congratulations, you're not only a talented director but also a talented writer."
"Thank you."
+++++
[Author's Note: I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Don't take this novel seriously, just have fun and be peaceful].
[As for the inconsistency in the box office, I suck at math and numbers, so I always forget the exact box office for movies. I wrote that The Hangover grossed over $500 million, but in another chapter I wrote that the box office was $400 million. Consider this a plot hole, and the author deserves a 1-star review for the number inconsistency.]
[I'm good at thinking and setting up plots, but I'm never good at numbers. And yes, I'm an Asian who sucks at math. Fuck math!!!]
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
thanks for the chapter
HWI 177
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
Hollywood What If Chapter 177
Kazir was a little confused by the situation. He was the kind of director who didn't like to socialize much. He would only attend a party if it was related to him or if he was invited by his friends.
He knew how important it was to make connections. As for the actors and actresses, they were the ones who approached him, not the other way around.
Of course, with his status, he understood that Jim Carrey wanted to make a connection with him.
"I heard that you recommended me to Sony-Columbia to be the protagonist of Bruce Almighty."
"Ah."
Immediately after that, Kazir realized why Jim Carrey was talking to him.
'It seems that Sony-Columbia had already contacted Jim Carrey. Although I didn't know why they told Jim Carrey that I recommended him... Maybe the lips of the people in management are hard to shut.'
Anyway, it could be a good thing. Having a relationship with a great actor like Jim Carrey was a good thing.
"You're an actor with a huge range of facial expressions, I think everyone recognized your talent."
Kazir was not lying. Jim Carrey was like a living cartoon character with the way he acted. Very entertaining.
"Thank you, director."
Jim Carrey smiled. He was a real homie.
Jim Carrey was an actor who knew how the industry worked. He realized that Hollywood was slowly dying in a pool of shit as he grew old.
On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jim Carrey mocked Hollywood by making an Illuminati sign. Showing that many people in that industry were part of the Illuminati. The thing was, everyone acted like nothing happened after that, erasing that incident.
Of course, maybe Jim Carrey was just joking and the Illuminati was not real.
As for the truth, nobody really knows...
Anyway, for Jim Carrey to reveal the "truth" was already a brave act. Most of the actors would hide and cower or join instead.
The media was the world's greatest hypnotist, and it wouldn't be a lie if a secret organization controlled show business.
What you watched on television controlled you, in a mild or angry way.
Anyway, Jim Carrey appreciates the fact that Kazir Grey recommended him.
First of all, Bruce Almighty looks promising. After reading the script, Jim Carrey understood that the movie would be a box office hit. In addition, the script was written by Kazir Grey, a talented screenwriter in the comedy genre. This means that the movie has a higher chance of becoming a blockbuster.
Unless a bad thing happened, such as the production being shut down due or a wrong release date, Bruce Almighty would definitely be a successful movie.
Jim Carrey and Sony-Columbia communicated for days and their intention was clear. Both sides wanted to work together and make Bruce Almighty a movie. They were just negotiating other terms like salary and other demands.
Unfortunately, Jim Carrey was not the only actor Sony-Columbia was looking for.
Robin Williams, Adam Sandler, Steve Martin, Will Ferrell, and even Ben Stiller. When Paramount announced that they had bought three scripts from Kazir Grey, these actors, known in the comedy genre, expressed their intentions.
Although Jim Carrey was the first choice, he might not get the part.
Honestly, Jim Carrey could drop Bruce Almighty and find another movie to participate in, a movie that could pay him more. However, he was not sure if that movie would be better than Bruce Almighty. After all, Bruce Almighty was written by Kazir Grey.
So he decided to talk to Kazir Grey, hoping that he could talk to Paramount and increase his chances of getting the role.
"I heard that you're not going to attend the audition. That's sad because I want to show you my acting." Jim Carrey said.
"I'm going to Italy to make a movie." Kazir replied.
The auditions for Bruce Almighty would begin in May, but Kazir would not be in the U.S. at that time. Those responsible for judging the actors were the director, the producer, and the higher-ups at Sony-Columbia.
Sony-Columbia hoped that Kazir would watch the audition, but his schedule said no.
"Is that so? Then I hope we can meet again. As an actor, I want to work with someone like you."
Jim Carrey didn't push the subject of casting too much. It was good that he talked to Kazir. Besides, this matter would reach the ears of Sony-Columbia, which would give him a higher chance of getting the role.
After the two of them talked about things they could relate to, other people started to show up. Most of them were interested in Kazir Grey because of his position.
.........
......
...
Inside the studio, five people were moving the boat to replicate the wobbling effect of a real boat on the surface of the ocean. The background was dimmed to make it look like night.
The unsteady motion made the actors inside the boat feel like they were inside a real boat floating on the ocean. In addition, the crew used a flashing light to create the effect of lightning to make it seem like the boat was in the middle of the ocean and the storm was still going on.
While this was happening, a camera was recording their facial expressions.
Jason Bourne(Matt Damon) was lying on the table when the doctor pulled a bullet out of Jason's hip.
The doctor examined the bullet and noticed something strange, the bullet had a series of numbers that led to a bank.
The doctor checked the unconscious man but he realized that the man was missing!
"What the hell have you done to me?"
Suddenly, Jason Bourne grabbed the doctor from behind and slammed him against the wall. In shock and fear, the doctor began to speak in Italian.
"What are you doing?"
Jason Bourne asked. No memory of what happened.
"Goddamn it! Where am I?"
"A boat!" The doctor replied quickly as Jason choked him.
"We pulled you out of the ocean! W-we saw you floating in the ocean and saved you!"
"You were shot. See the bullet? There's a bank number in it." The doctor gestured and showed Jason the bullet.
Jason was too weak and his last remaining strength disappeared.
Kazir was a little confused by the situation. He was the kind of director who didn't like to socialize much. He would only attend a party if it was related to him or if he was invited by his friends.
He knew how important it was to make connections. As for the actors and actresses, they were the ones who approached him, not the other way around.
Of course, with his status, he understood that Jim Carrey wanted to make a connection with him.
"I heard that you recommended me to Sony-Columbia to be the protagonist of Bruce Almighty."
"Ah."
Immediately after that, Kazir realized why Jim Carrey was talking to him.
'It seems that Sony-Columbia had already contacted Jim Carrey. Although I didn't know why they told Jim Carrey that I recommended him... Maybe the lips of the people in management are hard to shut.'
Anyway, it could be a good thing. Having a relationship with a great actor like Jim Carrey was a good thing.
"You're an actor with a huge range of facial expressions, I think everyone recognized your talent."
Kazir was not lying. Jim Carrey was like a living cartoon character with the way he acted. Very entertaining.
"Thank you, director."
Jim Carrey smiled. He was a real homie.
Jim Carrey was an actor who knew how the industry worked. He realized that Hollywood was slowly dying in a pool of shit as he grew old.
On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jim Carrey mocked Hollywood by making an Illuminati sign. Showing that many people in that industry were part of the Illuminati. The thing was, everyone acted like nothing happened after that, erasing that incident.
Of course, maybe Jim Carrey was just joking and the Illuminati was not real.
As for the truth, nobody really knows...
Anyway, for Jim Carrey to reveal the "truth" was already a brave act. Most of the actors would hide and cower or join instead.
The media was the world's greatest hypnotist, and it wouldn't be a lie if a secret organization controlled show business.
What you watched on television controlled you, in a mild or angry way.
Anyway, Jim Carrey appreciates the fact that Kazir Grey recommended him.
First of all, Bruce Almighty looks promising. After reading the script, Jim Carrey understood that the movie would be a box office hit. In addition, the script was written by Kazir Grey, a talented screenwriter in the comedy genre. This means that the movie has a higher chance of becoming a blockbuster.
Unless a bad thing happened, such as the production being shut down due or a wrong release date, Bruce Almighty would definitely be a successful movie.
Jim Carrey and Sony-Columbia communicated for days and their intention was clear. Both sides wanted to work together and make Bruce Almighty a movie. They were just negotiating other terms like salary and other demands.
Unfortunately, Jim Carrey was not the only actor Sony-Columbia was looking for.
Robin Williams, Adam Sandler, Steve Martin, Will Ferrell, and even Ben Stiller. When Paramount announced that they had bought three scripts from Kazir Grey, these actors, known in the comedy genre, expressed their intentions.
Although Jim Carrey was the first choice, he might not get the part.
Honestly, Jim Carrey could drop Bruce Almighty and find another movie to participate in, a movie that could pay him more. However, he was not sure if that movie would be better than Bruce Almighty. After all, Bruce Almighty was written by Kazir Grey.
So he decided to talk to Kazir Grey, hoping that he could talk to Paramount and increase his chances of getting the role.
"I heard that you're not going to attend the audition. That's sad because I want to show you my acting." Jim Carrey said.
"I'm going to Italy to make a movie." Kazir replied.
The auditions for Bruce Almighty would begin in May, but Kazir would not be in the U.S. at that time. Those responsible for judging the actors were the director, the producer, and the higher-ups at Sony-Columbia.
Sony-Columbia hoped that Kazir would watch the audition, but his schedule said no.
"Is that so? Then I hope we can meet again. As an actor, I want to work with someone like you."
Jim Carrey didn't push the subject of casting too much. It was good that he talked to Kazir. Besides, this matter would reach the ears of Sony-Columbia, which would give him a higher chance of getting the role.
After the two of them talked about things they could relate to, other people started to show up. Most of them were interested in Kazir Grey because of his position.
.........
......
...
Inside the studio, five people were moving the boat to replicate the wobbling effect of a real boat on the surface of the ocean. The background was dimmed to make it look like night.
The unsteady motion made the actors inside the boat feel like they were inside a real boat floating on the ocean. In addition, the crew used a flashing light to create the effect of lightning to make it seem like the boat was in the middle of the ocean and the storm was still going on.
While this was happening, a camera was recording their facial expressions.
Jason Bourne(Matt Damon) was lying on the table when the doctor pulled a bullet out of Jason's hip.
The doctor examined the bullet and noticed something strange, the bullet had a series of numbers that led to a bank.
The doctor checked the unconscious man but he realized that the man was missing!
"What the hell have you done to me?"
Suddenly, Jason Bourne grabbed the doctor from behind and slammed him against the wall. In shock and fear, the doctor began to speak in Italian.
"What are you doing?"
Jason Bourne asked. No memory of what happened.
"Goddamn it! Where am I?"
"A boat!" The doctor replied quickly as Jason choked him.
"We pulled you out of the ocean! W-we saw you floating in the ocean and saved you!"
"You were shot. See the bullet? There's a bank number in it." The doctor gestured and showed Jason the bullet.
Jason was too weak and his last remaining strength disappeared.
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
Thanks for the chapter
JustAnotherFan217
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2020
- Messages
- 229
- Likes received
- 1,677
Good chapter, though I do wish we got more interaction with Jim Carey. At this point, Kazir's anti-social tendencies might be the biggest thing holding this story back.
As fun as the movie making is, I really want to see Kazir enjoying a bit of the actual Hollywood lifestyle. Go to a party, have fun, smoke some pot and get arrested and have a minor scandal that is actually real and not something made up by his ex. Anything other than Kazir just shutting down every conversation he gets into.
As fun as the movie making is, I really want to see Kazir enjoying a bit of the actual Hollywood lifestyle. Go to a party, have fun, smoke some pot and get arrested and have a minor scandal that is actually real and not something made up by his ex. Anything other than Kazir just shutting down every conversation he gets into.
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
Well, I created Kazir as an antisocial guy. I don't know how will future will be, even now Kazir is still trying to be a better person.
JustAnotherFan217
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2020
- Messages
- 229
- Likes received
- 1,677
I mean, while I do understand that, it kind of comes off as an excuse not to improve. You're the author, and character development is a thing. As long as Kazir remains anti-social this story will stay as just good instead of great.
While I have certainly enjoyed the story so far, I for one would certainly rather read something great than something that is just good.
HWI 178
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
[Shout out to Sydney and KumaBEAR!]
Hollywood What If Chapter 178
"Mommy! MOMMY! MOMMY!"
Mara Cohen screamed as she walked to the pool. She was a spoiled child who was very childish. She was holding a newspaper, and she was clutching it in anger.
She was screaming like a little child. Because of too much anger, she bumped into the table and it fell over. Mara Cohen clicked her tongue, but didn't bother to fix it.
"Honey, what are you doing? Are you okay?"
Eliza Cohen was relaxing by the pool with her martini, in the middle of the day. She clearly had a good life.
The mansion she lived in belonged to her third ex-husband. He was rich and gave her half of his estate. Eliza Cohen was now a millionaire, though she hadn't worked hard for it... She made her ex-husbands' little juniors hard though.
"Shenna, go clean up the mess."
"Yes, ma'am."
Eliza ordered one of the maids she had hired from overseas. These overseas workers were very good at their jobs and their wages were very cheap.
She only had to pay $400 monthly for each maid, and she didn't even have a problem with it. For these overseas workers, this amount was already huge.
'Sometimes I remember that America is actually a better country than most.'
For a woman like Eliza Cohen, who took advantage of others, these things did not matter.
"Mommy! Why is this happening? This is unfair! Why? I worked hard too!"
"Oh, honey. You need to calm down, okay?"
Mara was angry and disappointed. She walked in circles, obviously frustrated.
"Mommy! You said I was going to be a star! That I would be the most beautiful actress on this planet!"
"Of course, honey. Just like your mother, you are beautiful. I think everyone knew that. Isn't that right? Shenna?"
"Ma'am...? Ah, yes, you are beautiful and Miss Mara is beautiful too. You are both beautiful."
The maid, Shenna, was not lying. Her employee and her daughter were indeed beautiful. They were like angels, though Shenna knew that angels were not real. The personalities of her employer and her daughter were not angelic either.
"Fufu, I like your answer and I can see that you are not lying."
"Thank you, ma'am."
The maid wanted to leave this mansion and return to her country, but she had to feed her family. Besides, the pay here was better than in her own country.
Shenna started to fix the table that had fallen over.
"Anyway, your accent is not that good, I don't like it. I suggest you practice your English more. Better yet, don't speak at all."
Eliza Cohen muttered.
Shenna nodded and silently cleaned up the mess Mara Cohen had made.
"Honey, why are you mad? Who did this to you?"
"This! Look at this newspaper! That woman! She stole my role! It's all her fault!"
The shy Mara Cohen whom Kazir met last year was nothing more than a false persona. Perhaps Kazir dodged a bullet by cutting ties with his mother. After all, his half-sister was no innocent girl.
"Aww, let me take a look at that newspaper you're holding."
Mara Cohen handed her mother the newspaper. Mara was angry when she read the article earlier.
The top-grossing domestic films of 1998 were:
1.) Titanic -- $488 million.
2.) The Hangover Part 2-- $254 million.
3.) Armageddon-- 198 million dollars.
4.) Saving Private Ryan-- $190 million.
5.) There's Something About Mary-- $174 million.
6.) The Waterboy-- $147 million.
7.) Doctor Dolittle-- $144 million.
8.) Deep Impact - 140 million dollars.
9.) Godzilla-- 136 million dollars.
10.) Rush Hour-- $136 million.
These ten movies were the highest grossing movies of last year.
Titanic was very impressive, the movie already surpassed 1 billion dollars and everyone knew why the movie was number 1 this year.
As for The Hangover Part 2, this movie was distributed by Warner Bros. Eliza Cohen pursed her lips about this movie. After all, the screenwriter of this movie was her son, Kazir Grey.
In fact, everyone believes that the success of The Hangover Part 2 was due to the creativity that Kazir Grey had. Eliza Cohen was proud of this. She believed that her son inherited all his good qualities from her.
"Mom, Deep Impact is one of the top ten highest-grossing films of the year!"
The worldwide gross of Deep Impact was $349 million. It was an obvious success.
But Mara Cohen was not happy about it.
Mara Cohen had actually auditioned for a role in the movie. The part she was trying to get was Sarah Hotchner, she was Leo Biederman's girlfriend.
Leo Biederman was the teenager who discovered that a comet was going to hit the earth.
Even though Sarah Hotchner didn't have many scenes, it was still an impressive role.
Unfortunately, someone stole it from her! It was none other than Scarlett Johansson!
Because of this, Mara Cohen hoped that Deep Impact would flop and everyone in the cast would be heartbroken.
Actually, Mara Cohen auditioned for the role, but she never made it past the 2nd round. She was immediately rejected because she didn't have any sense of acting ability.
Mara Cohen was indeed beautiful, but she was stiff in front of the camera. Her facial expressions were forced and dull! The best she could get were vase roles. A background role, appearing only in the background to make the scene beautiful!
"I hate the casting director! That part should have been mine! Mine! I can't believe it!"
So she had a grudge against Scarlett Johansson because of this...
Hollywood What If Chapter 178
"Mommy! MOMMY! MOMMY!"
Mara Cohen screamed as she walked to the pool. She was a spoiled child who was very childish. She was holding a newspaper, and she was clutching it in anger.
She was screaming like a little child. Because of too much anger, she bumped into the table and it fell over. Mara Cohen clicked her tongue, but didn't bother to fix it.
"Honey, what are you doing? Are you okay?"
Eliza Cohen was relaxing by the pool with her martini, in the middle of the day. She clearly had a good life.
The mansion she lived in belonged to her third ex-husband. He was rich and gave her half of his estate. Eliza Cohen was now a millionaire, though she hadn't worked hard for it... She made her ex-husbands' little juniors hard though.
"Shenna, go clean up the mess."
"Yes, ma'am."
Eliza ordered one of the maids she had hired from overseas. These overseas workers were very good at their jobs and their wages were very cheap.
She only had to pay $400 monthly for each maid, and she didn't even have a problem with it. For these overseas workers, this amount was already huge.
'Sometimes I remember that America is actually a better country than most.'
For a woman like Eliza Cohen, who took advantage of others, these things did not matter.
"Mommy! Why is this happening? This is unfair! Why? I worked hard too!"
"Oh, honey. You need to calm down, okay?"
Mara was angry and disappointed. She walked in circles, obviously frustrated.
"Mommy! You said I was going to be a star! That I would be the most beautiful actress on this planet!"
"Of course, honey. Just like your mother, you are beautiful. I think everyone knew that. Isn't that right? Shenna?"
"Ma'am...? Ah, yes, you are beautiful and Miss Mara is beautiful too. You are both beautiful."
The maid, Shenna, was not lying. Her employee and her daughter were indeed beautiful. They were like angels, though Shenna knew that angels were not real. The personalities of her employer and her daughter were not angelic either.
"Fufu, I like your answer and I can see that you are not lying."
"Thank you, ma'am."
The maid wanted to leave this mansion and return to her country, but she had to feed her family. Besides, the pay here was better than in her own country.
Shenna started to fix the table that had fallen over.
"Anyway, your accent is not that good, I don't like it. I suggest you practice your English more. Better yet, don't speak at all."
Eliza Cohen muttered.
Shenna nodded and silently cleaned up the mess Mara Cohen had made.
"Honey, why are you mad? Who did this to you?"
"This! Look at this newspaper! That woman! She stole my role! It's all her fault!"
The shy Mara Cohen whom Kazir met last year was nothing more than a false persona. Perhaps Kazir dodged a bullet by cutting ties with his mother. After all, his half-sister was no innocent girl.
"Aww, let me take a look at that newspaper you're holding."
Mara Cohen handed her mother the newspaper. Mara was angry when she read the article earlier.
The top-grossing domestic films of 1998 were:
1.) Titanic -- $488 million.
2.) The Hangover Part 2-- $254 million.
3.) Armageddon-- 198 million dollars.
4.) Saving Private Ryan-- $190 million.
5.) There's Something About Mary-- $174 million.
6.) The Waterboy-- $147 million.
7.) Doctor Dolittle-- $144 million.
8.) Deep Impact - 140 million dollars.
9.) Godzilla-- 136 million dollars.
10.) Rush Hour-- $136 million.
These ten movies were the highest grossing movies of last year.
Titanic was very impressive, the movie already surpassed 1 billion dollars and everyone knew why the movie was number 1 this year.
As for The Hangover Part 2, this movie was distributed by Warner Bros. Eliza Cohen pursed her lips about this movie. After all, the screenwriter of this movie was her son, Kazir Grey.
In fact, everyone believes that the success of The Hangover Part 2 was due to the creativity that Kazir Grey had. Eliza Cohen was proud of this. She believed that her son inherited all his good qualities from her.
"Mom, Deep Impact is one of the top ten highest-grossing films of the year!"
The worldwide gross of Deep Impact was $349 million. It was an obvious success.
But Mara Cohen was not happy about it.
Mara Cohen had actually auditioned for a role in the movie. The part she was trying to get was Sarah Hotchner, she was Leo Biederman's girlfriend.
Leo Biederman was the teenager who discovered that a comet was going to hit the earth.
Even though Sarah Hotchner didn't have many scenes, it was still an impressive role.
Unfortunately, someone stole it from her! It was none other than Scarlett Johansson!
Because of this, Mara Cohen hoped that Deep Impact would flop and everyone in the cast would be heartbroken.
Actually, Mara Cohen auditioned for the role, but she never made it past the 2nd round. She was immediately rejected because she didn't have any sense of acting ability.
Mara Cohen was indeed beautiful, but she was stiff in front of the camera. Her facial expressions were forced and dull! The best she could get were vase roles. A background role, appearing only in the background to make the scene beautiful!
"I hate the casting director! That part should have been mine! Mine! I can't believe it!"
So she had a grudge against Scarlett Johansson because of this...
Jack-21
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2020
- Messages
- 777
- Likes received
- 6,247
Are they really that delusional? I thought she went to acting schools or attended courses for acting but just wasn't successful in Hollywood so they went to Kazir for help.
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
There are lots of unreasonable people, I tell you this. They feel like they are entitled to everything.
JustAnotherFan217
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2020
- Messages
- 229
- Likes received
- 1,677
Huh, did Armageddon and Deep Impact both come out in the same year originally? That would be rather funny considering they are both movies about meteors striking Earth.
Nice chapter, I was wondering if we were going to see more of Kazir's mom and half-sister. Looking forward to more!
Nice chapter, I was wondering if we were going to see more of Kazir's mom and half-sister. Looking forward to more!
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
Thanks for the chapter
Neh-Toth-Amon
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2023
- Messages
- 116
- Likes received
- 252
Easy to be the best when Hollywood is dead and dessicating. %))
Not the first film industry to die while we're watching, of course.
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
If my research is right, yes. These two movies that almost has the same plot are released in the same year.
HWI 179
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
[Shout out to Hunter212 and Ghost 21!]
Hollywood What If Chapter 179
"Thank you for your time, here is a gift. We will call you if you pass the selection."
Erica Mendez from Grey Pictures offered the gift and the middle-aged man accepted it.
Erica and the other executives were interviewing people for the general manager position. Grey Pictures was a recently formed company, and there were only few employees who had experience running a business.
Most of the employees were related to filmmaking, but none of them were experienced enough to take on the position of general manager.
Therefore, Grey Pictures decided to look for people who were qualified to take the position.
Normally, Kazir Grey was supposed to attend this interview to make a decision. However, director Grey was in Italy filming The Bourne Identity. He was unable to return to the U.S. to participate in the interview process.
Three people met most of the criteria and Erica was responsible for interviewing them along with the other people in management.
Kazir decided to let his assistant stay in the country because he knew Erica had twins.
Erica was grateful for that. And for that, too, Erica felt guilty. Her boss was too good.
If it were not for her boyish appearance, she might think of another reason why her boss was good to her. Fortunately, Erica knew that Kazir was good to his crew members and was not a tyrannical boss who belittled people.
Because of her boss's kindness, Erica decided to work hard. She seriously considered which of the three people would be a good choice for the company.
Kazir Grey was suffering from overwork and he clearly didn't like to dab his hands in business. Although Erica had only known him for two years, she knew that Kazir was not enthusiastic about building a company; his ambitions lay in art, in film.
Grey Pictures was just his way of dealing with the Big Six, just like Marvel Studios did back then.
Marvel Comics took one last gamble by creating a Cinematic Universe, and their decision paid off handsomely. Of course, comic book sales were still not that good. In fact, for the next three decades, Japanese manga would be more popular in the West than American comics.
Still, Marvel was making money in other ways, such as toys, merchandise, and movies. In a way, their situation was far better than DC Comics, which lost all its glory after 2010s.
Once the Continental Cinematic Universe was a success, Kazir would work with animation and comic book companies to adapt his movies to other forms of media.
As of now, the "gold" coins that appeared in Taken and John Wick are getting recognition. Some movie enthusiasts bought them and pretended they were part of the Cinematic Universe. Total sales of the Gold Coins have already surpassed $50 million.
Just like Marvel, Grey Pictures was trying to find another way to make money.
One of the reasons Grey Pictures needs a general manager is that Kazir could never manage all that while directing a movie.
"Call the last one."
Erica told the person outside.
A woman entered the office. She wore gold-rimmed glasses, but she didn't look like a geek. Instead, she looked like a classy and intelligent woman. It was not because of her appearance, but because of her manners and demeanor.
Erica raised her eyebrows and realized that she could not take her eyes off the woman for some reasons.
Of the three people who passed the requirements, this person was the only female.
Most of the requirements were simple, but Kazir had a special requirement.
The person should have worked in showbiz... Yes, very understandable.
As long as the person met the criteria, Kazir had no problem. But because of the intense screening, only three people passed. These three people managed important management related to showbiz.
The first guy was the ex-CEO of a cable network.
The second guy was a TV producer. His resume stated that he had created four TV shows.
As for the last person...
"Your name is Stella Willow, is that right?"
"That's right. I'm Stella Willow. I worked at NBC for five years before I quit."
Erica Mendez scanned the woman's resume. She already knew the woman's background, but she decided to read it again.
"It says here that you are the Head Manager of Production Management. Why did you leave your job? NBC is one of the best television networks in the United States."
"It's not that simple. The competition, the gossip and even the discrimination against women disgusted me.
"..." Erica nodded.
Erica Mendez could not help but agree. She was a female soldier and the looks she received from the male soldiers did not sit well with her. It was a good thing that Erica was a strong woman, so the soldiers around her quickly respected her.
She knew there were instances where women were harassed in their jobs.
"I decided to quit when my boss tried to lure me with sex for a promotion. I reached my position through hard work, I don't need to use my body to get it. This boss is a bastard and I knew he would give me a hard life after I refused him, so I decided to quit immediately."
"Is that so?"
Stella Willow didn't mention the exact reason why she quit her job in her resume, and that was the first time Erica had heard it. Even the other people in the room were listening to her story.
"What happened to the boss?"
"He died in a car accident. His body was crushed by a truck and he died horribly. Apparently his break didn't work." Stella grinned.
"..."
The room was silent for a second.
"Fufu, of course I'm kidding. He was fired for sexually harassing one of his employees."
She laughed. Then another person laughed awkwardly until everyone laughed.
Hollywood What If Chapter 179
"Thank you for your time, here is a gift. We will call you if you pass the selection."
Erica Mendez from Grey Pictures offered the gift and the middle-aged man accepted it.
Erica and the other executives were interviewing people for the general manager position. Grey Pictures was a recently formed company, and there were only few employees who had experience running a business.
Most of the employees were related to filmmaking, but none of them were experienced enough to take on the position of general manager.
Therefore, Grey Pictures decided to look for people who were qualified to take the position.
Normally, Kazir Grey was supposed to attend this interview to make a decision. However, director Grey was in Italy filming The Bourne Identity. He was unable to return to the U.S. to participate in the interview process.
Three people met most of the criteria and Erica was responsible for interviewing them along with the other people in management.
Kazir decided to let his assistant stay in the country because he knew Erica had twins.
Erica was grateful for that. And for that, too, Erica felt guilty. Her boss was too good.
If it were not for her boyish appearance, she might think of another reason why her boss was good to her. Fortunately, Erica knew that Kazir was good to his crew members and was not a tyrannical boss who belittled people.
Because of her boss's kindness, Erica decided to work hard. She seriously considered which of the three people would be a good choice for the company.
Kazir Grey was suffering from overwork and he clearly didn't like to dab his hands in business. Although Erica had only known him for two years, she knew that Kazir was not enthusiastic about building a company; his ambitions lay in art, in film.
Grey Pictures was just his way of dealing with the Big Six, just like Marvel Studios did back then.
Marvel Comics took one last gamble by creating a Cinematic Universe, and their decision paid off handsomely. Of course, comic book sales were still not that good. In fact, for the next three decades, Japanese manga would be more popular in the West than American comics.
Still, Marvel was making money in other ways, such as toys, merchandise, and movies. In a way, their situation was far better than DC Comics, which lost all its glory after 2010s.
Once the Continental Cinematic Universe was a success, Kazir would work with animation and comic book companies to adapt his movies to other forms of media.
As of now, the "gold" coins that appeared in Taken and John Wick are getting recognition. Some movie enthusiasts bought them and pretended they were part of the Cinematic Universe. Total sales of the Gold Coins have already surpassed $50 million.
Just like Marvel, Grey Pictures was trying to find another way to make money.
One of the reasons Grey Pictures needs a general manager is that Kazir could never manage all that while directing a movie.
"Call the last one."
Erica told the person outside.
A woman entered the office. She wore gold-rimmed glasses, but she didn't look like a geek. Instead, she looked like a classy and intelligent woman. It was not because of her appearance, but because of her manners and demeanor.
Erica raised her eyebrows and realized that she could not take her eyes off the woman for some reasons.
Of the three people who passed the requirements, this person was the only female.
Most of the requirements were simple, but Kazir had a special requirement.
The person should have worked in showbiz... Yes, very understandable.
As long as the person met the criteria, Kazir had no problem. But because of the intense screening, only three people passed. These three people managed important management related to showbiz.
The first guy was the ex-CEO of a cable network.
The second guy was a TV producer. His resume stated that he had created four TV shows.
As for the last person...
"Your name is Stella Willow, is that right?"
"That's right. I'm Stella Willow. I worked at NBC for five years before I quit."
Erica Mendez scanned the woman's resume. She already knew the woman's background, but she decided to read it again.
"It says here that you are the Head Manager of Production Management. Why did you leave your job? NBC is one of the best television networks in the United States."
"It's not that simple. The competition, the gossip and even the discrimination against women disgusted me.
"..." Erica nodded.
Erica Mendez could not help but agree. She was a female soldier and the looks she received from the male soldiers did not sit well with her. It was a good thing that Erica was a strong woman, so the soldiers around her quickly respected her.
She knew there were instances where women were harassed in their jobs.
"I decided to quit when my boss tried to lure me with sex for a promotion. I reached my position through hard work, I don't need to use my body to get it. This boss is a bastard and I knew he would give me a hard life after I refused him, so I decided to quit immediately."
"Is that so?"
Stella Willow didn't mention the exact reason why she quit her job in her resume, and that was the first time Erica had heard it. Even the other people in the room were listening to her story.
"What happened to the boss?"
"He died in a car accident. His body was crushed by a truck and he died horribly. Apparently his break didn't work." Stella grinned.
"..."
The room was silent for a second.
"Fufu, of course I'm kidding. He was fired for sexually harassing one of his employees."
She laughed. Then another person laughed awkwardly until everyone laughed.
Lillie Jones
Experienced.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 3,451
- Likes received
- 9,228
Thanks for the chapter
HWI 180
Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2022
- Messages
- 530
- Likes received
- 7,834
[Shout out to Zach P!]
Hollywood What If Chapter 180
A flight attendant gently pushed the cart into the first-class section of the plane.
This section of the plane had many small rooms that were occupied by people who could afford first-class tickets.
The room was tiny, and at best only one person could use it. Still, in that situation in a plane, to have that kind of privacy was a luxury. In fact, only a few airlines had first-class sections with such private rooms.
"Here's your meal, ma'am."
The flight attendant knocked on the door and informed the woman in one of the rooms.
"Thank you."
Stella Willow opened the room and thanked her.
Actually, this was her dinner. It was still 9 p.m. when she arrived at JFK International Airport to get to the plane.
In a sense, the food she ordered was her dinner.
However, the scenery outside showed that it was already morning. The sun was shining. She looked out the window and all she could see was blue. The blue sky and the blue sea.
A few hours later, she would be landing in Italy.
After leaving her position at NBC, Stella Willow applied for the position of General Manager at Grey Pictures.
She heard that this production studio had made Taken and John Wick. She had seen those movies and could say that she was a fan.
More specifically, she was a fan of Director Grey. As a production manager, Stella Willow realized that Kazir's filmography didn't have any similarities at all, except for the fact that they were made by one person.
His filmmaking style was different in each film.
Almost as if he had a reference and just copied it.
All of his films didn't have the strong artistic style that most directors have. His films were made for the purpose of entertainment. It was amazing that Kazir Grey could control and limit his artistic sense in filming.
Directors always have an artistic sense/style in them, it is their signature.
David Fincher loves to use gray and brown tones in his movies, which reflects the dullness/heaviness theme in his movies.
Director Tim Burton, his movies were always gothic style. Whenever someone thought of gothic style movies, Tim Burton was always on the list.
As for Quentin Tarantino. A famous director known for his portrayal of extreme violence in his movies. And he loves filming actresses' feet for some reasons...
After watching all of Kazir's movies, Stella Willow realized that Kazir Grey evolved when he created Napoleon Dynamite.
His previous movies before Napoleon Dynamite are small-budget horror movies, and they are all slasher movies with blood splattering everywhere.
His first three horror movies had similarities, but he changed his style when Napoleon Dynamite came out. How could a director who made bloody horror movies make a wholesome comedy? Where did the inspiration come from?
As for Se7en, which Kazir wrote and sold to New Line Cinema, she didn't feel anything strange about it. After all, Se7en was also a bloody movie.
'But his writing has definitely improved since Se7en.'
When she decided to work for Grey Pictures, Stella Willow began researching Kazir. Then she realized that Kazir's life had changed after his divorce.
"He is probably an interesting guy."
Slicing the medium-rare steak with a knife, Stella Willow recalled how she was hired.
The management of Grey Pictures chose her because she was the most qualified for the position. The two people before her had experience in show business, but their accomplishments were nothing compared to hers.
As a production manager, she was responsible for so many TV shows on NBC. The performance of NBC was better because of her leadership.
At the age of 36, she was a career woman who proved herself to the world.
'With my savings, I didn't have to think about working anymore, and I even bought an RV to travel around the country. But I realized that my passion for my work is very strong and I want to work. At the very least, I want to prove to the people at NBC that I can do better.'
When she heard that Grey Pictures was looking for a general manager, she used her connections to apply.
First, she was interested in the production studio because Kazir Grey was planning something big.
Second, she knew it would be difficult for her to get a good position in the Big Six.
Third, she could start her own business. Maybe a talent agency or a production studio, but she was not an agent or a director.
'I can be a producer.'
As a producer, she was good at managing people and teams.
Kazir Grey plans to create one big project that will tie all of his action films together. Obviously, his current project, The Bourne Identity, is part of that huge plan.
She was interested to see the result. No, she wanted to see the success of this project. So joining Grey Pictures was a good thing for her.
Before she was officially hired. First she had to meet Kazir Grey. They talked on the phone, but a face-to-face meeting was important.
So the company bought her a first class ticket to Italy.
After eating her breakfast/dinner, Stella Willow realized that the plane was about to land.
The flight attendant smiled and said goodbye to her. Once at the airport, Stella Willow found her contact who would take her to the set of The Bourne Identity.
"Miss Willow?" A young man in his early twenties greeted her. The man held a card with her name on it.
"That's right. What's your name?"
"My name is Palenque Simone. I'm Director Grey's assistant."
Stella Willow nodded as she heard his name. After watching Taken, she became aware the same people might kidnap her after she left the airport.
She knew Palenque Simone would be her contact. That put her mind at ease.
Hollywood What If Chapter 180
A flight attendant gently pushed the cart into the first-class section of the plane.
This section of the plane had many small rooms that were occupied by people who could afford first-class tickets.
The room was tiny, and at best only one person could use it. Still, in that situation in a plane, to have that kind of privacy was a luxury. In fact, only a few airlines had first-class sections with such private rooms.
"Here's your meal, ma'am."
The flight attendant knocked on the door and informed the woman in one of the rooms.
"Thank you."
Stella Willow opened the room and thanked her.
Actually, this was her dinner. It was still 9 p.m. when she arrived at JFK International Airport to get to the plane.
In a sense, the food she ordered was her dinner.
However, the scenery outside showed that it was already morning. The sun was shining. She looked out the window and all she could see was blue. The blue sky and the blue sea.
A few hours later, she would be landing in Italy.
After leaving her position at NBC, Stella Willow applied for the position of General Manager at Grey Pictures.
She heard that this production studio had made Taken and John Wick. She had seen those movies and could say that she was a fan.
More specifically, she was a fan of Director Grey. As a production manager, Stella Willow realized that Kazir's filmography didn't have any similarities at all, except for the fact that they were made by one person.
His filmmaking style was different in each film.
Almost as if he had a reference and just copied it.
All of his films didn't have the strong artistic style that most directors have. His films were made for the purpose of entertainment. It was amazing that Kazir Grey could control and limit his artistic sense in filming.
Directors always have an artistic sense/style in them, it is their signature.
David Fincher loves to use gray and brown tones in his movies, which reflects the dullness/heaviness theme in his movies.
Director Tim Burton, his movies were always gothic style. Whenever someone thought of gothic style movies, Tim Burton was always on the list.
As for Quentin Tarantino. A famous director known for his portrayal of extreme violence in his movies. And he loves filming actresses' feet for some reasons...
After watching all of Kazir's movies, Stella Willow realized that Kazir Grey evolved when he created Napoleon Dynamite.
His previous movies before Napoleon Dynamite are small-budget horror movies, and they are all slasher movies with blood splattering everywhere.
His first three horror movies had similarities, but he changed his style when Napoleon Dynamite came out. How could a director who made bloody horror movies make a wholesome comedy? Where did the inspiration come from?
As for Se7en, which Kazir wrote and sold to New Line Cinema, she didn't feel anything strange about it. After all, Se7en was also a bloody movie.
'But his writing has definitely improved since Se7en.'
When she decided to work for Grey Pictures, Stella Willow began researching Kazir. Then she realized that Kazir's life had changed after his divorce.
"He is probably an interesting guy."
Slicing the medium-rare steak with a knife, Stella Willow recalled how she was hired.
The management of Grey Pictures chose her because she was the most qualified for the position. The two people before her had experience in show business, but their accomplishments were nothing compared to hers.
As a production manager, she was responsible for so many TV shows on NBC. The performance of NBC was better because of her leadership.
At the age of 36, she was a career woman who proved herself to the world.
'With my savings, I didn't have to think about working anymore, and I even bought an RV to travel around the country. But I realized that my passion for my work is very strong and I want to work. At the very least, I want to prove to the people at NBC that I can do better.'
When she heard that Grey Pictures was looking for a general manager, she used her connections to apply.
First, she was interested in the production studio because Kazir Grey was planning something big.
Second, she knew it would be difficult for her to get a good position in the Big Six.
Third, she could start her own business. Maybe a talent agency or a production studio, but she was not an agent or a director.
'I can be a producer.'
As a producer, she was good at managing people and teams.
Kazir Grey plans to create one big project that will tie all of his action films together. Obviously, his current project, The Bourne Identity, is part of that huge plan.
She was interested to see the result. No, she wanted to see the success of this project. So joining Grey Pictures was a good thing for her.
Before she was officially hired. First she had to meet Kazir Grey. They talked on the phone, but a face-to-face meeting was important.
So the company bought her a first class ticket to Italy.
After eating her breakfast/dinner, Stella Willow realized that the plane was about to land.
The flight attendant smiled and said goodbye to her. Once at the airport, Stella Willow found her contact who would take her to the set of The Bourne Identity.
"Miss Willow?" A young man in his early twenties greeted her. The man held a card with her name on it.
"That's right. What's your name?"
"My name is Palenque Simone. I'm Director Grey's assistant."
Stella Willow nodded as she heard his name. After watching Taken, she became aware the same people might kidnap her after she left the airport.
She knew Palenque Simone would be her contact. That put her mind at ease.