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HWI 408 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 408


"We both know it. We are not meant for each other." Angelina was trying to hold back her tears.

"..." Kazir looked down. He couldn't deny it nor agree to it. He was not sure.

"We love each other, but we are not ready to give our everything. That's what I realized after what happened on Oscar nominations night."

She further explained.

"You don't want to marry, while I don't want to have children. Sure, maybe our opinions might change later on, but I don't think our relationship will go further than this. If we continue, we're just forcing ourselves. Like we're trying to stay in love even though we both know the endgame."

Tears fell down and Angelina wiped them. She sniffed and sighed a long breath. Her chest felt heavy, and her throat couldn't swallow at all.

"Kazir, let's not go any deeper."

"..."

It was a long silence, and it was deafening. Thankfully, Angelina had scheduled a private room for this moment, so no one could see their interaction.

"Angelina, I've been thinking about it... I'm not sure if I want to marry. It's not because of money or the possible division of properties. I feel like if I married someone, I would experience the pain of being heartbroken again. Marriage, for me, was a traumatizing experience."

Marriage was a sign of eternal love for a couple. But some people never took it seriously, believing that marriage was just a phase of life, perhaps a repeated phase for some people.

Kazir witnessed how his father almost lost his life because of divorce. Kazir promised that his marriage wouldn't be like that. Yet, history repeated itself. He got divorced, lost his house, and started living in misery (in his past life).

"I know. That's why I wanted to show you how wonderful marriage is."

"You don't want a child."

"My opinions can change," Angelina replied.

"But definitely not now. Your career is more important than having a child, right now."

Angelina's popularity was skyrocketing. If she became pregnant, her momentum to stardom would be heavily affected.

"..."

"Angelina, you're right. I don't want to marry and you don't want to start a family. The funny thing is that our contradiction is so ironic. Marriage is a way to start a family, and having a child is also a way to start a family... Perhaps we just don't want to start a family."

Angelina sobbed.

Marriage and having a child were never one-sided decisions. Both parties should agree to it, or else the foundation of the relationship would crumble.

It shouldn't always be about her, and it shouldn't always be about him. It should always be about both of them.

"Let's end this relationship."

"I love you."

"I love you too. That's why we should end things here, clear and clean. Angelina, I want you to be happy and healthy. Stay away from drugs and cigarettes."

"You too, don't work too much. Make sure you have a healthy sleep schedule."

Kazir stood up and left the room. He knew that Angelina wanted to have her time to grieve.

He saw the waiter who was about to enter the room and stopped him. He said that the person inside the room needed some time to be alone.

The waiter reluctantly agreed after seeing a woman sobbing.

Kazir left the place and found his car. He took a deep breath and decided to have a nice bottle of champagne once he reached home.

When Angelina heard Kazir close the door, she started crying out loud. It was not easy for her to do it.

After meeting Kazir's mother, she realized that Kazir was more broken than she expected and she couldn't fix him. She heard all of the trauma that Elizabeth dumped on Kazir and Aaron, and she was livid. The lack of love and empathy affected Kazir.

That's why Angelina didn't say anything about Elizabeth. Because once Kazir heard that Elizabeth talked to Angelina, he might become more depressed.

She wanted to be the light for him, but she couldn't sacrifice herself. Perhaps her love for him was not strong enough.

.........

......

...

"Ohh, this place looks nice. I guess you really want to talk to me, huh, Harold." Elizabeth playfully smiled as she sat down.

"Mrs. Cohen, this room is nothing but a place to talk. We can't afford to talk in public after all."

Harold Witsend sat down across from her.

"Indeed. But Harold, I'd prefer if you call me Elizabeth instead. We've known each other for years... Is it because my daughter worked with Universal Pictures? Is that the reason you're acting salty?"

"Mrs. Cohen. We were never close."

"But that's not what I think." She leaned in and tried to talk more. She had a certain intention in her mind. Harold Witsend was an important connection that she didn't want to cut despite forming an alliance with Universal Pictures.

However, before she could even start her seduction, Harold slammed a thick envelope on the table.

"Hm? What's this?"

"This is the information I painstakingly gathered about you after so many years." Harold was staring seriously.

"Hoh? What is it then?"

She didn't even have the intention of touching the envelope. She didn't care.

"This is a list of people you had sex with over the three years we've been working together. Some of them are actually in high positions. I'm surprised."

"Pfft-" She giggled.

"Harold, are you trying to blackmail me? Don't you know that using your beauty is the greatest weapon a woman could have? I take pride in what I did."

"Perhaps, but after working with you and studying all of your moves, I found your weakness."

"Mr. Witsend, you know that stalking is a crime."

"I should say that to you instead. I also have proof that you sent a private detective to follow me around. That's included in the envelope."

"Interesting," Elizabeth smirked, crossed her legs, and leaned back in the chair.

For some reason, she was not afraid at all.
 
HWI 409 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 409


Harold had his reasons why he decided to work with Elizabeth a few years ago.

'Keep your enemies close.'

He had heard this saying many times and understood its meaning. After years of observing Elizabeth's ways, Harold built up a good amount of information against the woman.

First, Elizabeth formed connections through her ethnicity. If that didn't work, she didn't mind using her body.

Yes, Elizabeth used her body. It might be more precise to say that she was prostituting herself, though she wasn't openly showing it like that.

She just had sex with powerful men in the industry to maintain their status.

Most of the men she had sex with had connections to the projects that Mara worked on. This was Elizabeth's way to make sure Mara would have it easy.

Besides, Elizabeth was having fun doing it. She liked it when men became horny toward her, it gave her power.

'Elizabeth is right, prostituting herself is not her weakness. She's even proud of it…'

Harold recalled when Elizabeth almost seduced him. Thank God Harold's rationality overpowered his dick, or else he might've lost everything.

Elizabeth was a dangerous woman. She was manipulative.

Since Elizabeth had no intention of opening the envelope, Harold decided to do it himself.

He first handed a certain picture to Elizabeth.

"This is you and the production manager of Universal Pictures going to a hotel. This one is you getting into the car of a shareholder from Walt Disney. This one's with the director, and this one's with the general manager of--"

"You don't have to show them one by one. It doesn't matter," Elizabeth giggled.

"It does matter. What I'm trying to say is that we used these pictures to blackmail these people and blamed it on you. After all, I know that you also gathered your own evidence while having sex with them."

"..." Elizabeth maintained her smile.

"Elizabeth, I know you're a smart person. You gathered quite a lot of evidence to blackmail them. I just started earlier than you. These people will cut contact with you... I'm one hundred percent sure they are looking for you right now."

"Wow, you got me, huh? I guess I just have to spread that information, since they are useless anyway."

"Your backers won't protect you. I made sure."

"Harold, the blackmail you have is not enough to scare me. They're just a bunch of pictures of me having sex with them. None of them are stupid enough to send a killer or assassin to silence me. Because the information I have is also not crucial. I just saved some sex tapes against them."

"That's right. But that's not my intention anyway. I just want to isolate you. To make sure that no one will protect you."

Harold nodded. Killing a person wasn't that simple, those old rich farts knew what not to do. At most, they would just stop communicating with Elizabeth, but that was enough.

"So you're saying you have more evidence against me?"

"Not quite. I've studied you for a long time, and I realized that you are faultless overall. Having sex with different people is not a crime anyway."

"That's right."

"But Mara is different."

"..."

"Here is a picture of Mara using crystal meth—"

Elizabeth quickly grabbed the picture and tore it to pieces.

Harold was stunned. This was the first time he had seen the woman act like this. Elizabeth was always calm.

Elizabeth glared at Harold.

"Don't you dare say her name in this conversation." Her voice was low, and Harold actually felt a bit scared.

Elizabeth was not acting like herself.

Harold controlled his emotions and continued the conversation.

He was right. Elizabeth's weakness was Mara. She was a strong woman with no weakness, except for her daughter. That's why Harold started looking for Mara's weakness that he could use against Elizabeth.

Unlike Elizabeth, Mara was still young and had done some illegal stuff.

"It's not just pictures. We also have video evidence to support it. I'm surprised. You managed to maintain Mara's purity, but you didn't know that she is addicted to drugs. Well, you also used drugs, so I guess it's not surprising."

"I told you to shut up."

Elizabeth started breathing heavily. She was glaring daggers at Harold.

"Not only that... I also have another thing to show you."

It was a DNA test. When Elizabeth read the contents, her pupils trembled. She then looked at Harold.

"That DNA test proves that Mara is not Mr. Thomson's daughter."

Mr. Thomson was Elizabeth's second husband, whom she also divorced after she got tired… Mara and Mr. Thomson had a great relationship, and Mara loved her father. Elizabeth didn't stop Mara from meeting her father every week.

However, only Elizabeth knew the truth… Mara and Mr. Thomson were not blood-related.

"H- How did you know?"

If Mara found out that her father was not actually her biological father, then she would be devastated.

Obviously, she would blame her mother, because Elizabeth was the one who knew the truth.

There was one thing Elizabeth didn't want to happen. She didn't want Mara to hate her.

If Mara found out the truth, then Elizabeth would lose her. Elizabeth would lose everything.

Mara would stop loving her mother, and that would kill Elizabeth.

"It took a long time for us to get Mr. Thomson's sample. I even had to meet the guy at a party to get his saliva from a wineglass just to get it. Elizabeth, you are a deceiving person. You created so many lies that I thought even your daughter was made of falsehood. That was the clue I got and I decided to follow through. In the end, I found proof that Mr. Thomson is not Mara's father."

Elizabeth crumpled the DNA test and looked down.

"...What do you want?"

She would rather die than see her daughter hate her.

"Leave this country and never return. You have no backers anyway. All of the connections you formed are useless now that they know how wicked you are. You're rich, you can live in other countries without any problem."

Honestly, Harold didn't give a fuck where she wanted to live. As long as she was far from Kazir, Harold didn't give a fuck.
 
HWI 410 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 410


"What about Mara? Her life is in this place. She can't just leave."

"Elizabeth, I know that you have your means to convince your daughter."

Elizabeth was the most manipulative woman that Harold had ever met.

"As for Mr. Thompson... who cares? He's not even Mara's real father."

Harold's position was clear. He was on Kazir's side. As much as possible, he didn't want to sympathize with Elizabeth and her daughter.

'It's a good thing that I heard the voice record from Mr. Victor Grey, or else I might have fallen for this bitch's trap.'

Victor, Kazir's father, had recorded his conversation with Elizabeth last time. Honestly, he had no idea how to use it. He decided to give it to Salvatore and Harold instead.

The content of the voice recording was too harsh for Kazir to hear, so they kept quiet about it.

When Harold heard the voice record, his decision became firm. Leeches like Elizabeth and Mara didn't deserve his help. They were backstabbing bitches.

He knew that Elizabeth sided with Universal Pictures. Perhaps she even gave them some information that could threaten Kazir.

That was the last straw. Harold had no intention of letting it happen again. So he used all of the weapons he had to defeat Elizabeth.

The woman stared at him and weakly smiled.

"...You're a nice friend, Harold. I'm happy that my son has a friend like you."

"Please don't talk like you care about Kazir. It gives me the chills."

"Fufu, indeed..."

She sighed. Elizabeth had grown up. She knew that the world was never a fairytale. She had to make her choice.

"I understand. My daughter and I will leave this country. However, I can't assure you that my daughter won't return. She has her own life ahead of her."

"I don't care. Don't touch my friend again, or I will destroy Mara's life."

"You're a scary man, do you know that?"

"I should tell you the same thing. If you had shown even an ounce of sympathy to Kazir, if you had shown your love to him, this might never have happened."

"It's too late."

She stood up and grabbed the envelope from Harold.

Harold had copies of all the documents, so it didn't matter.

'Elizabeth probably has a voice recorder in her pocket right now, but I also have one. Let's see how things will happen.'

"It's such a shame... I almost caught you in the palm of my hand. I thought we were really going to have sex today."

"..."

Harold didn't react. From the moment he formed a business deal with Elizabeth, he was constantly seduced by the woman.

He almost fell for her tricks twice, but he controlled his urges and remembered his purpose. The deal was to protect Kazir, not to have sex with his mother.

Besides, Harold had a family. If he had sex with Elizabeth, the woman would probably use that as a way to blackmail him.

Harold understood that spending more time with the woman would make him weaker... He might actually have sex with Elizabeth because the woman was truly beautiful and full of sex appeal despite in her 50's. Probably the reason why she could seduce so many rich men.

'Thankfully, everything will end today. Kazir didn't have to face his mother. He should maintain his peace.'

Unfortunately, before Elizabeth was defeated, she successfully destroyed Kazir's relationship with Angelina.

A simple "You're not meant for each other. You don't deserve my son at all." made Angelina falter.

.........

.......

...

On May 5, Van Helsing was released by Universal Pictures, and the reviews regarding the movie were mixed.

Some movie critics liked it, but most people hated it. Many publishers stated that the movie was the most brain-dead film released this year.

Universal Pictures tried to battle this opinion, but they were overpowered by the media. Universal Pictures was not stupid, this was payback for what happened last time. This was revenge.

The movie grossed $51.74 million on its first weekend, but everything went downhill after that. The movie reviews that Van Helsing received were mixed and mostly negative. Even the CinemaScore was a B. That rating was considered average.

In the CinemaScore rating, an A+ was a masterpiece. A's were generally good. B's were shaky. C's were terrible. D's and F's... they shouldn't have made the movie.

This resulted in lower box office results for Van Helsing. On its second week, May 16, Van Helsing only reached $86.09 million. For seven days, the movie made just $34 million.

It looked promising at first, but the whopping $160 million production cost turned it around.

Furthermore, it didn't help that Troy was released in the same week (May 13). It was a disaster for Universal Pictures. The ticket sales would split now that Troy was released.

If Van Helsing made $34 million in its second week, Troy grossed $46.86 million on its first weekend. The gap would slowly widen until Van Helsing lost all of its strength.

Unlike Van Helsing, which had a bad reputation, Troy had an A rating on CinemaScore.

The biggest reason why Van Helsing had negative reviews was because of 20th Century Fox, Sony-Columbia, and Warner Brothers.

20th Century Fox didn't like that Universal Pictures attacked 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Sony-Columbia was holding a grudge over what they did to Tobey Maguire and Kazir Grey.

As for Warner Brothers, Troy was produced by them, and they had to sabotage Van Helsing so that Troy would make more money.

Business is business. In Hollywood, these six big studios always have head-on collisions regarding profits.

+++++

[Author's Note: Perhaps a letdown, yeah, I didn't kill Elizabeth nor did I make her comatose... Unless I added a scenario where Elizabeth and Mara had a plane crash, but that would be overkill. Anyway, this will probably be the last time the mother and daughter will appear. I guess I have to find another antagonist, huh. Harold Witsend is the MVP this time.]

[Also, if you want to read more, you can check out my Pat reon and Ko -fi. I'm poor and I need money.]

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

Ko-fi link: https://ko-fi.com/pujimaki
 
She is rich and her daughter is pretty, i'm sure she can make her a TV actress in a english speaking country.

Maybe the girl will evolve in a good human being.
 
HWI 411 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 411


"Christian, are you really serious?"

Benjamin Davis looked at his client's face with complicated thoughts. He wanted to shake his head, but his position as an agent stopped him. After all, the situation was good for them.

"Benjamin, you know how important this opportunity is. I can't let it go. I let it slip once, and I regret it so much."

"But look at your body!"

Benjamin understood that this big opportunity could change their lives, but he was not a heartless agent like the others. He cared for his clients. Money was important, but he didn't want to be a slave to it. He wanted money to have a better and easier life, not to be a slave to it.

"Benjamin... you know how devoted I am."

"Yeah, I know it very much. That's why I'm worried about you. Look at you right now! You're thin as fuck. You look like a matchstick!"

Christian Bale just smiled… He couldn't deny what his agent said. He was indeed skinny.

For his role in The Machinist, Christian Bale dedicated half a year to losing weight. His diet was water, an apple, and one cup of coffee per day… That was a very hard thing to do.

This showed what kind of actor Christian Bale was. It was also one of the reasons why he was highly respected, his dedication to his art was real.

From 180 pounds (81 kilograms), he lost more than 62 pounds (28 kilograms).

And now, Christian Bale looked skinny as fuck. He weighed just 99 pounds (45 kilograms).

With a height of over 6 feet, 99 pounds was not the optimal weight for him. He looked like a walking post.

"This is Batman. A famous comic superhero! He's buff, thick, and strong. God knows how much rigorous training you have to do just for the role! It's very unhealthy if you try to lose weight and then gain weight in just a year. It could affect your health badly."

Warner Brothers expected the actor to be at least 6 feet tall and 190 to 220 pounds (86–100 kilograms) for the role of Batman.

For that, Christian had to start another hellish diet.

"Benjamin… you remember what happened a few years ago, right?"

"..."

Benjamin sighed.

In 1999, Christian Bale was just a young British actor without any idea how Hollywood worked. Benjamin became his agent at that time.

Christian Bale secured a role in American Psycho as Patrick Bateman. He put importance on the role and studied it, despite his strong disgust for the character Patrick Bateman. Christian Bale publicly said in an interview that he didn't like Patrick Bateman. After all, Patrick Bateman was a psychopathic serial killer.

At that time, while in the process of working on American Psycho, Benjamin received a message that Kazir Grey personally invited Christian Bale to audition for the role of Wesley Gibson in the movie Wanted.

Kazir was already famous at that time, and his filmography was successful. None of his movies flopped, making him one of the highest-paid directors in Hollywood.

Benjamin was actually interested in working with Kazir. He heard that Wanted would be an important part of the CCU… God knows how much influence it brought to the history of cinema.

Wanted became the third movie to surpass the $1 billion box office worldwide. It was known to be the start of the never-ending success of the CCU franchise. That's how powerful Wanted was… and Christian Bale passed on that opportunity.

Christian Bale had the opportunity to work with Kazir Grey. He even received two-thirds of the script. Unfortunately, his schedule was too tight at that time. He knew that he had to pass on the chance. He didn't attend the audition, he didn't have the time to.

He thought Wanted would only become an action movie with an above-average box office. His knowledge regarding the CCU was so little since he was from Wales.

He had no idea that the movie he passed on would be a massive success. He didn't know at all.

Obviously, he regretted it. In his opinion, Wesley Gibson's character was better than Patrick Bateman's, a young orphan who was seeking his true identity, becoming a part of the secret society of killers.

And now, Christian received another chance. He didn't want to let it go. He didn't want to regret it again.

Besides, just like last time, the one who invited them to audition was also Director Grey. It showed that Director Grey saw something in Christian's acting.

"Benjamin, I want to be Batman. Even if I'm from Britain, I know Batman. That's how influential Batman is. The whole world knows Batman."

It was not an understatement. Batman was just that popular.

"...Sigh, I'll contact a dietitian and nutritionist. I have no idea what the difference is between the two, but it's better to hire both just to make sure your transformation will be healthy."

"Thanks, Benjamin."

"Don't thank me. I also want to close the deal. We are talking about Warner Brothers, Kazir Grey, and Batman here. The combination is too strong to disregard."

Both of them chuckled.

"The audition will happen two months from now, so we have time to prepare. You can relax for a while. Once we sign the deal, that's the time to take your training seriously."

"I understand."

"Let me remind you that you're not the only actor they invited. Don't be overconfident. Based on what I heard, they also invited some famous actors such as Ethan Hawke, Heath Ledger, Cillian Murphy, Jake Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Joaquin Phoenix, and even fucking 007 Pierce Brosnan!"

"Of course, Batman is not a simple project. It's an iconic character. I bet a lot of actors are eager to get the mantle of Batman."

Christian nodded. It was within expectations. He knew that his chances of getting the role were slim against these actors, but it was better than not attending the audition. At least this time, he had a chance to prove himself.
 
HWI 412 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 412


"This is fun."

Kazir was holding a remote control, playing with a toy car and having fun. The toy car was moving fast, and Kazir couldn't help but feel like his younger self again.

The car was zooming around the studio, circling the miniature model of Gotham City.

The toy car he was playing with was not an ordinary toy, it was a 1:100 scale replica of the Batmobile, specifically created for the film.

"Kazir, better be careful... We only have two copies of the Batmobile," Enrico Pusi, the producer of this project, said, clearly worried that Kazir might destroy the Batmobile. This toy car was custom-made, and it would take a full week to produce just one.

They intended to develop remote-controlled Batmobile cars to sell to children, but those would be made of cheaper materials before hitting the market. The toy car Kazir was playing with was one of a kind, made from premium materials and costing over $5,000.

"Hm? But I thought we had three. I even said that."

"The first one crashed into a wall and the front dented."

"I see."

"..."

Enrico didn't explain that he was the one who broke it. Just like Kazir, he had fun playing with the car and accidentally damaged it. Now, he was worried Kazir might make the same mistake he did.

"Anyway, how's the pre-production?"

Kazir had been busy and could only visit the studio once a week. The release of Spider-Man 2 was approaching quickly, and he had to attend promotional events, including TV shows and interviews.

"I already contacted the actors. Unsurprisingly, all of them wanted to audition when they heard that you would direct the movie. As for Liam Neeson, he is also interested... Although the negotiation will take some time."

Enrico sighed. Because Kazir wanted Liam Neeson to play Ra's Al Ghul, the villain in the movie, Producer Pusi had to contact the actor and begin negotiations early. After all, Liam Neeson was already a certified "Daddy" by the media, although Enrico had no idea what that actually meant. He just knew that Liam Neeson was expensive to hire now that he had a massive fan base worldwide.

"If the negotiation isn't completed before filming, we'll have to find another actor for the role of Ra's Al Ghul."

Kazir wasn't picky. Hollywood had plenty of older, talented actors. Heck, even Morgan Freeman could fit the role. However, Kazir wanted to stay true to the original version if possible.

Since Kazir took over the project, Enrico naturally became the producer. Warner Brothers wanted a smooth production, and the two had better communication since they had already worked together a few years ago.

Initially, Warner Brothers and Kazir had a verbal agreement regarding the filming of Batman Begins. Then Warner Brothers quickly moved forward with signing a formal contract.

Kazir's side wasn't greedy this time, perhaps out of a sense of indebtedness for the help they had received.

Kazir's contract was set at $25 million + 17% worldwide box office share + 3% peripherals revenue share... That was actually a huge deal, but for someone as big as Kazir Grey, it was considered average at best. Only a few studios could secure that kind of deal with him.

"The model is so realistic. It looks nice... Sadly, we have to destroy some parts of it."

Kazir looked at the miniature model of Gotham City. The artists spent three months making it look like a real city, and now parts of it had to be blown up.

The same applied to Wayne Mansion and even the Batmobile Kazir was controlling at the moment.

Still, this was better than destroying a real mansion or an actual city... That would require clearance and permits.

Christopher Nolan was known for never using CGI, which was false, by the way. He did use the technology to complement his films. He used CGI but never overly relied on it.

If he had to use a miniature model to blow up a building, Christopher Nolan would rather do that than let computer graphics ruin the scene. As for which of the two was cheaper, both were expensive.

Using a miniature model was costly and time-consuming.

Using CGI was also expensive and time-consuming, as the technology still wasn't mature enough.

Given that, why not combine the two? Use miniature models and CGI together to make it look realistic. This was what Christopher Nolan did.

"How about the real Batmobile? Did Lamborghini finish it? We already sent the design to them a month ago."

"The Batmobile arrived yesterday. It's working. Lamborghini wants to create ten copies and sell them, at a high price, of course."

Lamborghini stepped up and became one of the sponsors of Batman Begins. They also created the Batmobile.

In the movie, Bruce Wayne would use a Lamborghini Murciélago to promote the luxury car brand. Even the few copies of the Batmobile were immediately sold out after the movie's release.

Some luxury car companies like Ferrari and Porsche had also contacted them, but they ultimately decided to go with Lamborghini. In the first place, Ferrari never agreed to modify their cars, so the Batmobile would never have worked with that brand.

"... I'm interested in driving it. Do you mind?"

"Okay," Enrico agreed. The working Batmobile was meant to be used anyway.

Crash--!!

Suddenly, the toy car Kazir was playing with crashed into the wall and lost a tire.

"Oops, I messed up," Kazir chuckled and stopped playing.

"... On second thought, I think the Batmobile needs calibration. You're not allowed to use it. I also have to call the toy manufacturer to send us a new copy of the Batmobile toy."

Enrico began walking away, knowing that Kazir might ask another favor. Filming hadn't even started yet, and they had already broken two toy cars? So yeah, the life-size Batmobile was now off-limits to both Enrico and Kazir...

Kazir watched Enrico leave and laughed. He didn't have to be worried, Kazir wouldn't scratch the Batmobile... Right?
 
HWI 413 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 413

"I can't believe that I will return to this place."

Kazir weakly smiled as he looked at the house. The house that he lived in for a few years. The house that he bought back when he married Cassandra.

The house looked a bit different from what he remembered. It was renovated. Based on the car that was parked in the driveway, it seemed that someone was living in the house.

Kazir and Cassandra reached an agreement where Kazir had to give the house to her just to finish the divorce. Even now, Kazir still believed that his decision was right. He knew how much his ex-wife pestered him just to acquire the house and Kazir had no time for that.

Just as he expected, Cassandra sold the house one month after their separation.

"It's been a while, huh."

Kazir looked through the window of his Mercedes Benz.

He didn't have anything to do today so he decided to do a road trip and travel around the city. He bought food in three restaurants just to kill time. He didn't have anyone to talk to since most of his acquaintances were busy, they were all adults. Kazir was also single so no love life to pursue.

While driving around, he recalled that he was close to his old house so he decided to check it out and take a look. Well, the house seemed preserved and someone was living in it.

He drove away after checking, no need to stay longer. For him, the memories he had with Cassandra were all in the past. He had no feelings whatsoever towards his ex-wife. His love, hatred, and anger disappeared as the years went by.

Still, he was happy that the house he bought and lived in for many years was still standing and being used by others.

"All my savings working on horror movies went to buying that house so it has sentimental value for me."

If the house was for sale again, Kazir might buy it just for the sake of it.

.........

......

...

May passed by just like that. Kazir already finished the production of Spider-Man 2 a long time ago. Sony-Colombia was now busy promoting the movie, releasing movie trailers on many TV stations. Posting movie posters on the billboards. Giving movie flyers to people on the streets.

Sony-Colombia spent millions just to make sure that Spider-Man 2 would be a box office hit. They knew that the scandal a few months ago would affect the box office of Spider-Man 2. They were even prepared if another scandal happened again.

"Hm, looks like Walt Disney and DreamWorks are having a shit show." Kazir was amused as he read the contents of the newspaper in his hands.

Shrek 2 was released on May 19 and it was amazing. DreamWorks realized that they found the franchise that would make them alive.

In this industry, having a franchise to make you float was the best thing to have. Even Metro Goldwyn Mayer was still alive because of the 007 franchise.

Anyway, Kazir agreed that Shrek was the biggest franchise that DreamWorks Animation ever had. It was worth billions. Shrek would be relevant even in the next two decades... Kazir knew because YouTube shorts and TikTok made a lot of memes regarding Shrek... Some people even wanted to marry Shrek for some reason.

Walt Disney didn't like it. Most of the animators of DreamWorks were from Walt Disney, they were the animators that Walt Disney fired after Pixar and 3D animation became popular.

Walt Disney didn't like that the trash they threw away had the potential to create a masterpiece. No, DreamWorks created a masterpiece. The influence of Shrek would remain for a long time.

After 15 days of screening, Shrek 2 grossed $271.15 million. This information created a buzz. These days, Shrek was the most popular movie to watch in cinemas.

Even 2 Fast 2 Furious couldn't rival it, especially when 2 Fast 2 Furious only had 850 theaters to screen the movie. By the way, 2 Fast 2 Furious also grossed $230 million after 53 days of screening. It was amazing, but nothing compared to an animated movie with a green ogre as a main character...

"Oh, looks like Tom Cruise's movies will be released next year. Damn, they really promote it a year earlier... I forgot, he gave me two advance tickets to watch the movie."

Scheduling two tickets for a movie next year was insane.

Tom Cruise gave him two tickets because he thought Angelina would be interested in watching the movie. He didn't about the breakup.

Angelina and Kazir's separation was still a secret. They stopped showing together in public and it seemed that the paparazzi started to have an idea.

Perhaps next week, paparazzi and reporters would pester him and ask him about Angelina. Kazir might have to stay in the office for the time being.

"Let's see," Kazir read the newspaper.

Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg worked together for the second time after Minority Report.

War Of The Worlds was based on a novel written by H.G. Wells in 1898 with the same name. It was a sci-fi movie about an alien invasion.

Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg. Two heavy hitters in the industry had worked together to create this movie. Perhaps that was the reason why the project got an early promotion by this newspaper, or perhaps it was not a paid promotion at all. Maybe the journalist just wrote an article about it.

Kazir turned to the next page and found the three-day box office results of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This movie was also a heavy hitter.

"Seems like Warner Brothers are having a blast."

With no surprise, the third movie of the Harry Potter franchise grossed $93.68 million after three days of screening.
 
HWI 414 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 414

Harry Potter was considered one of the most successful movie franchises in the industry. The impact it brought to the people was huge, so much so that it also became part of the culture.

Being the third movie of the franchise, where Harry and the gang looked older, Prisoner Of Azkaban created a sensation by grossing $157 million in just ten days.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban was a new image for the audience because the three leads were teenagers unlike the first two movies where they were still kids.

The Prisoner Of Azkaban was the start of a serious plot from then on. Everyone knew that the story would continue to get serious from now on.

Based on the movies scheduled to be released in three weeks, Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban would probably dominate the box office for almost a month.

Not even The Chronicles Of Riddick, the sequel to Pitch Black, starring Vin Diesel could stop Harry Potter from spamming magic spells.

Not even Garfield: The Movie, about a fat orange cat that was strongly addicted to lasagna.

Not even The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg was known for making box office hits but even his directorship was not enough to stop Harry Potter. The Terminal was great, story-wise. Unfortunately, people tend to watch entertaining movies and Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban was very entertaining.

The Notebook was also released in the same month(June), but this romance movie didn't make much at the box office... A lot of people cried though. However, The Notebook received a strong reception in the DVD market. Women fell in love with the movie and they even bought the novel. Nicholas Sparks was already a best-selling author at that time since his two other books, Message In The Bottle and A Walk To Remember already got movie adaptations, and the reception was great.

Even White Chicks, a movie about two black cops going undercover to become white chicks was incomparable to Harry Potter.

Let's just say that having two successful prequels made the Prisoner Of Azkaban stable at the box office. Harry Potter already gained popularity and had a massive fan base. This made it easier to make money.

This was also the reason why famous movie franchises could make money whenever they released movies because many people anticipated watching their movies. CCU was the best example of it.

.........

......

...

An interview with Oprah Winfrey happened and Tobey Maguire was the guest. Tobey Maguire was already a famous actor after the success of Spider-Man... This was his only famous role yet his face was recognized by many people all over the world.

Everyone who watched the movie obviously knew his face, it was hard to forget. This was also the reason why Tobey had a hard time getting jobs outside of being Peter Parker/Spider-Man.

So this time, when Tobey Maguire appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he had black hair and wearing eyeglasses. He looked different from his usual appearance.

20th Century Fox already started planning on Final Destination. Being recommended by Director Grey, Tobey decided to take the role in Final Destination. He knew that changing his image as soon as possible was the best thing to do right now, or else he would be left in the shadow of Spider-Man.

Peter Parker had light brown hair while Tobey had black had black hair right now. As for the eyeglasses, he was wearing golden golden-rimmed ones and the shapes were circles, unlike the one Peter Parker was wearing back when he was still a nerd.

Tobey realized why Kazir was highly respected by his friends, he knew how to take care of his friends. Perhaps this was the reason why he was protected by people. Even his exes had a good opinion of him... Except Cassandra Hoecrap.

"Everyone, let's welcome, Tobey Maguire."

Oprah introduced Tobey and the audience clapped their hands.

Tobey showed in his new appearance.

"You look different tonight, Tobey."

"Yeah, I'm trying a new look."

"It looks good on you."

"Thanks."

The two started with normal conversation. Slowly, the conversation turned serious and Tobey's demeanor changed.

The matter of the trespassing was opened up... All is according to plan.

Being an actor, Tobey made sure that he was the victim and implied that the paparazzi trespassed his residence, invading his privacy and possibly hurting him.

The evidence was clear and this interview was just for the sake of clearing his name. Since no more scandal was attacking Tobey, tonight was the time to clear his name and gain reputation, for the sake of his career.

"I lost friends, people avoided me, fans are mad at me. I even have stalkers following me. I was also hit by an egg when I tried leaving my house..."

He was actually not lying. The intensity of the scandal was strong, fanned by Universal Pictures and Walt Disney.

"Before we end, do you have something to say to our viewers?"

"Yeah, Spider-Man 2 will be released on June 30. You can watch it with your family and loved ones!"

When the show ended, a three-minute clip of Tobey Maguire visiting hospitals and making kids happy was shown. In the video, the sick kids were happy to see their hero. Tobey showed a genuine smile and made them happy. He even announced that he would be part of the Make-A-Wish foundation to help unfortunate kids see the happiness in the world.

He gained sympathy. Women even cried as they watched the video. It was heartwarming to see sick kids meeting their heroes. It might be a simple gesture but it meant a lot to the kids.

"I thought I was just an actor, but I realized that my role as a Spider-Man can help people. I feel like I found my calling, I want to help them even if it's small."

Before the video ended, Sony-Columbia announced that they would give 5% of their profits to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help young kids who were in need of help.

Despite being a week early, many people already booked tickets to their local theaters to watch Spider-Man 2.

Sales accumulated to $17 million even though the movie was still not released!

++++++

[Important Announcement: I am now close to ending this novel, very very close. So from now on, I'm going to post 5 chapters a day till we reached the ending.]
 
@Pujimaki Just out of curiosty can you give us a timeframe of when your ending it (instory) like early-mid 2010s or around 1-2 years into the late 2010s?
 
HWI 415 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 415

Since people knew that buying tickets could help unfortunate kids, they didn't have any problem spending money.

They believed that they were doing the right thing. It was a win-win situation. They could watch Spider-Man 2, and at the same time, help young kids.

Helping others brought satisfaction to their egos, knowing that they did something good. Some people even donated directly to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

As for Tobey Maguire, most people already knew that he was the victim. They were not mad at him. Although there were still some haters who lashed out at Tobey.

Haters would always be there to remind celebrities that they were hated for a reason. A celebrity would always have a hater. Heck, even the Pope and the Queen had haters.

Tobey's reputation was slowly recovering. The interview had a positive reaction, people knew that he was sincere when he helped the unfortunate children who were suffering from terminal diseases. Some weak-hearted viewers even cried when they watched the video.

In just one night, Tobey changed his image for the better.

He even showed up publicly, going to an orphanage and helping feed the kids... This was actually a publicity stunt arranged by Sony-Colombia, but Tobey gladly participated since he genuinely enjoyed doing so.

20th Century Fox also helped Tobey because of their upcoming project, which was Final Destination. Tobey would be the male lead in the movie, and good publicity would always benefit their upcoming film.

.........

......

...

Nothing much happened in June, except for President Ronald Reagan's death. It was a sad day for America...

Do Americans feel bad when one of their presidents dies, or do they feel happy?

Anyway, before the end of June, Spider-Man 2 was officially released in theaters, on June 30, the last day of the month.

Many kids were excited, some even wore Spider-Man costumes. Of course, even adults joined the fun. The adults were also wearing Spider-Man costumes.

At the Mann Village Theater, more than a hundred people participated in the red carpet event, and many reporters were having a blast taking pictures. These reporters could sell the photos, especially if they looked bad. They even hoped one of the cast members would have a wardrobe malfunction... Easy money in that case.

However, the main theme of this red carpet event caught the most attention.

Even the people attending the premiere had teary eyes as they watched the red carpet. Each actor walked hand in hand with a child. These were kids who suffered from illnesses. They were fans of Spider-Man, and they wanted to watch the film.

Sony-Colombia used this chance as a publicity opportunity while also helping young kids. The main reason was profit, but yes, at least they helped kids... They were really enjoying this publicity. They had to, because two of their big stars had scandals this year, Tobey and Kazir.

The second-to-last person to appear was Kazir Grey. This time, Kazir didn't show up with Angelina. News had already spread that the two had broken up. Some speculated that it was because of the recent scandal involving Kazir. Kazir didn't care much.

Instead, he was pushing a wheelchair for a kid who had leukemia. The kid was holding a Spider-Man toy. The child seemed excited as he looked around. Many people were taking pictures. It was a fun experience overall. At least it was different from his usual life in the monotonous hospital room.

After that procession, someone took the child to the premiere while Kazir stayed outside to be interviewed.

"Director, you look fabulous and handsome."

"Thanks. You too, you look amazing."

"It's such a shame that Miss Angelina is not here to see your handsome appearance."

Kazir chuckled...

'Fuck, is Sony-Colombia really that desperate for traction? They even prepared this kind of question.'

Perhaps Sony-Colombia was innocent. Maybe the reporter just wanted to get a juicy reaction from Kazir.

Hollywood was not the place for privacy and respect. Celebrities rarely had privacy, especially if they were super famous.

Obviously, Kazir was uncomfortable during the entire interview and excused himself once Tobey Maguire appeared.

Just like the other cast members, Tobey was holding a young child as he walked the red carpet.

Was Sony-Colombia doing something wrong by leading sick kids to the red carpet to watch Spider-Man? Perhaps yes, and perhaps no.

After all, these children's wishes came true that night. They were happy.

However, it was also kind of messed up, especially considering the reason why Sony-Colombia did this publicity stunt.

In the end, it all depended on public opinion.

The next day, many people had mixed opinions regarding the premiere of Spider-Man 2.

That night, the kids watched Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus's battle. They witnessed how Spider-Man saved the people on the train. They were happy when MJ chose Peter over her fiancé...

People stood up and clapped. The studio would surely make tons of money. As expected, Director Grey knew how to cook.

Spider-Man didn't stray from the usual formula Kazir used, and people liked his movies because of that.

.........

......

...

The next day, the media indeed had mixed opinions regarding the red carpet. Some said that Sony-Colombia was messed up, while others praised the company for granting the wishes of the kids.

However, the red carpet wasn't the main topic. Everyone was more curious about the box office!

June 30, Wednesday. Spider-Man 2 grossed $40.44 million after 24 hours of screening. It was shocking but also expected.

Even though the scandal affected the movie, more people still wanted to watch Spider-Man 2.

Perhaps Universal Pictures and Walt Disney's hard work was useless, since Spider-Man 2 was still doing great despite the scandal.

It was hard to sabotage Spider-Man, especially when people were excited to watch it.

++++++

[For faster editing, I decided to use Chatgpt to fix the grammar, typos, and missing words.]

[This is the second chapter of the day.]
 
HWI 416 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 416

Overall, Spider-Man 2 was a standout film in the superhero genre, praised for its emotional depth, strong performances, and thrilling action. It was a blend of character-driven storytelling and comic book spectacle that set a high bar for superhero films that followed.

--From a certain article.

The pacing in the middle was lackluster. It mostly focused on Peter Parker's development as his powers were waning and recovering.

--A review from the website of IMDb.

The CGI is fucking cool! 10/10! I'll recommend it to my friends.

--Another review from IMDb.

Damn, Doctor Octopus' tentacles look hot. I wonder if I can oil them up...

--A review from a certain porn site.

Spider-Man was the start of the superhero genre. Even though some superhero movies were released before Spider-Man, such as X-Men, Superman, and Batman, only Spider-Man received massive success all over the world.

Gaining over $1 billion at the worldwide box office was clear evidence. People would consume the genre as long as the action and visual effects were stunning.

Spider-Man 2 had flaws, but people didn't care much about them. They were in for the action, not to be movie critics.

Of course, some fans were disappointed that Peter chose Mary Jane instead of Ursula, his neighbor. After all, Ursula prepared food for Peter. She was also adorable. Over the years, more fans would agree that Ursula was a better woman than Mary Jane, who bitched around.

Thursday, the first day of July, also the second day of Spider-Man 2 in theaters, casually pulled $23.81 million, increasing the box office up to $64 million… This was just the second day. As everyone in Hollywood understands, the first weekend of a movie is usually the best performance it could have.

Sony-Colombia was already shaking just imagining the possibilities. They hoped that Spider-Man 2 would overcome its predecessor and make $1.2 billion at the box office!

It might be hard, but hoping was free anyway. Besides, the director of this movie was none other than Kazir Grey. The director already had two movies that reached $1 billion, so adding another one was an open invitation.

While Sony-Colombia was celebrating, its enemy, Walt Disney, was in a bad mood.

Seeing the box office result of Spider-Man 2, Walt Disney understood that their upcoming movie would face problems.

Walt Disney was set to release King Arthur, which was six days from now. Six days were not enough to weaken the performance of Spider-Man 2. That kind of movie would remain steady for a whole month.

There were some rumors that Sony-Colombia intentionally released Spider-Man a week before King Arthur just to fuck with Walt Disney. The outcome of the battle between a historical figure and a superhero would be bad for Walt Disney.

Walt Disney might have a problem recouping their investment. The production budget of King Arthur was $90 million, plus the undisclosed promotional budget, so Walt Disney might be in for a big loss.

For Kazir and Tobey, it was karma that Walt Disney deserved. Fuck that studio company, anytime and anywhere.

Fast forward to July 7, King Arthur was released in 3,000 theaters in the country.

On its first day, King Arthur made $4 million... womp womp womp.

On the same day, Spider-Man 2 casually grabbed $10 million. The accumulated box office of Spider-Man 2 already reached $202.12 million! The movie was just released for eight fucking days, yet it already surpassed $200 million.

As expected, once the media saw this outcome, they started praising Kazir again, saying that Kazir Grey was a once-in-a-lifetime talent in the history of cinema. That his works deserved a documentary. As if the media forgot about the scandal that Kazir was a predator.

.........

......

...

"Sir, these are the list of the product placements."

Erica pushed open the door and gave the documents to Kazir. The director thanked his assistant and read the contents.

"Lamborghini, Nokia, American Express, Mountain Dew…"

Kazir read the products and nodded. Being the director, Kazir had the power to agree or disagree regarding product placement/advertising.

He had an artistic view of the movie, and he knew whether the products could fit the scenes and theme of the movie.

For example, it would be stupid to add a product placement of Coca-Cola in a historical movie such as The Gladiator or The Last Samurai.

At the same time, jewelry had been present since ancient times and could be promoted in historical movies with no problem.

Knowing that Kazir would direct Batman Begins, many brands realized the potential of this movie.

Imagine millions of people watching this movie many years from now, your product would practically have a permanent advertisement as long as people watched the movie.

The list was long, and Warner Brothers chose just four because it would be too much if they added more than that.

Now that Kazir had the list of brands to promote, it was his job to insert them into the scenes, subtly or not.

Many brands were ready to pay top money since Batman Begins was promising. Their confidence rose after the box office result of Spider-Man 2.

These brands paid $8 million overall to have their products featured in the movie.

Batman Begins had a budget of $150 million, but now Warner Brothers only had to spend $142 million.

This budget was actually big, but Warner Brothers was ready to spend as much as necessary, as long as their profit was worth it. They believed that Kazir would bring them another franchise to milk, so investing this amount was expected.

Besides, Kazir was known for never overspending the budget! That was an amazing talent.

Most of the time, directors couldn't help but ask for more money just to see the scenes they envisioned.

The budget for Titanic reached over $200 million because James Cameron overspent. This was a disease that Warner Brothers didn't want.

Thankfully, Kazir never overspent. This was also the reason why Kazir was one of the most in-demand directors. He knew how to spend the investment.

++++++

[Third chapter of the day.]

[I'll post in different timeslots to attract more readers.]
 
HWI 417 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 417

A press conference was set up, and the reporters and guests who attended the conference clapped as the signing of the contract ended.

This was a massive project for the company. They invested hugely and even hired a critically acclaimed producer.

A huge poster of Lionsgate was pasted on the walls as an obvious advertisement and also an introduction.

This production company was backed by a group in Canada and then decided to penetrate the Hollywood industry.

So far, the company was just gaining a foothold and had produced movies such as American Psycho and Leprechaun.

This year, the company announced that they would release two movies. One of these movies was written by Kazir Grey, while the last one was an adaptation of a Marvel Comic!

Now You See Me was a script written by Kazir Grey and registered in the Writers Guild. The premise caught the attention of Lionsgate, and they decided to buy it from Kazir together with The Expendables, for the amount of $13 million. Unfortunately, Lionsgate could only buy one which was Now You See Me.

Now You See Me had the potential to be added to the Continental Cinematic Universe, but Kazir decided to go against it. Now You See Me didn't have that action-packed adrenaline rush.

But The Expendables was different. The franchise consisted of nothing but action, shooting, and explosions. Definitely to be added to the CCU. So Kazir only sold Now You See Me to Lionsgate for $6 million. The initial price was $7 million and went down to $6 million after negotiation with Salvatore. Overall, Kazir was satisfied.

The second film that Lionsgate planned to release was from Marvel, it was The Punisher.

Every studio saw the potential of Marvel Comics, even Lionsgate. They had already bought the movie adaptation rights to The Punisher long before the release of Spider-Man at a cheap price of 300 thousand dollars.

Lionsgate was just a start-up company, and they needed good movies to franchise. They contacted Marvel Comics to start the production of The Punisher... Unfortunately, the outcome was not that great. The movie was meant to make only $55 million despite having a $33 million production budget, a money loss.

Anyway, today was a celebration and the announcement of their projects.

Being the writer of Now You See Me, Kazir received an invitation. They hoped Kazir would attend because it would be great publicity. Despite the recent scandal, Spider-Man 2 still prospered and slapped the faces of many hateful people. Kazir's status still remained as the most in-demand director in the industry.

Having him at this conference was enough to hype the projects.

Kazir sipped his wine as he looked around. He saw people from Marvel, such as Avi Arad, who became the producer of The Punisher.

"What do you think?"

Harold stood next to Kazir. Harold was not a simple producer anymore.

"If you're talking about The Punisher, I don't know. I haven't read the script," Kazir replied. He was lying. He knew the outcome of The Punisher, it was devastating.

"That's great to hear, I guess. The Punisher doesn't have any superpowers, so he's not fit for the MCU. Lionsgate won't profit from it."

Harold was not a simple producer. Working in this position gave him the vision to understand the complicated politics in the industry.

Actually, Harold was hired by Lionsgate to be the producer of Now You See Me, and he agreed. This project was written by his friend, so he believed in it. Besides, this was also a good chance to expand his contacts.

If not for Harold Witsend, Kazir might not have attended the conference. He never liked this kind of socialization.

"Looks like you're getting famous, Harold. Lionsgate hired you. You can start your own production studio if you want."

Harold chuckled and touched his receding hairline. "And what? Lose more hair because of stress looking for investors? Never mind, I'm good with my current position."

He knew how hard it was to start a production company, it was not that easy at all. Sometimes Harold was amazed at how Kazir made Grey Pictures bloom in just a decade. He could never copy what Kazir did.

'If I have to start a production studio... I might have to resort to filming adult videos instead. The Hollywood industry is already too packed to have another small studio.'

Don't look down on the porn industry. This market raises billions every year, and Harold could see the potential. Especially now when the internet is booming. Unfortunately, Harold loved his job too much to change his career.

Life was tough for Harold lately, he had to communicate with many people just to make sure that Elizabeth wouldn't ever return to the USA.

He could blame most of the receding hairline on that woman... He had a hard time fighting the urge to have sex with her. Elizabeth was indeed a beauty, he couldn't deny it.

Thankfully, he was not stupid enough to fuck his friend's mom, even if the mother in question was a MILF...

"If I remember it right, Lionsgate is promoting a movie this upcoming October. I think the movie is called Saw or something?"

"That's right, it's called Saw." Kazir nodded.

"Have you heard of it?"

"I was given a ticket."

"I see…"

Kazir actually thought of filming Saw as his first movie instead of Napoleon Dynamite. But he decided not to because he was afraid that he was not good at horror movies.

He also thought of registering Saw with the Writers Guild but decided not to. The reason was also because of his trauma regarding filming horror movies.

So following the timeline, Saw would still be released just like the original.

As for Final Destination, because Kazir interfered with the timeline, the franchise would start late.

"Are you doing well lately, Kazir?"

"Hm, why did you ask me that? You should ask yourself instead. Your hairline doesn't look fine."

"Yeah, I know about that," Harold sighed and touched his forehead.

"If you're talking about me and Angelina, we are done. The media already caught up and knew about our separation."

"If you need someone to talk to, you can call me."

Harold felt guilty because he had an idea that Elizabeth had a part in why Angelina and Kazir broke up. He failed to stop it from happening.

"I will. It's a good thing that I'll be busy this year to think about my romantic relationship. I'm probably going to be fine." He laughed and gulped his wine.

+++++

[Fourth chapter of the day.]
 
HWI 418 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 418

"Huuu... Haaa..."

Kazir kept a steady breathing while doing deadlifts, holding 350 pounds of barbell in both hands. He hated doing deadlifts or any leg exercises. He preferred doing chest and arm exercises.

However, he knew that he had to keep a balanced physique.

"Huu... I fucking knew that my legs will probably go numb tomorrow," he muttered to himself.

Thankfully, he didn't have anything to do tomorrow. It was Sunday, and he was free from the job. He might have to spend all of his time watching movies.

"Let's watch Charlie Chaplin's movies tomorrow while snacking on pizza and tacos."

He wiped his face after putting down the barbell. Of course, he needed to take a rest after finishing a set. He looked around and found a few people in the gym, it was 4 a.m. in the morning, after all.

He had been a member of this gym since 1995. That was a long time. He probably used every piece of gym equipment in this place.

He suddenly recalled the first time he went to this gym. At that time, he still had a daddy bod, which meant that he had thick belly fat. He looked like he was in his 40s, and it didn't help that he was suffering from a divorce.

He was gasping for air while using the treadmill when someone asked him if he was okay. He was surprised to see Jennifer Connelly. They only talked for a short time, but it became a core memory for Kazir because it was really embarrassing.

Yet now, despite being in his mid-30s, Kazir looked so good and healthy as he looked at himself in the mirror. He even did some poses, presenting his biceps in front of the mirror.

"Kazir, what are you doing?"

Kazir turned right and found a woman looking at him with confusion in her expression.

The woman was wearing blue leggings that hugged her legs and waist and a white t-shirt. She was listening to music with her headphones in her ear.

Kazir recognized the woman.

"Scarlett, I didn't know that you're also going to this gym."

"Salvatore recommended this gym. He said that it has better security. My last gym was not that good, some paparazzi stalked me and stole pictures of me doing squats."

She explained while stretching. She had just arrived, and she didn't expect to see Kazir doing poses... She took a glance at his sweating biceps before returning to her workout.

"The membership here is expensive, so the security is also better."

"As it should be," she nodded.

Since the two met, they decided to have a conversation.

"How's your life?"

"I'm doing well. Salvatore told me that I should try learning kickboxing. He said that he might have a role for me, but I have to train for at least a year."

Kazir had an idea. He had a meeting with the Marvel team, and they talked about the comic characters and the actors who would play their roles. He recommended Scarlett Johansson for the role of Black Widow.

'But her appearance should be in Iron Man 2, it's still a few years from now,' he thought to himself.

"Aside from that, I'm working on some small-budget movies... Sigh." She sighed and dropped her shoulders. In her entire career, she mostly worked in small-budget movies. And most of the time, the reception was never good.

She was only famous for being Bryan Mills' daughter. Even her role in Lost in Translation didn't have much of an impact. Bill Murray got the attention in that movie. Of course, her ass in the first five minutes of the movie also caught the attention of the audience, but that was for an obvious reason.

She was thankful to Kazir for helping her career. After growing up, she realized that her role in the CCU was the reason why she was still relevant. She knew how desperate actresses would be just to get a role in the CCU because it meant steady projects.

Realizing this fact, Scarlett wanted to find another franchise to maintain her fame. She couldn't be compared to Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and even Angelina Jolie, whom she didn't like. She still hadn't reached that stage of stardom.

So, she was looking for big projects she could work on.

In fact, Scarlett tried to audition for Spider-Man as Mary Jane but didn't pass the second round. She also wanted to audition for Pirates of the Caribbean, but because of a conflict in schedule, she decided to drop the project. It was strange that these two movies were directed by Kazir.

Scarlett had her reasons. The first was that she was confident in Kazir's filmography. She believed that Kazir's movies were always successful. He proved himself so many times that it became a fact.

As for the second and third reasons, Scarlett was embarrassed to share them.

She glanced at Kazir, who returned to deadlifting... She was thinking about something.

"Hey, you have a new project, right? I heard it's another superhero movie."

The matter of the Batman Trilogy was still a secret, and only a few knew about it. Still, rumors would always spread no matter what.

"Yeah, what about it?" he breathed as he dropped the barbell.

"Why don't you consider hiring me?"

"You? You should ask first if there's a role suitable for you."

"Is there?"

"Well, yeah, I think so." Kazir drank water while Scarlett glanced at him, waiting for an answer.

"... Do women try to hit on you in this gym?"

"Huh? Yeah, some women want to talk to me, but I was not single at that time, so I never entertained them... I'm single now, though." Kazir bitterly smiled.

"I see, I see..." Scarlett repeated.

"Anyway, let's return to what you were talking about. I have a role that suits you. You can contact Salvatore. And make sure to set up a schedule for the filming once you sign the contract."

"So what's my role?"

"You'll be Batman's love interest, but you will die in the second movie. Batman will have to choose between you and a prosecutor, and he decides to choose the prosecutor. You die in an explosion." He chuckled.

"Huh? Wait, what? HUH?"

Scarlett was surprised. Everything that Kazir said surprised her.

++++++

[Fifth and the last chapter of the day.]

[If you want to read more, you can check out my Patreon. I can probably end this novel within a week, perhaps in three days tops.]

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

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HWI 419 New
Hollywood What If Chapter 419


Katie Holmes was the leading lady in Batman Begins as Rachel Dawes. Actually, this character was an original character that first appeared in the Dark Knight Trilogy. She was not based on a comic character. She was a new character created for the Dark Knight Trilogy.

Usually, Batman's common love interests were Vicki Vale, Talia Al Ghul, Zatanna, Catwoman, and even Harley Quinn... Yeah, Harley Davidson had a complicated relationship with Batsy.

But in this case, for the first and intended second movie, Rachel Dawes was the leading lady.

In the original timeline, Rachel Dawes was played by Katie Holmes.

However, because of conflicting schedules and personal reasons, Katie Holmes didn't reprise her role as Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight. She decided to work on a comedy movie called Mad Money instead.

This caused a problem since Katie Holmes had already solidified her role in the first movie.

But Warner Brothers and Christopher Nolan gritted their teeth and chose a new actress to be Rachel Dawes.

In the second movie, Maggie Gyllenhaal became Rachel Dawes. That was also the movie where Rachel Dawes tragically died.

Kazir was not stupid enough to repeat that mistake.

Even now, Warner Brothers and casting directors were looking for actresses who could take the role of Rachel Dawes.

Some of them even recommended Katie Holmes, which Kazir was against. If they gave the role to Katie Holmes again, history might repeat itself.

Since Scarlett asked for help, Kazir decided to help her. The two knew each other, and they had the same agent. The role of Rachel Dawes would be in safe hands if Scarlett took the role.

"You only have one month to prepare for the role. I'm sure you can do it. You don't have to worry about the first and second rounds. With me as your backer, you're automatically joining the last round of auditions."

"Thanks, Kazir." Scarlett sincerely smiled.

"You don't have to thank me. At the end of the day, if your performance can't convince me and the panel of jusges, then it's useless."

Rachel Dawes had an important role, both for Batman and Two-Face. Kazir wouldn't easily give it to some actress who didn't have the capability to carry the role.

"I will work hard then."

The two continued their exercises, and the gym slowly filled with more people.

"H- Hey, look at that hunk. So tall and handsome."

"You don't know him? I guess you're new to this gym. That's Director Kazir Grey! He directed Wanted, Spider-Man, and Pirates of the Caribbean! He's been a member of our gym for a long time."

"Really!? Oh my God! I love his movies!"

The women started gossiping around Kazir. They were looking at him with motives.

Scarlett was speechless. She even saw a woman who wrote her number on a card to give it to Kazir.

This gym was in Los Angeles, and Los Angeles had a lot of gorgeous actresses who were trying to get lucky. It was nothing new that Kazir loved spending time in this gym, he probably met some small-time actresses who tried to seduce him in the hopes of getting famous. Someone even flashed her tits as a greeting.

Scarlett couldn't help but be irritated by their giggles and murmurs, despite wearing headphones. She couldn't focus on her set. She dropped her dumbbells and approached Kazir, who wiped his abs, unintentionally showing his six-pack.

"..."

Scarlett paused for a second before getting closer. She put down her headphones and talked to him.

"I'll treat you to breakfast."

"Hm?"

"I said I'll treat you to breakfast."

"I know, I heard you. But why?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're going to help me get a project. Of course, I have to return the favor at least."

"Nah, I'm fine. There's a McDonald's a minute from here. I'm going to eat there."

"McDonald's?" Scarlett frowned.

Being an actress, Scarlett had to maintain her figure. She couldn't eat food that had too many calories. Most of the time, she ate salad and water.

This was the price of becoming an actress. She couldn't get fat because it could change her facial features.

McDonald's was one of the restaurants she rarely visited because their food had so many calories.

However...

'I miss eating burgers,' she bit her lip.

No matter what, burgers are delicious. She wanted to eat at least one burger.

'I burned some calories today, so I'm allowed to eat one. That's right, I deserve to eat a burger because I worked hard!'

She was making excuses...

She glanced at Kazir, who was sweating. She understood why many women were attracted to him. Kazir could pass as an actor.

"Okay, let's eat at McDonald's. My treat."

"Are you sure? You're going to be fat-- Okay, okay, let's eat."

Kazir stopped mid-sentence when he saw Scarlett's scary glare.

Weight was a dangerous topic for women. Kazir was not ready to step into that boundary. Even his exes were like monsters whenever he talked about their weight.

"Let me take a shower first."

"It's fine, you smell good."

"Huh? Hey, don't pull me like that. I need to change my shirt, okay."

Scarlett couldn't stand the place, because so many thirsty bitches were around.

And as expected, one of the bitches made a move.

"Hello, Sir, I'm Nadia Lopez. I'm an actress who starred in a stage play on Broadway. My vital statistics are 36-24-37. This is my number. You can call me anytime--"

"Sorry, we don't talk to nobody."

Scarlett interrupted and slapped away the contact number. The two left the gym to eat at McDonald's.

"I thought you had a bodyguard?"

"Everyone deserves a day off. Besides, I'm just going to the gym, it's a small matter." Kazir explained while eating a cheeseburger.

As for Scarlett, she had just finished her burger, and she couldn't help but look at Kazir's fries.

"Here, take it. A burger is not enough for breakfast. You should eat more."

"... Thanks." She blushed at that small gesture.

++++++

[First chapter of the day.]
 

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