HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 452


A moment that deserved celebration. Two awards were won by La La Land, Best Director Award and Best Actress Award. These two awards were both important honors in the industry.

Gaining this recognition would give Brianna and Fremont a massive boost to their careers. Their salaries would undoubtedly increase.

These awards might look simple, but the importance they carried in the industry couldn't be measured by money.

Winning an award at the Academy Awards meant that your name would be forever remembered in history. Whenever people thought about the best actresses or the best directors, Brianna and Fremont would become part of the conversation.

One thing was clear, there would be a party for the cast and crew members of La La Land tonight. Champagne would pop... and probably some drugs as well.

The last segment of the show was the Best Picture Award. The movie that won Best Picture was Million Dollar Baby.

With that, the show ended, and the credits rolled.

"They're going to have a party tonight," Kazir thought.

"They sure are."

"Well, they won two important awards, so they're going to celebrate. I'm sure Fremont and Brianna won't act cheap tonight. They'll go all out and spend a lot of money."

Having experienced this kind of celebration, Kazir had an idea of what would happen tonight... a lot of people would get drunk.

"We can also celebrate their success in our own way," Scarlett teased.

"Oh sure, we will."

"Yeah, we will."

Scarlett, who was sitting on Kazir's lap, purred and leaned closer, sniffing Kazir's neck. She tried to kiss his neck, but a phone rang and disturbed their peace.

It was Kazir's phone.

"..."

The two were silent for a second. Kazir sighed and put down the beer. He reached for his phone and answered the call.

"Salvatore? Ah, yeah, it depends. I'll answer you later," Kazir said with a bitter smile.

"What did he say?"

"He invited me to go to the party."

"You're the scriptwriter, so I'm not surprised he invited you… So, what's your decision?"

"Salvatore or Brianna will probably call you later."

"You didn't answer my question," she said firmly, pressing her weight down on his lap, obviously teasing him.

"Above that..."

Scarlett giggled because she could tell Kazir was conflicted.

"I'll tell you this, if you don't make a move tonight, I'll hate you. So make sure you don't regret your decision," she said with a seductive smile.

"I think we should turn off our phones."

"Good idea."

Scarlett yelped playfully as Kazir carried her to the bedroom.

Well, let's just say that they didn't get much rest when the sunshine came around.

.........

......

...

Vance Goodhood. He was a stockbroker who worked for Goldman Sachs.

After working in the stock industry for years, he was confident enough to say that he knew how to be a millionaire. To be fair, he was indeed a millionaire.

In his opinion, the best way to become a millionaire in this industry was to not be greedy. You had to understand when to pull out your investment. The second important factor was to understand the stocks you were buying. Other than that, don't be stupid.

Vance was going to meet one of his most important clients. In fact, this client had helped him further his career at Goldman Sachs.

When Grey Pictures and 20th Century Fox had their agreement, Goldman Sachs had played a part in that $3 billion worth of transactions between the two studios. Of course, Goldman Sachs made money, and so did Vance.

Because of that, Vance was noticed by upper management, which gave him a better position.

"Kazir, these are the documents."

Vance passed a thick stack of papers to Kazir.

Kazir yawned and rubbed his eyes. He stretched his arms, which had been hugging a soft, tiny waist earlier. He glanced at the documents and shook his head.

He had no patience nor intention to read documents that weren't related to movies.

"Vance, this document is too thick for me to read. Can you tell me the important contents instead?"

"Of course."

Vance wasn't surprised. Most of his clients preferred it this way. His clients were rich, and they usually handed these documents to their financial advisors and accountants to calculate the numbers.
(Note: I have no idea what I'm writing. I'm not rich, so I don't know how they settle their finances. Heck, I don't even know how they calculate their taxes. They probably hire people.)

Vance started explaining.

"So basically, my stocks are worth more than $4.3 billion now?"

"That's correct. These past few years, you've invested in Amazon, Apple, eBay, and Google. Furthermore, you're one of the shareholders of Facebook. Facebook's valuation this year is $180 million."

In addition to that, Kazir also invested in Nvidia, Intel, and Microsoft. He had also been buying public shares of 20th Century Fox. Kazir was the second individual shareholder of 20th Century Fox, the first being Rupert Murdoch.

It was an understatement to say that Kazir was rich. He was wealthy. His descendants would have a great life for three to five generations... unless some of them screwed up and squandered everything.

"...Wow."

That was the best response Kazir could give. He hadn't expected that he would reach this point in life. He was damn wealthy.

He wasn't poor in his past life, since he had residual income from his movies and had also inherited money from his father. But this amount, $4.3 billion, was something that had always been out of reach.

[Fourth chapter of the day.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 453


Kazir invested almost all of his money in stocks, so it was not a surprise that his wealth increased to over $4 billion.

Still, this amount of money was terrifying. He had no idea how to spend it. He was not a materialistic type. Except for his library of videotapes and DVDs in his house, he was never interested in material things... For a moment, Kazir thought of buying another house and a car.

"Speaking of cars, Lamborghini gave me a replica of the Batmobile last week... I should probably try it once Batman Begins is released."

The Batmobile was still not allowed to be shown to the public... unless Warner Brothers agreed to use it as a way of promoting the movie.

Lamborghini had been one of the sponsors of CCU, and Grey Pictures had a close relationship with the brand. Because of the popularity of CCU, the cars that were advertised in the movies were easily sold.

The cars that were sold were all limited editions, with only a few units circulating in the entire world. Meaning that each car cost more than $1 million minimum.

Especially when the Fast and Furious franchise was released, so many car enthusiasts became interested in CCU. Kazir wanted The Fast and the Furious to have at least one street racing scene in every movie. Because that was the initial essence of the movie, street racing. The first three movies of Fast and Furious revolved around that.

"Batmobile... Yeah, I should probably buy a car this year. I want to drive Scarlett around L.A."

Lamborghini decided to give one of their limited editions to Kazir as a way of improving their relationship. Lamborghini had actually heard that Ferrari was trying to get a spot in the advertising lineup of CCU, and Lamborghini didn't like that, hence the gift.

"Thank you, Vance."

"I should be the one thanking you, Kazir. You helped me so much in my career. I owe a lot to you. I'll make sure to never give you up, and never let you down."

"You know the rules, and so do I," Kazir nodded.

If not for the warning that Kazir had given to Vance in 1999, perhaps the stockbroker might have also been one of the people who jumped off the building.

The two shook hands, and Vance bid farewell.

"...Looks like I have to consult my financial advisor this month. God, taxes will probably haunt me again this year."

Kazir used every legal method to lessen his taxes, such as charities, business deductions, and many more.

However, taxes still cut him millions every year. People were mad and jealous of the rich, but it was true that rich people were the ones who paid the most taxes... Well, yeah, it was obvious why.

.........

......

...

After that meeting with Vance, Kazir returned to Warner Brothers to edit Batman Begins. The movie was near completion, and Kazir had time to take a rest.

February was a great month for many people. Brianna Evans and Fremont Smith got the awards they had been dreaming about. Kazir had already called Fremont and apologized for not attending the party last night.

Fremont just laughed it off. His voice was hoarse because he had been partying all night. The Black director was not mad. He even invited Kazir to a barbeque party next week.

.........

......

...

On the streets of Los Angeles, a Bugatti Veyron was vrooming. It was making a noise that caught the attention of the people walking down the street.

Some of them shook their heads because it looked childish. Some were looking at the car with jealousy, hoping that they would also have one.

Some women were staring at the man who was driving the car. The man was wearing sunglasses to hide his identity, but it was obvious that he was handsome.

Kazir decided to buy a Bugatti Veyron just because he had money. When you have so much money, it feels like spending a million on a car is not that expensive anymore.

By the way, Kazir could have bought a sports car in his past life, but he never did because he was not the type who wanted attention. He was a director, not an actor.

Besides, he had a Dad bod in his past life. That meant he had a fat belly and looked unhealthy.

But now, Kazir, who was holding the steering wheel, looked like a hunk. The description of an alpha male fit him. He was tall, handsome, fit, and rich. He was oozing with confidence, and the women who were staring at him became attracted to him.

One of them even had the courage to approach him. The woman had blonde hair, thick pouty lips, a thin waist, huge boobs, and was wearing a short skirt... She looked like a bimbo, not going to lie.

"Hey baby, what are you looking for? Are you looking for fun? How about you take me for a ride?"

Called it. She might be a hooker.

Perhaps she was interested in Kazir because he looked rich. He was also handsome and tall. It was not a surprise that she wanted him.

"I can help you touch your gearshift. Or should I call it a gear shaft?" she giggled, leaning closer to show her huge tits.

"Can you step aside? You're blocking my way."

A cold voice came from behind. The bimbo turned around and found a gorgeous woman. Just like Kazir, Scarlett was also wearing sunglasses, but that didn't stop her beauty from showing.

"Huh?"

The bimbo tried to say something, but she stopped when she saw that Kazir had opened his car door for Scarlett.

"You're looking gorgeous as always."

"Of course," she scoffed.

"..."

Kazir realized that the woman was in a bad mood. It seemed that he had to make her feel good today.

The Bugatti left the place, leaving the dumbfounded bimbo behind.

"...Wait a fucking minute? Is that Kazir Grey and Scarlett Johansson?"

Kazir and Scarlett were both famous, so it was not surprising that they were recognized. The sunglasses didn't do a damn thing.

+++++

[Fifth and last chapter of the day.]

[If you want to read the complete story, you can check out my Patreon.]

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

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 454


The sizzling of steaks and hotdogs was like music to the ears. It was a small party after Fremont won the Best Director Award. He invited his friends in the industry to have a barbecue party.

Being invited, Kazir was at Fremont's house. Kazir was proud to see that Fremont had acquired his own property in Beverly Hills. In Hollywood and showbiz, it was basically a status symbol if you could buy a house in Beverly Hills. Because most of the rich people and celebrities were living in this place. It had better security and was free from stalkers and paparazzi.

At the back of the house, Fremont was cooking steak, hotdogs, bacon, and all kinds of meat that American households eat, except for pork.

Kazir, Scarlett, Brianna, and Enzo were also at the party. They were all Salvatore's clients and they could be considered friends.

"This place is great. I'm kinda jealous that you found a nice house with a swimming pool," Brianna teased the young director, and Fremont just laughed.

Being a director, he made millions every year. Of all of Salvatore's clients, Fremont was the second highest-earning client. First was Kazir, obviously.

Even though actors and actresses were the faces of the movie, their salaries were incomparable to top-notch directors. Well-respected directors like Kazir and Fremont could make $100 million every year, depending on the project they chose.

In fact, Fremont had a 7% worldwide box office share for the movie La La Land. As of March 25, the movie had already grossed more than $362 million worldwide. It meant that Fremont would earn $25 million at least once the screening of La La Land ended.

So it was not a surprise that Fremont could find a nice house in Beverly Hills.

"I got lucky. The real estate agent I talked to showed me this house and offered a low price, so I decided to buy it."

"How much?"

Both Brianna and Scarlett were interested to hear the price. Perhaps they both wanted a house with a pool in Beverly Hills.

"Around $7 million."

"Hiss..."

Scarlett was speechless, while Brianna was irked. Brianna could probably afford it since she was in demand. She also won the Best Actress Award, so she could ask for $10 million per movie if possible.

As for Scarlett, her usual salary per movie was around $1–2 million. So yeah, it might take a while for her to afford a $7 million house.

On top of that, properties increase in price every year. Inflation was something that people would never escape.

The real estate properties in Los Angeles were expensive.

"New York is more expensive than California. The apartment that my brother lived in five years ago cost $2.3 million. It's in Manhattan. They decided to live in a house after 9/11. The house they bought cost $16 million, also in Manhattan."

When Kazir said that, all of them shut their mouths because of the expensive prices. They couldn't believe that a house in New York would cost so much, more than in Beverly Hills.

While they were talking, more people arrived at the small gathering. Most of them were Black people and Fremont greeted them with enthusiasm.

Some were rappers, some were actors, and some were people whom Kazir didn't know. The industry was small and most people knew each other. It was not a surprise that Fremont was friends with rappers.

When more people showed up, the house became livelier. Fremont didn't have time to accommodate all of them, so he had to converse with every group to make sure everyone felt comfortable.

Being the host of this party, Fremont had to entertain his guests. Or else he would get a bad reputation.

Overall, 30+ people attended the party... Was this still considered a small party?

"Hey, Enzo? Are you okay?"

While the girls decided to have fun in the pool, Kazir found Enzo quiet and in deep thought. The Korean actor was silent the whole time, he was just drinking alcohol.

"I'm fine... I think."

"We are friends, you can tell me your problem. Perhaps I can help you."

Enzo looked at Kazir and found that he was serious. Kazir wanted to see the people around him happy. If he could help them, he would help them.

Enzo chuckled and chugged down his beer. The rap music in the background was getting louder.

Out of Salvatore's clients, Enzo was probably the lowest one. He had projects every year and he was known, but he knew that the roles he could get were limited. Most of them were related to his race as an Asian.

Whenever a movie needed a handsome Asian or even just an Asian male, Enzo Park would be invited to audition. Sometimes, he got the roles, and sometimes, Jackie Chan or Jet Li would get the roles.

...He was tired of it. He was tired that the only roles he could get were all about being Asian. He was also devastated that he couldn't get a leading role.

So last month, he decided to audition for a gangster film. This film was going to be directed by Martin Scorsese. The movie was called The Departed. Enzo auditioned for one of the two protagonists.

Yet the moment he entered the audition room, most of the people were not even interested in talking to him. He just performed in that suffocating room and left.

"I see." Kazir listened to what Enzo said and realized the problem.

Kazir tapped his shoulder and tried to encourage him.

"Enzo, do you want to hear my opinion?"

"Of course, you're one of the most talented directors in the industry."

"Thanks for the compliment... But you won't like what I will say."

"..." Enzo turned to Kazir.

The director was staring at him with clear yet cold eyes.

"Don't be fucking stupid."

"Huh?"

Enzo was stunned.

"Don't be such an arrogant prick and believe that you deserve everything."

"..."

Enzo swallowed hard. He rarely saw Kazir talk like this... He was actually scared right now.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 455


Enzo Park was speechless as Kazir started his lecture.

"Enzo, do you know why I never film horror movies anymore?" Kazir looked at the sky. The blue sky was no more, changed into red-orange as the sun was setting on the horizon.

The loud rap music was getting more prominent. Kazir saw Scarlett and Brianna playing around the pool, talking to other girls.

"It's because I know what I'm good at." He smiled.

He was not good at filming horror movies, so he preferred doing action movies instead.

"I've experienced hardship, failures, and betrayals. There was a point in my life where I wanted to end everything."

This was the first time Enzo had heard Kazir talk about his life. He decided to listen.

"I can say you're lucky. You are far better than me." Kazir chuckled.

Unlike him, Enzo was talented. At least he never copied anyone's movies and claimed them as his own.

"There are times when I want to make a horror movie, an original movie that I painstakingly wrote with all of my brain cells but I'm afraid."

"Director, I believe you can change. I've worked with you since The Hangover. You're the best director I've worked with. I believe you can change and overcome your fear."

Enzo tried to encourage Kazir.

"You're right. You should also say that to yourself. Enzo, what are you afraid of?"

"...I, I want to become the best version of myself." After thinking about it, Enzo realized what he was afraid of.

"I'm afraid that I will lose my place in Hollywood."

"Everyone is scared of something."

Kazir took a sip of his beer and sighed.

"There are thousands of Asian actors who are trying to enter Hollywood, but most of them fail. Only a handful of Asian actors are known in the industry. You should feel blessed that you can easily audition for roles in movies. Because I can tell you this, a lot of actors are ready to kill just to be in your place. I'm not even joking. Some people sold their souls just to get into the industry. I can say that you are fortunate to have met me and Salvatore."

Enzo nodded. For that, he was thankful.

"What you're mad about is not the rejections in movie auditions. What you're mad about, or should I say afraid of, is the fact that your presence in Hollywood is insignificant. And for that, you can only blame yourself. Don't be mad at the casting directors, they are just doing their jobs."

"Then what should I do?"

"You have to understand that Hollywood will forever be catered to Western audiences. They will rarely accommodate Asian actors in their projects. I hate to say it, but you should lower your expectations."

Kazir grabbed a chicken wing and ate it.

"You got a role in Final Destination, right?"

"Yes."

Final Destination was a script that Kazir wrote and sold to 20th Century Fox. The movie would be released in April.

"Actually, there were no Asian characters in the script that I wrote. Yet you still passed the audition. Do you understand how lucky you are?"

"...."

"Yet the fact that you're sulking because you didn't get a role in a gangster film made you mad? Grow up. Of course Martin Scorsese will not hire you. You didn't fit the movie as the protagonist at all."

Perhaps because of the alcohol, Kazir was saying hurtful things.

"Let me guess, there is a supporting character in the script and they offered you that role instead. But you didn't accept it."

"H- How did you know?"

When Enzo heard that, he was surprised. He could understand if Kazir started berating him and telling him that he was arrogant. However, he didn't expect Kazir to know about the fact that he rejected an offer to work on the movie The Departed. He never told anyone about it, not even Salvatore.

"It's just a guess. But I guess I'm right."

Kazir was actually bluffing. He was trying to probe Enzo's intention.

"Enzo, you should understand that actresses and actors in Hollywood are not irreplaceable."

The actor was ashamed of himself. Indeed, he was getting too full of himself. He was so focused on getting a leading role that he forgot his occupation. He is an actor, and he loves acting. He had just denied himself what he loved.

"Perhaps you forgot how hard it is to find a job in this industry."

"...Since when did I become arrogant?" Enzo asked himself. He tightly held the bottle in his hand because he was mad at himself. He wiped his eyes, immediately controlling the tears so that he wouldn't make a scene.

"Director, I... I think I'm losing myself. I was scared that I would lose my job, and I thought starring in the lead role would help me solidify my status. Yet I turned down a role because I was too attached to being a protagonist. I apologize."

He weakly muttered.

"Since you know your mistake, I guess I'm going to help you. First, I want to tell you that my promise last time is true. I'm going to film a CCU movie starring you, but that will take a while. Second, you're a handsome actor, Asian aesthetic-wise. We must show the audience that you're not just a pretty Asian boy."

Kazir laughed and had an idea.

"I will make you a pirate. A fucking ugly pirate that has scars all over his face, so people won't recognize you for your appearance but because of your acting."

There was a role in Pirates of the Caribbean about an Asian pirate captain. Kazir decided to cast Enzo as Captain Sao Feng, a pirate lord who would appear in the third movie of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

The plan for Pirates of the Caribbean was that both the second and third movies would be filmed all at once. Enzo would work on Pirates of the Caribbean this year.

+++++

[Second chapter of the day.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 456


"There's a role in Pirates of the Caribbean about an Asian pirate captain. We still haven't found an actor to fill the role since he's going to show up in the third movie. Since you talked about finding your place in Hollywood, how about taking that role? Show that you can act."

Appearance was the first factor to win in Hollywood for actors and actresses. The second factor was connections with people. The third was acting.

Enzo already checked the first two. He was handsome, and he also had an agent who could help him form a network in the industry.

As for acting, Kazir knew that the Korean actor could act. He had worked with him, after all.

However, his acting was getting overshadowed by his appearance and stunts.

Kazir planned to butcher Captain Sao's face to the point that no one would recognize that the one acting was Enzo Park. In that way, the audience would recognize Enzo as an actor, not just a pretty face who could do stunts.

"You're still not in. You have to go to the audition. I'm just showing you the path, but you have to trudge on it. If you fail our requirements, let's forget this conversation."

Enzo naturally agreed. They were hiring him for his acting capability, not his face. So if his acting didn't pass their criteria, then he was not meant for the role.

"Oh, and you'll have a bald head, so it's your decision if you want to cut your hair or use a prosthetic wig instead."

A prosthetic wig might not be the term. It should be a bald cap prosthetic makeup.

"Yeah, I'm not even surprised." Enzo laughed.

The two started talking and laughing. They might not be considered that close, but they were friends for sure. Whenever they met, they greeted each other with a smile.

Kazir was different from most directors. He was well-respected, but he was also approachable. He liked it when actors asked him for advice and guidance.

There was something about him. Perhaps it was the fact that, from the bottom of his heart, Kazir wanted everyone around him to be happy.

Kazir tapped Enzo's shoulder.

"Man, you don't have to worry. I will make you the most famous Asian actor in Hollywood. No, we will help you become the most famous Asian actor in Hollywood. We've been in the industry for more than a decade. Our influence is not that simple anymore."

First, their agent was now one of the Co-Chairmen of CAA. That was an influential position that could change the future of a person. This was the reason why there were so many actresses and even actors who wanted to offer sexual favors to Salvatore Barlowe. His position alone was enough to determine their careers.

Second, Enzo was close with two big directors, Kazir and Fremont. With them around, Enzo didn't have to be afraid of losing jobs.

Third, well, the two reasons were enough justification that Enzo had it better than most Asian actors in Hollywood.

Perhaps his luck happened when he signed the contract with Salvatore before Kazir joined their group.

At that time, the reason that convinced Enzo Park, or to be precise, Park Hae-Won, was because of what Salvatore said. Salvatore said that he wanted to see a Korean actor make it big in Hollywood.

Park Hae-Won was just starting in Hollywood at that time, and he didn't know where to start or what to start. Yet what Salvatore said resonated in his heart. Maybe this was the reason why Enzo was so adamant about finding a place in Hollywood.

By the way, both Enzo Park and Salvatore Barlowe were half-Koreans.

"Thanks, Director. I feel better now."

"Kid, you have time, so don't feel pressured. Men age like fine wine for a reason. I bet once you hit your 40s, you'll get a better career."

This was not a baseless opinion. Most men hit their peak in terms of career and financial status around their 40s. They have experience, expertise, and accumulated knowledge that help them.

Actors such as Samuel L. Jackson, Steve Carell, Tommy Lee Jones, Jeremy Renner, Terry Crews, and Peter Dinklage became famous around their 40s.

"...It's because we are not that different in age. I'm just younger than you by a few years."

"Yeah, I know about it. Sometimes I just can't help but forget my age," Kazir honestly said. Because of his true age, he sometimes acted like an old, mature man who had experienced everything in life. One of the reasons why he was not affected by most situations and faced them head-on instead.

After that conversation, Enzo felt better and decided to have fun.

Kazir watched as the "younger" actor stopped thinking about negative stuff.

The party went on. Then, Fremont returned after mingling with the guests.

"Phew, hosting a party is hard. I can't believe this small gathering is tough!' I feel like hosting a party for a hundred people is not a small party at all."

"That's why I don't like parties."

"Nah, I like parties, but not hosting one. It's too much work. Oh, but I can't deny that I had fun. Hehe, I'm actually excited. Someone invited me to attend Diddy's party!"

"Kahak—!" Kazir choked. He started coughing.

"Kazir, are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine. Can you repeat what you said?"

"I'm invited to Diddy's party. Isn't that great? I heard his party is amazing."

"...Diddy, you mean Sean John Combs?"

Kazir's expression didn't feel right. There was a reason why.

"You don't have to call him by his real name. He is known as Diddy, Puff Daddy, or P. Diddy."

'Yes, he is also known as the Diddler, if you know what I mean,' Kazir internally said.

"Fremont, if you want to keep your career, I advise you to stay away from Diddy and any of his parties. If you hear that the party is hosted by Diddy, I recommend you leave that party immediately!" He raised his voice on the last part.

"Huh, but why? I heard there's no party like Diddy's party?"

There's no party like Diddy's party because of a reason. The only parties that can be compared to Diddy's parties are the parties happening on Jeffrey Epstein's island. That's not okay at all.

"Allegedly," Diddy regularly hosted "sex-trafficking parties" with underage women and illegal drugs.

That's disgusting as fuck.

[Third chapter of the day.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 457


P. Diddy. To make it simple, this rapper was not a good person. His parties, which he was so confident about, had some illegal stuff happening. By the way, he liked men and baby oil, for obvious reasons.

Kazir was seriously staring at Fremont. They were at the party, and some people might hear them.

"Fremont, do you love your life?"

"Of course I do."

"Then don't go to Diddy's party."

"...Okay, I understand."

Fremont had no idea why Kazir was so adamant about stopping him from going to Diddy's party. However, he could trust his mentor. Fremont had so much respect for the guy, and he knew that Kazir was just trying to protect him.

Fremont had an idea about the possibilities that could happen at Diddy's party. Perhaps it was something that could destroy his life.

"I will talk to Salvatore. He will tell you what he knows. Just stay away from Diddy."

If an agent agreed to let you attend Diddy's party or go to Jeffrey Epstein's island, it meant that the agent wanted to choke you by the neck. It meant that the agent wanted to blackmail you or the agent didn't know the truth regarding Diddy's party.

Why would an agent do that? To make sure that you wouldn't find another agent to work with. An agent might work with you, but that same agent could be the reason for your downfall.

Thankfully, Salvatore was not that kind of person. Instead of convincing his clients to commit crimes as a form of blackmail, Salvatore would make sure that his clients would never have any scandal... He had experienced how hard it was to protect Kazir from scandals. Their PR team had evolved every time Kazir tackled a scandal.

P. Diddy probably has dirty secrets on a lot of people. That's why his true colors never showed for more than two decades.

Imagine two decades of illegal parties happening in Hollywood, yet almost everyone was quiet about it. They were scared that once the truth came out, their names would be on the list. A prime example was the list of people who went to Jeffrey Epstein's island.

Everyone in Hollywood understood how disgusting that place was. Yet some of them sold their souls just to become part of it. They couldn't let go of fame and money.

To be fair, not everyone in Hollywood was a bad person. But most of them probably knew what was going on and decided to shut their mouths. Maybe they were afraid that they would be silenced if they talked about it.

"...I know it doesn't matter anymore, but they also invited you to Diddy's party."

"Hell naw."

Kazir shook his head firmly.

Some people hated him. They might use this information to bury him.

"If you don't want your asshole to get busted, or get oiled up, or get freaky with underage, do not go to Diddy's party."

There's no party like Diddy's party. Unless you go to hell.

Fremont was doing well, and his career was set on the right track. It would be devastating if he made a mistake that could cost him his future.

The party went on until it reached 9 p.m. Salvatore showed up late, but he made sure to bring something to eat. Pizza sounded nice.

Kazir took this moment to talk to Salvatore about Enzo and Fremont. Particularly Fremont, he won the Best Director Award, and his career was promising.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. I became a Co-Chairman to protect you guys from this kind of situation."

"...That's, that's kind of sweet. Are you sure you're not our father or something?"

Kazir was dumbfounded because Salvatore just dropped a sweet line like he was a hero.

"We are almost the same age. What are you talking about? I'm not your father!"

"I'm just joking."

"Then, I'll talk to Fremont later."

.........

......

...

A few days later, Fremont called Kazir while he was in the office. The young director thanked him for stopping him from going to Diddy's party. Apparently, one of his friends attended Diddy's party and he couldn't walk afterward.

.........

......

...

Sin City was a movie based on a comic that was set to be released on April 1. Miramax acquired the movie adaptation rights to this comic after making a business deal with Dark Horse Comics.

Dark Horse Comics was a comic publisher established in 1986, around the time when comics were still relevant and many people read them.

This comic publisher released some famous fiction such as Sin City, Hellboy, 300, and Ninja Gaiden.

Dark Horse Comics was also the company where Kazir signed a deal to acquire the movie adaptation rights of 300... This publisher was actually pestering Kazir to film 300.

DC Comics and Marvel Comics were already having a feast at the box office. Yet Dark Horse Comics, which was also a good publisher, was still taking scraps.

It was understandable why Dark Horse Comics was eager to see their creations on the big screen, especially when the one who acquired 300 was none other than Director Kazir Grey.

Hellboy, one of their famous characters, had already made its first appearance in theaters last year. The result was positive. The movie grossed $99 million while having a $66 million production cost... Erm, the DVD sales and rental sales were high, though. They didn't lose money, they made a profit.

And now, Dark Horse Comics was excited for Sin City. They believed it would make a difference... until they heard that 20th Century Fox would release their movie on the same date, April 1.

The movie in question was Final Destination, starring Tobey Maguire.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 458


Final Destination was a movie that Kazir Grey wrote, well, in this timeline.

It was about unforeseen accidents that seemed coincidental, yet killed every person who tried to escape death.

Of course, Miramax didn't feel good that this horror movie would have the same release date as Sin City. Sin City was a great artistic film and that was true. It was like a comic, but in a film.

Unfortunately, it was hard to face a movie that was written by the best scriptwriter in Hollywood.

If the script was written by Kazir Grey, then it was 100% profitable. That was the slogan people created whenever they heard that a studio had acquired Kazir's script. Some studios were jealous, while others were seething with anger.

Actually, Miramax wanted to buy at least one script from Kazir. But Harvey Weinstein held a deep grudge against Kazir. He knew it was better to forget everything and make friends with the director. But the fat fuck was too arrogant to accept that.

Besides, Kazir might not accept his apology. The two sides had already shown their intentions.

On April 1, Final Destination was released, and the movie created a unique horror genre.

Accidents.

In our everyday life, accidents could happen that could end lives.

A slippery floor, a wrong step on the stairs, even choking on food.

These accidents, things people didn't think of seriously, became the main topic of Final Destination.

This unique approach to the horror genre made people scared and more aware of their surroundings. That was the essence of Final Destination, an amazing concept that Kazir Grey had written.

As expected, Director Grey cooked again.

"I'm scared to take a shower after what happened to Tod!"

Scarlett shivered while wearing a towel around her body. Kazir just chuckled, listening to her cute voice.

"Enzo really delivered an amazing death."

Enzo took the role of Tod Waggner, the student who died in the bathroom, getting strangled by a curtain cord. The first victim in Final Destination.

His death was one of the most memorable in the franchise.

Imagine dying in the bathroom, getting strangled by a cord. It was scary. It was understandable why Scarlett was afraid to take a shower alone.

Kazir checked the internet, and sure enough, many people were complaining because of Final Destination. The terror it gave to the audience was realistic, and it could happen to anyone.

Kazir also checked articles related to Tobey Maguire. After the scandal, Tobey was doing great. He changed his image and now had dark black hair, just like his role in Final Destination.

Kazir was satisfied helping the actor. After all, Kazir also hated the paparazzi, so he could relate to Tobey's situation.

He stopped surfing the internet and decided to continue writing a script.

"Babe, how about we take a shower together? I'm scared."

The actress hugged his neck from behind, slightly putting weight on her breasts, and Kazir could feel them.

"What are you writing?"

"It's a script... A script for a horror movie." Kazir slightly smiled.

The script he was writing was original. He wrote it in his past life and decided to write it again this time.

'This is not just a simple script. It's a script that I turned into a horror movie. It was released in a few theaters in Los Angeles before going to streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu.'

This script was already a movie... Perhaps one of his greatest regrets. He believed this movie had a chance to break through at the box office. He thought it would become his stepping stone to stardom. He put his soul, blood, and time into creating this movie. Yet he failed. It became his trauma instead.

"Are you okay, babe? You look sad?"

Scarlett was worried as Kazir's expression didn't feel right. She rubbed his cheeks to make him smile.

"How about we play some games in the shower?" she teased.

"Final Destination is just a movie."

Kazir saw through her intention.

"But I'm scared. Accidents can happen everywhere. I blame you for what I'm experiencing right now."

"Why?"

"You're the one who wrote the movie. So you deserve to make it up to me by showering with me."

"Okay, fine."

Kazir carried the woman, and Scarlett giggled. Kazir knew how to make Scarlett's heart beat faster.

Instead of getting into an accident, the shower became an amazing experience for the couple.

.........

......

...

The first weekend of Final Destination was $42 million. This Final Destination had many factors that made it perform better compared to the original.

First was the cast. Tobey Maguire was the leading male.

Second was the scriptwriter, which was Kazir Grey.

Third was the difference in the release year. The original version was released in 2000, while Tobey's version was released in 2005.

These factors created a good result, giving Final Destination $42 million on its first weekend.

As for Sin City, the movie had great reviews, and critics loved it because it stuck with the essence of the comic. Unfortunately, its black-and-white style became one of the reasons why only a few people watched it. Its first weekend was $29 million.

The two movies' first weekends made millions, but everything came down to word of mouth. An important factor that determines the trajectory of a movie.

Unfortunately for Sin City, Final Destination had a better reputation. Because of its new approach to horror movies, Final Destination pulled many people to watch the film.

Final Destination had around a $35 million production cost, and Tobey Maguire was the most expensive actor they hired. In just three days, the movie already surpassed its production cost, which was a great thing.

One thing was sure, 20th Century Fox was having a party because horror movies were the best franchise to milk. Horror movies needed a small budget, yet the profit they could bring was ten times the amount. There were millions of fans of horror movies in the United States alone.

++++++

[Fifth and last chapter of the day.]

[If you want to read the complete story, you can check out my Patreon.]

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

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 459


"Let's see. This movie has few female roles, and most of the important ones are already filled."

Kazir was looking at the list of cast members. He was trying to find a suitable role for a woman, someone Kazir didn't like.

Kazir hated a cheater. He knew that the future could change, but he couldn't erase from his mind that this woman had cheated on her partner.

"You said that one of the actresses who was supposed to slap me in the movie backed out? How about we give her that role?" Johnny Depp was in his pirate costume, and his demeanor was different from usual.

Whenever he was in his costume as Captain Jack Sparrow, he would always act tipsy. Kazir didn't want to interrupt his immersion, but he had to tackle this topic.

"So let me get this straight, you want your girlfriend to slap you in the face?"

"In the film."

"Alright, in the film."

"Come on, Kazir. We are professionals here. I'm an actor. If the script says I have to be slapped, then I have to."

"You sure there's no kink to this?" Kazir asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. Hey, why are you looking at me like that? You're the one who wrote the script, not me."

"Okay, fine."

Kazir sighed and agreed, even though he didn't want to.

Kazir didn't want to hire Amber Heard, for some reasons.

But because Johnny was asking for a favor, Kazir didn't have a choice but to agree. He wanted to make sure that Johnny would be at full capacity while filming.

If Kazir didn't agree, the actor might hold a grudge against him, and it could cause a problem for the movie. Kazir needed Johnny Depp to finish this trilogy.

The first three movies of Pirates of the Caribbean were the peak performances of the franchise. No one could deny that fact.

'As for possible fourth movies, well, maybe I can sell the franchise to Fox instead? They're looking for movies that can turn into franchises.'

By the way, 20th Century Fox was having a blast because Final Destination was a huge hit. The horror movie dominated April, earning $122 million at the North American box office within 20 days of screening.

Kazir admitted that the toys and merchandise related to Pirates of the Caribbean were making them tons of money, but Kazir had no interest in making a fourth movie. If Grey Pictures and Fox wanted to make a fourth movie, then they would have to look for another director.

'Hm, now that I think about it, Pirates of the Caribbean is my first official trilogy… Damn, am I really that choosy?'

Kazir asked himself. Even in the Spider-Man franchise, Kazir only signed on for two films. For the last movie, Sony-Columbia had to find another director.

As for his old movies, Kazir never filmed any of their sequels. He was just responsible for the first movies.

"Thanks, Kazir. I appreciate it."

"Ah? Ah, yeah. No problem, Johnny." Kazir was so deep in thought that he forgot he was actually talking to Johnny Depp.

For the record, Captain Jack Sparrow was slapped in the franchise many times. He deserved some of the slaps, while other slaps were not. Either way, Jack Sparrow getting slapped was a comedic scene in the movie.

And now, one of the actresses who would slap him was actually his current girlfriend, Amber Heard. Kazir didn't know what to feel about that, because he knew that Amber would do much worse than that in a few years.

"So, how's your relationship with your girlfriend? Based on how you want to help her climb the ladder in Hollywood, I guess you guys are doing great."

"Oh, absolutely. She's one of a kind. The best thing that ever happened in my life. Although for some reason, whenever I wake up next to her, the bed smells like shit."

"..."

Kazir suddenly had an epiphany.

'Am I doing God's work if I make them break up?' he asked himself.

Perhaps while filming this project, Kazir would have a chance to change the future. He actually didn't know the exact, specific reasons why Amber and Johnny tried to destroy each other's careers. He was also not sure if Johnny was completely innocent.

However, Kazir decided to side with Johnny Depp, just for the simple reason that he liked the guy.

Now that most of the cast was filled, the crew would have a script reading to make sure the cast understood their roles.

.........

......

...

April only had a few movies that surpassed $100 million. Final Destination was the only one that created a sensation.

So when May arrived, which was the start of the summer schedule, cinemas started getting packed with moviegoers.

Kingdom of Heaven was released in the second week of May… It didn't have a good reputation because the plot was messy, it was constant war. Some blamed Ridley Scott, but the director didn't hold the editing rights. Ridley Scott's version was better, but 20th Century Fox decided to go with a different tone.

In 20 years, some scenes in Kingdom of Heaven would become memes. Anyway, everyone agreed that Ridley Scott's version of Kingdom of Heaven was way better than the theatrical version.

Aside from Kingdom of Heaven, 20th Century Fox also released a huge movie! This movie was the most anticipated Star Wars movie!

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

This was the last movie of the second trilogy. The movie that completed the Star Wars saga.

Many people were so excited to watch this movie. Even 20th Century Fox was putting in effort even though they didn't own the IP of Star Wars.

Star Wars was owned by Lucasfilm. A lot of people were not confident in Star Wars when it was released, so none of the studios even bought the copyrights. That decision led to Lucasfilm retaining ownership.

Some fans were disappointed in the last movie, while others were just fine with it. At least they knew how Anakin Skywalker went to the Dark Side.

Either way, Star Wars obviously made money. It was not even surprising at all.

++++

[Author's Note: Since this is fiction, might as well save Johnny Depp from the trouble.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 460


The fans of Star Wars kind of love and hate the franchise. The old fans who watched the first trilogy, which was released in the 70s to 80s, had mixed opinions on the second trilogy.

They were the first generation of Star Wars fans, and they felt like the second trilogy didn't give Anakin's development enough justice.

The second-generation fans were also having the same mixed reviews regarding the franchise. They were those who were young when the second trilogy was released.

As for the third generation, which were the ones who watched the third trilogy with Rey Skywalker as the protagonist... Well, they were the youngest ones, and their humor was different from the other generations.

But overall, everyone could agree that Star Wars fans had toxicity in it, and so does every fandom. It was just that the toxicity in the Star Wars fandom was a bit higher.

Such as now that Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released, oh boy, many fans were a bit disappointed in the movie.

Anakin's corruption by the Dark Side was not explored enough. It was too rushed.

The dialogue was lower than mediocre. People acknowledged that the dialogues in Star Wars' second trilogy were not that great.

The pacing of the movie was underwhelming.

But hey, at least the fans found the reason why Anakin Skywalker became the iconic Darth Vader.

Despite the criticism, Star Wars Episode III grossed more than $158 million on its first weekend. Everyone could agree that people loved Star Wars.

.........

......

...

Since there were many loyal fans of Star Wars, some of them started thinking of the "What If's."

What if Anakin's development was further explored… (The Star Wars animation would answer that question.)

What if Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi had a proper fight in the original trilogy? Wouldn't that be sick to watch?

What if… What if Director Kazir Grey directed the trilogy, what would happen?

Many questions that sometimes didn't have answers.

Kazir and Scarlett were having a date in a fancy restaurant. They were having fun until they came out of the restaurant and were blocked by two people. One was holding a camera, while the other was holding a small microphone.

"Director Grey, what do you think of Star Wars Episode III?"

Kazir didn't listen and decided to hold Scarlett's waist, shielding her from the paparazzi. The actress was surprised by his gesture, but didn't stop him. Instead, she was blushing hard.

"Director, we heard that George Lucas tried to hire you to be the director of the Star Wars trilogy?"

"Uh, yes. But I turned down the offer because I had other projects to film."

Kazir heard the second question and decided to answer.

"Then, isn't it your fault that the trilogy is in shambles right now?"

"Nope, not at all. You're crazy if you're going to blame me for that."

As always, there was a reason why celebrities didn't like paparazzi. The worst career in Showbiz.

It was understandable why Tobey Maguire hated these people. Thankfully, his bodyguard, Anderson, showed up and blocked the paparazzi. They tried to ask more questions, but they couldn't pass the bodyguard.

Kazir and Scarlett entered the car, and then Anderson sat in the driver's seat.

"Thanks, Anderson."

"It's my duty, sir."

This was not the first time this situation happened. Every week, Kazir would experience unexpected interviews with the paparazzi. Anderson was there 90% of the time to protect Kazir.

The remaining 10% was when Kazir was trying to live his life peacefully, but paparazzi would show up to pester him.

This was the life of a famous person.

"Gosh, I can't believe they blame you because they didn't like Star Wars." Scarlett was mad.

"It's fine. Haters will always find a reason to hate me."

"Maybe it's a good thing that I didn't pass the audition for Padmé. I don't want to be pestered by paparazzi."

Scarlett Johansson auditioned for the role, but Natalie Portman got the role. Being Padmé Amidala helped Natalie Portman, and it boosted her career.

"It just shows that you're not famous." Kazir teased her.

"What did you say to me?" She asked.

"I said you're so gorgeous that I feel lucky to have you as my girlfriend."

"You better be," She pouted, but then hugged Kazir's shoulder.

"You don't have to worry, I will make you a star." He pinched her nose, and Scarlett clicked her tongue before playfully biting his finger.

"I know." She replied.

..........

......

...

Since May was the start of the summer season, Star Wars was not the only movie released in that month.

The Longest Yard and Madagascar were also released in May and performed well at the box office.

When June arrived, the atmosphere changed, and more of the moviegoers became focused on the upcoming superhero movie, which was Batman Begins.

The billboards for Batman Begins looked menacing and dark. People even saw a Batmobile circling Los Angeles. Warner Brothers was spending money on marketing just to make sure that the movie would be a success. They didn't want to experience another Catwoman failure.

Even Kazir had to attend programs to promote Batman Begins. He showed up on The Tonight Show and even participated in game shows such as Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

The money he won in the game shows was given to the charities he supported, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Pirates of the Caribbean was in the preparation stage, so Kazir had the time to play his part in the promotion of Batman Begins.

[Second chapter of the day.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 461


Throughout the history of cinema, there were 7 Batmans that had been released to theaters. This superhero character was famous for a reason. Warner Brothers kept rebooting the franchise because it was profitable. It brought them constant profit throughout the decades.

1. Batman (1966) – Adam West


2. Batman and Batman Returns (1989–1992) – Michael Keaton


3. Batman Forever (1995) – Val Kilmer


4. Batman & Robin (1997) – George Clooney


5. The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012) – Christian Bale


6. DCEU Batman (2016–2023) – Ben Affleck


7. The Batman (2022) – Robert Pattinson


The simple fact that the Batman franchise was getting rebooted showed how much Warner Brothers loved to milk it. From toys to comics to other merchandise, Batman was a money-making machine.

And now, after the last failure of Batman, which was Batman & Robin starring Batman's suit with nipples, Warner Brothers decided to reboot the franchise and hired an outstanding director.

From that moment alone, people already acknowledged that the upcoming Batman Begins would be a box office hit. No one believed that the movie would fail.

The confidence in the movie showed Kazir's worth. As long as his name was plastered on the movie, it was a sure way to make money.

This kind of situation was not a rare stance. In other industries, such as sports, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Tom Brady, and other athletes could bring the same assurance.

In the gaming industry, FromSoftware and Rockstar Games were considered the peak game development companies.

In a way, Kazir was the recognized MVP of making movies. Once he was part of a movie project, the movie was already considered a winner.

"From what I remember, Batman Begins only surpassed $300 million at the worldwide box office. I wonder what will happen in this timeline."

Kazir asked himself. He didn't change much regarding Batman Begins, only adding Scarlett Johansson to the cast.

However, for some reason, he felt like the performance of Batman Begins would be different from the original.

The only difference was that he was the one who directed the movie. Batman Begins was now a different movie just because he was the one who directed it, even though he didn't change anything at all.

When Christopher Nolan directed Batman Begins, he was considered a nobody. Together with Christian Bale, who was also an unknown actor at that time, Batman Begins received average attention.

"At the end of the day, it's all about box office appeal."

Just like how Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts could create movie hits by starring in films, Kazir was also a star who could bring his fans to watch a movie.

If Kazir decided to film a wacky, senseless movie, people would still watch it because of his last success. However, his fans would lose interest in him once he scammed them like that.

Kazir checked his watch and knew that the limousine was getting close to Scarlett's house.

Tonight was the premiere of Batman Begins, and Kazir and Scarlett decided to step on the red carpet together. They still hadn't announced their relationship publicly. Tonight was their first official appearance together as couple.

Scarlett was the one who offered the idea because she didn't want to hide their relationship. She wanted to announce to the public (and to the bitches around) that Kazir was not single.

She knew that many actresses were still interested in Kazir, so she was trying to make it a formal relationship before others could even think of seduction.

.........

......

...

Billy and Wallace were just two meters away from the red carpet. They were with the Grey Fans who were supporting their favorite director.

Billy and Wallace were the founders of Grey Fans, and they had a high position in the organization. They had been in contact with Grey Pictures whenever the company needed a favor from their fans.

Fan clubs could actually make money through many methods, by the way. So Billy and Wallace were actually making money by being the founders of Grey Fans. However, they still had their own respective careers since the money they made was not huge at all.

Wallace was actually in a relationship with someone from the crew of Batman Begins. To be precise, Wallace was Jane Kendall's boyfriend. Jane was the head of the makeup artists team in Kazir's production crew. The woman was already in the theater, waiting for the premiere to start.

Unlike most of the time when the Grey Fans were wearing suits, the fans this time were wearing Batman costumes. Billy and Wallace were also wearing Batman costumes.

Whenever one of the cast members would show up, Grey Fans would cheer for them with enthusiasm.

It was tiring, but they didn't hate it. They were having fun, and they loved what they were doing. Most of the people in the fan club were adults who had their own lives. This was one of the rare moments when they could forget their lives as adults and have fun attending a red carpet event.

A few moments later, something surprising yet kind of expected happened.

A Batmobile showed up in front of the red carpet. The car opened and Batman came out! Christian Bale was wearing his Batman suit, and he looked cool as fuck... Although it was obvious that his attire was hot and uncomfortable.

Still, being a professional actor, Christian Bale didn't show any awkwardness and walked to the red carpet with swag... This would be the last time he would wear this Batman costume on a red carpet.

This was a marketing technique that Warner Brothers "suggested" for him to do. He would receive a bonus if he showed up on the red carpet while wearing his Batman attire. He decided to go for it.

++++

[Yeah, I'm having a mental block while writing this chapter.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 462


"Congratulations, Director. It seems like you will have another successful movie on your list. As expected of someone as talented as you. You never miss. I still haven't watched the movie, but I'm confident that it will be a blast!" The reporter was glazing at this point.

"Haha."

Kazir just laughed... He didn't feel good at all. He couldn't just say yes and admit it.

At first, out of desperation to become famous, Kazir was ready to steal as many movie hits as possible.

He wanted to experience the life of a successful director. The dream he wanted to achieve. The dream he didn't achieve before he died in a traffic accident. The biggest regret of his life.

So when he returned to the past, Kazir promised that he would do everything. He didn't care if Se7en was created by someone else, he wanted to become famous, so he stole it.

He didn't care if Napoleon Dynamite was meant to be created in the next decade. He wanted to achieve his dream, so he also stole it.

Just like The Hangover, Taken, John Wick, and many more. Kazir didn't feel guilty about what he did. Life was tough, and he had to do it to survive, and so did everyone. One way or another, people would step on each other just to get to a higher level of living.

He was satisfied with what he achieved. He never regretted one of them. He reached his status because of what he did.

Of course, he put love into all of his creations. He didn't disregard them and made sure that every movie would achieve success.

He was happy... at first.

But now, after a decade of repeating the same thing, Kazir felt empty.

Happiness didn't last forever. Sure, he was happy whenever his movies made money, but he couldn't get the satisfaction he was looking for. He felt empty.

Kazir knew that Batman Begins grossed more than $300 million at the box office in the original timeline. And now, he was more confident that the movie would perform better because of his box office appeal.

Despite that fact, Kazir couldn't feel the joy. Happiness was there, but joy was missing. He couldn't explain it well, but he knew that something was missing.

He was numbed to constant success.

'I'm a fucking hypocrite. If someone is in the same shoes as me, they will probably be more than happy to say that they filmed Batman Begins.'

To be fair, Kazir did a good job by filming and copying the successful movies. Not only did he make them, but some of the movies were also performed better than the original version, such as Napoleon Dynamite, Wanted, and Spider-Man.

No one could probably do what he did.

Furthermore, Kazir created a Cinematic Universe that didn't happen in the original timeline. Who would have thought that a bunch of action movies could be put into one universe to create a Continental Cinematic Universe?

Kazir was talented. No doubt about that. He remembered all of the movies he watched and even copied them to perfection!

However, no matter how successful and talented a person is, they will always have insecurity. Perhaps it was human nature.

'... I'm being greedy despite the achievements I acquired.'

Kazir knew the problem, and he also knew the solution. He had to film his own movie, a script that he wrote and turned into a movie.

A movie that he could confidently say was his own.

"Thanks for the interview."

The reporter smiled, and Kazir excused himself. The interview was simple, the reporter just asked some questions, and they were comfortable.

The reporter asked Kazir and Scarlett questions related to Batman Begins. The reporter even respected his boundary and never asked why Kazir and Scarlett were walking on the red carpet together.

"Are you okay?" Scarlett worriedly asked.

Even though the reporter was respectable, Scarlett felt like Kazir was uncomfortable with the reporter's praises. As if Kazir believed that he didn't deserve it.

"I'm fine."

Kazir shrugged, acting like everything was all right.

Scarlett bit her lip and hugged his arm tighter as they entered the theater.

"Thank you, Scarlett. You're a good person." Kazir felt her concerns.

"... I'm only a good person to you, not to everybody." She grumbled.

"Pftt—haha. Okay, okay. That made me laugh. So I guess I'm special, huh?"

"Of course! Wait, W-what are you doing?"

Scarlett stuttered and blushed as Kazir leaned closer and kissed her lips. She was stunned.

Then, the cameras behind them started flashing like crazy.

They were still close to the entrance, and the reporters witnessed what happened. They didn't hesitate at all and took pictures.

"I thought you wanted people to know that we are dating?"

"Yeah..." She meekly replied, very shy. She lost all her energy with just one peck on the lips.

"Want me to kiss you again?"

"Hm." She nodded.

"Let's do it later."

"Geez! You playboy! You're making fun of me!" She playfully slapped Kazir's shoulder.

The two found their seats. Next to Kazir was none other than Barry Mayer.

Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming that the Chairman of Warner Brothers was sitting next to Kazir.

Most of the time, the director and the cast of the movie were in one or two rows, while the executives had their own rows.

But Barry Mayer personally talked to the organizer that he wanted to sit next to Kazir.

"It's nice to meet you, Barry."

"Good evening, Kazir."

Kazir and Scarlett sat down. A few seconds later, Barry started the conversation.

"Kazir, what do you think of starting the production of Ted?"

As expected, it was about business.

++++

[I'm not going to lie, I watched The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, but I never watched Batman Begins. I only watched some clips. So yeah, there is no summary about this one either. After writing this novel for more than a year, I realized that most readers didn't like movie summaries unless it's related to CCU.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 463


Ted. It was a comedy script that Kazir sold to Warner Brothers a few years ago. The script had been in their library, but they hadn't touched it for years... They almost forgot about it, not going to lie.

Terry Semel was the CEO at the time when Ted was bought by Warner Brothers, and so Barry Mayer didn't know anything.

He was just informed that Warner Brothers bought a script from Kazir when he talked to the production team of the company.

At that time, Barry was talking about how they needed to buy a script from Kazir. It didn't matter if it was a comedy, horror film, or musical. Final Destination was a huge hit, and so was La La Land.

It was obvious why Barry wanted to buy a script. Then, when he talked about their plans, someone said to him that Warner Brothers had a script that they bought from Kazir and hadn't produced as of yet.

Back in the late '90s, using special effects was expensive, and Warner Brothers felt like filming Ted would be a tough one. Especially when Kazir said that he didn't want to film Ted.

Warner Brothers decided to make the movie once the technology for CGI was cheaper and better... which was now.

Warner Brothers could afford to produce Ted on a less expensive budget.

Barry Mayer read the script for Ted... and he was laughing out loud when he read it. The script was a complete package. It didn't need revision because the script was already perfect.

When Barry Mayer read it, he knew that he needed to make it into a movie.

So tonight, he talked to Kazir about Ted. He had his reasons why he wanted to talk to Kazir.

He informed Kazir that Warner Brothers was going to make the movie.

The second reason was that he wanted Kazir to direct it. Money was not the problem. Knowing how Kazir did his job, Warner Brothers was elegant enough to invest more than $100 million.

If Kazir asked for a 30+30 deal, Warner Brothers would also agree. Barry Mayer could see the potential of Ted. It could become a movie franchise with many sequels.

"That's great to hear, Barry." Kazir nodded. He also expected that Warner Brothers would start filming Ted.

"Huh?"

Barry was confused.

"Are you not going to say anything about it?"

"Nah, I'm cool."

Kazir had long received the payment from Ted, and he didn't have much connection with it. If Warner Brothers wanted to hire him as executive producer, then he might agree. That was the best he could do.

"... All right."

Barry realized that Kazir was not interested. He could understand why. Kazir was so busy that his schedule was three years full.

In the end, Barry didn't force his interest. He was already satisfied that the director signed a trilogy contract with them. He was actually proud that Warner Brothers was the first studio that Kazir signed a trilogy with. Sony-Columbia could only force the director to sign two movies, which were Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2.

Barry slightly smiled as more people filled the theater. He looked around and found the actor, Christian Bale, in his tuxedo. It seemed that wearing a huge armor-like costume with a cape was uncomfortable. Christian Bale returned to wearing a suit once he was done on the red carpet.

.........

......

...

[A masterclass in rebooting a beloved franchise, Batman Begins offers a fresh take on the iconic superhero while staying true to its roots. Kazir Grey's direction is superb, grounding the story in a gritty, realistic Gotham that feels more tangible than ever. Christian Bale's portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman is nuanced and compelling, capturing the inner struggle of a man trying to overcome his fears and avenge the death of his parents.]

[The film excels in its exploration of Batman's origin story, giving weight to his journey from traumatized orphan to Dark Knight. The supporting cast, particularly Michael Caine as Alfred and Liam Neeson as the formidable Ra's al Ghul, add to the emotional depth of the story. Hans Zimmer's score is powerful and perfectly complements the film's darker tone and thrilling action sequences.]

[The action is intense and well-choreographed, particularly the car chases and fight scenes, which showcase Batman's ingenuity and physical prowess. Batman Begins manages to be both an engaging character study and a high-stakes superhero film. It's a fresh start for Batman and sets the stage for one of the best superhero trilogies of all time. Highly recommended for fans of the comics and newcomers to the franchise.]

"... This article was written by an AI or something? Is this written by GhatGPT? Man, writers these days are getting tired of thinking and just asking an AI to create a movie review about Batman Begins. The author should be honest whenever he uses AI." Kazir thought as he read the movie review.

Ahem, anyway, the movie review seemed positive. Batman Begins received a great result on its first day. Kazir was there and witnessed how the fans loved the movie.

As he expected, the performance of Batman Begins was better than the original version, which only grossed $300 million. If his calculation was right, his version of Batman Begins would gross around $500 to $600 million, depending on how fans all over the world react to the movie.

The first day just earned $20.58 million. Warner Brothers was satisfied with this result, knowing that the last Batman movie was a disaster. They also couldn't help but compare it to Catwoman, which grossed only $6 million on its first fay. They couldn't help but be satisfied.

Warner Brothers was great at starting franchises, but they were bad at making sequels.

Matrix had a wonderful start, but the second and third movies had a bad reputation.

Joker was a masterpiece, but Joker: Folie à Deux was like a man getting rap*d by another man and musical... Ahem, that was how horrible it was.

The Fantastic Beasts suffered the same fate, with negative reviews.

The DCEU had so many movies overall, and most of them were hated by the fans.

So yeah, Warner Brothers was not that good at making sequels. To be fair, many studios were not good at making sequels. Every studio in the industry was not perfect. People would always find faults in them, it was just a matter of how bad the problems were.

+++++

[Author's Note: Yes, the movie review is from ChatGPT because I don't know how to write a movie review and I've never watched Batman Begins. Anyway, I want to say thank you guys for all of your support. I appreciate it so much.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 464


Despite having wack sequels, Warner Brothers was also famous for having amazing franchises.

Harry Potter.

The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit.

Mad Max.

The Hangover.

Lethal Weapon.

Ocean's.

And, of course, The Dark Knight Trilogy.

These were just some of the franchises that Warner Brothers produced. It was not a surprise that Warner Brothers was a well-known studio.

On the second day of Batman Begins, which was June 16 (Thursday), the movie grossed another $17 million.

Friday, June 17, the movie earned another $15 million.

Saturday, June 18, $16 million.

Sunday, June 19, $13 million.

The first five days of the screening of Batman Begins grossed $83 million. Batman Begins had a premiere on Wednesday.

More movie reviews were popping up, most critics were giving positive opinions. Some bloggers also posted their reviews of the movie... Warner Brothers made sure to pay most of them to convince people that Batman Begins was amazing.

Warner Brothers was confident in the movie, but they had to make sure. They didn't want to experience another Catwoman failure. Furthermore, they were expecting that Batman Begins would be the start of their Cinematic Universe.

Everyone was so eager to have their own Cinematic Universe. But they knew the danger of making one. Nobody wanted another flop like John Carter.

John Carter was the first movie that Walt Disney intended for their Barsoom series.

Batman Begins was also the first movie that Warner Brothers intended for their DC Cinematic Universe. So it was understandable why Warner Brothers was working hard to make sure that the movie would be successful.

It didn't matter if they had to convince the movie-goers by paying the critics.

At the end of the day, as long as the movie was considered a box office hit, the DVD sales would also follow suit.

Not only the DVD sales, but most movie cinemas were also selling merchandise related to the movie they were currently screening.

Since Batman Begins was a hot topic in the cinemas, it was not surprising that stores close to the cinemas were selling merchandise related to Batman.

Toys, comics, t-shirts, you name it. These peripherals were sold out in just a matter of days. The stores were excitedly contacting Warner Brothers to send them more products.

Warner Brothers would then contact the manufacturers to make more products. Either way, they were making big profits.

Batman toys were already selling well before Batman Begins even happened. After all, Batman was an old yet famous superhero and had gathered so many fans all over the world.

But now that Batman Begins happened, any products related to Batman were getting sold out.

Lamborghini, the car company responsible for creating the Batmobile for the production, created 15 copies of the product and sold them for $7 million each... Kazir had one, and Lamborghini gave it to him for free.

Of course, the Batmobile that Lamborghini sold was different from the one in the movie. It was not high-tech, it just copied the appearance, nothing else.

Still, the 15 Batmobiles were sold out... Kazir felt like Lamborghini would also make another version of the Batmobile once The Dark Knight was released.

Money, money, money. It was the reason why Warner Brothers was doing this, all because of money.

As for Kazir, he would also make money. Kazir's contract was $25 million + 17% worldwide box office share + 3% peripherals revenue share.

He already got the $25 million. As for the 17% worldwide box office and 3% peripherals revenue share, these two aspects have to take time to accumulate.

But oh boy, once the calculation was done, Kazir's overall salary might reach $100 million!

However, the director in question had already forgotten about the specified contract. The one who was responsible for taking care of that was his lawyer and accountant.

The moment Kazir got $1 billion from 20th Century Fox was the moment he didn't think much of money. Instead, he focused more on his artwork than his financial vision.

Lately, Kazir felt like buying another house and perhaps a jet for traveling purposes. He was already wealthy enough to not think of his salary... That was a cold statement.

.........

......

...

"Life is tough, huh?"

Zack Snyder sadly muttered while reading the articles related to Batman Begins.

His life was not okay. After Dawn of the Dead, Zack felt like his career was on a downward spiral.

The box office of Dawn of the Dead was outstanding, considering that it was a horror movie. Earning more than $100 million was a feat.

However, for some reason, he couldn't get a job after Dawn of the Dead. He tried to pitch some projects to the Big Six, hoping that he would get an investment. But so far, none of them had called him.

The salary he received from Dawn of the Dead was not that great either, considering that he was just a rookie director.

"Maybe... Sigh."

For a moment, he thought of contacting Kazir... He didn't know why he agreed to Universal Pictures' contract. Perhaps he was enticed when the studio promised that they would have three projects for him. It was bullshit. They didn't even sign a contract.

At that time, he was having a hard time choosing between Universal Pictures and Grey Pictures. He felt like his career would be better if he worked with Universal Pictures.

And now, he was in the lowest part of his career. He tried contacting his last job, but they didn't rehire him.

"I should have chosen 300. I liked the comics, and I've read it."

He sighed. He didn't know his future after this.

Suddenly, his phone started ringing. He didn't recognize the number but decided to answer it anyway.

"Hello? Yes, 20th Century Fox!? Ah, yes, yes! I'll be there! Director Grey recommended me. I will, I promise I will!"

He was so excited that he kept nodding his head while having blushing cheeks.

"... I should probably apologize and thank Kazir."

Once the phone call ended, Zack felt guilty.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 465


Even though Zack declined Kazir's offer to direct 300, and the new director chose Dawn of the Dead instead, Kazir still recommended the director to 20th Century Fox to direct 300.

Because of what happened a year ago, when Kazir suffered from a scandal and chose to work with Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox felt jealous and asked for "attention."

In the end, to solve the problem, Kazir sold three of his scripts to 20th Century Fox. These were Final Destination, Paranormal Activity, and 300.

20th Century Fox already released Final Destination, and the movie was a success. So far, after two months of screening, Final Destination had grossed $158 million at the North American box office. Unfortunately, the competition in the summer season was tough, so Final Destination would probably end its screening two to three weeks from now. Even the theaters that were screening the horror movie were down to 400.

Aside from Final Destination, 20th Century Fox also had Paranormal Activity and 300.

After some discussion, 20th Century Fox decided to invest in 300 and Paranormal Activity. The company was confident in both movies, so they might as well do it.

Because they had high confidence in Kazir's recommendations, 20th Century Fox decided to contact Zack Snyder. This was not a final decision, and 20th Century Fox could change their minds if Zack Snyder didn't pass their criteria. In a way, Zack had to attend a job interview.

Well, Zack's last movie did great at the box office for a zombie movie standard. It was a profit. However, they still had to know the director before giving him the project.

While the two sides were negotiating, Kazir's opinion on the matter was a bit different.

"Zack Snyder is crucial for the DCEU to happen. If he's not working with Warner Brothers, then his chances of being part of the DCEU will be slimmer."

300 was a profitable movie, but it was not the main reason why Kazir bought the movie adaptation. What he wanted was to make Zack Snyder stay away from Warner Brothers.

Kazir was making chess moves.

He recognized that the DCEU was a rival that could affect the CCU and MCU. He didn't want that to happen. So he might as well entice Zack Snyder to work with him or 20th Century Fox so that the director wouldn't have the time to work with Warner Brothers.

As for Zack's movie projects, Kazir knew a lot of movies that he could direct.

"If he wants, I can give him the script for Rebel Moon."

If there was one thing that Kazir deeply regretted, it was the fact that Zack Snyder might not direct Watchmen in this timeline.

In his opinion, Watchmen was Zack Snyder's masterpiece. Man of Steel, Batman vs. Superman, Justice League, and not even Justice League Snyder's Cut could be compared to Watchmen. That was what Kazir believed.

"Everything depends on Zack's decision. He will have to make a choice. In my opinion, the DCEU is a rival I don't want to face. But if DCEU and Zack Snyder worked together, then I don't have any choice but to face them."

.........

......

...

"It's nice to meet you again, director."

"Yeah, I didn't expect that we would meet twice in a year," Kazir replied nonchalantly. He had an idea, but didn't think much of it.

The person across the table was Mason Aiden, a producer working at Lionsgate. It seemed that this person had some relevance in the story since he appeared twice.

Anyway, their conversation today was quite different from the last time. A few months ago, Mason and Kazir talked about the completion of Now You See Me. Mason was the producer while Kazir was the executive producer (in-name), so it was not a surprise that they had a meeting.

But this time was a bit different. Mason was facing Kazir as the representative of Lionsgate in buying another script from Kazir.

They hoped that Kazir would work for them as a director, but that dream was too much, so they settled on buying a script instead.

Buying a script from Kazir was complicated. Because he didn't sell scripts even if the price was high. It all depended on his feelings, whether he would sell the script or not. Kazir's position as a scriptwriter was that high to have that kind of selling power.

Not everyone in Hollywood could buy his script. Two of the Big Six, which were Walt Disney and Universal Pictures, never tasted Kazir's grace. It showed that Kazir's status was not simple.

"I promised that if Fremont and Brianna won their awards at the Oscars, I would sell one script to Lionsgate."

"That's right," Mason nodded.

An opportunity like this was very rare.

"I won't break my promise. I even let you choose which one you want to buy."

Kazir gave Mason a document listing the movies he intended to sell and their summaries.

Lionsgate specifically asked for horror movies because horror movies had a small budget yet big profits. They were not looking for big investments that could fracture their company.

So Kazir had four horror movies for them.

A Quiet Place.

The Conjuring.

Annabelle.

Get Out.

Kazir wrote short summaries for each script. There might be chances that Lionsgate would copy his horror movies, so he couldn't give the scripts or the detailed summaries.

It might look like Kazir was disrespecting Lionsgate. But at this point, it didn't matter. Kazir was not that weak anymore.

Lionsgate should be happy that Kazir gave them a chance to buy a script from him. Only selected companies had the chance to do so.

"... Can I bring this document back to the company?"

Mason's voice trembled. He didn't feel disrespected at all. He was excited instead. Four scripts!

The last horror movie that Kazir sold was Final Destination, and it was making money even now.

"You can, but you have to sign a non-disclosure agreement."

"I'll contact the management right now, please excuse me." Mason stood up and dialed on his phone.

"You can take your time."

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 466


After a few minutes of waiting, Mason returned and sat down. The first thing he said was:

"Is it possible to buy all four of the scripts?"

When Lionsgate heard that Kazir listed four scripts, they went crazy and hoped that Mason could convince him to sell all four scripts instead. This was a very rare opportunity!

These four scripts could determine their future for a decade! There were countless fans of horror movies all over the world! God knows how much money they could make if they acquired the four horror scripts.

They believed that Kazir's strength in scriptwriting could do that. He had proven himself so many times that Lionsgate trusted him with their hearts.

"...You can buy two, but the prices will increase to $7 million each."

Kazir felt nothing selling more scripts. He knew the importance of these scripts, but he didn't mind it anymore. He was way past that stage.

These scripts could determine a studio's future and Kazir was cool with it.

Kazir usually set his prices around $5 to $6 million whenever selling a script. There were times when he had to increase the price, but that was rare.

And now, instead of lowering the price for a double deal, Kazir decided to increase the price. There was no discount, only an increase in prices!

That was so disrespectful.

Kazir was probably the only one who could do it. Even if he increased the price up to $10 million, a studio would still buy it.

When Mason heard that Kazir had no problem selling two, he couldn't help but smile.

While on the phone, the CEO promised him that he would get a commission if he convinced Kazir to sell at least one more script to Lionsgate.

He fucking did.

As for the expensive price, Lionsgate wouldn't feel that it was a waste.

If one of the Big Six were in their situation right now, they would agree to buy Kazir's scripts at top dollar.

Mason even heard that Universal Pictures and Walt Disney were getting close and desperate just to buy one of Kazir's scripts. The scandal they spread last year didn't work, and Kazir was still standing.

It might not be a surprise if Universal Pictures and Walt Disney did the unthinkable, which was to plagiarize Kazir's scripts.

Most of Kazir's scripts were registered with the Writers Guild with short summaries. Someone from Universal Pictures and Walt Disney could cook something if they wanted to... No, they might do it if they hit the corner.

"It's nice meeting you, director. I promise you that you will hear our answer within this week. We will contact your secretary if you're busy."

"That's good to hear."

Kazir nodded.

Kazir had an office secretary because he felt that Erica's job was getting heavier than normal. Especially now that Kazir and the production crew of Pirates of the Caribbean would leave the country to film the second and third sequels of the franchise.

.........

......

...

The month of June ended just like that. Batman Begins grossed $152 million when the month ended. The movie had been in theaters for 16 days.

Around the last week of June, Batman Begins' box office started slowing down. Especially when another box office hit was released around that time, which was War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg.

Kazir and Tom were making fun of each other when they realized that their movies were set to be released in the same month.

Both were confident in their movies, which was understandable. War of the Worlds had Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg, while Batman Begins had Kazir Grey. The two movies would do well.

Kazir even knew that War of the Worlds would surpass $600 million worldwide.

The two made a bet that whoever made the highest box office worldwide would buy the winner a yacht... For rich people like them, the yacht was just a betting chip.

Kazir didn't know the exact box office that Batman Begins would gross, but he decided to trust his creation.

When July arrived, another batch of movies was released.

20th Century Fox released Fantastic Four, a superhero movie.

Fantastic Four and X-Men were the copyrights that 20th Century Fox bought from Marvel Comics back in the 90s.

The production for this movie was already planned before News Corporation bought Marvel Comics.

The script was already prepared. The budget had been made. Even the cast was filled. After some communication, Marvel and 20th Century Fox decided to release the movie. They decided not to include the movie in their upcoming Cinematic Universe and gave it its own franchise instead, just like X-Men.

Other than Fantastic Four, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was also released in July.

This film was based on the 1964 novel of the same name. The movie was directed by Tim Burton, which explained the gothic style of the movie. Of course, it was also not a surprise that Johnny Depp was cast as Willy Wonka. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp were recognized as a tag team in the industry.

Aside from Fantastic Four and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a comedy film titled Wedding Crashers was released in July. Starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, it was about two friends who decided to sneak into weddings to meet women. It led them to a humorous adventure. This movie received a positive response from the audience, based on its high box office results.

While this was ongoing, a stranger visited Grey Pictures to meet Kazir.

The meeting was scheduled for a week, making sure that Kazir would be informed about the meeting earlier.

Kazir was a bit surprised, but he also expected it. Few people could pull off this kind of project.

He was staring at a document, a script, to be precise. The script had a title: Transformers.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 467


"It's nice to meet you, I'm Jacob Sterling. I'm excited to meet you, Kazir, the best director of the century. I've seen all of your movies, and they are masterpieces. They have a strong selling power that is indescribable. As if you, the director, can see the future of Hollywood and know how to catch the attention of people."

Jacob stated his opinion, showing no shyness in his expression.

Many people respected Kazir because of his achievements and looked up to him.

'But this Jacob is different. I can see that he doesn't respect me, he sees me as a director who can make box-office hits. Other than that, he just sees me as a person.'

Kazir thought to himself. Honestly, he preferred these kinds of impressions instead of being fangirled too much. Sometimes, he felt like people around him saw him as a god who could perform miracles. That was not true at all.

He knew that he could fail. He had experienced it so many times.

Kazir stared at the script after Jacob introduced himself. Based on the title, Kazir already knew Paramount's intention.

"Just to be clear, I represent Hasbro more than Paramount. I'm their contact whenever Hasbro cooperates with a production studio."

"I heard that Hasbro and Paramount Pictures are trying to make a G.I. Joe movie. Is that true?"

"It's confidential information. I can't answer you," Jacob replied.

"I understand."

Kazir had an idea about the truth.

Hasbro owned a lot of toys, board games, and tabletop games. They were trying to penetrate Hollywood to popularize their products internationally. Their toys were famous in the West, but it was different in other countries.

They had cooperated with 20th Century Fox, New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers, and other B-list studios to create movies for their products.

Movies based on toys and tabletops were released, such as Clue, Power Rangers, and Dungeons & Dragons... They didn't perform well at the box office.

Everything changed when Hasbro worked with Paramount Pictures to create Transformers. It was an ambitious goal that had a strong chance to fail.

God knows how much CGI and special effects would be needed just to create realistic scenes of cars turning into giant robots.

For the project, Paramount Pictures hired a well-known director, Michael Bay.

Michael Bay was the director of Bad Boys, The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and Bad Boys II. He had a strong box office appeal... His movies also had high production costs because Michael Bay preferred using special effects. Oh, he also loved explosions. In his opinion, the bigger the explosion, the better.

Both Hasbro and Paramount Pictures understood Michael Bay's strengths and decided to put their trust in him. And yeah, Michael Bay created one of the most famous movie franchises in the world, Transformers. The success of Transformers increased the popularity of Transformer toys, and Hasbro was making lots of money.

After that huge success, Hasbro decided to entrust another franchise to Paramount, which was G.I. Joe. The first movie was amazing, while the sequels were shit.

Anyway, that was the original story that Kazir knew.

But it was different now. Because Kazir showed up.

Michael Bay was still a respected director. But Kazir was the best director when it came to making blockbusters.

Of course, Paramount Pictures and Hasbro wanted Kazir to direct Transformers rather than Michael Bay.

'If I'm not wrong, I'm their first choice, while Michael Bay is the second choice.'

Kazir slightly smiled. He was a fan of Michael Bay's movies because Kazir loved watching action movies. And now, he was above Michael Bay.

He scratched his nose. He felt nice.

"You are our first choice," Jacob said.

'As expected,' Kazir nodded.

"We know how hard it will be to produce Transformers, the money, the technology to create special effects, and the right director... We believe that if there's a director who can bring life to our Transformers, it should be you, Director Grey."

At the end of the day, everyone knew that for a movie to be successful, it needed a talented director. Most of the time, the status of the director equated to the success of a movie. There was a reason why studios hired veteran directors.

Directors who had box office hits had the experience, they also knew how to work under pressure, and their vision to create a movie was compact. Being a director was not simple. It was a tough career.

It was understandable why Paramount Pictures and Hasbro wanted to hire Kazir. His ability was proven and tested.

Money was not a problem. They could offer a 25+25 contract to Kazir with no problem.

In the first place, Hasbro wanted to make a successful Transformers movie to sell more of their toys.

"Your flattery sounds nice to hear. But I have to apologize. You probably heard that I'm currently filming Pirates of the Caribbean. I have no time for Transformers. I recommend you contact Michael Bay instead."

"We are also interested in Michael Bay, but we wanted to talk to you first. Transformers is still in its initial stage, and the movie is planned to be released around 2007 or 2008. We still have two years. We know that you finish your projects fast, so it's probably not a problem for you to start Transformers at the end of 2005 or early in 2006. Director, all we want is for you to take your time to think about our offer. We promise that we will provide you with the best contract."

"... I'll think about it."

That was the best that Kazir could promise.

The meeting ended, and Jacob Sterling left.

"Transformers, huh..."

Kazir had a lot of things to do. His schedule was packed, and he didn't know if he would have time to dabble his hands in other projects.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was set to be released next year, 2006.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was set to be released in 2007.

The Dark Knight was set to be released in 2008.

For the next three years, Kazir's schedule was packed. Furthermore, he was interested in filming Ninja Assassin and an original horror movie once 2008 passed.

++++

[I remember when I was in elementary school, when Transformers was released, many vendors in our area started selling cheap copies of Transformers, around PHP 5 for each. I loved assembling those toys when I was young. Now, it's hard to find those kinds of toys even online. Man, I miss those cheap lead-filled reassembled toys, lol.]

[I was interested in Transformers, but looking through Kazir's schedule, I found it inhumane if I added Transformers to his filmography. I decided to let go of this franchise.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 468


After ending the meeting with Jacob Sterling, Kazir had another thing to do.

Kung Fu Panda was going to be released in the first week of August. Kazir was the executive producer of this animated movie, he was also the scriptwriter.

It was not a surprise that Kazir received a ticket to watch the movie. He was also invited to the red carpet.

However, Kazir was having some thoughts about attending the premiere. He was now a high-status person in Hollywood, and even 20th Century Fox couldn't stop him if he said that he didn't want to attend the premiere of Kung Fu Panda.

In the first place, he didn't participate much in the creation of this movie. It was not important whether he would attend or not. The box office always relied on the movie itself.

If the movie was entertaining, people would spend money and watch it.

If the movie was boring, people had no reason to watch it.

The reason why he didn't want to attend was that he didn't want to make Scarlett uncomfortable.

Angelina was part of the cast of Kung Fu Panda, she voiced Tigress in the movie. There might be a strong chance that the actress would attend the premiere.

If Kazir attended the premiere alone, Scarlett would be uncomfortable knowing that Kazir could meet Angelina at the event.

If Scarlett and Kazir attended the premiere together, she still might become uncomfortable with the thought that Kazir's ex was in the same theater as them.

So, to avoid that situation, Kazir wanted to talk to the management of 20th Century Fox and inform them that he couldn't attend the premiere of Kung Fu Panda.

However, before he could even contact the company, Kazir received a text from Scarlett.

-- Babe, I want to see Kung Fu Panda with you. I love you, muah~

"..."

Reading the message, Kazir sighed and decided to reply with:

-- Okay.

Scarlett texted a second later.

-- Are you not going to say more?

Kazir read it and had no idea what she implied.

'I mean, I texted "okay" because that's all I have to say.'

He typed back.

-- I'll take you to a nice fashion boutique to find a dress for the premiere.

-- Thanks, babe, but that's not what I'm asking for.

Kazir had no idea what to say, so he decided to reread their conversation. He then texted:

-- I love you.

There was no response for a few seconds until Kazir's phone started ringing. Scarlett was calling him.

"I love you too, muah~"

She giggled before ending the call.

'I almost fucked it up by typing, "I miss you, and I miss your tits."'

Kazir chuckled. He felt great for some reason.

He finished his job that day, and even Stella and Erica were surprised that Kazir came out of his office. Most of the time, when Kazir didn't have anything to do, he would stay in his office and finish his work.

.........

......

...

Robert "Bob" Iger confidently strolled into the building of Walt Disney.

People greeted him with respect as he passed them by. He became the face of the company four years ago when Michael Eisner "left" the company.

When Robert successfully acquired the position of Chairman once Michael Eisner was gone, Walt Disney started going on the right track.

The failure of John Carter in 2002 was the biggest disaster that Walt Disney suffered. They spent more than $400 million on John Carter, including worldwide promotion, but the outcome was a painful slap to their faces.

When John Carter didn't make any money in the United States, Walt Disney decided to push the release internationally and invested heavily in promoting the movie... The outcome was the same.

John Carter meagerly earned $284 million. If not for the high investment, this movie could have been recognized as a box office hit.

Anyway, Walt Disney promised never to touch the franchise again. They even blacklisted the actor who took the role of John Carter because they didn't want to be reminded of their own failures.

Whenever Robert remembered John Carter, he couldn't help but frown. He admitted that he also supported the production of John Carter, but he didn't expect that they would suffer a negative profit once the movie was released. It was nightmare-inducing.

'But everything will be fine from now on.'

Now that Walt Disney had learned from the past, it had become stronger.

'I'm the Chairman of this company, and I will make sure that we will succeed.'

Robert was getting close to convincing Steve Jobs to sell the shares of Pixar to Walt Disney. He was confident that the guy would agree and sell Pixar to Walt Disney.

After all, Walt Disney was the best choice for Pixar to prosper.

Walt Disney was family-friendly. The company also had distribution lines worldwide, not only for movies but also for selling toys.

Walt Disney was not just a production studio, it was a pop culture. This company created so many childhood memories for people all over the world. The cartoon movies it released created unforgettable experiences for many people. Even adults who were born in the 1950s admitted that they liked Walt Disney.

Furthermore, Walt Disney had a strong connection with toy factories. Walt Disney also had Disneyland, a place where children loved to visit.

It would take a long time for Pixar to acquire these kinds of advantages.

So, for Pixar and Walt Disney, it was a win-win situation if they worked together.

Pixar didn't have a choice anyway, no one in the Big Six could satisfy Pixar. Only Walt Disney, the biggest animation studio in the world, could answer every need of Pixar.

Robert smiled. Once the negotiation ended, he would acquire another achievement, and the management would respect him again. This would solidify his position as the Chairman of the company.

+++++

[This novel currently has 132 chapters in my Patreon. If you can't wait longer, you can subscribe and support me. You can also read 26 advanced chapters of Behind The Spotlight, I'm cooking this new novel right now.]

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

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 469


Robert found his seat and read the newspaper. Younger people these days had stopped reading newspapers and preferred watching television as a means of entertainment instead.

Perhaps only old people appreciated the novelty of reading newspapers.

'Hm, I heard that Kazir also loves to read newspapers. Maybe he's an old man deep inside.'

He turned the page and frowned when he saw the box office of Batman Begins.

After 47 days of screening, Batman Begins grossed over $210 million. It was a success, but some movie critics criticized Kazir because, out of his recent movies, Batman Begins had the lowest performance.

"People always expect too much from a person who keeps spamming blockbuster movies every year. Batman Begins' performance is amazing on its own. There's nothing to be sad about."

Robert sighed. It would be a lie if he said that he was not jealous.

Walt Disney had an amazing lineup of animated movies. However, their live-action movies were getting stale as the years went by. They didn't have any strong movies lately.

They didn't have Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

They didn't have Spider-Man.

They didn't have Pirates of the Caribbean... Ahem, Robert was clueless about the fact that this franchise was meant for Walt Disney.

Disneyland had an attraction ride called Pirates of the Caribbean. Kazir also admitted that he found inspiration when he rode that ride.

Robert thought of filing a lawsuit, but he felt like they would lose the case. They did not own the trademark for Pirates of the Caribbean.

If Robert pushed the lawsuit, he was afraid that Kazir would completely close his door to working with Walt Disney.

Yes, Robert was still hoping. He knew the truth regarding the industry. The best way to make money was by hiring Kazir Grey.

He didn't want to follow Michael Eisner's path by acting arrogant. He wanted to work with Kazir.

That was one of the reasons why he agreed to buy the shares of Grey Pictures. Unfortunately, the acquisition failed, and 20th Century Fox won the race.

As for the scandal that Walt Disney spread with the help of Universal Pictures, Robert went along with it because of his position.

In a way, Robert wanted to work with Kazir. But if Kazir didn't want to, then Robert had no problem dirtying the director's reputation.

At the end of the day, this was business, and Robert was standing on business.

"Our live-action movies don't have strong power to compete with the other studios. We need to level up."

Walt Disney was the giant of the animation industry, but he didn't want to let go of live-action movies. Because live-action movies could also bring them a lot of money.

Robert could see the trajectory of the company. If they failed to make interesting live-action movies, their market shares would decrease.

If that happened, Robert would be blamed and possibly kicked out of the company, just like what happened to Michael Eisner. Robert didn't want that to happen.

"I have plans. First, ask Kazir if he's interested in working with us."

He heard that Paramount Pictures asked Kazir to work with them on a project, and Walt Disney could do the same, with a thicker face.

"If that doesn't work, we will invite Fremont Smith or Palenque Simone."

Fremont was currently relaxing after the success of La La Land. The award-winning director was having a blast and attending many parties in Los Angeles, except for Epstein and Diddy parties, of course.

As for Palenque Simone, Walt Disney was ready to shoulder the expenses if the TV show director decided to break the contract.

Palenque Simone didn't have experience directing a movie. But at this point, Walt Disney was ready to gamble just to achieve success.

After all, Kazir Grey was Fremont and Palenque's mentor. The director taught the two how to direct a project, and the two also adapted Kazir's fast style of filming.

Robert was also interested in Renner Hector, Kazir's director of photography, or cinematographer.

After working with Kazir for more than a decade, Renner Hector probably learned so many things from Kazir. However, this cinematographer never stepped into making a movie. He stayed in his position and followed Kazir in every movie he created.

"If my second plan doesn't work, maybe I can make live-action versions of our fairytale movies. Just like I said last time, we can start with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

To be fair, the idea of live-action versions of fairytale movies was not bad. It was actually a great idea... once done right.

It was true that Robert reached his position because he was talented and smart. His way of thinking was on the right track, but it didn't mean that every project he partook in would be successful.

"... Maybe I can start with Cinderella instead?"

.........

......

...

Mascots of characters from Kung Fu Panda were parading in front of the El Capitan Theatre. Po, Master Shifu, Master Oogway, Tigress, and many more were waving their hands adorably (the people inside the mascots were probably showering in sweat).

Tonight was the premiere of Kung Fu Panda. 3D animated movies were well-received even by adults, so people ranging from 5 years old to 50+ years old were eager to watch the movie. Especially when Kung Fu Panda was written by none other than Kazir Grey.

++++

[And yeah, this chapter is a bit of a filler I guess. I'm still waiting for the results of the poll regarding Ninja Assassin and Transformers before adding Kazir's next step. The poll was tough because the two almost have the same number of votes.]

[Edit: It has a clear answer now.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 470


Kazir and Scarlett entered the theater after the hustle and bustle. Tonight was a new beginning for Blue Sky Studio to greet their rivals, proving that they could also create an amazing 3D animated movie.

DreamWorks and Pixar didn't have one thing, Kazir Grey.

In Hollywood, Kazir's name was the definition of success. Even though this was his first time working on an animated movie, people were confident that Kung Fu Panda would deliver.

So far, DreamWorks and Pixar were the 3D animation studios that dominated this small but profitable industry. Other studios were trying to follow in their footsteps, hoping to get a slice of this delicious market.

Blue Sky Studio's first 3D movie, Ice Age, was a commercial success, and 20th Century Fox decided to invest more in the company, especially when their second project was written by Kazir Grey.

"Kazir! I'm happy to see you again!"

Jack Black showed up and gave Kazir a tight hug. Kazir couldn't breathe for a second before the fat actor let go of him.

Jack Black was an approachable actor, and Kazir didn't have a hard time becoming friends with him. Kazir and Jack rarely met, especially after The Hangover franchise ended, but they still considered each other friends.

Furthermore, Jack felt indebted and grateful that the director had hired him in The Hangover as one of the three protagonists. It meant a lot to him.

That was the start of stardom, and he was thankful to Kazir because of that.

Since then, Jack always had positive opinions about the director. When the scandal two years ago happened, Jack was one of the people who defended Kazir.

Jack Black voiced the protagonist of Kung Fu Panda, which was Po. He heard that Kazir was the one who recommended him to voice the character.

In this industry, connection was very important. It was hard to find a steady job, even for someone like Jack Black. So getting hired in an animated movie like Kung Fu Panda was great. Jack Black was 100% sure that this movie would have sequels, so it meant that he had secure jobs for the future.

Besides, he had fun voicing Po. Voice acting and being an actor were different.

To be clear, dubbing was a normal thing in movies because it was hard to record sounds in open spaces. Jack Black and the other actors already had experience in voice acting in that regard.

Some actors couldn't dub their own roles in the movie for various reasons.

The best example was Arnold Schwarzenegger. In Arnold's early movies, his accent was so thick that the director hired another person to dub his lines in the movie.

"It's nice to meet you, Jack."

Kazir replied and also introduced Scarlett to Jack Black.

After that, more actors and actresses introduced themselves to Kazir.

There were more than a thousand seats in the theater, and the venue was packed. Some fans had luckily won tickets to join the premiere, while others held high status in the industry and were invited to watch the movie.

Movie critics were also present, invited by 20th Century Fox to praise Kung Fu Panda... They were probably paid.

"Hi, director, it's nice to meet you."

People were approaching Kazir. He was the type who rarely showed his face, so this was a rare opportunity for some people to introduce themselves, particularly the small-time actors and actresses.

"Director, here's my card. Call me if you want a good time."

A young, beautiful actress casually inserted her business card into Kazir's pocket and winked.

"Excuse me!?"

Scarlett was stunned. She was also surprised by what had just happened.

"How can someone like her get into the theater?" she fumed.

"Probably through the back entrance?" Kazir replied and then shut his mouth when Scarlett glanced at him.

She pulled out the card and tore it apart. She didn't bother reading it.

Sometimes, some actors and actresses used premieres to introduce themselves to the director and producer, hoping that they would get their attention.

Their agents used many ways to get into theaters. Sometimes, the actors and actresses themselves used their appearance to get into the premieres.

To be fair, Scarlett also used her connection to get into the theater, since she was not part of the cast.

"Are you teasing me?" Scarlett asked.

"I like it when you're angry. You're so cute."

"..." She was speechless, but her expression couldn't hide her blush.

The reason why Scarlett attended the premiere was because she knew that Kazir and Angelina would meet, and she wanted to know if Kazir still had feelings for his ex.

"... She's not here."

Scarlett was surprised when she realized that she couldn't find Angelina Jolie. The woman was not in the theater.

Apparently, Angelina had a commercial to shoot, so she couldn't attend the premiere. However, she promised that she would participate in promoting Kung Fu Panda.

.........

......

...

August 4, 2005

The first 24 hours of Kung Fu Panda grossed $20.30 million. The movie had a simple plot, and it was perfect. After all, Kung Fu Panda's target audience was kids before adults.

Unlike most 3D movies that focused more on wholesomeness, Kung Fu Panda had action, which made it unique in its era.

Kids loved it, and adults also loved it. At least they didn't feel bored taking their kids to watch Kung Fu Panda, because they themselves had fun watch
ing it.

With this, Kung Fu Panda was a success, and nobody could deny that Kazir was talented.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 471


"I got a jar of dirt~ I got a jar of dirt~"

Jack Sparrow sang while waving the jar of dirt in his hands. He fell down the stairs of the ship, and the people around him cringed in pain.

Even Davy Jones saw what happened.

"Got it!"

Then, he raised his hands, still holding the jar as if nothing had happened.

"Come to negotiate, ay, have you, slimy git? Look what I got?"

Jack Sparrow was holding the jar, taunting Davy Jones while singing.

"I got a jar of dirt~ I got a jar of dirt~ and guess what's inside it!?"

"Enough!"

Davy Jones roared, and the ship, the Flying Dutchman, released its cannons right in front of Jack Sparrow's ship.

Jack Sparrow's expression winced.

"Hard to starboard."

"Cut—!"

Kazir clapped his hands while the whole cast was confused. They were in a green screen studio with fake ships shaking the way real ships moved on the ocean.

The whole cast was confused... because that entire scene was not in the script.

Even Orlando's face had a "what the hell is going on" expression. What Johnny Depp did was an ad-lib.

But because the film was rolling, the cast stayed in character. Ad-lib was not a new thing, and they understood that the show must go on. And surprisingly, they managed to keep in character.

"Johnny, that was impressive."

"I forgot my line, so I decided to go with random bullshit instead?" Johnny Depp was slurring his speech, perhaps still in character as Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Keep it going. Let's reshoot that scene to make it more intact. Orlando and Keira, just repeat your acting like you guys are confused. And Bill, keep the stern face."

Bill Nighy, the actor who played Davy Jones, didn't have any tentacles slithering around his neck. Instead, he was wearing a motion capture suit, and his face had some dots, particularly around his mouth and eyes. He didn't look menacing at all. He looked goofy in his skin-tight suit and clown-like painted face.

The ones responsible for creating Davy Jones's iconic look were the visual effects editors, who would also spend months working on that.

For these two movies, Grey Pictures might have to spend around $400 million combined. And that was just the minimum, the biggest factor they had to focus on was the visual effects. Once successful, the first and second movies had the chance to surpass $1 billion at the box office, each.

The shooting restarted, and the cameras began recording the scenes again.

Kazir turned around and saw some of the cast, who were not part of the scene, watching from behind.

Kazir recognized one of them. Amber Heard, this small actress only had a minor role in the movie. She was one of the hookers who slapped Jack Sparrow. That was it.

Normally, small actresses like her couldn't stay long on the filming set once they were done with their jobs. The production crew was strict in keeping the project protected from the noisy presence of paparazzi. They made sure that no outsiders knew the plot of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Even most members of the crew didn't know the whole plot of the movie. Only a few selected people had the privilege to know it.

Sometimes, if necessary, the director had to keep the final part of the script hidden so that the actors would experience true surprises once they were close to the ending. But that kind of thing usually happened when the filming used a chronological order, and that was expensive as hell.

Kazir didn't follow that method because he had no intention of wasting money. So today, he was filming a scene that was in the middle of the second movie, even though the filming had just started a month ago.

Anyway, Kazir was not comfortable with Amber Heard staying on the set. The woman had already finished her role two weeks ago, and there was no reason for her to remain.

Unfortunately, Amber and Johnny were currently dating, and Kazir couldn't stop the famous actor from bringing his girlfriend to the job site. He didn't want to make Johnny mad and possibly affect their relationship while filming the movie.

Kazir put importance on the mentality of the cast.

So Kazir didn't have a choice but to let Amber Heard sign a non-disclosure agreement instead.

While thinking about it, Kazir thought of finding fault with Amber so that Johnny would realize his girlfriend was a walking red flag. The actor should break up with the woman before things got worse. It was better for both of them. Johnny would be free, while Amber wouldn't suffer from backlash.

It was fortunate that they were still not married.

The thing was that Kazir had no idea how to do that. He had never done anything like that before.

If not for the betterment of Johnny's life, Kazir would never even consider it.

Once the filming was done that day, the crew started packing up the equipment while the actors left one by one. They were in the city, so the cast could do what they wanted... as long as they didn't affect the project.

Scarlett was waiting for Kazir to leave the studio. When Kazir came out, the actress hugged him.

"I miss you."

"I miss you too."

While they were hugging, Scarlett saw a certain woman walking next to Johnny Depp.

"Kazir... why is that woman on your set?" she asked.

"Are you talking about Amber Heard?"

"Yeah, that bitch."

"She is Johnny's girlfriend, and she has a small role in the movie. Why did you ask?"

"Babe... you probably didn't know, but that woman is friends with your half-sister."

"..."

That was the first time Kazir heard that news.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 472


Kazir knew that his mother and half-sister stayed in Hollywood, although he hadn't heard from them lately.

He also knew that his half-sister went to college, striving for a degree in Fine Arts in Acting.

However, he didn't know that Amber and Mara were friends. He had no intention of knowing anything about his mother's side after he realized the truth. It was understandable that he didn't know about Amber's relationship with Mara Cohen.

If not for Scarlett, he wouldn't even know it.

"I met Mara at an audition, and that woman, Amber Heard, was with her. At that time, my relationship with Mara was already at its worst, so our interaction was never that great. Mara and her friends bullied me. Of course, Amber Heard was included."

Scarlett already knew the truth about Kazir's relationship with his mother and his half-sister. Kazir was honest about it.

She was not surprised that Mara and her mother were bitches, but when she heard the full story from Kazir, her expression turned livid, and she wanted to find the mother and daughter just to smack their faces.

Elizabeth Cohen had basically said that Kazir's existence was a mistake, and Scarlett would never agree with that.

In fact, Scarlett tried to find them, but she realized she couldn't. Apparently, the mother and daughter had decided to go to the United Kingdom to pursue a different career for Mara.

The last time she heard, Mara was working as a weather reporter at a local TV station. It was a surprise because Scarlett was confident that Mara was too stupid to become a reporter. Perhaps her mother helped her find a job.

Anyway, her hatred toward Mara and Elizabeth was over the top. She hoped that the mother and daughter would never step foot in the country again, or else they might receive a pair of smacks on their cheeks.

Scarlett was fuming.

So when she saw Amber Heard coming out of the set of Pirates of the Caribbean, her expression was not good.

"They bullied you?" When Kazir heard that, his expression became serious.

"I fought, of course, but it was a 1 vs. 5 situation, so I didn't win."

To be fair, they didn't lay hands on Scarlett, they just mocked her throughout the whole audition.

"I see... Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

When Kazir heard that Amber Heard had bullied Scarlett, all of his pity vanished. At first, he felt like destroying Amber's relationship with Johnny was the right thing to do since he knew the outcome would be horrible for both sides if they continued the relationship.

But now, he didn't give a fuck about Amber's situation.

'From the looks of it, she's already a bad person since college. I have no reason to feel bad at all.'

He would make sure that Amber would never find her place in Hollywood.

It was no longer about Johnny Depp, not anymore. Kazir didn't like that Amber Heard bullied Scarlett, and this was his way of protecting his girlfriend.

"You don't have to worry. She will leave the project."

"Kazir, don't do anything that will hurt you. I feel like you're going to do something about Amber. I'm fine. That was in the past, and I don't care about it anymore. Just don't hurt yourself."

Scarlett could see that Kazir was thinking of something. She touched his chest and comforted him.

Kazir smiled.

"I will. I won't do anything."

'I will not hurt myself, but Amber will definitely hurt herself because of her own decisions.'

Based on what he remembered, Amber had a history of cheating. Kazir would put that to the test.

Kazir condemned doing bad things to others. He had experienced getting cheated on and being accused of things he never did.

He didn't want anyone else to experience what he had suffered.

Perhaps he was being affected by the curse of Hollywood, or perhaps he was just a hypocrite. But at this point, he hated Amber.

She hurt Scarlett, so Kazir hated her, simple as that.

As for the other women who bullied Scarlett, Kazir would make sure they would never find a career in Hollywood.

.........

......

...

August ended, and Kung Fu Panda grossed over $182 million at the North American box office by the end of the month.

As for Batman Begins, it grossed $217 million at the North American box office. The movie had been screening for 78 days, and it was losing steam. However, the international box office for Batman Begins grossed $257 million, and it was increasing as the days passed. Combined, the box office for Batman Begins was $474 million.

As Batman Begins had a budget of $150 million, including promotion, Warner Brothers concluded that the movie was a success. Although they felt like the movie's performance was average considering Kazir's recent movies.

They didn't express that disappointment to Kazir because they wanted to maintain the cooperation. Even though Batman Begins' box office was average, they knew that only Kazir had the power to revive this dead franchise.

It was a good thing that they didn't speak badly to Kazir, because their opinions would change once the sequel, The Dark Knight, was released. A minor spoiler, but Warner Brothers lost their shit when The Dark Knight started tanking the box office.

.........

......

...

In 2005, Kazir had five movies related to him.

Final Destination.

Batman Begins.

Kung Fu Panda.

Now You See Me.

Taken 3.

Now You See Me was scheduled to be released in November.

As for Taken 3, since 20th Century Fox was just the distributor, they couldn't prioritize it.

So Taken 3 was scheduled to be released in a less popular month, which was September.

Yet despite the fact that Taken 3 was scheduled in September, many fans were still excited to watch it. They saw the trailer, and they knew they were in for a ride.

Taken 3 was expected to be one of the heavy hitters this year, especially when they heard that the next movie would be the next assembly of the protagonists of the CCU. It meant that something happened in Taken 3 that triggered the scenario. This information was leaked by Grey Pictures as a promotion.

+++++

[Author's Note: Kingsman won the poll, so it's the next CCU movie.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 473


The CCU was a Cinematic Universe about hitmen, assassins, spies, agents, and ninjas. It was the main topic of the franchise. The audience loved it when different professions met and had a face-off.

The audience loved it even more when the pinnacles of these professions met and showcased their skills.

Wanted reached $1 billion because of the hype, and also because the protagonists of the CCU showed up in one movie. It was the most ambitious crossover that they had witnessed. It was justified why Wanted grossed over $1 billion.

And now, Grey Pictures announced that the second assembly of these protagonists would happen in the next movie, after Taken 3.

Surely, this news would make the fans excited. And it did, even though Taken 3 was still not in theaters, many people had already booked tickets to watch it.

So far, the Cinema Alliance had earned more than $6 million on ticket sales that people booked online and $13 million through phone reservations... This was the first time the Cinema Alliance witnessed how online booking brought them a huge amount of money.

Booking movie tickets online did start in the early 2000s, but it was not a popular choice because it was not convenient.

Many people still preferred buying tickets upfront or making phone reservations. Only in the 2010s did online reservations become mainstream.

Still, the Cinema Alliance was surprised by the profit they gained from this movie alone. They decided that they would give Taken 3 better treatment by increasing its number of theaters.

.........

......

...

While Taken 3 was busy with promotion, Kazir didn't know why, but his car took him to his old place.

Kazir was just driving around. Scarlett was promoting Taken 3 together with the cast, so she was busy.

Kazir decided to spend some time unwinding and used his very old bumpy car. This was his first car that he bought using his hard-earned money... Not going to lie, it was so old that he couldn't recognize its brand. He was not sure whether it was a Honda or a Toyota, there were no indicators. He just knew that it was a Japanese car, and that explained why the car was still working despite its old age. Even now, Kazir had no clue about its brand.

He just called it his old bumpy car.

This car was special to him. He made sure it was always clean and well-maintained.

Kazir drove the car, going with the traffic, looking around the city.

Then, perhaps feeling nostalgic while driving the old car, it took him to his old neighborhood. The place where he bought his first house, the place where he and Cassandra lived for years.

A place that Kazir once treated as his home.

After his divorce from Cassandra, Kazir never returned to this neighborhood. He also had no intention of buying back the house because he didn't want to be reminded of how Cassandra dirtied the house with her infidelity.

He had no idea what happened to the house that he once lived in.

A few minutes later, he stopped in front of his house, and he was shocked and heartbroken by what he saw.

The house was gone. All he could see was a plot of land, with a sign that read "Lot 4 Sale."

Kazir had spent his earnings on that house because he believed he was investing in their future.

And now, that house was gone.

Kazir knew that Cassandra had sold the house, but he didn't know the house would actually disappear in just a little more than a decade.

He saw a couple of teenagers walking by and decided to ask them.

"Excuse me, do you know what happened to the house on this lot?"

"I heard the house was caught in a fire because of an electrical malfunction. The owner decided to leave and put the lot up for sale."

"I see... Thanks."

"Um, you remind me of someone. Are you an actor or something?"

"No, I'm not."

The teenagers excused themselves, leaving Kazir staring at the land lot.

Kazir weakly smiled and realized the truth. He realized that some things won't last forever.

He decided to call his father.

"Dad? Ah yes, it's me. I'm doing fine. Yeah, I just want to say that I love you. What, haha, no I'm not depressed. I just want to say how much I love you. And no, I'm not going to kill myself. Don't overreact."

Kazir chuckled. He then called his older brother.

"Yow Aaron, I love you bro... Look, just because I said I love you, it doesn't mean I'm gay."

He sighed.

He then called Scarlett to share his feelings.

"I love you, and I'm so happy that you're in my life."

He smiled and talked to Scarlett for a long time. The two promised to spend time with each other once Scarlett returned to Los Angeles.

Kazir glanced at the land lot one last time before driving away. He had no intention of buying the lot. He had moved on. Besides, now that he saw the place again, he realized that it was actually too small. There was no space to build a pool at all. He could find a better place to build another house. He was a billionaire, for God's sake... Well, a billionaire who was currently driving an unspecified old bumpy car.

One thing was certain, Kazir was happy with his life. He had achieved his dream. He was at the top of Hollywood, recognized by the people as one of the best directors of all time. He still had some things he wanted to achieve. But so far, he never regretted his decisions, just like he never regretted leaving his house.

+++++

[Final chapter of today.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 474

September, the schedule where 2nd tier studios loved to release their movies.

This year alone, 2005, there were a lot of movies created by 2nd tier studios that were released.

Transporter 2 was produced by EuropaCorp, and they signed a contract with 20th Century Fox to distribute the movie.

For production studios that didn't have distribution power, they didn't have a choice but to sign a distribution deal with the Big Six. After all, the Big Six were the only companies that could distribute movies worldwide.

Aside from Transporter 2, The Exorcism of Emily Rose was also set to be released in September. This was a movie produced by Lakeshore Entertainment and distributed by Sony-Columbia.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was an animated movie created by DreamWorks, a famous 2nd tier studio. DreamWorks had local distribution lines, but they still had to sign an international distribution deal with Paramount so that their movies would reach foreign countries.

Just Like Heaven was also another movie produced by DreamWorks that was set to be released in September.

Corpse Bride was a famous movie in stop-motion animation, produced by Laika Entertainment and distributed by Warner Brothers.

Lionsgate also had a movie this month, which was Lord of War starring Nicholas Cage. Their other movie, which was Now You See Me, was scheduled to be released in November.

In a way, September was the battlefield for 2nd tier studios.

Obviously, Grey Pictures was part of the picture. Grey Pictures was also a 2nd tier studio despite its continuous success. It didn't have distribution lines to stand on its own and needed the power of the Big Six to distribute its movies. This was the decision that Kazir implemented.

He had no intention of going against the Big Six because he knew the consequences. So far, working with 20th Century Fox was the best decision he had made. At least he didn't have to worry about distribution anymore.

DreamWorks, Lionsgate, Grey Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer were at the top of 2nd tier studios. But in terms of influence, Grey Pictures would only be in fourth place. The three studios above Grey Pictures had distribution lines, after all, even if they could only distribute their movies locally.

Did Kazir care about it? No. Competing with other studios for supremacy was something he didn't want. At the end of the day, Kazir was not ambitious. His ambition was all about making movies and impressing the audience.

If Grey Pictures failed and lost along the way, as long as Kazir could make movies, then it didn't matter.

Everyone has their own dreams in life. Kazir had his own dream. People may judge him for his decisions, but Kazir knew he was happy with where he was.

.........

......

...

A huge explosion shocked the hearts of the audience. They were utterly shocked and speechless as they witnessed a whole city turning into ashes.

The scene showed Lenore talking on her phone when a deafening explosion filled the screen, and a red flame spread around. It was so fast that it surprised the audience. They didn't expect it at all!

The movie had just started, yet they were already greeted by a huge explosion! It hadn't even been 10 minutes.

Bryan Mills and Lenore were having a conversation on the phone. Bryan and his daughter, Kim, were at the bowling alley.

However, while on the phone, Bryan heard a static sound, then the call ended. He tried to call back, but no one answered.

Suddenly, every glass and window in the bowling alley shattered. A strong aftershock hit them.

Bryan Mills was stunned and had a premonition. He hoped he was wrong.

Bryan and Kim ran out of the bowling alley. As they came out, they saw a small mushroom cloud forming in the sky thousands of kilometers away from them.

They were far from the explosion, but they still felt it.

The audience's hearts were beating fast as they witnessed the first massive event in the Continental Cinematic Universe.

"D-Dad, Mom is in that city."

Kim's expression turned ashen, and she started calling her mother. It was futile.

Bryan crushed the phone in his hand as he stared at the dispersing mushroom cloud.

The news spread rapidly. The explosion didn't emit radiation, but it was dangerous nonetheless.

Bryan asked everyone he knew about the incident and decided to uncover the truth. He experienced obstacles, such as the FBI trying to stop him from muddying the waters, and even some criminal organizations hindered him. Along the way, he uncovered the truth about the missing military weapons.

At last, after almost dying, suffering a punctured abdomen and a gunshot wound to the shoulder, Bryan got his revenge. He found the people responsible for the atrocity and killed them.

However, he knew that his revenge was not over. This was just the start. There was a hidden conspiracy unfolding, and he had to get to the root of it.

In the mountain of dead people he had murdered, a phone suddenly rang.

Bryan Mills found the phone and answered it. With a bloodied face, he said his iconic line.

"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you…" Bryan looked at the camera.

"I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

When the movie ended, all of the people in the cinema stood up and clapped their hands. They were cheering and clapping so loudly.

They spent the whole credit scene clapping nonstop while standing. This was probably the best CCU movie they had watched so far. The pressure was so intense that they even thought Bryan Mills would die. It was different than usual, the risks were bigger this time.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 475


Taken 3 was an amazing movie, and almost all of the audience were affected by it. There was something about the movie that touched their hearts. Perhaps because they witnessed how people lost their loved ones, or perhaps because they realized the true danger of a nuclear attack.

Taken 3 was the type of movie that both Hollywood and the military loved to promote. Hollywood loved promoting anti-war propaganda. They didn't like war, like most people.

As for the military, they loved movies like Taken 3 because they could use them to stir the hearts of young men and convince them to join the military. It was a fact that when Top Gun was released in theaters, so many young men applied for the Air Force and other branches of the military.

They supported Taken 3 wholeheartedly.

Some of the audience even cried when Kim, Bryan's daughter, started losing herself after realizing that her mother was gone just like that.

Christopher Nolan, the director of Taken 3, did a great job of showing the humanistic side of the tragedy. He knew how to stir the hearts of the audience. Kazir didn't make a mistake in casting him as the director of Taken 3.

Despite the heavy hearts of the audience, they didn't leave even as the credits rolled on the screen. They were waiting for the post-credit scene.

Just as they expected, there was one last scene for them to savor.

[A month before the terrorist attack]

[Jason Bourne was gasping as he did his best to stop his wound from bleeding.]

In the last scene of The Bourne Supremacy, Jason was wounded as he escaped the pursuit of ex-members of Treadstone.

The audience didn't forget this fact because it left a strong impression when the movie ended. In fact, The Bourne Supremacy was released in 2002, and since then, Jason hadn't shown up in any movie, not even as a cameo.

The fans were curious about what happened to the protagonist.

And now that Jason showed up in the post-credit scene of Taken 3, they realized that the movie was the next project of Grey Pictures.

The production of this movie, The Bourne Ultimatum, was already happening with around 30% completed. The post-credit scene was actually filmed three years ago, and they had just used it as hype.

Not only The Bourne Ultimatum, but also The Kingsman was in production. Kazir didn't have to attend most of the meetings because that was Stella Willow's job. He was just responsible for signing some documents and approving the projects.

Then, the suspense was over, and the audience clapped again. This time, they were cheering even louder as they left the theater.

On their way out, some of them were interviewed by CinemaScore, a survey that determined the ratings of movies.

Most of the audience gave the movie A+ ratings. It showed that they had fun and fell in love with Taken 3.

Most of the movies that had A+ ratings had amazing box office performances.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Rocky III

Die Hard

Lethal Weapon 2

Wanted

As of 2005, 51 movies had received A+ ratings.

CinemaScore ratings were determined by the surveys of people's enjoyment of the films. It was different from Rotten Tomatoes, which focused more on movie reviews done by critics worldwide.

Based on this, Grey Pictures and 20th Century Fox didn't have to worry. Taken 3 was on the right track. Some people believed that the movie might reach around $700 million at the worldwide box office at least.

September 7, Wednesday. The opening day of Taken 3 grossed $58 million after the heavy promotion that Grey Pictures did.

The reputation that the movie achieved was so outstanding that the other movies released in the same week lost their momentum.

On the second day, Thursday, September 8. The North American box office of Taken 3 went up to $80 million after making another $22 million.

Then, on the third day, the movie unsurprisingly surpassed $100 million. Taken 3 grossed $107 million in just three days of screening!

The influence it created in that short amount of time was massive. People started recommending the movie to others. Fans were so excited about it that some of them had already watched the movie three times in that short span. Word of mouth was a terrifying power.

Word of mouth was a terrifying weapon, especially if the movie was amazing. In this case, Taken 3 fit the criteria.

It was comparable to the hype of Wanted five years ago. So it was not a surprise that Taken 3 casually surpassed $100 million in that short amount of time.

This was an overused statement, but the Big Five regretted the fact that they had failed to acquire Grey Pictures. They regretted the fact that they had rejected Taken when it was offered to them by Kazir Grey himself.

A long time ago, Kazir Grey offered a joint production of Taken to the Big Six, together with the promise of the so-called CCU. However, the Big Six rejected the offer because the concept that Kazir imagined was too hard for them to understand.

And now, back in the present, they couldn't get any slices of this delicious cake.

Since Taken 3 was a success, its director, Christopher Nolan, also became famous overnight.

Big studios started looking at the man's filmography and realized that Christopher Nolan was a promising director. He had strong potential.

Studios began recruiting Christopher Nolan, hoping that he could make another box office hit.

Kazir didn't have any problem if Christopher Nolan decided to work with other studios. He was trying to help Christopher build his career in Hollywood by letting him direct Taken 3... He still felt bad for stealing The Dark Knight Trilogy from him.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 476


Speaking of the Dark Knight Trilogy, Batman Begins had already grossed $500 million worldwide since its release in June. The movie was only showing in a few theaters in North America.

Warner Brothers felt like Batman Begins would probably not surpass $600 million based on the current statistics. It was disappointing, considering they had hired Kazir to direct the movie. Some members of management even believed that Kazir was trying to sabotage Batman Begins, claiming that $500 million was too low. Since Kazir and Marvel Comics had a close relationship, they suspected Kazir of being a spy.

They were crazy if they truly believed that. In the first place, a movie grossing $500 million at the box office was a very tough achievement.

So far, there were only six movies that had grossed more than $500 million this year. For Batman Begins to be part of that roster was already considered a victory.

Secondly, Kazir's passion for the Batman Trilogy was real. This was the first time he had signed a trilogy contract.

Sure, it was true that Kazir had no enthusiasm for working with DC to create a Cinematic Universe, but he never did anything that could endanger the franchise.

Compared to their past DC movies, Batman Begins was the best-performing film.

The people who were disappointed in Kazir's performance were simply expecting perfection. Perhaps they hoped that Batman Begins would be like Spider-Man, a movie that grossed $1 billion.

They needed to set realistic standards.

Aside from Batman Begins, which grossed $500 million:

Final Destination had already ended its screening. The movie grossed $282 million worldwide. Final Destination was a horror movie, and this kind of performance was already outstanding. There were a lot of horror movie fans, but the genre was also not popular with most audiences, especially for the whole family.

The third movie that had a relationship with Kazir was Kung Fu Panda. He was the scriptwriter and executive producer of the film.

At the North American box office, Kung Fu Panda had already earned $214 million as of September 10. Furthermore, the movie was released in some countries and had accumulated over $100 million.

At this point, the blessing wouldn't be broken. Whenever Kazir's name was written in the credits, the movie would perform well.

Some studios even thought of adding Kazir to their post-credits, just hoping that their movies would make money. Fortunately, they were in the right mind and not desperate enough to do it.

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

Orlando Bloom was one of the leading cast members of Pirates of the Caribbean. His role was Will Turner, a blacksmith who was searching for his father.

His role in the series was a bit ambiguous. He was sort of the leading male because he had a lot of lines, and even his screen time exceeded 30 minutes per movie.

Still, he acknowledged that the actor who truly carried the movie was none other than Johnny Depp. And honestly, Orlando understood why. There was something unique about the role of Jack Sparrow.

Lately, Orlando felt like his roles in movies were being underappreciated.

Now that Lord of the Rings was done, Orlando Bloom had starred in many movies. Some of the projects he worked on were Troy and Kingdom of Heaven.

In Troy, his role as Prince Paris was hated by the audience. Prince Paris was a coward who seduced a married queen and basically started a war. It didn't help that Paris was the one who killed Achilles, the protagonist in Troy.

As for Kingdom of Heaven... Orlando thought the movie would be successful because he read the script, and it was amazing. Furthermore, the director was Ridley Scott.

But because of interference from the management of 20th Century Fox, Kingdom of Heaven lost its essence and failed at the box office.

Orlando Bloom sighed as he felt like his career had been rocky over the past few years.

If there was a saving grace, it was the fact that he was part of Pirates of the Caribbean. No one believed that this franchise would fail.

Kazir Grey was acknowledged as the director who never missed.

Orlando's confidence in this project was close to 100%, especially since Director Grey was the one handling the set.

But lately, Orlando felt like something strange was going on during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean.

For some reason, the male extras they hired were all handsome. Like, damn, was this a gay party or what?

He had seen a couple of hot men shirtless around the beach, and the female crew members were having a feast for the eyes as they stared at them. Orlando even noticed that some of the female actresses were staring at the extras as well.

'Who hired these people?'

Orlando thought to himself.

Orlando was a handsome guy, but he admitted that some of the extras were hotter than him. He didn't like that at all. Some of these extras might become a threat to his career as a handsome actor.

"Orlando, haha, I can't believe we're seeing each other again. Man, you're really famous now."

Suddenly, one of the extras approached Orlando with a wide smile.

"Oh yeah, you're…"

Orlando recognized the face, but he couldn't remember the name.

"I'm Aquino. We were in the same acting class in 1997."

"Yeah, I kinda remember that."

Orlando nodded. It was around the time when he decided to take acting seriously.

Orlando recalled that this Aquino guy was an arrogant prick who kept saying he had a close connection to Universal Pictures and used that to sleep with innocent actresses... Based on his current status, that "close connection" was pretty useless.

"Being hired in a movie like this is amazing. Orlando, can you introduce me to some of your contacts? Maybe your agent would be interested in signing me. We're friends, right?"

The heat of the sun was getting uncomfortable, so Orlando excused himself and returned to his trailer. Being the lead role in the movie, Orlando had his own trailer with an air conditioner.

Orlando was still confused as to why they hired so many handsome men as extras.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 477


"Tch, arrogant prick. Just because he got lucky and landed a role in Lord of the Rings, he's acting like he's better than me now. His recent movies aren't that great either. Pwe--!"

Aquino spat out the bad taste in his mouth. He had been left behind by Orlando Bloom as the actor went to his trailer without listening to his request.

"Well, I'm on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean, and there are so many famous people here... Maybe I can convince them to introduce me to their agents. Hehe, I heard there are some beautiful actresses too."

It was true that Aquino had some connections with Universal Pictures... He had been the boy toy of an executive producer. However, their relationship ended when the executive producer realized that Aquino was sleeping with women.

"Hehe, it's showtime, baby. Let's see if I can seduce some actresses this time. Johnny Depp's girlfriend is not bad, Keira Knightley is such a beauty. Oh, I remember, Scarlett Johansson sometimes visits the set to meet the director. Hehe."

He was rubbing his hands as he turned around. He was smiling at first, but his expression turned sour when he realized that someone was standing behind him.

It was a tall person, over six feet. Based on his stature and muscular build, he probably went to the gym at least twice a week. The man was handsome, and Aquino believed that he could become an actor if he wanted to.

The person behind him was Kazir Grey.

"G-Good morning, Director," Aquino stuttered. He was scared shitless. He hoped that Kazir hadn't heard what he said.

"You're fired. Pack your bags and leave," Kazir muttered. He wasn't joking. He had heard everything Aquino said, and he wasn't happy at all.

He actually wanted to punch the guy.

When Aquino said that he wanted to try seducing Amber Heard, Kazir had almost nodded his head.

However, the extra then started talking about Keira Knightley, who was an important actress in the franchise. And he also mentioned Scarlett Johansson. Kazir didn't need to hear an explanation, Aquino had to leave.

"I-I, Director, let me explain—"

Kazir contacted the guards to kick out the unknown extra. Aquino was grabbed by the security guards. The incident caused a bit of a ruckus but was quickly forgotten.

From that point on, Aquino was blacklisted from Grey Pictures and 20th Century Fox.

Kazir clicked his tongue as he looked around. He admitted that he might have made a mistake this time.

The set was filled with handsome men... It didn't help that they were at the beach and most of them were showing off their physiques.

When Kazir became determined to destroy Amber Heard's chances of breaking into Hollywood, he had decided to start cooking up a plan.

He talked to the casting directors about hiring handsome actors as extras... The casting directors gave Kazir a weird look, but they didn't ask why. They trusted the director.

Kazir wanted to use these men to seduce Amber Heard and possibly destroy her relationship with Johnny Depp.

So far, the plan seemed to be working because he sometimes saw Amber biting her lips while staring at the extras.

The problem also arose when the female crew members and the extras started flirting. It affected the mood on the set.

"...Should I stop it?"

Amber Heard was still getting lovey-dovey with Johnny Depp. The woman only had a small role in Pirates of the Caribbean, and she hoped that her boyfriend would introduce her to better jobs, perhaps starring roles in future movies.

That explained why the woman was still on the set, even though her scenes were already finished.

"Shut the fuck up!"

Suddenly, a commotion happened and caught the attention of everyone nearby.

Johnny Depp came out of his trailer, followed by Amber Heard. The woman was crying as she tried to touch Johnny's shoulder, but the actor, still in his pirate costume, moved away from her.

"Babe, I'm sorry. Let me explain."

"You don't have to explain anything. I know what you did. You think I didn't notice how you've been staring at those extras with lust."

"Please, listen to me," she tried to approach him, but Johnny just stared.

"I also know that you've been flirting with James Franco!"

'Damn, it happened already?' Kazir was surprised. He knew that James Franco and Amber Heard had a history while the woman was still married.

"We're just friends!" she sobbed.

"Yeah, right. And you know what, my maid said that you shit in my fucking bed!"

"My dog stepped on a bee!"

Johnny was fuming with anger.

"We're done."

"No~ Baby, don't do this to me! I need you."

Johnny glanced at Kazir, and the director nodded. Immediately, two guards restrained the sobbing woman and kicked her off the set.

Many people witnessed what happened.

Kazir grabbed his megaphone.

"I just want to remind everyone that you signed a non-disclosure agreement. Make sure to make the right decision."

The crowd dispersed after that.

Kazir approached Johnny. The actor was in bad condition and found a chair to sit on.

"Man, if you need rest, I can give you a week."

Even though he wanted Amber and Johnny to separate, he didn't want to negatively affect Johnny's mental state. After all, he needed the actor to finish the project.

"It's fine. I don't want to affect others just because I feel sad. There are so many people who will suffer if I take a week off."

"Thanks, Johnny. I appreciate your goodwill. Still, you can take today off to calm your nerves. We can film the other scenes while you're resting. Just return tomorrow."

"Yeah, that will do."

Johnny excused himself.

'...I didn't expect that they would break up just like that.' Kazir said to himself as he watched Johnny return to his trailer to remove his makeup.

It was too fast. But Kazir felt good knowing that he had prevented a scandal from blowing up. At least this time, Amber Heard was still a nobody, and the damage she could do to Johnny was minimal.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 478


The small incident quickly faded. Although some tabloids discussed Johnny Depp's relationship, they weren't strong enough to generate a buzz.

At the end of the day, Amber Heard was still not famous, and people didn't care about her. Besides, many people on the set had witnessed what happened, and they knew that Johnny was mostly innocent. He did raise his voice, though.

Kazir knew that someone on the set had spread the word, but since the outcome wasn't too bad, he decided to let it go. It would also take time to find the person responsible for sharing the information.

Once Kazir confirmed that Johnny and Amber were done, he decided not to invite the handsome extras again. After the production crew paid them their salaries, they stopped showing up altogether.

As for the scenes he had filmed while the extras were in the background, he decided to cut most of them from the movie.

Kazir was the director of Pirates of the Caribbean, and he had the power to decide whether a scene would be included or not. These actors and actresses simply had to act in front of the cameras.

There was a reason why big studios entrusted the editing to Kazir, because he never missed.

'Those actors might be looking forward to watching their scenes in theaters, but they will probably be disappointed.'

When Kazir was still a nobody, he could relate to the hardships of small-time actresses and actors who were hoping to make it big.

They would work in a movie, hoping they might get at least a single line, hoping that their faces would be captured by the camera, hoping that they would get noticed.

But now that Kazir was a famous director, he understood why background actors were hardly noticed.

First, the movie had time constraints. Films were usually around 100 to 120 minutes long, depending on the progression. That time was too short to focus on minor background characters. They didn't have screen time at all.

Second, the movie wasn't about them, obviously. The movie always focused on the leading characters.

Third, they were extras. They were nothing more than background characters meant to make the environment look realistic.

Kazir felt bad, but he was past the point of being a nobody. As the director of a movie with a budget of over $100 million, he had no time to babysit nobodies.

"Sad to say, but they'll be disappointed once they watch the movie in the theater and fail to find their scenes."

.........

......

...

September was the month of Taken 3. The movie dominated the month and grossed $278 million after 30 days of screening.

As for October, The Legend of Zorro and Saw II were the movies that made a lot of money.

When November arrived, Chicken Little, which was a movie produced by Walt Disney Pictures, was released in the first week and easily won the box office that week.

In the second week, Now You See Me joined the party. The premiere was spectacular, as the cast performed some magic tricks. Kazir also attended the premiere, he was paid $1 million by Lionsgate just to show up... Imagine getting paid that much just to attend a red carpet event and have fun watching a movie.

The third week was another banger because Warner Brothers released Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This was the movie that transitioned the franchise into a more serious tone after Cedric Diggory died, one of the major characters. This was also the film where Voldemort was fully resurrected.

The Goblet of Fire was an important part of the franchise, and its box office performance clearly showed that.

Things slowed down at the end of November and the first week of December, but people knew that Hollywood would soon release another batch of movies to entertain the public.

While things were getting hectic in the film industry, many fans of Game of Thrones were excited to watch the second season.

The first season of Game of Thrones was still being aired, and many fans loved to rewatch it. Some even bought the DVD so they could enjoy it anytime they wanted.

When season 2 was released in the first week of December, it became the center of attention and the main topic of conversation.

Overall, the season had so many interesting plots. The Battle of Blackwater, Tyrion Lannister's rise to power, the introduction of Brienne of Tarth, Daenerys' story progression, and many more.

Fox TV's ratings exploded again when season 2 was released. The network's situation was improving, and more people were starting to notice their programs.

.........

......

...

"...Did I hear that right?" Kazir was a bit surprised when he heard Stella's announcement.

"Do I have to repeat it again?"

"I'd love to hear it again, just to be sure."

"This year, Grey Pictures has a revenue of 1.4 billion dollars."

"Wow..."

"That was also my reaction when I first heard it. I called accounting to recheck, but there's no mistake. The company really made that amount of money."

Kazir knew that the company could generate a billion a year, but he didn't expect that, despite having only two projects this year, Taken 3 and Game of Thrones Season 2, the company would still make over a billion dollars.

"...I'm getting richer. No, I'm getting wealthier."

+++++

[Thanks for all the support, guys. I appreciate it a lot.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 479


He couldn't help but smile as he looked at the numbers that represented the revenue they earned this year. He clasped his hands as if he were praying that everything was real. His eyes gazed at Stella.

"This is incredible. With only two projects this year, I'd say we outdid ourselves."

Stella also smiled, pleased that the boss was satisfied. She knew that the board of directors would also be happy once they heard about this outcome.

After swapping shares with 20th Century Fox, Grey Pictures had a board of directors, but their presence was not that important. They were more like inspectors, particularly the people who represented 20th Century Fox. Most of the time, the board of directors helped with the production of their projects. They were sort of like executive producers.

"Indeed, our strategic investment and partnerships have paid off," Stella agreed. Working with 20th Century Fox to have a steady distribution of products helped them a lot.

They couldn't ignore the fact that 20th Century Fox might absorb Grey Pictures in the long run, but as long as Kazir was in the company, Grey Pictures was safe. Kazir was the heart of Grey Pictures and the key to their success.

20th Century Fox wouldn't take the copyrights of their projects, such as the CCU and Pirates of the Caribbean, as long as Kazir was providing them benefits.

The fact that Final Destination was a box-office hit satisfied their hunger.

It was a win-win situation for both sides.

Kazir's mind drifted to the possibilities. "What's the breakdown of our revenue?"

"Taken 3 grossed over $780 million after four months of screening worldwide. Forty percent of that $780 million became our revenue, which was $312 million. So far, Game of Thrones Season 2 has generated more than $350 million. And the remaining $740 million came from merchandise, DVDs, and peripherals that were sold this year."

It was $1.4 billion in revenue.

Taken 3 was so strong because of its amazing plot, and the word of mouth was positive. Even now, despite four months of screening, the CinemaScore was still A+.

Grey Pictures believed that the movie could surpass $1 billion! It might become the second $1 billion movie of the Continental Cinematic Universe.

Christopher Nolan became a hot topic in Hollywood, and many studios expressed their intention of working with the director.

It was true that Taken 3 grossed $780 million, but it had to be divided among three sides. Cinema Alliance and 20th Century Fox got 60% of that amount, while Grey Pictures was left with 40%, which was $312 million. The accounting was still not done because Taken 3 was still making money. Although Grey Pictures had already received $250 million from them.

The money they invested in Taken 3 was $150 million, including promotion, and the box office returns were worth it.

As for Game of Thrones Season 2, since it only had 10 episodes, Grey Pictures spent $135 million to create it.

The two projects generated money, but the profit would only range between 30 to 20 percent.

If there was good news, the profit from DVDs and peripherals was more than 50%.

The accounting department computed that the profit in 2005 was $600 million.

Kazir clapped his hands.

"Stella, you better expect a bonus. The employees as well."

Stella started thinking about her vacation... but she realized that she had already taken one this year, so her mood dampened a little bit. Well, she could go to a singles mixer during the holidays to find a boyfriend.

$1.4 billion in revenue might be a lot, but it was nothing compared to the Big Six.

On average, the Big Six had a revenue of $10 billion per year. Walt Disney's average revenue in the 2010s ranged around $30 billion.

Still, for Grey Pictures to have a steady income per year was amazing.

.........

......

...

The completion of Pirates of the Caribbean was smooth sailing. Dead Man's Chest had 90% completion, while At World's End had 70% completion.

If the schedule didn't suffer any bumps, the two movies would probably finish filming in February.

So far, Kazir had been focusing on the filming of Dead Man's Chest, since this movie needed editing and special effects.

Kazir's life was steady and didn't suffer hiccups compared to a few years ago.

His last movie, Batman Begins, had ended its screening worldwide. The movie grossed $549 million at the box office. Warner Brothers naturally invited Kazir to their Christmas party to celebrate the success of Batman Begins. Scarlett and the other cast members of Batman Begins were also invited.

Even though some people in the management were disappointed, most were happy that they had broken the curse of their superhero movies.

Catwoman was... Ahem.

Also, the last Batman movie had a bad reputation, and it was fortunate that Kazir changed the perception of people when it came to Batman Begins. At least Batman Begins had a positive reputation.

Kazir attended the party together with Scarlett and mingled with the others.

.........

......

...

"Nice yacht."

Tom and Kazir were fishing together in the ocean, hundreds of meters away from the shore of Santa Monica Beach.

"What do you think of it?"

Kazir tapped the yacht that he had recently bought.

"It's amazing," Tom chuckled. "I'll add it to my collection."

"You better be, I spent $8 million just to buy this yacht," Kazir grumbled.

The two had made a bet. Nothing big, just a small wager to have fun.

The bet was about their movies, which were Batman Begins and War of the Worlds. The highest box office would win a yacht.

Batman Begins grossed $549 million, while War of the Worlds grossed $603 million.

Obviously, Kazir lost the bet and had to gift a yacht to Tom. And now, they were using said yacht to fish in the ocean. They were having fun fishing, as they had already filled one of their containers.

"Haha, looks like we'll have sushi tonight. I'll contact my chef." Since Tom received a new yacht, he decided to celebrate.

Honestly, he thought he was going to lose, but it seemed that Kazir also missed sometimes... if the definition of failure was only earning $549 million at the box office.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 480

When the sunset arrived and Kazir saw the orange glint of the sun, the two decided to return to the shore. The fish they caught were taken into the kitchen, where a group of cooks prepared them.

Kazir knew that he wouldn't always win. The bet he played with Tom Cruise showed that. It was good sportsmanship, by the way.

Sometimes, he couldn't believe that he would wager millions of dollars just for fun.

The two started talking about their lives and their projects. After they won the Best Actor and Best Director Awards at the Oscars, the relationship between the two became closer.

Both of them were not perfect people, and they suffered from scandals every other year. So they could relate to each other. As for their personal lives, they respected each other's boundaries and never talked about sensitive topics.

Tom said that his next project was Mission: Impossible III. The movie was already in production.

Kazir was not surprised because he was already aware of it. Mission: Impossible was a well-known franchise at this point after releasing two movies.

"I still can't believe that you didn't agree to direct Mission: Impossible. Paramount is ready to pay you top dollar." Tom laughed.

"We've had this conversation so many times now. You know I'm busy with other projects, and my schedule is full till 2009," Kazir replied.

They had this conversation years ago, even when Kazir was just making action movies. Paramount Pictures and Tom Cruise had already expressed their interest in hiring Kazir. Unfortunately, things didn't happen.

While they were filming Revenant, Tom also popped the question once in a while, but Kazir kept saying no.

"How about a cameo? Hm, this sushi is delicious." Tom expressed his appreciation to the chef.

"A cameo?"

Kazir felt like Tom was just tipsy and saying random stuff.

"Nah, I'm serious. This is the third installment of Mission: Impossible, and there's nothing wrong with doing the best. I believe if you have a cameo, the audience will like it."

"Aren't you afraid that they'll misunderstand the movie? What if they think that Mission: Impossible and the CCU are connected?" Kazir frowned. He was sort of a mascot of the CCU. People would think that Mission: Impossible and the CCU were connected if he had a cameo in Mission: Impossible III.

"Then I'll also have a cameo in any of your CCU movies. I can also have a cameo in Pirates of the Caribbean. Don't worry about the money, just think of it as my thanks after you gifted me a yacht."

"You should talk to your agent, the director, and the producer first. Maybe they are not comfortable with what you're thinking."

"Nah, I'm the producer of Mission: Impossible III. I can do whatever I want. Also, Mission: Impossible is my franchise. Tom Cruise and Mission: Impossible will never separate."

"Fine, fine. Talk to me tomorrow once you're sober."

The next day, Tom Cruise said that Paramount Pictures was not comfortable with the idea because it could confuse the audience. They might believe that Mission: Impossible was part of the CCU.

It could be used as hype and a great promotion to increase the box office of the third movie. However, it could also affect the franchise negatively if the audience truly believed that Ethan Hunt was part of the CCU. Paramount Pictures decided to go with the safe side.

Kazir told Tom that he could do a cameo in his next project instead.

.........

......

...

2006 came by and the holidays passed. January released some interesting movies such as Hostel, Hoodwinked, Underworld: Evolution, Big Momma's House 2, and Nanny McPhee.

None of these movies surpassed $200 million because January was never a great schedule to release movies. The Big Six usually released their unpopular movies in January. As for the other studios, they released their movies around this month because the competition was less.

Anyway, Kazir had some free time and decided to watch Underworld: Evolution. Kate Beckinsale was truly a gorgeous actress. Truly one of a kind.

This year, many movies were released that were related to him.

Grey Pictures alone had three projects to release: Pirates of the Caribbean, The Bourne Ultimatum, and The Kingsman. The Kingsman was a new franchise that was part of the CCU. It was a surprise movie that Grey Pictures was quiet about, as this movie would become the next assembly of the CCU protagonists.

Grey Pictures could handle three movies in a year since they had a bigger budget now.

For other movies, 20th Century Fox would release 300, directed by Zack Snyder. Kazir also heard that 20th Century Fox was looking for the director of Paranormal Activity.

Ted was also in production, but Warner Brothers couldn't confirm if they would release it in 2006.

As for Lionsgate, after meticulous thinking, the studio decided to buy The Quiet Place and The Conjuring. Lionsgate bought the two scripts for $15 million. Kazir was satisfied with the transaction. It was not bad working with Lionsgate since he knew the potential of this studio.

In his opinion, Lionsgate was the studio that DreamWorks failed to be. In a few years, Lionsgate would become the uncrowned Big Seven because of its continuous success.

++++

[My mind is clouded while writing this chapter, and I paused so many times just to find ideas to write.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 481


November babies were usually created in February, specifically on February 14... But this fact had no relation to the fact that February 2006 had a lot of movies that surpassed $100 million. One movie even surpassed $200 million, which was an achievement for this kind of schedule.

Bambi II from Walt Disney. Curious George from Universal Pictures. Firewall from Warner Brothers. The Pink Panther from Sony-Columbia. Date Movie from 20th Century Fox. Eight Below from Walt Disney, the movie that grossed over $200 million.

There were clear similarities between these movies: they were all from the Big Six.

Forty-six movies were released in February, yet only a few selected movies did great. The small studios couldn't stand at all because they never had the chance to do so.

The Big Six had the complete package in this kind of business dealings. That was the reason why it was impossible to stand up against the Big Six. Not even DreamWorks could do so.

The Big Six monopolized the industry, and it was hard to break through. Only a few selected studios achieved it.

However, movies surpassing $100 million were not the main topic in February. There was more important news, such as the Winter Olympics, the Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia, and the launch of YouTube's public beta (this news didn't make a ruckus, but it would be an important part of internet history in the next decade).

Aside from that, Hollywood also experienced another shocking piece of news.

The second $1 billion box office from Grey Pictures! The second $1 billion box office of the Continental Cinematic Universe!

When Wanted created history a few years ago, everyone in Hollywood already understood the power of the new genre called the Cinematic Universe. It was an accumulative type of franchise where the more content was released, the more the audience would consume it.

Taken 3 surpassed $1 billion after seven months of screening. The movie grossed $1.07 billion at the worldwide box office as of now.

This kind of news created another sensation in Hollywood. It was very, very hard to achieve this kind of accomplishment, almost impossible.

Yet a rookie director who had only produced three movies actually did it! Taken 3 and Christopher Nolan became hot topics in Hollywood.

Of course, Grey Pictures was also happy. Now they had another trophy to brag about.

After this achievement, the rankings for movies released last year were updated by a magazine.

1.) Taken 3 – $1.07 billion. Grey Pictures/20th Century Fox.

2.) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – $895 million. Warner Brothers.

3.) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – $849 million. Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox.

4.) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – $745 million. Walt Disney. (In my opinion, this franchise has the potential to become like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.)

5.) Kung Fu Panda – $631 million. Blue Sky Studio/20th Century Fox.

6.) War of the Worlds – $603 million. DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures (International distributor).

7.) King Kong – $556 million. Universal Pictures.

8.) Batman Begins – $549 million. Warner Brothers.

9.) Madagascar – $542 million. DreamWorks.

10.) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – $474 million. Warner Brothers.

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"Another win for Grey Pictures and Kazir Grey."

Ronald Meyer dropped the newspaper and sighed. The fact that Grey Pictures had another $1 billion movie didn't sit well with him.

He felt like all the things he did were useless.

Two years ago, Universal Pictures tried to destroy Spider-Man 2 and Kazir's career. They even talked to Kazir's mother just to find any information that could destroy the director. Instead, the woman said that she could destroy Kazir's will by making him brokenhearted.

In this regard, Elizabeth kept her promise. She managed to break up Kazir and Angelina.

But this breakup didn't make Kazir slack off. He didn't lose motivation, he didn't go to bars and parties all night, he didn't do drugs, and he also didn't hurt anyone.

Instead, because of heartbreak, Kazir became focused on his career. They couldn't find any fault at all. No matter how many scandals they threw at Kazir, the director managed to stand up.

At this point, the only way for Kazir to stop succeeding was by killing him.

However, this kind of solution was never respected in Hollywood. Everyone acknowledged that Hollywood was nothing but business, and no one deserved to die. It would also be a huge loss to the culture of filmmaking if Kazir was killed. No one would forgive the mastermind.

"...The only way to end this conflict is by fixing things with Kazir. But I'm not sure if that can happen. The conflict became deeper after what happened with Spider-Man 2."

Did Ronald regret it? No, he was doing it for the betterment of Universal Pictures.

"For now, let's hire Christopher Nolan to make a film for Universal Pictures. This director is promising. He just made a $1 billion movie. Maybe he's interested in the person who invented the atomic bomb?"

Universal Pictures had to move fast, though, because they were not the only studio interested in Christopher Nolan.

In fact, Walt Disney was also desperate to hire Christopher Nolan. Walt Disney was suffering from its past mistakes and needed a movie franchise that could carry them into the next decade. In this timeline, Walt Disney didn't have Pirates of the Caribbean.

"Since Christopher Nolan is still a rookie, I'm sure he won't disagree with a 20+20 contract?"

Only a few selected directors could enjoy this kind of offer. Christopher Nolan's agent was probably dying from happiness since many studios were trying to work with Christopher Nolan.

As for the outcome, no one could predict it. Kazir had changed the timeline so much that no one could expect what would happen next. Maybe Kazir would have a child in November? We don't know.

One thing was for sure: Pirates of the Caribbean had ended its production. Kazir had now put his attention toward post-production. Perhaps Kazir was also trying to film a small-budget horror movie.