HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 542

Inside the wide conference hall, where a long table had people talking about their plans, a nervous person started discussing their second-quarter profit.

He read the documents.

In this second quarter, the company's revenue was $1.8 billion. That was huge.

Grey Pictures's annual revenue was around $2 billion—sometimes less, sometimes more. But they usually had revenue of more than $1 billion.

Yet 20th Century Fox's second quarter (April to June) grossed $1.8 billion in revenue. This was the power of 20th Century Fox, one of the Big Six of Hollywood. In three months, the company made $1.8 billion.

The Big Five probably earned at least $1 billion in revenue in these three months. April, May, and June were part of the summer schedule, and this was the season when a lot of people visited the theaters and watched movies.

Big movies such as Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, and The Incredible Hulk were released within these three months. Two of these movies were distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Perhaps this was the reason why the company had revenue of $1.8 billion. By computation, around 35% of this amount would be their profit.

"As of today, July 21, Iron Man grossed $315 million, while The Incredible Hulk grossed $132 million at the North American box office."

"Other than that, there are other movies that performed well this summer such as Indiana Jones and Narnia. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull grossed $313 million, while The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ended its screening in North America with $139 million."

Even though Lucasfilm had a close relationship with 20th Century Fox, the distributor of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was Paramount Pictures. Steven Spielberg and Paramount had a strong relationship, so it was not surprising.

The Chronicles of Narnia was the franchise that Walt Disney chose to follow the trend of adapting novels into movies.

The presenter licked his lips and clicked the next page. The slideshow went to the next slide, which was a pie chart.

"This year, there are three superhero movies that were released. Two of them are from us, and they performed well even internationally."

Iron Man grossed $513 million worldwide. The movie is already losing its popularity. The expected box office is around $580 million.

"As for The Incredible Hulk, it has a lower box office compared to Iron Man, but it's still a success nonetheless. $259 million is not a small amount…"

The presenter paused.

"Continue," Tom Rothman said, and the presenter nodded.

"After 14 days of screening, The Dark Knight grossed $351 million. Furthermore, the movie was released internationally and grossed $241 million. Two weeks of screening, the overall box office of The Dark Knight is $592 million."

In just two weeks, the movie grossed more than half a billion.

The atmosphere in the conference room turned cold, and everyone became quiet. All of the people inside looked at Kazir, one of the people responsible for the success of The Dark Knight.

Kazir shrugged. He had nothing to explain. He was hired by Warner Brothers; hence, he had to do his job... Besides, he earned more than $150 million directing The Dark Knight as of now. Once the box office of the movie reached its limit, which was expected to be around $800 million, Kazir would probably earn $200 million. On top of that, Kazir had peripheral profit to earn in a few years, which would probably be $70 million at least.

So yeah, even though some people didn't like Kazir's decisions, it was clear that Kazir won. The money he earned was absolutely worth it working with Warner Brothers.

That fact was not liked by 20th Century Fox.

In fact, Kazir could see some people glaring at him.

Tom Rothman weakly sighed... His salary was actually smaller than Kazir's, which was understandable since Kazir was one of a kind.

The presenter could feel the tension, so he decided to continue his presentation.

"For our next plan, in August we will release Mirrors, The Rocker, Babylon A.D., and Wanted 3."

"In September, we only have one movie to release, which is The Equalizer 2."

As expected, Wanted 3 and The Equalizer 2 would be released in less popular schedules because they were not prioritized by the company. However, the profit they made by distributing CCU movies was around $500 million every year.

The meeting continued and the atmosphere became better. Overall, they were satisfied with what they achieved this quarter. The company was doing well.

The meeting then reached the next topic, which was the approval of projects.

They approved the filming of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Final Destination 3, Machete, and Wall-E.

20th Century Fox bought the script for Kazir's Wall-E, and the director agreed because he didn't want to sour their relationship further.

"Hm, now that I think about it. Kazir, I still don't know what your next movie is. You seem kinda free lately. Most of the time, after you're done with your project, you immediately start a new project," Tom Rothman said to Kazir, two chairs away from him.

"Tom, have you forgotten what we talked about a week ago? I said I had no intention of directing a movie in 2009. I want to take a rest," Kazir explained.

"What? I thought you were joking. We are talking about you, Director Grey, the workaholic director who films a movie every year... Are you sure you're doing well?"

Tom asked curiously, a bit worried.

Everyone knew that Kazir had experienced some horrible stuff within these past months.

Last year, Kazir also got killed.

Three weeks ago, he saw his friend almost dying.

It wouldn't be a surprise if Kazir wanted to take things slow and take a rest.

Tom Rothman apologized after realizing that he was being rude. At the end of the day, Kazir was a person, and he needed rest after so much shit.

"If possible, I just want to lay on my bed all day and do nothing."

Completely relatable.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 543

"Then, since you're not going to film a movie for a year, how about doing your job to the truth this time?" Tom touched his chin and nodded as he agreed with the idea he had just thought of.

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"I'm talking about your job as an Executive Producer. You will help Blue Sky Studio in making Wall-E."

"... I still haven't agreed to that. I haven't even signed a contract."

"You're the scriptwriter of Wall-E. You're also a talented director. The scenes are probably already done in your head, and we need that to help us animate Wall-E... I honestly want you to direct the movie, but that's asking for too much."

"... You're just bitter that The Dark Knight is making a lot of money compared to Marvel movies."

"You are damn right. Don't worry, we will pay you at least $5 million for your position as the Executive Producer."

"... Let me talk to my agent first."

"That's good to hear."

This showed that Kazir was not against working on Wall-E animation. However, Salvatore would probably increase the salary to $7 million before things became official.

Tom Rothman knew that some of the executives were angry at Kazir because of his so-called "betrayal" and understood why. However, he knew that Kazir didn't betray them. The fact that Kazir was still working with them showed that his intention toward 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios was good.

He knew that the biggest reason why The Dark Knight was making huge money right now was because of Heath Ledger's situation.

The Big Six competed against each other, but none of them wanted to hurt or kill one another because that was not morally right at all.

Making up false rumors to destroy someone's reputation was acceptable.

Blackmailing celebrities to get what they wanted was acceptable.

Doing some sex trafficking? Yeah, fine. Hollywood loves that.

Secret sex parties? The orgy was all right... But adding kids to those sex parties was downright wrong. Apparently, Hollywood was fine with that and deemed it normal.

Anyway, killing a person was bad. That's where they drew the line.

Showbiz was business, not a war where you had to kill your opponent. Tom Rothman didn't wish for anyone to suffer, not even his worst enemies.

This was the reason why everyone in Hollywood hated the executive who tried to assassinate Kazir because that incident blemished Hollywood badly... Yes, Hollywood was not pure, and it had a lot of dirty secrets, but there were limits to the sins they could accept.

What happened to Heath Ledger was not something Tom Rothman wanted to happen to other celebrities.

"... But I'm not going to lie, Warner Brothers found a diamond with their promotion. They took advantage of the bad news to promote The Dark Knight."

Warner Brothers was monetizing grief because they were a corporation.

It's a sad thing that Heath Ledger was comatose, but have you seen his latest work, The Dark Knight? Dude, watch it. You will understand why Heath Ledger became depressed and dependent on prescription pills... This was the common conversation. By the way, some of the information was just rumors with no clear evidence to back it up.

"I heard that some people are blaming Kazir because he's the one who pushed Heath to take the role of the Joker. I guess I can understand why he needs a rest."

Their meeting ended after that.

.........

......

...

The hospital room was quiet, except for the faint, rhythmic beeping of machines.

Heath Ledger lay still, pale and unmoving. He had been in that state for 18 long days.

Outside the hospital, fans gathered. They were holding signs and pictures of Heath as the Joker. Some carried flowers, others held candles.

The situation was getting overdramatic, as if Heath had already died. Well, a certain corporation wanted to keep it dramatic. They even paid some people to cry in front of the hospital.

"I just want him to wake up. I want him to see how much we love him and his films."

"I've watched The Dark Knight three times now. He… he is incredible. It's heartbreaking that he can't see what he's accomplished."

Some fans had their heads bowed, whispering prayers. Others held each other, united by grief and hope.

Across the world, people were talking about Heath Ledger. News anchors delivered updates on his condition with solemn faces.

Why was Heath's situation still trending even after two weeks? Well, Time Warner was keeping the issue alive. Time Warner was one of the major media conglomerates in the world.

Five media conglomerates dominated globally, Time Warner, Comcast, Walt Disney, Paramount Global, and News Corporation.

It wouldn't be hard for Time Warner to keep Heath's story alive for a month if needed.

The Dark Knight continued to dominate the box office, but fans were still worried about Heath Ledger's health.

"The world watches and waits, praying for his recovery."

Talk show hosts discussed his performance with praise.

"He transformed into the Joker. It's... scary."

"I've never seen anything like that. He's not just acting. It's as if the Joker was real."

But behind every compliment, there was sorrow. Heath wasn't awake to hear any of it.

Later that evening, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman visited the hospital. They had just finished a press conference but couldn't go home without seeing Heath.

They stood at the doorway, hesitant to enter.

"... He's not going to die, right?"

If he was going to die, then the build-up of this story arc would be useless.

"Hush, his family is inside."

"Let's go in."

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 544

The three actors entered the hospital and found Heath's relatives. Every one of them was worried about Heath's situation.

The three men paused at the doorway. No matter how many times they experienced this, they were still uncomfortable. The atmosphere was too depressing.

Actually, even though it sounded messed up, Warner Brothers and their agents encouraged them to visit Heath once in a while, especially now, when Heath's situation was trending.

This was a form of promotion and also a way to show a positive impression to the public. The fact that the three actors showed up and the people saw them going to the hospital was publicity. They were building the image that they were good people who visited their co-star who was comatose.

Honestly, this was great publicity. People liked kind-hearted actors.

The three nodded at each other and greeted Heath's family.

Heath's mother sat by his bedside. She was gently brushing her son's hair. She had a pale face. She nodded at them and weakly smiled.

Heath's father stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder. The dark bags under his eyes proved the sleepless nights he had endured.

Michelle Williams sat quietly next to them. She was holding Matilda in her lap, whispering comforting words to her daughter. The innocent two-year-old girl was sometimes asking when her dad would wake up. She thought Heath was just sleeping.

Heath and Michelle Williams were in a serious relationship. Their relationship started during the filming of Brokeback Mountain. She starred in movies such as Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine, My Week with Marilyn, Manchester by the Sea, and many more.

The two had a daughter named Matilda Rose Ledger.

"…"

Honestly, the three actors were not that close to Heath or to his relatives. They were just co-workers, after all. However, this was a way to promote their movie, so they had to visit Heath.

Christian Bale cleared his throat, breaking the heavy silence. "How… how is he today?"

Heath's father looked at him, his eyes hollow. "No change," he whispered.

"The doctors said… it's a waiting game now."

Their expressions didn't seem good. Even the three actors felt the negative vibes in the room… This was awkward.

However, every one of them hoped that Heath would wake up. None of them wanted to see a person suffer.

Particularly Christian Bale, he was with Kazir and Scarlett when they discovered Heath's overdose. After what he experienced and what Heath experienced, he was hoping for good news.

Anyway, the actors talked to the relatives to ease up the situation. They had to stay in the room for at least half an hour to show their sincerity. After that, they would leave through the front entrance of the hospital so that people would see them. Yeah, they were farming publicity.

As the room fell into another silence, only Heath's breathing could be heard.

Suddenly, Heath's fingers twitched. His eyelids fluttered, just barely.

"Heath?" his mother gasped. She dropped the comb she had been using to brush Heath's hair.

Michelle's eyes widened. She also saw it.

"Oh my God… Heath?"

"…"

Heath Ledger's eyes slowly opened, unfocused at first. Everyone was silent for a second. Then, Christian Bale immediately came out of the room to call the nurses and doctors.

"I'm gonna call the doctors!"

Heath blinked his eyes. His eyelids were heavy, but he could see. His gaze drifted before settling on his daughter. His lips moved, and he weakly smiled.

Then, the family started crying in happiness.

Heath's father choked back a sob while his mother cried as she hugged her son.

Heath woke up.

.........

......

...

The camera cut to the modern newsroom, where a newscaster sat at a polished white desk, papers neatly arranged in front of her… These papers were just props, by the way, because the newscaster only read the teleprompter behind the camera.

The headline of the segment was: "HEATH LEDGER AWAKENS. A MIRACLE IN HOSPITAL."

They always use caps lock whenever they write a news headline.

"Good evening. In a heartwarming development that has captivated Hollywood and millions around the world, actor Heath Ledger has awakened from his coma."

"After spending eighteen agonizing days in an unresponsive condition at the hospital, Heath Ledger's eyes have finally opened, marking a miraculous turn in his recovery process."

The 'screen' next to her shifted to live footage of the hospital exterior, where people were celebrating, and some even kissed… The people who kissed were both men. After the success of Brokeback Mountain, many gay fans became devoted supporters of Heath.

The scene then changed to a brief clip showing Heath Ledger's family gathered around his bed.

"Sources confirm that Heath Ledger, known worldwide for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, is now responsive."

"The medical staff reports that while his condition remains serious, his return to consciousness has sparked hope among his family, friends, and fans."

"Ledger's sudden awakening has ignited a wave of relief and celebration, with many calling it a miracle."

A split-screen showed a clip of Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, and Michael Caine outside the hospital, their faces a mix of relief and happiness.

"In related news, Warner Brothers, which has closely monitored Ledger's condition, released a statement expressing joy and support for Heath Ledger."

"The studio noted that while Ledger's recovery is encouraging, they are continuing to work with the hospital to ensure his health. As the story develops, we will bring you further updates on Heath Ledger's progress."

The newscaster paused while fixing the thin stacks of paper in her hands.

"Stay tuned for more updates on this recovery. For now, fans worldwide are rejoicing at the news. The legacy of Heath Ledger's incredible performance in The Dark Knight continues to inspire people."

The camera slowly faded to the network's logo as the segment ended, leaving viewers with a sense of optimism.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 545


"Continue to inspire people? Isn't Heath's role about a psychotic serial killer? What the fuck is Warner Brothers cooking? The Joker is not a positive role model!"

Robert "Bob" Iger grumbled as he turned off the television. He was happy that Heath Ledger woke up, this was a good thing for Hollywood itself.

Hollywood and celebrities had been glorified to the point where people saw celebrities as gods above others.

Heath Ledger's incident made this status even better. Now, people would look at celebrities with sympathy and perhaps awe.

As long as people glorified celebrities, movies would continue to make money. Hence, the Big Six loved it whenever something like this happened.

However, Robert was also bitter that Warner Brothers was earning a lot of money because of this incident. Walt Disney had been losing its edge these past few years.

Because of this, the company was desperate to acquire Lucasfilm, since Lucasfilm owned profitable IPs that Walt Disney was salivating to get.

Bob Iger sighed and leaned back in his chair. He looked at the ceiling. He knew that interesting stories could shape public perception. Warner Brothers was capitalizing on Heath Ledger's ordeal perfectly. They were turning a tragedy into a marketing goldmine, and The Dark Knight was reaping the benefits.

"They're milking this for all it's worth. I wouldn't even be surprised if they interview Heath while he's still in the hospital."

He muttered. Frustration was evident in his voice.

He stood up and gazed out of his office window. The tall buildings in Los Angeles were towering across the city.

If Disney wanted to compete, they needed something bigger. Something that would dominate the box office. They already had the answer.

His eyes narrowed. Lucasfilm was the key. He just needed to make it happen.

"We will acquire Lucasfilm. Then we will make the worst Star Wars franchise and shit on the fans… Yeah, I can see it happening. Who gives a fuck anyway? It's all about money."

Robert laughed like a devil. The fans of Star Wars would probably be devastated once they heard the news.

Robert felt like the future would be rough if they failed to acquire Lucasfilm. He heard that Blue Sky Studio was planning to animate Wall-E, which was a story written by Kazir. Blue Sky and DreamWorks were rivals of Pixar.

After spending so many resources, Robert successfully acquired the complete version of the Wall-E script, and he was amazed by how Kazir portrayed the dystopian future in the script.

Acquiring a complete version of a movie script was tough, especially when it was still in production. A person had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. But Robert paid his way to get a copy secretly… He wanted to call Kazir to ask him if he had more interesting scripts, but he knew that the director would probably not work with them, which was infuriating.

"Now that I think about it, Heath is super famous right now! Maybe he is interested in working with Disney!"

.........

......

...

Kazir was having a good time. He was smiling the whole day.

The answer to why Kazir was happy was because his friend woke up from a coma.

Another reason why he was happy was that he changed the future. Heath Ledger died in the original timeline, but now the worst thing he suffered was a coma of 18 days.

Kazir and Scarlett had already visited Heath two days ago and had a conversation with the actor. Heath was thankful to Kazir because he saved his life. Heath learned that Kazir, Christian, and Scarlett saved him. Heath even cried.

It was a heartwarming moment for Kazir. It was a good thing that Heath woke up.

Kazir sat on his couch, his eyes glued to the television. News about Heath's miraculous recovery was everywhere. He watched as reporters enthusiastically covered the story. Some were speculating about Heath's future projects and his return to Hollywood.

"They're already building him up as a legend… He's not even fully recovered yet."

Kazir shook his head, a small smile on his face.

Scarlett entered the room, carrying two cups of tea. She handed one to Kazir and sat beside him. She looked at the television.

The two had been spending their time together a lot lately. Both of them agreed to take a rest for a year and lay low on working.

"They'll keep milking this for a while. But at least Heath is alive. That's all that matters," Scarlett added.

Kazir nodded, his heart feeling lighter.

"Yeah… that's all that matters."

.........

......

...

The last week of August arrived, and Wanted 3 had its premiere.

Wanted 3 would probably be the last installment of the franchise for a while, unless Ben Affleck himself showed interest in making a sequel.

His three-movie contract had ended. His contract lasted for nine years since the filming of Wanted in 1999. It was a long commitment, so it was understandable why Ben Affleck had no intention of renewing the contract.

The story of Wanted 3 was about Wesley Gibson learning about his father's past and the secret his mother had been keeping from him. Of course, there were action sequences every ten minutes to hype the movie.

Wesley Gibson was one of the most wanted criminals in the world. In the last scene, everyone thought that Wesley Gibson died, but he actually survived and changed his name. Also, he was now a rich person living in a tropical country. His life story ended in a positive way.

The premiere of Wanted 3 was a grand event. Fans lined up outside the theater, eager to see how Wesley Gibson's story would conclude. Reporters swarmed the red carpet, flashing cameras capturing every moment.

Kazir watched from the sidelines. He was satisfied with the situation. The film was already generating buzz, and he was confident it would be a box office hit, as always.

As the lights dimmed and the movie started, he glanced at Scarlett, who sat beside him. Scarlett held his hand.

He whispered, "You think this will be the biggest hit of the year?"

She smirked. "I wouldn't be surprised. You wrote it."