HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

Synopsis: Kazir Grey returned to 1994 and decided to pursue his dreams of making movies. With his knowledge, he would take the path of becoming the best director of Hollywood.

 

[Note: This is still experimental and I don't know if it's possible to update it every day. Just comment below if you want this novel to be updated].

Hollywood What If Chapter 1

"Mr. Gray? Can you hear me? Do you understand what I'm saying?" A lawyer asked him worriedly.

"Huh?"

Kazir Gray jumped out of his seat. He gasped as he looked around. His lawyer next to him was also surprised.

'What is this? Where am I? What is happening?'

Three W's questions hit him as his heart continued to beat fast. His face was red as if he was having a seizure.

"Don't look at me like that! I know you're just acting to make me feel bad! Kazir, that will not work on me!"
A woman in her early 20s grumbled and glared at him hatefully.

"Cassandra? Why are you here? I thought we were over?"

"Yes, we are definitely over!"

The woman, Cassandra, glared at him for some reason.

Suddenly, an unbelievable idea hit his aching head.

'... Have I returned to the past? '

Kazir Gray died in an accident when he was 59 years old. He was hit by a truck and thought his life was over.

He regretted many things, but he knew he could never bring back the past, but...

'I am back.'

He thought to himself. Kazir was a small director and he made a few movies. Unfortunately, only a handful was released in theaters and his works never became famous.

"Wow!"

Despite a painful headache, Kazir chuckled.

"What's wrong with you? This is why I want to leave you."

Cassandra looked at him with a hateful glare, but Kazir didn't care.

'I have already moved on. Sure, I regret our separation, but I don't want to be with you, not anymore.'

Kazir remembered that today was supposed to be the day he became single again.

'This is the room where I will sign my divorce papers.'

He looked at Cassandra's lawyer.

"I understand, Mr. Grey, but you have to realize that your wife doesn't love you anymore."

The lawyer sighed. He thought Kazir had completely lost his mind because of his suspicious behavior. Fortunately, Kazir seemed only shocked.

"I know a lot of people who get depressed after divorce, but you have to be strong."

"You don't have to lecture me. You're my wife's lawyer, so fuck off."

"Excuse me?"

He was stunned because Kazir's attitude had turned 180 degrees.

The man regained his composure and looked at his wife.

"Cassandra, I just want to say that you are a big fucking whore. While I'm working hard to give you everything you need and want, you cheated on me with a rich guy and lost my trust. And now you want half of my money? What a fucking bitch you are."

"Kazir Gray! Don't talk to me like that!"

"You are a fucking bitch. And you know what, I don't care about you. Not anymore. If you want everything I have, go ahead. You can have it."

"Huh!"

She scoffed. She had to take his property after the divorce and she didn't care about Kazir. The divorce settlement stated that Cassandra would not ask for alimony, but she would get the house and half of his savings.

'He's poor, so he doesn't have anything to give. I might as well take the house.'

Their marriage was warm and loving at first, but Cassandra wanted more and Kazir could not give it to her. So she found a sugar daddy and cheated.

"You want the house? Okay, fine."

Kazir signed the papers. He didn't bother to read them because he knew most of them. His lawyer was next to him, and he was surprised that his client didn't resist at all. He easily accepted the terms.

His only possession, the house, he didn't need anymore. He was disgusted by Cassandra's deception.

'They used my house while I was working. They can eat it all they want.'

"Now that it's over, I want to leave this place."

Kazir didn't want to stay in this place. His ex-wife's face was so ugly that he wanted to break her nose.

"..."

Cassandra was really confused. She thought that Kazir would defend himself and protect his property. She hadn't expected him to agree so easily after the first confrontation.

"Not that it matters, I have his house and 17 thousand dollars in the bank."

She didn't spend any money on the house, it was all out of Kazir's pocket, but she got the house easily after the divorce. What a great way to live!

Kazir and his lawyer parted ways after the meeting.

"Thank God I'm still alive."

Kazir knew the future, and the divorce case lasted a year and took all his energy. He was depressed for a long time.

"But this time I will never do that. I have already moved on. Since I'm going to lose the house anyway, I might as well give it up earlier."

He sighed and sat down on the bench. His head no longer hurt.

Instead of feeling sad, he felt wonderful that he was still alive. He also returned to the past.

'I don't know what happened, but I will cherish this chance.'

With his memories of the past, Kazir would do his best to live the best life.

"Now, let's start by finding a place to sleep..."

The remaining balance in his account was 17 thousand after Cassandra 'stole' half of it.

"That's enough to live on for a few months."

He smiled. In his opinion, money was not a problem. He could invest in companies like Apple and Google.

"I don't think Google exists yet. It's October 1994."

After taking a few minutes to rest and calm his mind, Kazir decided to take his first step.

'In my whole life, the biggest regret I had was that I failed to make a successful movie.'

His decision was firm. He knew he could not be the "king of the world" like James Cameron, but he was confident that he could make great movies.

"After all, I know the movies that will win the theaters."​

 

[Note: I did my research on Hollywood but I'm not a perfect person. There are probably some things that I don't know. So if I missed something important, or if my information is wrong, I just want to apologize.]

Hollywood What If Chapter 2

"Looks like it's time to get up."

Kazir yawned and looked at his watch. To be honest, he hadn't slept well last night. His mind was too active.

He was excited for some reason.

Kazir checked into a motel for a night's sleep. He was a freelance director who was doing his best to get a big project.

He was 26 years old and already had three films on his resume.

'Although I've made more than that since I'm from the future. '

He was confident in his experience.

"Let's check the Writer's Guild of America first."

As a director and movie fanatic, Kazir already had a movie that he wanted to make.

He knew a lot of movies that would win at the box office. Some movies were available for him, they were original screenplays of course.

'In this era, there are thousands of movies and some of them have a budget of over 100 million dollars. But that's not my goal.'

He knew damn well that no one would invest and let him direct a movie with that budget. But Kazir was undeterred.

'I have faced obstacles all my life. I can say that my current predicament is not so bad.'

His goal was to make a film with a budget of 30-40 million dollars.

"To be precise, my goal is..."

If his plan failed, he had other methods.
He took a shower, went out of the motel, and called for a taxi. He reached the Writer's Guild and entered without a problem. After all, he was a member of the Writer's Guild.

A few minutes later...

"Thank you."

Kazir smiled at the guard after leaving the Writers' Guild. He asked the people inside and confirmed one thing.

The script has not been registered yet. That means it hasn't been created or is in the process of being created.

The Writer's Guild was the home of many scripts. Writers would register their scripts in the Writer's Guild to get their scripts protected. There were cases of Hollywood companies making the same movies with almost the same plot. Such as "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon", "White House Down" and "Olympus Has Fallen".

The Writer's Guild protected the rights of screenwriters in Hollywood.

"Great, now I know where to start!"

He laughed like a madman, and people looked at him in confusion.

Kazir rented a typewriter and began his work. He had to write the script, the proposal, and the budget for the movie. Hollywood companies would laugh at him if he face them without these.

His fingers tapped away at the hard keyboard. The typewriter was a bit clunky, and the sounds it made were repetitive but soothing, at least to Kazir.

"This."

He rubbed his eyes and looked down at his writing. Three hours had passed and he had only written 2500 words. He made typos on the way.

"It will take me at least three to four days to finish everything."

But it didn't matter, Kazir was motivated. He easily forgot that he had just been divorced and that his house was no longer in his name.

Well, for him, these things happened 2 decades ago and he had already moved on. Having lived his life, he became much more mature and calm.

In the office of New Line Cinema, they had a meeting about their plan for the next year.

They have to make a proper plan for the movies they have to release. They take this very seriously because one wrong move could put them out of business.

"As of September 16, "The Mask" has grossed $106 million domestically and it's expected to go up. The movie's performance is strong and everyone likes Jim Carrey's acting."

They were happy to hear that their movie made a lot of money at the box office. They clapped, a simple celebration at the moment.

"Everybody, good job."

As CEO of New Line Cinema, Robert Shaye was happy to see his company win.

Despite the fact that New Line Cinema had been acquired by Turner Broadcasting System, Robert Shaye was still in control of the company.

"Now, gentlemen, let's talk about today's agenda."

He looked at the board of directors and the people in high positions.

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

"It didn't end well, again."

Kazir drank from a bottle of water. He felt hydrated after wasting his saliva trying to convince the producer from 20th Century Fox.

He just left the building and the conversation was not good. He talked to one of the producers for a few minutes, but the man didn't listen to him at all.

The producer just told him to give his script to the management and they would call him if they were interested.

He understood their process very well. The producer sugarcoated it, but it meant no. They were not interested in his script.

'I know they will never call me. They have thousands of scripts in their vault and most of them never became a movie.' He laughed.

"Well, let's go to another company. I have three more targets."

Kazir had already contacted the 6 giant Hollywood companies and they were not interested in his script. What they said was exactly the same - 'Give the script to management and they'll call him if they were interested.'

"I hope this company will agree. After all, this movie was produced by them."

From the moment Kazir regressed, he understood that the future would change. But he wanted to keep the timeline as original as possible.

"If this doesn't work, I'll go with plan B."

Calix called a taxi. His car was broken and it was still in the repair shop.

'Cassandra didn't fight to get my bumpy car because it's already old and she has her own car.'

That bumpy car was his only remaining possession.
Half an hour later, he was standing in front of the New Line Cinema. The distributor of his movie in the future.

 

[Note: This is just fiction. Don't take it seriously.]

Hollywood What If Chapter 3


Just before Kazir entered the building, he saw someone he knew.

"Arnold Kopelson and Robert Shaye..."

He muttered. He only knew that Arnold Kopelson was a producer, but Robert Shaye was something else. Robert Shaye was the founder of New Line Cinema and created many box office hits. Especially "The Lord of The Rings Trilogy".

The main brain of the production company was this man.

Kazir's attitude turned serious and he approached the two with a smile.

"Good morning Mr. Kopelson, and Mr. Shaye. I'm Kazir Grey."

"I'm sorry, but who are you? Have we met before?"

Since someone had called him, Robert was not arrogant enough to brush him off. He stared at Kazir, perhaps he had met the man at a party or something.

Kazir's demeanor was full of confidence and his appearance was quite handsome.

Even Arnold Kopelson thought Kazir was exceptional.

"No, sir. We haven't met."

"Is that so?"

"I'm a director and I want to show you my script."

"I see..."

When Robert Shaye heard that Kazir was one of those unknown directors trying to sell his script, he immediately lost interest. He met a lot of people like Kazir.

"About that, you can give it to Kopelson and the company will look at it. We'll call you if we're interested."

He muttered quickly and walked past Kazir. There were thousands of directors in Hollywood and most of them made low-budget movies. Robert didn't have time to entertain a nobody.

"Thank you, Kazir."

Kopelson said indifferently after receiving the script and followed Robert Shaye.

"Then..."

Kazir tried to talk and convince them, but he realized they were too busy. They got into the car and left.

"..."

He was left alone, standing in front of the building. He gritted his teeth and thought about his next plan.


"If this doesn't work, I have to go to plan B."

Kazir had printed out dozens of copies of the script to send to production companies. In addition to the Big Six, he sent his script to other companies like Miramax and MGM.

'MGM was actually one of the Big Five at the time, but lost its status after being acquired by Casino Tycoon.'

Anyway, that was all in the past and only the Big Six had the most power in Hollywood. They could end someone's career if they got together. A terrifying existence.

Kazir spent his entire week contacting production companies, even the second-tier studios. He hoped someone would be interested in his script. Unfortunately, no one listened to him seriously.

'I spent $2,000 this week.'

Nevertheless, he was too old to be depressed. In his opinion, his situation was nothing more than a game that he had to overcome. After all, he wouldn't achieve his dreams if he didn't work hard.

'I want to be a famous director, a superstar director.'

Only a few people could be called superstar directors. They were Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Michael Bay, and James Cameron.

'Ah, I just remembered, James Cameron is not a superstar yet. Not until he destroyed a luxurious ship at sea. Same with Michael Bay.'

With a few copies of scripts in his suitcase, Kazir found the post office. He wrote down the address of a certain director.

'It said that this script was discovered by this certain director after it was sent to him by mistake... I know the truth, it was nothing but a way to promote the movies. That probably never happened. Maybe the original writer contacted the director and begged him. However, I will make it happen. This script will be sent to his address by mistake... Let's hope he contacts me.'

Kazir may be 26 years old, but the experience he had gained in his past life was enough to change his mentality. He was excited to know that he was doing what he loved.

"Are you seriously reading his script?"

Robert Shaye discovered that Arnold Kopelson was reading the script.

"I have nothing to do, so I decided to read it."

"What do you think?" Robert Shaye raised his eyebrows, quite interested.

There were many talented writers in Hollywood, but few of them made money. Being talented didn't mean success.

"It's not bad. It's pretty dark and bloody, to be honest. However, the ending is interesting."

"Will it be profitable if it is made into a movie?"

That was the most important question. Even if the script looked promising, they had to look at its profitability. They were businessmen.

"There is a possibility, but it needs thorough studies... As for the writer, I think I have seen this name before."

Kazir Grey. Arnold was a producer and he watched movies every weekend to broaden his horizons.

"That's right, he's a director. I saw his movie a few months ago. It was terrible, no wonder it didn't get released."

"So what do you think?" Robert Shaye asked.

Arnold thought about it.

"I advise you not to touch this movie, especially if that Kazir Grey wants to direct it. You will only lose money. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless we hire another director, then this movie might be profitable."

It was obvious that they didn't think Kazir would make a great movie.

He might have experience in small productions. But the script clearly stated that the budget would be 30 million or more. No sane person would let Kazir direct a big-budget movie.

'Forget it, this script looks promising, but its chances of becoming a movie are slim.'

Arnold shook his head and decided to forget about it.

 

Hollywood What If Chapter 4


"Sigh..."

David Fincher let out a depressing sigh and looked at the newspaper.

It had already been three years, but he was still dwelling on his mistake.

His last movie, "Alien 3", earned less than he expected. The movie only made 55 million in North America. It may sound big, but the budget of "Alien 3" was 60 million dollars.

"Fortunately, it earned more than 100 million internationally..."

But that was not enough to revive it. In the end, 20th Century Fox didn't want him to take over the sequel.

In a way, David Fincher was responsible for "Alien 3" flopping. So no one wanted to work with him on another movie.

His future was bleak and David Fincher was depressed about it. He shook his head and put down the newspaper.

Then he heard someone put something in the mailbox and David decided to check it out. He didn't have anything to do anyway.

"I never ordered anything. Is it the bills?"

The mailman was gone when David went outside. He approached his mailbox. He noticed a thick document inside.

"Kazir Grey..."

David was confused, but he opened it anyway. There was a name, but he did not know nor recall this person.

As soon as he closed the door, David opened the documents and started reading.

"This is...!"

Half an hour later, David Fincher was surprised after reading the script. The script caught his interest.

Then he realized that this script had to become a movie. He wanted to see it on the screen. He started flipping the pages with excitement.

David Fincher found Kazir Grey's contact information and quickly got up. He took a bath, shaved his beard, and dressed well.

He had to meet this person, Kazir Grey. Even if he had to beg him, he wanted to lead this project.

He picked up his phone.

"Hello? Is this Kazir Grey? Yes, yes, I'm David Fincher. Wait, what? You sent it to the wrong person? No no! Mr. Kazir, can we talk? Then I'll meet you. Thank you."

Kazir Grey combed through his hair, making sure he looked nice.

"Unfortunately..."

He laughed bitterly as he looked at his stomach. He had a fat belly and a dad bod, even though he didn't have any children.

He loved to eat fatty food and didn't exercise much.

"Let's sign up for a gym as soon as I hit this pitch."

He wanted to change his life. He got a second chance and he wanted to make his life better.

Right now, Kazir was in a restaurant near the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

'One day, my name will be on one of those stars.'

Getting your name on the famous walkway may seem easy if you have money, but it was only possible if you achieved success in the entertainment industry. Someone like Kazir Grey would never get it unless he became a successful director.

'But for now, I have to find a way to get an achievement first. I'm confident in my script. After all, this script has already proven its strength in my past life.'

"Hello, are you Kazir Grey?"

"Yes, Mr. David Fincher."

David Fincher sat down across the table after greeting Kazir.

"I saw your movie, Alien 3 is amazing."

"Thank you."

David smiled. He appreciated Kazir's praise, even if it was a lie. It was enough that someone recognized him.

Besides, he had to convince Kazir Grey to let him direct the movie.

"Kazir, I'll get right to the point. I want to direct your script and make it into a movie."

"I'm glad you like my script, David. To be honest, I contacted a lot of production companies, but they never took me seriously."

"Is that so?"

David was shocked. The script has a selling point and he believed that the production companies would see it too.

"Well," Kazir combed his hair. "I asked them to let me direct it, but they immediately shook their heads when they heard my proposal."

"..."

David Fincher became silent. He knew very well that no one would agree to Kazir's terms. It would be stupid to let an unknown director direct a movie with a budget of 30 million dollars.

"Kazir, please listen to me. Let me direct it."

Kazir nodded.

"David, I know. Nobody will let me direct it. But if it's you, the chances are better. But I have one condition."

"I'll do it, as long as it's not unreasonable." David was serious. He fell in love with the script and wanted to direct it.

"Don't worry David, my condition is simple. I hope to be one of the screenwriters."

"No problem, that's my condition too. I want the original writer to help me polish the script."

"Thank you."

Kazir smiled. His intention why he asked for the position of screenwriter was because he wanted to join the crew and watch David Fincher's filming.

He could learn from watching a great director like David Fincher.

'David Fincher is going to be famous. "Fight Club" is a masterpiece in my opinion.'

He saw David Fincher as a genius from whom he could learn.

Besides, Kazir wants to see his script turned into a movie. A box office movie.

They shook hands and made a deal.

David Fincher and Kazir Grey contacted production companies. One by one, hoping that one of them would invest.

Eventually, someone answered their call, and it was Arnold Kopelson.

He became interested when he heard that David Fincher was going to direct the project. He thought David was better than Kazir. After all, David had experience making big-budget movies.

The two got excited and worked hard to convince Arnold.

 

Hollywood What If Chapter 5


Kazir Grey. A man who died at the age of 59. Fortunately, for unknown reasons, he returned to his younger years. Back when he was still an amateur director, where he directed three movies, and all of them flopped.

Now Kazir thought about the difference between him and David Fincher.

Kazir had four decades of experience as a director. But he never had his moment of success, his moment of fame. He did his best to finance and create artistic and horror films, but he never got success.

However, he loved his job and Kazir never planned to change his career. If he had to die, he wanted to die directing a movie.

That was the reason why Kazir wanted to understand how David Fincher became successful, unlike him, who remained in his position as a mediocre director.

'I'm not stupid. I have lived long enough to understand the difference between the two of us. It's about luck and opportunity. I never had any of that in my life.'

Kazir's love life was ugly and lonely. His marriage failed and he never married again. He remained single. He had a few relationships, but none lasted long.

'Cassandra lost internet in me because I keep working hard... Is it wrong for a man to work hard? I have to provide. Unfortunately, she wanted more and I can't give it to her.'

To end his mistake early, Kazir didn't hesitate to give his house to Cassandra. He didn't need it anyway. He could sell it. However, he never wanted the money from the house that sheltered a cheater, might as well give it all to Cassandra.

'What I want is to find the 'opportunity and luck' that great directors have.'

There were many talented directors in Hollywood, but only a few proved their worth.

Kazir's experience was not enough, he needed more.

"Looks like you two hit it off," Arnold Kopelson looked at the two directors.

"We spoke on the phone. David will be directing, while Kazir will join the screenwriters. I just want to repeat it so that everything is clear."

"No problem, Arnold. I will not fight for the position. I think David will make a great movie." Kazir assured him.

"That's good to hear." Arnold nodded and looked at David.

"I believe this movie will bring us success."

"..." Arnold kept his smile and read their proposal.

"To be honest, the script looks promising, but I need more to convince the company to make this movie. Kazir, how much will you sell us the script for, including the copyright?"

Production companies understood the importance of copyright. Most of their income came from it, such as the sale of videotapes and related merchandise.

"How much do you think it's worth, Arnold?"

"We'll buy it for $85,000."

"Make it $95,000. I don't have a problem with that. We can settle up later."

"Nice doing business with you, Kazir."

"I will call my lawyer to read the contract, then I will sign it."

They shook hands and confirmed the transaction. Kazir didn't have an agent because he was dropped by his last one. There was a conflict and now Kazir was on his own.

Kazir was already happy with the money he would get. A writer could get 2-3 percent of the total film budget, if not, more. In his case, he had already earned a lot by turning his script into a movie.

'I'm still not famous in the industry and it's impossible to negotiate a higher price. Besides, I don't want to prolong the process. The sooner the negotiations end, the sooner we can prepare the movie.'

His real intention was not the money. His purpose was to study David Fincher, the money came second.

"Arnold, about the movie..." David joined the conversation after Kazir and Arnold finished their negotiations.

"Don't worry David. I will talk to the company, you can join the proposal if you want. But I can't assure you that your salary will be high. After all, "Alien 3"..." Arnold Kopelson was hesitant to continue the sentence.

"You can talk to my agent, I know we can have a peaceful negotiation."

Considering David's last movie, he knew that he would never get a high salary.

"No problem. Let's talk tomorrow to make this movie successful."

Arnold shook their hands and walked away. The first negotiation was fruitful and everyone was positive that they wanted to work together.

"Well, who do you think are the best actors to play the two protagonists?"

As they walked, David asked Kazir something important. As the writer, David would respect Kazir's opinion.

"Well... If you're asking me, I think Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman fit the characters well."

"I have no problem with Morgan Freeman, his acting in Shawshank Redemption is amazing, but Brad Pitt? The one who was in "Interview with the Vampire"?"

"Yes, that Brad Pitt."

"Let me see... He really fits the protagonist. Let's invite him to audition as soon as the filming is approved."

It seemed that David Fincher had no problem with Brad Pitt.

"What about Denzel Washington and Al Pacino? I think the roles fit them too."

"I'm fine with them too." Kazir chuckled.

'David, I'm sure you'll like Brad Pitt's acting. After all, you did ''Fight Club'' and Brad was one of the protagonists. Then you filmed "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and Brad Pitt was also the protagonist.'

These two movies touched the hearts of many people.

A day later they received a call that New Line Cinema wanted to talk to them about the movie - Se7en. A gritting crime thriller.

 

Hollywood What If Chapter 6

[Note: As I said last time, I apologize if I made a mistake regarding the Hollywood industry. I will surely make another mistake no matter how many times I research it].



For a movie with a budget of at least 30 million dollars, the higher-ups of New Line Cinema attended the meeting with utmost concentration.

"Before we start, I just want to ask something," Robert Shaye said, and everyone stopped what they were doing.

Robert was the CEO and founder of New Line Cinema. He had built the company from the bottom up into a top-tier production company, just below the Big Six. Naturally, everyone in the company respected him.

"Kazir Grey, I read your script."

Because Arnold Kopelson was interested in the script, Robert Shaye read it as well. He realized something.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" He asked jokingly, quite seriously to be honest.

"About that..." Kazir Grey scratched his head.

"I was kind of depressed when I wrote the script. I recently divorced my wife, she cheated on me..."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Robert Shaye quickly understood.

There have been writers who hit the charts after writing a story when they were depressed and broke. Even J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter when she was broke.

"No problem."

Truth be told, Kazir Grey didn't care about the divorce. He gave up his house just to get the settlement over with.

'It's a good thing I have an excuse.'

"Then... I read the last part, I can see you hate your wife very much." Robert Shaye laughed. The last scene was horrible. He got goosebumps reading it.

For a script to give him goosebumps, Robert Shaye knew that the script was at least promising.

"Hehe, no, not at all." Kazir Grey never denies or confirms. After all, the movie was from the near future and he just copied most of it.

"Okay, let's start the meeting."

Kazir Grey was invited only because he was the scriptwriter. However, he understood that his position and opinion were irrelevant at this point. The purpose of this meeting was to make sure that the movie would be approved. New Line Cinema would finance half of the budget, while the other half would come from investors interested in the film.

They decided that the actual budget of Se7en would be 33 million dollars.

Kazir sighed with relief when he heard that the board of directors had approved the making of Se7en.

David Fincher, who was sitting next to Kazir, was also excited and happy. David's agent negotiated with New Line Cinema and his salary was $1.5 million. Since he had experience in making a big-budget movie, the company entrusted Se7en to him.

Now the preparation of the movie officially began.

After Kazir received his payment from New Line Cinema, he decided to enroll in a well-known gym in California.

"Whew, whew, whew..."

He was panting after using the treadmill. He was sweating a lot and felt like he was going to faint. He sat down on the bench and rested.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."

Someone approached him because he looked like he was going to faint.

Kazir looked up and his eyes trembled slightly as he recognized the person in front of him.

The woman was definitely beautiful. She was in her 20s, but she looked young and blooming.

"Excuse me, but are you Jennifer Connelly?"

"I'm surprised anyone would recognize me." She smiled beautifully.

"No, no. You are a famous actress. Of course I know you. By the way, I like Career Opportunities and The Rocketeer. You are really beautiful in person."

Especially "Career Opportunities", Jennifer Connelly was a goddess in that movie. God damn gorgeous!

The young Jennifer Connelly is the bomb! Of course, even in the 2010s, Jennifer Connelly was still a goddess.

"Thank you." She smiled. She was happy that someone appreciated her.

"Well, be safe and take care of yourself. You look like you're killing yourself." She left, knowing that Kazir was okay.

'... Did I just see it right? Jennifer Connelly asked me if I was okay.'

That made Kazir happy. After all, he knew that famous actresses like Jennifer Connelly usually have an arrogant attitude.

It was surprising that Jennifer Connelly was actually a nice person. Maybe Jennifer Connelly was just worried because Kazir was panting like crazy.

He chuckled and decided to run another mile on the treadmill. Tired, he left the gym.

"Hollywood, a place that surprises me every day."

He would never get tired of this city.

Kazir returned to his small apartment and showered. He rented this apartment for half a year. The location was quite dangerous because it was near a crime-ridden area. However, Kazir chose this apartment because the rent was affordable.

It didn't take him long to clean himself. He left his apartment and called a taxi to take him to the New Line Cinema.

"Good morning, Kazir."

"Good morning, David."

David was the director of the movie and his presence was important in polishing the script. Now that their movie was in the making, it didn't take long to hire people.

There were three writers besides Kazir, of course Kazir's position was much higher than the other writers because he owned the script.

'It is fortunate that I have a salary as a screenwriter.'

A thousand dollars a week was definitely not bad.

"Then let's get to work, everyone."

After greeting everyone and confirming that all the writers were present, David Fincher announced the start of their work.
[JENNIFER CONNELLY]

 

Hollywood What If Chapter 7



Se7en was about two detectives trying to solve the seven murders that "embodied" the seven deadly sins. It may sound simple when you think about it that way, but each death was gruesome and full of motives.

Now, the job of the screenwriter and the writing partners was to make the motives believable. The plot had to be logical, as did the scenes. To make every character complex and alive.

New Line Cinema wanted to change the ending because it was too disturbing but both Kazir Grey and David Fincher fought against it. In their opinion, the ending was the best part of the movie.

William Somerset was an old detective who wanted to retire. The Seven Murders, representing the seven deadly sins, was his last case before retirement. He was old but calm, mature, and experienced.

David Mills was a young detective, he was William's partner in the murder case. He was hot-headed, but his intentions were good. He was dedicated to his job.

These two characters needed to be fleshed out. The writers would do their best to make it happen. But it would all depend on the actors who would play the part.

"Thank you John, we will call you if you get the part."

John Paul Cusack nodded. He thought his acting was good and the role suited him. His last movie, "The Road to Wellville" with Anthony Hopkins was released on October 28th.

The movie was based on a novel and everyone thought it would do well at the box office. Unfortunately, it only earned 2.5 million in its opening week. Cinemascore believed that the movie would not make more than 7 million in North America.

This meant only one thing, the movie flopped at the box office.

2.5 million may look big, but the total budget of "The Road to Wellville" was $25 million! It only made a tenth of its budget.

This time the production of Se7en invited him to audition for the role of David Mills.

To be honest, John Cusack was not sure if the movie would be successful. He read 2/3 of the script and it was bloody. Because he never read the whole script, he didn't know the motives of the killer.

John Cusack walked out of the audition room smiling, and David Fincher asked the people around him.

"What do you think of John?" He looked at the producer, Arnold Kopelson and Kazir Grey.

"If you ask me... John is a too-good boy for the part. His face looks like a good guy. David Mills should look fierce and hotheaded, I can't see that in John Cusack. Unless he grows a beard, but I don't think he would fit the part."

Arnold Kopelson and David Fincher nodded at Kazir's opinion. They have the same opinion.

"His acting is great, but this role is not for him."

"Then let's call the next one. Kazir, you recommended this actor for this role."

"That's right."

They invited actors who would fit the roles of David Mills and William Somerset. So far they had met Al Pacino and Morgan Freeman.

The studio had already decided on Morgan Freeman as William Somerset. He had the vibe and no one would question Morgan's acting.

'I don't know why, but I feel like Morgan Freeman always plays the role of the calm old veteran in the movies he's in. Well, it really suits him. '

To be honest, we have never seen Morgan Freeman as a young man in his entire filmography. He is always an old and mature man.

While he was thinking, the next actor appeared and everyone noticed his appearance.

"Hello, Brad."

"Hello, Director David."

Brad Pitt's demeanor was that of a young, impulsive, and headstrong man. Perhaps Brad Pitt was seriously preparing for the audition and his demeanor showed it.

Se7en was actually a gamble for Brad Pitt's career. This kind of bloody movie might flop at the box office. However, Brad received an invitation and he liked the script after reading it.

David and Kazir nodded as they watched his movements. No question, Brad Pitt fits the role. If nothing bad happened, he would get the role.

Brad Pitt's last two movies grossed over 100 million worldwide and his salary would definitely not be less than three million.

After showing his acting, they decided to ask Brad some questions.

"Brad, what do you think about David Mills?"

"If you ask me, I think David Mills' intentions are pure and good-hearted. Even though his actions were reckless, he wanted to make the world a better place. That's why he became a detective."

"Good. Thank you, Brad. We will call you as soon as we decide."

"Thank you."

After Brad Pitt left, David looked at Kazir and nodded.

Kazir was right, Brad Pitt could make David Mills a real person.

"Let's continue the audition."

But of course everyone understood that a diamond in the rough might show up. After all, Brad Pitt's salary could be a problem.

In the end, they auditioned all the promising actors who might fit the role of David Mills. But they decided to go with Brad Pitt.

Brad Pitt has a strong box office appeal and his name was already known. He had fans all over the world and they needed those fans to watch the movie.

After all, they were making a commercial movie, not an artistic one.

Brad Pitt's agent negotiated and Brad's salary was 4 million dollars. It was an amount they could bear considering Brad Pitt's box office appeal.

As for Morgan Freeman, the contract was 2 million.

Almost 1/6 of the movie budget went to the two actors alone.

The cast also included Gwyneth Paltrow and Ronald Lee Ermey.

Se7en was a gamble because of the premise of the movie. It was dark and gritty and people might not like it. Nevertheless, the two actors accepted the roles.

[Note: What I'm about to write may not be so accurate and correct. To be honest, I only watched famous Hollywood movies. I didn't know most of the actors and actresses of the 1990s. I only searched them using Google. So please bear with me. As for salary and such, I will trust Google. Unfortunately, I can't find the exact salary of Morgan Freeman during the filming of Se7en].

 

Hollywood What If Chapter 8



Kazir was well aware of his own abilities. He was not a gifted person who could perform miracles. The only thing he had after a second chance of life was his knowledge.

Kazir knew the movies that would make money. It would be stupid not to use his knowledge and create his original script instead.

So far, with Se7en, Kazir wanted to keep the future in the original timeline that he knew. To minimize the risk of the movie failing, he decided to cast the original actors in the roles. This was his first project and he wanted it to succeed.

He knew in his heart that he was cheating with his knowledge. But hey, even Bill Gates "got" the "idea" from Apple and Xerox and built Microsoft. Now, Microsoft was worth 2 trillion after "getting" that certain "idea".

However, if things went wrong, Kazir would not hesitate to gamble. As soon as the filming of Se7en was finished, he would find his answer.

"Isn't this amazing?"

The production designer proudly showed off her creations. Her team had worked hard for weeks to create these props.

"Yes, it is..."

Kazir marveled at the props. They looked real. He almost thought he was looking at a real corpse.

'If a normal person saw this 'dummy', he or she might scream in fear. '

'As you would expect from professionals, they know what they're doing.'

As a director who had experience working on grade-B horror movies. He had seen a lot of fake gore and was used to seeing 'corpses'. In fact, the 'corpse' in front of him was not that scary.

'At least in my opinion.'

It was January 24, 1995. Just a week before February.

They spent months preparing for the shooting.

They had already finished the pre-production. From editing the script, building the sets, finding locations, and casting, they were already prepared.

Before the shooting started, the crew should have prepared all the important aspects of the shooting. Otherwise, if they didn't prepare, they wasted time and money.

Unconventional situations may arise, but preparation could prevent these situations from happening.

For example, during filming, a Director might ask for more fake blood in the scene. Considering that this movie was a thriller detective movie, blood was definitely needed.

Everything had to be taken seriously.

'To be honest, I have already finished my part here. The script is finished. As a screenwriter, my presence on the set is not necessary.'

Because Kazir wanted to see the making of Se7en with his own eyes, he decided to join the production, even though his salary was minimum wage.

At least I made 8 thousand last two months.

Kazir looked around. He saw David Fincher talking to the cinematographer about possible lighting.

They were in the studio where they were going to shoot the interior of the police station. That's right, they turned the studio into a police station. It cost a lot to build that background. Unfortunately, they would destroy this 'police station' when the shooting was over.

Kazir stood in the corner and watched the shooting.

Morgan Freeman came out of his trailer after being done with makeup.

"Okay, is everything ready?"

David looked around. He asked the cameramen, adjusted the lighting, and looked at the monitors. He nodded only when everything was good.

"Okay, start."

"Scene 82, lights, camera, action."

---------

"Found this on the wall behind the fridge." Detective Somerset handed a picture to the captain, played by Ronald Lee Ermey.

"Hell leads to light?"

"It's from Milton's Paradise Lost," Somerset said, looking at Detective Mills.

"All right, I'm confused."

"It means this is the beginning."

Detective William Somerset pulled out two more pictures and showed the pictures to them. They were pictures of words written in blood.

"There are seven deadly sins, Captain. Gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust, and envy."

--Ring ring.

Suddenly the phone next to the captain rang.

The whole studio fell silent, and even David Fincher's face twitched.

'Why is the phone ringing? I thought it was one of the props.' Kazir was also confused.

But the scene was still in progress and no one stopped. Despite the ringing sound, the actors were adjusting professionally.

"Hold on." The captain said, answering the call with irritation. "This isn't even my desk!"

"Cut! Good job Ronald, let's add that to the scene."

Satisfied, David decided to add the unexpected phone call to the movie.

'Ronald Lee Ermey got it right.' Kazir thought.

--------

The beginning of the filming went well and they shot three scenes, which were not bad.

Kazir saw an intern from the props department apologizing to David Fincher. It seemed he was responsible for putting a real phone on the set.

"It's okay... Just don't do it again."

David Fincher decided to talk to his assistant director and cinematographer to check the locations for tomorrow.

"Goodbye Kazir."

"Yes, have a safe trip."

As for Kazir, he could leave early after finishing his work. He was only a helper anyway.

He got into his old bumpy car that had been repaired recently. This Audi 200 sedan looked old, but Kazir didn't intend to change the car for now. After all, he was still poor.

While driving, Kazir saw a bar. Since he had just received his salary, he decided to stop there and have a drink.

"No, not the disco bar where parties are banging around. I don't like loud places. I prefer a place with a relaxed atmosphere, a bar that plays jazz music."

So he decided to enter the place.

 

Hollywood What If Chapter 9

[SHOUT OUT TO ENES AND DUKE YORK]

The filming went smoothly. David Fincher worked hard after the failure of "Alien 3". He understood that this was his second chance to prove himself.

As he fought for his dreams, Kazir Grey watched him.

Kazir's job after he was done as a screenwriter was simple - miscellaneous work. He helped take down scenes, move photographic equipment, and order take-outs.

He just did his best to help the crew. After all, this movie was born from his script and he wanted to see it succeed.

'If Se7en is successful in the cinemas, I will have achieved great success and it can help me in my career.'

"Cut! That's it."

David's voice echoed and everyone started to move the set. Their next scene was the one where Detective Mills would confront the serial killer in the alley.

In the script, it was raining and Detective Mills had a hard time facing the serial killer. He almost lost his life. Fortunately, the serial killer let him go.

"The sprinklers should work fine," Kazir said. He was one of the people who set the sprinklers to make artificial rain.

To keep the cameras from getting wet, it was covered with clear plastic.

"Se7en, back alley scene, act three..."

The assistant said, closed the clapperboard, and the shoot began.

In the scene, Detective Mills leaned against the dumpster. He was cold and scared. He was panting. His face was bleeding.

A gun was pointed at his head, almost touching his scalp. He knew that one pull of the trigger and the bullet would splatter his brain.

But the serial killer didn't kill him. He left him out in the cold rain.

"Cut! Let's take a ten-minute break and do it again."

David announced.

Brad Pitt's personal assistant approached the actor and wrapped him in a hot towel. Nobody wants the actors to get cold during a shoot, it costs money and time.

Brad Pitt looked at David Fincher and wondered if he had made a mistake.

"Brad, I'm sorry, I'll talk to you later. I'm going to talk to someone first."

"Okay, director."

Even though he is a director who flopped "Alien 3" in theatres, actors and actresses still respect David Fincher.

In filming, the director is always the king.

Besides, making a good impression was the best way to get more roles. Brad Pitt believed that David Fincher had what it takes to be successful.

"Kazir."

Suddenly, David called Kazir. Probably asking about things related to the plot.

"What do you think Mills should do in the face of death?"

The answer was obvious, but it seemed that David Fincher was asking for something. He looked confused as if he had forgotten something.

He watched the scenes and felt that something was wrong. As the writer and director of three films, David respected Kazir's opinion.

"David, this is just my hunch. But I think Mills is not afraid of death, he is afraid of something else."

"What do you mean?" David frowned.

"Let's see... I think Mills is afraid of leaving his wife alone when he's dead. But that's just my opinion."

Kazir understood that this wasn't his movie and he had no control over it.

"I see. Let's try to film it that way. Thanks, Kazir."

"No problem."

Making a movie was not a one-man show. It was a team effort, and everyone respected each other's roles. Kazir studied the crew and everyone had a tacit understanding.

'I heard they were David's crew. I guess that's why their bond is so strong.'

Kazir didn't have a permanent crew, but he knew a few people he could hire whenever he had a movie to shoot. Just like him, they were freelancers who didn't have a permanent crew.

'I wonder what they do. I talked to Renner two weeks ago and he is still working in a camera rental business.'

"Kazir."

While Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey were having their on-camera confrontation, Morgan Freeman approached Kazir.

This is Hollywood and networking is a very powerful weapon. Morgan Freeman heard that Kazir Grey was a director.

Morgan read the script and was intrigued. He found out that Kazir wanted to direct it, but management didn't agree, so Kazir gave the job to David Fincher.

Morgan understood that many directors would never lower their position to a mere screenwriter. Hell, even screenwriters wanted to direct their own movies.

One day, Kazir would start his own project. When Kazir became famous, it would never hurt to have an association with him before he became famous.

The man in front of him might be younger, but he took him seriously. After all, the 26-year-old man in front of him wrote a script Se7en.

This movie would become a cult classic. Maybe it would wipe out the thriller detective genre because no one could top it.

"Morgan."

"Kazir, I read the script and it's a mystery to me how you wrote it. Can you honestly tell me what's in the box? I want to know if it's really 'that thing' in the box?"

"Ah, about that... You can figure it out for yourself." He chuckled.

He didn't know how to explain it.

Morgan Freeman didn't force him and laughed with him. They were far from the set so they could talk casually.

David Fincher understood that the shooting would end in two months and that the last scene would be the "what's in the box" scene. Maybe David wanted everyone to see it last because it was disturbing.

Anyway, Kazir didn't know the exact reason.