HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to DaMi M, Vinay K, FlamingSwordGod and Hamza I!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 60


Kazir Grey signed a contract with Warner Bros to release the movie in the summer.

Because of this, Kazir formulated a plan... to make sure that the filming would be finished in April or early May.

After the trouble with the Children's Association, Kazir and his crew began to pick up the pace. The atmosphere in the crew became better and the mood of the actors was great.

Some of the actors made mistakes, but not enough to cause much trouble. After all, even talented actors had NGs while shooting movies.

'If there's something that surprised me, it's the acting of these certain actors...'

Whenever these actors were in front of the cameras, they easily adjusted their emotions and expressions.

'I don't ask for explosive acting, but they really gave me one.'

Kazir understood that the level of acting in The Hangover was much higher than in Napoleon Dynamite. In fact, that was the reason he wanted to shoot four takes of each scene to make sure he could pick the best shot.

Kazir expected Reese Witherspoon to improve after he coached her on her acting.

Because of their relationship, Kazir made sure that Reese Witherspoon would be a great actress. Unlike other actresses, Reese Witherspoon had a strong sweet charm. So Kazir wanted her to take advantage of that.

'She's really improving, I'm impressed.'

Reese's scenes in the movie were not many, but she clearly gained the attention of the camera.

'Once The Hangover is finished, I'll try to help her get roles that suit her. If that's not possible, I'll make a role that fits her.'

Kazir had a lot of ideas for the future... He basically knew most of the romantic comedies that would hit the blockbuster.

'The other actors are Jack Black and Pedro Pascal.'

After playing Pedro Sanchez in Napoleon Dynamite, Pedro Pascal decided to keep the mustache. Kazir approved of his decision because Pedro Pascal with a mustache was iconic.

Pedro Pascal's character in the movie was Doug. He was the groom who disappeared after the night of drug use. To be honest, his scenes were mostly concentrated in the first half of the movie.

'Still, his acting is impeccable. I can't ask for more because he has no NGs. Although I am reshooting the scenes in the hope of seeing more impressive acting from him.'

As for Jack Black, he was a funny guy. He just knew how to make people laugh.

For a comedy actor, that was the best and strongest talent he should have.

'Maybe that is why Jack Black is one of the most famous comedic actors of all time. He just knows how to make people laugh.'

Kazir doesn't regret his choice.

"This guy... Jack Black. I think he's not bad."

Producer Enrico Pusi whispered next to him, and Kazir agreed.

"Indeed. If you have a role that suits him, please send him an invitation. I think he can make the role worth it."

"Do you think so?"

"I strongly believe so."

It was already the first week of April and the filming was 1/3 finished. It was still within their calculations, so there was no problem.

In fact, the shooting of a movie was always behind schedule. Only a few projects could be finished within the right schedule. There were many consequences in the shooting and it caused the shooting to be late.

Fortunately, Kazir knew how to deal with these problems. He never showed nervousness or irritation. He kept his calm demeanor as much as possible, which made the crew feel comfortable.

Last week, one of the crew members fell from the ladder and people got nervous. Kazir immediately ordered an ambulance.

Kazir contacted producer Enrico Pusi to settle the matter. Fortunately, the man was not seriously injured. Of course, it was still Enrico Pusi's responsibility to pay for all of his hospital expenses.

The incident passed quickly and everyone returned to their work. Kazir made sure to remind everyone to stay focused and take everything seriously.

So far, everything was going well.

After his success with Se7en and Napoleon Dynamite, the crew members never turned against him. They all respected his decision.

"What do you think of this shot?"

Renner approached him and showed him the camera angle. He was the crew's director of photography(Cinematographer). He was in charge of the cameras and lighting. Perhaps his position was second only to the director and producer.

"Let's try this angle first. If it doesn't work, we'll find another angle or destroy the wall."

"I understand."

"Okay, let's start shooting!"

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

"And cut! Okay, guys, I announce that the filming of The Hangover is complete!"

"Woohoo!"

The crew members around him shouted excitedly. Even the actors sighed and smiled after knowing that the shooting was over. It had been an exhausting three months for them. The project was fun overall, but it still took its toll on them.

"We have three days to relax. You can go to the casino and have some fun. But don't spend too much."

"Haha."

The second week of May came and the shooting of the movie officially ended. They started filming in the last week of February and finished in May.

To be honest, their filming was fast compared to other projects. It was all because of Kazir's plan.

He already knew everything he wanted to shoot, so he did not make a blind move.

The actors thanked him one by one. They enjoyed working with Kazir. If the movie went well, they wanted to work with him again.

"It's okay, I believe in you."

Kazir thanked everyone and promised that they would have a farewell party in Los Angeles.

For now, they could rest and have some fun in Las Vegas.

"Director Grey, how about we go to the MGM Grand? I hear they have a nice casino there."

The actors tried to invite him, but Kazir shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I have to check the footages later."

As always, he preferred movies to anything else. Even Reese Witherspoon, who was sitting next to him, just shrugged. She was expecting his reaction.

[Is it short that I only covered three chapters of The Hangover filming? Comment below your thoughts. Should I expand the filming chapters for the next movie?]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 61


"It didn't work out..."

Carl Morin sighed as he sat down. He had heard the news that the filming of The Hangover had gone off without a hitch.

Carl Morin had been one of the people responsible for calling the Children's Association to pester the crew. Well, he had a cooperation with the other film companies.

Unfortunately, when Kazir Grey announced that he had a script that he wanted to sell, the film companies immediately closed their mouths. They acted as if they weren't causing any trouble.

Since then, the filming of The Hangover has gone well.

'The Hangover... Ten thousand dollars for nothing.'

That was right. To make sure the Children's Association would harass the film crew, Carl Morin paid one of them to cause trouble.

He hoped that Kazir Grey would lose his temper and make a scene. They could use it as material for their next plan.

But Kazir was as calm as a stone. He was angry, but he kept his cool.

"Well, at least I pissed him off in a way."

It was kind of petty, but it didn't matter. They have another way of causing trouble.

WMA knew what he was doing, but they decided to keep their mouths shut. WMA was angry that Kazir Grey became successful after they kicked him out of the company.

Even the CAA people mocked them for their stupidity. The president of WMA even talked to vice president Lawlor Dean and Carl Morin about it.

The two were humiliated on the floor for kicking Kazir Grey of WMA.

So Carl Morin was angry with Kazir Grey. He wanted to make sure that he would never have a peaceful day in Hollywood.

The WMA turned a blind eye to his evil deeds because they wanted to see Kazir lose.

To be honest, their opinion of The Hangover was hopeful. Especially when Ed Helms was involved in the project. They hoped the movie would be successful. So that another superstar would rise from their ranks.

But their opinion about Kazir Grey was gloomy. They wanted to see him fall into the pit of misfortune.

"Kazir, this is all your fault."

He grinned devilishly.

"Carl Morin, congratulations on your client. I hear he just finished shooting a horror movie?"

John Harris approached Carl Morin. John Harris was jealous that Carl Morin had a director client under him... Well, he had two directors under him, but he kicked the first one.

He was ridiculed for it. After three years of working with Kazir Grey, the director became successful after leaving him. It showed that Carl Morin was incompetent.

Still, John Harris wanted to make a connection with Carl Morin because he wanted his clients to be involved in his director's next projects.

"Thank you, John. Congratulations on Ed Helms too."

Carl's lips twitched. In fact, John's position after the success of Napoleon Dynamite was much better than his. His client received a salary of $1.7 million for The Hangover, and 10% of that would go to John Harris.

"Leon Lau has finished filming Tales from the Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood."

Carl Morin smiled proudly. He believed that Leon Lau would be more successful than Kazir Grey. He strongly believed it.

"That's good to hear... By the way, if Leon Lau has any suitable roles for my clients, please send them some invitations".

"Of course. I will talk to Leon about it."

Carl Morin chuckled. He loved the feeling of being on top. Because his client was a director, more and more people were asking him for suitable roles for their clients.

This is the power of an agent who has a director client.

"Thank you."

John Harris left the office room after hearing this.

"Tch, when I have roles, I give them to my actors first. Why would I even give them to others?... Unless they have something to offer. I heard that one of John's clients is a young actress. Heh."

He licked his lips.

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

After filming in Las Vegas, Kazir returned to Los Angeles.

"Ah, the smell of Los Angeles air... Polluted as always."

He shrugged and walked out of the airport.

"Kazir."

"Good morning, Salvatore."

On his way to the exit, he found Salvatore waiting for him.

"I've already got a car ready for us."

"Thank you."

Considering that Salvatore was meeting him in person, Kazir realized that there was something important to talk about.

Kazir and Salvatore got into the car.

"Kazir, Fox Searchlight Pictures has already settled the account. They will pay tomorrow."

"That's good to hear. Napoleon Dynamite has already finished its run in North America and the box office is $149 million."

It was a miracle for a project like Napoleon Dynamite to have that kind of success. Kazir grinned.

"5% of that is going to your bank account."

Salvatore smiled too... The answer was simple, he had a share in that amount.

Kazir Kazir would get $7.45 million. Then Salvatore Barlowe would receive $223,000 from Kazir.

Ah, the power of success. Salvatore never regretted contacting Kazir. Lately, many of his associates had become friendly with him, asking if Kazir Grey had another project. Hoping their clients could audition for roles.

"I'm sure 20th Century Fox has some conditions, right?"

"They want to talk to you about the sequel to Napoleon Dynamite. Tom Rothman wants to see you tomorrow."

"I understand."

Kazir enjoyed a good relationship with Tom Rothman. He was grateful that Tom Rothman accepted his movie. In a way, he had a lot of respect for 20th Century Fox and Tom Rothman.

"Let's meet tomorrow. Today I want to take some time to relax. By the way, what movies are in the theater right now?"

"Warner Bros has invited you to the premiere of Twister."

"Of course I will be there."

Kazir easily accepted the invitation. He knew that Twister would be one of the blockbuster movies of the year.

"It's on May 11th. That is three days from now. You will be on the red carpet, so wear something nice.

Salvatore Barlowe reminded him.

"I'll buy a suit for the occasion."

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Drake and Junior!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 62


"Kazir, when are you going to start the sequel to Napoleon Dynamite?"

"Tom, you need to relax. We still need to polish the script."

Kazir Grey and Tom Rothman had a meeting about the sequel to Napoleon Dynamite.

The 5% of the box office had already been settled and Kazir had received confirmation from the bank.

Out of respect for Tom Rothman, Kazir decided to be honest.

"Tom, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't want to direct the movie."

"I fucking knew it!"

Tom Rothman sighed and leaned back in his chair. He knew so many directors who didn't like sequels.

Steven Spielberg didn't make Jaws 2 and other Jaws sequels. Wes Craven didn't make the Nightmare on Elms Street sequels. In fact, Wes Craven hated sequels. He felt that they diluted the essence of the movie.

The whole Nightmare on Elms Street almost became a comedy because of the endless sequels.

But Napoleon Dynamite was different.

"Kazir. You have to understand, Napoleon Dynamite needs you. Fox Searchlight will never hesitate to give you terms. $7 million salary and 10% of the North American box office. What do you think?"

Tom Rothman thought Kazir would be tempted. This offer was already a big deal.

"Tom, I have to be honest, but I have to say no. I'm still thinking about directing another movie."

"Are you talking about the script that is circulating? Kazir, there's no guarantee on that Teady Bear script. You have to think about it seriously."

"..."

Kazir just smiled.

To be honest, he was struggling with his next project.

He was interested in making Ted, but he was also eager to start his vast Continental Cinematic Universe.

He wanted to be the first to start a successful Cinematic Universe.

"I hope you'll give me a positive answer when you're done with The Hangover."

"Thanks, Tom."

The two shook hands and parted. Kazir left the 20th Century Fox building.

After meeting with Tom Rothman, Kazir went directly to Warner Bros headquarters.

He walked into the editing room.

"Good morning, Kazir."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hamilton."

"Just call me Brody. You don't have to be so formal."

The man before Kazir was Brody Hamilton. He was currently 36 years old. He was one of the editors at Warner Bros.

Warner Bros gave Kazir full creative control over The Hangover. However, Warner Bros would have to use their own editors. They would never let outsiders touch the post-production of their films.

Although Kazir had a good relationship with his last editor, Rector, he knew that this was the way the business worked.

Kazir was already happy that Warner Bros gave him full editing rights on The Hangover.

"Let's start our work."

There was no proper introduction, the two just walked into the editing room to start post-production.

Post-production was a very important part of the movie process. The footage Kazir shot was over 800 minutes. He had to cut the NGs and find the best shot for each scene. Then he would put them together to make a real story. Then he had to squeeze it down to 100 minutes.

Sounds easy? Post-production usually takes more than a month. Sometimes more than half a year, especially for movies with CGI/special effects.

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

"Are you sure he'll show up here?"

Cassandra asked her informant.

"That's what we heard. Anyway, my work here is done. You're on your own."

"..."

The informant left after leading Cassandra to the rendezvous point.

Cassandra heard that Kazir was going to buy a new suit because he was going to the premiere of Twister.

Cassandra looked at herself in the mirror and fixed her appearance. Especially her cleavage, she wanted to emphasize how ample it was.

"Good morning."

The saleswoman greeted her as she entered the store. She was not thrown out because of her appearance.

Cassandra looked at the dress and noticed that it didn't have a price tag. The clothes in the store didn't have price tags...

But based on the clothes they were selling, each dress could cost more than 10 thousand dollars. For a woman who was currently in debt after maxing out her credit card, Cassandra was sweating as she looked at them.

The saleswoman looked at Cassandra's expression and clicked her tongue, realizing that Cassandra was not a rich person.

"Ma'am, I think you need to leave."

"N- No, I'm waiting for someone. He'll show up..."

"Good morning, sir. Good morning, ma'am."

A couple entered the store and were greeted by another saleswoman.

Kazir and Reese walked into the store. The woman hugged his arm. She was flirting with Kazir.

"Let's find something for you first."

"Thanks, Kazir."

Reese giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

"..."

Cassandra was stunned as she watched the scene. She couldn't believe that Kazir had a woman next to him! Besides, she was beautiful.

To make matters worse, Cassandra could not take her eyes off of Kazir. The man before her was hot and sexy. His beard was trimmed and groomed. He was damn handsome. He didn't have his fat belly either! He was fit and hunky!

Cassandra remembered the reason she had married Kazir... Because she loved his looks and his confidence.

The man in front of her was exactly that. Kazir was handsome, confident, and successful. The perfect man.

Cassandra swallowed hard for some unknown reason. Her face flushed and she didn't know why.

She took a deep breath and smiled. She waved her hand at Kazir.

"Husband..."

But before she could speak, Kazir and Reese passed by without looking at her.

Kazir never looked at her. As if she were a stranger.

"Ma'am, I think you need to leave."

The saleswoman woke Cassandra from her shock. Of all things, she hadn't expected Kazir to never look at her. Her heart felt heavy and sour as she left the store. As if she had lost something precious.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 63


The movie premiere of Twister was on May 10, 1996. Unlike Se7en, where Kazir didn't have the right to go on the red carpet, Warner Bros was generous and gave him his first red carpet attendance.

"Haaa, haahh..."

"Reese, you need to calm down. This is not even our movie. We're just guests."

Kazir chuckled as he looked at the woman next to him. His partner on the red carpet was Reese Witherspoon.

"Kazir, I'm wondering how you can be calm. This is different from attending a premiere in other countries. Napoleon Dynamite didn't have a red carpet premiere in the US. Now, there are hundreds of reporters from different newspapers to take our pictures. I'm afraid I'm going to make a scene."

"I just feel like there's no reason to be nervous."

"You silly..."

She sighed. What did she expect from a man who didn't even react to the scolding of the Children's Association? Kazir had a strong control over his emotions.

'Sometimes I wonder if he should be an actor instead.'

She thought.

"Trust me. Nothing bad will happen."

Kazir took her hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you."

She didn't regret choosing Kazir. The man in front of her was much more mature. He was not easily frightened, as if he had experienced the worst.

'Sometimes I wonder how broken he is to be unaffected like this.'

"We're here."

The limousine stopped in front of the theater. The two stepped out, greeted by hundreds of camera flashes.

Kazir and Reese kept their smiles on and walked ahead.

Then they stopped at a checkpoint where reporters could take pictures of them.

Then the coordinator signaled them to move on.

Usually there were coordinators at this kind of event.

This time, the two stopped at the checkpoint where reporters could interview them.

Warner Bros had already contacted a reporter to interview Kazir.

"Director Grey, what do you think about Twister?"

"I think Twister will be successful. It will be one of the top 5 movies at the worldwide box office this year."

"Wow~" The reporter's reaction was exaggerated. Then she asked another question.

"When can we see your next project, everyone is hoping that you will create another funny movie."

"Of course, it will be released this summer."

"I see you have Miss Reese Witherspoon next to you. Would you like to tell us about your relationship?"

To be honest, Kazir and Reese already expected to be asked about their relationship.

They had already been briefed by their agents. Warner Bros and their agents were doing publicity for The Hangover.

"We're just friends."

Kazir and Reese smiled for the camera before entering the theater.

Their agents were actually trying to convince them to announce that they were officially dating. Everyone on the crew knew that Kazir and Reese were "close".

However, they both disagreed. They didn't want to use their relationship as a publicity stunt. In the end, Warner Bros had no choice but to promote the movie in a different way.

'As much as possible, I don't want to destroy my privacy. I want to keep my life as simple as it is.'

Even though he knew it was just a dream. Once you become famous, you lose your privacy.

"I received three scripts last week, I wonder if you could give your opinion on them."

Reese whispered as they entered the theater. Hundreds of people were already inside. Some of them were talking, probably about Hollywood.

"You can come to my office tomorrow."

"Tell me. Have you ever been to your apartment? It seems like you're always in your office."

"It's a waste of time to go to my apartment."

"What do you mean? Your apartment is only a few blocks from your company."

Reese teased him.

"Kazir, nice to meet you."

Tom Cruise appeared and greeted them. Nicole Kidman stood next to Tom Cruise. Their height was too different, Nicole Kidman was too tall for Tom Cruise.

But no one would try to say that in front of Tom Cruise. The superstar didn't like to be called by his height.

Even Kazir was taller than Tom Cruise. Kazir was over 6 feet tall.

"It's nice to meet you too, Tom. I heard your movie is coming out in May."

The two shook hands.

"Paramount has already started promoting it. The shooting was actually quite difficult. Fortunately, I have a stunt double to do most of the dangerous stunts."

Famous actors would always have insurance. Of course, insurance companies would never let actors participate in dangerous stunts.

"I want to invite you to see Mission: Impossible."

"I'll be there for sure."

After that, more actors began to greet Kazir and Reese. To be honest, the actors were interested in Kazir.

Now that Kazir had become a rising director, many actors wanted to contact him in the hope of working with him.

Enrico Pusi and Terry Semel also greeted him.

A few minutes later Twister started. The movie cost $88 million plus $4 million for publicity.

It starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. The movie was about a tornado that destroyed everything in its path.

The movie was interesting. Reese Witherspoon and Kazir Grey had fun watching the movie.

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

In the first three days of Twister, it earned $41.05 million. This meant that the movie was successful.

It defeated its rival in its first weekend and became the box office champion of the week.

While Warner Bros did follow-up advertising for Twister, Kazir Grey spent most of his time in the editing room with Brody Hamilton.

"If we keep this pace, we can finish post-production in June."

Brody had a keen sense of such things.

Kazir agreed with Brody Hamilton.

Unfortunately, while Kazir was busy with the post-production of The Hangover, rumors began to circulate in Hollywood.

It was said that there was a certain director who beat his wife out of depression...

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 64


"Kazir... I think we have a problem."

Salvatore Barlowe went straight to the editing room after realizing that something big was going on.

It had already been a month since filming had finished. Kazir Grey had already finished editing 3/4 of the movie. He was just waiting for the sound director to finish the dubbing and stuff.

Warner Bros already had a schedule for the movie. It would be released in July, although they were still trying to find the best weekend.

"What is it?"

Kazir looked at his agent. Kazir had dark circles around his eyes because he hadn't slept much lately.

"It's about your ex-wife."

"Are you talking about Cassandra?"

Kazir frowned. He hadn't expected to hear news about his ex-wife.

"What did she say?"

"This..."

Salvatore handed Kazir a newspaper. It was a small tabloid.

The headline was very simple. It said that Kazir Grey beat his wife. That was why Cassandra left him.

"Is that all?" He asked.

He thought something big had happened.

"What do you mean, is that all? Kazir, this is bad for you!... Tell me, please tell me that you never beat your wife."

Salvatore was sweating and his complexion was pale. He didn't want anything bad to happen to his most profitable client. That would be devastating.

"Don't worry Salvatore. I never hurt my wife. Hell, I never even stayed in the house most of the time." Kazir shrugged.

"You're not lying, are you?"

"What do you think? Do I look like a man who would hurt a woman?"

"No. But I know some men who act like gentlemen who are actually wife beaters."

"Oh, come on, Salvatore. I'm not Sean Connery." He chuckled.

"I-I haven't even said anything!"

Salvatore stammered, knowing the truth. But Sean Connery was a client of CAA. He was the first 007 James Bond.

Despite his age, Sean Connery was respected and could get many roles. His roles were usually an old gentleman. And it was true, Sean Connery himself admitted in an interview that he slapped his wife.

"Of course, I'm only joking. Sean Connery is a great guy."

Kazir said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Kazir, do you have a plan?"

"Contact Warner Bros. This situation can be useful to us."

Kazir was not stupid.

"Okay."

A few minutes later, the important people involved in the production of The Hangover arrived.

The atmosphere was actually awkward because no one expected Kazir to have a dirty spot. Some of them looked at Kazir with doubt.

Terry Semel looked seriously at Kazir. He hadn't expected the director to be involved in a scandal.

"I suggest we stop this scandal before it gets worse."

Producer Enrico Pusi was the one who had it worst. This project was his responsibility. If The Hangover flopped horribly, he would lose all his credits. He might get fired. He was having a hard time sleeping, to be honest.

So the fact that this scandal came up made him lose his temper. He was furious. He didn't know if he should "talk" to Kazir or find his ex-wife and convince her with money.

"We can contact Cassandra Hoecrap and settle this quickly."

He added.

The atmosphere in the office was very gloomy. Salvatore was sweating and scared.

Terry Semel looked at them all. He had been the CEO of Warner Bros for over five years.

Of all of them, Kazir Grey is the calmest.

Despite being in the middle of a fire pit, Kazir Grey didn't show any nervousness.

"Kazir, did you expect this to happen?"

"To be honest, Terry. I never thought Cassandra would do something like this. However, I know that she will do anything to get more money from me."

What he said was based on his past life experience.

"Since you're calm, I think you have a plan."

Terry Semel narrowed his eyes. He was like a hawk ready to claw at its prey. If Kazir's plan was stupid, he would never work with Kazir again.

'This scandal could be his downfall.'

"In my opinion, we should let the scandal simmer. In fact, I want Time Warner to join the scandal."

"Kazir, are you being stupid?" Enrico Pusi raised his voice.

"Hold on Enrico... I say let Kazir cook. What's your plan?"

Kazir and Cassandra had been fighting for divorced for a year. During that year, they tried to tear each other's faces off.

When Kazir realized that Cassandra was cheating on him. He decided to pay an investigator to follow his wife.

'It is a miracle that I was reborn after the day I received the investigator's report.'

"This is the answer."

Kazir placed a videotape on the table.

Terry Semel immediately called someone to bring a VHS(Video Home System) and television to watch the video.

"Where did you get this?"

"I am collecting evidence of my wife's infidelity. I spent more than $3,000 just to get this. I'm impressed by how far the private investigator went just to get this recording."

"I see..."

The video started and everyone watched it seriously. Cassandra was in a restaurant with an old fat man. Their faces were clear, easy to identify.

"Isn't that Bobby Dork?"

Enrico Pusi muttered. He recognized the old man because he was also a producer.

The conversation was quite simple, Cassandra and Bobby Dork were just flirting. However, from the way they were acting, it was clear that they had a strong intimacy.

"This video is from two years ago, around August 1994."

Kazir added.

The video continued.

Then everyone realized why Kazir was showing the video.

In the video, Cassandra announced how she could get more money from Kazir. She would tell the court that she had been beaten and raped.

"I think giving up your house is the best way to get away from a delusional person like her."

Salvatore said, and everyone agreed. This kind of thing was frightening because society would mostly believe a woman's word.

In his past life, Kazir even used the video as evidence, but the court didn't accept it. So he still lost his house in his past life.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 65


There were many kinds of commercial ideas. Maybe tons of advertising ideas. Especially when the Internet went mainstream.

Before that, there was traditional advertising.

-- Piggybacking on the news agenda.

-- Making a scene and leaving a strong impression on people. Good or bad.

-- Using social media to connect with people. (Not feasible because the Internet was just booming and many homes in the U.S. didn't have Internet).

Kazir decided to use the second option to promote the film. Since he was going to be involved in the scandal, he might as well take advantage of it.

The very strong example of this is Kim Kardashian. After the Paris Hilton sex tape was released and caught the attention of all of North America. Kim Kardashian followed suit. Her porn scandal is a huge success.

To be honest, Kim Kardashian used the sex tape as a springboard to fame.

Now, her net worth is 1.2 billion as of 2023.

'People are unforgiving for a wife beater. Even me, I fucking hate men who hurt women.'

Despite the argument with Cassandra, Kazir never resorts to physical violence.

"Are you ready, Kazir?"

Salvatore asked beside him.

Kazir nodded.

They left the Warner Bros building. As soon as they left the building, they were surrounded by hundreds of reporters.

"Director Grey! Is it true that you hit your wife?"

"All I can say is don't trust all women. Some of them use sympathy to take advantage of others."

"Director Grey, CBS interviewed Cassandra last night. She was crying and said that you used to beat her whenever you come back to the house. She said that was the reason she divorced you. Is that true?"

"The court has already determined that Cassandra has never filed an assault case against me. I gave her most of my property at that time because I want nothing from her."

Kazir and Salvatore reached the car and got in. Many reporters tried to ask more, but they failed.

"Are you sure this plan will work?"

Salvatore was skeptical. It had been three days since Cassandra had started the accusations. All the media covered the story. Even Warner Bros joined in. However, Warner Bros kept saying that Kazir Grey was the director of The Hangover.

Whenever his name was in the news, The Hangover was always with him. So The Hangover had free advertising. They didn't even have to pay for promotion because all the newspapers and news channels were already advertising their movie.

"In two days, announce that we will have a press conference to address these allegations."

"We have already filed a lawsuit for libel. Cassandra Hoecrap and her lawyer have already been served." Salvatore added.

"I don't want anything from her, but she keeps bothering me. I want to send her to jail if that's possible."

Kazir leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He had just finished post-production on The Hangover. Everything was already done.

Warner Bros already said they would release it next week. Which was June 28th. They decided not to do a test screening because the movie was on the hot seat.

"I understand. Their side actually contacted us and said they would drop all the lawsuits if we gave them $15 million."

Kazir just chuckled. He had expected them to ask for money. That was the reason why they were doing this. Since the court had already announced that they were divorced, Cassandra was trying to find a way to siphon off his money.

"Hm?"

In the car, Kazir's phone rang. He opened it to find his brother calling him.

"Hello? Brother?"

[Kazir, I heard the story. Are you okay?]

"I'm fine, Aaron. Dad called yesterday and asked the same question."

He chuckled.

[That's good to hear.]

"Aren't you going to ask me if I really beat Cassandra?"

[Nah, I believe you. That bitch is probably gnashing her teeth because she didn't get more money from you. Besides, if you really beat her, I'm still on your side. We're family. Although you will definitely go to jail if you really hit her.]

They both laughed.

The call ended after a few minutes of conversation. Kazir was grateful to have his father and brother on his side.

His father even recommended a lawyer. But Kazir trusted Terrence Downey, so he refused.

'Terrence Downey is going to have a field day with this lawsuit.'

All these accusations were useless because Cassandra had no evidence to back up her statement. Her agenda was clear, she just wanted money.

Unfortunately, Warner Bros was on Kazir's side. They would definitely destroy Cassandra's life.

'I have seen so many men whose lives have been destroyed by false accusations, divorces, and DNA tests of their children. Many men have gone to prison because of false rape accusations. Many men have killed themselves because society hates them, for no reason.'

Kazir tried to be a good person. But some things can't be taken for granted. Cassandra did that to herself.

'She's probably not the mastermind. Someone is controlling her... I already have an idea.'

He thought his problems with WMA were over. However, it seemed that some people could not let go of the grudge.

"Make sure that Cassandra will face many lawsuits."

"I will."

Salvatore agreed. He was furious with the insatiable bitch. She had already gotten most of Kazir's property after the divorce. But she could not settle and wanted more.

Time Warner and other media began to portray Kazir's life. Some said he was an honest man and some said he was a psychotic man. Many accusations were leveled against him, all because of one woman's crying/lying.

'... Now I understand Johnny Depp's situation. When the whole world is against you, you see who you can trust.'

Suddenly his phone rang again. This time it was Reese Witherspoon.

She wanted to invite him to dinner to relax. Kazir appreciated her goodwill, so he agreed to meet her. After all, he needed someone to cuddle...

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 66


"Hah! I wonder how long they can keep up this farce! I will win in the end. So many people sympathize with me!"

Cassandra roared as she read the notice from the court. She believed that as long as society was on her side, all would be well.

She just attended another show and many looked at her with pity and sympathy. They prayed for her.

Cassandra loved that people looked at her. She loved the attention so much that she didn't care if she had to lie.

Besides, just as she had no proof, Kazir's side had no proof either. They both had friction, and Cassandra was winning.

"Well, if he apologizes and kneels before the public, I will forgive him. I might even have a relationship with him again. As long as he's useful."

Cassandra was attracted to the new Kazir. However, she was insulted when Kazir never looked at her. She wanted to prove to him that she was a woman of value. No one could turn her down.

"But he has to pay the hush money first." She grinned.

Hollywood was hectic these days because of the scandal she had started.

So many TV stations were talking about her plight. She was actually shocked by what she had done. She thought that this case would be easy and quick. But more and more people started to hear about her story.

The media didn't care about the truth, they just wanted to give the masses what they wanted.

A story about a woman being beaten could generate sympathy. Especially if her husband was the talented director who created a 100 million dollar North American box office... $140 million to be exact.

Those who were active on this were ABC and other networks under Disney. They tried to smear Kazir's reputation.

Especially when The Hangover would be released on June 28th.

One of Disney's movies this year, Phenomenon, would be released on July 5, and there was a very strong chance that The Hangover and Phenomenon would have a clash.

Even Independence Day and The Nutty Professor would be released around the same time as The Hangover.

Universal Pictures joined in the bashing of Kazir just to give The Nutty Professor a better chance of making more money.

As for 20th Century Fox, they didn't have a strong reaction to the Kazir scandal. They covered the story, but they didn't promote it. They would rather promote Independence Day than get involved in the scandal.

Tom Rothman wanted to work with Kazir despite the backlash. He believed that a person like Kazir Grey would never be stopped by a scandal. Tom Rothman met Kazir Grey while writing the screenplay for Napoleon Dynamite II. Kazir didn't show any nervousness, as if it were a normal day.

"It doesn't matter if Kazir wants to keep this farce... I will win." Cassandra grinned.

She had just received a call from women's rights organizations. They wanted her to be their spokesperson.

The real mastermind behind this scandal was actually Carl Morin and WMA. They didn't want Kazir to be successful after he left their company. It didn't sit well with them.

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

The day of the press conference came. The people from Warner Bros. attended the conference.

In front of so many reporters, Kazir looked calm and composed. It seemed that he was not affected by the scandal.

"Before I answer all your questions. I just want you to watch this."

Kazir said. He didn't bother to explain.

The press conference was being broadcast live and many curious people were watching the conference.

On the screen they saw Cassandra and an old fat man in a restaurant. The video was clear enough to identify them.

The people were curious, so they just kept their mouths shut and listened.

[What about your husband?]

[Kazir? He's fine. He is useless to me. He is nothing but a man who works hard for nothing. Even his agent, Carl Morin, doesn't think he'll succeed. I will file for divorce.]

[That might be difficult.]

[Of course, but I can accuse him of rape and assault].

In the recording, everyone saw Cassandra laughing arrogantly.

[The justice system always favors the weak. In marriage, women are usually the weaker side. Especially when we have children. Mothers are the ones who suffer the most after a divorce, because it's not easy to feed a child. So I'm going to use my position as a woman to get sympathy from the court. I'll probably get more than his property. If that doesn't work, I can charge him with rape and assault.] She chuckled and sipped a glass of wine.

[But has he ever hurt you?]

[Kazir? No. He is not even in the house most of the time... So we can have some fun tonight.]

The recording ended.

"Now, everything you are witnessing is real. This is the real footage of their meeting at the Tribahoe restaurant. We have the reservation lists that they checked at the restaurant."

"..."

The reporters were stunned at first. However, the reporters started asking him so many questions that Kazir frowned.

"I can't understand you when you talk at the same time."

While the reporters were having a feast, the citizens watching the press conference were shocked. They felt that they had been deceived! It was humiliating!

So everything Cassandra said about being beaten by her husband was false? She was lying!?

The people felt angry.

"Does she think we are idiots?"

"Hah! I can't believe I almost fell for her tricks!"

"Just because of her beauty!"

"Fuck! I even supported her!"

There was one thing people didn't like, they didn't want to be treated like idiots. They had brains and could think rationally.

"Cassandra is a lying bitch!"

That was what they thought.

Kazir began to answer their questions. Of course, he chose the ones related to Time Warner. He knew they would paint him in a better light.

'Let's blacklist Disney and Universal Pictures. I have a limit too. They harassed me last time and I can't let that happen again.'

He thought as he answered their questions.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 67


The result of the press conference was obvious. Kazir had taken care of his image. He answered the questions and proved that he didn't hurt his ex-wife Cassandra Hoecrap.

The reporters were so active and started to go crazy. This was a big scoop! So many people would be interested in this story! As long as the story could attract attention, reporters would cover it.

An ex-wife lying to get clout from her now rich ex-husband!

A gold-digging whore lying to gain public sympathy!

Cassandra Hoecrap is the biggest liar of all. She deserves to go to jail for framing an innocent man!

There were so many headlines in different newspapers. But the meaning was clear, Kazir was innocent while Cassandra was the real bad one.

The press conference was broadcast live and millions of people watched it out of curiosity.

The public realized the truth. They had been fooled like fools!

"Believe all women? After what Cassandra did to Kazir and the public, I do not. You can't believe all women, just like you can't believe all men. In the end, it all depends on the person."

The TV networks interviewed people and asked them about their opinions on the false accusations Kazir received.

"I feel sorry for director Kazir Grey. I hope I can do something to help him."

One woman said.

"Well, his movie is coming out next week. I think you can watch it. If it's interesting, maybe you can invite your friends to see it."

"Is that so? What is the title of the movie?"

"The Hangover."

Warner Bros already had a promotion plan and they were doing well. After the truth was revealed, many people became interested in Kazir's movie.

They wanted to see if Kazir Grey was really a talented director. They wanted to know if he could make another successful movie.

As for Cassandra, she received so much backlash after the revelation.

She was facing a lawsuit... She was going to jail. After realizing that her life might be in danger, she became nervous and scared.

"T-this is not right! Not right at all! I should have the last laugh! I should be the winner!"

Out of anger, she smashed the mirror in front of her. Not only that, she destroyed everything around her. All her possessions were destroyed.

"I am beautiful. The world should revolve around me. My purpose is to make people unhappy, not the other way around."

Tears streamed down her face. The makeup on her face was disturbed by the tears. Her eyeliner was smudged around her eyes.

She began to cry, screaming out all her frustration. This was not the outcome she had hoped for.

She began to think about when everything went wrong.

"... Carl Morin! That's right, maybe he can help me!"

She frantically grabbed her phone. She called Carl Morin, but he didn't answer.

Then she called him again. He didn't answer again.

She called him again and again until someone actually answered.

"Carl, please help me! I swear I will do anything you tell me to do! You promised me I could be famous! That's why I cheated on Kazir for you! Please take responsibility!"

[Shut up, bitch!]

"What? What did you say?" Cassandra was stunned.

[Didn't you hear what I said? Never call me again! I don't know you! You don't know me!]

"What did you say!? Are you crazy!? If I'm going to be destroyed, I'll take you with me! You're the reason I became like this! If you had not seduced me, I would never have left Kazir! It's all your fault!"

[Fuck you! Don't blame me for your stupidity! You will never betray Kazir if you really love him!]

"Fuck you!"

[Fuck you!]

The two began to argue on the phone.

Like Cassandra, Carl Morin had a lot on his mind. WMA was seriously considering kicking him out of the company. To make matters worse, Vice President Lawlor Dean was ready to blame him for everything.

If his director, Leon Lau, had a successful movie, then this situation would be turned around. He prayed that his client's movie would be successful!

"August... I just have to wait for August."

Leon Lau's movie would be released in that month and he hoped that it would have a result like Napoleon Dynamite.

'If Kazir Grey can do it, Leon Lau can do it! I think my director is more talented than Kazir!'

He gritted his teeth. He didn't know why this was happening to him.

Everyone in Hollywood had an idea that WMA was behind Kazir's scandal. The company probably wanted to use Carl Morin as a punching bag to take all the blame.

While Kazir's problem was over, the release of The Hangover came out.

"Kazir, what can you say about Cassandra Hoecrap's situation? She was facing tons of lawsuits. Even the women's rights organizations are bashing her."

"I have no comment."

Kazir kept his expression. This was the red carpet for The Hangover. As the director, he had to be there.

Most of the cast had already arrived and were being interviewed by the media. The actors said their regards for Kazir. Since it was their movie, they all hoped for the best. So they would naturally side with the director.

Besides, Kazir was a good man. He didn't look like a bad guy at all.

"Thank you for your time, Director Grey."

The reporter was actually hoping to hear something interesting, but Kazir was hard to crack.

Kazir entered the theater. He was shocked to see someone he recognized.

"Tom, I can't believe you're here. I'm sorry I missed your premiere."

"That's okay. I understand the reason why you couldn't attend. I was invited, so I decided to attend, I'm here to support The Hangover."

Tom Cruise shook his hand.

"I'm glad to hear that."

He was not sure if Tom Cruise was sincere, but it made him happy anyway.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Anakin, Lloyd m, Marcelo M, Yisus88, Dwhateverprof, Andrew S, Aidan d!]

[I'll be honest, I'm too lazy to write a summary of The Hangover. I would rather write my own story than write summaries. So I decided to use ChatGPT to summarize the movie. Many readers recommend ChatGPT to me and I can see why. I still edited and added some parts because I feel that ChatGPT is getting sillier and sillier. (I heard that OpenAI makes it stupid on purpose by filtering and blocking.) You can comment below if you want me to write my own summaries for the next movies.]

Hollywood What If Chapter 68

After greeting Tom Cruise and many others, Kazir took his seat and waited for the movie to start.

[The story revolves around four friends - Phil Wenneck, Stu Price, Alan Garner and Doug Billings - who go on a bachelor party trip to Las Vegas to celebrate Doug's upcoming wedding. Their adventure in Las Vegas was eventful and something they would never forget.]

[The first sequence of the movie was about Doug and Alan changing their clothes...]

Alan's (Jack Black) white briefs made the audience laugh. Even Doug's (Pedro Pascal) acting was on point.

[The four took a trip to Les Vegas and their first night in Las Vegas was crazy.]

The audience was curious about what happened. Because after the four drank the liquor, the next scene was the next day where the hotel suite was trashed.

It was the beginning of endless laughs from the audience. After all, The Hangover was one of the most successful comedy films of all time.

[The group wakes up in their hotel suite after a wild night of partying.]

"What do you think happened?"

"I think it's probably something to do with the woman who left the hotel suite."

There was little conversation in the theater, but everyone was interested in the movie.

[The three quickly realize they have no memory of the previous night and find themselves in a chaotic and trashed room.]

[Doug is missing and they have no memory of what happened to him].

The audience wanted to know what happened to Doug. They also wanted to know why there was a tiger.

Even Tom Cruise laughed when he saw Jack Black's reaction after meeting the tiger for the first time.

"This is a funny movie. It's different from Napoleon Dynamite, but it's funny."

"I guess Kazir Grey knows how to make a funny movie, despite his serious expression."

[As they try to piece together the events of the previous night, they encounter various clues and unusual situations.]

[They find a tiger in their hotel room and a baby in their closet, and Stu discovers that he has married an escort named Jade].

[Desperate to find Doug and make it back in time for the wedding, the trio retrace their steps from the night before, encountering eccentric characters and hilarious misadventures along the way].

[They visit a chapel, a hospital, and a police station in an attempt to uncover the truth about their wild night and Doug's whereabouts.]

[They also meet a Chinese mobster named Mr. Chow, who reveals that they stole his valuables.]

The audience burst out laughing when a young naked Korean came out of the trunk. The Korean starts beating the three of them with his taekwondo.

[Eventually, they piece together their actions from photos and videos and discover that they had had a wild night of excessive drinking, gambling, and encounters with dangerous people.]

"Wow! Even the champ Mike Tyson had a cameo-- Oh shit! He punched Jack Black! Hahaha! He fell to the ground! Haha!"

That's right, the tiger was actually legendary boxer Mike Tyson's pet.

[Through their hilarious and often outrageous escapades, they manage to locate Doug on the roof of their hotel.]

[With Doug safely recovered, the group returns to their normal lives, but not before forming a bond and reflecting on the unforgettable experiences they shared during their unexpected and unforgettable adventure in Las Vegas].

The wedding was a success despite the outrageous things they experienced.

The audience began to clap after the film.

"It's funny! Very funny! Haha! I will watch it again, but I will invite my friends."

"I know, right? It's just sad that it's rated R because of the profanity."

"Yeah, that was the only downside of the movie. I just hope it makes a lot of money because I want to see the sequel!"

"Haha, I'm thinking the same thing."

Kazir and the cast of The Hangover walked onto the stage and bowed their heads. This was the premiere night and many reporters want to interview the crew.

To be honest, all the attention was on Kazir Grey because of what had happened recently. The reporters asked him so many questions.

"Hey, let's not forget the actors. They are the real heroes of the movie. I want to thank Ed Helms, Pedro Pascal, Jack Black, Bradley Cooper and Reese Witherspoon. They work hard for this movie. Of course, we can't forget the crew that worked behind the scenes. I love you guys. I also want to give a shout out to Mike Tyson, good luck with your fight champ!"

With that, Kazir turned the attention to the cast.

Since the cast didn't have a strong actor except for Ed Helms, the reporters focused their attention on Ed Helms instead. They began to ask Ed Helms about his next project.

"Of course, if possible, I want to work with director Grey on Napoleon Dynamite II."

That was his answer.

Despite the successful release of The Hangover, Warner Bros was still walking on eggshells.

Kazir went to the Warner Bros office after the premier night just to get the news quickly. With him was Salvatore Barlowe.

When midnight ended, the fax machine received the stats. These papers were just calculations and it was not the exact result. But it is very close to the possible results.

"7.86 million dollars! Is that correct?"

Terry Semel was stunned.

"Yes, Mr. CEO, these results could be even higher. The Cinema Alliance hasn't calculated the other regions yet."

"... That means this amount can still increase?"

Everyone was shocked. Was this the result of hyping Kazir's scandal?

"G- Good! Hahaha good!"

Terry Semel laughed happily.

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[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 69 (Noice)


June 28th, 1996. Friday.

Movie companies usually released their movies on Thursday around midnight, so it was basically part of Friday.

When the movies were released and the midnight results were in, the movie companies would start planning how to continue the publicity. After all, publicity was the biggest part of a successful movie.

Even The Blair Witch Project had very good publicity despite the horrible production... Erm, Maybe unique? Everyone in the publicity department took the Blair Witch Project as a well-crafted publicity stunt. Almost no one could duplicate it.

But that was not the point. Warner Bros decided to follow Kazir's plan to use his scandal to promote The Hangover.

As a result, many people showed up to see the movie on opening night, and the results were huge.

7.86 million dollars was a huge amount, especially when it was just the opening night.

Even the other companies heard the news.

In the office of Universal Pictures, Ronald Meyer was waiting for the results of The Nutty Professor.

The Nutty Professor was one of their movies for the year, and it was a huge investment. It had a production cost of 55 million dollars.

Of course, being the CEO of Universal Pictures, Ronald Meyer had to understand the importance of the movie.

That's why he didn't hesitate to work with Disney to smear Kazir's reputation. It was always about the money.

Just like The Hangover, The Nutty Professor was released around midnight.

"Sir, this is the result." The secretary appeared.

Ronald Meyer took the papers and read the statistics. He knew that these numbers were just the base and that this amount could change.

"$4.23 million."

"Congratulations, sir."

He sighed in relief. This amount was already good for the midnight result. To be honest, he had expected less.

"What about The Hangover?"

Of course Ronald Meyer hadn't forgotten about the movie he had smeared.

"Sir... This is the result of The Hangover. Please excuse me."

Knowing that Ronald Meyer would scold him, the secretary left the office.

Ronald Meyer picked up the documents. He was stunned when he read the figures.

"Is this even possible? 7.86 million dollars!?"

He almost stood up out of shock. The plot of The Hangover was no stranger to him, as Salvatore Barlowe had sent Universal Pictures a copy of the script.

"This kind of vulgar, profanity-laced comedy has $7.86 million? Are you kidding me?"

The reality, however, was often disappointing. The truth about The Hangover was just beginning.

Ronald Meyer rubbed his forehead. He felt that everything he had done to destroy Kazir's career was useless.

"I heard he wants to sell his script..."

Ronald Meyer called his secretary.

"Give me the copy of Teddy Bear."

Ronald Meyer was not interested in the script because he knew he had to find a teddy bear company to solve the patent issues. Unless Universal Pictures was interested in making a teddy bear toy and making their own teddy bear.

"Yes, sir." Although it was late at night, the secretary decided to call the people in the script library.

Ronald Meyer was not interested. But if the profit was much greater than the cost, Ronald Meyer would not hesitate.

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

Just like Universal Pictures, the other film companies were shocked when they heard the result of The Hangover.

"Sigh, it will probably clash with Independence Day next week."

Tom sighed and leaned back in his chair. As the CEO of 20th Century Fox, he looked at Kazir's situation with the utmost seriousness.

Kazir Grey was the director of Napoleon Dynamite, and Tom Rothman was eager to work with him again. As for the scandal, he was confident that it could be resolved with the help of News Corporation.

"I should have agreed to his terms."

He muttered weakly. This was exactly the feeling he had when he realized that Se7en was successful, he regretted that he didn't cooperate with Kazir. But there was always a second chance. Especially now that Kazir's name had been cleared.

"If he doesn't like doing sequels, maybe we can work together on other projects.

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

After the midnight results of The Hangover came in, the next day arrived.

June 28, 1996. Friday. The Hangover grossed $16.73 million.

June 29, 1996. Saturday. It made another $15.05 million.

June 30, 1996. Sunday. The Hangover made $13.18 million.

Combined, the movie made $44.97 million in just three days.

This was the power of hyping a subject to gain traction. A lot of people would be interested in seeing the movie. Especially if the movie was funny and entertaining.

As for The Nutty Professor, which was released by Universal Pictures, it earned $25.41 million in the first three days. It was a very successful movie. But because of The Hangover, it only got second place for the week.

Obviously, the box office champion of the week was The Hangover.

"Congratulations, Kazir."

At the Twister party, many actors and actresses greeted Kazir on their own.

In the past few days, almost no one wanted to talk to him because he was a "wife beater. But the success of The Hangover has erased that stigma.

Now almost all the actors and actresses wanted to talk to him. Especially the small actresses who wanted to talk to him to deepen their friendship.

'... Is that Angelina Jolie? Even Julia Roberts is here. Oh, and Halle Berry too.'

Kazir found several famous actresses at the party. Some of them were still unknown, but their careers would blossom over the next decade.

"Who are you looking at?"

Reese Witherspoon stood next to him and asked.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering if the special effects on Twister cost a lot of money."

He replied.

He knew when to be honest and when not. He wanted as little trouble as possible.

"By the way... When can you help me act for my audition?"

"How about later?"

"Fufu, okay. Let's enjoy the party first."

Reese giggled and squeezed his arm.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 70


The main stars of the party were Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton and Jan De Bont.

Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton were the protagonists of Twister, while Jan De Bont was the director.

Since they were the main stars, Kazir Grey and Reese Witherspoon greeted them with congratulations.

As of June 30, 1996. The movie Twister had grossed $220 million at the North American box office.

In addition, the first week of international release of Twister grossed more than $45 million. Everyone understood that this was just the beginning and that the movie would continue to make money in theaters.

These results were enough for Warner Bros to throw a celebration party.

"Congratulations, Miss Hunt. Twister is a beautiful movie."

Kazir and Reese shook hands with the famous actress. They also congratulated Bill Paxton and Jon De Bont.

Bill Paxton was known for his roles in Aliens, True Lies, Apollo 13, Twister and Titanic.

In fact, after this celebration, he would be traveling to Baja California, Mexico to join the crew of Titanic.

"I'm actually scared of director Cameron. I don't want him to scold me."

He laughed, and Kazir just listened to Bill Paxton.

After the interview, he also talked to director Jon De Bont.

As a director, Kazir had a better relationship with Jon De Bont.

"You know, Kazir. It took us almost three months to create a believable tornado using computer animation. I almost thought the movie would be delayed. I also have to spend hours in post-production."

"Sometimes we can't help but re-edit a scene to make it shorter. Just to make sure the audience feels the tension."

"That's right. I even called the cast to reshoot another scene. Warner Bros almost lost their minds."

They both nodded. They were directors and sometimes they wanted to satisfy their creativity. To the point where they would ask for something outrageous, like asking for more money and shooting useless scenes. There were so many instances of this happening during the filming.

Jon De Bont was a director who was known to be involved in many movies. He was a director, producer and cinematographer.

He directed Speed and Twister. He was the executive producer of The Haunting and the producer of Minority Report.

Before he became a director, he was the cinematographer of many well-known movies such as Basic Instinct, Lethal Weapon 3, and Die Hard.

Kazir respects talented people.

After talking to the main stars of the party, Kazir and Reese said their goodbyes.

A few seconds later, Warner Bros executives appeared with happy faces. Especially Terry Semel and Enrico Pusi.

The success of Twister and The Hangover brought them big profits this year. Both Terry Semel and Enrico Pusi received bonuses from Time Warner.

After greeting Jan De Bont and the others, Terry Semel approached Kazir with a broad smile.

"Kazir, I'm glad to see you! How's your week going?"

"Terry, The Hangover made $49 million this week. Of course I'm happy." Kazir chuckled.

"Haha, that's right. That's right. I knew working with you was the best thing to do."

Terry Semel laughed and talked with him for a few minutes. Since the real purpose of this party was to make a connection, Terry Semel didn't stay long and talked with the others.

"About the Titanic, I actually auditioned for the role of the heroine."

Reese Witherspoon whispered beside him.

"Really?"

"Yes. But I was eliminated in the first round of auditions. So many women audition for the role. I remember more than 1,000 small-time actresses going in and out of the room."

"I think they have a different aesthetic for the role. Because I think you're cute."

"I guess so, and don't use your pick-up lines on me. It's not going to work."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"Shut up~" She giggled.

"Don't worry, you said you were auditioning for Face-Off and Scream. Have you been practicing your scream lately?"

"Why do I feel like you're asking about something else? But yes, I'm making sure my scream can break the glass. So you want me to join the Scream?"

"That's right."

Scream was a famous horror slasher series with so many movies. It was a better choice than Face-Off.

"I'll make you scream later." He teased her.

"Geez."

Reese smiled. She was probably looking for that.

But while they were talking. Another person greeted them.

"Hello, Director Grey and Miss Witherspoon. I'm Jeffrey Epstein. I'm a financier."

The man held out his hand.

"..."

Kazir didn't expect to meet the famous "financier" at this party. Kazir kept his smile on, but he didn't accept the handshake.

Jeffrey Epstein saw that Kazir had no intention of accepting his handshake. Instead, he pulled out a business card.

"I have contact with elite people, and my job is to form joyful parties for them. I think you will like it. I can send you an invitation if you're interested. I can invite you to my private island if you like."

That was right, Jeffrey Epstein was good at throwing "parties" and inviting celebrities.

"Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, Chris Tucker, Bill Gates, Prince Andrew, Alex Baldwin, Henry Kissinger, Charlie Rose, Stephen Colbert, Will Smith and so many others have visited my island and said they love it. If you want, you can ask Tom Hanks about it."

"I'll think about it."

Kazir replied. But he didn't take the card. In fact, he has no intention of joining the so-called party.

"Well, have a good night."

Jeffrey Epstein walked away from the couple.

"Kazir, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Kazir understood very well. No matter how much people glamorized Hollywood, it didn't change the fact that it was a place where crime was prevalent but hidden.

'I hate to say it, but a lot of people in Hollywood are pedophiles. They are just good at keeping it hidden. Now, I am not here to tell you that all the people who went to Epstein Island are criminals. Maybe some of them are innocent. Let's all just wait for the truth... However, they are very suspicious. They have kept up this facade of being good people when they are not.'

Kazir agreed that Hollywood was no paradise. Jeffrey Epstein was living proof of that. Hollywood was dirty garbage. Unfortunately, Hollywood was the dream of all actors, actresses and directors like him.

All he had to do was stay away from those disgusting fetishes and crimes.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Ryan B, Marga T, Cesar M, Bikash G, Andiyah B, and Jonathan D!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 71


Since Kazir Grey and Reese Witherspoon had nothing to do at the party. They already greeted most of the people. Some actresses tried to flirt with Kazir in front of Reese, but that was a common thing.

After all, women prefer a successful man. This statement was basically true. Some might say it was wrong, but it was hard to deny. Women like strong, good looking and successful men.

Anyway, Kazir didn't bother to entertain these women. He knew how hellish it was once caught in the pit of a woman's madness. So much so that he was accused of being a wife beater.

'Maybe some of these women think I'm really a wife-beater. But they still try to flirt with me.'

The couple walked to the exit. However, right at the exit, they met someone who was holding a bottle of wine and looking drunk.

"... Mel?"

Kazir recognized the person. It was Mel Gibson.

Lethal Weapon was produced by Warner Bros. Of course they would invite Mel Gibson to the party. Especially when Jon De Bont was the cinematographer on Lethal Weapon 3.

Kazir saw Mel Gibson talking to Jon De Bont earlier. He was sober then. But now...

"Oh, look who we have here! Kazir Grey! Congratulations, Burp, your movie is the box office champion! Burp!"

Mel Gibson leaned against the wall. He was clearly drunk.

"..."

Kazir narrowed his eyes, even Reese next to him was nervous.

"Since you're here, I'm going to warn you. I saw you talking to Jeffrey Epstein earlier... I'm telling you. DO NOT FUCKING GO."

Kazir didn't expect that Mel Gibson would be the one to warn him about the danger of Epstein Island.

"Kazir. You're still new in Hollywood and you're not tainted by the filth, burp. I'll tell you the truth, there are so many pedophiles in Hollywood. You have to be strong and resist the temptations. Guaarggh!"

He said that and threw up on the floor.

Reese could not help but frown in disgust.

"Mel, I think you need to get some rest. I will call someone to take care of you."

Instead of being disgusted, Kazir felt grateful. Most of the people at the party saw him talking to Jeffrey Epstein. But only one person had the courage to warn him.

'Now that I think about it, Mel Gibson didn't have any scandals other than being an alcoholic, yelling anti-Semitic rants, and beating his ex-girlfriend.... Right?'

Perhaps he was wrong. But this man was known for telling the truth. There was an article about Mel Gibson warning people about the filth of Hollywood.

"Thank you, Mel... I will keep that in mind."

The organizer called a driver for Mel Gibson to take him to his mansion and everything went back to normal.

As for Kazir and Reese... Well, that little incident didn't stop them from "rehearsing" how to "scream" at Reese's audition.

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

The cast and director were required to promote their movie. Warner Bros had a number of publicity stunts to promote the movie. Like the actors appearing in public and doing stunts that caught the attention of people. Helping kids in orphanage, public feeding, and even throwing parties for the elderlies.

Ed Helms and Pedro Pascal were invited to a TV show. That was all to promote the movie. Even Reese went to Canada and showed her face in one of the theaters.

As for Kazir, he obviously wanted to go to New York. Since they were going to promote the movie in New York, Kazir took the opportunity to meet his family.

He met his father and Aaron. However, because they were all busy, they only had one dinner the whole time Kazir was in New York. Their relationship was good, so it was not a problem. Men should work hard for their future. His father was proud of him.

As for Cassandra Hoecrap... She was getting so much backlash these days. Kazir had already forgotten about her.

As the promotion continued, Monday came and The Hangover grossed $7.65 million. Warner Bros was already expecting the big drop. Most people go to the movies on the weekend. So Monday through Thursday usually had a weak audience response.

In fact, The Hangover did much better than expected on Monday. Warner Bros thought the movie would only make about $5 million.

The next day, Tuesday, July 2, 1996. The movie grossed $6.58 million.

Wednesday. It was $6.65 million.

Thursday. It made $6.09 million.

Friday. July 5, 1996. The movie grossed $10.31 million.

Saturday. It grossed $12.60 million.

Sunday. It was $9.88 million.

Like I said, more people go to the movies on a weekend. So The Hangover's box office went up.

So within ten days, The Hangover made $104.76 million at the box office! Its first ten days grossed more than $100 million.

Unfortunately, despite earning about $60 million this week, The Hangover didn't get the box office champion this week.

The one that won the box office champion for the week was none other than 20th Century Fox's Independence Day!

Its first week was $96.10 million!

The plot of America vs. Aliens caught the attention of many people.

So The Hangover only got the second place.

But no one thought that the movie was a failure. Instead, more and more film companies tried to contact Kazir about his next project!

Even 20th Century Fox was eager to make Napoleon Dynamite II. They tried to convince Kazir to make the movie.

But instead of agreeing... Kazir sent them a new script instead.

"What the hell is this? An action movie?"

Tom Rothman frowned when he first received the script. He had never expected Kazir Grey to be interested in an action movie.

"That bastard... Why does he want to make an action movie instead of a comedy?"

His two successful movies were all comedies, yet Kazir wanted to start a project about a retired agent who wants to save his daughter from human traffickers!

It was outrageous.

"He should stick to his forte..."

Tom Rothman lost his temper.

Independence Day was a success and he was happy. But after the success of the movie, 20th Century Fox had to find another movie to invest in. In his opinion, Kazir was the safest bet. But the bastard wanted to make an action movie!

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 72


The month of July was a part of the summer when students could play around and watch movies.

Every film company understood how important the summer schedule was, because this was the season when film companies could make a lot of money.

Phenomenon, Courage Under Fire, A Time to Kill, and many other movies were released in July.

However, the month of July was dominated by only two movies. They were The Hangover and Independence Day.

At the end of the month, which was July 31st, Independence Day had $228.99 million. Honestly, that was a very large amount of money in just one month. This may be one of the reasons why Independence Day became the highest grossing movie of 1996.

Everyone in Hollywood understood that the movie would make more money. It still hadn't lost its freshness, and more moviegoers would watch t.

As for The Hangover, it earned $207.01 million. It was amazing that these two movies were released almost at the same time and their box office was over $200 million each.

The people in the marketing departments of the film companies concluded that people were very interested in science fiction. Especially if it had good graphics.

As for The Hangover, it was brought about by the scandal. Many people heard about the movie because of Kazir's scandal. So people became interested in the movie.

But let us not forget another fact. In the film history, the first movie that was advertised in the Super Bowl was Independence Day. It caused a huge shock after it was advertised. Because almost hundreds of millions of people watch Super Bowl every year.

Publicity. The two movies had good publicity. That could be the clear conclusion.

Even Disney felt that their decision to disturb Kazir Grey was wrong. Phenomenon didn't have any good results at all. The scandal they created was useless. Instead, they helped Kazir Grey and Warner Bros.

To make matters worse, Salvatore Barlowe announced that Kazir Grey would never work with Walt Disney and Universal Pictures.

Yes, the agent fucking announced it! Not at all afraid of the consequences. After all, there were other four giants Kazir could work with.

"... Michael."

Harvey Weinstein wiped his brow. He was the one responsible for fanning the flames of the scandal.

Michael Eisner closed his eyes. The performance of their films this year had been a bit lopsided.

Even their big production films like The Rock and Ransom didn't make $200 million. Their animated films were also getting weaker.

'That is why we need new blood in this company.'

That was why he invited his friend Michael Ovitz to be the president of Walt Disney.

Michael Eisner was the chairman of Walt Disney and he controlled the company for about a decade. He was talented and led the company to glorious years.

But Michael Eisner understood that the hand-drawn animation industry was beginning to lose its edge.

This is why we need to acquire Pixar.

He thought about so many things.

"Did Michael Ovitz agree with this decision to create a scandal about Kazir Grey?"

"He was silent about it."

Harvey Weinstein replied. Michael Ovitz was the founder of CAA. He obviously didn't want to help Harvey Weinstein with his plan. He just turned a blind eye.

"So you're saying that WMA had a way to smear Kazir's reputation? They gave you Cassandra Hoecrap's contact number and you started helping them?"

"That's right."

"Now this is a bit complicated. I can't believe you were manipulated by WMA."

"..."

Harvey Weinstein gritted his teeth. He was the founder of Miramax and he had a great sense of pride. He didn't like the fact that Napoleon Dynamite escaped from him, so he decided to smear Kazir's reputation.

"You don't have to explain. I understand. You can leave now."

"..."

Harvey Weinstein had no choice but to leave. Walt Disney was the major shareholder of Miramax. They basically owned it. The fat guy left the office in a huff.

"...I should probably kick the Weinstein brothers out of Miramax."

Michael Eisner sighed. The people who controlled Miramax were the Weinstein brothers, not even Michael Eisner could interfere.

Since Michael Eisner was an authoritarian person, he already planned to kick the Weinstein brothers out.

"This could be a good situation."

When Harvey Weinstein used the power of Walt Disney to make trouble for Kazir, Michael Eisner turned a blind eye. Because he felt that Kazir Grey was nothing more than a newcomer. But his current movie was very successful.

So this Kazir Grey caught Michael Eisner's attention.

"Let's see if he is useful or dangerous."

While the politics were going on in Hollywood, Kazir and the cast of The Hangover flew to the United Kingdom.

Australia and Great Britain were both English-speaking countries. Hollywood usually released movies in their countries because of language similarities. Of course, there were other English-speaking countries, but these two countries bring a lot of money to Hollywood.

After going to Great Britain, the actors would go to other countries in Europe. Art films were very prominent in Europe, and they respected films.

Although recently European countries hated Hollywood because of its success. European art films were losing their strength.

"Do you think we will meet Princess Diana?"

Reese Witherspoon asked Kazir Grey after they got off the private plane. The plane belonged to Warner Bros.

"Princess Diana? Ah!"

Kazir recalled that Princess Diana was still alive at the time.

'Her death is really heartbreaking...'

He sighed.

'As for the conspiracy theories about her and the royal family... I didn't really know what happened.'

"I am amazed by Princess Diana because she is a real person... Unlike her husband."

"Reese, you should keep your voice down. The royal family is in control of this country. We don't want to upset them. Besides, Prince Charles is going to inherit the throne."

"Really?"

"Well... That's what I've heard."

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Benjamin, Magnus B, and John!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 73


The promotion for The Hangover went on for over a month before the last stop, Japan.

Despite her hopes, Reese Witherspoon didn't meet Princess Diana. They only stayed three days in the United Kingdom before leaving. Besides, The Hangover might be inappropriate for the princess to attend.

After all, the Princess was still married to Prince Charles when The Hangover premiered in the UK. They divorced on August 28, 1996... Six days after the film's release.

Apparently, the cast had already flown to another country by the time it was officially announced.

Anyway, Reese was surprised that when they returned to the U.S., the news of Princess Diana and Prince Charles' divorce was all over the news.

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

"Phew... Let me rest."

Kazir lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. He was exhausted.

The two months of endless publicity had taken their toll on Kazir. They went to different places, traveled around the world just to promote the movie.

The month of August came to an end and the summer schedule was over. There were still movies to be released in September, but they didn't get much attention.

Film companies usually released movies that they were not sure about in that month. Like Se7en, it was released in September last year.

Speaking of Se7en, the movie officially ended its run. It earned more than 400 million dollars. The movie was now on the videotape market and people could buy it for about $30. There was no deluxe version of the movie.

'A blank videotape is cheap. A few years ago I bought ten blank videotapes for $7. But prerecorded videotapes were the expensive ones. Almost 45 times as much as a single blank videotape.'

This was the reason why the film companies made more money from the distribution of videotapes. The revenues were much higher than the expenses. Cinema Alliance had a huge cut of the box office. The movie companies could only get 60 to 70 percent of the box office.

For example, Napoleon Dynamite grossed $149 million at the North American box office. The Cinema Alliance (made up of AMC, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark and many smaller theaters) would get $59.60 million.

This would leave Fox Searchlight Pictures with only $89.4 million. Note that Fox Searchlight Pictures bought the movie for $2.3 million and their advertising cost was about $5 million. So they had $82.1 million... To be honest, that was a lot of money for a start-up company like Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Unfortunately, the company made a deal with Kazir Grey that he would get 5% of the box office. Not the profit, but the share of the box office. So Fox Searchlight Pictures was obligated to pay him $7.45 million.

So their profit was 74.65 million dollars. By the way, the company also had to pay taxes, so...

It was no understatement to say that the videotape market saved Hollywood. Because it really did. Without the invention of the VCR player, movie studios would be facing bankruptcy.

'If I'm not mistaken, Fox Searchlight Pictures sold the videotape of Napoleon Dynamite for $27. And they sold 3 million copies in the last two months. That's about $81 million...'

Those numbers would continue to grow throughout the year. So the company had a steady income. On top of that was the video rental business. Fox Searchlight Pictures had a cut of that too.

Kazir opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. He could not believe he would reach this status in just two years. He went back in time to November 1994. That was when he pitched his script to New Line Cinema and worked for them for almost five months. He then asked his brother for an investment and began filming Napoleon Dynamite. He sold the copyrights to Fox Searchlight Pictures and made millions.

'Maybe people will be disappointed that half the profits from Napoleon Dynamite went to Aaron... They can go fuck themselves. I will never reach that status without his help. Besides, I'm not giving it to anybody, it's my brother. Maybe you didn't have a good relationship with your family. If you ask me, I'm willing to die for my family... Excluding mom, of course. I hadn't seen her for almost a decade. I had no idea what she was doing.'

'People will hate me, but who cares? They can live their lives and suck their dicks.'

But The Hangover was different. Kazir laughed out loud. All 10% of the North American box office was for him alone.

Kazir had already received his $5 million salary. He was even thinking about buying a house.

Warner Bros had signed a contract that if The Hangover grossed more than $100 million, Kazir Grey would automatically get 10% of the box office.

Since the month of August was already over. The Hangover played for more than 60 days. The movie made 261 million dollars. Yes, he would get more than 26 million dollars!

"Not bad... Who am I kidding, it's the best! Haha!"

He laughed as he lay on the bed.

Money. People said money was bad. They said it was the root of all evil. They said that money could never make you happy.

"Well, I'm not sure about that."

One thing was for sure. He was happy now that he had a lot of money.

"Now, about my next plan..."

Kazir knew he was taking a risk with his new project. In fact, many film companies were trying to contact him about his project.

'Terry Semel has already expressed his dissatisfaction with my next film not being a comedy. He said it would be better if I directed the sequel of The Hangover instead. He has a point. It's better to direct a comedy than an action movie, especially when I don't have any experience in directing an action movie. But it's my dream to make an action movie... Hell, I even have a cinematic universe in my head.'

Kazir yawned and slowly let his mind drift off to sleep. He had plenty of time to think about it. Now that his last two movies were successful, someone would be interested in working with him.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Ricky F and NLArcher!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 74


"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit--!!!"

Carl Morin cursed under his breath as he walked into the WMA Vice President's office.

He already had an idea why he had been summoned. His fists were clenched in anger. He was flushed. Even his eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't had any real rest these days. Mad, angry, he was in despair. Especially when Cassandra filed a complaint against him.

That was right. The bitch would never go to jail alone. She had to take Carl Morin with her!

Carl Morin entered the room without a care in the world.

"You know why you're here."

Lawlor Dean looked at Carl Morin. The WMA president of L.A branch spoke to Lawlor Dean. He was humiliated in front of the other vice presidents.

WMA was an agency and there were five vice presidents and two presidents. The company had two offices, Los Angeles and New York.

Even though he was a Vice President, Lawlor Dean received nothing but criticism at the annual meeting. The other vice presidents blamed him for Kazir Grey's situation.

After all, Lawlor Dean was the one responsible for kicking the director out of their company.

Fortunately, Lawlor Dean was not fired, but his position in the company was grave.

"You have to understand. This is all your fault."

"..."

Carl Morin was too quiet. He didn't know when everything went wrong. Was it because he had seduced Cassandra? Was it because he dumped Kazir Grey? Or was it because of Leon Lau's movie?

"Leon Lau's movie didn't make any money at all. It stayed in theaters for four weeks. It only made a small amount of 5.6 million dollars!"

Lawlor Dean spoke. He looked at the documents in front of him. The movie had been a massive failure.

"Vice President, Leon's movie didn't have a big budget. It only cost 600 thousand dollars. I think generating 5.6 million dollars is not bad."

Carl Morin tried to explain.

"That's right. It's impossible for a movie with a small budget to make that much money. It didn't have any publicity either... But what about Napoleon Dynamite?"

"..."

Carl Morin didn't know how to respond to this statement.

"Napoleon Dynamite cost 500 thousand dollars to make. Yet it had much more trend than Leon Lau's movie. I can't believe you pushed Kazir away. He is much more talented than Leon Lau... It's all your fault."

"Wait, what?"

Carl Morin was stunned. He knew that he was partly responsible for Kazir's termination. But at that time he had only followed Lawlor Dean's orders.

"No! I think you are also responsible. If it were not for you, Kazir might still be my client! Maybe my status as an agent will be upgraded if Kazir is still my client... If not for your order at that time!"

Carl Morin roared.

"Shut up. You don't have to blame others for your own mistakes. You are fired. You don't have to show your face anymore. Pack your things."

"What about Leon Lau's contract?"

"We will find another agent for Leon. Now go away. I don't want to see you again."

Lawlor Dean scoffed.

"I see... So everything I have done is nothing. The hard work I did is useless. Hehe." He laughed madly.

"Get out of my office."

"No, not at all."

Carl Morin approached the Vice President.

"W-what are you doing? Stay away! I said stay away!"

"I need to teach you a lesson first!"

Carl Morin began to punch Lawlor Dean. This caused a huge scene in WMA. The police arrested Carl Morin for assault and battery. As for Lawlor Dean, his face was swollen and red. His nose was broken. Even his ribs were broken. As for his left knee... he might have a hard time walking without a cane.

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

"You said Terry Semel wanted to see me?"

Kazir walked down the building. Beside him was his agent, Salvatore Barlowe.

"That's right. I believe it has to do with the box office and your next movie."

"I understand."

The two walked down the parking lot. As they walked, they found a commotion.

"Let go of me!"

"Ma'am, you are trespassing. We advise you to leave or we will call the police."

"Then call the cops! I'm going to jail anyway! I just want to meet someone! I said let me go!"

Kazir and Salvatore stopped. They recognized the woman. It was Cassandra Hoecrap, Kazir's ex-wife.

"K- Kazir! Kazir! It's me! Baby, let's talk! Baby? Baby!"

Cassandra started to make a scene when she found Kazir.

Kazir Grey sighed. He was over with Cassandra, but it seemed the woman wanted to harass him.

"Cassandra, what are you doing here?"

"Baby, let's talk please~ I miss you~"

Her voice was hoarse even though she spoke sweetly. Maybe she hadn't slept much these days.

Her appearance was unkempt. She didn't have her usual makeup and false eyelashes... She looked simple and sweet. This was the truth. Cassandra had lost weight, but she still looked pretty. Even without makeup.

Unfortunately for Cassandra, Kazir was unaffected by her pathetic appearance.

"What do you want?"

"Kazir, baby... Let's go back to the time when we love each other, baby. I miss you~"

Her eyes watered. Kazir was not sure if the woman was sincere or faking it. But he felt nothing.

"Cassandra, we are divorced. Our divorce is already settled."

He started to walk away. He didn't bother to talk to her.

"T- Then at least stop the lawsuit! Kazir, I know you can do it! Don't you feel sorry for me? I thought you love me! Kazir, please... I don't want to go to jail."

Kazir stopped and turned around.

"Cassandra. You tried to destroy my life, three times. The first time, I almost wanted to stop living. I hated you... But now you are nothing but a stranger. I will not stop the trial. You deserve it."

"Why? Why are you doing this to me? Kazir! You're a heartless bastard! Fuck you!"

"No Cassandra, I think you are the heartless one here."

"What do you mean?" She glared at him. Biting her lip until it bled.

"I know what you did. You aborted our child."

"..." Cassandra was speechless.

"H-how did you know?"

"It's useless to explain. I don't want to see you again."

"Kazir! Kazir! Baby, I'm sorry! I was greedy back then! I don't want a burden because I want to divorce you! I feel the child is useless since we are going to divorce anyway! Baby, listen to me, please!"

Kazir didn't listen and walked away. Cassandra was subdued by the security guards and screamed her lungs out.

That was the last time Kazir saw her.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Author's note: The first part may be unnecessary, but I already wrote it... Anyway, this chapter was actually written three months ago, and there are almost 100 advanced chapters on my Patreon. If you're interested, you might want to check it out].

[Shout out to David K and Elle!]


Hollywood What If Chapter 75


"Your Honor. I'm the innocent one here. I never cheated, I was the one who was cheated on. Why is my ex-wife entitled to half of my assets?"

Kazir Grey was emaciated with dark circles around his eyes. He tried to plead with the jury, but the process was never on his side.

"The court system always favors women because that is the way it is." The judge said.

"Are you serious? Is this even a real trial? How can you say that? This is not how a trial should be conducted. I demand a proper verdict!"

"Your Honor, I don't think Kazir Grey has the right to speak. He doesn't respect you at all." Cassandra's lawyer tried to stop Kazir from speaking.

"Objection, Your Honor, my client has a right to speak." Terrence Howard stood up to defend his client.

"Well, as the judge of this court. I must say that I believe all women because they are always right. Now, Mr. Kazir Grey, you must give Cassandra Hoecrap half of your savings. And you will give her the house. That's it, case closed."

"..."

Kazir Grey was stunned.

"This is stupidity! I bet that bitch is sucking the judge's dick or something!"

Even Terrence Howard felt that the whole trial was a circus. From the beginning, the judge favored Cassandra.

The hearing was over and Kazir was left standing defeated.

He heard his ex-wife giggling. He turned to find Cassandra approaching him.

"Did you see what happened? That's what you deserve for trying to defend yourself. Oh, by the way, Kazir... We actually had a baby, but I got rid of it just to spite you. I also fucked Carl Morin. Fufu, your expression is so cute."

"What did you say? I'M ASKING YOU, WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"Fufu, you heard me right. I don't want a child from a weak man like you. See you later, I hope you keep the house clean because I'm going to sell it."

Kazir stared at the woman with deep hatred. He clenched his fists in anger and swore in the courtroom. He thought the devil was not real, but Cassandra Hoecrap was the definition of evil.

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

"I can't believe I've come to the point where I can forgive her."

Kazir muttered as he looked out the window. He was over 50 years old when he was reincarnated in 1994. In that time, Kazir had matured and his hatred for his ex-wife had disappeared. What happened back then was nothing but painful memories, and it made him a better person.

He was still sad about the child he never saw, but it had been more than 3 decades. He had already moved on and accepted the truth.

He could not stop it because it was already too late.

His feelings towards Cassandra were nothing. She was just a stranger to him.

What happened to her was none of his business.

"Kazir, we are here."

Salvatore Barlowe told him and Kazir returned to reality.

"Let's go."

The two left the car and entered the Warner Brothers headquarters.

On the way into the building, Kazir recognized a certain person. In fact, he paused just to make sure he wasn't seeing the wrong person.

"Hello, Mr. Neeson."

Kazir made the first move and greeted the actor.

"I'm sorry, are you...?"

Liam Neeson hadn't expected someone to come up and greet him. Judging by the man's demeanor, he was a confident guy. But Liam didn't know him.

"I'm Kazir Grey. I directed Napoleon Dynamite and The Hangover."

"So you're Director Grey. It's nice to meet you."

Liam Neeson knew of Kazir, but he had never met him. Liam was a man who rarely appeared in public. He was always quiet about his life.

The two shook hands and smiled at each other.

Liam Neeson visited Warner Bros because of his movie about Michael Collins. It was a biographical movie with Liam Neeson in the lead. It had a budget of 25 million dollars. Yes, it had a smaller budget than The Hangover. Even Liam Neeson's salary was never more than $3 million.

After the success of Schindler's List, Liam Neeson got many roles, but none of them brought him success...

Kazir Grey and Liam Neeson talked for a few seconds before Kazir excused himself.

'Looks like we already met the protagonist.'

Kazir grinned. Liam's age was 44, and that was the right age for Bryan Mills, a former government agent.

'When Taken was first filmed, Liam Neeson was already 56. It was hard for him to do the stunts. But this time it's different. It's the best age for Liam Neeson to play a retired agent.'

If Kazir was honest. He liked the Taken franchise.

'If there's one action movie I like when I was old, it's probably John Wick, but Taken is my number two. Jason Bourne is third and Fast and Furious is fourth.'

"Salvatore, I heard Liam Neeson is a client of CAA."

"That's right. Liam Neeson's agent is Chris Andrews. Why did you ask?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad to hear it. At least the negotiations will not be complicated since Liam and I are both clients of CAA."

"Wait, you don't mean...?"

Salvatore Barlowe narrowed his eyes.

"That's right. Once the project starts, I want to invite Liam Neeson to play the lead."

"I'll try to contact Chris Andrews."

"Yes. I don't want to experience what happened last time with Ed Helms. William Morris Agency is really trying to interfere with my movie schedule as much as possible."

If that continued, Kazir would only choose actors from CAA. At least they won't complicate things for him.

'I give them roles after all.'

"Kazir, don't forget your promise. You will cast Enzo and one of my clients in your movie."

"No problem. But they have to audition first. If their looks and acting don't meet the criteria, I'll have to turn them down."

"I'll talk to them about it."

"Good."

The two entered the elevator.



[I'm bored, so I want to share my top 5 underrated anime]

1. Psycho Pass

2. Darker Than Black

3. Blood+

4. Blood Blockade Battlefront (Where's the fucking season 3!?)

5. Akame Ga Kill

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 76


The two arrived at the meeting place, Terry Semel's office. Kazir saw only three people in the room. They were Terry Semel, his secretary, and Enrico Pusi.

"Good to see you, Terry, Enrico."

"Kazir, Salvatore, please sit down."

Kazir and Salvatore found seats.

"So Kazir, I read your proposals and some of them are much more outrageous than last time. Your condition for The Hangover is a 10% share. But this time you want 15% North American box office share? And you want to invest at least 30% in this Taken movie of yours?"

"That's right, Terry. There's a reason I want to invest in this movie."

"Let's see... It's written here that you want approval rights if we start a sequel to the movie. To be honest, I'm not sure if this movie will even have a sequel. This is different from your usual style."

"What do you think, Terry?"

Kazir kept his smile.

"If you ask me. The plot is very stupid."

"Yeah, I thought so too. But a lot of movies have stupid plots." Kazir agreed.

"..."

The atmosphere in the office was a bit awkward. Both sides had clear motives.

"Kazir, I recommend that you continue to make comedies instead. Warner Bros will not hesitate to invest in Teddy Bear if you want, heck, we are ready to spend money on a better computer graphics. We will also give you 15% of the North American box office. As for The Hangover Part 2, we will even pay you $8 million plus 15% of the North American box office if you are interested."

Warner Bros would never hesitate to pay Kazir a good amount of money just to make sure that The Hangover sequel would be successful. Kazir Grey has already proven his ability. He could make successful comedies.

Terry Semel tried to persuade Kazir. He felt that Kazir was wasting his talent by doing something stupid.

'Why bother to make an action movie when his talent lies in comedy?'

"I'll think about it."

"..."

Terry Semel sighed. He knew he didn't have the ability to convince him.

'If I had known this was going to happen, I would have convinced Kazir to sign two more movie deals. Now I can understand Tom Rothman.' Terry Semel thought.

"Anyway, what's the plot of this movie? A man who rescues his daughter from human traffickers seems reasonable. But why do you have these ninjas, curving bullets, and Baba Yaga? What the hell is Baba Yaga?"

Terry Semel frowned as he read the words. The plot of the movie was fine, but some of the ingredients didn't add up. He wondered why Kazir added these unnecessary things.

"Terry, I have a reason. Here."

Kazir was prepared. He pulled out another script. He only showed this script to Terry Semel because of their relationship.

Terry Semel raised his eyebrows as he read the title.

"John Wick? Never heard of that name."

Terry Semel began to read the script. It was only five pages of script, it was not polished. He turned the last page and stared at Kazir.

"Now I know why you want the rights to the sequel. These two movies are connected. You want to make sure you have authority over these projects."

"That's right." Kazir didn't have to lie. It was obvious anyway.

"I call it the Continental Cinematic Universe," Kazir added.

"Cinematic Universe? Interesting..." Terry Semel's eyes twinkled. Kazir's idea was interesting.

However, he had the feeling that this Cinematic Universe of Kazir's would flop.

'So he's trying to make connected movies like Quentin Tarantino? Kazir, I'm so disappointed in you. You can do better.'

There was only one man that Terry Semel knew who made movies that were in the same universe. It was Quentin Tarantino.

'If I'm not mistaken, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction are connected.'

At that time, in 1996, Quentin Tarantino had only made three movies. Only Pulp Fiction did well at the box office.

So Terry Semel felt that this whole Cinematic Universe was not going to be successful. If it was not successful, Warner Bros would not touch a project like this.

"The Cinema Alliance has already given us our share, we will send you the 10% on your account later".

"I'm glad to hear that. Thank you, Terry."

The two shook hands. Both sides understood that the meeting had failed. Warner Bros was not interested in his project.

As Kazir and Salvatore left the office, Terry shook his head in disapproval. In his opinion, Kazir should stick to what he was good at. Experimenting could lead him to destruction.

"Sir..."

Enrico Pusi started to speak, but Terry Semel signaled him.

"Enrico, try to find a director to make The Hangover Part 2. And make sure Kazir is involved in writing the sequel. Make him an executive producer if you have to."

"Sir, I will do my best."

Enrico Pusi nodded.

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

"Looks like we need to contact the other companies," Kazir muttered.

"Paramount and 20th Century Fox have expressed their willingness to work with you."

"What about Sony-Columbia?"

"Kazir, you know that Sony-Columbia has been trying to make safe movies in recent years. They haven't had much influence... but yes, they want to work with you, but with Teddy Bear. I heard that they know a brand of teddy bear stuffed toys in Japan that would be happy to use their brand for the movie."

"Let's look into it."

The script about Teddy Bear was still on the market. Many companies wanted to buy the script and Kazir was still waiting for better conditions. Besides, the movie was just for baiting. He knew that CGI technology was still in initial stage and Kazir have no intention of directing it. Let the Big Six spend more money, hehe.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Eduardo T, Hamza I, Zavien K, Ahmad A, Robert M, Gintoki Sakata, Cosmicuni, Mark S!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 77


November 21st, 1996.

Kazir went to the investment firm. He wanted to increase his investment in the three companies.

This year, Nokia's stock had risen 50.27%. He decided to invest $1.6 million earlier this year, and his current investment turned into $2.4 million.

Cisco's share price increased by 70.8%. He also invested $1.6 million in Cisco. Now the money he invested became $2.7 million.

Of his three investments, Microsoft's stock price increased the most this year. It was 88.31%. Kazir split his $5 million into three parts. Apparently, he invested $1.6 million in Microsoft. His $1.6 million became $3 million.

Combining the three, Kazir's original $5 million became $8.1 million.

Of course, stock prices fluctuate every second, and those amounts could rise or fall tomorrow. That was the way the stock market worked.

Kazir received his $5 million salary after the movie was completed. Last week he also received his 10% share of the North American box office. So yes, he got another $20 million from Warner Bros.

This time, Kazir decided to invest another $10 million in the stock market. More precisely, he invested in the three companies (Microsoft, Cisco and Nokia) again. These were the companies he remembered quite well. He divided the $10 million into three parts and left it to the investment firm.

"It's nice working with you, Director Grey."

"I know you won't disappoint me, Vance Goodhood."

Kazir Grey's investment advisor was Vance Goodhood. Vance worked at a prestigious investment firm. He had good credit and a good reputation.

Kazir knew this person in a previous life. Well, they were not friends or acquaintances. But he knew that Vance never had a bad reputation in his profession. He was a famous investment advisor even in the next three decades. So Kazir trusted him.

After increasing his investment, Kazir decided to leave the firm.

It was two months ago that he met Terry Semel about pitching Taken. Since then, Salvatore Barlowe began his work. He tried to contact the film companies interested in Kazir's next project.

'I heard that Salvatore was having some problems with CAA.'

CAA had a policy about famous clients. Typically, a client like Kazir Grey would have two or more agents working for him.

This was part of CAA's policy to make sure that the agent could not monopolize the client.

'If I'm not mistaken, Kevin Huvane is going to hire more agents to work with me. Of course, Salvatore will not like it. His salary will go down.'

Personally, Kazir was already happy with a 3% commission. He didn't want to change that. So if Kazir had another agent or two, Salvatore Barlowe would get a smaller amount of money.

"Anyway, let fate do its work. I wonder how Salvatore will fight for more benefits."

CAA policy was hard to break. The rules had been in place since the company's inception.

"I guess I'll have to help with his actors and actresses instead, to make sure his salary is steady."

That was the only way to keep Salvatore Barlowe happy, to make sure his other clients had successful careers. Except for Kazir, all of Salvatore's clients signed a 10% commission with him.

As for Taken, 20th Century Fox set up a meeting about it.

It took at least two months to get a project approved. Film companies had to study the profitability of the film to make sure they would not lose money.

So Kazir expected that Taken would take time to get approved. The film companies took the project seriously, especially when it was not a comedy genre that Kazir Grey was good at. They were hesitant.

Also, Kazir's demands were too much. He wanted a $10 million salary plus 15% of the North American box office. Then he wanted to invest at least 30% of the production budget. And he also wanted the rights to the sequels.

The salary and box office share could be negotiated, but the latter was difficult to accept. If Kazir Grey invested 30% of the budget, then of course he would get at least 30% of the profits. That wasn't something any movie company would agree to.

As for the rights to the sequels, that could be negotiated as long as the movie was successful. Besides, Kazir Grey was the screenwriter of the movie, and his participation in the creation of the sequels was a must.

"So it's all about the investment. I can't help it, I have to make sure I have strong authority over the project. I don't want to experience what happened to Zach Snyder in the middle of Justice League.

... Well, the reason Zach Snyder left Justice League was because of family problems. However, Warner Bros and the insurance company wanted to make sure that the movie would be completed on schedule, so they hired Joss Whedon to film the remaining scenes of the movie, and perhaps change the overall plot.

The result of the film was obvious. The fans loved Justice League Snyder's cut more than the other.

The investment was an assurance that Kazir was in control of Taken and many of the films associated with it. After all, he was about to create a Cinematic Universe that could make billions. It was too late to regret being pushed out of his own creation.

"If it fails, I guess I have to make another Cinematic Universe. Once Marvel Comics reaches the point of destruction, I will buy their superheroes and make movies with them. It's a lot easier because there's a blueprint to follow."

In fact, Kazir has already bought the copyrights to Iron Man and Hulk from New Line Cinema and Universal, respectively. It only cost him a few hundred thousand.

The copyrights to Spiderman are quite tricky because a lot of companies say they own the copyrights to Spiderman. Cannon Films and Sony-Columbia to be exact. In fact, James Cameron wanted to direct the movie.

Sony-Columbia officially bought the movie copyrights of Spiderman in 1999 after Marvel acquired it back.



[Author's Note: My research might be imperfect so I apologize.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 78

[Author's note: Regarding the CAA partnership, I only read about it twice in the Hollywood novels I read. I can't find an article to prove this point, but I decided to add it anyway].

"Kazir... This is Rafael and Stetson. Rafael will now handle your negotiations with the movie companies, while Stetson will take care of your writing team."

Just as Kazir had expected, he now had two other agents to do his work for him.

CAA had a policy of having more than one agent to make sure that the agent could not keep the client alone.

This kind of policy only happened when the client was talented, successful, and had strong prospects. Kazir checked all the conditions.

This kind of situation was very common, even Steven Spielberg had many agents.

Even Tom Cruise had many agents, although Pat Kingsley was still his main agent. She was the one who controlled Tom Cruise's PR.

"Nice to meet you both."

Kazir greeted them and shook their hands. The two men before him looked distinguished and well-mannered.

"Rafael graduated from college with a degree in business administration. He has been with CAA for more than 8 years. He has six clients under him."

Salvatore introduced. He was not that bitter. After all, when Kazir was successful with Napoleon Dynamite, he already expected this situation.

"Nice to meet you, Director Grey."

"Well, this is Stetson. He is a screenwriter and novelist. He can help your team make the script more compact. He has five actors under him."

Salvatore introduced the two. Both Rafael and Stetson had experience in their respective fields.

"I see..."

Kazir kept his smile. Then he approached Salvatore after the two agents had left.

"I'm surprised you're taking it so well. You are not at all disappointed."

"About that, they said that if you make another successful movie, they will invite me to the board of directors." Salvatore grinned.

"I fucking knew it."

CAA was a partnership of agents. Every agent was equal and could become part of the board of directors.

If Salvatore was successful in getting on the board, he would have a stronger voice in the company.

"I'm surprised Huvane promised you that."

"We even signed a contract... I really had no choice but to agree. I don't want to lose a big piece of the pie, so I might as well get a better deal. But it all depends on you."

"I will try my best to get you the position. About the commission?"

"The contract will not change, 3% percent commission. Rafael and Stetson will each get 0.7%, while the 1.6% is mine. This kind of partnership is good for the client and the company, but bad for the agents. The company is afraid that I will start my own agency and take you with me, so they make this change immediately."

"You don't have any plans to start one?"

"For now? No... But if my clients have better careers, I might have to. Maybe they will try this bullshit again when Enzo becomes successful."

"Don't worry, they usually don't care about second-rate actors."

"Hey, if Enzo hears you, he might get heartbroken."

"I'm just kidding."

The two laughed. Fortunately, this incident didn't have a strong effect on them. Now that their career paths were becoming clearer, the ways to make money were also becoming clearer.

"By the way, Kazir, why don't you hire an assistant? I feel like you're treating me like one."

"I don't know about that. I can't trust people."

"Not even me?"

"Yes, not even you."

"Still, I think it would be better for you to have an assistant."

"Do you have any suggestions?"

"I don't know, why don't you go to the post office or something?"

"I'll think about it."

Money was no problem for Kazir. He could hire someone to make his work easier.

"Rafael is already waiting downstairs, we have to face Tom Rothman this time."

Salvatore reminded Kazir of the important meeting.

"Yes, the meeting with Brad Grey didn't end well. Paramount is interested in Teddy Bear instead. Maybe they know a company that will let them use the trademark for a teddy bear."

"Then they have to give better terms."

The real title of the script was still not in circulation, even the script was not polished. Only Kazir had the perfect script, he would give it to the movie company that bought the script.

Never show your best card to the public, they might steal it.

The two went downstairs and found Rafael Foster and Terrence Downey.

"Let's go to 20th Century Fox."

20th Century Fox. A film company that was famous all over the world. It produced so many masterpieces and people would never forget the legendary logo. Even the intro music of 20th Century Fox was iconic.

The home of Titanic, Avatar, X-Men, Star Wars (the first six films were distributed by Fox), Independence Day and Deadpool. There were many movies that 20th Century Fox produced, but these were the most recognizable.

A few minutes drive brought them to the 20th Century Fox headquarters.

'I have one regret. I regret that 20th Century Fox was bought by Walt Disney.'

Hollywood was a movie factory with perfect procedures. But Walt Disney took it to another level. So much so that their movies lost any artistic value, and even Marvel superhero movies became repetitive and boring. In his old age, Kazir was disgusted by Disney's greed.

Disney will never hesitate to swab the water to make it dirty. One thing is clear, I don't want my children to learn that twerking is empowering. So fuck you, Disney, for the next three decades.

Seriously, who the fuck were the writers at Disney? Your movies lately have been ass, ugly as shit.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Cisse!]

[Author's note: I created a poll on Patreon and let my patrons choose which movie they want Kazir to make. There were three choices:

1. Ted-- I like this movie, so I decided to add it.

2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding--I want Kazir to try his hand at rom-com.

3. Taken-- If they choose this movie, then the Continental Cinematic Universe will officially begin.

In the end, my patrons chose Taken, which brings us to the current plot].


Hollywood What If Chapter 79


Calix and the others arrived at the 20th Century Fox headquarters. They entered the elevator, walked a few feet, and entered the CEO's office.

As they expected, Tom Rothman was already there.

"Kazir, congratulations on The Hangover."

"Thanks, Tom."

The two shook hands.

Tom Rothman and Kazir faced each other. They were the stars of this meeting.

"Kazir, I have read the script of Taken. All I can say is that it's mediocre at best. The action sequences that you specifically wrote were a bit interesting, but it's not enough to impress me. There are even some parts that are confusing.

Based on Tom Rothman's opinion, Kazir already had an idea where this meeting would end.

"Tom, if you're interested, how about reading my other script?"

"Let me see it."

Kazir handed him the script and gave Tom Rothman a few minutes to skim the context of the script.

Tom Rothman frowned and put the script down on the table.

"Kazir, are you sure about this? You want to make these two movies connected?"

"Not two. I have many scripts that are set in one universe."

"Are you joking?" Tom Rothman raised his eyebrows.

"No. I think I'm serious and sober.

"I think I found the reason why you're so adamant about the 30% investment and approval rights. Tell me, are you really afraid that the film companies will kick you out of your own project?"

"I know that the Big Six won't hesitate to destroy someone's career as long as they can make a profit."

Hollywood has buried so many people. It was never a paradise. Racism, pedophilia, drugs, sexual assault, and so many sins. Hollywood probably has them all.

"Kazir, don't make this difficult. I can increase your share of the box office, but don't invest in the project. $25 million is an amount that 20th Century Fox can handle. If you invest even 10% in the project, we will be in a lot of trouble."

Once that happened, Grey Pictures would have a huge profit from several methods. North American distribution, international distribution, videotape distribution, and even national television copyrights. Grey Pictures even had the right to the copyrights once that happened. Unless the contract was clear.

But Tom Rothman understood that the person in front of him was tough. If he agreed to his terms, he would lose money.

"You have to understand that's not possible. This is an important project and I don't want to leave it to a company, I need at least 30% investment and approval rights".

"..."

As Tom Rothman had expected, Kazir Grey was very stubborn.

"I can only agree to these conditions, but you must sell 40% of your studio company, Grey Pictures, to 20th Century Fox. Kazir, you have to understand, 30% is a big deal, and I can't let you have it. Unless you agree to sell your studio."

"..."

Kazir grinned and realized his intentions.

"Tom, are you interested in the copyrights we acquired?"

"That's right. I'm still skeptical about Hulk and Iron Man. Those kinds of movies are hard to make. But Jason Bourne Series has good profitability. I even heard that you are trying to acquire the copyrights to Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire.

To be honest, Tom Rothman had no idea what A Song of Ice and Fire was. He just knew it was a book inspired by Lord of the Rings.

'The Jason Bourne and Lord of the Rings are famous novels in America. I think they can be profitable.'

Tom Rothman thought. He was a businessman and he had to look at it from a business point of view.

"..."

Kazir didn't expect Tom Rothman to want his studio.

"I'm interested in working with you again. What do you think, Kazir? How about becoming part of the 20th Century Fox family?"

"Tom, let me think about it."

"I hope I hear good news next time."

Kazir left the building. He sighed. He really thought 20th Century Fox would agree to his terms. But Tom Rothman asked for something unexpected.

"I'm sorry Terrence, you attended this fruitless meeting."

"Yeah, you need to give me a movie free ticket to make it up to me."

Terrence was not offended. He joked instead.

"Haha, I promise."

The lawyer left first. Then Rafael felt that he was still not trusted, so he decided to leave... He was disappointed that he didn't get a commission this time. Despite sharing a small percentage, Kazir's project had a huge budget. His share was enough to cover his annual salary.

"Kazir, what is your plan? We already talked to the four big companies. Do you want me to go to Disney and Universal?"

"No. I made it clear. I don't want anything to do with them."

"I understand."

Kazir and Salvatore stopped at the bar they usually visited. This bar had a relaxing atmosphere and they liked to drink in this place.

"Actually, I was hoping to work with 20th Century Fox because I like their movies. I have my preferences. But I didn't expect Tom Rothman to want to buy my studio company. When I heard that, I backed out. The copyrights that the studio acquired will help us in the future."

"What is your plan then?" Salvatore Barlowe sipped a glass of bourbon.

"... Looks like I have no choice, I'm going to make the movie with my own money."

"Fu- Kazir, are you crazy? That's the most outrageous thing I've heard today! You know it's dangerous for you and the studio if your movie flops. Then how can you distribute it? Your studio is just a production company. You don't have any distribution channels."

Salvatore was right. Kazir's intention was dangerous. His future could be over if he did it.

"Kazir, I have to stop you. We can agree to Warner Bros or Paramount's terms instead."

"I'm sorry Salvatore, but I've changed my mind. I don't want to sell the copyrights to my movies. I want full control of the entire Continental Cinematic Universe."

"..."

Salvatore Barlowe could see that Kazir meant it.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 80


'I know I'm being arrogant and stupid. But I have to. Taken is not just a one-off movie. It's the beginning of a big project. If I decide to agree to the terms of the Big Six, it means I will lose billions of dollars. Especially if the Continental Cinematic Universe is a success.'

'George Lucas did it with Star Wars. Steven Spielberg created DreamWorks. Heh, George Lucas sold Lucasfilm, Steven Spielberg sold DreamWorks. They sold the companies, but they made billions. Clearly, it's a winning move. Fuck people who think they should bow down to the Big Six without trying to fight.'

Just like last time, Kazir Grey gambled. So he had to make the movie with his own investment. So that no one from Big Six would control him later. Hell, Big Six could use his movies to push their disgusting agenda. Just like Disney did with Marvel.

"I will make my movies and let the film companies distribute them. Of course, I will fight for better terms."

"Am I hearing this right? Kazir, are you going to create your own distribution channels?"

"No... I have seen how the Big Six have destroyed their competitors. The Big Six are looking at DreamWorks right now because they didn't want it to succeed. I don't want to be like DreamWorks (and Lionsgate)."

Kazir understood that no one could beat the Big Six. It had been proven for three decades. Even a person from the future could not control Hollywood by himself. It would never work.

The Big Six would never be the Big Seven. It would only be Big Five. That is, one company absorbing the other.

"What's your plan?"

"My plan? Heh. I will make good movies. Once they are ready, the Big Six will kneel and lick the ground just to acquire 1/3 of my company."

Kazir grinned.

That was the best example of this situation.

Marvel Entertainment.

The success of The Avengers led Disney to buy Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion.

'Now, my studio doesn't have any comics. But it will be the first successful Cinematic Universe of this timeline. I will make sure I get billions out of it. Hm, being a shareholder is not bad, I guess.'

For that to happen... Kazir had to prevent the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or make it his own.

'Next month, Marvel is going to declare bankruptcy. Let's loot all their heroes then.'

He grinned like the devil.

Since he had already chosen this path, he had to be heartless. Don't give a damn what the other people say.

'I have to apologize to the fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is what it is. Maybe they'll hate me when they know what I'm going to do.'

But he had to do it. He wanted to acquire his future competitor. After all, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the most successful cinematic universe of the 21st century. Not even the DCEU could beat it.

So it was a good choice for Kazir to buy and acquire their superhero characters.

"Let's go Salvatore, we have a lot to do from now on."

"Sigh. I wonder what you're thinking. I know that setting up a distribution channel costs a lot of money and it's hard to do, but why are you so negative about it? If you look at it from another angle, having a distribution channel is the best way to secure money."

"My answer to that is simple... I never wanted to be the king of Hollywood. It's not fun. I want to keep the Big Six on an equal footing. I want to be a director, not a chairman or a president. My passion is making movies, not controlling a company."

"So you think selling part of your company is the best decision?"

"... Let's just say I want to see the Big Six fight over my company. Go crazy over it.

"That's fucked up... But I want to see it too."

They both laughed.

The Big Six had a lot of power in Hollywood. But that didn't mean that other production companies couldn't make great movies and profit from them.

In Kazir's opinion, money was nothing more than status. Now that he was a millionaire, he didn't want it to be his whole personality. He didn't want his life to revolve around money.

Since his youth, Kazir was fascinated by movies. He wanted to be a director and there was no in-between.

'If this whole plan doesn't work out, I'll be fine as long as I can make movies.'

He had faced a lot of misfortune, so facing another one would not make him falter. Instead, his blood was boiling to prove himself to the Big Six.

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

"So, Mr. Grey, you're asking for a loan?"

The bank manager, Maria Ozzawu, looked at Kazir as she read his loan application. Lending money was not that easy.

"That's right." Kazir nodded.

"It says here that you want a loan of $50 million and pay it back within 3 years, is that right?"

From a millionaire's point of view, getting a loan was good because it was a method of legal tax avoidance.

Kazir's credit was good. In addition, he was a director who made movies worth hundreds of millions at the box office. Borrowing $50 million was no problem.

"What will you do with the money?"

"I will invest in my own movie and the rest will be used to buy copyrights."

Maria Ozzawu nodded. The answer was as expected.

"Phew... I thought they would interview me."

Kazir sighed with relief after his loan was approved. To be honest, the only relevant information he knew was about compound interest. But he didn't know how it normally worked. He was not the type to borrow from the bank.

Kazir had a good financial sense, so he never got to the point of bankruptcy. Especially when he got a share of the videotape profits every quarter.

"Salvatore, yes, it's me."

Kazir opened his phone and called Salvatore Barlowe.

"That's right, I got it. Tell Rafael I want to acquire the copyrights to Marvel's superheroes. Yes, I have a list here. I will give it to him later."

Marvel was facing bankruptcy and it was the best time to squeeze them dry.

'I heard they already sold Black Window, Blade and Captain America. I can find a way to acquire them, but first let's get what we can get.'

+++++

[Author's note: My decision is still firm, I really do not want Kazir to become a businessman. Once that happens, his attention will be divided even if he hires a professional manager to run his company. So I have to choose between being a director or a businessman, I decided that Kazir must still be a director. However, he will never sell the movie copyrights of Hitman+Spy Cinematic Universe just like that].

[By the way, shout out to Darui, I think I'm going to call the Hitman+Spy Cinematic Universe the Continental Cinematic Universe. It has a nice click to it. ]

[And yes, I do not know how loans and loan interest work.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 81


Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Star-Lord, Black Panther, Thor... Almost everyone who was part of the MCU was acquired by Grey Pictures.

Marvel was facing its biggest slump in history and Kazir used this moment to acquire the movie copyrights to these superheroes.

Marvel still owned the comic book copyrights and other copyrights such as toys and many merchandises. The contract stated that Grey Pictures had the authority over the movie copyrights for twenty years.

It should have been fifty years, but Marvel wanted an outrageous amount.

In the end, Grey Pictures bought the copyrights for $27 million.

These characters are not that famous and Marvel didn't care about these superheroes at all. Their famous superheroes are actually Spiderman, Iron Man and the Hulk.

Kazir sighed. He sighed with relief after acquiring the characters. Now that the contract was clear and he had paid the money, he didn't have to worry about Marvel making trouble. All he had to do was show the contract.

'Of course I'll still contact them. They know these superheroes better than I do.'

He had no problem inviting Stan Lee. But the MCU had to wait a decade.

The current graphics technology was not mature enough to create a superhero movie.

It was December 13, 1996. The Hangover was officially drop by the cinemas. The movie grossed $469.3 million at the worldwide box office.

Because of this result, many film companies tried to contact Grey Pictures about Kazir's next project. Unfortunately, every one of them was rejected.

Grey Pictures announced that Taken would be financed exclusively by the company.

As for Ted, Kazir sold the script to Warner Bros for $2 million. Buying a script for $2 million was a stupid move. But Warner Bros understood Kazir Grey's ability to write a comedy. He had already proven himself twice.

'They invited me to be the executive producer. No problem. '

The position was nominal. Warner Bros needed Kazir's opinion on how to make the movie funny. All he had to do was show up on set once in a while. Fortunately, Warner Bros would start shooting Ted at the end of the next year, around October 1997.

'But I think they will postpone this project...'

Kazir thinks he was free by then.

"Salvatore, what is Liam Neeson's answer?"

"Liam had no project next year... He agreed, but he didn't like the contract."

"I understand..."

Since Taken was a trilogy, Liam Neeson had to sign a trilogy contract. Also, Liam Neeson had to sign cameos in the other movies. This was all done to solidify the Continental Cinematic Universe. Liam Neeson had to show his face in other movies.

"Is he not happy with the salary?" Kazir frowned.

"He's happy with the $3 million. I think this is the highest salary he has received so far. But he didn't like the clause for the next two movies."

"..."

With each sequel, Liam Neeson's salary would increase by 35%. This means that in Taken 2, Liam Neeson's salary would be $4.05 million. Then his next salary would be $5.46 million in Taken 3.

"His agent is asking for a higher percentage increase. They are fighting for a 60% raise per movie."

"Make it 50%... But you have to sign some cameo contracts."

"Okay. I'll contact Rafael."

The negotiations with Liam Neeson went well. At least Liam's agent was much easier to convince than WMA's.

In fact, after the problems with The Hangover, Kazir decided that he would not hire actors from WMA. He didn't want that agency interfering with his movie.

"By the way, I heard Enzo's brother is here. I want to see him."

Enzo's older brother was a stunt director in Hong Kong. He worked in many movies. He was a martial artist and knew many attack patterns. Kazir needed a professional stunt director to help him with the action sequences.

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

Tae-Won Park. He is the brother of Hae-Won Park (Enzo Park). He was 32 years old at this time. He worked as a stunt director for seven years.

Just like Enzo, Tae-Won Park dreamed of going to Hollywood. However, he felt that his profession was not respected in Hollywood.

The action stunts in Hollywood are different from those in Hong Kong.

The action sequences of action movies in the 80s and early 90s were too simple and monotonous. They even have to repeat the punches so many times just to make a point.

The movie that influenced kung fu in Hollywood was The Matrix. Since then, many movies have hired stunt directors from Hong Kong. But that would be a different story from now on.

Kazir Grey wanted to start the trend of hand-to-hand combat with great choreography. He needed someone like Tae-Won Park.

The Korean opened the door nervously. He heard the director calling him. Actually, he had been waiting for a while, but Salvatore and Kazir were talking.

"Director..." His pronunciation was a little awkward. Perhaps influenced by the Cantonese language of Hong Kong.

Still, Kazir Grey could understand his English well enough.

"So you are Tae-Won Park."

"Director, thank you for taking care of my brother."

"It's nothing. You are a professional stunt director from Hong Kong. I wonder, do you know mixed martial arts?"

"I know, but we usually never use this kind of action choreography in our movies. The movies we produce are all kung fu."

"It's okay. We have plenty of time to think about it. First I want to hear your thoughts."

Salvatore handed the remote to Kazir. He was slowly becoming an assistant.

'I need to hire an assistant, huh.'

Kazir was embarrassed because Salvatore had been his "assistant' for the last two years.

"Anyway, check out this action choreography and give me your honest opinion."

The footage began. On the screen, Kazir Grey and Enzo Park started their fight. In this situation, Enzo Park took the role of retired agent Bryan Mills, while Kazir was simply a mob.

Enzo began to land direct and deadly punches on Kazir.

"It's different from what I expected." Tae-Won Park replied.

The action sequences were precise and lethal. Almost like a veteran soldier with the sole purpose of killing.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to ASTROBOY and Dimanikus E!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 82


What he saw was not Kung Fu or some Hollywood action fight. It was almost as if he was watching a real battle, a bloody, realistic battle.

"Once you are officially hired, you will have to do many action choreographies like this."

Hearing this, Park Tae-Won felt his blood boiling. As a man, recreating this kind of action fight made him excited.

"I will do it."

"That's good to hear. Read this script, I will officially hire you if you make three action sequences for the movie that satisfies me."

"Yes!"

Tae-Won bowed his head. It was a culture in Korea.

He accepted the script. He had to study it in order to make appropriate action choreography. He already had an example and knew what to do. He had to make the protagonist a fast and precise fighter... The protagonist also had to run a lot.

It was lucky that Liam Neeson was younger this time. Shooting three action movies would be no problem.

"Once the leading actor has signed the contract, I will put him under your job. You have to teach him the stunts.

It was written that Liam Neeson had to undergo three months of physical conditioning. He had to learn mixed martial arts and maintain his physical appearance... Maybe build abs too.

'Eye candy. I think a lot of women will like it when they see Liam Neeson's abs and ripped body... Speaking of abs, I'm getting fat these days. I need to do some sit-ups.'

Once it was in the contract, both parties had to respect it.

'I'm sure Liam Neeson understands that.'

Kazir Grey and Tae-Won Park shook hands.

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

Enzo Park wipes off his sweat after doing push-ups.

The success of The Hangover never gave Enzo Park a big break.

Ed Helms and the rest of the cast began filming Napoleon Dynamite II. The budget for the sequel increased to 15 million and Fox Searchlight Pictures was getting salty about it. The success of The Hangover increased the salaries of Ed Helms, Pedro Pascal and Reese Witherspoon.

Jack Black also received an invitation to do another comedy.

Even Reese Witherspoon passed the audition for Scream.

Only Enzo Park had no job at the moment. Because of his race, he had a hard time finding roles. He heard there was a project called Rush Hour, but the cast was mostly done. He tried to audition for the role but didn't get it. Jackie Chan got the part instead.

So Enzo Park was grateful that Kazir Grey hired him back even though his role in Taken was very small. At least he had something to do.

To be honest, Enzo Park felt bitter because he felt he was being left behind. He wanted to prove himself so he was currently doing weight training. He bench-pressed 405 pounds, which was quite remarkable.

'I heard that once this movie becomes successful, I will have a role every year.'

Kazir Grey planned to cast Enzo Park as a ninja. He was the equivalent of Black Window of the MCU, where he would appear in many Continental movies.

In fact, Kazir already had a movie that was perfect for Enzo.

In John Wick Chapter 3, there was a group of ninjas that John Wick fought. So Kazir Grey decided to add a certain movie to the Continental Cinematic Universe.

It was Ninja Assassin. This movie could fit perfectly into the Continental Cinematic Universe.

The movie had a low box office, but Kazir Grey believed that he could change that by adding the movie to a perfect Cinematic Universe. Maybe the movie could also have sequels.

Although this project would not start until the Continental Cinematic Universe was firmly established. Maybe around the year 2000.

Enzo was grateful that Kazir Grey had already assured him that he was part of the crew. He didn't have to audition. After all, Enzo Park was already perfect for the role. All he had to do was make sure his acting was perfect, too.

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

A week later, Liam Neeson officially joined the cast. Kazir didn't bother to audition for the role of the protagonist. He knew that Liam Neeson was the perfect actor for Taken.

Liam Neeson's contract was adjusted to include a 45% salary increase for each sequel. Also, his cameo had to be limited to ten minutes at most.

After that, Liam Neeson and Enzo Park started training to keep their bodies in shape. Tae-Won Park helped Liam Neeson with his action stunts. Kazir even hired extras and stuntmen in advance to make sure the action stunts were perfected as soon as possible.

The budget for Taken was only $25 million. Liam Neeson took home $3 million. Even Kazir Grey had a salary of $3 million.

Kazir Grey had to make sure that the expenses would be less than $19 million. He didn't want to add more to the budget.

"I'm nervous and excited at the same time."

Kazir Grey grinned. The script was already finished, even the action choreography was 2/3 complete.

All that remained were the roles of Bryan Mills' daughter and ex-wife. Most of the roles related to the action scenes were already cast.

"Next."

Kazir Grey's assistant director, Fremont Smith, announced and another young actress entered the audition room.

Of course, they had to give the actresses a chance to join the cast. After all, the director of this movie was Kazir Grey. A very talented director. Actors/actresses would line up just to be part of a $25 million project.

"Salvatore, are you really sure that your client can perform well?"

"Don't worry, Kazir. She is prepared. She has been studying the script for three months. I believe she will be perfectly cast for the role."

"Hm." Kazir Grey just nodded.

Actually, Kazir was too busy and didn't know anything about Salvatore's clients. He only knew Enzo Park.


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[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Swaroop S., Reggie D., and Jacob B.]

Hollywood What If Chapter 83

Days passed.

Kazir and the others were busy meeting the actors who were auditioning for the roles.

Renner Hector made sure to record the actors' auditions so they would have a clip to study later.

Since Kazir was a famous director with two successful movies under his belt, the actors and actresses were much more enthusiastic this time.

From now on, the roles that Kazir was interested in were Bryan Mills' daughter and ex-wife.

This was the third round of auditions and only seven actresses were left for the role of Bryan Mills' ex-wife.

To be honest, Kazir was not looking for someone so beautiful.

'As long as she can cry on camera and get hired for a small salary, I'm fine.'

"Most of these actresses are from CAA or freelancers."

Something he already expected. Kazir hired a casting director. Yes, it is a real job. The casting director's job was to find actors and actresses for the character roles based on what the director was looking for.

They were responsible for auditioning and filtering. The first audition was usually based on looks, if their looks met the criteria, they would pass and go on to the second round of auditions. The second audition was usually based on acting ability and they would be filtered into another round, the final round.

Kazir could not supervise all the jobs for the film. That's why the role of the casting director was important.

'Of course, the casting director I hired is from CAA. It's understandable that he would prefer CAA actors over other talent agencies. Besides, that's what I want.'

Having problems with WMA would just be a waste of his time.

"Hello, I'm Famke Janssen. I'm here for the role of Lenore Mills-St. John."

"..."

Kazir stared at the woman. The actress was known for her role as Jean Grey in X-Men.

'I heard Famke Janssen is the Bond girl in 007 last time. I think it was Goldeneye in 1995.'

Famke Janssen got the role of Lenore Mills in the original trilogy of Taken. However, the timeline had changed and it was now December 1996. Famke Janssen was too young and beautiful for the part.

But Kazir said nothing and let the woman audition.

'Should I hire her?'

Kazir thought. It was not a problem to hire Famke because her salary was not that high. She also had a nice acting style.

'Let's wait for all the actresses to audition before we decide.'

"Thank you, Miss Janssen."

The woman smiled at Kazir and walked away.

"That smile... it's so sexy."

Harold, sitting next to Kazir, murmured.

"Yeah, I guess." Kazir shrugged.

"Dude, that smile is clearly aimed at you. I bet 1 out of 10 she's waiting for you outside." Harold added.

"10 percent? That's a very small chance."

"But it's still a chance."

Harold, the prop master, became a producer after Kazir convinced him to.

Kazir knew that Harold had strong discipline after working with him for years. He always made sure that the props, set, and background were meticulously prepared.

So Kazir knew that Harold had what it takes to be a producer. And he was right. Harold knew most of the crew members and easily gained their respect. Working with a reliable person who had good relationships was the best thing for this crew. Harold was trusted by everyone and he proved himself.

'He made my job easier.'

To be honest, Kazir wanted Harold to be a producer from the beginning. But Harold was too stubborn to stay on the props team. This was the only time Kazir convinced him.

Renner and Harold were his trusted friends who had been with him since the beginning of his directing career.

He wanted to make Harold a producer and Renner a director. Because they both had talent.

'Unfortunately... They didn't have a strong sense of ambition, just like me, hehe.'

Harold was one thing, but Renner Hector was much harder to convince.

"The last actress will appear."

Kazir nodded after reading the list. The last one was a freelancer. She didn't have an agency.

"Brianna Evans, a stage actress from the Sydney Opera House. That's kind of interesting."

The Sidney Opera House was a famous theater in Australia. Kazir didn't expect to meet a stage actress today.

'Although I have heard that some theater actresses have exaggerated their acting. Considering that this woman passed the second round, she probably has good acting skills.'

"Hello, I'm Brianna Evans."

The woman had a simple appearance. Not beautiful, but not ugly.

But Kazir sensed a mother's gentleness in her.

'Is she usually like this, or is it because she's preparing for the role?'

The actresses who made it to the second round were given part of the script and signed non-disclosure agreements. Presumably, Brianna Evans studied the script.

"Miss Evans, I want to see you cry."

... That was a little out of context from Kazir. Fortunately, Brianna Evans understood him.

The woman closed her eyes... When she opened them, tears began to flow.

"Cut--"

Instinctively, Kazir stopped the audition.

Everyone looked at him.

"... Prepare the set. Is Liam Neeson in the building? I want to see her act with him."

"Um, I think Liam Neeson is practicing with Tae-Won Park right now."

"Call him."

Kazir's heart beat faster...

'Action movie? This woman should be in a drama instead! She knows how to make someone emotional.'

Kazir knew a lot of actors who could stir people's emotions, especially when they found the right roles for them.

Robert Downey Jr. in his role as Iron Man.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

And Heath Ledger as the Joker... Heath Ledger may be the best method actor Kazir has ever seen.

'A mother... This woman is a mother. '

That was the thing he realized. Her tears, they were real. As if the woman had actually lost a child.

Suddenly, his instinct as a director awakened... He wanted this woman to shine.

'There are thousands of talented actresses in this field, but only a few can be recognized... I can't believe that someone like her was buried without receiving recognition and applause.'

++++

[I apologize because I might add another original character... Let's just say I'm influenced by Oshi No Ko and Act Age(anime/manga). I'm fascinated in the idea of Method Acting.]

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to The King, Chafe!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 84


It was true that there were countless talented actresses in Hollywood. Unfortunately, most of them never got the spotlight.

Hollywood was a place where connection was very important. Talent was not enough, sometimes actresses/actors had to sell their souls to achieve their dreams. Actresses who were not ready for that were mercilessly buried.

While Liam Neeson was away, Kazir decided to interview Brianna.

'This is someone I didn't know. Am I going to change the future again? Famke Janssen should get the part, that should happen, but...'

Kazir bit his lip. Then he started to write a short script, about a man and a woman... He didn't know why he was doing it.

"Miss Evans, it says here that you're from Australia... Tell me, do you have a child?"

Perhaps because his mind was in turmoil, Kazir asked quickly and without hesitation.

'I need to know if my assumption is correct.'

"Haha, I'm sorry if it's inappropriate for me to ask. Anyway, it says here that you are 32 years old."

The role was a mother with a teenage daughter, so her age should be appropriate. At least she was supposed to be a middle-aged woman. Maybe that's why Brianna Evans, who had no connections, made it to the second round. Because the woman didn't look young at all.

'As for her looks, she's not extremely beautiful. But she looks gentle... Unfortunately, she should have auditioned for a drama. Because her talent cannot be shown in an action movie. Her scenes were too small... Unless... Damn, my artistic sense is getting out of control.'

"Hello, Director Grey. As it says in the documents, I'm 32 years old. I have worked in the theater for 16 years. And no, I don't have a child."

"I see. Then how did you find a way to play this role? Did you research it or something?"

"Yes... I just got the script two weeks ago. So I spent the rest of my money going to libraries and looking for articles about missing children. I also interviewed parents who had lost their children, especially parents of deceased soldiers. I decided to put myself in their shoes for this audition.

"..."

Kazir grinned.

His guess was right.

This woman is a method actor.

Method actor was a terrible way to master the art of acting. It drove some people crazy.

Kazir knew someone he both respected and feared. When he curiously watched The Dark Night (Nolan's 2nd Batman movie), Kazir saw the terrifying explosiveness of a method actor.

The Joker gave him goosebumps throughout the movie. As a director, Kazir realized that the real protagonist of The Dark Night was the Joker, not Batman. Heath Ledger stole the audience's attention and it was fucking beautiful... Kazir cried as he realized that the film industry had lost someone like him.

'... I wonder. Where is Heath Ledger now?'

"Director Grey, you called for me?"

Liam Neeson showed up wearing a fresh T-shirt. He had a schedule of coming to the studio three times a week to work on stunt choreography with Tae-Won Park. Most of the difficult stunts would be done by the stunt doubles, but Liam Neeson still had to participate.

"Right timing, Liam, I just wrote a short script. I wonder if you could act it with Miss Evans here."

Kazir handed the script to Liam Neeson and the actor began to read it.

"Director, give me a few minutes to prepare my mood."

"No problem, Miss Evans. This is your copy. Please read it."

"Thank you, director." The actress respectfully accepted the script.

For the record, Liam Neeson was a talented actor. He was disciplined and respected. His discipline in working in show business was impeccable. Kazir witnessed Liam Neeson's serious work after signing the contract.

Schindler's List shook the hearts of many people and Liam Neeson's performance was satisfying.

One thing was clear, Liam Neeson was a great actor.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Anyway...

The whole scene went silent until Harold started to cry next to Kazir.

Even Renner was wiping away tears as he kept the camera on Brianna Evans.

When the short scene ended, Liam Neeson was shocked. He touched his chin.

"I was overwhelmed."

He looked at the woman playing the role of the heartbroken mother.

"Cut... Brianna, someone will be in touch with you later. I hope we can work together."

"Thank you, director."

Perhaps the woman was still in the state of being a mother, she didn't smile at all despite hearing Kazir's appreciation.

"Kazir... That woman. No, Miss Evans..."

When Brianna was gone, Liam Neeson stayed in the audition room to talk to Kazir.

Kazir sighed.

"I'm sorry Liam, I know this might be inconvenient for you. I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable."

"No, it's fine. I know you are a director and you will hire the best actress for the part. I just can't believe that I have to act with Miss Evans for three movies."

Kazir grinned and didn't bother to explain. Liam Neeson only read the first movie... He didn't know Lenore Mills, Bryan Mills' ex-wife, was going to die.

'Should I make it dramatic?'

That was the question.

Kazir opened his phone and made a call. The next audition was for the role of the daughter.

[Kazir, why did you call me? Have you met my client yet?] Salvatore replied.

"Salvatore, I think you will be interested in signing this woman named Brianna Evans. I assure you you will never regret it. You can contact her later when you're not busy. I am sending you her contact number. By the way, are you really sure that your little client can perform well?"

[Don't worry, Kazir. She is prepared. She has been studying the script for three months. I think she will be perfect for the role... As for the woman you're talking about, I'll call her later].

"Hm." Kazir Grey just nodded.

Actually, Kazir was too busy and didn't know anything about Salvatore's clients. He only knew Enzo Park.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Phil, Manuel M., Jean Carlos L.C., Benjamin G.!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 85


The audition continued and this time it was for Bryan Mills' daughter.

To be honest, Kazir didn't care about the age aspect of this role. As long as she could act well enough, Kazir would cast her.

So...

"Hi, I'm Scarlett Johansson."

'You got to be kidding me.'

Kazir stopped writing. He looked at the little girl who was about to audition.

'So this is the client Salvatore signed. That bastard, when did he do that? We are talking about Miss Black Window here. How did Salvatore sign a contract with her? Did I cause a butterfly effect? Probably yes.'

Scarlett Johansson was born in 1984. That means she was 12 years old right now. However, women at that age were usually taller than their male counterparts. So Scarlett Johansson looked about 14 to 15 years old. She had light blonde hair, was tall, and looked mischievous.

'I think I know why Salvatore begged me to keep it PG-13.'

There was a scene where Bryan Mills' daughter had to wear a bikini... Kazir had to adjust some scenes.

'Since he is Salvatore's client, I have to give her a chance.'

The little girl began her audition. Just as Salvatore had promised, Scarlett Johansson prepared for the role. She easily passed the audition and the crew was pleased.

"Thank you, Miss Johansson. We will contact you later."

The little girl waved before leaving.

"That's it. The cast is set. I want each of them to sign contracts as soon as possible. We will have a script reading next week."

"That will be my job, right?"

Harold rubbed his forehead. This new job was exhausting. But he didn't want to disappoint Kazir. The only reason he had agreed to this job was to ease Kazir's workload.

"Don't worry. We already signed the troublesome ones. I'm sure each of them won't fight for a higher salary. We can always hire other actors."

"I'll try my best."

Harold nodded.

"Don't worry Mr. Producer, we will try to make sure that your responsibility will not be heavy."

"Shut up Renner, you are not helping at all!"

"Hahaha."

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

The end of 1996 came and New Year's parties were everywhere.

This time Kazir received invitations from many people. Mostly from prominent actors who wanted to get in touch with him.

The success of his last film was amazing.

This year's box office champion was Independence Day with $817.40 million. 20th Century Fox had the last laugh this year. It sold the most tickets worldwide.

In second place was Warner Bros.' Twister with $494.47 million worldwide.

The third was The Hangover. The movie grossed $469.30 million worldwide. And yes, it was also from Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. had the second and third highest grossing movies of the year. Combined, the two movies made $963.77 million. In a way, Warner Bros. won much bigger tickets than 20th Century Fox.

Fourth was Mission: Impossible with $457.69 million.

Fifth was The Rock, starring Nicholas Cage, with $335.06 million.

In sixth place was Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. An animated film with $325 million.

Seventh was 101 Dalmatians. Another Disney film with $320 million.

Eighth place came from Disney again. This time it was Ransom starring Mel Gibson with $309 million.

Places six through eight were dominated by Disney. Michael Eisner knew how to do business. The three films together grossed $954 million. In addition, Disney sold millions in merchandise from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and 101 Dalmatians. They may have made more profit than 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros.

Ninth place was taken by Universal Pictures with The Nutty Professor. The film earned $273.96 million.

In tenth place was Sony-Columbia's Jerry Maguire. The movie starring Tom Cruise made $273.55 million.

These were the top ten films worldwide. Yes, they were all dominated by Hollywood. The Hollywood industry was beginning to take over the world.

The top ten movies of the year would probably sell at least a million videotapes each. The cost of a videotape was $30. So each movie could make at least $30 million in the videotape market.

'I didn't have a videotape share, but I can look at the statistics for The Hangover. This month, the videotape sales of the movie were 1.6 million copies. 1.1 million copies of regular videotapes and 500 thousand copies of the deluxe edition.'

The non-deluxe videocassette of The Hangover cost $29.9. The deluxe edition cost $59.9.

If the math was right, the sales of the non-deluxe videotapes were $32.89 million. As for the deluxe edition, it was 29.95 million dollars.

This means that the videocassette sales of The Hangover this month were $62.84 million. This month alone. The videoctape sales would continue to grow through next year. It might even surpass the worldwide box office. Especially because The Hangover was a funny movie.

The buying power of Americans is enormous. They can keep the industry going.

At first, the invention of the VCR was frowned upon by Hollywood. They thought they would lose authority over their movies. But what they didn't expect was that the videotape market would save them instead. Now the movie companies had videotape distribution channels just to make more money. They signed deals with Blockbuster and Walmart to sell and rent their movies.

"Thanks for helping me last time."

The woman next to Kazir giggled and squeezed his arm. Reese Witherspoon and Kazir Grey decided to attend a party in the new year.

Out of the many people who invited him, Kazir decided to attend the Sony-Columbia New Year's party. Despite their differences, the two parties still had a friendly relationship. In fact, Grey Pictures was about to sign a deal with Sony-Columbia to distribute Taken...

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 86


Sony-Columbia. One of the big six in Hollywood. However, despite being one of the most prominent companies in the industry, this particular film company was known to be the weakest of the big six.

The result of this year's box office list showed the reason. Within the top 10, Sony-Columbia earned only one spot, which was the lowest. Jerry Maguire earned $273.55 million. The movie came in tenth.

'Out of respect, the company sent me an invitation. Now that my project is starting, I need a company to distribute my movies. Sony-Columbia could be the best option.'

Sony-Columbia was doing a safe business these days. Instead of fully investing in a film, the company focused on distribution. Jerry Maguire was the best example of this. The production company that made that movie was TriStar Pictures.

Sony-Columbia didn't put their money where their mouth is. Instead, they would make a profit by distributing the movies instead. The company didn't have good judgment in choosing movies. They have only one interesting movie in the next three decades. It was none other than Spider-Man. Well, this movie was a huge success, so Sony was still raking in money from this comic book character.

'If Sony really acquired the movie rights to Spider-Man... I might have to sign a trilogy deal with them.'

It may sound childish, but Kazir longed to make a superhero trilogy.

His first choice was the Dark Knight trilogy. Unfortunately, he knew he didn't have the talent of Christopher Nolan's filmography.

So his second choice was the "lighthearted theme" of Spider-Man. He was pretty confident about that.

'Some people have said that Spider-Man 3 is a box office flop, but I disagree. 895 million dollars is not a box office flop.'

The trilogy was a huge success. Sam Raimi did not disappoint Spider-Man. Sony-Columbia didn't dissapointed the fans. Especially when the three Spider-men met in No Way Home. That was the pinnacle of fiction.

'Despite my age, I was still hyped for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Seeing the three Spider-Men took me back to my younger years.'

Marvel/Sony-Columbia really outdid themselves back then.

"Director Grey."

"Mr. Price."

After the resignation of two heads (Peter Guber and Jon Peters) of Sony-Columbia a few years ago, Frank Price became chairman of the company.

Kazir Grey and Frank Price shook hands. Unfortunately, this was not the place to talk serious business. Still, their meeting was peaceful and relatively good. Both sides knew each other's intentions.

After talking with Kazir for a few minutes, Frank Price left to greet the other guests. This was a formal party and the best way to make connections with prominent people.

'In fact, I see Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts. Even Jim Carrey, Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise are here.'

"Director Grey."

"Good evening, Miss Roberts."

"Director Grey."

"Good evening, Mr. Carrey."

"Director Grey."

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

He received greetings from many people. He also received so many business cards. This was the effect of being a successful director, actors and actresses would approach you first. Even superstars like Julia Roberts and Jim Carrey greeted him with good intentions.

After all, there was nothing wrong with a conversation between a director and an actor. They were all in the same business.

"Hm, those girls are flirting with you."

"Who? Julia Roberts? She's too famous and I don't like the way she looks."

Kazir shook his head.

"Of course not. I'm talking about other actresses. You got a lot of business cards from them, they even wrote a few words just for you. I saw some of them write their hotel room numbers."

"Is that so? I didn't see that."

"I know. You are too weird."

Reese Witherspoon giggled. The party got her attention, too. She got some invitations to audition for roles.

"Thanks for helping me."

She said and kissed him on the cheek, right in the middle of the party. She didn't care about the looks of the other women. She liked it.

Scream was released in theaters on December 20, 1996. The movie was distributed by Miramax and it had a good reception for a horror movie. Perhaps the first thing that attracted people to the movie was Drew Barrymore's cameo. No one expected that she would die very early in the movie. Everyone thought she was the protagonist of the movie.

In the first seven days of Scream, it grossed $21 million. It may seem small, but the production cost of Scream was only $15 million. It was less than the average budget of $30 million. Still, the first week was a positive response.

Since Reese Witherspoon was part of the movie, she slowly gained fame. She began to have loyal fans all over the world. She got her break in Napoleon Dynamite, then The Hangover, and now Scream.

Her three movies have all been good.

'I'm actually thinking about starting Legally Blonde, but I can't. I have a lot of things to do.'

It might be true that he wanted to help Reese with her career. Maybe he was being selfish.

'Not now. Reese needs more experience. I just need to guide her first. I heard she's been invited to join the cast of My Best Friend's Wedding and There's Something About Mary. These two are good movies.'

"Tch, Kazir, I think someone will never stop trying to talk to you. That woman is here again."

Reese Witherspoon whispered. She didn't like this particular woman, maybe because the woman was terrifyingly beautiful.

"Kazir, we meet again."

"Naomi."

Naomi Watts smiled and shook Kazir's hand. She giggled and came closer.

"I heard you're making an action movie. Why didn't you invite me?"

"Tch, bitch." Reese whispered.

The two women stared at each other. But their smiles never faded. They were actresses and knew how to control their emotions.

As for Kazir, he just shrugged. He was no fool and he knew what Naomi Watts was up to.

'To be honest, I have a certain role for her, but it's not the right time yet.'

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to D'Angelo S.!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 87


Kazir was an action movie fan, and he watched so many action movies that he knew almost all of them. Kazir knew that he didn't have a good memory. But it was different for things related to movies.

Kazir would remember things he loved so much. Even now, Kazir had to take a break every day just to watch a movie. That was his spare time, watching movies. It didn't matter what genre it was, he would watch it.

He even watched some scary ones like A Serbian Film, Human Centipede, and Ichi the Killer. In his opinion, these movies were even on the mild side. (Note: I have never seen any of these goddamn movies. I don't like gore and horror... Although I do like Seinen manga/anime).

Since Kazir had an idea of what movies he could add to the Continental Cinematic Universe, he already had a list of actors/actresses he wanted to cast. Naomi Watts was one of them.

Kazir is a man, and he is attracted to Naomi Watts. But he's had a lot of depressing experiences, so he doesn't trust people easily, especially women. To be honest, he was afraid of women. Because he knew how his life was destroyed by one.

"Naomi, I will definitely invite you when I have a role that fits you."

"You have to promise." She smiled seductively. Kazir felt his blood boiling with rage.

"I promise." He nodded, keeping his composure. He felt Reese squeeze his arm and shrugged.

"You like older women?"

After Naomi Watts left, Reese Witherspoon asked Kazir about his preference.

"Reese, Naomi Watts is 28 years old. I'm 28 years old."

His birthday, September 9, had passed and he had aged another year.

"So you like younger girls?"

She giggled. Reese Witherspoon was young. Sometimes she acted childish in front of Kazir and he spoiled her a lot.

"Kazir, good to see you here!"

"Tom! Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!"

Tom Cruise appeared with Nicole Kidman beside him. The two were still married at the time. Their relationship lasted a decade. For celebrities to last that long was very impressive. Most celebrities simply divorced their partners after a few years.

Although there was a rumor that Nicole Kidman only stayed with Tom Cruise to ride on her husband's fame. Which may be true. Because in the late years of the 2010s, Nicole Kidman would start using her ex-husband's name to gain traction with people.

'Anyway, this thing is still uncertain. Especially when I'm slowly changing the trajectory of this timeline.'

Napoleon Dynamite and The Hangover were not supposed to be released in this era. But Kazir decided to do it anyway, despite the consequences. He gambled on the success of the two films.

"I heard you're going to invest in your own movie. How about I invest in your movie?"

Tom Cruise said.

"Don't worry, I'll contact you when we run out of money."

"Haha!"

The two had conversations. The relationship between Tom Cruise and Kazir Grey got better after Kazir was invited to Tom Cruise's party. Since then, they met a few times and talked about their jobs.

Kazir was an intern on Rain Man. He met Tom Cruise in that project for the first time and their meeting was simple. Tom Cruise just talked to the intern.

But Tom Cruise didn't expect Kazir Grey to actually break into the industry.

"I know damn well you will never let me invest in your movie. That's why you didn't agree with any film companies." Tom Cruise laughed.

As a superstar, he heard a lot of news about Hollywood. He knew that even second-tier film companies were eager to contact Grey Pictures. Even though Kazir's current project was an action movie, they were willing to bite the bullet.

Kazir now had a very good chance of success. He was a well-known screenwriter with three blockbusters under his belt. Se7en, Napoleon Dynamite and The Hangover were all profitable. The film companies believed that Kazir's action movie could also be profitable.

Unfortunately, none of them satisfied Kazir. The movie companies didn't want to let Kazir enjoy a 30% investment because they didn't want their overall profits to decrease.

Naturally, Kazir Grey decided to produce the movie on his own without any outside investment.

Tom Cruise knew that Kazir would never agree to his terms.

"You already know me, so why did you ask me?"

"Nah, I just hope you agree."

"Anyway, congratulations on Mission: Impossible and Jerry Maguire. Two of your movies are in the top 10."

"Thanks." Tom Cruise smiled.

'I heard he got a 10+10 deal with Paramount and Sony-Columbia. Honestly, he made more money than I did.'

Tom Cruise was a famous superstar with strong box office appeal. Few actors could match him, including Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Kim Carrey.

'His contract is not even a North American box office but worldwide box office. His contract is a $10 million salary plus 10% of the global box office... Maybe that's why he wanted to invest in my movie, because he has a lot of money this year.'

Mission: Impossible made $457 million, while Jerry Maguire made $273 million. 10% of those numbers would go into Tom Cruise's bank account.

For the film companies, they were willing to bleed and take that deal just to cast Tom Cruise. Because they knew that Tom Cruise's box office appeal was very strong. He has millions of die-hard fans all over the world who are willing to watch his movies. This is the truth behind his status.

As long as their videotapes, merchandise and television rights were not affected, the film companies were willing to give Tom Cruise a share of the box office.

+++++

[I'm experiencing existential dread, so I want to share my favorite manga that Shounen Jump axed or canceled].

[1. Psyren: I think this manga had a strong potential to be the best manga of Jump, it can surpass the new generation of the big three of Shounen Jump. Unfortunately, it was canceled.]

[2. MxO: Well, this manga is very interesting and made me laugh. It's a Harry Potter style manga. Maybe because the plot didn't have much suspense, Shounen Jump threw it in the trash].

[3. Act-Age: This manga was canceled because the creator (not the mangaka) sexually molested a minor and went to jail. All I can say is that the creator deserved it. It's unfortunate because I read the manga every week, but the creator destroyed this masterpiece and his whole life.]

[4. Hikaru No Go: This manga wasn't cancelled, the mangaka just wanted to make another manga. I have nothing to say except that I want more! However, the mangaka (Takeshi Obata) is really a master of his art. Death Note, Bakuman and Hikaru No Go are all masterpieces!]

[5. Beelzebub: This one is good, the last arc was rushed because Jump got tired of it].

[6. Katekyo Hitman Reborn: Another great manga, also canceled (I'm not sure)]

[7. Bleach: I don't care what others say, the last arc of Bleach is super rushed and the plot holes are everywhere. What is Yachiru, is she a person or a sword? What is Yoruichi's Zanpakuto? Yhwach lost just like that? My boy Chad didn't get any recognition! I never watched the anime because I prefer to read the manga].

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Cesar M., William T.N., Danny Y., Jack W., Chase L.!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 88

"Executive producer, sounds like a stand-in."

"Hey, don't say it like that. You should be grateful that 20th Century Fox is willing to hire you."

Harold muttered beside Kazir. They were about to visit one of the studios at 20th Century Fox headquarters.

"No, they just want my creativity."

As the man who created Napoleon Dynamite, Kazir was invited to join the Napoleon Dynamite crew as an executive producer. Of course, being hired by one of the big six, Kazir had a salary to match.

'I can get $100,000 if the movie is produced. $200,000 if Napoleon Dynamite II makes a profit. Frankly, that is a lot of money for an average person. Maybe being an executive producer is not so bad.'

Unfortunately, Kazir Grey had already tasted the sweetness of money. Having $200,000 was not enough for him. He was not interested.

But Napoleon Dynamite was his first movie and he wanted to take it seriously, even though he was not the director.

'I am the screenwriter and of course I want it to succeed.'

Truthfully, Kazir Grey had no idea about the outcome of this sequel. It was a movie he had never seen in his life. He may have written the plot, but he knew that plot was not enough to make a successful movie.

"Kazir, don't give me that face. Your sense of being a serious bastard is coming out. Remember, we have another purpose for being here."

Producer Harold Witsend reminded him. Now that he was a producer, one of the tedious jobs fell to him.

"Yes. I still remember our mission."

Kazir had already contacted Sony-Columbia last time. Sony-Columbia wanted to take 35% of the worldwide box office as the sole distributor of the film. The company was responsible for advertising and promoting the movie.

However, their initial advertising budget was only $5 million. If the movie didn't do well within a week, Sony-Columbia had the right to stop the promotion.

To be honest, the deal was good. But Grey Pictures wanted better terms. Something that would bring them more money.

From now on, Sony-Columbia was their first choice. Harold Witsend wanted to contact 20th Century Fox to negotiate their project. Maybe 20th Century Fox was interested in the film and wanted to distribute it.

'As long as the conditions are right, I don't have a problem with 20th Century Fox distributing my films.'

"I heard that 20th Century Fox is in a bind right now. Their budget for this year is a little tight because of James Cameron's new movie."

"..."

Kazir just listened. Titanic was still causing problems for the two film companies, Paramount and 20th Century Fox. Not his problem.

'... But I have to make sure that Taken is not released in December. Every movie will lose its power against the giant ship.'

"We are here."

Harold confirmed the number of the studio. He opened the door and saw many people preparing for the scene.

They began to take down the set to set up the next one.

"LIGHT! ADJUST THE FUCKING LIGHT! CAN'T YOU SEE IT'S TOO DIM? FUCKING SHIT! FUCKING SHIT! HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU MAKE THIS MISTAKE!"

Kazir and Harold quietly entered the studio. They heard a strong roar from a certain person. This person had a unique accent.

Since Kazir had stepped down as director. Of course, someone had to take his place.

Kazir had no idea who the director was that Fox Searchlight Pictures had hired. All he knew was that the director was from France and had made so many comedies. Fox Searchlight Pictures hired him for a very small salary, probably an unknown director.

The crew for Napoleon Dynamite II was put together by a different group of production companies. Fox Searchlight Pictures didn't want to spend a lot of money on the production, so they decided to hire people with cheap salary.

Kazir found Ed Helms and Pedro Pascal trying to smile as they listened to the director's banter.

'I think they realize the truth about directors... That most directors will never hesitate to humiliate people.'

Directors suffered from intense pressure, causing their behavior to be extreme.

Judging by their expressions, the actors were definitely not used to this kind of atmosphere.

Kazir's filming had a calm and collected atmosphere. Most of the crew respected each other. They were working together to make a successful film. Also, Kazir Grey never raised his voice when talking to anyone.

Looking around, Kazir spotted Reese Witherspoon getting a makeover from a makeup artist.

When Reese saw Kazir in the corner, she waved and smiled. She wanted to approach the man, but she was still getting makeup.

As for Kazir, he just nodded.

A few minutes later, Nancy Utley appeared and talked to Kazir. Nancy Utley was the producer of the film. This was the first time that Fox Searchlight Pictures was producing its own movie. So she had to take the position of being the producer.

"Kazir, I want you to meet Hugo Lameire. He is a director from France who has made so many comedy films."

'Probably small budget films...' Kazir thought.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lameire."

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Grey."

Hugo's earlier arrogance was long gone when he met Kazir. He was just a hired director and he knew he didn't have Kazir Grey's status. So as much as possible, there was nothing wrong with being humble.

"I'm interested in seeing the finished product."

"Don't worry, Mr. Grey, I'll make sure the sequel is successful."

Kazir Grey didn't have control over this project, but Hugo Lameire did.

'However, Hugo didn't even have the editing rights. Everything was under the jurisdiction of 20th Century Fox. They were the ones in charge of editing Napoleon Dynamite II.'

The two of them shook hands and Hugo did his job. Shooting began. Kazir and the others had to be quiet at that moment.

"Camera! Roll!"

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to The Real Cacto and Dwhateverprof!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 89


Kazir Grey and Harold Witsend watched the filming for a few minutes. Ed Helms and the other actors also greeted them. Ed Helms returned to his skinny figure, which was shocking but respected. It was very hard to lose weight, but Ed Helms worked hard just to return to Napoleon's appearance.

Kazir was impressed.

"Director Grey, thank you for giving me a chance. I'm actually sad that you're not the director this time. I'm scared and nervous that the success of this movie will be affected because of your absence."

"..." Kazir just shrugged. He was getting used to that statement.

Kazir Grey was the director who made them famous, and he had a better composure than Hugo Lameire. He was easier to talk to and he had an approachable aura. At least he didn't like to raise his voice during the shooting.

'The plot of Napoleon Dynamite II is basically an unknown venture. And to be honest, I'm not sure that's a good thing. Let's all just wait and see.'

If the release date of the movie was around May or June. If the filming finished at the right time, Kazir could attend the premier.

Well, with the budget of $15 million plus the strong authority of 20th Century Fox, the filming will definitely be in good hands.

As long as the movie could make a profit, 20th Century Fox would milk it dry.

"Director, I got a call from Tom Rothman's secretary. She said that CEO Tom Rothman is waiting for you in his office."

"Thank you, Nancy."

Kazir and Harold left the studio and went to the top floor of the building.

Tom Rothman understood the importance of Kazir's project and believed it had a great chance of success. That was why he agreed to the meeting. However, he had to look at the project from a business standpoint.

'Kazir has already made two movies with huge box office receipts. That's enough to make me interested. However, he is trying to venture into an unknown territory. Comedy and action are two completely different genres.' Tom Rothman nodded.

'A comedy film can be finished in a month. But an action movie is different, it takes at least three months to finish shooting. Also, the preparation before shooting is important. Now that Kazir Grey has decided to invest in his own movie and hire an amateur producer, I wonder how he can make this movie successful'.

A long rant from the CEO of 20th Century Fox, but a valid one.

In fact, Kazir's production crew did suffer a backlash. Now that the film had no studio backing, Grey Pictures had to take responsibility and work hard. Fortunately, they had experience working with big-budget films. The pressure was not that much. Just enough to make them tense, but serious.

'I heard that Warner Bros was going to start the sequel to The Hangover in midsummer. The Hangover made over $400 million at the box office last year.'

'They are probably working hard to make sure the results are better. I bet the actors are negotiating for salary increase... If Napoleon Dynamite II was a success, Warner Bros might have to increase the budget of The Hangover Part 2 to appease the actors.'

An obvious thing that would surely happen. In fact, that was the reason Napoleon Dynamite II went from $500,000 to $15 million. All because the actors' salaries went up.

"Sigh... Those goddamn agents. They are disgusting leeches, sucking blood to the limit."

Tom Rothman said with his teeth gritting. In fact, Ed Helms' agent even asked for a share of the box office! It was outrageous.

"The reason Napoleon Dynamite and The Hangover are successful is because of Kazir Grey. The actors have no reason to keep up their bravado! I'm sure they know that."

The life of working in the showbiz industry is to make sure that your movie/show attracts the attention of the masses. Film companies were willing to accept outrageous conditions just to increase the likelihood of success. But they were not stupid.

A few minutes later, Kazir and Harold walked into the office. The reason Kazir showed up was to assist Harold, since the producer was still new to the job.

:I can use Rafael too, but this is related to my company, so I have to make it worthwhile.'

Harold worked for Grey Pictures while Rafael was a CAA agent. Of course, Kazir had to trust his old friend.

"Good morning, Mr. Rothman."

"Kazir, how's your work?"

The two shook hands and sat down a few seconds later. Smiling like they were close friends.

"It's still sad that you are not the director of Napoleon Dynamite II. I will not hesitate to give you a share of the box office if I have to."

"Tom, it's already in the past. You already have a deal with Hugo."

"That's right. It's disappointing that you don't want to make a sequel. Regarding Taken, if the movie had a sequel, would you give it to another director?"

"It depends. My plan for Taken is one movie every two years, with a trilogy in the works."

"Hm, I have an idea about this Cinematic Universe of yours and I'm still not convinced. With your Cinematic Universe, the trilogy may not be successful. I think you are not the only one who had this idea. I'll tell you this, the reason no one has made a Cinematic Universe is because it's impossible. The budget, the time, the actors, it's impossible."

Tom Rothman said seriously.

"The reason no one has been successful is because everyone is afraid to do so. Once I prove that Cinematic Universe is possible and profitable, many film companies will try to copy me."

Kazir grinned.

When the Marvel Cinematic Universe became successful, Warner Bros tried to replicate it by starting the DCEU. Even Universal Pictures tried to start a Monster Cinematic Universe by releasing The Mummy starring Tom Cruise.

'I heard that Disney released John Carter as the opening movie of their Cinematic Universe. Well, the movie didn't live up to their expectations.'

The only successful one was MCU. Even Warner Bros' DCEU was a fucking flop in terms of quality. The movies of DCEU and MCU were not comparable at all.

In the next century, Marvel would become the face of superheroes. People like Superman and Batman would slowly be forgotten by young people.

+++++

[Rest in peace, the Honoured One, Gojo Satoru of Jujutsu Kaisen.]