HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

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Hollywood What If Chapter 19

Napoleon Dynamite had the vibe of the 80s. Even the gadgets people used in the movie were mostly old and outdated. Walkman, big-ass computer, videotapes and so on.

The movie was released in 2004. In Kazir's opinion, it should have been released before the digital age.

The movie was great, funny, embarrassing, and had an old-ish vibe. That's why Kazir decided to make it before the 21st century. He was confident that he could change the fate of the film.

'Don't get me wrong, the movie is already great, it's a masterpiece, but I want to make it better. 40 million at the box office is not enough to show the greatness of this movie.'

Napoleon Dynamite saved his life. He was at the bottom of his life when he casually walked into the theater and watched the movie. By the time the movie ended, Kazir realized he was already crying.

As a person who lost almost everything, he found Napoleon's silly dances. His dances made him laugh and cry at the same time.

For the same reason, he bought the DVD of Napoleon Dynamite. Whenever he felt down, he would follow Napoleon's dance.

Kazir was confident that he already knew every dance move Napoleon did in the movie.

"Is this really you? I thought you couldn't dance?"

Renner and Harold stared at Kazir in confusion and shock.

They rented a VCR and watched the dance tutorial Kazir had made... He was killing the dance floor.

"These are the dance moves you gave Ed?"

"Yes, before we arrived here in Idaho, I already gave this videotape to Ed. He promised to memorize every step."

"Wow... You can actually dance."

Renner and Harold stared at Kazir as if he were a stranger.

Kazir just shrugged. They didn't know that these dance moves were his go-to stress relievers. He always let loose when he started dancing.

'Luckily, most of the songs were available and I can use most of the original songs. '

"Okay, let's start shooting today."

Kazir had already made a schedule for today and they would try their best to stick to it. So far they had been in Idaho for four days.

He was holding a stack of storyboard to make sure that he would never lose the rhythm of the film.

They had shot dozens of scenes, but this was a 90+ minute movie. Obviously, three days were not enough. According to his calculations, they would have to stay here for at least a month to shoot all the scenes. If that was not enough, they would have to stay for a couple of more weeks.

"I feel like you're on drugs, Kazir." Harold tapped him on the shoulder.

"Huh? What do you mean? Dude, I'm clean, I stopped hitting the bong after I married Cassandra."

"That's not what I mean," Harold chuckled.

"Renner and I have noticed that you shoot faster than last time. Remember how long it used to take to shoot a single scene in a day? But now three or four scenes are no problem."

"That's right. It's almost like you know the scenes you want to shoot. You didn't experiment at all. You just decided what angle to shoot, what cuts to make, and what transitions to use. I feel like the movie is already created in your head and you're just following the shooting process."

Renner touched his chin and said something incredible.

"..."

Kazir was shaken when he heard what he said. Renner was not wrong, he was right. That's exactly what Kazir did.

'I just changed a few scenes to make it funnier. But overall, I strictly followed the plot and the exact shooting of Napoleon Dynamite.'

"Hehe, of course I know that's impossible. What are you? A man from the future."

Both Renner and Harold started to laugh.

"This is no time to joke. Let's start shooting, I think most of the actors are already done."

"Okay."

The scene they were about to shoot was the first scene in which Napoleon first appeared.

"Camera?"

"Ready!"

They didn't have any lights because they were shooting outside. It was hot right now because the sun was shining so well.

Kazir nodded to the man holding the clapperboard.

"Scene 2, take 4. Lights, camera, action!"

A few seconds pause. The bus appeared and Napoleon entered the bus. Simple as that.

"Cut! Get ready for the next scene!"

Kazir rented this school bus just for today. So he wanted to finish each bus scene as quickly as possible.

In the next scene, Napoleon sat in the back seat next to a boy.

Ed Helms sat with awkward expression, staring weakly ahead. He looked sleepy.

"What do you want to do today, Napoleon?" The boy said.

"Whatever I feel like doing, gosh!" Napoleon said and turned to his side. He looked out the window and then at the driver.

When he noticed that the driver was not looking, he opened the window and wrapped the string around a toy. He then proceeded to throw the toy outside while holding the string, and the toy was dragged along.

"Cut! Ten-minute break, then on to the next location."

When they heard the director's approval, Ed Helms sighed and wiped his forehead. It was so hot he was sweating.

"Here," one of the crew members handed him some cold mineral water.

"Thank you."

Ed Helms drank the water thirstily.

"You're lucky this time."

"Huh?"

"You're lucky the director shoots fast."

"Isn't he like that before?" Ed Helms asked.

"No, director Kazir usually adjusts the camera to see the best angle. He will also use different shooting styles to see the best result. However, he didn't use it this time. It seems that Director Kazir was seriously thinking about the shooting plan."

"I see." Ed Helms nodded. To be honest, he was grateful that Kazir had given him a chance.

The first day he found out that Kazir had hired him, Ed Helms could not sleep because his mind was too active.

Kazir approached Ed and examined his mentality.

"What about your dance moves? Have you memorized them?"

"Yes. I even practiced last night," he nodded.

"That's good to hear, but you need a good night's sleep. We don't want you to get sick."

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Hollywood What If Chapter 20

The shooting went smoothly. There were no rough spots. The actors were good in condition... they might need acting lessons after this movie. But hey, Napoleon Dynamite didn't need great acting anyway. It was a comedy.

'My first impression of Napoleon was sleepy. He always looks sleepy. Also, the way he acts is kind of weird.'

The actors were good, Pedro Pascal and Ed Helms just got into the right mood and got into their roles. The other actors were also good.

Because of this, Kazir's already fast shooting became even faster.

However, there was no such thing as perfect. There were still rough edges that needed polishing.

"Cut! Let's shoot this scene again. Ten-minute break!"

Calix stated after four NGs (not good). He looked at the certain actress who could not keep her acting.

The dance hall lit up and the music stopped. They were shooting the prom scene, the scene where Deb and Napoleon were dancing to be exact.

Reese was sweating and her complexion was pale. She knew she was the reason they had to reshoot.

She approached Kazir with a guilty look on her face.

"I'm sorry director, I accidentally looked at the camera."

"Reese. In the first take, you made a mistake by forgetting your line. The second, you stepped on Ed's foot. The third, you made a mistake and said the wrong line."

"I'm sorry."

She bowed her head. Her eyes became teary.

Kazir chuckled, comforting her instead.

"You don't have to apologize. Everyone makes mistakes. Even great actors like Nicholas Cage and Tom Hanks are not perfect. You don't have to beat yourself up."

He said, tapping her shoulder.

"Okay, follow me. Inhale... Exhale. Again, inhale... Exhale."

Reese took a deep breath and calmed her mind. She thought the director would be angry because she had already made four mistakes. She smiled when she realized that Kazir was not angry.

"It's good to see you smiling. Now go retouch your makeup and relax. Remember, you don't have to burden yourself. No one is perfect."

"Thank you, director!"

She happily left Kazir with her prom gown.

'... The cost of a 35mm Kodak film is about $80. A 35mm Kodak film can record up to 4 minutes and 30 seconds. So far, we have wasted three rolls of film with Reese's mistakes. To be honest, I'm angry. But I know the consequences of getting angry. Reese will lose confidence in herself and the shoot will be affected. As much as I can, I want to stay calm. '

Reese was still a young actress. She didn't have the mentality to handle criticism. If Kazir showed his true feelings, the woman might break down and cry, which would be uncomfortable for the crew.

'So for God's sake, Reese Witherspoon, get your acting right! Don't fuck it up!'

Kazir kept his sanity by gritting his teeth.

The ten-minute break ended and the shooting began again.

Fortunately, Reese Witherspoon's acting was better this time. At least she didn't make any mistakes.

"Cut! Reese, you did a good job. But I want to see more. Let's take it again."

The clapperboard made another sound and the shooting started again.

The background music was faint, enough for them to hear Napoleon and Deb's conversation.

Kazir watched the scene unfold on the monitors. He nodded after getting a nice scene.

"Cut! This is good. Let's move on to the next scene!"

For three minutes of worth of scenes, Kazir and his crew decorated the hall like a real prom. After shooting all the scenes, they cleaned the place. They wasted almost 5 thousand on the prom scene alone.

Making movies has never been cheap. Even if the total budget of Napoleon Dynamite was only $500,000 and they wanted to make it cheap, they couldn't cut costs.

They would immediately move on to the next location once the preparation was done.

"Tomorrow, if we're lucky, we might finish the whole shooting."

Renner stood next to Kazir, talking as he checked the camera.

"That's right. We've been here almost a month."

"Yeah, I miss Los Angeles."

"We both miss Los Angeles."

The two laughed.

Their next scene was in the hallway, the scene where Napoleon would meet Pedro for the first time.

'Pedro Pascal acts well. To make sure that this movie will have a better audience, I made sure that the way they deliver the lines is perfect. Especially the jokes.'

"Okay, adjust the camera. Renner, turn up the lighting. Yeah, that's right."

Kazir motioned to the man holding the clapperboard. The man blocked the camera with the clapperboard. Then he said, "Lights, camera, action," and clicked the clapperboard.

Everything went well. The crew sensed how much Kazir had evolved his shooting. In just one year, during which they missed each other, Kazir matured a lot. His mentality was great.

"Today is the day! Finally!"

The last day arrived. The crew had only one scene left to shoot. They planned to shoot this scene last because it was more complicated to prepare.

First, the crew hired extras and signed them up for the shooting. They didn't have any important roles. They would be the audience watching Napoleon dance.

"Okay, everything is ready!"

Kazir started shooting.

The music started and Ed Helms, who had practiced the dance steps, went to work.

He started to dance, his curly bob hair shaking around, his hips moving to the beat.

'Looks like he's taking it seriously.'

Kazir could see that Ed Helms was dancing better than he expected.

After the first dance...

"Cut! Ten-minute break."

Kazir Grey approached Ed Helms, who was sweating.

"Ed, I want you to dance again. I will save all the best parts of your dance and combine them."

"No problem, director."

Ed Helms smiled. At least Kazir appreciated his hard work.

[Hi, I just want to promote my other novels:]

1) MC's not part of the story

- This novel is already finished with 526 chapters.

2) The Only Fuel Is Using The D.

-This is my most read novel for some obvious reasons, ahem.

3) Reincarnated As A Deadbeat Dad

-This is a new novel. A slow progressive slice of life about a deadbeat dad.

4) Hollywood What If

- Mc returned to Hollywood in 1994.

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[I apologize if my grammar is bad. I'm from the Philippines. Most people here can speak and understand English, but our grammar is terrible. I can attest to that. 100% fr fr]

Hollywood What If Chapter 21


"Everybody! I would like to announce that the filming of Napoleon Dynamite ends here!"

"Woo!!"

"Nice!"

Seeing that their job was over, everyone celebrated. The whole shooting was fast, but that didn't change the fact that everyone was tired. Especially Harold Witsend. He was the prop master.

To keep up with Kazir's fast shooting, Harold and his crew did their best to keep up their best performance. They were constantly taking down props and setting them up for the shooting. They were the most tired of all.

"I want to thank you all for your hard work. As I promised, I will treat you when we return to Los Angeles.

They spent nearly 400 thousand dollars. The remaining 100 thousand dollars would be used to pay the rest of the crew and for the post-production of the film.

There was enough for them to spend celebrating the completion of the shooting. After that, Kazir would focus all his attention on editing the movie.

"Director Kazir, thank you for casting me as Napoleon Dynamite."

Ed Helms approached him. He was grateful that Kazir trusted him.

Also, during the filming, Ed Helms realized that Kazir was a talented director with his calm and fast shooting. Unlike other directors who had bad temper, Kazir was kind and easy to talk to.

"I believe you will achieve your dreams, Ed."

They shook hands.

Then Pedro Pascal and Reese Witherspoon came up to him and thanked him. Both Pedro and Reese were young and hadn't had a chance to show off their acting.

Napoleon Dynamite was their first project with important roles. Especially for Pedro Pascal, as a Chilean-American, his race made it difficult for him to find a suitable role.

"Reese, I recommend that you apply to an acting school. You need it very much."

"T- Thank you, Director."

Reese nodded her head. It might sound like an insult, but she understood Kazir's opinion. As an actress, she had to take acting seriously. Attending an acting school would help her career.

"I believe you will have a successful career."

He was not lying. These actors would be recognized by the masses.

The two thought that Kazir was just praising them. But they were still happy to hear his appreciation.

"Um... Director..."

"What is it, Reese?"

"N- Nothing, don't mind me."

Reese left with a dejected face.

All this time, she was beginning to see how seriously Kazir took his job. Almost every day, he stayed up late to review all the footage.

It would be a lie if Reese didn't admire someone like him. Kazir was handsome at his job. A person who does what he loves shines.

Anyway, Reese wanted to invite Kazir to dinner. However, seeing that Kazir was serious about his work, Reese decided to ask him later.

As for her purpose, only Reese Witherspoon knew the answer.

The team packed up and returned to Los Angeles. Everyone scattered, they were tired and needed to rest.

Kazir took a day off to rest. They would have a small celebration in three days. The crew and cast would officially finish filming that day.

As for Kazir, he rented a small studio and hired an editor to edit the movie. Of course, Kazir hired someone he knew.

Kazir had worked with Rector before and knew that Rector was good at his job. Unfortunately, Hollywood had a lot of talented editors and it was hard for them to get into big production companies. Networking was an important part of getting hired by these companies.

"Rector, use J-cut here to show that someone is having a conversation a few feet away from Napoleon."

"Okay."

Movies were first invented around the 1880s, and a century had already passed. Almost all kinds of cuts and transitions had been invented.

The most common cuts were the straight cut and the jump cut. Directors used these cuts all the time.

After seeing the effect, Kazir decided to use J-cut in that particular scene.

"By the way Kazir, I heard that your birthday is next week. Belated happy birthday then."

"Thank you. But we'll see each other on my birthday anyway, so you don't have to greet me early." He chuckled.

"You're not planning on taking a day off?"

"I'm going to call my brother, that's all."

"Wow."

Kazir's birthday was September 9th. He would be 27 then.

"Let's check the next scene."

"Okay."

Kazir had almost 800 minutes of footage. Kazir first had to combine the shots and make a movie. Then he would cut the length of the movie until it was less than 100 minutes.

'No one would watch a long film in a movie theater anyway. A long movie would be harmful and people would get bored.'

120 minutes is already long. Napoleon Dynamite should be kept under 100 minutes as much as possible.

While editing, Kazir heard his cell phone ring. He realized it was his friend David Fincher calling.

The phone was new, and it was the first time anyone had called him on it.

His brother begged him to buy one so he could call him anytime.

Kazir left the editing room and answered the call.

"Hello, David? How's your work?"

"I'm doing fine. That's why I asked you. Kazir, Se7en is already finished. We are having a small screening tomorrow at the New Line Cinema. I want to invite you to watch it with us."

Judging by his hoarse voice, it seemed that David hadn't slept much lately.

"Of course I will be there. Tell me the time and I'll be there."

Kazir realized the importance of Se7en, his future depended on it.

The call ended after a few words.

"It seems I have something to do tomorrow."

He was pretty excited to see the whole movie. Se7en was a cult classic, it almost ended the whole detective genre.

Of course, let's not forget Primal Fear and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

There were other movies in detective genre, but it was hard to topple Se7en.


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Hollywood What If Chapter 22


Kazir checked his appearance. He looked pretty good, especially now that he had burned off his belly fat. Signing up for a gym membership helped a lot.

Now Kazir was much healthier than he had been the last time. He was fit, although the bags under his eyes were still there. After all, he hadn't slept for days.

If Rector had not begged him to rest, Kazir would never have left the editing room.

Kazir wore a suit when he entered the New Line Cinema building. He asked the receptionist, and the woman directed him to the screening room.

There he found David Fincher talking to Arnold Kopelson.

"Kazir! I haven't seen you in months! I hear you're filming."

David approached with a smile. They were both having the "best" day of their lives, considering they both had bags under their eyes.

"Yeah, I just finished shooting. I rented a studio to edit my movie."

"That's good to hear. If you need any help, you can ask me."

"I won't be polite then."

"Kazir."

Arnold Kopelson came over and shook his hand. They were not strangers and they had a good relationship.

"How is your day Arnold?"

"Everything is going well. David is working hard."

A few minutes later the people from New Line Cinema showed up. Robert Shaye looked at Kazir and nodded.

Se7en began to play on the screen and they watched it intently. All Kazir could say was that David Fincher's filmography would flourish from now on.

His films would be classics.

Se7en, a great murder mystery detective genre.

Fight Club, amazing, the twist was 'wtf'.

Zodiac, another murder mystery.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, um, another murder mystery.

Gone Girl, a pretty ironic movie, but this movie made more than 300 million dollars at the worldwide box office.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, deep, a masterpiece in my opinion.

Kazir thought that apart from Christopher Nolan. David Fincher was the best noir filmmaker of the current era.

'Noir films...'

In the past, Kazir dreamed of becoming the best director of this genre. However, he failed miserably.

So from now on, Kazir would change his style. As much as he could, he would never touch dark R-rated movies, especially horror movies. Instead, he would settle for PG-13 and action movies.

'Action movies, I will make action movies for the sake of action movies. For the sake of the audience, not for the sake of the critics.'

Art films can go to hell. Kazir would make commercial films instead.

But for now, the best he could do was use Napoleon Dynamite as a springboard.

His budget was only half a million, so he decided to make the best movie he could. Once he had enough status and money, Kazir would definitely choose action movies.

"Congratulations David, the movie is great." Kazir hugged David. He was happy to see the script he had written become a movie.

"Don't congratulate me yet, we haven't shown it to the market yet."

"Don't worry, I'm confident this movie will have a strong reception."

Suddenly another person approached them.

"David, the movie is great."

"Me too, Mr. Shaye. I hope we can work together again."

"Hm," then Robert Shaye turned to Kazir. The founder of New Line Cinema looked haggard.

"I heard you're shooting a movie."

"Yes, I have already finished shooting. I'm editing it now."

"If you're interested, you can contact New Line Cinema."

Robert Shaye would be happy to buy a movie that has a strong return on investment. If Kazir's movie was worth it, of course he would buy it.

"It's an honor."

Kazir's first choice was actually Fox Searchlight Pictures, but he didn't have to be picky.

Robert Shaye left the two. New Line Cinema had to come up with a marketing plan for Se7en.

"Hey, did you hear? There's a rumor that Time Warner is going to buy Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Maybe that's why Robert Shaye looked tired."

New Line Cinema was owned by Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. If Time Warner bought Turner Broadcasting System Inc., then New Line Cinema would naturally fall into the hands of Warner Bros.

Kazir just kept smiling.

'It is not a rumor, New Line Cinema will be under Warner Bros. in the near future.'

He just hoped that Se7en would not be affected.

David invited Kazir to dinner and they talked. Now that David's work was almost done, he wanted to take a bottle of beer and drink it all down.

"So you made a comedy? Strange, I thought you preferred horror movies?"

Kazir's first three films were B-grade horror movies. So David thought his current project was also a horror movie.

"No David, I want to change."

In a way, making a comedy was like shedding a new skin for Kazir.

"Changing for the better is a good thing. Send me a ticket when it comes out."

"You don't have to worry."

"Where will you show it first? Will you submit it to the Berlin International Film Festival?"

"If I have no choice. But the Berlin International Film Festival is in February. My movie will surely be finished by then, so entering a film festival is my last choice".

"Once Se7en becomes popular, I'm sure many companies will approach you."

"That's right."

The two started drinking beer like there was no tomorrow. They wanted to let go of their work and have fun.

When Kazir woke up the next day, his head hurt, almost as if his skull was being drilled.

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Hollywood What If Chapter 23


After a whole night of drinking beer, Kazir sat up weakly and groaned as a headache hit him.

"... Coffee."

Kazir didn't know the best way to relieve the hangover. He loved to drink alcohol, but he drank in moderation.

But since David Fincher had invited him to drink last night, he had no choice but to stay. In the end, Kazir called David's wife because David was dead drunk.

Even Kazir's car was still in the bar's parking lot because he took a cab. The last thing he remembered was that he was staggering when he reached his apartment.

"Euugh..."

He frowned when he noticed that there was acidic vomit on the floor, probably from him.

"Damn it, David. I will never drink with you again."

With a sore head, Kazir mopped the floor.

He realized it was 8:30 in the morning, only half an hour before the studio opened.

Kazir took a cold bath to awaken his senses. He ordered a coffee on the way to the bar's parking lot to take his old, bumpy car.

By the time he reached the studio, it was after 8:50.

Fortunately, Rector had just arrived. As usual, they began editing the film early in the morning.

As a man with four decades of experience as a director, Kazir knew the best angles to use. The transitions, the cuts, everything was in his head.

He even made sure the line delivery was good. In comedy, line delivery was important. Especially when the character was delivering the jokes.

"Pfft--"

Rector laughed out loud after watching the scene where Pedro Sanchez shaved his hair and went bald. He didn't expect the young man to do something like that just to cool off.

"Are you sure you wrote this?" Rector looked at Kazir and laughed.

He hadn't expected someone as serious as Kazir to make a comedy. He also wrote the script.

"Yes. It's enlightening. Although I don't know if I can write another one like Napoleon Dynamite.

"In fact, in my opinion, this will be your last comedy. Don't get me wrong, we've worked together three times now, and most of your movies are B-grade horror movies. I think you have more chances with horror movies."

Considering that the script called Se7en was bought by New Line Cinema, Rector believed that Kazir had a talent for bloody movies.

Kazir just smiled bitterly. His opinion differed from Rector's. Horror movies did not pay him anything. That's why Kazir wanted to break through in a different way.

He dreamed of making an action movie. Unfortunately, action movies require large investments. It was impossible for a small director like him.

Days passed and the celebration of Napoleon Dynamite came. Of course, it was only a small party. The big party would happen when the movie was released and was a big hit.

Renner and Harold were the ones who prepared the party. Most of the actors were there.

Just like the last time, Ed Helms and the other newbie actors thanked Kazir.

Kazir began to lose his patience when he heard their repeated thanks. Once was enough.

"Um, director?"

"Reese, the shoot is over. You don't need to call me director, Kazir is fine."

"So, Kazir... Would you like to go on a date with me?" Reese was nervous after what she had said. Her face blushed.

Luckily, they were talking far away from the party. No one could hear what she said.

"Date? Sorry Reese, I'm busy." Kazir shook his head. He would rather spend his time editing the movie.

"I see..." She bit her lip. It was embarrassing. She braved her heart to invite him, but Kazir turned her down. It was a bit painful for a woman to hear rejection.

Kazir was no child. He knew what was happening.

He had just gotten divorced last October, and he didn't want to get into another relationship. At least not now.

Besides, Reese was young. She was only 19 years old. He didn't know if the woman was serious or if she had other motives.

"See you around, then, Kazir."

She smiled, but it was obvious that she was looking at Kazir with teary eyes.

Kazir sighed.

"Are you free on September 22nd?"

Finally, Kazir felt bad.

"September 22? That would be two weeks from now." Reese Witherspoon was confused as to why the man in front of her was asking if she was free in two weeks.

She was just a small actress, she probably wouldn't have any work then.

"It is like this, a movie is coming out that day and I have two tickets. If you want, we can watch it together."

"A movie?" She tilted her head.

Reese didn't know what movies were coming out this month.

"Yeah, I was the screenwriter for that movie, so they gave me two premiere tickets."

"Okay then, I'll call you when I'm free." She smiled mischievously and left... She was really adorable.

"Why do I feel like I'm playing myself?"

Anyway, he didn't care. A beautiful young woman like Reese would never take him seriously.

Kazir had had bad relationships all his life, he didn't believe in true love.

"Well, anyone who lives deep in Hollywood doesn't believe in true love."

Hollywood was the city of vanity.

Love? Only looks, sex, money, and benefits worked here. If you can't give any of those things, you might as well leave.

After that day, Kazir began to devote all his time to editing. He wanted to finish post-production before or after the release of Se7en. Se7en would be the key to increasing his chips to sell his movie.

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Hollywood What If Chapter 24

"Hey, Carl! I heard a story."

"Hm?"

Carl Morin turned as he heard someone call his name. Carl Morin was an agent working under WMA (William Morris Agency). He had few clients, but each one had a good prospect, especially the director he had signed last year.

"Have you heard about the movie Se7en?"

The agent approached him.

"Yes. I heard about it. That movie is coming out this month, right?" Carl Morin was confused as to why his colleague was asking him about this particular movie.

"Do you know the screenwriter of this movie?"

"Sorry John, I'm too busy and haven't had time to read the newspaper or anything." He shook his head.

"It's your ex-client! Kazir Grey! I only heard about it from my client because he is working with Kazir."

"What!?"

Carl Morin was shocked to hear this. He thought his colleague was joking.

"Judging by your reaction, you didn't really hear it. Anyway, I have a magazine here, there's an article about Se7en."

The agent handed the magazine to Carl Morin.

"..."

Carl didn't know what to say. He walked into a room shared by four agents. A small agent like him had to share an office with other agents, it was a normal thing.

As Carl sat down in front of his desk, he opened the magazine and started to read the article about Se7en.

"That's impossible. I know Kazir, he has no talent for writing a script!"

Carl had been Kazir's agent for three years. When the contract ended, he didn't renew it. Because he felt that Kazir didn't have a good future as a director.

In addition, Kazir Grey angered the top management after accidentally spilling water on one of the WMA's vice presidents.

"..."

Carl touched his chin. According to the article, Se7en had a budget of 35 million dollars. There was a chance that it would do well in the theaters.

"No, that kind of movie has a disadvantage. Se7en is probably an R-rated movie and families with children will never see this kind of movie"

He thought.

Carl Morin hoped that Se7en would flop at the box office. Otherwise, there was a good chance that he would regret his decision of letting Kazir go.

"..."

He was in a bad mood all the time when he realized that the egg he had dropped might have been a golden egg.

"Wow! I didn't expect the movie premiere to be like this! Hey, look, it's Jennifer Aniston."

"Yeah, Reese, I can see her. You don't have to tell me right next to my ear."

It seemed that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt had a good relationship even before they got married.

"I can't help it! I can't believe I can see them so close." She whispered.

Reese Witherspoon and Kazir Grey attended the premiere of Se7en. They saw Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow walk down the red carpet one by one. They waved their hands to the crowd.

They were dressed in formal attire. Each actor showed his or her appearance to the public. Especially the actress, they posed well.

Unfortunately, a screenwriter like Kazir didn't have a chance to walk on the red carpet. Unless he became famous.

Well, I don't like being the center of attention. I like making movies, but being in front of the public is the last thing I want in this job.

After the actors entered the theater, the reception slowly quieted down.

Kazir and Reese entered the theater through the back door and found their seats.

"Hey, I heard that this movie didn't get a positive reaction at the test screening. The audience didn't like the movie at all, I'm afraid Brad Pitt will have a problem starring in this kind of movie."

Reese and Kazir overheard the conversation next to them. Reese wanted to talk to the man, but Kazir stopped her by grabbing her hand.

They might as well shut up and watch the movie instead.

The movie started and everyone focused on the movie. The classic New Line Cinema opening credits appeared.

[Note: If you don't want to be spoiled, don't read the ones in parentheses. I watched Se7en few years ago. So I just rewatched the movie summary in YouTube when I was writing this. A bit with chatgpt as well, but AI clearly makes mistakes.]

[The story begins with the introduction of Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman). An experienced detective on the verge of retirement. Detective Somerset is a calm and reflective character who has seen it all. He has become disillusioned with the world.]

"So this is Morgan's role in this movie, as expected. He always plays that kind of gentleman."

Reese frowned as she continued to hear the murmur next to them.

[Detective Somerset's replacement is Detective Mills (Brad Pitt). A young and ambitious officer eager to make a name for himself in the city. ]

"Waahh! Brad! How handsome!"

Reese and Kazir heard a squeal behind them.

[Note: If you don't want to be spoiled, I recommend you skip this part]

[The two detectives are assigned to work together on a case involving a gruesome murder. Which they soon discover is only the first in a series of murders].

[The killer is targeting people who represent each of the seven deadly sins. Each murder scene is elaborately and twistedly staged.]

"Gueh--!" A faint vomit comes from an audience member as they see the first victim.

[The detectives begin to unravel the clues left by the killer. As they do, they become increasingly horrified by the brutality and depravity of the crimes.]

[The murders are particularly disturbing. Each one underscores the horrific nature of the sin being depicted.]

[The first murder is that of an obese man who was force-fed until his stomach burst. This is followed by the murder of a greedy lawyer who is forced to cut off a pound of his own flesh.]

[ While the killing spree was going on, Detective Somerset met Detective Mills' wife. Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) told Detective Somerset that she was pregnant. She didn't know how to tell her husband.]

[The third victim is a lazy man who is tied to a bed for a year. The fourth victim is a man who was forced to kill a prostitute, representing the sin of lust. The fifth victim is a proud model who is disfigured with a knife and killed herself by overdosed.]

[The detectives soon realize that the killer, who calls himself John Doe (Kevin Spacey), is making a statement about the sins of mankind].

[Doe is an intelligent and calculating individual who is playing a game with the detectives. He wants to show them the true nature of humanity and force them to face their own sins.]

[Detective Mills and John Doe had a confrontation in the alley. Detective Mills nearly lost his life. But the killer let him live.]

The audience sighed with relief because they thought Brad Pitt was going to die just like that. In this kind of movie, usually one of the main characters has to die.

[When Detective Mills survived the ordeal. He realized that the killer was actually the reporter who was harassing them!]

The audience gasped as they realized the truth.

The climax was near. The audience grew quiet as the movie drew to a close.

[The detectives finally identified John Doe. But Doe surrenders to the detectives instead. There was blood on his clothes, indicating that he had killed another person].

"Is this the end of the movie?" Reese whispered next to Kazir and he shook his head.

Now that John Doe had surrendered, everyone thought the movie was over.

However, the final scene was still to come. The "What's in the box?" scene...

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Hollywood What If Chapter 25


[John Doe turned himself into the police. However, he promised not to testify to his crime until the two detectives granted his final request.]

[Left with no choice, the two detectives took John Doe out into the desert.]

[A few minutes later, a van showed up and gave Detective Somerset a box].

"What's in the box?"

The audience began to ask, curious. However, they gasped when they saw Detective Somerset's expression after he opened the box. The detective was clearly frightened by what he saw.

[John Doe then reveals that he has one last act to perform. And that is to force Detective Mills to become the embodiment of the seventh deadly sin, wrath.]

"Oh my God!"

[John Doe killed Mill's pregnant wife! Not only that! He put Tracy's head in the box and delivered it to their location!]

"Monster!"

The audience gasped in shock! No one expected this to be the end.

["What's in the box? I ask you, what's in the box?! William!"]

[Detective Mills asked Detective Somerset with obvious desperation].

["David, let's talk about this. Give me the gun first."]

The audience became very quiet as they watched the final sequence of the movie. In their minds, they already know Detective Mills' decision.

[When Detective Mills heard that his wife was pregnant, he lost his hesitation. He began shooting bullets into John Doe's body, killing him.]

[The contents of the box were Tracy's head...]

[In the end, Detective Somerset witnessed Detective Mills descend into madness and become a criminal].

----------

When the movie ended, the audience was shocked. It took a few seconds for someone to clap their hands. Then more people followed until the entire audience was clapping.

Kazir smiled calmly as he watched their reactions. He knew in his heart that Se7en was already a success. The only question was how successful it would be.

"Kazir, are you really the one who wrote this?" Reese whispered next to him.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"It's just... I don't know how to put this. Are you sure you're okay?"

Kazir chuckled when he saw her reaction. Reese looked at him with shock and concern.

"Maybe I'm crazy."

"I'm not even kidding right now."

"Well, what do you see in me? Do I look like a madman?"

"No, all I see is a calm man. Although I can see in your eyes that you are broken."

"..."

Kazir kept his smile.

Let people judge him, but Kazir would continue to do what he loved.

The actors and actresses went on the stage and bowed their heads.

Brad Pitt really destroyed his image with this movie.

Se7en was the kind of movie that had 50-50 odds. It would be hard to erase the image of Detective Mills if this movie failed.

"Let's go."

Knowing that he didn't have a place in this theater, Kazir decided to say goodbye. Reporters and audiences usually focused their attention on the actors, sometimes the directors. Screenwriters usually worked behind the scenes, they were the brains of the movies.

Kazir took Reese back to her apartment.

"Kazir, would you like to stay? I can make you a coffee."

"I'm sorry, Reese. Maybe next time." Kazir shook his head.

"O- Okay then."

Reese smiled bitterly and entered the apartment. She was a bit disappointed.

As for Kazir, he knew he would not get the news until tomorrow, so he returned to his place. He didn't bother to stay up all night.

He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes... But his mind betrayed him.

"Damn it. I guess I'm still not mature enough to fall asleep when something important is happening."

If he had known this would happen, he might have accepted Reese's invitation.

He got up, got dressed, and walked out of his apartment. Since he could not sleep, he might as well go to the New Line Cinema. He would wait for the results.

David Fincher, Robert Shaye, Arnold Kopelson and other people from the management were all waiting for the results.

They were not sleeping, they could not sleep anyway. They were too active and worried to relax.

When Kazir asked the receptionist, he realized that it was already midnight. Only a few minutes until the results would come.

"Kazir."

The people nodded at Kazir as they saw him enter the room. At this moment, no one cared if Kazir was present or absent. They were all waiting for the results of the premiere.

Suddenly the phone rang and people opened their ears. The Cinema alliance gave them the results.

"Yes, yes. Okay, I will receive it."

The fax machine began to print the information. The secretary handed the documents to Robert Shaye. A few seconds later, Robert Shaye sighed with relief as he saw the midnight box office for the movie.

"Looks like we need to work hard on the promotion."

Robert stood up and the management followed. Looking at the midnight box office results, Robert Shaye and New Line Cinema believe that Se7en had a strong appeal. It did much better than they expected.

"Congratulations David."

Robert Shaye congratulated David Fincher.

"Sir Robert! Thank you."

The last to receive the relevant information were David Fincher and Kazir Grey.

"3 million! 3.60 million dollars!"

David Fincher was so excited that he lost his strength and sat down. The tension disappeared when he saw the results of the midnight premier.

"Kazir, we did it!"

"Yes, congratulations David."

Of course, they were happy that their movie was a success. At least with this midnight result, the first three days would have a bright lead.

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Hollywood What If Chapter 26

"Good morning, Mr. Semel."

"Good morning."

The receptionist greeted the CEO of Warner Bros. and bowed her head.

CEO Terry Semel was in a good mood, so he returned the greeting with a smile. He was in a good mood because Time Warner had acquired TBS (Turner Broadcasting System).

This acquisition would make Time Warner even stronger. In addition, another piece of good news greeted him today.

Now that Time Warner had acquired Turner Broadcasting System Inc., the company naturally took over New Line Cinema.

Of course, Time Warner would not interfere with New Line Cinema's way of doing business. After all, the company was making money.

Besides, the latest movie released by New Line Cinema was well received. Even though Terry Semel didn't have control over New Line Cinema, he was happy to see the company thriving. At least New Line Cinema would not be a problem for Warner Bros.

Terry Semel walked into his office and asked his secretary to bring him a newspaper. Specifically, the news about the movies being released this month.

[ ... "Se7en" is unique in one detail of its construction. It brings the killer onto the screen half an hour before the end and gives him a speaking role. Instead of simply being the prey in a car chase. He is revealed as a twisted but articulate antagonist who has devised a terrible plan for the conclusion of his sermon. (The actor who plays the killer is not identified by name in the ads or opening credits. So I'll leave his identity as another of his surprises.) "Se7en" is well done in its details. Uncompromising in the way it presents the disturbing details of the crimes. It is certainly not for the young or the sensitive. As good as it is, it misses greatness by not quite finding the right way to end. All the pieces are in place, all the characters are in place, and then - I think the way the story ends is too easy. Satisfying, maybe. But not worthy of what has gone before.] --Roger Ebert. Chicago Sun-Times.

Even a famous movie critic like Roger Ebert had said his opinion about the movie. Roger Ebert gave it two thumbs up.

Of course, Terry Semel knew that this kind of movie review had to do with New Line Cinema's promotion.

'I wonder how much money they gave Roger Ebert this time.'

Terry Semel chuckled and read another article.

[It's not the identity of the killer that gives Se7en its kick - it's the way Fincher raises the mystery to the level of moral provocation. If Pulp Fiction gave us a taste for such a challenge, we have Tarantino to thank, not to blame]. --Peter Travers. Rolling Stone.

When Terry Semel read the critics' review, he nodded in agreement. He had seen the film at its premiere and was impressed. It was said that the early screenings of Se7en had received a mediocre response. But the first-week box office said otherwise.

The midnight premiere box office was $3.6 million.

On Friday, it went up to $4.2 million.

On Saturday, it was $3.1 million.

On Sunday it was $3 million.

The opening week of Se7en grossed $13.9 million. In his opinion, this result already exceeded his expectations for the movie.

Se7en was dark, gritty, and bloody. Obviously, families would never choose it to watch with their children.

Still, it did well in its first week.

"Kazir Grey? Have I ever heard of this person?"

While reading the articles about Se7en, Terry Semel realized that the screenwriter's name was Kazir Grey.

Terry Semel decided to call his secretary instead.

"Emily, do you know anyone named Kazir Grey?"

"No, sir."

"Is that so? How about checking with the other departments? Maybe they know this person."

Everybody knows everybody in Hollywood. This circle is small. So there was a good chance that some people in the other departments would know Kazir Grey.

"Yes, I will ask them, sir."

The secretary named Emily was confused as to why the CEO was asking about this Kazir Grey. She didn't know this person too.

Anyway, it was an order from the CEO, and it was her job to ask the other departments. This kind of thing was not that difficult.

Using the phone on her desk, she started to contact each department.

"Me? CEO Terry Semel's is calling me?"

Enrico Pusi was confused as to why the CEO of Warner Bros. was calling him. Enrico was one of the producers in the production department. His job was... well, to produce movies.

Usually, he would attend the meeting to select scripts with high profitability. Once the script was studied, they would send it to other departments to study the other aspects of the script. Then the higher-ups would attend the meeting to approve the start of the project.

Sometimes he would take over and be the producer of the movie.

Right now, Enrico Pusi was busy promoting their upcoming movie, which was Batman Forever.

"Sir, Enrico is here."

"Let him in."

Enrico entered the office and found Terry Semel reading the paper.

"So Enrico, I heard you met this Kazir Grey?"

"..."

When Enrico Pusi heard what Terry Semel said, he instinctively swallowed. He realized the reason why he had been called.

"Don't worry, I don't blame you. I asked my secretary to give me the Se7en script that was in our script library. My answer is the same as yours, the script does not have strong profitability."

"Yes sir..." Enrico sighed in relief.

"However, I heard that Kazir Grey has a new project. If you have time, maybe you can get in touch with him. If the movie is interesting, you know what to do."

"I'll do my best, sir." Enrico nodded his head. At least he didn't get any nagging.

"That's good. You may leave now."

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Hollywood What If Chapter 27

"So... your name is Salvatore Barlowe?"

Kazir Grey studied the person in front of him. Kazir was busy with post-production when the studio informed him that someone was looking for him.

Kazir thought it was a person from one of the film companies. But he didn't expect to see a young man.

"Yes, Mr. Grey. I'm here to..."

"How old are you?"

"Me? I'm 28 this year."

"28? You look like 21 or something."

Kazir frowned. He could not believe that the person across the table was a year older than him. Yet he looked much younger.

'Am I really so depressed that my face looks old? Should I shave my beard?'

Kazir had a short dark beard, which made him look like a mature man. He had been going to the gym for the past few months and was confident in his appearance.

'At least I look stronger than him.'

Kazir has firm biceps and nice abs. He has a perfect body after working out constantly. Unlike Salvatore Barlowe, who looked skinny and weak. That fact comforted him.

'That's right. I'm not that old, I just want to keep my beard.'

The first day he returned to 1994, he had a thick beard and looked much older. He also had a big belly.

"It's probably because my mother is Korean."

"You're half Korean? Looking at your face, you do have Korean features.

Unlike Westerners who grew old easily, Koreans and Japanese looked young with their smooth skin.

Kazir nodded as he learned the truth behind Salvatore's young features.

"So you're looking for me because...?"

"Mr. Grey, I'm from the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). I'm an agent and I'm hoping you can sign a contract with me."

'As expected, he is an agent.'

Few known people would look for Kazir in the current situation. His script earned 14 million in its opening week.

'It's already Tuesday and the box office is 23 million.'

Five days after its premiere, Se7en had grossed 23 million. That was already a big achievement in September schedule.

Most moviegoers are usually stale during this time of year. This month is part of the school year and there are no major holidays.

Unlike November, which has Halloween, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving.

'23 million in five days in September is good. '

So Kazir knew that Hollywood companies would start contacting him. But he didn't expect his first meeting to be with an agent.

"How long have you been an agent?"

"Four years. I have three actors under me and they have bright futures."

Hearing his answer, Kazir laughed uncontrollably.

"Mr. Grey?"

"I'm sorry, haha. I just realized the truth after what you said."

"..."

Salvatore Barlowe bit his lip and started to sweat. In fact, his intention was quite obvious.

"After the success of Se7en, you believe that I have a great future, at least enough to attract your attention. You heard that I finished shooting a movie, right?"

"That's right." Salvatore nodded. There was no need to lie.

"Mr. Grey-"

"Call me Kazir. If you're really serious about me having a good potential, then you'll have to show me what you've got."

"Kazir. If you agree, I will definitely make a contract that I will only accept a 3 percent commission."

"Hoh."

Kazir raised his eyebrows. To be honest, he was quite shocked to hear his proposal.

The usual commission for an agent was 10 percent. Although agents who had superstars had a lower commission.

'But this kind of contract is good for an agent who has famous clients. Steven Spielberg earned more than 100 million after making Jurrasic Park two years ago. His agent made more than 3 million in commissions on that project alone.'

A director who could bring in millions of dollars a year. Any agent would fight to sign someone like that.

Right now, Salvatore Barlowe was indirectly saying that Kazir was a good prospect. He had the makings of a superstar director.

'That's what I see...'

To be honest, he was quite happy that someone trusted him even though he hadn't proven himself yet. At least Salvatore Barlowe showed his sincerity.

"I accept your proposal."

"T-then!" Salvatore almost jumped out of his seat, but it seemed that Kazir had more to say.

"But I have one condition."

"As long as it's within my reach, I'll do it."

"First, I will not accept CAA's film packaging. I have my own crew and I want to keep them as much as possible."

"That's... Okay, I will put that in the contract."

Film packaging was CAA's main source of income. But a strong, authoritative director would never accept that kind of arrangement.

In the end, Salvatore decided to accept Kazir's condition.

"But I hope your first choice of actors is within CAA."

An agent like Salvatore wanted his actors to have a project at least once a year.

"Of course, as long as they fit the roles, I will hire them."

Kazir had no problem with that. Besides, CAA is the most powerful agency in Hollywood. Michael Ovitz founded the agency after being fired from WMA. Since then, CAA has grown to become the strongest agency.

An agency like CAA would be good for Kazir.

"This is good to hear. CAA is a trustworthy agency and I believe they will help me achieve my dreams. Aside from the movie packaging, I'm all good. Of course, you have to keep your promise that your commission is only 3 percent."

"Yes, I promise."

Salvatore was delighted.

Everyone knows that directors have a higher position than actors. After all, directors choose the actors who will appear in their movies.

If Salvatore has a director under him, his influence would be stronger.

"Then I hope we will have a great collaboration." Kazir held out his hand.

"Thank you for trusting me, Kazir."

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Hollywood What If Chapter 28


Kazir and Salvatore Barlowe had a brief verbal agreement.

The real reason was simple.

Kazir really needs an agent. As soon as Se7en made more money at the box office, film companies would contact him.

The one who usually talked to those companies was the agent. The two sides would start making offers and negotiating. The client would only show up once the deal was finalized .

Besides, Kazir didn't want to be bothered because he was still editing Napoleon Dynamite.

The other reason was Salvatore's honesty. Cutting the commission to 3 percent was actually a tough move for an agent. It basically reduced his income.

Although if Kazir became a successful director, Salvatore's decision would be the right one.

To Kazir, Salvatore showed a tendency to gamble.

'Well, I'm also gambling with my future. So I can empathize.'

All Kazir could do was prove himself. To make sure this young-looking agent would never regret his decision.

"Kazir, about the movie..."

"Don't worry, I'm half done. Two-thirds, to be exact. But I want to take it slow. At least wait for the box office of Se7en this week."

Se7en was released in theaters for five days and made 23 million. He wanted to see if the movie's performance would increase this week.

"Okay. I will wait then," Salvatore nodded.

He was just a new agent and Kazir hadn't signed a contract with him yet. It was just a verbal agreement.

He knew that making a movie would take time.

"You can give the contract to my lawyer first and I will sign it later."

"That's good to hear."

The two men shook hands firmly.

Several years later, many agents would regret their decision of not signing a contract with Kazir Grey.

'I didn't know Salvatore Barlowe in my previous life. He is probably not famous and his clients are small-time actors. But I'm just like him. I'm not famous in my past life.'

There were famous agents in Hollywood like Pat Kingsley, Kevin Huvane, and Bryan Lourd.

Kazir knew damn well that these agents would never look at a small-time director like him.

They went their separate ways after the meeting. In a way, their first meeting was eventful.

"Let's call my lawyer first so that he will not be surprised."

Kazir contacted his lawyer when he returned to the studio.

"Hello, Terrence? Yeah, it's me. Oh come on, are you still mad at me for giving the house to Cassandra? What? You're disappointed in yourself for not defending your client against a cheating bitch? Dude, let's just forget about it. I have a job for you. Yes, it's job-related. Yes, you will get a contract later. Okay, thanks."

He sighed. The first hurdle was successfully overcome.

The first five days of Se7en were a great start and Kazir could finally relax his nerves.

"Hello, Director Grey!"

"Hm?"

Suddenly, before he could enter the editing room, a woman greeted him.

Kazir turned to see Reese Witherspoon approaching him.

"Reese? Why are you here?" He was confused.

"I'm here for the dubbing."

"Ah, I'm sorry, I forgot."

Maybe because of too much pressure, Kazir didn't remember that part.

Reese and the other actors have to dub their speeches in the movie. So far, Ed Helms had the most lines, and he finished dubbing all of his lines in just two weeks.

Reese was attending acting school, so she was very busy during those days. She also had a part-time job. She listened to Kazir's suggestion.

When shooting a scene, there was usually a problem with recording the sound. That's why dubbing was needed.

'I hired a sound director last week.'

The sounds you heard in the movies were usually created by the sound director. I'm not talking about music, I'm talking about sound.

The sound of punching might be created by sound directors by literally punching a piece of meat. Sound directors are an important part of post-production.

"This will be my last day dubbing, so Director Kazir, can you please do me a favor?"

Reese smiled sweetly and leaned closer to Kazir.

Kazir caught her scent. If he was being honest, Reese smells so good. Of course, he was a man who appreciated the scent of a woman.

He smiled bitterly. As a man who had just been divorced last October, he wanted to stay away from relationship as much as possible. However, a raging man like him couldn't maintain his rationality for long.

He needed a release. On the other hand, he wanted to keep his sanity.

"After my dubbing is over, can I take you out to dinner?"

The one who initiate the first move was Reese!

"..."

Kazir kept his smile. To be honest, he wanted to say no.

"Reese, I'm sorry, but..."

"Are you going to say no again? Mr. Grey, you're quite annoying."

She smiled, but not a smile. To be honest, she didn't know why she was doing this either.

Maybe she was just interested in Kazir after watching his shooting. Unlike most directors who would yell and scream, Kazir was always patient and encouraging. Besides, he was quite good and handsome while doing what he loved.

The other reason was her pride. She had already been rejected three times, so she wanted to win a victory by seducing him... What do you know? A woman wants to prove her worth by seducing a stoic man... maybe?

In that respect, Reese saw this as nothing more than a fun but frustrating game.

"What do you think, Mr. Grey?"

She said and moved closer to him, almost touching his broad chest.

[There is actually a smut chapter next but it's only exclusive to my Patrons.]

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Hollywood What If Chapter 29


"47 million dollars..."

Tom Rothman put down the newspaper with a bitter smile.

It was September 29th, Friday, seven days after the release of Se7en.

He remembered that Kazir had also sent the Se7en script to 20th Century Fox. But the production management didn't take it seriously.

"Well, it's a little complicated. Production management would never agree to invest $35 million in a movie with no good return on investment. Besides, at that time Kazir Grey was hoping to direct the film. No sane person in the production management would accept such a proposal."

On top of that, the director who took over the project was David Fincher!

20th Century Fox owns the copyright to the Alien franchise!

David Fincher was the director of "Alien 3" and it had a horrible result at the box office. 20th Century Fox made it clear that they would never invite David Fincher back to their company.

But who would have thought that Se7en, directed by David Fincher, would be successful?

Tom Rothman felt that he had allowed two talented people to escape the grasp of 20th Century Fox.

He let Se7en go to New Line Cinema. Well, now, this particular movie had 47 million in its seven days.

September was a mild schedule. It was very different from the summer and Christmas schedules where the studios were fighting for every week.

The month of September wasn't very profitable. So Se7en making 47 million was already a good result. At least everyone in Hollywood accepted that fact.

"The investment is only 35 million. Even if we add the publicity, New Line Cinema already recoups the cost of the film."

From now on, the next profit would be pure profit. Obviously, New Line Cinema was on to something.

"Now that New Line Cinema has been acquired by Warner Bros, this studio will be under their protection.

Tom Rothman was new to his position as CEO of 20th Century Fox. As much as possible, he wanted to see the company thrive under his care.

After a few minutes of thought, Tom Rothman picked up his phone.

"Get Nancy Utley in my office." He told his secretary.

Since he let the first fish get away, he might as well take the second one. Maybe the second fish was a lot bigger than the first.

"Comedy..."

Unlike Se7en, which had a thriller genre, Napoleon Dynamite was a pure popcorn comedy. That piqued his interest more.

Tom Rothman read the script.

This kind of movie has a good chance of making a lot of sequels.

Napoleon Dynamite didn't have a history of sequels.

But because of Kazir's return, the timeline was already changed. In a way, this timeline was a completely different universe.

The universe where Napoleon Dynamite would have sequels...

"Sir, you called me?"

Nancy Utley arrived a few minutes later. She was one of the Vice presidents of Fox Searchlight Pictures. She was in charge of production management, which had no projects at current the time. Well, Fox Searchlight Pictures was just getting started.

"Nancy, have you heard of Kazir Grey?"

"Sir? Ah, no sir. I have never heard of this man." Nancy was puzzled and answered honestly.

Tom Rothman nodded. Kazir Grey was not so well-known after all.

"What about Se7en then?"

"Sir, Se7en is a thriller that was released last week. As of now, the movie has about 40 million." Nancy Utley scrutinized.

"47 million, Se7en has made 47 million dollars in North America."

"That's..."

For a movie coming out in September, that was pretty big.

"Nancy, Kazir Grey is the writer of Se7en. I heard he just finished shooting his own movie and he is currently editing it. I want you to contact him and see if he's interested in working with Fox Searchlight Pictures."

Since the newly formed company didn't have any projects, Tom Rothman decided to give them the project.

A $500,000 investment didn't faze him. 20th Century Fox would never look at this kind of movie.

But there was always a "what if".

Like what happened with Se7en. The critics said it would be a flop. But the exact opposite happened.

Where are the movie critics who panned Se7en negatively? They just changed their minds and praised the movie as of now.

Tom Rothman was worried about the "what ifs".

"Yes sir, I will do my best to get this project." Nancy Utley noticed that this comedy film was of interest to CEO Tom Rothman.

"That's good. Rector, I think it's better to use a jump cut on this scene."

"Okay, Kazir."

After the sexy incident with Reese Witherspoon, Kazir Grey became much more active. He felt invigorated and alive.

He spent the entire week in the editing room. He focused on Napoleon Dynamite, making sure the movie would be better than the one he remembered.

Napoleon Dynamite was a masterpiece, but it could be a "masterpiece".

As for his relationship with Reese, the woman just asked him out last night... Of course, Kazir happily accepted.

The two had talked seriously about their relationship. In the end, they decided to keep it "no strings attached".

They were both ambitious and wanted to pursue their dreams.

Kazir was recently divorced and didn't want to get into a serious relationship. As for Reese, she wanted to breakthrough into Hollywood and didn't have time for love.

What they were doing was just a way to relieve stress together. Well, their relationship was pretty good.

"About five days and we can finish editing Napoleon Dynamite."

Rector muttered beside him. The movie was nearing completion. Napoleon Dynamite already had its music score. Kazir didn't hesitate to spend money on the movie.

"Congratulations Kazir."

"Don't congratulate me yet, we haven't released the movie yet."

"I know, but with the result of Se7en, I bet film companies are looking for you right now. Besides, your movie is funny and wholesome. Unlike the usual vulgar comedies that use swear words and dirty jokes as punch lines, I think this movie is much better."

Kazir just nodded.

[I apologize about the wrong Halloween info. In the Philippines, we usually celebrate Halloween on November 1 along with All Souls Day. So I subconsciously thought that Halloween was in November].

[As for my grammar... I'm just a guy from a 3rd world country who didn't finish college. I only learned grammar seriously at the age of 18 when I started reading manga and light novels. Other than that, I'm an idiot.]

[I'm not a computer that can consistently write sentences without grammatical errors. I spent hours proofreading this shit, but mistakes will still show up. I'm not an AI, so I apologize if reading my novel makes your eyes hurt. Hell, AI will probably mock me for thinking Halloween was November 1st].

 

[Shout out to tirily19!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 30


The big day came and Kazir had a hard time sleeping. When morning came, Kazir had dark circles around his eyes. He clearly hadn't slept properly.

Yet he was too active to feel tired. He took a cold shower to wake up.

Then he left his apartment and took his bumpy car to the studio. Next to the studio was a newsstand. Kazir bought a newspaper and grinned when he saw the front page of the New York Post.

[$68 million! As of October 6, 1995. Se7en, directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, has grossed more than $68 million in 2500 theaters. From 47 million in its first seven days to 68 million in its second week. It garner 21 million at the North American box office in its second week. This week it has an average of $8,363 per theater!]

This news will probably make Hollywood companies lose their minds. This was good news for Kazir, who was eager to prove himself.

Today was the small screening of Napoleon Dynamite. New Line Cinema and Fox Searchlight Pictures had already said they would attend the screening of Napoleon Dynamite.

There were four hours left in the schedule. Kazir arrived early because he had to set up the projector.

As he entered the studio, he noticed that Rector was already there.

"Rector, you're earlier than I am."

"I can't sleep. Knowing that big people from Hollywood will be watching the movie I edited made me excited."

Kazir chuckled. He had the same reaction. A few minutes later, Renner and the others arrived. Even Ed Helms and Pedro Pascal helped with the preparations.

This film was their door to Hollywood. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After all, they had important roles in the movie.

If Napoleon Dynamite was released and did well, they would have a chance to become famous.

An hour later, Reese Witherspoon showed up. She had been taking acting classes these days to improve her acting. She also has a "good" relationship with Kazir.

She smiled at Kazir and approached him.

"You look terrible."

It was the first time she saw him haggard with dark circles around his eyes. She thought this man was always calm, but it seemed she was wrong.

'As long as it's about his movie, he's always excited.'

She realized that Kazir loved movies very much. Every transition, every cut, every angle, every lens, Kazir studied them seriously.

They had watched a few movies in the last few days and she had learned more about him. She realized that Kazir was slowly becoming more attractive. In her opinion, a man who loves his career is handsome.

"Hm. I have to set up the projector. I'll talk to you later, Reese."

"..."

If there was a problem, it was Kazir, who was too absorbed in his job. He didn't care about anything, not even the beautiful woman next to him.

'Well, that's why he's attractive.'

There was a study that women like men who ignore them. They were attracted to that kind of man because they love the thrill of making them fall... Maybe this study was not real. But there was a saying that "girls like bad boys".

Then the next group showed up to help Kazir and cheer him on.

"Salvatore."

Kazir greeted his agent. While Kazir was busy editing Napoleon Dynamite, Salvatore was meeting with companies that wanted to contact him. Kazir was grateful to have him.

Even though Salvatore was young and had only rookie actors under him, he didn't show any nervousness in front of the giant studios.

"Kazir, this is my actor. His name is Park Hae-Won. He is half Korean like me."

"Hello, Director Grey."

"Hm." Kazir nodded at him.

He glanced at the Korean actor for a second before looking away.

'Asian actors didn't have a strong influence in Hollywood, even in the future. Only a few Asian actors became successful in Hollywood, such as Jackie Chan and Jet Lee.'

To be honest, Kazir was confused as to why Salvatore signed an actor who had little potential under him. Was it because of his Korean heritage?

Besides, the man had a hard-to-pronounce name. He didn't even know which was his surname.

'Is it Park? Or Hae-Won?'

He would probably have to change his screen name.

Anyway, Kazir was too busy to think about it. The hours passed and the people from the film companies arrived one by one.

Kazir and Salvatore greeted them eagerly. Some of these executives were invited with the help of CAA. Salvatore Barlowe did his best to make sure that many film companies would watch the movie.

The reason these people attended this screening was out of respect to CAA and to see if Kazir has potential.

Se7en and Napoleon Dynamite were completely different genres. But that didn't stop them from seeing the movie.

If this movie was profitable, they would buy it. It was that simple.

The movie started with no logo, just the opening credits. Napoleon Dynamite hadn't signed a deal with a distributor. So the opening logo was still missing. Kazir would add it as soon as the deal was done.

Minutes passed, and people burst out laughing and giggling. It didn't happen once, but several times.

This showed one thing: Napoleon Dynamite was a funny movie. At least the reactions of the people from the distribution companies were good.

Kazir had a satisfied smile when the movie ended. He could see that people were interested in working with him.

"It's a good movie. If we have a chance, we can talk later, Mr. Grey."

A fat man approached him with a smile and shook his hand.

"Mr. Weinstein, I'm glad to hear that."

Harvey Weinstein nodded. He could see that Kazir was interested as well.

However, Harvey looked at the people from the other distribution companies. It seemed that he was not the only one who was interested in this movie.

Se7en had been well received and no one wanted to let go of this Napoleon Dynamite. These two movies were written by Kazir Grey, this man has potential.

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Hollywood What If Chapter 31


Hollywood. The center of the film industry in the USA. The place many actors yearn for. Even foreign actors were willing to die just to get a glimpse of their faces being filmed in Hollywood.

This place has been called paradise and sin city at the same time. It brings hope and despair.

"A place you don't want to leave in the hope of reaching your dream."

Kazir muttered.

He looked at the managers from Hollywood distribution companies attending the small screening.

He sighed, knowing that his first hurdle was over. The fact that even the infamous Harvey Weinstein attended the screening and congratulated him personally was enough to satisfy his vanity.

He could feel it, he was getting closer to his dream.

But he knew very well that this was just the beginning. He still had something to do. That was to sell his movie to one of these companies.

In Kazir's opinion, movies should be enjoyed. At the same time, the purpose of making a movie was to make money. It shouldn't be a free ticket, otherwise, his hard work as a director was useless.

'The best offer will have Napoleon Dynamite in their movie library.' He smiled.

"So what do you think?"

Nancy Utley asked her assistant. They had been invited to watch the screening after expressing their intention to buy the copyright of Napoleon Dynamite. Tom Rothman had sent her here specifically.

She thought Napoleon Dynamite had a lot of good points. But she also had to listen to the opinions of others. They were running a business, and every step had to be scrutinized.

"If you ask me, this movie has potential. At least with a budget of 500 thousand dollars, this movie will easily make a profit in theaters... As long as we bought it cheap. But," the assistant looked at the distribution managers around him.

They were all thinking the same thing, they want this movie.

"Everybody, if you're interested. We can have coffee later."

Salvatore, Kazir's agent, suggested and they nodded with clear intention.

Minutes passed and the first shot was taken. After the screening, the man contacted Kazir and Salvatore.

It was a manager from New Line Cinema.

"Clent, your offer is sincere and I can see that New Line Cinema wants to work with me again. Give me some time to think about it." Kazir said respectfully.

"I hope to hear good news from you, Mr. Grey."

After the success of Se7en, the people at New Line Cinema began to respect Kazir.

The two shook hands.

"What do you think?"

As his agent, Salvatore listened to their entire conversation, but he didn't join in. He respected Kazir's decision. He just hoped he would choose the best offer.

"You heard it yourself. New Line Cinema wants to buy out the entire copyright and worldwide distribution of Napoleon Dynamite for $2.3 million. That's not bad, but that's just the beginning. We can say that $2.3 million is the starting point."

Salvatore nodded in agreement.

"Worldwide distribution? They are pretty confident, aren't they?"

Even Salvatore felt like New Line Cinema was belittling the movie.

"To be precise, they are too damn arrogant." Kazir muttered after the manager left.

The film had a production cost of 500 thousand dollars. But in just a few months it could be sold for $2.3 million. That was a huge increase.

Have you ever seen a $500,000 investment turn into $2 million so quickly? Probably not. Even in the stock market and cryptocurrency, that rarely happens.

In a way, making a movie is a great investment.

As long as the movie is profitable.

The first day passed. Kazir and Salvatore were contacted by four companies interested in the movie.

They were sitting at the bar, a high-end bar to be exact. The peaceful jazz music in the background soothe them.

"New Line Cinema wants to buy the overall copyrights for $2.3 million."

"Universal Pictures, $2.5 million for North American distribution."

"Miramax, $1.5 million. But they promise a 5% revenue cut of the North American box office."

Note that the box office was different from the revenue. The revenue was much less.

"As for Fox Searchlight Pictures, they also want to buy it for $2.5 million."

To be honest, the first day was better than they expected. At least four companies showed interest in the film.

"So their bottom line is probably around $3 million. They are just testing the waters."

Salvatore next to him swallowed a glass of tequila after listing each company's offer.

It was a clear fact that these companies were profit-driven. They want to buy the movie as cheaply as possible.

'What? Do you think a $2.5 million deal for North American distribution is too small for Napoleon Dynamite?'

Napoleon Dynamite only cost $500,000 to make, and it didn't have any strong actors in the cast. No sane company would buy it for 5 to 10 million, that's not how business works. This is not a fairy tale.

"At least they will buy it for cash upfront. So how much do you want to sell it for?" Salvatore was curious to hear Kazir's thoughts.

"$3 million plus 10% box office."

"Pfft--! Are you crazy!?"

Salvatore almost threw up his drink.

"$3 million might be acceptable, but 10% box office is an impossible task."

"I know." Kazir shrugged. He had just said his best offer.

"But let's not forget that I have Se7en under my belt. There might be someone who agrees with me."

"Maybe. If you really want a box office share, why not go for Miramax? Their conditions met yours even though it's only revenue cut. Harvey Weinstein personally offered an amount, the founder of Miramax. That means he takes you seriously."

"Indeed..."

Kazir could not say that Harvey Weinstein had a very bad reputation in his past life. Kazir was not sure he could trust Harvey Weinstein.

'I heard that he likes to cheat foreign directors. I'm not a foreigner, so it's hard to cheat a man like me who's in Hollywood.'

Kazir was confident in his film. He knew it would do well at the box office. But he wanted to get a much better deal than the 5% revenue cut Miramax was offering.

Anyway, it was only the first day. Maybe he could wait for the next day and hope someone would make a better offer.

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