HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Shout out to Israel C!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 32

The next day came and the intensity of the competition became fierce.

In the end, Kazir decided to keep the global and videotape distribution copyrights. He could use these chips to negotiate with Hollywood companies later.

Obviously, they didn't agree with New Line Cinema's offer to buy all the copyrights (global and videotape distribution) of Napoleon Dynamite for such a small amount as $2.3 million.

"Hello? Salvatore? Someone wants to meet me? I understand."

Kazir received a phone call from Salvatore Barlowe. It seemed that Orion Pictures was also interested in his film.

"Tell them I'll be right there."

Kazir nodded and accepted the meeting. They would meet at the Orion Pictures building to negotiate.

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

On the other side, Tom Rothman was talking to Nancy Utley about Napoleon Dynamite.

"So you're saying the movie is funny? And it's not a vulgar comedy. Kids under 13 can watch it?"

"Yes. When the movie is rated by the MPAA, I'm sure it will get a PG-13 rating."

"That's good to hear."

Tom Rothman found that most of the people who attended the screening had good things to say about Napoleon Dynamite.

At the very least, everyone understood that the movie would do well in theaters. If they did it right, they might have a chance to make money on it.

"..."

Tom Rothman pinched his chin. Then he decided to read the information about Kazir Grey.

"Kazir Grey, born September 9, 1968. He recently divorced his wife because she cheated on him... The wife got the house."

The latter was a bit disturbing since Kazir clearly hadn't fought for his property. But Tom Rothman would never judge a person, at least Kazir had the upper hand in terms of moral standards.

Anyway, Tom Rothman knew most of Kazir's life during his 7 years in Hollywood. This kind of information could be found if you hire a private investigator.

Nancy Utley sat across the table. She didn't know why Tom Rothman was silent.

"Wait a minute..."

Tom Rothman noticed something interesting. He looked at Nancy Utley.

"Do you have any idea how much the other companies offered Kazir?"

"Sir. I found out that New Line Cinema wants to buy all the copyrights of Napoleon Dynamite for $2.3 million. As for Miramax, it's $1.5 million, but with a 5% cut of the North American box office revenue."

Tom Rothman chuckled when he heard New Line Cinema's offer. It seemed like they were trying to squeeze Kazir to death with an offer like that.

"... Contact Kazir or his agent. Tell him I want to see the movie."

"Yes sir."

For a CEO of a giant movie company, it was a surprise that Tom Rothman was interested in a small-budget movie.

'Maybe Kazir Grey made a big impression on me after I met him personally.'

In his opinion, Kazir Grey was a starving wolf. He didn't know how to explain it, but he could see that Kazir was hungry for recognition.

However, Kazir kept his fangs hidden, and he could think better than anyone. At least that was how Tom Rothman saw him.

'If I knew I would be so interested in him, I should have invested in his movie.'

He sighed.

Well, the situation was not that simple last time. Even though Tom Rothman was the CEO, he could not make any important decisions without the acknowledge of the shareholders. Especially when Fox Searchlight Pictures was just getting started.

One wrong move and the shareholders would berate him. Maybe even the Murdoch family would kick him out of the company. Keep in mind that Rupert Murdoch had the largest share of 20th Century Fox. He basically owned it.

If his intuition was right, Kazir Grey definitely had a plan to make a sequel. If Napoleon Dynamite was a success, Tom Rothman would have nothing to lose.

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

"Mr. Grey, it's nice to meet you."

Brad Krevoy of Orion Pictures shakes hands with Kazir Grey. Orion Pictures had recently survived another bankruptcy. And they were trying to find another way to get back on their feet.

'I heard that MGM was going to buy Orion Pictures this year.'

Knowing the future, Kazir Grey knew that MGM would successfully buy Orion Pictures around 1997. As for other information, Kazir was clueless.

Orion Pictures was known for producing Pulp Fiction, The Silence of the Lambs, Dances With Wolves, and The Adams Family.

They were a major influence in the 1980s. However, like most movie companies, they went bankrupt.

Even now, Orion Pictures was still trying to survive.

When Brad Krevoy was invited by CAA to attend a movie directed by the scriptwriter of Se7en, he knew he had to see it. So he attended the screening.

When he saw the movie, he learned that it would never be easy to acquire. There were so many people who offered millions for the distribution of Napoleon Dynamite.

But Brad Krevoy didn't lose hope. As of now, it seemed that Kazir was still not selling the copyright to Napoleon Dynamite. This meant that Brad Krevoy still had a chance.

They began to talk about Napoleon Dynamite. The two knew the purpose of this meeting, so there was no need to dilly-dally.

"Kazir, I want to buy the North American distribution of Napoleon Dynamite for $2.8 million."

"I'm glad to hear that Orion Pictures is sincere." Kazir nodded and smiled.

"Then..."

Brad Krevoy was a little disappointed that Kazir didn't show any excitement. As if he had already expected the offer.

"Kazir, if you have something to say, I'm free to listen. If it's feasible, I might be able to agree to it."

Since his first bait was not enough to catch the fish, how about a bigger one?

"Brad. If possible, I want a share of the box office."

"That..." Brad almost bit his tongue.

He stared at Kazir. He was confused because he could not see any arrogance in his eyes.

'He thinks he naturally deserves a share of the box office... What a clueless, arrogant freak.'

Indeed. Such a thing might be possible for superstar directors. But Kazir didn't have that status.

"I'll think about it."

Brad Krevoy would never show any dislike. He kept his smile and their first meeting ended peacefully.

However, they both understood that this meeting might be fruitless.

'I guess I will have to find another company...'

Kazir knew that his condition was too much. But he felt that he would regret it if he didn't fight for the best options.

"Kazir, we received a call from Nancy Utley of Fox Searchlight Pictures. She said CEO Tom Rothman wants to see the movie."

Salvatore whispered next to him after the meeting ended.

"I see. Tell her we can set up the screening today if they have time."

"Okay."

[Visit my Patreon if you want to read more:]

- 88 Advanced Chapters of TOFD

- 89 Chapters of MNPOTS(COMPLETED)

- 56 advanced chapters of RDD

- 25 advanced chapters of HWI

https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

 

[Shout out to dark helmet9!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 33


Hollywood Companies.

Production Companies.

Movie/film companies.

Studio Companies.

Film distribution companies.

There were a lot of ways to call them. But basically, they are known as movie/film companies.

Some film companies based their business solely on making movies. Other film companies had distribution channels to distribute their films.

The latter companies were usually at the higher end of the pyramid. They earned more money by distributing their movies. There were two kinds of distribution, local distribution, and international distribution.

The best examples of movie companies that had local distribution are DreamWorks, Lionsgate, and Miramax. They could freely distribute their movies in North America.

Now, the film companies that have international distribution are the strongest. Especially the Big Six of Hollywood. These giants basically dominated international distribution. They made a lot of money by distributing their movies around the world.

MGM was one of the Big Five at that time, but it slowly lost its lead. It still has its international distribution, but it doesn't have much influence.

The Big Six of Hollywood are:

Walt Disney

Paramount

Universal Pictures

Sony-Columbia

Warner Bros.

20th Century Fox

These companies have dominated Hollywood for decades. Their influence was strong and their power was almost equal. No one could take the lead.

'Although in recent years before I die Disney has become stronger. They bought Marvel and made billions from Marvel movies alone. They also bought 20th Century Fox.'

Disney might be the strongest film company in the world.

'In the 90s and early 2000s, Warner Bros took the lead. With the Harry Potter franchise, Matrix, Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight trilogy, and DC Universe.'

According to Kazir, Disney and Warner Bros are the big brothers of Hollywood.

But let's not forget the runner-up.

"20th Century Fox."

This company had created many masterpieces.

"Titanic, Avatar, Kingsman, Terminator and X-Men+Deadpool. When it comes to movie franchises, 20th Century Fox can compete with Disney and Warner Bros."

Unfortunately, this Hollywood giant was still acquired by the politically correct Disney.

Perhaps this was one of Kazir's greatest regrets in his former life. He saw one powerful company kneel before another.

"Kazir Grey, good to see you again."

Tom Rothman walked over to Kazir and shook his hand. They both had a good impression of each other.

Nancy Utley stood next to him, keeping her silence.

"I'm happy to know that a person like Tom Rothman wants to meet me."

"Kazir, don't lower yourself. I believe you will have a great future. So when do we start?"

Tom Rothman saw that the projector was already ready and the screening could start at any moment.

"I'm sorry Tom, can we please wait a few minutes? Apparently someone else wants to see this movie."

"That's fine with me."

Tom Rothman nodded, but it was clear that he didn't feel well. Knowing that another person wanted to see Napoleon Dynamite. Tom Rothman easily deduced that it was a rival.

'The question is, which company is it?'

The answer didn't take long. Another person appeared.

"Terry, I can't believe I'm seeing you here."

Terry Semel, the CEO of Warner Bros. Another heavyweight came to the screening. Next to him was Enrico Pusi. Producer Enrico Pusi saw Napoleon Dynamite yesterday. He sent his summary to CEO Terry Semel.

In the end, Terry Semel decided to see the movie. To decide if this Napoleon Dynamite was worth investing in.

"It's the same for me. Tom, it looks like we are both interested in this movie." Terry replied.

"Indeed."

The two maintained their smiles. But deep inside they were cursing each other.

"Gentlemen, we are ready to start the movie," Kazir announced.

"Hm."

The two nodded. They realized that this meeting could be manipulated by Kazir Grey.

This unknown director had planned this meeting to increase his value. Very impressive, but it all comes down to his movie.

If Napoleon Dynamite was that good, they would give Kazir a nice offer.

October 7, 1995. This year Kazir successfully took a step toward stardom.

The movie started and the two executives of Hollywood giants watched it seriously. They laughed along the way and accepted that Napoleon Dynamite was good. The delivery of the jokes was unexpected and funny.

YoU'rE MoM GoEs To CoLLEgE~

I shaved my hair because I feel hot.

Napoleon's bicycle accident.

His uncle hit him in the face with a steak.

It was a good formula. At least the two CEOs had fun watching the movie. Plus, the last few minutes were funny because Kip sang a song horribly. They could not stop laughing.

"It's a good movie." Tom didn't have to lie.

"Thanks, Tom."

After the screening, the two CEOs returned to their usual cold, domineering style.

Terry Semel and Tom Rothman wanted the movie. That was clear.

"Before we start the negotiation, Kazir, I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead, Tom." Kazir nodded.

"Are you a Jew?"

"... That's right. My mother is from a Jewish family. Her grandparents are from Poland."

Kazir didn't expect to be asked about his race.

"Wait, you are Jewish?"

Terry Semel was surprised.

Jews have a lot of influence in Hollywood. People may deny it, but it was true, Jews run Hollywood. Their presence was so great that they could decide someone's future.

In a way, if you're a Jew, your life in Hollywood would be much easier compared to other races.

In fact, both Terry Semel and Tom Rothman were Jewish!

Hell, even Michael Ovitz of CAA and Michael Eisner of Disney are Jewish people!

You see, the top positions in Hollywood were controlled by Jews.

Even Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, and George Lucas are Jewish people!

The two CEOs nodded when they realized that the person in front of them was one of them. The Jewish circle in Hollywood tended to help each other.

'My mother is a Jew... She left us after she cheated on Dad.' He kept that to himself.

"Well, I guess my opinion has changed." Terry Semel shrugged.

They didn't force him to tell his story. Everyone had a sad story. It didn't change the fact that Kazir was Jewish.

[Visit my Patreon if you want to read more:]

- 88 Advanced chapters of TOFD

- 89 advanced chapters of MNPOTS(COMPLETED)

- 56 advanced chapters of RDD

- 25 advanced chapters of HWI

https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

 

Hollywood What If Chapter 34


Robert Shaye. Founder of New Line Cinema.

Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein. The founders of Miramax.

Ronald Meyer. The CEO of Universal Studios.

Terry Semel. The CEO of Warner Bros.

Tom Rothman. The CEO of 20th Century Fox.

Brad Grey. The CEO of Paramount Pictures.

Michael Eisner. The chairman of Walt Disney.

These people had one thing in common, they were all Jewish.

Yes, these bosses of giant film companies in Hollywood were controlled by Jews. This fact could never be erased. Most people in Hollywood understand this very well.

So to say that Jews controlled Hollywood was not an understatement. It was the truth.

Right now, Kazir Grey was standing in front of these two big bosses. He announced that he was also a Jew, and they changed their minds about him.

After what happened in World War II. After the tragedy that the Jewish people faced at that time, they started to stand up and build their empire. Maybe that was the reason why Jews helped each other. Especially those who were persecuted in the 1940s.

So for the people who believe that the Holocaust didn't happen, all I can say is that they are fucking uneducated.

If you believe that these tragedies never happen, you have to ask yourself if you're even a human being.

"I get it, you're a Jew."

Terry Semel smiled as Tom Rothman nodded.

"But that doesn't change the fact that we have to deal with you on a business basis."

"Indeed."

"Well, we will listen to you first. Kazir, how much do you want to sell the North American distribution of Napoleon Dynamite? If it's not unreasonable, I may be able to agree."

Terry Semel assured him.

Kazir licked his lips. To be honest, he hadn't expected to meet these people all his life. He was just an ordinary person who loved to make movies. But now he was facing the big bosses of Hollywood.

He took a deep breath. Even Salvatore Barlowe beside him was nervous. His future depended on Kazir's decision.

"2.5 million dollars and 10% of the North American box office."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

Terry Semel and Tom Rothman looked at each other and chuckled. Indeed, everyone in this circle will fight for more money.

"Kazir. I can tell you the truth, this offer is impossible. You don't have the ability to fight for such a condition. Instead, I can pay you $3 million for Napoleon Dynamite."

Terry Semel might have a good impression of Kazir, but this was business. He would never be lenient.

After all, Jewish businessmen were known to be greedy people.

"I'll have to think about it," Kazir replied honestly.

Terry Semel's condition was not bad. At least it was much better than what the others were offering.

"Then I guess my time here is up. Kazir Grey, I look forward to working with you."

"I hope as well, Terry."

The two shook hands and Terry Semel stood up.

Together with Producer Enrico Pusi, Terry Semel left the studio.

"Enrico, contact Kazir later. If the negotiations with Tom Rothman fail, you can offer him $3.5 million. That's already my highest offer. If he asks for more, you can stop."

"Yes, sir."

Terry Semel got into the car and drove away.

"Kazir Grey... Interesting."

Another director of Jewish descent. Terry Semel was glad to know him.

"Kazir. To be honest, you piqued my interest and I saw your three films. They are terrible."

Tom Rothman's honest opinion made Kazir grin.

"Thank you, Tom."

"$2.3 million and 5% of the North American box office. However, you can only get the 3% if the film grosses over $50 million. 5% if it exceeds $100 million. What do you think? Are you confident about your movie?"

Tom Rothman smiled and spread his arms. He wanted to see Kazir's reaction.

Just as he expected, Kazir had a grin on his face when he heard his offer.

'This man is insane. I don't know where he gets his confidence from. Maybe he is just hallucinating.'

"I agree." Without hesitation, Kazir nodded.

Napoleon Dynamite had never grossed more than $50 million in its previous life. Now that he had changed the movie, Kazir decided to gamble. He felt stupid and excited at the same time.

"Fine. But I have to be clear. We will only open about 12 theaters for Napoleon Dynamite in the first week. We need to test the market response before we expand the release of Napoleon Dynamite."

"I understand."

This was a normal thing. Kazir had expected it.

"It's good to work with you. I hope we will have a successful cooperation."

"Me too. Thank you, Tom."

When the negation was over, Salvatore Barlowe sighed. He had thought that Kazir would fight for more.

In Salvatore's opinion, $2.3 million was a lot of money. After all, he would get $69 thousand for that amount. For a small agent like him, $69,000 was already his annual salary.

The next day, Kazir's lawyer, Terrence Downey, read the contract before Kazir signed it. The contract stated everything Tom Rothman had promised.

If the movie made over $50 million in North America, he would get 3%.

If the movie made over $100 million in North America, he would get 5%.

In addition, Kazir received $2.3 million in cash. In his entire life, Kazir had never touched such a large sum.

Kazir was satisfied with the negotiation.

Tom Rothman never attended the signing because he was busy. He sent Nancy Utley instead.

It was already a miracle that a CEO like Tom Rothman had met him last time.

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

"Sir," Enrico Pusi pursed his lips as he entered Terry Semel's office.

"What's the news?"

"Kazir Grey has signed a deal with Fox Searchlight Pictures for $2.3 million and 5% of the box office with few conditions."

"I see," Terry Semel nodded. He already had an idea that Tom Rothman would agree.

To be honest, that kind of condition was within his expectations. But Terry felt that Kazir didn't have the status to sign such a contract.

"Either both of them are crazy, or one of them is."

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

1) MC is 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.

[I post my novels mostly on Scribblehub, Webnovel, RoyalRoad, and Questionable Questing].

 

[Shout out to Andrew F!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 35


October 13th, 1995.

Se7en was already in its fourth week and was still raking in money at the theaters. The word of mouth about Se7en was very strong. People could not help but talk about the plot twists.

Starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, who have strong box office appeal, the movie grossed $84.75 million!

Minus production costs of $35 million and advertising of about $5 million. That left $44 million.

Of course, the theater companies had a 30-40% share of the total box office. Still, the rest would go back to New Line Cinema.

Plus, the movie was just getting started. New Line Cinema believed that Se7en could cross the $100 million mark within two weeks.

This information was enough for them to celebrate. Since Kazir was the screenwriter of the movie, New Line Cinema invited him to the celebration party.

Driving his bumpy car, Kazir arrived at the Chateau Marmont. This was one of the hotels in West Hollywood where you could party without being bombarded by paparazzi.

He rented a branded suit specifically for this party. Even though Kazir was paid $2.3 million last week, he was still stranger to luxury.

As per the contract, Kazir paid 50% of the $2.3 million to his brother Aaron Grey. It was business, and Kazir had to honor the contract.

Aaron was shocked to find $1.15 million in his bank account. He had talked to Kazir and he had finally accepted the money.

He could not believe that his half-a-million-dollar investment would turn into $1.15 million in just a few months!

He thanked Kazir and even invited him to visit New York for Christmas. That was when Aaron was going to propose to his girlfriend.

'Unfortunately, the taxes are probably going to screw us up.'

The biggest enemy of American citizens was taxes. Especially rich people who earned more than 1 million dollars a year. The IRS would personally knock on their doors.

'You can make fun of the president, the Pentagon, and the government. But you can't make fun of the IRS, or they'll kill your ass.'

As for taxes, Kazir contacted his lawyer, Terrence Downey, to register a studio company in Delaware. This was one of the best ways to evade taxes, it is completely legal.

From then on, Kazir was president of a small studio company. He called his company "Grey Pictures".

He thought it was a good name.

Kazir entered the hotel. When he went to the formal party, he saw many famous people in the Hollywood circle.

As expected, the crew of Se7en was also present.

"To be honest, I'm not confident that this movie will have a good market response. I was really nervous."

Brad Pitt was talking to David Fincher. They were both holding wine glasses. Maybe they had a couple of glasses because their faces were red.

They were laughing. Their movie was successful, so they were celebrating.

"Kazir! You're here at last!"

David Fincher turned to find Kazir joining the party.

This was a formal party. So there were no drugs, no naked women dancing, and no deafening music.

"David..."

Kazir's mouth trembled. His last drinking session with David Fincher had been a disaster. If possible, he didn't want to drink alcohol today.

"Congratulations! I heard your movie came out yesterday. I wish you the best."

"David, I think you need to drink some water to sober up a bit."

"Hey, I'm still sober," David replied with a red face.

"Yeah right."

"Kazir, I want to thank you for recommending me. I heard that you're the one who recommended me for the role of Detective Mills."

Brad Pitt joined the conversation and shook Kazir's hand.

"Brad, you are a wonderful actor. I think you will have a great career."

"I heard you're also a director. If you have a suitable role for me, you can invite me."

"Of course."

Kazir knew that this sentence could be nothing more than a respectful answer, a courtesy. Maybe Brad Pitt didn't take his own words seriously.

Most actors would make such statements. Hoping that directors would invite them to act.

But for a superstar actor like Brad Pitt, he had the will to accept the invitation. Unless Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, or Ridley Scott invited him, Brad Pitt would never accept the role easily easily.

"It's nice to work with you."

"Me too."

They had a few conversations and the atmosphere was good. Everyone was happy because their movie was successful. Even Morgan Freeman joined them. More members joined their circle.

Some talked to Kazir and asked him for a favor if he had any suitable roles for them. Some of these may have been nothing more than courtesy.

"Kazir, our genius screenwriter!"

"Robert, good to see you."

"I didn't expect you to finish your own movie after a few months."

Kazir maintained his smile and nodded. He had heard some bad rumors about Robert and he didn't want to be on his bad side.

'Lord of the Rings grossed more than 2 billion. But director Peter Jackson never got his share. In the end, the case even went to court.'

Kazir didn't know the details. But it was true that New Line Cinema had some shady dealings with Lord of the Rings.

"Unfortunately, there was no cooperation." Robert showed a disappointed face.

"Maybe next time."

"Indeed, next time. If you have another interesting script, you can send it to New Line Cinema. I assure you we will take your script seriously."

"Thank you."

Robert laughed. He was in a good mood, considering that Se7en would gross over $100 million. Also, Se7en would be released overseas. He believed that Se7en would make money in other countries.

So he wasn't disappointed that Kazir didn't work with New Line Cinema on Napoleon Dynamite.

He didn't think Napoleon Dynamite would be successful. More specifically, he didn't believe in Kazir Grey as a director.

[Visit my Patreon if you want to read more:]

- 88 advanced chapters of TOFD

- 89 chapters of MNPOTS(COMPLETED)

- 56 advanced chapters of RDD

- 25 advanced chapters of HWI

https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

 

[Shout out to Nezher92 and LuizDarui!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 36


"Brother..."

"Shut up!"

Kazir took a punch to the face and stumbled to the ground. His nose was bleeding as he hit the ground.

He was stunned for a moment. But another punch hit him in the face.

"H- Hey! Stop! Aaron! You have to stop! You're hurting your brother!"

"I don't have a brother."

The people at the funeral stopped Aaron from hurting Kazir. Otherwise Aaron might kill him.

Kazir sat up groggily and stared at his older brother. All he could see was the rage in his eyes.

"Dad left you half the inheritance, I don't care if you take the money or not. Just don't ever show your face again. I don't have a brother."

Aaron had a cold face as he said these sentences. Aaron didn't care about the money, he was rich on his own. But the fact that Kazir showed up after their father's death annoyed him so much.

Aaron walked away in disgust.

"..."

Kazir weakly wiped his bleeding nose and looked at his father's grave. There was no grass around the grave since the coffin had just been buried.

He didn't know what to say. His heart felt heavy. As if he could not breathe.

He was afraid to meet his father and brother because he knew he had failed them. No matter how many times he tried to make movies, none of them were successful.

He was afraid that his father would be disappointed in him. By the time Kazir got a call from the hospital, it was too late. In the end, he didn't know if he should attend the funeral.

As he expected, Aaron was angry with him.

In his opinion, he deserved every beating he got. If not more.

He took a deep breath and got up. He didn't know how many hours had passed. There were no people in the cemetery and the sun was slowly disappearing.

Kazir walked ahead, his face swollen from beatings. There was even dried blood under his nose. He had lost his mind.

For some unknown reason, Kazir found himself in front of the movie theater. As if he was trying to find solace.

The cashier was confused by his appearance, but decided to give him a ticket. Kazir randomly chose a movie to watch. He didn't care what kind of movie it was. He just wanted to disappear.

He realized he had chosen Napoleon Dynamite.

He didn't get the jokes in the movie. In his opinion, it was boring and the delivery of the jokes was awkward. In fact, he didn't like the movie at all. It was a horrible disastrous movie...

However, his eyes didn't leave the screen.

Minutes passed and he reached the last sequence of the movie. Napoleon started to dance, his eyes were shining.

"..."

Kazir noticed that tears began to roll down his cheeks. He sobbed as the ending credits rolled. He cried out loud. Fortunately, there were few people in the theater and no one was bothered.

He almost killed himself. He wanted to kill himself.

But for some unknown reason, Napoleon Dynamite gave him hope. Since then, Kazir bought the DVD of Napoleon Dynamite. He watched it whenever he was depressed. It was his comfort movie.

.........

......

...

October 14th, 1995

It had been two days since Napoleon Dynamite had been released. Kazir had promised Reese that he would see the movie with her.

Reese Witherspoon and Kazir Grey had a good relationship these days. But neither of them wanted a serious relationship. Reese wanted to focus on her dream while Kazir was afraid of love.

The two had never seen Napoleon Dynamite because they were both busy these last two days.

Kazir settled his contract with his brother. He talked to his lawyer about his newly formed studio company. On the second day, he attended the Se7en celebration party.

As for Reese, she was taking acting lessons and working part-time in the catering business. She only received a small amount of $8 thousand for her role in Napoleon Dynamite.

Well, she was not complaining.

"You promised me I would get a bonus when Napoleon Dynamite was released."

Reese leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Reese, I promise everyone in the crew that they will get a bonus if Napoleon Dynamite is successful."

He replied, inviting her to his car. Everyone needs money, especially poor people who have trouble feeding themselves.

"So what kind of success? If it made over 50 million?"

"$100 million at the North American box office." He replied.

"You're crazy. Are you saying that Napoleon Dynamite, the movie in which I have my first major role, will make $100 million at the North American box office? Are you that confident? Or are you just arrogant?"

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"What about Se7en? I'm sure New Line Cinema will never be stingy and give you a bonus."

"A hundred thousand dollars."

"So why are you still using this car?"

"I'm still having trouble deciding between Honda and Toyota."

"Hm, I hope Napoleon Dynamite is successful."

She hoped more people would see the movie and remember her.

"Don't worry Reese, you will be famous."

"You keep saying that like you know the future."

Well, she didn't hate it. Kazir's reassurance gave her strength. Reese was still young, and she knew that her dream of being an actress might be just a dream.

"Let's go see our movie."

The two went to the theaters and bought two tickets for Napoleon Dynamite.

As they entered one of the theaters, they saw some people inside. Just like them, they were interested in seeing Napoleon Dynamite.

The movie had been in theaters for two days and was slowly gaining a reputation. By Saturday, Napoleon Dynamite had grossed $70,000 from 12 theaters. That's right, the first week of Napoleon Dynamite only had a tiny 12 theaters.

[Visit my Patreon if you want to read more:]

- 88 advanced chapters of TOFD

- 89 chapters of MNPOTS(COMPLETED)

- 56 advanced chapters of RDD

- 25 advanced chapters of HWI

https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

 

[Shout out to King BABA, Madlad, and Ecokane 0!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 37

[Note: If you haven't seen Napoleon Dynamite, you can skip the bracketed paragraphs. Well, the plot of Napoleon Dynamite is simple, and there's no twist or anything. It's a pure popcorn comedy, so...]

Kazir and Reese found seats and sat down. They held their popcorn with excitement. They were excited to see their movie. They were here to have fun.

"Dude, I swear this movie is funny."

Kazir heard a murmur behind them.

"Then why haven't I heard anything about it?"

"Dude, I promise you. You will laugh when you see this movie. It's awkward yet quirky, I don't know how to explain it. Besides, we already saw Braveheart twice. The ending was not satisfying at all, he just shouted 'freedom' for five minutes!"

"That's an exaggeration, and Braveheart is based on a true story."

"All right, all right. Let's just watch the movie, okay?"

Billy and Wallace were college kids. They were movie goers and loved to watch movies every week.

Yesterday, Billy was curious when he found out that another movie was released to the theater. He didn't know anything about the movie, but he decided to go see it.

When the credits rolled, Billy was smiling from ear to ear. The movie made him laugh, and that was enough for him to invite his friend to watch it with him.

[The movie opened with Napoleon. He was an introverted and socially awkward teenager. He was riding the school bus on his way to school.]

"Is he the protagonist? He looks really dorky."

"Shh, just watch, okay?"

A few seconds later, the audience started laughing at Napoleon and Kip. Their combination was funny.

[Napoleon had three relatives. The first was his brother (I'm not sure about this one). Kip Napoleon. He was a guy in his thirties who usually chatted online with his girlfriend. Like Napoleon, he was also a nerd.]

[Second was Napoleon's grandmother. She was an active woman who liked to ride motorcycles in the desert. She had an accident because of it.]

[Third was his Uncle Rico, who lived in a camper van. Napoleon spent the most part of movie arguing with his uncle.]

"Haha, this is funny!"

Napoleon's fight with his brother and uncle made them laugh.

[Napoleon met Deb and Pedro. Pedro let Napoleon use his bike, and unfortunately Napoleon crushed his balls.]

"This is stupid... Pfft--"

[His first meeting with Deb was funny. Especially when Deb showed Napoleon a picture of a model.]

Reese giggled as she watched the scene. She didn't expect it to be so entertaining. When they shot that scene, they kept their job serious.

[At school, Napoleon struggles to fit in with his classmates. However, he finds solace in his love of drawing... His drawing was ugly.]

"Pfft--ha-ha! I can't believe he got a girl to go to the prom with a drawing like that!"

[As Napoleon and Pedro campaign for class president. They face many obstacles, including Summer's popularity.]

[However, the duo manages to win over the student body. With Napoleon's memorable dance routine].

This scene was simple, yet the audience giggled. Perhaps there was something unique about Napoleon's dance.

[In the end, Pedro was elected as the school president. Napoleon got chance to show off his dance moves. And Kip decided to move to Detroit with his girlfriend LaFawnduh. Napoleon also got closer to Deb.]

The movie ended and everyone clapped.

"Woohoo! Nice movie! Nice movie!"

The theater was only about 40% full, but everyone enjoyed the movie.

Billy and Wallace left the theater in a good mood.

"Hi, guys. I'm just here to ask you a few questions about Napoleon Dynamite. From the highest rating of A+ to the lowest of F, how would you rate this movie?"

There were usually people who interviewed moviegoers after they had seen a movie. They were from the Cinemascore.

"A!"

"A+. I recommend everybody see it!"

Billy and Wallace rated it pretty high. They were entertained, so they rated it pretty high.

"Thanks, guys."

Ramon was an employee of Cinemascore and his job was to ask people their opinion about movies.

This time he was asked to interview people about Napoleon Dynamite.

'600 questionnaires. 47 gave it a B grade and the rest were A's and A+'

The average was rated A.

"With that reputation, the movie will probably have an increase in theaters next week. Of course, everything depends on the box office."

As long as the movie had a positive income, the theaters would milk it.

The first day of Napoleon Dynamite was only $6,000.

The second day was October 13, 1995, Friday. The movie had $20 thousand.

Saturday, the third day of the movie. Napoleon Dynamite's income was $54 thousand.

Sunday, October 15, 1995. It was only $47 thousand.

Days passed and October 17th came. So far Napoleon Dynamite had only $166 thousand within the five days.

These days were the hardest for Kazir Grey. He could not sleep. He thought the movie was doing well. But he knew that Fox Searchlight Pictures might think otherwise.

Then he received a phone call. He smiled when he heard that Napoleon Dynamite would be expanding to 34 theaters.

This was the start of Napoleon Dynamite's race to the top of the weekly box office.

Six days after opening, Napoleon Dynamite had 34 theaters. More people started watching the movie.

October 23rd. In the whole week, the film grossed $1.5 million.

Fox Searchlight Pictures asked the Cinema Alliance to expand Napoleon Dynamite to 160 theaters.

Another seven days passed. October 30, 1995. Napoleon Dynamite had grossed $13.54. This result caused Cinema Alliance to increase the screening of Napoleon Dynamite.

November 6, 1995. The movie got $26 million within the week.

So far, the movie has grossed $40.47 million from 760 theaters.

Due to the strong word of mouth and reputation of Napoleon Dynamite, the Cinema Alliance increases its theater count to 1945 theaters!

November 13, 1995... After a whole month, the box office of Napoleon Dynamite was 78 million!

Napoleon Dynamite has grossed $78.24 million at the box office!

No one thought that the beginning of November would have a dark horse! A movie by an unknown director made $78 million in just one month!

[NOTE: I FUCKING HATE MATH!]

[Visit my Patreon if you want to read more:]

- 88 advanced chapters of TOFD

- 89 chapters of MNPOTS(COMPLETED)

- 56 advanced chapters of RDD

- 25 advanced chapters of HWI

https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

 

[Shout out to Mike B, Kheiven D, Herzog, TheBurningGoose, and KumaBEAR!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 38


The month of November had very strong movies. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls was released on November 10th. The movie starred the great actor Jim Carrey. In the 90's, Jim Carrey has a very strong box office appeal. Most of his movies have grossed over $100 million at the North American box office.

Another movie released on November 17th was 007 Goldeneye. James Bond has been in theaters for decades. He has a strong influence not only in North America but internationally as well. The current actor who had the banner of James Bond was Pierce Brosnan.

Then, on November 22, the very first computer-animated movie was released. Toy Story changed the animation industry and caused a rapid evolution. Because of its success, Pixar has become one of the most respected animation companies in Hollywood.

These three movies were well received this month.

But no one expected a $500,000 dark horse to win at the box office.

"$106 million!"

Robert Shaye slammed the newspaper down on the table.

"Napoleon Dynamite was only in theaters for over 80 days, and it made $106 million!"

Robert Shaye had an ugly face as he read the information about Napoleon Dynamite. For a movie with a small budget, that amount was so damn big!

He adjusted his tie to get some air. For some reason, he felt bad.

In his opinion, this movie should have been released by New Line Cinema. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.

"..."

He pressed the button on his phone and asked Manager Clent to come into his office.

Three months had passed since the release of Se7en. It was December 8, 1995.

Se7en had grossed $129.60 million at the North American box office. It had already crossed the $100 million mark. In addition, the movie was released overseas and had a strong reception.

Its first month overseas was $81.22 million!

This meant that the current worldwide box office for Se7en was $210.82 million! That was a lot of money for a movie with a budget of $35 million.

Robert actually grinned when he saw the numbers go up. However, he felt bitter when he realized that Napoleon Dynamite also had steadily rising numbers.

If he had known that this movie had a strong reception, he should have fought for its distribution. Unfortunately, he thought Kazir's directing skills were mediocre compared to his writing talent.

He was dead wrong. Napoleon Dynamite was still digging for more gold!

"Sir..."

Clent entered the office with a nervous look on his face. He already had an idea why Robert Shaye was looking for him. It had to do with Napoleon Dynamite.

Clent was the manager who had seen Napoleon Dynamite. He offered Kazir $2.3 million for a complete copyright buyout of the movie.

Unfortunately, Kazir decided to work with Fox Searchlight Pictures for a better deal.

"Clent, looks like you know why you're here."

Robert Shaye was clearly angry. He glared at the poor manager. In his opinion, Clent was an incompetent manager and had failed to buy Napoleon Dynamite.

"I'm sorry, sir," Clent bowed his head with no choice.

He had no choice but to accept the abuse.

"Useless! Do you know how much damage it does to the company?!"

Robert Shaye roared. Maybe he called Clent just to blame him. He continued to curse and yell at the manager.

When Clent left the office, he was bitter and pale. These were the usual scenes in corporate workplaces.

The little people were blamed, while those in positions were free to live their lives.

"Did I make a mistake?"

Like Robert Shaye, Warner Bros' CEO Terry Semel frowned as he looked at the statistics.

Napoleon Dynamite had only been in theaters for two months, and it was still going strong. Especially now, with the Christmas holidays approaching. Families usually chose comedies and heartwarming movies.

Napoleon Dynamite was rated PG-13, so families could watch it without a problem.

Terry Semel rubbed his forehead.

Warner Bros' biggest investment this year was Batman Forever. It cost $100 million to make. It was released in June.

Warner Bros thought this movie would be successful. However, its worldwide box office was $336 million in December.

It may look big, but the production cost of $100 million was also big. Added the fact that the publicity was around $100 million too. The result of Batman Forever was mediocre in their opinion.

At least Napoleon Dynamite did much better than Batman Forever in its first 80+ days.

Suddenly, his secretary told him that producer Enrico Pusi had arrived.

"Let him in."

Enrico entered the office. Like Terry Semel, Enrico Pusi was bitter. They got the script for Napoleon Dynamite just like they got the script for Se7en. But they ignored both scripts. Now, both movies had grossed more than $100 million each at the North American box office.

"Sir, I'm here about Napoleon Dynamite."

"Go ahead."

But unlike Robert Shaye, who was grumbling, Terry and Enrico were much better.

At least they have a chance to get the overseas and video distribution rights to Napoleon Dynamite.

"I heard that Kazir Grey is currently writing two scripts. The first was an original screenplay, it's also a comedy, but I didn't have enough information. The second is a sequel to Napoleon Dynamite. Kazir Grey has hired writers to help him write the sequel to Napoleon Dynamite."

Sequel!

Terry Semel's eyes lit up when he heard this. Clearly, Napoleon Dynamite had a chance to make more money!

"You did a good job, Enrico."

"Thank you, sir."

Enrico got in touch with Salvatore Barlowe, Kazir's agent. He found out that Kazir was currently writing two screenplays.

Losing Napoleon Dynamite was humiliating enough.

"If his script is promising, I want you to get in touch with him. As for overseas distribution, video distribution, and the sequel, I want them all."

His face was serious. Fox Searchlight Pictures got the first cut of the pie, then Warner Bros would fight for the bigger share.

Everyone knew that the movie companies' main revenue came from the sale of videotapes.

[Visit my Patreon if you want to read more:]

- 88 advanced chapters of TOFD

- 89 chapters of MNPOTS(COMPLETED)

- 56 advanced chapters of RDD

- 25 advanced chapters of HWI

https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

 

[Shout out to Gabriel!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 39


While the other companies were busy contacting Kazir, the man in question was facing a reporter.

"So, Director Grey. I heard that you don't give your actors any explanation when they audition. You just give them a portion of the script for them to act on."

"Yes," Kazir replied in the middle.

"Can you explain why that is?"

"Well, when we audition, we already have an idea of which actors we are going to hire. So when I found Ed Helms and Pedro Pascal, I knew they would pass the audition. So I decided to give them the part of the script, especially the lines that will make the audience laugh."

"Is that why you asked Ed Helms to say idiot so many times?"

"Yes, that's right. If you have seen the movie, Napoleon Dynamite says idiot more than five days."

"Indeed."

Because Napoleon Dynamite had been a success in North America, Fox Searchlight Pictures began to promote it heavily. The company invited Kazir and the cast to promote the film in various regions of North America.

This was all part of the contract Kazir signed when he accepted the $2.3 million.

Naturally, the cast of Napoleon Dynamite jumped at the chance to further their fame.

Unfortunately, Reese Witherspoon was in Texas while Kazir was in New York. They didn't have a 'connection' these days.

"Thank you for the interview, Director Grey."

"The honor is mine."

The reporter giggled. She was just a small reporter, but Kazir showed her respect. He was a good man. Perhaps he was not yet affected by the so-called 'celebrity mentality'.

"Salvatore, how's my schedule for today?"

"Everything is fine Kazir, you can rest now. We will return to Los Angeles next week."

As his biggest client to date, Salvatore Barlowe took Kazir's schedule seriously. Especially now that so many people were looking for him.

"Yes. Keep in touch with the film companies. If they are interested in my script, you can set up a meeting with them."

"I understand."

"Then I'll say goodbye."

"Have a good trip."

Kazir chose New York specifically to promote Napoleon Dynamite. Because he wanted to see his brother.

Aaron was going to propose to his girlfriend tomorrow, and he invited his friends to a formal party.

Tonight, Aaron invited him to his apartment to talk about life.

It was already December 22, 1995, and Napoleon Dynamite had already grossed $117 million at the box office.

Like other movies, Napoleon Dynamite lost its freshness after a few months. In 14 days, it made only $11 million.

But Kazir was not bitter. In his opinion, Napoleon Dynamite didn't have to prove itself to anyone, not anymore.

Very few movies made $100 million in North America that year, and Napoleon Dynamite was one of them. That was a huge achievement.

"They are probably going to ask me about the distribution rights and sequels..."

Kazir was talking to Fox Searchlight Pictures. They were interested in the overseas and videotape distribution rights to Napoleon Dynamite. Hell, they want it all.

If a movie does well in North America, it usually does well overseas. Even though Napoleon Dynamite has American humor, foreigners would still appreciate it.

Fox Searchlight Pictures' main goal was to distribute Napoleon Dynamite on videotape and to make sequels.

"Aaron!"

"Kazir!"

The two brothers greeted each other with a big hug. They smiled and laughed like little children.

"It's great to see you again! Brother, I can't believe you're going to multiply my money, haha!"

Since Aaron was the sole investor in Napoleon Dynamite, Kazir promised him 50% of the profits.

This kind of contract was really outrageous. Only a crazy person would agree to it.

According to others, Kazir lost a lot of money by signing such a contract.

But Kazir had the opposite opinion. That 50% was his sincerity. He would never cheat his brother. He deserved half.

"Brother, I still have the 5% box office share, so don't celebrate yet."

"Haha, that's right."

Right now, Napoleon Dynamite has earned $117 million. 5% of that would be $5.85 million. A big amount of money, and Aaron would get half of it!

Of course he was happy.

"Film companies usually pay when the movie is about to be dropped from cinemas."

"I understand, I understand."

The two brothers entered the house. Housing in New York was expensive, and Aaron's house was of a normal size. However, this kind of house was very expensive in New York.

While they were talking, the two brothers heard the sound of the doorbell.

"Aaron, do you have a visitor tonight?" Kazir was clueless.

"Actually, Kazir... I want you to meet someone."

Aaron scratched his head. He did not know when Kazir would meet their father, so he decided to plan this meeting.

"..."

Kazir didn't know what to say when he saw his brother fidgeting.

Aaron opened the door.

"... Dad."

"Kazir?"

Victor Grey, Kazir's father, was confused when he saw his youngest son. He hadn't expected to see him tonight.

"..."

"..."

The two men had an awkward first meeting after so many years. They didn't know what to say to each other.

Victor sighed and walked over to Kazir. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "I'm proud of you, son. Napoleon Dynamite is a masterpiece."

Victor regretted not supporting his son. As a father, he should have been there for him. Maybe he was too immature at the time. He wanted Kazir to take over the family business and help his brother.

But now Victor was happy as long as his sons were happy. They are his pride.

In fact, he wanted to contact Kazir, but he was afraid. He didn't know what would happen if he showed himself.

But this meeting was once in a lifetime and Victor didn't miss it.

They are family.

"Dad... I'm sorry..."

Hearing this simple acknowledgment, Kazir burst into tears and hugged his father.

He was usually a quiet man. He rarely cried, but Kazir was showing manly tears right now.

Even Aaron cried the whole time.

The whole family was reunited and their first night together was healing. Victor began to talk about business. Kazir and Aaron also talked about their lives.

The next day Aaron proposed to his longtime girlfriend and she said yes. They celebrated to the point of being drunk.

Even their Christmas was celebrated with alcohol. They were dead drunk on those days.

After reconciling with his family, Kazir returned to Los Angeles in a good mood.

[I want to thank my patrons for supporting my Pat reon:

Gabriel
Mike B.
Kheiven D.
Herzog
TheBurningGoose
KumaBEAR
King BABA
Madlad
Ecokane 0
Nezher92
Darui
Andrew F.
dark helmet9
Israel C.
alexis l.
Matthew
Adam LV
Albert A.
Scott D.
Cosmicuni
Jacob B.
Samson A.
Sumanth M.
Mili B.
purified peek
Endless_life
Osmund O.
John
Hassan N.
The Main Man
Zavien king
AR3S
ldoronoco
Magnus B.
BinRasas
Andrew
Christian M.
Howellsy
ALMIGHT_FLEX
Abdul
Sandra T.
ABDI ALI
Ole Martin J.
Cameron
Roof Humper
Jose B.
Sleepymoonfox
Cisco a M.
(No Name)
Cherif D.
MMMCMXCIX, or 3,999
Danny Y.
Kieta A.
Sczx
Acedia
Clutch
Jackson J B.
Black
Till Grothe
Marlon A.
Greatface
Eduardo
Kiritsuke
Zuur
Ryuu
Raini M. T.
Robert C.
Wills
VoidStar
tirily19
Duke Y.
terrance s.
Ausner G.

 

[Shout out to Ricardo S. and Sahal I!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 40


The day after Christmas.

Kazir returned to Los Angeles to sell the copyrights to Napoleon Dynamite.

Unlike the actors who would promote the film overseas, Kazir stayed in America to start his new project.

Of course, he has already talked to Ed Helms and Pedro Pascal about joining his next film. Although they still have to audition.

But unlike the other actors, they have more time to prepare. Kazir has already given them the scripts and signed non-disclosure agreements.

"Kazir, I'm glad to see you again."

"Enrico."

Kazir nodded at the man before him. As soon as he left the airport, producer Enrico Pusi from Warner Bros. contacted him to negotiate.

"Enrico, I just want to set the record straight. Fox Searchlight Pictures and I have a contract. Fox Searchlight Pictures has first dibs on the copyrights to Napoleon Dynamite."

"I understand that. But if the negotiations with Fox Searchlight Pictures fail, you can think of Warner Bros. As long as the conditions are right, we are happy to work with you."

Kazir agreed. That was the way it usually worked in Hollywood.

In his opinion, Fox Searchlight Pictures would try to negotiate with him as much as possible. Napoleon Dynamite was a healthy cow they wanted to milk.

"I suppose you have another reason for wanting to talk to me."

"Actually, Kazir. I read your new script. I just want to say that Warner Bros. will accept your proposal, but we have some conditions."

Salvatore Barlowe first submitted the scripts to 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. These two studios made a good impression on Kazir.

Perhaps he felt their sincerity after the two CEOs attended his little screening.

In a way, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. have the lead on Kazir's next film.

When Warner Bros. received the script, they studied it very carefully. They thought it would be as successful as Napoleon Dynamite. Terry Semel gave the green light.

Kazir had just started his career and his creativity was still blossoming. A director like him might have three or four movies that would be successful in a row.

His next project had a budget of 35 million dollars. It might be big compared to Napoleon Dynamite, but it was an expected budget. Warner Bros. could invest in a movie with that amount.

"Go ahead Enrico, you can tell me Warner Bros' terms."

"We want to sign an insurance company to monitor the shooting. You know that $35 million is a lot of money."

"I understand." Kazir already expected this kind of condition.

"Second, we hope you can reduce your share of the box office. Kazir, if I'm honest, it should be impossible for someone like you to have a box office share. But we decided to give you a chance. $100 million at the North American box office and you get 3%. $150 million, 5%. $200 million and you'll get 7%. $250 million and you'll get 10%.

Producer Enrico Pusi gritted his teeth as he explained these terms. In his opinion, it was outrageous.

Kazir is no Spielberg or Cameron.

However, compared to the benefits they would receive, this kind of contract was acceptable.

In fact, Kazir's terms were much worse than that.

"Enrico, regarding these conditions, you need to talk to my agent." Kazir grinned.

"..."

Enrico's eyes twitched.

'Fucking greedy!'

But he kept his smile. Their first negotiation had gone well. Both sides had a clear intention to cooperate.

But Kazir had to leave the negotiation to Salvatore Barlowe. That was an agent's job.

His first hour in Los Angeles began with negotiations. But it seemed that the next few hours would be negotiations as well.

At the entrance to 20th Century Fox headquarters, Kazir met Salvatore Barlowe and his attorney, Terrence Downey. If his intuition was right, the first negotiation of Napoleon Dynamite's copyrights would also be the last.

Surprisingly, the venue was the 20th Century Fox building. Instead of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

'Perhaps Tom Rothman wanted to attend the meeting. '

As he expected, Tom Rothman was also in the room.

"Tom."

"Kazir."

The two shook hands firmly. Their first collaboration had been successful.

But this was business, and they had to take it seriously. Everyone was fighting for money.

"As of December 26, 1995. Napoleon Dynamite has grossed $120 million at the North American box office. I'll be honest, it exceeded my expectations. I don't regret working with you, but I hate that I didn't buy all the copyrights. Hell, I even gave you a share of the box office... Kazir, state your terms. Unless they are unreasonable, Fox Searchlight Pictures will give it to you."

Tom Rothman was the lead negotiator.

"$30 million for all the copyrights to Napoleon Dynamite."

"$20 million and we'll get the sequel."

"29 million."

"21 million."

The two began to haggle over the copyrights.

In the end, the price dropped to $27 million.

"$27 million, but Fox Searchlight Pictures gets the sequels and your new project."

"Exclude the new project and we have a deal," Kazir replied.

"Deal, but you have to direct the sequels as well."

"Tom, if I'm being honest, I can't promise I'll be directing Napoleon Dynamite again." Kazir was serious.

"Tch, are you one of those directors who doesn't like directing sequels?"

"That's right."

"$25 million then." Tom tapped his fingers on the table.

"..."

Kazir was defeated and accepted 25 million dollars. This amount was actually not so bad. In just one year, Kazir was a certified millionaire.

Kazir sold the overseas distribution, videotapes distribution, sequels, and other copyrights of Napoleon Dynamite.

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

1) MC's Not Part Of The Story
- This novel is already completed 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 1994 Hollywood.

[I mostly post my novels in Scribblehub, Webnovel, RoyalRoad, and Questionable Questing]

 

[Shout out to Alex and Alex!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 41


"So what's next? The answer is simple, negotiate with Warner Bros. and fight for better terms. If they don't agree, go to the other companies. I'm sure 20th Century Fox will want to work with us again."

"I understand."

Kazir and Salvatore talk after the deal was done. Kazir can't pay attention to negotiations and screenwriting at the same time.

This is one of the reasons why he signed with Salvatore Barlowe. The agent usually does this kind of work while the director concentrates on film-related things like writing, auditioning, and directing.

Lawyer Terrence Downey left after the negotiations, it seemed he was busy these days.

Kazir had known Terrence for years.

He was a good guy. When Cassandra filed for divorce, Terrence Downey wanted to defend Kazir. Unfortunately, Kazir was too much in love with Cassandra in his past life. He lost his fortune in the process.

In this timeline, Terrence was also disappointed because Kazir gave up his house again.

Anyway, these depressing things ended after Kazir won his first million!

'Hell, yeah!'

He got $2.3 million in the first round of negotiations with Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Then he got another $25 million after selling the copyrights to Napoleon Dynamite! There was a lot of money in his bank right now!

Third was the upcoming box office share. He has the right to receive 5% of the North American box office. As of now, Napoleon Dynamite has 120 million dollars.

If Cassandra had heard this news, she would have screamed her head off for leaving such a valuable man.

"Warner Bros. contacted me yesterday. They say they are willing to pay you $5 million to direct "The Hangover. "

Kazir's next film was also a comedy. The title of the movie was "The Hangover."

He first gave the scripts to 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. These two companies studied the script's profitability. In the end, they agreed that the film had a good chance of success.

Warner Bros. first showed their interest by inviting Kazir to direct the film at a salary of $5 million.

For a new director, this amount was outrageous. Warner Bros. definitely cursed Kazir at the time.

Unfortunately, Salvatore said that Kazir Grey would only accept the deal if he had a share of the box office.

Goddamn leech!

That was the best way to describe the agents.

These people have super thick faces. They will keep nagging for more money for their clients.

Apparently, Salvatore Barlowe wanted Kazir to have a share of the box office as well.

The copyrights to Napoleon Dynamite were sold for $25 million. As Kazir's agent, Salvatore Barlowe is entitled to a 3% commission.

This was the real reason why agents were crazy to have superstar clients. They would never go hungry with them.

Salvatore Barlowe was so happy that his gamble was a win!

750 thousand dollars! This amount was almost ten times his annual salary. Salvatore Barlowe could hardly sleep. Knowing that his bank account was filled with money!

"Salvatore, contact 20th Century Fox as well. I'll go to an accounting firm and settle the money."

"Don't worry Kazir, it's my job to make sure you get good terms. If Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox don't agree to our terms, I will go to Universal Pictures and Paramount. They are harassing me these days."

"Hm, I leave the negotiations to you."

Kazir stood up.

Kazir hired an accounting firm to handle his money and taxes. He thought hiring a personal accountant was a bad thing. He heard about what happened to Nicholas Cage. The famous actor was cheated by his financial manager.

According to the contract, Aaron was entitled to half of Napoleon Dynamite's earnings. This kind of clause was bad for Kazir because he could not take all of the income.

But Kazir and Aaron were brothers. The last people he wanted to betray were his family.

Half of the $25 million was wired to Aaron's bank account. Kazir had already contacted his brother about the money. Aaron laughed hysterically when he received the money.

Let's not forget the 5% of the North American box office.

Kazir was already talking to Salvatore. He was going to urge Fox Searchlight Pictures to give the 5%.

Kazir was confident that Fox Searchlight Pictures would not cheat him.

'If they tried to do that to me, I would never work with them again. Simple as that.'

There were six giant movie companies in Hollywood. He could also work with DreamWorks and MGM.

'I heard that Steven Spielberg founded DreamWorks with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen to break the monopoly of the big six.'

The company was formed last year and didn't have any projects at the time.

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

A few days came and Napoleon Dynamite was released in different countries. Just as it was written in the contract, Ed Helms and the cast were tasked with promoting the films outside of America.

As for Kazir, he talked to Fox Searchlight Pictures to let him stay in America. He wanted to polish his script.

Fox Searchlight Pictures didn't want to make him angry because Kazir had a new project. Fox wanted to work with him.

Kazir and his writing partners were also writing the sequel to Napoleon Dynamite.

Both sides were walking on eggshells and no one wanted to cut ties. At least not yet.

"What's the catch?"

After a week of talking with Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, Salvatore's face was haggard. But he was clearly excited.

"The two sides want to work with you."

"I know." Kazir nodded.

In fact, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox have contacted him so many times these days.

"First of all, 20th Century Fox will pay you a salary of $8 million."

"That's a lot of money."

"Indeed."

That amount was really big.

But directors like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron could get 20+20 from movie companies.

20+20 was known as $20 million salary plus 20% of the box office.

This was the reason why Steven Spielberg earned more than $100 million after the success of 'Jurrasic Park'.

Few people in Hollywood could negotiate 20+20 terms.

'Unfortunately, 20th Century Fox didn't want to share the box office with me.'

"What about Warner Bros?"

"Well, they will pay you $3 million and 10% of the box office. But the condition is that the movie has to make over $150 million at the North American box office. If it doesn't, you get nothing except your salary."

"Wow, both of them are really trying to squeeze me." He laughed.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: I created a poll on what movie Kazir should make next. The choices are Ted, The Hangover, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. My patrons chose The Hangover as his second movie. So I apologize if some of you are disappointed. Anyway, spread the love, stop the hate, and be peaceful.]

[Visit my Patreon if you want to read more:]

- 92 advanced chapters of TOFD

- 89 chapters of MNPOTS(COMPLETED)

- 60 advanced chapters of RDD

- 30 advanced chapters of HWI

https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki