HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 540

The theater was packed. Fans of Batman, comic book enthusiasts, and casual moviegoers bought tickets to watch The Dark Knight, which would be recognized as one of the best superhero movies of all time.

The atmosphere in the place was quite complicated. Some were happy and excited, while some were sad about the fact that one of the cast members of this movie was currently comatose. That was the biggest factor why they wanted to watch this movie, because they felt bad for Heath Ledger.

Also, there was news spreading that his role in The Dark Knight affected him mentally, hence, he became dependent on prescription drugs.

They had their own reasons why they bought tickets. However, it didn't change the fact that they were all curious to see the movie... Most of them carried popcorn buckets to enjoy the film.

As the lights dimmed and the first scene appeared on the massive screen, the crowd fell silent.

No one whispered. Their eyes were on the screen.

The movie went on, and then they were captivated by the Joker's appearance.

"I'll make this pen disappear."

From the very first moment that Heath Ledger's Joker appeared, the audience fell in love.

His voice was chilling, playful yet menacing. His actions were unpredictable. This showed how dangerous he was. The audience now had an idea of how heavy this role was for Heath to perform.

Whenever the Joker showed up on screen, the audience was all eyes and all ears on him.

It was as if Ledger had disappeared completely. He wasn't just playing the Joker. He was the Joker.

For two and a half hours, the audience sat on the edge of their seats. Every moment, every line, every confrontation between Batman and the Joker felt like something special.

Then the scene where Rachel Dawes died showed up.

"Oh my God!"

"Dear Lord!"

"Dad, I'm scared."

"The One Piece is real…"

The theater was filled with gasps.

Batman was racing to save Rachel. The tension was unbearable as the clock ticked down. The audience held their breath as Harvey Dent struggled against his restraints. His voice was desperate.

"Noo!! Why—! Why are you here!?"

Even Batman was stunned. Yet his body instinctively moved and saved Dent.

And then... the explosion!!

A blinding flash of fire. The screen shook. The sound was deafening.

The theater fell into stunned silence. Some fans instinctively leaned forward in their seats, unable to process it.

This movie was rated by MPAA as PG-13? With that scene? Where Batman had to choose between his love and justice? Rachel died in an explosion!

Batman had gone to the wrong location. He had tried to save Rachel, but the Joker had deceived everyone.

"No fucking way…"

A woman in the crowd covered her mouth and whispered.

"They actually killed her?"

Some sniffles could be heard in the dark, a few wiping their tears. Others sat frozen, shocked by the brutality of the scene.

The next scene played.

Harvey Dent woke up in the hospital. Half of his face was burned. The theater was still heavy with the weight of what had just happened.

Nobody had expected this. The movie had just proved it wasn't playing by the rules. This was not a simple goody-two-shoes superhero movie. It was a completely different kind of superhero movie compared to Spider-Man, which Kazir directed a few years ago.

And then came the final scenes.

The Joker, hanging upside down, delivered his final speech to Batman.

His voice was full of madness.

Then, the final moments with Harvey Dent and Commissioner James Gordon. Batman made the ultimate sacrifice. He became the villain Gotham needed so that hope would survive.

The music score intensified, and Hans Zimmer's amazing composition filled the theater as Batman disappeared into the night.

Then something happened.

Soft sniffles and sobs echoed.

In the darkness of the theater, fans wiped their eyes. Some tried to hide their emotions, others didn't bother.

For some reason, they couldn't help but cry.

Were they affected by Batman's decision to sacrifice himself?

Was it because Rachel died in the middle of the movie?

Or were they sad because Heath Ledger was still unconscious and couldn't watch his movie?

Some people clapped their hands. Others simply sat still. They were staring at the screen, unwilling to leave.

"That was incredible… but it hurts."

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like that in a superhero movie."

The Dark Knight wasn't just a movie. It was a moment in history. A masterpiece wrapped in tragedy.

Outside the theater, people kept talking about the movie. All of them had the same thought:

"Heath Ledger's performance is out of this world."

It would be a crime to hide this movie from the people. The fans were determined to invite their friends and relatives to watch the movie and witness how great it was.

.........

......

...

On the first day, July 18, The Dark Knight grossed $67 million. Everyone in Hollywood was not surprised since Heath Ledger's situation was still trending. Furthermore, The Dark Knight was directed by Kazir Grey and his box office appeal was strong.

On the second day, July 19, The Dark Knight easily surpassed $100 million. To be precise, the movie grossed $114 million.

On July 20, Sunday, the movie grossed $158 million.

In just three days of screening, The Dark Knight grossed over $158 million. That was massive.

You know what else is massive?

That's right, Low Taper Fade...

Anyway, The Dark Knight was raking in money like there were leaves in the garden.

On the same day, July 20, Iron Man grossed $314 million at the North American box office.

As for The Incredible Hulk, the movie grossed $131 million at the North American box office as of July 20.

+++++

[You may sometimes see me inserting some jokes and memes, that's just me being stupid and intentionally stopping readers from immersion.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 541

By Monday morning, the entertainment industry was in a frenzy.

Every news network, news publisher and even internet bloggers were talking about The Dark Knight.

Box office analysts were predicting that the film was on track to make a lot of money. It's first weekend alone screamed success. They won't be surprised if the movie surpasses $700 million.

The fans couldn't stop talking about Heath Ledger's legendary performance as the Joker. It was amazing. There was something about his performance that captivated them.

"The best superhero movie of all time! Spiderman who? X-Men? Iron-Man? Nah, these superheroes are nothing!"

"Heath Ledger deserves an Oscar. His performance is outstanding! I don't care if The Dark Knight is a superhero movie. The Academy Awards should let go of their prejudice and let Heath win the Best Supporting Actor Aware!"

"That ending broke me... Batman sacrificed his identity as the protector of Gotham so that the city wouldn't crumble from within."

Headlines flooded the internet. Even film critics rated the movie 10/10... Some of them were paid to rate it high but some of them actually believed that The Dark Knight deserved a perfect rating.

Facebook and online forums were dominated by discussions about the film. They compared Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and The Dark Knight, and all of them agreed that The Dark Knight was better than any of the two Marvel movies in terms of plot and entertainment.

.........

......

...

Monday, July 21.

Warner Brothers headquarters, Burbank, California.

Executives at Warner Brothers were so happy. They knew the film would be successful since Kazir Grey directed it, but this?

This was beyond expectations!

Marketing teams worked hard to adjust their strategy. They didn't need to promote the movie too much. Word of mouth was already so strong. The public was doing the job for them. They just have to maintain the level of promotion.

The tragic circumstances surrounding Heath Ledger had already made The Dark Knight a huge event, not just a blockbuster.

The executives of Warner Brothers popped champagne. They knew that the movie had just started screening and they couldn't determine its final box office. However, they were confident that it would reach at least $700 million. Anyone could see that.

But behind the celebration, there were complicated emotions.

Kazir Grey, Christian Bale, and the rest of the cast had mixed feelings. They were proud of the film, but Ledger's condition didn't become better. The actor was still unconscious for 8 days.

"It doesn't feel right," Christian Bale admitted in a quiet moment with Michael Caine and Gary Oldman. They were promoting the movie on a local TV network.

"Yeah," Gary Oldman nodded solemnly.

"Let's hope Heath will wake up."

Across the country, fans kept returning to theaters.

Some watched The Dark Knight twice. Some three times. Some even watched it the whole day... They spent money on buying tickets. It didn't matter if it was 3D, traditional, or IMAX, they were happily consuming the movie.

People were dissecting every scene. They paid close attention to Ledger's every mannerism, his voice, his movements. They were like experts in psychology who were studying a specimen.

"I can't believe this was the same guy from Brokeback Mountain," one fan said to his friend as they left the theater.

"Heath Ledger is the Joker," another fan declared and the people around him nodded.

Well, some said that Joaquin Phoenix was also an amazing Joker but Joker 2: The Ugly Musical destroyed that idea. So yeah, Joaquin Phoenix is nothing compared to Heath Ledger.

"This isn't acting, this is something else. Something legendary."

The numbers kept climbing as days went by.

By the end of Monday, the updated box office numbers were in.

$182 million in just four days.

The industry was shocked.

Monday was a workday and a schoolday people rarely visit theaters to watch movies around Monday to Thursday. They have jobs, schools, and responsibilities so box office ratings on Monday usually take a nosedive.

However, this Monday was different. Despite being Monday, The Dark Knight grossed $24 million, hence it reached the $182 million mark in four days.

People started asking, could The Dark Knight become the second superhero movie to reach a billion dollars? And from the same director?

Spider-Man grossed $1 billion at the box office. The movie was directed by Kazir Grey

And now, The Dark Knight, which was also directed by Kazir Grey, could possibly reach $1 billion.

Kazir Grey sat in his office, staring at his computer. He was stressed lately. He had already received multiple messages from Warner Brothers congratulating him on the film's success.

He knew they wanted him to direct another Batman movie. They wanted to stay true to the contract.

But right now, all Kazir could think about was Heath. He sighed.

'Am I gay by thinking of another man?'

Well, it depends.

Anyway, Kazir was depressed because he did his best to change Heath Ledger's fate but the actor still suffered from drug overdose. The only difference was that Heath didn't die but instead in a comatose.

If he died, then everything that Kazir did would be nothing. It showed that his interference with the timeline was not successful.

'Perhaps I can't prevent people's death... But if that's true, then my Dad should have died four years ago.'

He scrolled through news articles. The media was obsessed with Heath Ledger's performance. While Kazir was proud, he couldn't shake the feeling that Warner Brothers was still using this situation to their advantage.

He sighed. Hollywood will always be Hollywood. They would use everything to make money. It didn't matter if Heath lived or died, they just needed him to make money for their benefits.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 542

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

He read the documents.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The presenter paused.

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

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

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

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

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

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

That fact was not liked by 20th Century Fox.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tom asked curiously, a bit worried.

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

Last year, Kazir also got killed.

Three weeks ago, he saw his friend almost dying.

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

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

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

Completely relatable.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 543

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

"Huh, what do you mean?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That's good to hear."

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

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

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

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

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

Blackmailing celebrities to get what they wanted was acceptable.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warner Brothers was monetizing grief because they were a corporation.

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

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

Their meeting ended after that.

.........

......

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Talk show hosts discussed his performance with praise.

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

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

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

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

They stood at the doorway, hesitant to enter.

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

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

"Hush, his family is inside."

"Let's go in."

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 544

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The two had a daughter named Matilda Rose Ledger.

"…"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michelle's eyes widened. She also saw it.

"Oh my God… Heath?"

"…"

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

"I'm gonna call the doctors!"

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

Then, the family started crying in happiness.

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

Heath woke up.

.........

......

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 545


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He muttered. Frustration was evident in his voice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

.........

......

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kazir nodded, his heart feeling lighter.

"Yeah… that's all that matters."

.........

......

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 546

Billy and Wallace cheered as they witnessed how Wesley Gibson found his peace.

Billy and Wallace had been fans of Kazir since the release of Napoleon Dynamite. Since then, they had watched every movie Kazir released. They also watched every CCU movie. In fact, they even built a fan base.

Naturally, Billy and Wallace witnessed how much suffering Wesley experienced in the trilogy. They were happy because Wesley found his peace at last. They also understood that this would probably be the last time they watched the Wanted franchise because Ben Affleck's contract had ended.

However, they might still see him once in a while in other CCU movies as a cameo appearance.

Still, the fans were a bit melancholic. Bryan Mills, Jason Bourne, and Wesley Gibson were the first three protagonists of the CCU, and now only Jason Bourne was still active. Bryan Mills had died, while Wesley Gibson retired.

As the credits rolled, Billy and Wallace remained seated, basking in the afterglow of the final moments of Wanted 3. The theater was filled with excitement, with fans discussing their favorite scenes and speculating on the future of the CCU.

The theater was rented by the Grey Fans to watch Wanted 3. The fact that everyone was wearing a suit made it look like they were in a business meeting inside a movie theater, out of place but entertaining.

"I can't believe it's over," Wallace muttered. He was a bit sad. Wanted was a huge franchise and had gathered so many fans all over the world.

"At least Wesley got a happy ending. He deserved it," Billy nodded.

They didn't leave right away. They waited a few more minutes for the post-credit scene. The scene was about The Equalizer 2, the movie set to be released in September.

.........

......

...

Wanted grossed over $1.11 billion worldwide in 2000. This was the updated box office after every country had submitted complete data.

Wanted 2 grossed $821 million and was considered a success despite a lower box office performance compared to the first movie.

And now, people were wondering at what number the box office of Wanted 3 would stop. Would it reach $700 million? Perhaps only $600 million?

August 29, 2008, Friday. Wanted 3 grossed $39 million.

August 30, 2008, Saturday. Wanted 3 grossed $86 million.

August 31, 2008, Sunday, also the last day of the month. Wanted 3 grossed $122 million.

In three days of screening, Wanted 3 grossed $122 million.

Everyone would agree that Wanted 3 was a success. This kind of performance was expected from a CCU movie. Nothing to be shocked at.

By the way, as of August 31, The Dark Knight had grossed $889 million worldwide. The movie had been screening for 45 days and was still going strong.

.........

......

...

September 1, 2008, Monday. The industry was already having discussions about Wanted 3's strong opening weekend. Analysts predicted it would easily cross $600 million worldwide, solidifying its place as another Continental Cinematic Universe success.

Kazir Grey, however, was more focused on the future. He sat in his office, going through final preparations for The Equalizer 2. He was reviewing documents related to the movie.

Wanted 3's post-credit scene had created excitement among fans, and expectations were high.

Meanwhile, Warner Brothers was celebrating The Dark Knight's unstoppable momentum. Executives were confident it would surpass $1 billion, making it the highest-grossing film of the year... unless a new opponent joined the battle. The battle for box office supremacy continued.

After doing his job, Kazir decided to read the newspaper and found an article about Wanted 3:

-- Wanted 3 delivered a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the action-packed trilogy. Ben Affleck shines once again as Wesley Gibson. He brought depth to a character who has endured loss, betrayal, and redemption. The film masterfully balanced intense action sequences with emotional storytelling. It gave fans a fitting farewell to one of the Continental Cinematic Universe's original protagonists.

-- The intense fights, stunning cinematography, and well-crafted plot kept audiences engaged until the very end. While it may not surpass the original, Wanted 3 provided closure. It left fans both satisfied and nostalgic. A must-watch for action lovers and longtime CCU fans.

Kazir looked at the name of the writer who wrote the article.

"Bribe Miner? Isn't that the movie critic we paid to write positive reviews on our movies? No wonder this article seemed paid."

Well, the article seemed on point, though... The article didn't tackle much about the movie, since the content of Wanted 3 was nonexistent. The author didn't know what to write or add about the plot.

Kazir then tackled the next topic that the company had to face.

Grey Pictures ventured into TV shows around 2003 to 2004 by making Game of Thrones. Now, Game of Thrones was in its third season and still going strong. It had gained so many fans. It was popular, and Fox TV also profited from the show.

Because of this success, Grey Pictures was interested in starting another show. This time, they asked Kazir if he had a comedy TV show in his arsenal.

Well, actually, they were right, Kazir had a few on his list. He had written some comedy sitcoms. However, he was genuinely confused as he realized something big had happened without his knowing.

"The fact that some of these shows did not exist in the current timeline is shocking."

The list was:

Modern Family

Parks and Recreation

Brooklyn 99

The Big Bang Theory

How I Met Your Mother

Looking at the list, Kazir was shocked that The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother did not exist in this timeline. Meaning, Kazir could make them if he wanted to.

+++++

[What TV show do you think won the poll?]

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 547

[Author's Note: I just want to make things clear, this novel is not a Chinese translation. It was written by me, Pujimaki, word for word. The reason a Chinese version exists on a popular novel platform in China is because someone pirated and translated it without my permission.]

Kazir was deep in thought. The realization that The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother didn't exist yet was both exciting and overwhelming. He realized that he had changed another thing in the timeline without even knowing it.

Kazir loved movies, but he rarely watched TV shows. He didn't have time to watch TV, so he was clueless that his interference in the timeline had erased The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother from existence.

The two shows were famous in the USA and basically two of the most well-known shows.

"If I play this right, I might make another successful show. If I remember correctly, sitcoms are less expensive than high-quality shows like Game of Thrones."

Sitcoms averaged $2–3 million per episode, while high-quality shows like Game of Thrones and Stranger Things had an average of $15–20 million per episode. Yes, sitcoms were less expensive.

By the way, sitcoms were TV shows that usually had the same settings, where episodes happened mostly in a single location. Also, sitcoms were comedy shows that had a laugh track, a sound of people laughing in the background whenever the cast made a joke. The best examples of sitcoms were Friends and The Big Bang Theory.

He picked up a pen and jotted down potential ideas.

"If we start production now, we could have one of these on air by next year," he murmured.

His mind raced with possibilities. However, he realized something, he only had to choose one. Furthermore, even though The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother were famous shows, they were not considered the best.

"If we are talking about natural humor that doesn't need a cringe laugh track in the background, then Modern Family is the best option."

Modern Family was filmed in a mockumentary style. It was a humorous show if done right. It was different from a sitcom, but it was a comedy show nonetheless.

"We also have Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn 99," Kazir added.

These two were also popular shows.

"The question is, which of them should we make?"

They could make all of them at once, but that would be too much for Grey Pictures to handle. So, for now, they had to choose only one.

Kazir could keep the other projects in the script library until they needed another show to make. Or perhaps Kazir could sell the projects to another production company, and they would make the show in exchange for a profit percentage. Kazir had to think about it carefully.

"For now, I'll have to wait for the poll to have a clear answer."

…Was that a fourth-wall break?

Kazir closed his notes. He had at least a week before making a decision. At that time, the answer would be clearer.

A successful sitcom could generate steady revenue for years, unlike movies, which relied on box office performance.

For clarification, TV shows have stable profits, while movies have short but explosive profits. It depends on what angle you look at it. But both options were great as long as they generated enough profit to satisfy all parties involved.

"Whichever show we choose, it has to be the right one," he muttered.

He decided to consult with his executives and trusted writers. Their insights might help him make the best choice for Grey Pictures' future.

This was different from filming a movie where Kazir was confident. TV shows were a different market, and Kazir didn't have enough experience to make a bold decision. Fortunately, he had Stella Willow to make up for his shortcomings.

"Even now, Stella is helping me with managing the company. I'm grateful for what she did."

Kazir also heard that Stella's dating life was getting better, so that was good news. A happy person means less stress.

.........

......

...

September 7, 2008. Ten days after the release of Wanted 3, the movie grossed over $203 million at the North American box office.

The industry was closely watching Wanted 3's box office performance. A $203 million domestic earnings in just ten days was undeniable proof of its success.

At Warner Brothers, executives were relieved that The Dark Knight still held strong, but Wanted 3's numbers reminded them that the CCU was a force to be reckoned with...

They regretted the fact that they had messed up their Cinematic Universe because Superman Returns was a failure profit-wise. Thankfully, The Dark Knight had now grossed over $900 million, and it was a cause for celebration. They invited the cast of The Dark Knight for a celebration party. Heath Ledger was also included. Even though The Dark Knight was losing its energy at the box office, the movie still had strong potential to surpass $1 billion.

As expected, Kazir Grey was amazing. Warner Brothers didn't regret working with the director. Not anymore. They knew that Kazir hadn't sabotaged them. The Dark Knight was a blockbuster!

At Universal Pictures, some regretted sabotaging Kazir back when he was still a novice. They also hated the fact that many people were hating their company because one of their executives had issued an assassination order against Kazir. Yeah, they were hated by the public.

Meanwhile, Walt Disney was taking notes… They were still hoping that Kazir would give them some crumbs to feast on. If Kazir announced that he would sell a script for a TV show, Walt Disney might be the first to buy it.

20th Century Fox, on the other hand, was very happy. Even though Wanted 3 was not owned by them and they didn't have the copyrights, they had a share in the box office, which was 25%.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 548

Kazir Grey sat across from the executives of Blue Sky Studio in their conference room. Because he was guilt-tripped by Tom Rothman into working on Wall-E, Kazir decided to accept the position of Executive Producer.

Unlike most of the time when Kazir's position was only a title, this time, Kazir promised that he would visit Blue Sky Studio every three days to check on their progress and help them whenever they needed assistance.

Kazir knew that his position at 20th Century Fox was getting awkward because he worked with other studios, which was not illegal, by the way. Kazir, as a person, was allowed to work with other studios unless he signed an exclusive contract with 20th Century Fox.

Company politics was a difficult game to play. But Kazir's position as one of the shareholders of 20th Century Fox forced him to join it.

To make up for it, Kazir decided to work on Wall-E to appease some people who were growing a grudge against him… It might look obvious, but Kazir didn't want anyone to hold a grudge against him… The last time someone held a grudge against him, he almost died.

Of course, since Kazir agreed to become the Executive Producer of Wall-E, he had a salary. 20th Century Fox, or to be precise, Blue Sky Studio, paid him $5 million just to hire him. In their opinion, this amount was too small compared to the box office appeal that Kazir could bring to the project. They should be thankful that Kazir was not that greedy.

Furthermore, Kazir was a director, so he knew what to do.

"Kazir, thank you for working with us. It's an honor."

"Nah, it's cool."

The meeting had been arranged to discuss the progress of Wall-E. Unlike most 3D animated movies that focused more on comedy, Wall-E was an emotional cartoon. It had the same vibe as Nemo. In a way, Blue Sky Studio had a concrete plan for Wall-E.

They wanted to compete for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. Blue Sky Studio wanted to show that their studio also had the capability to compete in prestigious awards such as the Oscars.

"Let's see… Wall-E is promising, but we have to set up the atmosphere," Kazir said, and the executives nodded in agreement. Well, everyone in the conference room had already thought of that, but they wanted to hear more from Kazir since he was an expert in this category. He was a director, after all.

"The atmosphere is important. You need to make Wall-E's experience resonate with people, and that means crafting every scene with intention. The first few minutes should be depressing. It should be slow with the right amount of melancholy. Let the audience feel Wall-E's loneliness."

He paused and sipped the warm tea next to him. The executives had heard that Kazir liked tea, so they prepared high-quality tea for this meeting.

"The music needs to blend right with the movie. Think of it as an emotional guide."

The room fell quiet, the team absorbing his advice. Kazir's experience was undeniable… They had heard this kind of explanation so many times since they were all working in the same industry, but it sounded profound when Kazir said it. At this point, they were just being bootlickers.

Kazir smirked.

"And for that, we need a director who will oversee this creation."

Everyone nodded.

However, one by one, they all looked at Kazir.

If there was a director who could create a masterpiece, it would probably be Kazir. He could turn Wall-E into a masterpiece.

Everyone in the room looked at Kazir, and the director realized his mistake.

'Why are you looking at me like I'm the messiah?'

Kazir coughed.

"I'm planning to rest for a year, and I don't have the intention of directing a movie. We should find someone who will direct Wall-E."

Wall-E was approved by 20th Century Fox, but that didn't mean everything would happen so fast. First, they had to calculate the budget to make the movie. For that, many people had to come together and find the right amount. Producers, Production Managers, Studio Executives, Financial Analysts, and even Completion Bond Companies had to study the project and come up with a budget.

So yeah, it was not surprising that Wall-E still didn't have a director to oversee the project.

'Unfortunately, it's impossible to hire Andrew Stanton to direct Wall-E. He is a key figure of Pixar Animation and he will not work with a rival company… I guess I'm an oddity, huh.' Kazir chuckled. Unlike Andrew Stanton, who was loyal to Pixar, Kazir worked with other studios.

Anyway, Andrew Stanton was the director of Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, A Bug's Life, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Monsters, Inc.

It was not an understatement to say that Andrew Stanton was good at his job. He was the original director of Wall-E.

'Although in the original timeline, Andrew Stanton had a flopped movie called John Carter.'

John Carter (2012) was a bad movie in terms of box office, and that was also the last time Andrew Stanton worked on live-action movies.

"Director, if we pay you $25 million plus 15% box office share plus 5% peripheral profit share, will you still decline?"

One of the executives asked Kazir. Some of them frowned because that amount was too huge to let go, but they also knew that Kazir's salary was usually higher than that amount.

Kazir shook his head and declined, unfazed by the generous offer.

"I appreciate the faith you have in me, but my decision is firm. I need a break. Directing is exhausting, and I don't want to burn out."

For a director who filmed at least one movie per year, that was the most bullshit statement that Kazir had ever said.

The executives exchanged glances. Some were clearly disappointed.

"Then who do you think should direct it? We need someone with a clear vision," one of them spoke up.

Kazir looked at his tea. He was contemplating and didn't answer.

"We need a director who understands emotion and storytelling, not just animation. What about Andrew Stanton?" another executive joined in after realizing that Kazir was in deep thought.

"He's at Pixar. It's almost impossible to hire him. And even if we hired him, he would probably ask for a huge salary," another one answered.

Kazir smirked and realized something. "Then we just need to find someone who is great at storytelling but not expensive."

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 549

There were a lot of directors who were amazing at storytelling and stirring the emotions of the audience. In fact, this was one of the criteria to determine if a director was talented.

If a director couldn't affect his audience, then he didn't have the qualifications to be a director. A director's job was to make a movie to entertain the audience. The movie would be useless if the audience felt nothing.

Anyway, the best directors in the industry were good at storytelling and stirring the emotions of the audience.

Some of the directors who had a talent for emotionally powerful storytelling were:

Steven Spielberg. Almost everyone would agree with this fact. Steven Spielberg was very good at storytelling, and he could make his audience cry. He was basically the GOAT of heartwarming movies. He directed Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan, and many more.

Hayao Miyazaki was also a director who was great at stirring the audience's hearts. He might not be a Hollywood director, but even Hollywood agreed that Hayao Miyazaki was an amazing director. He directed Grave of the Fireflies, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and many more.

Kazir had to admit that he was not good at making emotional films. The best emotional film he did was The Revenant, and that wasn't even comparable to what Spielberg and Miyazaki created in their filmographies. Kazir was just making circus movies, and he was proud of that fact.

Wall-E needed a director who had great storytelling skills and could make impactful scenes. Kazir knew someone, and he was one of the best in that category.

The person Kazir was talking about was Christopher Nolan.

In Kazir's opinion, Christopher Nolan was comparable to, or perhaps even better than, Spielberg and Miyazaki in creating amazing movies. His filmography was filled with critically acclaimed films.

He was the best director that Kazir could ever hire... Furthermore, Christopher Nolan was still finding his footing in Hollywood, so he might be interested in Wall-E.

'I also heard that Christopher Nolan is still looking for interesting projects to do.'

Kazir actually felt guilty about that... He had the script of Inception registered in the Writers Guild because he was interested in it. To make sure that everything would work fine, Kazir even bought the live action adaptation rights of Paprika just to be safe.

Years passed, and Kazir realized that he didn't have the time to film Inception.

When Christopher Nolan was done with Taken 3, his agent called Kazir and hoped that they could buy the script because Christopher Nolan was interested in Inception.

Kazir agreed and let Salvatore and Nolan's agent negotiate. However, both sides didn't reach an agreement.

'I will give the script to Christopher Nolan for free if he directs Wall-E. It is originally his anyway.'

Kazir nodded.

The executives felt like Kazir was cooking something, so they were waiting for his response. Kazir looked at them and shrugged.

"Christopher Nolan is the perfect director for Wall-E," he said firmly.

The executives exchanged uncertain glances. They had heard about this director, the fourth director who had a $1 billion movie in his filmography after filming Taken 3.

They also heard that Christopher Nolan was very serious about choosing scripts. Even though the Big Six invited him to sign a contract, Christopher Nolan maintained his silence because he couldn't find the perfect script to film.

This time, they were not sure if Christopher Nolan would agree to work on an animated film.

"Nolan? But he's known for live-action movies, not animated films," one of them pointed out.

Kazir smirked.

"That's exactly why we need him. He understands atmosphere, emotion, and visual storytelling better than most directors. Wall-E isn't just an animated film, it's a cinematic experience. If anyone can make it unforgettable, it's Christopher Nolan."

"I'll personally reach out to him." He paused before adding.

When Kazir said that, the executives sighed in relief. Kazir was known for hiring the perfect director for the job.

"If Nolan agrees, we'll have to adjust our approach. He's known for practical effects and grounded storytelling. Do you think he'll be comfortable working in animation?"

One of the executives adjusted his glasses.

"Nolan is a perfectionist, but it doesn't mean he won't adapt to the changes. He'll push for perfection, but he will maintain the essence of the film, which is to entertain the kids and the parents, and that's exactly what we need. Wall-E's world should feel like it could happen in the future. If he agrees, expect him to work closely with the animators to ensure every detail is perfect."

The executives nodded, starting to see the vision. They decided to trust Kazir.

"Alright," one of them said.

"If you can convince him, we're on board."

"Okay. By the way, I haven't seen Carl Ludwig today. This is a business conference, he should be here."

"The guy is on vacation right now and can't be contacted."

"…"

Kazir was a bit jealous. He had promised himself that he would relax for a year, yet now he was still working.

Kazir let out a sigh, rubbing his temples.

"What a life," he muttered under his breath. "Maybe I should take a break too."

"Um, please don't, we need you here. We paid $5 million…"

One of the executives nervously chuckled.

Kazir smirked but didn't deny it. $5 million was a huge amount.

"Aight."

His mind was already running through how to approach Nolan. He needed to make the offer enticing, not just with Wall-E, but by giving him full creative control.

"I'll set up a meeting with Nolan and his team," Kazir said.

"Let's hope he's interested."

As the meeting ended, Kazir stood and stretched. Maybe he really needed a vacation.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 550

September arrived. On September 9, Kazir had his 38th birthday. He didn't have an extravagant birthday party. He just invited his friends and relatives to enjoy the day. Kazir's father was the only one who attended this time because his brother was busy with the company and currently out of the country. He took his wife and daughter to enjoy their time in a foreign country.

Anyway, Kazir had fun. He realized that he felt blessed to be alive. He further understood how important life was. He had experienced quite a lot in his two lifetimes, so he cherished the moment.

As the evening settled in, Kazir sat on the balcony of his home... The view in Beverly Hills was average, not going to lie. Kazir chose a house that had a mediocre location. He didn't care, though.

He was sipping a glass of wine while watching the city lights twinkle in the distance.

His father, Victor, sat beside him, holding a bottle of beer.

"You've done well for yourself, son," the old man said, his voice filled with pride. He was a bit tipsy and emotional. He was proud that his children could stand on their own.

"Thanks, Dad. I've been lucky." Kazir chuckled.

His father shook his head.

"Luck only takes you so far. Hard work and determination got you here."

Kazir nodded, appreciating his words. Honestly, Kazir still couldn't explain his regression, so he kind of thought of it as his luck.

As the night grew quieter, he made a silent wish, not for more success, but for more moments like this, where he could see everyone around him happy.

..........

.......

...

In the second week of September, The Equalizer 2 had its premiere. Kazir and Scarlett naturally attended the red carpet.

The red carpet was filled with excitement as cameras flashed and reporters scrambled to interview the stars. Kazir, dressed in a sharp black suit, walked hand in hand with Scarlett, who was stunning in an elegant emerald-green gown.

Reporters immediately swarmed them.

"Kazir! How does it feel to be back on the red carpet?" one journalist asked.

"It feels great. The Equalizer 2 is an amazing project, and I'm happy that the franchise is doing great." Kazir chuckled.

"Tonight will be wonderful." Scarlett smiled beside him.

The couple posed for a few more pictures before heading inside, ready to enjoy the premiere.

As they took their seats, Kazir glanced around the packed theater. The energy in the room was electric, filled with excitement and anticipation.

Denzel Washington, the film's lead, caught Kazir's eye and gave him a nod. Kazir returned the gesture with a smile.

The lights dimmed, and the 20th Century Fox and Grey Pictures logos appeared on the screen. The audience quieted down as the movie began.

Kazir leaned back in his seat, watching the film unfold. He had already seen the early cut, but experiencing it with a live audience was different. The reactions, excitement, cheers, and shouts of the people made the experience special.

The Equalizer 2 was about Robert McCall, a former DIA operative who now works as a vigilante, helping those in need. When his close friend and former colleague, Susan Plummer, is murdered while investigating a case in Brussels, McCall sets out to uncover the truth. His search leads him to discover a conspiracy involving his former partner, Dave York, who has turned into a mercenary. As McCall takes down York and his team, he also mentors a young neighbor, Miles, steering him away from a life of crime. The film ends with McCall avenging Susan's death and continuing his quiet life as a protector of the innocent. (ChatGPT)

To make it a bit spicy, Kazir changed some parts of the plot, such as Dave York becoming part of the High Table. Yeah, this was the best he could do to include the franchise in the Continental Cinematic Universe. Perhaps the third movie would be a direct confrontation against the High Table.

.........

......

...

On September 12, Friday, The Equalizer 2 grossed $15 million.

On September 13, Saturday, the movie grossed $39 million.

On September 14, Sunday, the movie grossed $56 million.

After three days of screening, The Equalizer 2 grossed over $56 million on its first weekend.

Grey Pictures and 20th Century Fox both agreed that the start of The Equalizer 2 was promising. Based on their calculations, The Equalizer 2 would gross at least $200 million at the North American box office once done. However, they had a lot of factors to consider, so this $200 million was just an estimation. Either they would earn more or less than that amount.

By the way, as of September 14, The Dark Knight had already grossed over $517 million at the North American box office, and its international box office was $429 million. After 60 days of screening, The Dark Knight had already grossed $946 million worldwide. Everyone could see that the movie would reach $1 billion.

As for Wanted 3, after 17 days of screening, it grossed $255 million at the North American box office as of September 14.

The momentum of Wanted 3 was still ongoing, while The Dark Knight was already losing its gas. Unfortunately for 20th Century Fox, The Dark Knight had a stronger potential to reach $1 billion, unlike Wanted 3, which would probably reach $800 million at best.

Well, a win is still a win. Both sides were winning and nothing to be salty about.

Grey Pictures and 20th Century Fox kept a close eye on the numbers, but they weren't overly concerned. Wanted 3 had already exceeded expectations, proving that the franchise still had strong appeal. Meanwhile, The Equalizer 2 was gaining momentum, and industry insiders believed it had strong legs at the box office.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 551

Aside from movies, September had some important events that happened. Some were related to the 2008 Financial Crisis.

First was Lehman Brothers. This major investment bank filed for bankruptcy as of September 15, and it triggered a global financial collapse. This was just one piece of the domino effect that caused the 2008 economic recession.

The global stock market was badly affected. Kazir didn't take advantage of this opportunity because he was not an expert in the stock market or how it would move. He just decided to keep his old stocks and continued investing in his favorite companies.

Because of the financial crisis, banks were reluctant to lend money because they feared that more banks would collapse. Let's just say that they didn't trust people during the economic crisis because many people were poor at that time. Hence, the recession continued.

Aside from the economic crisis, another major event happened in September: Barack Obama and John McCain's presidential campaigns were going strong. This time, the citizens of the United States would determine the future of their country with their own hands by voting. This was an important event.

Despite the economic turmoil, Hollywood remained a temporary escape for many people. Box office numbers showed that audiences still went to theaters. People were seeking distraction from financial worries.

The Equalizer 2 continued its strong performance, and Wanted 3 maintained its momentum, proving that action-packed movies were still in demand. Meanwhile, The Dark Knight was close to its most awaited $1 billion.

While aware of the financial crisis, Kazir focused on his company. Grey Pictures had a stable cash flow. Thanks to careful budgeting, the company avoided unnecessary risks. The projects they released every year were profitable, and they had nothing to worry about.

Industry insiders speculated whether the recession would slow down film production. Some studios tightened budgets, but major franchises remained unaffected for now.

Even Wall-E, which was approved, had a budget of $180 million. Most of the budget would be spent on the animation. Animating 3D cartoon movies was always expensive.

Hollywood would still make movies no matter what the status of the economy was, simply because people liked watching movies. Showbiz is probably one of the industries that would keep doing well no matter how bad the economy got.

.........

......

...

Kazir Grey sat at the table in a restaurant in Beverly Hills. Across from him was Christopher Nolan, the director of Wanted 3, the movie that grossed $1 billion two years ago.

The two directors had worked in the same industry for years, but this was their first time talking in a restaurant.

When Kazir hired Christopher, the one who actually did the job was Stella Willow. She convinced the director to direct Wanted 3. The salary was huge, so Christopher had no reason to say no.

After that, Kazir and Christopher had some conversations, but they were not really that close. Out of all the directors in Hollywood, Kazir was only friends with a few directors, such as George Lucas and David Fincher.

Christopher Nolan was wearing a T-shirt, the same as Kazir. This meeting felt like nothing serious at all. By the way, the one who chose the meeting place was Christopher. Apparently, he liked the tacos in this restaurant.

"So, Kazir," Christopher said and put down his coffee.

"You mentioned something interesting on the phone. You want me to direct an animated film?" He tilted his head, quite confused.

"Not just any animated film. The title of the movie is Wall-E," Kazir replied.

Animated films. Animated movies. 3D cartoons. Computer-generated movie/film. You can say it in many ways.

"A film about a lonely robot left on Earth after humanity has abandoned it. He spends his days cleaning up the planet. Until one day, he meets another robot, Eve, and it changes everything." Kazir grinned and put the script on the table for Christopher to check.

Christopher Nolan raised an eyebrow. Actually, when he received a call from Kazir, he was surprised. They were acquaintances at best; they were not close at all. However, being a director, Christopher respected Kazir's dedication to art.

He was surprised when Kazir wanted to talk to him about filming an animated film. He had already heard about it from his agent, but he didn't know the specifics.

It would be a lie if Christopher said that he was not interested. For Kazir to meet him, the owner of Grey Pictures and the best director in Hollywood, Christopher couldn't help but take it seriously.

He opened the script and read it.

"An animated sci-fi film with environmental themes? Interesting…" He nodded and then looked back at Kazir.

"But why me? Animation isn't exactly my area of expertise."

"Do you know the reason why we hired you to direct Wanted 3?" Kazir asked.

"Isn't it because you don't like filming a trilogy? You prefer hiring other directors to film the sequels of your movies."

"Yes, that's also one of the reasons." Kazir coughed.

"Anyway, I'll say the reason why we hired you. You have a unique way of blending grand spectacle with deep, emotional storytelling. Wall-E really needs that essence, and you're the only one I know who can do it. It's not just a kids' movie. It's a story about loneliness, purpose, and love, set in a dystopian future."

"…"

Christopher Nolan was speechless. He didn't expect that Kazir had such high respect for his filmography… He suddenly wanted to blush or something.

A top director like Kazir recognized his talent. He took that as an achievement. Of course, he was happy to hear these praises from Kazir.

Christopher cleared his throat, regaining his composure. He tapped the script with his fingers and smirked.

"I'm very flattered, Kazir."

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 552

Christopher Nolan looked at the script, his fingers slightly rubbing the edge of the document. He glanced at Kazir. During this whole conversation, he was still surprised that the famous director wanted him to direct an animated film.

"Did Blue Sky Studio know about this? Maybe they won't agree."

Blue Sky Studio was one of the best 3D animation studios in Hollywood right now. They animated Ice Age and Kung Fu Panda.

"You don't have to worry. The executives and I talked about it. We all agreed that we need a director like you."

Kazir chuckled.

Christopher hesitated, glancing at the script again.

"I've never done animation before, but... the concept is fascinating. A robot protagonist. Emotional visual storytelling. It's within my capabilities."

"Exactly. So, are you in?" Kazir smirked.

Christopher exhaled, then smiled.

"I'll seriously consider it. But I have one last question: you're also a director, so why don't you direct it instead? You have a stronger box office appeal than me, and I'm sure both 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studio would prefer you to direct the movie instead of me."

A valid question. Furthermore, Christopher Nolan hadn't heard any news that Kazir was taking on a project, so he probably had free time to direct Wall-E.

"Well, I want to take a rest and relax my artistic sense. I've been filming movies every year for more than a decade now, and I need a year to relax."

"...Wow." Christopher was shocked. So the most workaholic director in Hollywood also wanted a year-long vacation. That was probably the most shocking thing he heard today.

"Then," Christopher looked at the script. "I'll contact my agent."

"That's great to hear."

The two shook hands. The meeting was fruitful.

.........

......

...

A few days later, Christopher Nolan's agent was deep in negotiations with Blue Sky Studio and 20th Century Fox. Christopher set up some clauses regarding working on Wall-E.

While Christopher was intrigued by the project, he wanted certain creative freedoms, especially regarding the film's tone and cinematography.

Here's the thing: directors might become friends and talk about filmmaking, but they don't want another director to influence their creations. They want full authority and creative freedom when doing a film.

When Kazir heard about it, he laughed and understood Christopher's intention. Kazir was the executive producer of Wall-E, so perhaps this was Christopher's way of telling him to let him cook.

Animation was a new experience for Christopher Nolan, but he wanted to approach it with the same care he gave to live-action films.

Kazir reassured both the studio and Christopher that he would have the space to bring his vision to life. He even suggested that Christopher collaborate with the top animators at Blue Sky to ensure the film's aesthetic and storytelling aligned with his signature style.

By the end of the week, the deal was finalized. Christopher Nolan was officially set to direct Wall-E, making headlines across Hollywood.

Many were surprised by his decision. Some of them thought that his choice was quite fast and risky. Live-action and animated films were two different things.

Naturally, since Christopher Nolan was one of the few directors who had directed a movie that grossed $1 billion, his salary was not simple. Blue Sky Studio agreed on the contract, and Christopher had a base salary of $21 million plus a 13% box office share. That was a huge amount of money, considering that Christopher Nolan had had no project for two years.

Nolan's team actually hoped they would get a peripheral share, since this was where most of the money came from, but Blue Sky Studio was adamant about protecting this cake.

Anyway, $21 million plus 13% box office share was already a satisfying contract.

.........

......

...

Grey Pictures had a meeting for the next project that the company wanted to produce. Grey Pictures was interested in trying a comedy show, since the owner, Kazir Grey, was a talented comedy director.

Kazir agreed and knew that the company had to expand its projects for more money. He decided to write five scripts that had the potential to turn into a comedy show, most were sitcoms.

Modern Family.

Parks and Recreation.

Brooklyn 99.

The Big Bang Theory.

How I Met Your Mother.

However, since Kazir was not an expert on TV shows, he decided to let the executives read the first three episodes of each script to determine what was the best choice.

Stella Willow read them. She laughed at some of the jokes while she cringed at others. Anyway, she admitted that Kazir knew how to write comedy.

Stella had been in the TV industry for most of her career, and she could see the potential of each script. Unfortunately, Grey Pictures had limited resources to produce all of them. They could only produce one show. She understood that if Kazir wanted to sell some of the scripts to other studios in exchange for a profit share, that would be a great business deal.

After looking at everything very thoroughly, Stella and the executives of Grey Pictures felt that Modern Family was the best option.

It won the poll voted by the higher existence.

Kazir nodded when he heard the executives' decision. Modern Family had a unique comedy with its mockumentary style, and it had broad appeal across different demographics. If executed well, it could become a long-running hit.

"Alright, let's go with Modern Family," Kazir said.

"Once Hollywood learns that we have another TV show, TV networks will probably go crazy and beg us for broadcasting rights," Stella smirked. The idea alone made her happy.

"ABC, NBC, Fox, it doesn't matter... As long as the money is right."

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 553

Spy. What is a spy?

A spy is a person who secretly gathers information, typically about a government, organization, or individual, often for political, military, or economic purposes. Spies can work for governments, intelligence agencies, corporations, or private entities and may engage in activities such as espionage, surveillance, infiltration, or sabotage.

This time, Grey Pictures experienced the danger of a corporate spy.

Two days ago, Kazir and the executives of Grey Pictures had a meeting and approved the production of Modern Family. It was a TV show. So far, the project was still not in production, nothing was even planned.

However, for some reason, a company got the news that Grey Pictures wanted to produce another TV show! Even by information leak standards, this was too fast. Thankfully, the information they got was incomplete.

The news shocked the Big Six and even the major TV networks in the country.

The first two seasons of Game of Thrones grossed $1 billion in revenue. Even though each episode cost $8 million on average to film, the profit that Fox TV and Grey Pictures earned from Game of Thrones was astronomical.

This kind of money could only happen because Game of Thrones was popular. The average viewership per episode was 16 million. It meant that while Game of Thrones was being broadcast, around 16 million televisions were airing the show.

For Game of Thrones to become successful, they had to give Kazir some of the credit.

And now, people heard that Kazir wrote a script for a TV show. Can you imagine the reactions of the Big Six and major TV networks when they found out?

The leak sent shockwaves through Hollywood. Executives were curious to find out what kind of show Kazir Grey was working on. Was it another high-budget fantasy like Game of Thrones? An emotional drama? A groundbreaking new concept? As long as it could bring in more money, they wouldn't say no.

ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox TV, and even cable networks started bombarding Grey Pictures with questions. They were like a hungry pack of hyenas ready to devour a small bunny.

This situation seemed bad because Grey Pictures was caught off guard. It was just two days ago when they approved the project, yet many TV networks were already knocking on their door. How could they even react?

Stella Willow frowned as she reviewed the situation. She was uncomfortable with it. Being the CEO of Grey Pictures, she didn't like that rats were scrambling in her territory.

"This leak isn't just a coincidence," she told Kazir.

"Someone inside leaked the information." Kazir sighed, rubbing his forehead. Corporate spies were nothing new, but this situation gave them ideas on what not to do.

"Then we need to find out who."

Grey Pictures was officially hunting for a spy.

There were only a few people who knew about the project, most of them executives. However, they couldn't disregard the possibility that the executives shared the content of the meeting with their subordinates, hence the situation.

Kazir leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

"We need to keep our next moves tight. No more leaks."

"I'll have IT check for any unusual emails from our employees. We'll also keep track of who discussed the project outside of the conference room," Stella added.

"Who benefits the most from leaking this? The TV Networks are obviously interested, but it had to be someone inside Grey Pictures who passed the information."

"If we don't find the spy soon, it could happen again." Stella folded her arms.

Grey Pictures had some information that they wanted to keep secret. No company would be happy sharing their company secrets.

They decided to conduct a quiet internal audit, keeping the investigation discreet. The executives and their subordinates felt suffocated, but they had to endure the situation. They didn't have a choice but to cooperate.

Even Stella Willow and Kazir Grey agreed to be investigated. Perhaps the two accidentally shared the information or something.

At the same time, they needed to handle the overwhelming interest from TV networks.

"Well, since they're all so eager, we might as well use this to our advantage... 20th Century Fox will probably hate me more, but with a situation like this, it's stupid if we don't take advantage of it," Kazir smirked.

Stella raised an eyebrow.

"You're thinking of starting a bidding war, aren't you?"

"Why not?" Kazir chuckled.

They did it a few years ago, and it was a success.

"But before we can start the bidding war, of course, we have to make the product first."

Modern Family should film at least three episodes before Grey Pictures could do the bidding war.

Grey Pictures didn't sign a contract with Fox TV regarding their next TV show, so it was fine. However, Fox TV and 20th Century Fox would probably be mad about it. Well, business is business.

"We focus on production first. That gives us time to find the spy while negotiating with the TV networks."

Finding the corporate spy could take a week or a month, or perhaps they would fail to find the spy at all. As for the TV networks, negotiations could only happen once Modern Family had been produced.

"We keep the project under tighter wraps and only involve a trusted team. No unnecessary leaks, no external contractors until we have enough episodes to show." Kazir nodded.

"We should also mislead the spy or spies. That way, we can see where the leaks come from."

Kazir nodded... He actually hadn't thought of that.

Over the next few weeks, Grey Pictures moved carefully. Thankfully, all of their movies had been released this year. Only Game of Thrones Season 3 hadn't. Grey Pictures made sure that Game of Thrones would be protected.

Meanwhile, the people responsible for the investigation quietly monitored email logs and office conversations. They were determined to catch the corporate spy.

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 554

"Are we cooked?"

Robert "Bob" Iger talked to himself. Walt Disney's situation was not bad, but also not that good. Especially in live-action movies, they had a hard time penetrating the market. At the moment, the only relevant franchises Walt Disney had were Chronicles of Narnia and National Treasure. Except for that, they had nothing.

Still, their situation was not that bad if you compared it to Sony-Columbia, which was still clinging to the past glory of Spider-Man.

After the trilogy ended, Sony-Columbia was having a hard time finding a profitable franchise.

"I heard that Sony-Columbia is interested in rebooting the Spider-Man franchise."

Bob muttered.

He leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

A Spider-Man reboot? It made sense. Sony-Columbia was desperate for a hit, and Spider-Man was still one of the most recognizable superheroes in the world. But reboots were risky. Audiences had just seen Tobey Maguire's trilogy conclude. Would they accept a new actor so soon?

Perhaps Sony-Columbia had to rest Spider-Man for a few years before restarting the franchise.

Anyway, Disney had its own problems to solve.

Pixar was still dominant in animation, but their live-action division needed a true blockbuster franchise.

Chronicles of Narnia and National Treasure had done well, but they lacked the pop culture dominance of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or even Fox's Game of Thrones.

"If only we had Marvel…" Bob sighed.

To be fair, Michael Eisner was still in control of Walt Disney when Marvel Comics was acquired by News Corporation, so Bob couldn't even interfere with the acquisition.

"If only we had Grey Pictures..." He sighed again.

As for Grey Pictures, Michael Eisner fought for the acquisition but failed.

These were just wishful thinking. He couldn't return to the past and change history.

But what if…?

What if he could travel back in time and change the course of history?

"Heh, I'd probably be the most influential person in Hollywood."

The idea made him laugh. Unfortunately, there was no What If. Or perhaps only a few lucky people could get the opportunity to experience that What If. After all, not everyone could get a second chance in life.

Even though Walt Disney's current situation seemed sad, the studio was still recognized as one of the best studios in Hollywood. Walt Disney and Warner Brothers were still vying for the number one spot every year. Walt Disney didn't fall off.

Furthermore, the acquisition of Lucasfilm was progressing positively. Although it might take years, Bob Iger was confident that Lucasfilm would fall into the hands of Walt Disney.

As for the fans, their opinions didn't matter.

Hollywood had a motto: "Fuck the fans! They can suck dick all they want."

Fans of Star Wars were fucked in the ass, figuratively, of course.

Minecraft fans suffered badly because of the bad adaptation.(Author's Note: My bad, this chapter was written before the Minecraft movie was released and I'm now changing my opinion.)

DC fans had a stroke, figuratively, of course.

The Last Airbender fans had a lobotomy because the adaptation was shit, figuratively, of course.

These were just some examples of how Hollywood never gave a fuck about the opinions of the fanbase. Perhaps this was also one of the reasons why people lost interest in Hollywood in the 2020s.

Bob Iger smirked to himself. Walt Disney actually loved fucking around with the fans, to the point that the fans wanted to slam their heads against the wall.

Why? Because these fans could never affect the decisions of Hollywood, no matter how much they protested. After all, fans were just a mindless source of profit from their perspective. No matter how ugly the movies they produced, fans would still watch them.

Sonic trilogy was a miracle because the production team listened to the fans.

Hollywood had a long history of disregarding fan expectations, yet the industry still thrived. People might complain, but they still bought tickets. This was the ugly truth.

However, everyone knew that times were changing. The internet was getting influential. The presence of television and newspapers was getting weaker. Hollywood needed to adjust... But from the looks of it, Hollywood would never give a fuck.

"No matter what the fanbase of Star Wars and Indiana Jones say, they can't prevent the acquisition. They just need to sit still and eat the shit we are going to feed them."

Lucasfilm was a priority, but Disney needed more. They needed something to break through the market.

They couldn't rely on animation forever. If they wanted to dominate Hollywood, they needed a game-changer.

"Sigh… I've been sighing a lot lately."

Bob Iger was stressed. There were a lot of factors why he was stressed, such as work-related stuff and seeing a rival company having a successful movie.

He looked at the newspaper on his table and sighed.

As of November 7:

The Equalizer 2 grossed $492 million worldwide.

Wanted 3 grossed $702 million worldwide.

These two movies were produced by Grey Pictures and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Based on their box office numbers, Grey Pictures and 20th Century Fox were going to make money.

But this was not the main reason why Bob Iger was sighing.

He turned the next page and found an article about The Dark Knight.

The Dark Knight officially grossed $1 billion as of November 7! Obviously, Warner Brothers would outrank them again this year.

Bob Iger pinched the bridge of his nose. He wanted to sigh, but that would only make him more depressed.

Warner Brothers had done it again. The Matrix, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and now The Dark Knight!

The Dark Knight wasn't just a success, it was a phenomenon all over the world.

Audiences and critics were praising it as one of the greatest films ever made.

Meanwhile, Walt Disney was still struggling to break into the live-action movie market.

"This is not fair. The Dark Knight is too strong."

He knew what this meant. Warner Brothers would defeat them.

They would control the superhero market in Hollywood. And worst of all, they had a foothold in the superhero genre, something Walt Disney desperately lacked.

"We need our own billion-dollar franchise," Bob said to himself.

The question was, could they even get one?

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 555

It was understandable why Bob Iger was in distress. He knew that every studio was progressing, and so was Walt Disney. However, he was afraid that their progression would be slower compared to their rivals.

Particularly, he was afraid that their dominance over the animation market would weaken. Even though it was still a company secret and 20th Century Fox/Blue Sky Studio did its best to protect the information, the news about Blue Sky Studio's new project spread.

They hadn't heard the title nor gotten a glimpse of the script. But they heard that Kazir was the scriptwriter and Christopher Nolan was the director!

That was a powerful combo! Of course Bob Iger was afraid.

Kazir was famous for his profitable scripts, while Christopher Nolan's last movie grossed over $1 billion at the box office.

If this project turned out to be a massive success, it could shake Disney's hold over the animation market. That was painful to acknowledge. Walt Disney has been the dominant force in the animation industry since its creation. After all, Walt Disney started as an animation studio.

Pixar was still dominant, but competition was heating up. DreamWorks was growing steadily, and if Blue Sky Studio delivered a billion-dollar animated film, it could change the landscape entirely.

Bob Iger needed more information. He clicked his tongue. He grabbed his telephone and contacted his assistant.

"Talk to our contacts at 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studio. I want to hear more about their current animation project," he instructed his assistant.

They had to find out what Blue Sky Studio was planning. If they couldn't stop it, they had to counter it with something even bigger or sabotage it. Perhaps they could corrupt the data on their computers or something? Maybe snatch their key employees?

For the first time in years, Walt Disney's animation empire felt threatened.

Bob Iger tapped his fingers against the table. He was deep in thought.

Sabotage was risky. If they got caught, it could turn into a disaster. They didn't want to risk their reputation, and they could face a lawsuit. Walt Disney was a rich company, so they could probably pay the damages, but still.

On top of that, Disney had built a reputation as a family-friendly company, and corporate espionage didn't exactly align with that image... Most of the time, they sabotaged projects discreetly. But it would probably be hard to interfere with Blue Sky Studio's management and production.

Anyway, business was business.

If Blue Sky Studio's project was truly groundbreaking, Walt Disney needed a counterattack. There were ways to fight Blue Sky Studio. Perhaps they could release their blockbuster movies at the same time as Blue Sky Studio. In that way, they could prevent Blue Sky Studio from making money.

However, that method would also prevent them from making money as they couldn't maximize their profits. The best they could do was release a B-tier movie against Blue Sky Studio, but that would be useless then.

"Perhaps I'll contact the other studios. Maybe they are interested in suppressing Blue Sky Studio... What am I even saying..."

They were talking about an animated film, so not every studio would be interested in fighting Blue Sky Studio. Besides, the Big Five would probably be happy if Walt Disney lost against Blue Sky Studio. This means they would have fewer enemies to face.

"Ah, what a life..."

Bob Iger sighed again. He realized that he couldn't rely on the other studios. If anything, they would be happy to see Walt Disney struggle.

The only real option was to strengthen their own projects to keep up with the competition. Perhaps this was the best choice and also the right thing to do.

After all, this was just business, not war. Only crazy people would hire a gunman to assassinate their rival... Ahem, Kazir Grey suffered badly.

Pixar was already working on Up, which had potential, but they were not sure if the movie was strong enough to defeat Blue Sky Studio's project. In fact, they were not sure if Blue Sky Studio's movie would be released in the next year or two.

"Maybe it's time to greenlight the fairy tale revival," he murmured.

He was talking about the live-action version of their fairy tale movies.

Disney had been hesitant about live-action movies with musicals. Most of their live-action movies had no musical segments, but fairy tales were a different thing.

Fortunately, Enchanted, which was released last year, was a success. Enchanted was a live-action original fairy tale movie that Walt Disney produced. Of course, it had musical segments. With a budget of $85 million, the movie grossed $340 million and it was a success.

Fairy tale movies with musicals were still relevant.

Furthermore, with The Princess and the Frog in development, perhaps they could reignite interest in the genre.

Suddenly, Bob recalled something. He called his assistant again to ask about the matter regarding Grey Pictures' upcoming TV show.

"Contact our spies in Grey Pictures and ask them for more information about Modern Family. If possible, I want a copy of their scripts. I want to know if Grey Pictures is interested in working with ABC."

ABC (American Broadcasting Company) was the TV network that Walt Disney owned.

"Yes, sir," the assistant said on the telephone.

Having corporate spies in their rival companies was nothing new. In fact, Bob Iger also knew that the Big Five had also planted spies in Walt Disney.

"I'm probably not the only one who's thinking about it. I'm sure the other studios also planted spies in Grey Pictures."

Grey Pictures was growing stronger, and Kazir Grey proved to be one of the most influential figures in Hollywood. That could be a threat or a blessing depending on perspectives.

If Modern Family turned out to be a massive hit, it could give Grey Pictures even more leverage in the television industry. And if that show was broadcast by ABC, then it would be amazing.

ABC and every TV network needed amazing shows, and if ABC had a chance to collaborate with Grey Pictures, they would be happy. It could also prevent a rival network from benefiting.

Disney had to act.

His assistant returned the call a moment later.

"We'll have an update soon," the assistant said.

Bob nodded. Whatever Grey Pictures was cooking, Walt Disney wanted a taste of it.

++++

[I'll probably make a poll about the TV networks later.]

[Edit: You know the rules and so do I. The poll ended.]