HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter
And meme culture introduced

P.S Accreditation to Abi12345 ( iconic line in entirety Taken franchise)

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 119

[Author's note: The summary of Taken might be long because there are scenes I have to add to make it related to the Continental Cinematic Universe. Again, I don't like writing summaries because I don't think it's fun. I also have to skip some scenes because I feel they are not relevant. I recommend watching the movie instead].

[Shout out to enriv125, Manuel A, and Keith R!]

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

[There was a long pause, but someone responded to his statement.]

["Good luck."]

[It was clearly a touch of sarcasm. The person had a thick accent. It was a good thing that Bryan recorded the whole conversation.]

The audience had a bad expression as they watched the kidnapping. The subject of kidnapping was too heavy these days, as if it was the most sinful crime of all.

[Bryan understood that his daughter's life was in danger. He had to start moving.]

[First, he went to his ex-wife's house and informed her that Kim was missing. Lenore began to cry when she heard what had happened to Kim.]

[Bryan contacted his friend who could help them get more information about the kidnapping. With the help of his friend, they determined that the sex traffickers were Albanian. Based on their information, they had 96 hours to rescue Kim or she would be gone forever.]

Just like Lenore, the audience's reaction was the same. They were heartbroken. They couldn't imagine how hard it was to be in her situation.

[With determination, Bryan went to Paris and entered the place where Kim and Amanda were staying before they were kidnapped. He saw the aftermath of the crime and his face turned grim. Luckily, he got his first clue when Peter's reflection was in the picture Kim took.]

[If his intuition was right, Peter was part of a criminal organization and his role was to lure innocent foreign women].

[As Bryan expected, he was right. He found the bastard. Despite kidnapping a pair of underage women yesterday, Peter had the guts to wait in the airport to find another target.]

"Get him!" Someone in the theater shouted, and everyone agreed. The audience started cheering when Bryan smashed Peter's face into the car and punched him in the stomach while asking for Kim's location.

Unlike the original, Kazir emphasized the bleeding on Peter's face. To show that Bryan Mills had enough strength to smash someone and make them bleed.

[Unfortunately, Peter tried to escape. He ran away and was hit by a car. As a result, Bryan lost his lead in finding his daughter.]

[Distraught and with no choice, Bryan decided to contact a certain person].

This scene was not in the original movie. This scene was the introduction of a person from the underground society.

[Bryan Mills had had some interactions with these people through his work. He knew that behind the peaceful world there were shadows, a group of people who specialized in assassination and crimes. Criminals who could destroy a country if they wanted to.]

[Bryan Mills knew about the High Table].

"Cool..."

A teenage boy was fascinated. He thought Asians were cheeky nerds who knew the most about math. But the person Bryan Mills met was different.

[A person wearing nothing but a dark leather jacket, quiet, but with a unique vibe around him. He was there, but not there at all].

["Raizo", Bryan Mills found the person he was looking for.]

["That's not my name."]

["I need your help." Bryan Mills tossed a certain coin and Raizo caught it. This coin had a fixed value.]

["Bryan, you're not of this world. You are already retired. You should live your life to the fullest."]

["My daughter is missing. She was kidnapped by sex traffickers."]

[Raizo looked at the coin in his hand. A few seconds later, he put the coin in his pocket. "There's a sex den at a construction site to the north, maybe you can find a lead there."]

["Thanks." Hearing the term "sex den" was disturbing, but Bryan had to keep his composure. He left the place after getting what he wanted.]

[In the darkness, Raizo remained seated but his aura merged with the darkness as if he disappeared].

"Cool. Dad, I want to know how he did that!"

The teenage boys in the audience liked edgy dark characters. The fathers just chuckled and continued watching the movie.

[Raizo was not lying. There was a sex den hidden in the middle of the construction site.]

[Bryan Mills infiltrated the place. He went looking for her daughter. But the only thing he found was her jacket from a drugged woman (Eva Green). Bryan rescued the woman after a night of shootouts and car chases.]

Car chases were not something new in the cinema, but it was still something that men love to watch. Cars rushing fast, flying, or exploding in midair. There is art in explosion and car chase.

[The woman was weak, but she successfully revealed the location where Kim and Amanda were being held. At last, Bryan found a clue to where his daughter might be].

[Acting as local police, Bryan entered the house and found the people responsible for Kim's disappearance. They were rough and dangerous, but Bryan was unfazed. He tricked each one of them to say the word "good luck". The voice and thick accent was something that Bryan would never forget.]

[He approached the bastard.]

[Bryan turned serious. "You don't remember me? We spoke on the phone two days ago. I told you I would find you." He smashed the bastard's head against the table in fury.]

[Another action sequence ensued with Bryan winning. The criminals were badly beaten and killed. Bryan was fast and accurate. He defeated them easily. Even though he was outnumbered, Bryan Mills was the last man standing.]

The men watching were in awe. Even Tom Cruise was interested in the action sequences in the movie. It was different from the over-the-top style. Suddenly, Tom Cruise looked at Kazir Grey, who was watching the movie in silence.

[After the fight, Bryan checked every room and found many drugged women. He also saw Amanda, but the woman was overdosed and lifeless. Amanda was Kim's young friend and her life ended miserably.]

[Perhaps fortunate or unfortunately, Bryan couldn't find his daughter].

[He didn't find his daughter, so he tortured the "Good Luck" man by electrocuting him. The man died after giving up Kim's location.]

[Apparently, Kim was sold to the sex slave auction where rich people buy virgin women].

[Through the relentless fight, where he fought and killed so many people, Bryan finally found Kim.]

[But it was not so simple. Bryan Mills was caught by the guards and nearly strangled to death. He fought the guards and killed the auctioneer.]

[The final battle took place on a yacht where Bryan Mills fought the bodyguards of a rich Arab. He broke through the enemies and killed them one by one. No one could stop him. Until he reached the room where the old Arab held Kim Mills hostage. The Arab tried to negotiate for his life, he threatened Bryan that the High Table would be after his life. But in the end, all he got was bullets.]

[The movie ended with Bryan rescuing his daughter. He brought her back to America.]

 

[Anthony]

INT. YACHT ROOM - NIGHT
The scene is tense, set in a room on a yacht after a fierce battle to rescue his daughter. BRIAN MILLS, a determined and desperate father, comes face-to-face with her kidnapper, an imposing ARAB MAN. The Arab man holds Brian's daughter hostage with a knife to her neck.
ARAB MAN
(With a cold glare)
Do you know what you've done? Do you know who I represent? I can see it in your eyes; you do not hear me.
The Arab man continues to speak, never releasing his grip on Bryan's daughter.
ARAB MAN (CONT'D)
(Threatening)
You are stepping into a world with no exits but the one I'm offering now. Take your daughter and walk away. Kill me, and the High Table will take everything you care for.
Brian, torn and conflicted, frowns deeply.
ARAB MAN (CONT'D)
(Sinister)
Do you have a wife? Kill me, she dies. A sister? Brother? Dead. Your daughter... DEAD. And all of this would have…
(The Arab man is cut off with a loud CRACK of a fired gun)
Without hesitation, Brian shoots the Arab man dead as his daughter rushes to him, their reunion marked by a mixture of relief and sorrow.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 120


The audience started clapping as soon as the credits rolled. They stood up, thinking the movie was over.

However, they didn't expect that after the first minute of the credits, a post-credits scene would appear.

The post-credits scene was not a new thing, some movies have had post-credits scenes since the 1980s. However, this method became famous in the 2000s to hype the sequels of movies. Marvel Studios used this method to hype the audience for their next movies.

'My favorite post-credit scene is not from the MCU. It's actually from Fast And The Furious 6. The scene where Jason Statham crashed into Han Lue's car and killed him. For me, it's a relevant scene because it connects Fast And The Furious 3 to the plot. I was so excited because Jason Statham was going to be the villain.'

Fast And The Furious 3 didn't have a strong connection to the franchise, and Kazir felt it was pointless. But that post-credits scene made it a little more important... A little bit.

Anyway, the audience went back to their seats when they realized there was a post-credits scene.

[The scene was about an Arab man sitting on a golden chair, representing his status. He received a phone call that his brother had died. He hung up the phone and was silent for a second before he said. "The High Table will never forget."]

It was only a few seconds after the credits, but the audience became interested in this "High Table" that the Arabic man said.

Then they started clapping again. The movie was fun and it quenched their thirst. All of North America was angry at sex/human traffickers right now, so watching Taken soothed their anger.

Since Kazir and the cast had a premiere night, their theater was a little special. The cast, director, and producer came on stage and bowed their heads. They had an hour of interviews after the show.

The reporters naturally asked Liam Neeson and Kazir Grey. The two were the most famous people in the project and they have a reasonable number of fans.

"Mr. Neeson, can we know the reason why you chose the role of Bryan Mills?"

Paramount made sure there would be no hurtful questions, so most of the reporters were from Paramount and Viacom.

"When I read the script, I was interested because I can relate with Bryan Mills. I'm also a father and I will do my best to protect my children. The movie has the motive of spreading awareness about kidnapping and I want to be a part of such a noble act".

Even the women's organizations promoted the film, which was good free publicity.

Kazir Grey was not left out, the reporters started asking him about his reason for writing the script and making the movie. Kazir answered their questions without any problem.

Although there was one reporter who asked him something unexpected.

"Director, your ex-wife was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Do you have an opinion on this?"

"No comment."

Kazir replied. Fortunately, the reporters inundated him with questions, and the particular reporter didn't have a chance to cause trouble again. He was immediately escorted to the exit.

Overall, the premiere night of the movie had a positive reaction. Kazir knew their movie was hot right now because of the sex trafficking incident.

'I won't lie, this news helps us a lot.'

The premiere ended and the cast left the theater. After the premiere, people could start watching the movie again with no problem. The screening of Taken would continue.

Paramount fought Sony-Columbia over the number of theaters. They talked to the Cinema Alliance to make sure that the number of theaters would not be reduced.

Air Force One had 2,919 theaters on opening day. As for Taken, it got 3,603 theaters because of the current situation.

The Cinema Alliance had a limited number of theaters. The United States has only 7,000 theaters in 1997.

Note that North America includes Canada, the United States, Bermuda, Mexico, the countries of Central America, the Caribbean Islands and Greenland. Although Cinema Alliance's main source of revenue came from the United States and Canada.

Taken had the upper hand in terms of theaters, which meant it could earn more than Air Force One. This fact alone made Sony-Columbia angry and squirm.

Feeling confident about his movie, Kazir decided to go to his apartment and get some sleep. He planned to surprise himself tomorrow.

July 25, 1997. Two big movies were released at the same time. Paramount distributed Taken, which was produced by Grey Pictures. The movie grossed $17.80 million on its first day.

As for Air Force One, because it was overtaken by Taken, the movie made $11.98 million. It was not a bad result. In that era, such a result was already a good start.

July 26, 1997. Taken's second day was stronger. It grossed $26.53 million.

On the same day, Air Force One grossed $14 million.

July 27, 1997. Sunday. Taken dropped slightly to $18.24 million. So far, the film has grossed $62.57 million in its first weekend. Paramount and Grey Pictures believe that the movie will definitely be one of the top 10 movies of the year. Just like everyone else expected, Taken became the box office champ of the week.

As for Air Force One, it earned another $11.14 million. The first weekend for Air Force One was $37.13 million. Sony-Columbia was happy because the box office was within their expectations. The only thing they are struggling with is the next step of promotion.

Should they increase the advertising budget or decrease it? In the end, they decided to promote the movie with a slightly increased budget.

Since Taken and Air Force One were released on the same day, people could not help but compare the two.

In the end, everyone believed that Taken beat Air Force One. Both movies were action genres and their protagonists were two veterans, but this time Liam Neeson got the upper hand.

[Author's note: For those who are interested in reading advanced chapters and want to support me, I have 112 advanced chapters on my Patreon. Honestly, that amount of chapters is quite a lot, but I want my supporters to feel like they are not being scammed, so they deserve 112 chapters. Guys, you help me pay the bills and feed my family by subscribing. I want to thank all my supporters and my soon to be supporters. You're helping me pay for my younger brother's college tuition.]


https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

 

[Cardo076]

Nice update.

 

[Moran]

Headcanon:
Some of the High Table wanted to make an example of the Mills while others were impressed with Bryan they wanted to recruit him. They put on a vote and recruitment won by majority.
They send the Baba Yaga to give him an ultimatum: pay your debt to the Table with servitude for life and your family will be left untouched. Or die and his wife and daughter will "serve" in your place.

 

[GymratJomar]

Pre? Saan ka dito sa Pilipinas? haha Paano mo napalaki audience mo with patreon? I wanna subscribe to your patreon too.

Taga metro ka rin ba?

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Pre? Saan ka dito sa Pilipinas? haha Paano mo napalaki audience mo with patreon? I wanna subscribe to your patreon too.

Taga metro ka rin ba?

Click to shrink...

I post my stories in ScribbleHub, RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Questionable Questing so I have a lot of readers from different sites combined. And nope, I don't live in Metro Manila, I'm from Cavite.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Jose B, Thiago S, Garland G, Carlo, Joe O, Star Emperor, Simone, Sione M, Sahal I, This Dude, Abdi, Angelo M, Clinton, Rodolfo Felix V, Daniel Best and Juan Correa S!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 121


"So what's Sony-Columbia's decision?"

Harrison Ford sat down with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He tried to calm his nerves, but it was hard to do so.

"Harrison, I need you to listen to me calmly."

"Brittany, I can't calm down when my movie is involved in this situation."

Harrison Ford was a client of UTA (United Talent Agency). His agent was Brittany Balbo.

Three agencies in Hollywood could compete with each other in rivalry. CAA, WMA and UTA. These three agencies took over most of the market.

"So what's her decision?"

Harrison asked, drinking his alcohol and trying his best to calm down.

"They didn't agree to increase the advertising budget too much, they added a little bit."

Sony-Columbia would increase the promotion budget if they thought the movie was promising. But for Air Force One, it was competing against Taken, which was currently hot.

Sony-Columbia felt there was no point in increasing the budget. So they decided to maintain the status quo. They would spend $5 million on advertising for the next week.

"..."

Harrison Ford put down the glass and rubbed his forehead. He had been expecting this outcome.

At first, he was confident that Air Force One would defeat Taken in a straight fight... But the news about sex trafficking was getting a lot of people interested!

Harrison gritted his teeth. It would be a lie to say he was not affected. He chose his movies seriously.

Harrison Ford had many blockbuster movies because of his ability to choose the best script. Air Force One had all the ingredients to be a blockbuster.

However, the result was different from what he thought.

It was August 3, 1997. Ten days had passed since the release of Air Force One. The movie grossed $80.73 million. If you compare it to other movies that were released that year, it was an amazing achievement. Harrison Ford was happy with the amount.

Unfortunately, Air Force One was released the same time as Taken. By August 3, 1997, Taken had grossed $122.15 million. It was only ten days, but Taken had already crossed the $100 million mark.

Paramount would receive 25% of the box office while Cinema Alliance would receive 40%. Grey Pictures would receive only 35% of the gross.

Paramount has already guaranteed $30.53 million in the cake. While Cinema Alliance would receive more than $48.86 million. Grey Pictures assured $42.75 million.

However, Taken's box office was steadily rising. These three divisions would get more as time went on.

Paramount, Cinema Alliance and Grey Pictures were all happy.

Especially Kazir Grey. As a director, the best he could get was 20% of the North American box office. Well, he never had the experience of having that kind of treatment. Kazir Grey got 10% of the North American box office for The Hangover, that was the highest contract he got so far.

Even though Kazir Grey owned Grey Pictures, it was a legitimate company and he couldn't bully it. So his salary was $5 million and 10% worldwide box office... Not North America, but worldwide.

Which means that 10% of the box office would go into his private bank account, 10% worldwide box office.

The production budget of Taken was 25 million dollars. More than that would be pure profit... After taxes.

"Damn." That was all Harrison could say.

"Harrison, you need to think seriously about this. You and Kazir are both Jewish, you have a good chance of working together. I heard that Grey Pictures is going to start another project, maybe you can contact Kazir and get the script."

Harrison Ford sighed and leaned against the chair, closing his eyes to think about the situation.

"You're right, Brittany. It's not like I lost. The performance of Air Force One already exceeded my expectations. Brittany, try to get in touch with Grey Pictures. I want to read their script."

"I understand."

The two ended their conversation. Even though Harrison was still bitter, he knew that having bad blood against a talented director was not good for him. He became famous in the first place because of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Star Wars and Indiana Jones were movies that would never be forgotten, even three decades later.

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

Sometimes no one would expect the outcome of a movie. Everyone believed that Air Force One would be the winner, but three days before the release, their opinions changed.

Grey Pictures was getting bombarded with calls. More people were trying to contact them. But Kazir wanted to keep all the scripts in his library. He didn't want to share them or sell them if the price wasn't right.

'To make matters worse, Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox are interested in my action scripts like John Wick and Fast And The Furious.'

He realized that Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox felt that his Cinematic Universe could be successful, so they wanted to buy the action scripts, either for good or bad reasons.

Of course, Kazir didn't want to sell any scripts related to the Continental Cinematic Universe. He was just getting started.

As for the other scripts, such as comedy and thriller/suspense, Sony-Columbia began contacting Grey Pictures to acquire Final Destination.

'No one had written the script, so I decided to put it in my name... First come, first served.'

Kazir Grey stretched his arms after polishing the script of his next project. Even though Taken had just been released and he was going places to promote the movie, Kazir still took his chance to polish his script.

The title of his next project was... John Wick. The reason he chose this movie was because of its low budget. John Wick had a production budget of 20 to 30 million dollars. Grey Pictures was still not ready to spend money on big movies.

"Director Grey, that's your cue."

The assistant director told him the interview was about to begin.

"Okay." Kazir Grey closed his laptop after saving his script.

"Break a leg."

"..."

Even though it was a standard greeting, "Break a leg" was a little... not used to it.

 

[QuickSilverD]

Keanu Reeves is ironically too young to play John Wick, I wonder who will Gray choose to play the character

 

[Moran]

Keanu Reeves is ironically too young to play John Wick, I wonder who will Gray choose to play the character

Click to shrink...

Probably someone plain, unassuming and seemingly harmless. John Wick does kinda look a nobody before he put on the suit.

Headcanon:
Some of the High Table wanted to make an example of the Mills while others were impressed with Bryan they wanted to recruit him. They put on a vote and recruitment won by majority.
They send the Baba Yaga to give him an ultimatum: pay your debt to the Table with servitude for life and your family will be left untouched. Or die and his wife and daughter will "serve" in your place.

Click to shrink...

Mid/Post-credits scene idea:
Six months after Taken. Bryan returns home just in time for dinner. He enters the dining room to find Lenore and Kim on the table with their meal prepared, frozen with fear. He then find a mysterious man in a pristine custom-made suit calmly sitting on the other side of the table. Before Bryan reach for his gun, the man calmly points to his family and Bryan notice red dots. The man silently bade Bryan to sit. The man finally introduce himself as Mr. Wick and what he represents. Wick explains that he's been sent by the HT to offer Bryan a choice (Quote above), of which Wick point out is very generous by HT standards. Mr. Wick hints the power the HT possess over world governments, shows him a photo Raizo dead and subtly implores Bryan to accept if he wants keep his family safe and spared from more brutal retaliation. He left a card with an address should Bryan choose to accept and give him three days to say goodbye. Mr. Wick leaves while Bryan stares at the card in shock and growing despair. Lenore and Kim could only hug Bryan crying before he returns the hug crying too.

Scene ends.

off-screen/in-universe lore:
A wooden box is presented to the Arab man's brother. He open it and finds Bryan's ring finger with a wedding band. The man smiles vindictively, before closing the box.

 

[Moran]

Kazir could use his influence to cast Harrison Ford with the role Thaddeus Ross in Incredible Hulk 2008 and the MCU. He is given the role for Captains America 4 to replace the deceased William Hurt.

 

[zephyrbarnes]

The thing is john wick is partly such a success because of keanus efforts in training and support.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Usernames]

Keanu Reeves is ironically too young to play John Wick, I wonder who will Gray choose to play the character

Click to shrink...

Keanu reeves would likely start in a prequel to John wick.

Maybe that fateful event where he do that last job?

Or even before that. When he was doing some important job but he needed to get into a blood debt with that Russian mob dude.

Honestly you can make two prequels of John wick before you make the main movie an decade later.

Liam Neeson already takes the role of the older man. An young John wick story or two can make it work.

 

[a guy1013]

Keanu reeves would likely start in a prequel to John wick.

Maybe that fateful event where he do that last job?

Or even before that. When he was doing some important job but he needed to get into a blood debt with that Russian mob dude.

Honestly you can make two prequels of John wick before you make the main movie an decade later.

Liam Neeson already takes the role of the older man. An young John wick story or two can make it work.

Click to shrink...

too high risk , since it would be a completely new scrip instead of something the mc can base on

 

[MasterOfDragonsGod]

Maybe you could make a index of all the movies he's made so people don't forget.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Q, Suleyman M, Ashwinraj, Slawomir, and Lohan Seibert R!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 122


Paramount was serious about Taken, even though they were only the local distributor of the film. The fact that they planned every detail of the promotion was a good thing for Grey Pictures.

The cast went to different states just to promote the movie. With Liam Neeson's charisma, audiences were more excited to see Taken.

In fact, the booming Internet started talking about Taken, and Liam Neeson was the center of their conversation. As a result, Liam Neeson received many scripts. Although the roles were basically the same, a father. Hollywood felt that Liam Neeson was good at playing a father.

Well, as long as the salary was good, Liam Neeson didn't have a problem. Grey Pictures promised that the sequel would start in two years, which was 1999. Liam Neeson had enough time for two or three roles.

Just like him, Brianna Evans, who didn't have any foundation in Hollywood, got a role. It was a supporting role, but the movie was interesting. Even Salvatore Barlowe thought the movie would be good after reading the script.

The project was called The Truman Show. Although Brianna Evans has to go to the 3rd round of auditions. She had to compete to get the part. Still, it was a miracle that she was invited to do a big budget ($60 million) movie with Jim Carrey. Everyone knows that the 90's was Jim Carrey's era.

"I got the part! I got the part!"

"Huh... Reese, let's keep our voices down. It's 3 in the morning."

Kazir grumbled sleepily. He was tired after some exercise...

But Reese Witherspoon giggled and lay down next to him. She hugged Kazir from behind and snuggled against him. Her body sore, but the good news she received made her active.

"I got the part of Mary Jensen in There's Something About Mary."

Reese Witherspoon prepared for this role because it was a lead role. Reese had never had a role where she was the protagonist.

"Good job..." Kazir murmured, still closing his eyes.

"Yes, you are the one who recommended me to audition for this role. Kazir, thank you very much!"

"Hm... Let's sleep."

"Hehe." She giggled and kissed him on the cheek, like a young high school girl.

Kazir smiled.

"Now that I think about it, isn't Cameron Diaz their first choice?"

"That's right. The director was going to cast Cameron Diaz. But due to some circumstances, they decided to choose me."

"..."

Kazir had an idea about the possible reasons why the crew chose Reese Witherspoon instead.

'Among the best possible reasons, it's probably the salary. The two sides could not come to an agreement. If my deduction is correct, Cameron Diaz's side wanted more money. Well, that's the obvious thing to do. Cameron Diaz is a first-rate actress. She is not a superstar, but she is getting there.'

As a director himself, Kazir could see the intention of the production crew. More specifically, the producer was the one responsible for casting the actors/actresses.

Because of his interference, Reese Witherspoon became famous much earlier than in the past. Now Reese Witherspoon could be classified as a semi 1st class actress.

Napoleon Dynamite, The Hangover, Scream. These three movies were successful and she was part of the cast of these three movies. Reese Witherspoon's fame was recognized by Hollywood.

And now she was the protagonist of There's Something About Mary.

'One thing is clear. I made a huge change. No, I made a huge change from the moment I regressed. This is not the original timeline, not anymore.'

"Reese, what's your salary?"

"My salary for There's Something About Mary is $1.3 million. Although they will pay the other half when the filming is finished."

'As expected, it's all about the salary.' He thought.

"I'm happy for you, Reese."

"Let's celebrate tomorrow. I will treat you, Mr. Director."

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

"This is getting out of hand. Are you sure this is the result?"

Michael Eisner asked his secretary to verify the statistics. He felt it was too much.

It had been three months since Napoleon Dynamite II had been released. The movie had already crossed the $100 million mark. As of now, the movie has grossed $145 million here in North America.

Not only that, but Napoleon Dynamite II was released internationally a short time ago and the response was not bad. Even though the American humor was not relatable, Napoleon Dynamite II managed to earn $89 million for the whole month.

Combined, the movie has already grossed over $200 million. The movie could be one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of the year. Especially since the movie is still going strong.

"Sir... The information on Napoleon Dynamite II is real. We checked it again."

The secretary swallowed hard.

"Then what about Taken, are you saying that amount is real too?"

"Sir..."

The month of September 1997. Every month, Michael Eisner asked his secretary to send him the results of every movie that was released.

He was interested in Kazir Grey, so he decided to ask for the results of Napoleon Dynamite II and Taken.

He could not believe what he saw, especially Taken.

On September 12, 1997.

The box office for Taken was $221.63 million... No joke. That was the North American box office.

Taken opened internationally next week. Grey Pictures also gave the international distribution to Paramount. Maybe Grey Pictures feels indebted, so they agree.

"I'm sorry, sir..." The secretary bowed her head.

"No, it's not your fault..."

Chairman Eisner sighed and leaned back in his chair. He had made a big mistake this time.

 

[TheShadowDeamon]

Really enjoying this story so far, is it too late for the MC to put forward the script for Apollo 13? It was released in September 95 so I don't know when filming would've started. Looking forward to seeing what he does next.

 

[TheShadowDeamon]

Could also get more interactions With Mel Gibson in "What women want" (1998). Or "Armageddon" (2000)

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Aj, Haggeo Gomez, and Matias Alberto Penroz C!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 123


While Taken grossed over $200 million in September, Air Force One was also trying its best.

As of September 12, 1997, Air Force One had grossed $161.21 million. It was a good result, even Sony-Columbia congratulated Harrison Ford for the movie. Numbers doesn't lie, Harrison Ford is indeed a superstar.

Even though the movie was defeated by Taken at the box office, Sony-Columbia didn't lose money. Instead, they made a profit. Also, Taken was an anomaly. A movie that trended on the issue of sex trafficking was nothing more than a fluke. It would never happen again.

"Sir Harrison, can we get your thoughts on Taken?"

Even though Harrison Ford was happily playing golf on a course he usually goes to, there were still some assholes who wanted to invade his privacy. Perhaps he had to find another golf course since this place's security was whack.

Two paparazzi ran up to him after he finished playing golf. To make matters worse, the paparazzi asked him about Taken. A topic he didn't want to talk about.

Paparazzi are a different species. They don't give a damn about privacy. They are stalkers, trespassers and borderline criminals.

Harrison's eyebrows twitched slightly. Then he looked at the guards who were running towards them.

"S-Sir, I apologize! These bastards broke through the fence." The guards were sweating and glaring at the paparazzi.

"No, it's fine."

Harrison sighed. Then he started practicing his swings. To be honest, he wanted to swing his golf club in the faces of the paparazzi. They had no respect for people.

Fortunately, Harrison Ford understood that it would be bad if he tried to do that. He controlled his anger and faced them.

"If you're talking about Taken, I can say it's an interesting movie. I tell people to watch it. In fact, I watched it with my kids to remind them that the world is not so simple. There are bastards who will try to disturb your peace."

That last line was directed at the paparazzi, but they didn't get it.

Paramount and Grey Pictures made a marketing plan. They ended up pushing the kidnapping theme. To make sure that young people were aware of this crime. Many fathers and daughters liked the movie and recommended the whole family to see Taken. Paramount never let go of the idea and incorporated it into their marketing plan. If you love your family, see Taken.

In fact, even Liam Neeson's team intended to get a nomination in Oscar even though it might be hard.

"I see. So even Harrison Ford liked the movie."

The two paparazzi nodded.

"If you're finished, you can go now."

"Thank you, Mr. Ford."

Harrison Ford waved nonchalantly. He didn't like paparazzi.

The guards apologized to Harrison Ford and kicked the paparazzi out after they were done with the upfront interview (harassment).

Once the paparazzi were gone, Harrison Ford grabbed his golf club and swung it with pure force. He was clearly angry.

'Kazir Grey... If his next project is interesting, maybe I can take a look at it.'

But to be honest, he didn't like Kazir Grey. Well, they never met, so their impressions might change.

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

As September slowly passed, Kazir and the cast of Taken went to various countries to promote the film.

Kazir loved making movies. Directing films and editing movies were his favorite things to do.

The least he liked about being a director was being in front of a lot of people and being the center of attention. He prefered a peaceful life.

To be honest, Kazir Grey never liked interviews. He didn't like going to dozens of countries to promote his films. He didn't like parties either.

He preferred to write his script or draw storyboards.

But he knew the importance of promotion, so he never refused the job.

"Kazir, I want to thank you for the opportunity you gave me."

On Paramount's private plane, Liam Neeson approached him and expressed his gratitude.

"To be honest, I was skeptical at first when I read the script. I felt like it didn't have a chance to be a box office hit. I was more skeptical when you want to sign a trilogy and cameos. If not for the relationship between our agents, I might back out. But I did it. My presence in Hollywood is not that good, I'm not a superstar like Nicholas Cage or Tom Cruise."

Kazir listened to Liam. He felt that their relationship would be better after this conversation.

"I'm actually scared when I heard that Taken is coming out on the same day as Air Force One. Harrison Ford is more famous than I am."

"Liam, from now on you don't have to be afraid. I will make sure that you will never be forgotten by the whole world. Everyone will know your name."

Liam stared at Kazir and realized that the director was not joking.

"Haha, I guess that's why I signed the contract. Your dream of creating this Cinematic Universe, I want to be a part of it. By the way, can you give me the script for the sequel? I need to read it to be prepared.

"I'll give it to you next month. It's not the final script, so don't expect much. And don't give it to anyone else, I'll make sure you sign a non-disclosure agreement."

"Don't worry, you can trust me."

"Of course, it's your movie we're talking about. We don't want any mishaps."

"Congratulations, Director Grey."

"Congratulations also, superstar Liam Neeson."

The two began to laugh. The dark circles under their eyes were noticeable, but they didn't feel tired.

Especially when their movie was making money all over the world! Their estimate was over $500 million! The worldwide box office of Taken was definitely over $500 million!

 

[Cardo076]

Nice update.

 

[Fellwinter]

So what movies are next on the list?

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Joe O, Mandy G, MOHIT S, and KumaBEAR!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 124


The management of Warner Bros began their quarterly meeting. To the left sat the influential shareholders, while to the right sat the executives and key positions in the company.

At the end of the table sat Terry Semel, listening to the discussion.

"Our projects for next year have already passed the review. We already have thorough details for them, except for two movies..."

The management was listening to the speaker, who was producer Enrico Pusi. He was promoted to be the head of production management, in charge of making movies.

"And what are the two films we are talking about?"

Some of the management already had an idea, but the shareholders were clueless, so Enrico Pusi had to explain.

"It's The Hangover Part 2 and TED. These two projects are promising, but we are facing some problems..."

Enrico Pusi looked at Terry Semel. The CEO nodded and gave him the signal to speak.

"Go on."

"... We can't find a director. The cast of The Hangover has already expressed their intention to join the sequel. However, director Kazir Grey said he didn't want to direct the sequel and let management choose the next director. As for TED, no one is confident that they can make the movie. It needs computer graphics and it could cost a lot of money."

Enrico Pusi sighed weakly. This problem had been bothering him since last year.

In fact, he had contacted Kazir Grey and Salvatore Barlowe so many times. Finally, the last hurdle was Kazir Grey.

The director was done with directing comedies. He wanted to focus on his own projects, which were the films related to his so-called "Cinematic Universe".

It would be a lie to say that Enrico was not disappointed. He enticed Kazir Grey with many proposals, even going as far as a 20+20 contract, but Kazir was as firm as a cemented rock. Enrico could not move him.

"..."

The Management went silent when they heard about the problem with The Hangover Part 2.

Frankly, they were not confident about TED because the budget for this movie might exceed $50 million. They might push it to two to three years if they couldn't find a director.

But The Hangover Part 2 was different. That movie was their best movie last year (1996). This was the highest grossing R-Rated movie of all time, unless another movie occupied the position. They have to make sure it does not flop.

Usually, sequels do better than the first movie. But some sequels failed at the box office.

The sequel of The Mask(1994) which was called The Son Of The Mask(2004) was a commercial failure. Well, Jim Carrey was not in the cast, so that might have been the reason why the sequel flopped.

Predator(1987) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was a box office hit but its sequel Predator 2(1990) didn't get the same treatment. Well, Arnold Schwarzenegger was not in the cast, so that might have been the reason why the sequel flopped.

The management of Warner Bros understood how this industry works.

Kazir Grey was a talented director and he was the brain of the project. His accomplishments and skills give them confidence, even the crew members and the cast like him.

And now that he was no longer part of the project, it could cause them irreparable harm. Warner Bros was not prepared for that.

"What about Hugo Lameire? He is the one who takes over Napoleon Dynamite II and the movie is a success. Why don't you contact him?"

One of the directors expressed his opinion, and most of them agreed. Napoleon Dynamite was still making money. It grossed over $200 million worldwide on a budget of only $15 million.

"I actually did that and director Hugo Lameire agreed. Unfortunately, he signed a three-movie deal with 20th Century Fox and they are already preparing Napoleon Dynamite III. His schedule is packed."

Kazir Grey and 20th Century Fox decided that Napoleon Dynamite would be a trilogy. Anything more would be too much and bad.

"I see..."

They were all sad about it. 20th Century Fox tried their best to make sure that Warner Bros did not get Hugo Lameire.

They were all rivals and they could fight each other every year. Even if they had a tacit understanding, they would make sure that no one was above them. Simple as that.

Even Terry Semel could not help but sigh. He prayed that Taken would fail so that they could get Kazir on their side. Unfortunately for them, Taken had the opposite effect.

On the continent of North America alone, the film had already grossed over $200 million. Paramount only signed a 25% deal, but they were already winning. A profit is a profit, no matter how big or small.

"Let's look for a replacement... Contact Kazir too, maybe he knows someone who can take the director's position. As for TED, we haven't started the project yet, so we can postpone it. We will start TED once we have a clear plan."

"Yes sir!"

Terry Semel said, and the meeting ended a few minutes later. In the end, their real problem was The Hangover Part 2. This was an important project and they had to take it seriously.

Terry Semel didn't feel good about Kazir Grey leaving the project. He felt that Kazir Grey was the best option.

'If I had agreed with his decision to invest 30% of Taken's budget, this situation might not have happened.'

At least there was a chance that Kazir would listen to their opinion about making him the director of The Hangover Part 2.

'What if...'

They could not bring back the past, so they had to be responsible for their present situation.

'Now that I remember, Kazir is going to start this movie called John Wick. Maybe I can convince him to sign an international distribution deal with Warner Bros.'

As of now, Paramount was responsible for the local distribution of Grey Pictures' two upcoming films, but international distribution was still a question.

 

[MasterOfDragonsGod]

You really should make a list of all the movies he's made and helped make.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter