HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Hamza I!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 125


Celebration. People tend to celebrate when something good happens.

And well, generating a $200 million North American box office is definitely a good thing.

Grey Pictures officially created their own party and invited people in the industry. This was their first time throwing a party. They just hired an event planner and let her do most of the work, the company was just responsible for paying her.

Grey Pictures was a new studio and they had only done two projects, The Hangover and Taken. However, these two movies could make a combined $1 billion.

The Hangover has grossed over $500 million worldwide. As for Taken, the current status of the movie was $387 million.

It was already October 20, 1997, and the internal promotion of Taken was over. Kazir and most of the cast returned to the United States after a tiring month of endless travel. They had literally flown around the world.

At the North American box office, Taken was already losing steam, and the number of theaters showing the film dropped to 426. Still, the movie was making a few million every week. The current box office total for Taken is $265.63 million.

As for the international box office, the movie made $121.37 million. The good thing was that some countries just recently started to show Taken and the final box office would continue to increase.

Paramount believes that Taken will gross over $500 million.

Unfortunately, each country had different laws regarding foreign films. In some countries, Hollywood could only get 15% of the box office and the local theater companies would get the rest.

So the profit was quite complicated in that regard. Still, the bigger the box office, the higher they can get. So Paramount would still work to promote their movies.

"Congratulations Kazir! You are a superstar now!"

"David, nice to meet you."

Even though Grey Pictures was a new studio, many famous people attended the party. They didn't care about the company, they just wanted to make a connection with Kazir Grey.

Kazir was a promising director. And so far, his movies and scripts were making huge profits. Being friends with him was a good thing.

"Congratulations on The Game too. It's a great movie."

"Kazir, let's not joke around here. The influence of The Game is nothing compared to Taken."

David Fincher smiled. He did his best and believed that the movie would be great, but it was a shame that the result was not good.

The Game was distributed by PolyGram Films, a second-tier studio company. Maybe that's why the movie didn't have a strong reception. The Big Six were the Big Six because of their ability to promote their movies through various media.

The movie was released on September 12 and it was a cold schedule. September was not the best month to release movies. One of the reasons why The Game didn't do well.

So far, the movie has grossed more than $44 million as of October 20. It was not bad... However, the production of The Game cost $80 million. One month had passed and they had not even recovered their investment.

"I heard you have a new script, can I read it?"

"That's actually my problem right now. I'm trying to pitch this script to the Big Six, but none of them are interested."

"I'll try to contact my friends at the 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers." Kazir Grey's influence was growing.

"Thank you, Kazir. My next movie is a little different, I've decided to call it Fight Club, but it's still an experimental name."

"Of course. Do you want me to invest in your movie?"

"That depends."

Kazir grinned. He remembered that the box office of Fight Club was not that great. However, it's videotape/DVD sales were different.

'Maybe we can get a share of the videotape profits.'

It would have to be negotiated, and he knew the Big Six would be tough on that kind of thing.

"Let's enjoy the party."

"Okay."

The two clinked wine glasses.

The face of the party was none other than Kazir Grey. He was the owner of Grey Pictures and the director of Taken. He had to greet a lot of people to make sure they felt welcome. That was his duty as the main star of the party.

He said hello to the people from Warner Bros who kept pestering him about The Hangover Part 2.

He talked to the people from 20th Century Fox who asked him about the script for Napoleon Dynamite III.

Even Sony-Columbia and Walt Disney came to the party to ask about his next project.

All in all, his job was very tiring. Especially when there were so many beautiful women staring at him. He felt like a weak prey in the wilderness, surrounded by wolves.

"Hello, Kazir."

"Oh, hello, Cameron."

"You can call me Cam."

Kazir was slightly shocked when a woman blocked his way to the bathroom. Moreover, the woman was someone he recognized. It was none other than Cameron Diaz. Cameron Diaz of the 90s was the bomb.

Kazir looked helplessly at the woman's figure. She was sexy and beautiful. As a man, Kazir Grey could not help but admire her beauty.

Yet he kept his composure. He was no fool, the woman definitely had a reason for talking to him.

"Can I get your number?"

"Ah? You mean my business number. Here, you can take this..."

"No, I want your private number. You know, so we can talk privately..."

She winked and leaned closer.

"...I'm sorry, Cameron, but we're not close enough to exchange private numbers. But if you are interested in working with Grey Pictures, this is the company's contact information."

Kazir pulled out a business card and handed it to her.

"Is that so? Maybe we can meet later? What do you think? I know a nice scene here in L.A."

She giggled.

Kazir swallowed hard. He was just a man, and he understood that his former(past life) status was nothing compared to a famous actress like Cameron Diaz.

Even though his lower half was screaming, Kazir kept his composure and declined her offer.

"I'm sorry Cameron, but I have a lot of things to do."

He walked away rather quickly and stiffly. Trying to hide his...

 

[Lillie Jones]

Yes 90's Tina Carlyle ( Cameron Diaz) was hot back in the day, wow even the somewhat Chad Kazir Grey was a bit stiff under the collar interactions with her, besides I think they be seeing each other again soon. Or hotshot director Kazir Grey will probably run into someone familiar at the party or a celebrity crush of his?
I wonder if Keanu Reeves variant is playing John Wick movie during casting audition for the Continental Cinematic Universe.?
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[Pujimaki]

[Congratulations to SK Telecom T1 for winning the Worlds 2023! Legends never die!]

[Shout out to Average Joe Gaming!]

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Hollywood What If Chapter 126


"Kazir Grey... He is not bad."

Cameron Diaz smiled seductively and let the man go.

The only reason she wanted to talk to Kazir was for revenge. She wanted to get the lead in There's Something About Mary. But for obvious reasons, she wanted a better salary, so her agent tried to negotiate.

Unfortunately, her side didn't expect that the production team had a second choice and the actress' performance was comparable to Cameron Diaz. In the last two years, Reese Witherspoon's standing has improved and Hollywood has recognized her.

Reese Witherspoon got the role and Cameron Diaz lost her chance to be a protagonist.

Out of anger, she decided to attend this party to seduce Kazir Grey.

The party is boring, but meeting Kazir is quite interesting. She admitted.

She just wanted to get revenge, but she decided to change her plan. Kazir Grey made a good impression. A respectable man who didn't flinch in front of a beauty.

"Perhaps we will meet later."

She smiled as she stared at Kazir's back.

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

Kazir Grey wanted to start the John Wick project as soon as possible. But he understood that his crew needed a break. At least a week's vacation.

Kazir was the type of guy who prefered working than taking a vacation. He was an abnormal person in that regard. In his opinion, working on the filming site was his vacation.

Taken and John Wick were both action movies, but John Wick was on a different level. It may have been the epitome of dirty hand-to-hand fight movie.

'The action choreography in John Wick is much more elaborate than in Taken.'

Kazir decided to give the crew a month off before officially starting the John Wick project. They deserved it after working so hard, especially Harold Witsend, the film's producer. The man was as exhausted as Kazir.

Kazir went down to check on two people who were busy experimenting.

'Of course, there are some people like me who love their work so much.'

Even though he gave his crew a month off, Enzo Park and Tae-Won Park were choreographing for John Wick.

Especially Tae-Won Park. After he learned that the choreography he created was going to be an important part of the movie, he felt he had to work hard. He learned different types of martial arts just to show deadly yet cool action sequences.

The two brothers worked together to polish the choreography.

Actually, his friends from Hong Kong asked for a favor to help them find a job in Hollywood. Tae-Won wanted to invite them to Grey Pictures, but he learned that the movie industry in Hong Kong tried to block the small stunt directors.

The success of Taken made Hollywood hire stunt directors from Hong Kong and they tried to raise their price. They regret that they let Tae-Won Park go to Hollywood so easily. They should have maintained their rarity and negotiated a better deal.

Anyway, both Park brothers were enthusiastic about their work. They studied the best way to show cool action sequences in front of the camera. They recorded different "fights" and watched them afterwards.

Kazir was impressed by their hard work. He helped them every other day and watched their progress.

Kazir was the director, but he did not do all the work. It was best to hire a professional stunt director.

'I just show them some examples and they make better ones.'

Liam Neeson had no reason to visit Grey Pictures this year because Taken 2 would be released in 1999, two years later.

"Phew, this is very fun."

Tae-Won Park was eager to teach people action stunts.

"Kazir, I know it's too much, but when will we meet the protagonist of John Wick?"

"About that. Maybe you will meet him at the end of the year at best."

The month of November was a vacation month to recharge his crew.

Then they would start the project in December. Their first mission was to find the lead, and Kazir had already invited a few people to audition.

"We already notified CAA, UTA and other agencies to prepare their clients for the audition. We have already given them the list of roles we are looking for. The first round of auditions will start in the first week of December."

They are even sending 2/3 of the scripts to some promising actors.

'If there's one thing that shocked me, it's the fact that Harrison Ford expressed interest in the movie... I just don't know if we can afford his salary. We are talking about Han Solo/Indiana Jones.'

"That is good to hear. I'm looking forward to teaching him the deadly method of the best assassin.

Tae-Won Park smiled sincerely. His job here in America was better than in Hong Kong. At least people respect him here.

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

The North American release of Taken has ended. Cinema Alliance has already given the remaining money to Paramount.

The North American box office for Taken was $268.42 million. Cinema Alliance took 40%, or $107.36 million.

Paramount then subtracted the advertising budget and films they invested ($23 million) and the 25% box office fee. The total was $90.1 million.

The rest went to Grey Pictures. The money that went to Grey Pictures was $70.96 million. In addition, Kazir Grey, the director, would get a 10% share of the box office.

Kazir Grey got $26.84 million and it was transferred to his bank account.

In the end, Grey Pictures only got $44.12 million. They basically made $19.12 million. That was pretty much their profit in North America...

It clearly showed that the Cinema Alliance and the distributors were the only winners.

However, the international box office was still running at $224.25 million. Grey Pictures had another way to make money.

There were the videotapes as well... Grey Pictures would get most of the profits for this one.

Grey Pictures would produce the videotapes and Paramount would distribute them. Paramount would get 20% of the profit while Grey Pictures would get the 80%. The profit on the videotape was much better than the box office because a blank videotape was cheap.

A blank videotape cost one dollar, but a movie videotape could be sold for 30 dollars.

 

[Lillie Jones]

A brief perspective from prime Cameron Diaz, which Kazir Grey luckily dodging another bullet there, since Cameron had ulterior motives for him at the party ( competition females are no joke and Kazir is definitely made an impromptu impression on seductress Cameron Diaz.
Is Kazir Grey going to direct her in titular Mask movie film by Grey Pictures or Kazir Grey making Prime Cameron in a cameo appearance in his Continental Cinematic Universe?
While Both stunt park brothers work in John Wick movie franchise and surprisingly Harrison Ford is auditions for a role in the Assassin thriller epic.
Including waiting for either Keanu Reeves variant or someone else entirely ( which is not going to happen?)
As Grey Pictures get a cut on the video sales from Taken movie film.
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Emerlee S and Айнур К!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 127


Now that the screening of Taken was over, Grey Pictures and Paramount signed a distribution deal. Paramount would receive a 20% profit fee after distributing their videotapes to the market. The contract was for five years.

Grey Pictures produced 3 million copies of videotapes at a cost of about $2.7 million. Producing videotapes was cheap, but the profit was big.

Besides, Taken had two videotapes. The normal one and the luxury version.

The normal videotape cost 30 dollars while the luxury version cost 60 dollars. The luxury version came with three Continental Coins. People still oblivious about these coins except for the time when retired agent Bryan Mills threw them to the ninja. A year later, however, these coins would become a sold-out item.

Aside from the coins, the deluxe version had the extended version of the movie, a longer viewing time than the theatrical release. Kazir Grey added 15 minutes of footage to the deluxe version.

The content of the extended version was the snippets about the Continental Cinematic Universe, such as the conversation with the ninja. In the extended version, Bryan Mills even fought a killer who could bend the trajectory of bullets.

2 million copies of normal videotapes and 1 million copies of luxury videotapes. They never intended to produce many luxury versions for the scarcity effect.

The videotapes of Taken would be in Walmart, Blockbuster and other movie stores at the start of December. Paramount and Grey Pictures hoped that Taken would sell at least 1 million copies in its first month.

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

As the days of November passed, Kazir Grey visited the investment firm that handled his investment.

As usual, the stockbrokers tried to sell him investments and insurance, but Kazir felt that their choices were dubious, so he stuck to his usual ones.

'If I remember correctly, I also visited this place in November last year.'

Kazir chose only three companies to invest in. Nokia, Cisco and Microsoft.

Last year, his investment in Nokia grew to $2.4 million. He also invested another $3.3 million in Nokia last year.

Unlike last year, Nokia's stock price increased only 21.78%.

So this year his investment in Nokia increased to $6.9 million.

"Nice," Kazir muttered as he looked at the specific number.

As for Cisco, his $2.7 million plus $3.3 million went up 31.4%.

That made his stake in Cisco $7.8 million. It was not bad to see his investment increase by another million dollars. It was actually a good thing.

As for the last one, he had $3 million in Microsoft, plus he invested $3.3 million last year. As always, Microsoft was one of the best investments of the '90s.

With a 56.44% increase in value, his money in Microsoft was now $9.8 million. There was a reason why millionaires and billionaires would never lose money, because they had many ways to make it. They would never reach a point where they would be poor and homeless.

With the three investments combined, Kazir had $24.5 million. His money grew even though he did nothing.

Seeing that his money was growing again, he decided to invest another $30 million and split it three ways. The investment firm he chose was very trustworthy and he was confident about his money.

He also planned to withdraw all the money around the last quarter of 1999. He knew that the Internet bubble would burst around 1999 and 2000.

He planned to buy a house at that time.

'I didn't need a house because I'm a workaholic type, but it's not bad to buy a few houses.'

After his visit to the investment firm, Kazir Grey returned to his office as usual. While most of the employees were working, Kazir Grey was doing his job as a director. Writing the script and drawing the storyboard.

He was pretty lonely these days, but he was used to it anyway.

Reese Witherspoon joined the crew of There's Something About Mary, and it might take three or four months to finish shooting.

Even Salvatore Barlowe was busy helping Brianna Evans in her role in The Truman Show.

"As long as everybody is happy."

Kazir shrugged and sat down. He began to draw sketches with his pen. He drew a man in a suit, with shoulder-length black hair and a short beard.

The man, the Baba Yaga, John Wick, Mr. Jonathan Wick.

As long as the actor passed the appearance requirements, he would have a chance to show his acting talent. Then Kazir would meet him for the final round of auditions.

To be honest, he had a few actors in mind, but he was not sure if they would agree to his requirements.

"We need a protagonist as soon as possible to give him more time to train. Because John Wick is different from Taken. It's action-packed, I'm not even lying."

The gunfights and hand-to-hand combat filled almost the entire movie. There was never a dull moment, it was all adrenaline.

"Not only the protagonist, I also have to train the other actors. Because most people in the John Wick universe are assassins and killers. Hell, even a beggar is an assassin."

With that in mind, he began writing his requirements for the other cast members. They would have to sign a training contract to make sure they would not make any mistakes during the shooting.

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

Another week passed and December arrived. The crew began to return one by one.

On their agenda was the first round of auditions for the role of John Wick.

 

[Cardo076]

Nice update.

Just a note that if I remember right the movie John Wick was originally going to be named "Scorn" or something like that. I think that Keanu kept calling the movie John Wick so they changed it to that because it was essentially free advertising that saved them millions.

 

[Crimson Grave]

Nice update.

Just a note that if I remember right the movie John Wick was originally going to be named "Scorn" or something like that. I think that Keanu kept calling the movie John Wick so they changed it to that because it was essentially free advertising that saved them millions.

Click to shrink...

Good thing they did. Scorn is such a bland name compared to John Wick. ESPECIALLY after Mikael Nyqvist's introduction. The scene literally MADE the movie what it is today, and BRANDED the name John Wick into the Fame that it has.
No other name would have been acceptable after this scene.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to The Main Man, Lovpreet S and Marcelo M!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 128


The first round of auditions had officially begun. The long line of men was almost 700 and more. These 700 men were actors who wanted to prove themselves.

Most of them were freelancers who didn't have agents. And most of them were semi-amateurs who worked in small production crews. Some of them had experience in acting, in the theater or on the screen.

One thing was for sure, most of them went to the audition hoping to get cast.

Taken was a successful blockbuster. The film has already crossed the $500 million mark. Kazir Grey became a billion-dollar director, as his three films together grossed more than $1 billion.

Even though the odds were against them, these actors didn't lose hope. It would be more depressing if they didn't try.

So, one by one, the men wrote down their information and handed over photocopies of their documents and 2×2 ID pictures.

The casting director and other members of the production crew took a few minutes to look at each actor. Their requirements were simple, as long as they met the basic John Wick look, they would call them.

Unfortunately for these 700 men, they had no information about the role, especially John Wick. They had no idea who he was, his age, his looks, his affiliations.

But one thing was clear, John Wick was the protagonist because, well, the title of the movie was John Wick, obviously.

Only selected actors had any idea who John Wick was. They were privileged enough to read that part of the script.

"Sir, can you please take off your shirt? You know the drill."

The casting director maintained his stoic expression as he looked at the man. Trying to hide his interest.

They just gave each actor a few minutes to show off.

"Yes."

The man, Viggo Mortensen, casually removed his shirt. He knew this was standard procedure. Auditions for action movies require this kind of request.

Viggo Mortensen had been in Hollywood since the 1980s. He appeared in movies like Carlito's Way, Daylight and G.I. Jane. His most notable role was in Lord of the Rings as Aragorn. Although this role would be around the 2000s and his future was still unknown.

Although Viggo Mortensen has been cast in several movies, he unfortunately didn't receive an invitation for John Wick. He didn't read the script, he was completely clueless. He just understood that this movie could be his way to stardom.

Viggo Mortensen thought he and Liam Neeson were on the same level, but Taken just gave Liam Neeson the push he needed. Now the man was a certified 1st tier actor.

The casting director and other people nodded their heads. They started to write something on their papers and wrote down his name.

'He didn't have abs, but his body has a good figure. He can take a few months to train his body to get the right fit.'

At the current, Viggo Mortensen had long hair and a short beard. His age was 41 years old, which was within their requirements. Furthermore, his facial features also met the requirements.

Viggo Mortensen passed the first round of the audition. He put on his shirt again and thanked the production team. He left the room.

When he was a few meters away from the Grey Pictures, he turned and looked at the building. Actually, he also auditioned for the role of Bryan Mills. Unfortunately, Viggo Mortensen didn't get the part. He didn't even pass the first round of auditions.

When he saw the movie, he regretted that he didn't work hard enough. Especially when Taken was the highest grossing movie of the year as of now... No one knew that Titanic, which was to be released on December 19, would be this year's winner.

Only Kazir Grey knew that his movie could only get second place this year because Titanic would drown the world. Although many people congratulated him, Kazir just smiled.

Technically, Titanic was a 1997 movie because it was released on December 19, 1997.

"Maybe this time the role of John Wick will be mine."

Viggo Mortensen said to himself. He had been depressed lately because Taken had taken a toll on him.

So he didn't cut his hair and forgot to trim his beard. So now he had long hair and a beard. He was actually scared about it because it might affect his audition.

He didn't know that his exact appearance was the reason why he passed.

The first round of auditions ended around 10 p.m. More men came to participate in the audition. As for the people who didn't make it to the audition room, it was unfortunate, but they should have gone to the audition earlier.

Tomorrow, the crew's job was to set up audition for other casts. The demand for the protagonist was stronger, so they have different schedules for it.

While Viggo Mortensen was watching a TV show, his phone rang. He didn't recognize the number, but he answered it anyway.

-- Hello? Is this Viggo Mortensen?

"Ah, yes, this is Viggo Mortensen."

He got up and left the apartment to get better reception.

-- We want to tell you that you have passed the audition. We recommend that you start training your body from now on in case you get the role. Keep your hair long, around shoulder length, and maintain your beard.

"Y- Yes, thank you very much."

Even though he went to many auditions, he was still happy that he passed . At least he felt that his hard work was worth it.

The call ended quickly. The crew had more actors to contact. They would filter the actors until the worthy ones were left.

[Viggo Mortensen picture]

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[So I'm going to announce something that might cause you to drop this novel. But I have to say it anyway. I want my novel to be as realistic as possible... So Keanu Reeves will not be John Wick].

I have reasons why:

1.) Keanu Reeves looks too young to play an old veteran assassin.

2.) He is busy with The Matrix.

3.) His salary will probably be over $5 million. Something that Grey Pictures can hardly afford. The expected production cost of John Wick is only $25 million.

4.) The chances of Keanu Reeves signing a trilogy and cameo deals are very slim.

5.) As if Keanu Reeves will accept the role of John Wick so easily. He has a lot of scripts to choose from. Note that Keanu is at his peak in the 90s.

There you have it. You can spam this novel with 1 star, I respect your decision.

 

[ArsMagna1337]

snip

Click to shrink...

Ah yes... Aragorn the Dog Avenger.

 

[WillowFriend]

Nah, no worries since the movies happened earlier so different casting will happen. Either way, someone could remake the movies in the far future and have Keanu cast in there as Wick.

 

[Cardo076]

Any ideas on how the universe is going to help promote John Wick when it comes out? A human trafficking ring was exposed and that helped Taken. What could happen that would make people want to see John Wick?

 

[Crimson Grave]

Believe it or not, while Keanu definitely made the role of John Wick memorable, his role CAN be played by other actors without too much difficulty.
After all, most of John's 'acting', especially in the first part, wasn't all that memorable. It was just pure Grade A Action Adrenaline from John. There wasn't a big 'range' for his acting in the end, which makes sense when the role for Chapter 1 was basically 'Angry Depressed Ex-Assassin'.
No. The IMPORTANT role amusingly enough for the first film, and I laugh at the irony of your chosen John because of this, was the character of Viggo Tarasov. (Again, I laugh that Viggo Mortensen's greatest threat in the first movie is against Viggo Tarasov. XD)
Seriously, I stated it earlier above, but Mikael is the REASON that John Wick is John Wick. That introduction scene remains one of the most bone chilling and impressive scenes I have EVER watched. PERIOD.
The problem? Mikael is actually YOUNGER than Viggo, so he wouldn't be able to play the role here. So I am looking forward to whom you will have fill that role.

 

[zephyrbarnes]

I think you are spot on not choosing keanu reaves, John Wicks character is older and also the role will probably require more devotion than the younger keanu would be willing to devote.

 

[Knived]

Huh i wonder if making john wick 1 so early will make eleanor more famous than in gone in 60 seconds

 

[Pujimaki]

Believe it or not, while Keanu definitely made the role of John Wick memorable, his role CAN be played by other actors without too much difficulty.
After all, most of John's 'acting', especially in the first part, wasn't all that memorable. It was just pure Grade A Action Adrenaline from John. There wasn't a big 'range' for his acting in the end, which makes sense when the role for Chapter 1 was basically 'Angry Depressed Ex-Assassin'.
No. The IMPORTANT role amusingly enough for the first film, and I laugh at the irony of your chosen John because of this, was the character of Viggo Tarasov. (Again, I laugh that Viggo Mortensen's greatest threat in the first movie is against Viggo Tarasov. XD)
Seriously, I stated it earlier above, but Mikael is the REASON that John Wick is John Wick. That introduction scene remains one of the most bone chilling and impressive scenes I have EVER watched. PERIOD.
The problem? Mikael is actually YOUNGER than Viggo, so he wouldn't be able to play the role here. So I am looking forward to whom you will have fill that role.

Click to shrink...

Um... I... *Whimper*

 

[zephyrbarnes]

Any ideas on how the universe is going to help promote John Wick when it comes out? A human trafficking ring was exposed and that helped Taken. What could happen that would make people want to see John Wick?

Click to shrink...

Dog fighting crackdown, something related to the abandonment of puppies in texas probably.

 

[doug89]

Especially when Taken was the highest grossing movie of the year as of now... No one knew that Titanic, which was to be released on December 19, would be this year's winner.

Only Kazir Grey knew that his movie could only get second place this year because Titanic would drown the world. Although many people congratulated him, Kazir just smiled.

Technically, Titanic was a 1997 movie because it was released on December 19, 1997.

Click to shrink...

Sounds like an opportunity to lay down some bets. A million on Titanic for highest grossing of 1997, a million on Titanic being the highest grossing of all time to date, and a million for Titanic passing a billion. The odds are sure to be fantastic, he might personally make more from those three bets than he has from his three movies so far.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to pvtdonut351, ghost 21, Sero4k, Malik K, Sandro k, and alejandro h!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 129


"Sometimes I wonder if you're even human. How can you stay in your office for a week without leaving?"

Renner Hector and Harold Witsend were both in Kazir's office. The office looked clean. But the sketches covered most of the table said everything that could be said. Kazir didn't have time to arrange his things.

"I'm fine. I don't need a vacation."

"The reason we want a vacation is because we need rest. But vacation can also help you. Still, I can't believe you decided to lock yourself in this room and spend your month working! Kazir, have pity on yourself!"

Harold rubbed his throbbing forehead. He knew Kazir Grey was a workaholic bastard. In fact, that was one of the reasons he and Cassandra had divorced.

"You can't start a family if you stay like this."

"I just got divorced. I don't intend to get married. We'll see when I get there."

"But still, you need rest for peace."

"Harold, I understand that you are concerned about me. But I'm fine. Doing what I love brings me peace."

Some of the crew members were married and needed time for their families. Going to a foreign country to make a movie was a tough thing to do.

Fortunately, the three men in the office were single. Although Harold was interested in a woman and they were going out for dinner that weekend.

"Kazir, I know you're not the type to spend money recklessly just to get the perfect shot. I hope you will shoot John Wick here in the country."

"I understand, I have already thought about it. That's why I need the crew to find the locations here in California. Especially the building that will be the Continental Hotel."

Unlike Taken, which was set in France, John Wick was set in the United States.

For real reasons, the production crew flew to France to shoot Taken.

And for the same reason, they would be shooting John Wick in the United States.

Paramount had already given them a studio to rent to shoot some indoor scenes. They also found some houses. The only thing they had trouble with was the Continental Hotel.

That hotel was iconic in the John Wick universe. It was a place where assassins could drop their guns and talk like human beings.

There's no killing at the Continental Hotel. John Wick suffers for this reason throughout Chapter 2 and the next sequels.

"It's my job, so I'll take care of it."

Usually the person in charge of this kind of job was the director and the cinematographer. These two positions were usually obsessed with the beauty of a picture/scene. So they would never choose a mediocre location unless they didn't have the budget.

If there were important locations that they had to focus on, it would be John Wick's house, the Continental Hotel, and the road they would use for the car chase scene.

The crew had already contacted the city of Los Angeles. Los Angeles was the place of Hollywood and this city had many film projects every year.

"Let's not talk about my vacation. Instead, let's solve our problem regarding the investment".

"Our investment is still between 30 and 40 million dollars. It all depends on the cast we are going to hire."

The main reason for the increase in production costs in these years was the salary of the actors. Agents realized the importance of first-rate actors and used them to make money. Now, agencies were the companies that protected and prioritized the concerns of actors/actresses.

Back then, in the early years of Hollywood, studio companies used actors as if they were disposable.

Acting in the rain. Giving actors pneumonia.

Forcing underage actors to kiss. No work limits for underage actors.

Using dangerous chemicals as props.

The laws regarding actors were incomplete at the time. Studio companies never respected them.

Even if agencies were like leeches, it was true that they would protect their clients... the opposite could also happen.

For franchises and trilogies, it was important to hire the same actors. Because of this, the said actors would ask for more salary.

Grey Pictures decided that they had to sign the actors to a trilogy or more contracts so that they wouldn't have problems later.

For that reason, Grey Pictures was not sure that they could cast a famous actor. It was a miracle that Liam Neeson agreed to their terms.

"We are talking about this topic because of the information we have received. Apparently, Harrison Ford is interested in the project. Obviously, he is asking for a whopping $10 million and 10% of the worldwide box office. Another obvious thing, he is not going to sign a trilogy deal."

The three men both shake their heads. They have the same answer, no.

Harrison Ford is a great actor, but it's impossible to hire him. He makes more than the director. Kazir only has a $5 million salary for this movie.

If they signed Harrison Ford for a single movie, their plan to create the Continental Cinematic Universe would disappear.

Kazir didn't want a situation like Edward Norton and The Incredible Hulk.

"I can agree to his terms if he signs a trilogy and cameos. But Harrison Ford definitely did not like that kind of thing."

Even though they invited the actor for the audition, Kazir never had any intention of casting the man. He made his decision from a business standpoint.

"So let's decide after we've hired all the cast. For now, our minimum investment is $30 million."


[Author's note: So yeah, real life stuff keeps bugging me and there are times when I can't update... It's definitely not because I'm lazy].

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 130


The production crew has already cast the major characters in John Wick.

For Winston (the owner of the Continental Hotel), Kazir decided to go with the original actor. Ian Mcshane signed on for sequels and cameos. He was trying to break through because his work in the 90's was all TV shows.

Iosef Tarasov was the asshole who caused all the John Wick movies. He was the son of Viggo Tarasov. He was responsible for killing John Wick's dog. Because of that, John Wick returned to the underworld and ended his retirement. Kazir could not find the original actor, so he decided to choose someone from the auditions.

Of course, Viggo Tarasov was played by Michael Nyqvist. He was the original actor and he willingly signed a contract. He had just started in Hollywood that year. He was a policeman in a TV show. Compared to his role in the TV show, being a mafia boss was better.

Kazir also didn't forget about Willem Dafoe. Willem Dafoe was a theater stage actor at this time. Even though Marcus (Willem Dafoe) died in the first movie, his role was quite important. In fact, Kazir was not sure if he would kill Marcus this time. The man was a real homie for saving John Wick. In addition, Kazir wanted to make Marcus a member of the Fraternity. The Fraternity was a group of assassins who had high concentration and could bend trajectory of bullets.

Then another important character. Kirill. This certain bodyguard was, in Kazir's opinion, the toughest opponent John Wick ever faced in the entire John Wick universe. Well, Kirill defeated John Wick once, throwing him off the second floor of the bar. Also, their last fight was a dogfight. It was dog eat dog.

For Kirill, the crew could not find the original actor, so they went with another actor. They chose Bryan Cranston.

To be honest, their first choice was Sean Bean, but Kazir pushed Bryan Cranston. He was interested in seeing Mister White and John Wick fight.

That's right, Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones) and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) auditioned for the role of John Wick. Kazir saw their names and invited them to audition for Kirill's role instead.

As for the rest of the characters, they easily filled them.

The most important, of course, was John Wick himself.

Kazir was actually thinking between Gary Oldman and Viggo Mortensen. He invited Gary Oldman and even gave him a script. The actor had the privilege of auditioning in the final round of casting.

Gary Oldman is fully prepared for the role. He got long hair, a beard and a black suit. He looked like the incarnation of John Wick. The production crew almost nodded their heads and gave him the part.

But Gary Oldman didn't want to sign on for a trilogy for a starting salary of $1.4 million... He wanted more. Well, that is how business works.

Kazir Grey didn't want a long negotiation because the actors needed training as soon as possible. So Kazir looked at the other actors who had passed the last round of auditions.

Then Viggo Mortensen caught his eye. The man also passed the appearance of John Wick. To make it better, Viggo Mortensen promised to learn Russian. And his salary was only 1 million dollars.

In the end, Kazir Grey decided to let go of Gary Oldman. He chose Viggo Mortensen and signed five films and cameos. The increase in salary per film was 40%.

Just before the last week of 1997, the cast of John Wick was complete. Grey Pictures got a holiday break as Christmas and New Year's were coming up.

All work would resume the first week of January.

As for Gary Oldman... Unfortunately, he might regret his decision later.

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

"Phew... Phew..."

Now that the cast was complete, the actors began their training in early January.

The training studio was filled with equipment for them. Grey Pictures hired professional trainers.

The actors were drenched in sweat and panting. Especially Viggo Mortensen and Bryan Cranston. The two continued to practice their stunts. Even though they were practicing safely, they could not help but get a few scratches.

Unlike the usual protagonists who didn't get any wounds or bruises, John Wick was the type to get hurt by everyone.

Throughout the entirety of Chapter 2 to Chapter 4, John Wick walked with a limp due to the damage he received from the battles. Note that the entire John Wick plot only happened in weeks.

Maybe that was why the movie was successful, because John Wick was a vulnerable person who could feel pain. He could get hurt, not like Rambo and T800.

The cast has to finish the 100 days of training. Everybody signed a contract and it should be respected. If someone tried to disregard the contract, they can hire another one. It was good that most of the actors were not famous and humble. They were afraid of being replaced.

Filming would begin around April. The whole shooting would take two to three months. Thankfully, Kazir's work was much faster and more efficient than other directors.

Most directors take two years to complete a project, but Kazir could complete one film a year. And his films were all successful. With this ability, the Big Six were salivating to have him.

In fact, one of the Big Six was thinking of acquiring Grey Pictures just to have Kazir Grey. His future was promising and they would do anything for the profit. If Kazir and Grey Pictures were worth it, they were willing to pay.

++++++

[Author's Note: I would like to thank everyone who supports this novel, even though I update it imperfectly. You can visit my Patreon if you're interested in reading more than 100 chapters].

[Anyway, do you want Marcus (Willem Dafoe) to die in the first movie or should I keep him alive?]

https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

 

[fluxguy23]

Waiting to see the Hitman franchise in this

 

[Espec22]

If you are going to use the Fraternity, you should get Angelina Jolie for at least a cameo, she was just starting in those days and you could hire for a lesser salary.

 

[Knived]

Waiting to see the Hitman franchise in this

Click to shrink...

I dont think even a fanfiction of a super director can make a game in to a good movie.

 

[Pujimaki]

Waiting to see the Hitman franchise in this

Click to shrink...

Gotta get the movie adaptation copyrights for that to happen.

 

[a guy1013]

Gotta get the movie adaptation copyrights for that to happen.

Click to shrink...

oh you can start posting the actors who are in the story in a different index, similar to how you sometimes post the actos in the paragraph comments in webnovel.

 

[fluxguy23]

Gotta get the movie adaptation copyrights for that to happen.

Click to shrink...

Have you thought about him directing cut scenes in games for fun or to try it out?

Oh and he can try to get it atleast

 

[fluxguy23]

I dont think even a fanfiction of a super director can make a game in to a good movie.

Click to shrink...

Well I remember liking one of the movies. Cant remember which one that was. It wasn't all bad.

 

[Espec22]

One thingvthatbi forgot to ask, where are the awards?? I know thaat some of his films didn't win awards when they were released but they shoulf be able to do it in those years since there was no heavy competition. Morgan Freeman should have been nominated at least for an Oscar for his role in se7en.

Also, you should make an excuse about how do you create all those stories, something ghat every creator does to.promote their film is talking about their insoiration to made the scripts.