HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[VD01]

Gotta get the movie adaptation copyrights for that to happen.

Click to shrink...

At the end of 97, there is no Hitman franchise even in nature. Moreover, at that time, even the IO Interactive developer company had not yet been founded.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Chandler S, Blacktide, Professor Pedro B, Jit00, ToastyNug, Mark stone and Shivam Mittal!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 131


Kazir Grey was in high demand at the moment. Right after New Year's, Kazir was contacted by three companies at once.

John Wick was still in pre-production and this was the right time for Paramount, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros to work with Kazir Grey.

Both 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros experienced Kazir's directing skills and his films were successful.

The script of The Hangover Part 2 was already done and the screenplay was finished. If there were going to be changes, they were going to be minor changes. There was no need to audition because the cast had been in place since the first movie.

The only major issue with The Hangover Part 2 at the moment was the lack of a director. Three months before the official start of shooting, the project still has no director.

Enrico Pusi even went to Grey Pictures just to find Kazir Grey. Enrico Pusi was in charge of the project and he couldn't let it fall.

He went to Kazir's office and kneeled down to beg. He really did it.

Kazir massaged his forehead. The position of director was important and he didn't want The Hangover Part 2 to turn to dust.

"Mel Brooks."

"Hm?"

Enrico Pusi sat up and looked at Kazir.

"Why don't you hire Mel Brooks instead? I'm sure he can do a better job than I can."

"I'll try."

As a producer, Enrico Pusi knew who Mel Brooks was. In fact, Warner Bros invited Mel Brooks to take the job, but he asked for a $5 million salary.

Warner Bros was still skeptical, so they kept quiet for the moment. Mel Brooks didn't have a movie in the last few years. His last movie was Robin Hood: Men In Tights and it was released in 1993. His $5 million salary might be questionable.

But Kazir Grey knew Mel Brooks' next projects like Get Smart and Space Balls. At least the director understood humor.

'I actually want to recommend Todd Phillips, the original director of The Hangover trilogy but he's still not a director. It will be stupid to recommend a person who's not even a director yet.'

After hearing Kazir's opinion, Enrico Pusi quietly left the company after causing a scene. For the success of The Hangover Part 2, Enrico would have a face as thick as the earth's crust, shamelessness was needed.

Later, Enrico thanked Kazir Grey for his suggestion. As long as all was well, taking a knee was no problem.

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

The next person to appear was none other than Paramount's Shirley Lansing. The head of publicity management.

The woman started to ask her about the possible promotion methods for Meet The Parents. Shirley asked Kazir Grey to visit Paramount at least once.

The project began its first round of auditions that week. Although Kazir was only the screenwriter, his opinion and wisdom could not be ignored. Kazir was now the most sought-after director lately.

With three years of successful films in a row, his opinions regarding the cast were relevant.

"Jim Carrey, Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler are all interested in the project."

Shirley Lansing added as she watched the man sketch.

"I'm sure Paramount didn't have a problem with the budget for the salary."

"Actually... We are suffering from Titanic. The movie needed constant investment and our budget is very tight right now. Furthermore, the movie seems negative... We will probably lose a lot of money, but we can't back out now."

"... We'll see about that next month," Kazir muttered.

"Anyway, are you still okay with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro being the leads?"

"I'm sure. But it all depends on your decision. I'm just the screenwriter."

He only sold the script for $500,000. It was the terms they agreed to so that his three movies would be distributed at a lower fee. Frankly, Paramount took an L on this one. Perhaps they were gambling, believing that Kazir's magic was still strong.

"I'll get back to you, no, I'm going to take you out of your office and force you to attend the final round of auditions. Make sure you take a shower that day. As for the marketing plan, I want to hear your response later."

"Shirley, I'm not your employee. You should ask your team."

"I know, but I won't lose anything by consulting with you. I'll buy you donuts if I like your suggestions."

"I don't like donuts."

"Donuts then, Dunkin Donuts."

"I don't like them."

"All right, I'm going now. Remember what I said."

Shirley Lansing left the office.

"I guess that's why she's the next CEO of Paramount. She's damn stubborn. Much worse than Enrico Pusi."

He had never met anyone like Shirley Lansing. He was afraid to work with her, he felt like he would be sucked dry...

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

The first month of the year was too much for him as the three companies tried to contact him in different directions.

On top of that, Sony-Columbia and Walt Disney wanted to buy his scripts.

"Sir... Someone wants to talk to you." Erica Mendez told him on the phone. His assistant was also busy after Christmas. Even though Kazir stayed in his office for the whole month, his job was never easy.

Erica Mendez had to face so many people just to keep them from bothering him. But if she couldn't, she had no choice but to pass the baton to Kazir.

"Who is it?"

"It's Nancy Utley from Fox Searchlight."

"Napoleon Dynamite it is."

Kazir dropped his pen and prepared for another discussion.

'Seriously, they're pretty active these days. But at least they were the ones who came to see me, not the other way around. I guess people are starting to respect me.'

Scriptwriter and Executive Producer, his position for the three companies was quite cumbersome. But as long as it was related to movies and he was having fun, why not?



[Author's note: I know, I know, some of you don't like it when I write something unrelated to the movies. But I had to deal with the side arcs even in one chapter.]

 

[Cardo076]

Nice update.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Nezher92 and Alex D!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 132


"Yawn... I heard you were busy. I thought you weren't going to see me."

Aaron Grey yawned because his flight to Los Angeles had left him jet-lagged. He had a business in Los Angeles and told his brother.

When Kazir heard that his brother was in Los Angeles, he decided to meet him. He dropped his task of attending the training sessions for the cast.

The two talked in a cafe.

"Isn't it obvious that I want to see my brother?"

"Indeed. But I know you're not the type to call me to meet up just for that."

Aaron smiled. Even though they didn't see each other regularly, he knew his younger brother's mentality. He preferred to do what he loved more than anything else.

"That's why."

Kazir handed a letter to his brother. Aaron raised his eyebrows and decided to read it. The letter was already open and Kazir had probably read it.

"... Sigh."

After reading the contents, Aaron sighed deeply and covered his eyes.

"What is she up to this time? She never contacted me after she left."

"That's why I'm trying to find out."

Both brothers were confused. In fact, they were skeptical that the letter came from their mother at all. Their relationship with their mother ended after the divorce. Their mother was cold at them most of the time even when she was married to their father.

'I heard from Dad that Mom was the one who named me. I'm still curious why.'

"This is the first time I get a letter from her."

Kazir said after taking a sip of cappuccino.

"I have not heard from her for a long time. I hear she's doing well after the divorce. She got alimony from Dad."

For some reason, the judge agreed to give alimony and monthly child support to their mother, even though the two brothers stayed with their father. Perhaps there was a negotiation between their parents regarding that.

"One thing is for sure. She wants to meet you." Aaron added.

"But why me? Shouldn't she contact you instead? You have a more stable income than I do?"

"Yes, but my cash and liquid assets are nothing compared to yours, Mr. Billionaire Director."

"You know that's not true. My income is not even 1/10 of that amount."

"I'm just kidding. Anyway, she wants something from you. I feel sorry for you. You know how Mom roasts a person until she gets what she wants."

"You're going to help me, right, Aaron?"

"Brother, you're an adult. I'm sure you can handle it. Besides, I'm kind of busy."

Aaron yawned for the second time. He hadn't gotten enough sleep lately.

"By the way, congratulations. I didn't congratulate you personally. Am I going to have a niece or a nephew?"

Aaron's wife was pregnant. They married last year. Kazir attended the wedding but left the next day. Taken was still airing at the time, so Kazir was busy.

"It's still not confirmed."

Aaron smiled slightly. He felt like his outlook on life was changing.

"What do you mean?"

"My wife hopes she's carrying a daughter. We are still waiting for the gender test."

"So you're not going to have a gender reveal party?"

"Huh? I never heard of that... But now that you mention it, maybe we can do something like that."

"Let me know when. I'll buy a plane ticket."

"All right, Mr. Billionaire Director."

"Damn it, I said don't call me that."

"Hahaha."

The two brothers began to talk about life and how they had grown up to face the world.

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

"Congratulations, Director."

"Director Grey, congratulations."

"Kazir, congratulations, man."

During the pre-production of John Wick, Kazir began to hear congratulations from everyone.

Kazir kept his expression and accepted their praise. To be honest, he wasn't expecting this outcome. But he was happy with the results he got this time.

The international box office for Taken ended with a whopping $297 million.

With $268 million from North America, the worldwide gross of Taken was $565 million.

But with the complicated shares, cuts and taxes from many countries, Grey Pictures only got $65 million in the bank.

In addition, Kazir Grey had a 10% share of the box office, so the $65 million was reduced to $36 million. Still, this amount was a good thing. It was pure profit.

Another thing was the television copyrights. Grey Pictures owns all the copyrights to Taken and they were free to rent or sell it to anyone.

For the first two years, Fox TV bought the TV broadcast of Taken for $18 million. This means that only Fox TV was allowed to broadcast Taken in the United States for two years.

Note that this is only in the United States. In Australia, they sold the two-year TV broadcast of Taken for $12 million.

In other English speaking countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, Grey Pictures received a total of $25 million.

Truth be told, Grey Pictures' profit from Taken was already over $100 million. Especially once the sales of videotapes increased.

They could make money from Taken no matter how many years passed. As long as they owned most of the copyrights, they could make money.

Gone with the Wind came out in 1939. And to date, the movie has grossed more than $3.4 billion in profit after so many decades of sales, tv broadcast, even the re-release.

One of the proofs of why movie companies made money even though movies weren't very profitable in theaters.

The Shawshank Redemption was a huge flop in theaters, yet the movie continued to make money over the years.

There were no unsuccessful movies. As long as people were interested in movies, they would buy them.

"I know it's already obvious, but I think Taken is going to be the box office champion of 1997."

His assistant, Erica Mendez, told him confidently, but Kazir shook his head.

He grinned.

"I don't think so."

It was the last week of January, and news of the Titanic was slowly sinking in the media. No one expected the outcome except Kazir Grey.


[Regarding Gone With The Wind, I just googled it. I'm not 100% sure about that.]

 

[WillowFriend]

"I have not heard from her for a long time. I hear she's doing well after the divorce. She got alimony from Dad."

For some reason, the judge agreed to give alimony and monthly child support to their mother, even though the two brothers stayed with their father. Perhaps there was a negotiation between their parents regarding that.

"One thing is for sure. She wants to meet you." Aaron added.

"But why me? Shouldn't she contact you instead? You have a more stable income than I do?"

"Yes, but my cash and liquid assets are nothing compared to yours, Mr. Billionaire Director."

"You know that's not true. My income is not even 1/10 of that amount."

"I'm just kidding. Anyway, she wants something from you. I feel sorry for you. You know how Mom roasts a person until she gets what she wants."

Click to shrink...

Yeah, the best answer to this if mother of the year tries to tell you that you should support her after all the things that she "did" as a mother is a no and walk away. She will get mad but not once did she try to even contact or support you until she remembered that SI exists and they're related.

 

[spaceman89]

You know, he should fund a documentary about his life, have people research his past so his mother can't spin her version to try black mail or something similar.

 

[Lillie Jones]

No Erica Taken isn't going to be the box office champion for 1997 ,which Kazir Grey only knows in the future.
Although, Kazir Grey and Aaron Grey meeting about their errant,wayward mother wanting to somwhat hot billionaire director son Kazir Grey has a ton implications depending on the nature of the upcoming conversation between mother and son.
Anyway, Taken franchise continues to dominate the box office ranking profits and still make overseas profits for Grey Pictures.
Hollywood Reigns!
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Israel C!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 133


In the history of movies, perhaps only Titanic had a unique trend. Normally, the box-office trend of movies would go down after two or three weeks.

But Titanic had an upward trend. The movie didn't have a good reputation when it was released. The first and second week were below average performance. Even the movie critics bombarded it as a disaster. Everyone thought it would be a flop.

Paramount and 20th Century Fox invested a lot of money into the project, but they felt that the only way to make a profit was by relentlessly selling videotapes/DVDs for decades.

The extravagant filmography. The real ship built under James Cameron's orders. The sickness the cast suffered while working in the middle of the lake. The last part of the movie was about the shipwreck, so the cast had to be in the water every time they shot. Some of the cast went to the hospital.

There were many disasters and bad signs that Titanic would be the biggest flop of 1997.

Even Paramount and 20th Century Fox were not confident in the movie. So it was released in December.

Everyone expects the downfall of Titanic, just like its historical version.

But well... The opposite happened.

A month after the release of Titanic, critics began to change their minds. They said that Titanic was the best movie ever made. That it was the movie that would change Hollywood after Jurassic Park. They were not wrong.

If Jurassic Park was the first billion dollar movie in history, then Titanic was the second. However, Titanic's performance was tremendous. It was the highest grossing movie of all time before Avatar.

Note that Titanic and Avatar were created by none other than James Cameron.

Unlike Kazir Grey, James Cameron was the real deal. Honestly, he is the goat in my opinion. Better than Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick or Alfred Hitchcock if you based it on the box office of each of his movie.

The man had three movies that grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. A feat that was hard to achieve.

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

February arrived and the North American box office for Titanic was already a whopping $308 million. The film easily beat Taken's $268 million.

The people who congratulated Kazir scratched their heads in embarrassment. They didn't think that Taken's performance would be so easy to beat.

However, unlike them, the director himself was not affected.

For someone who knew the future, Kazir remained calm. He went about his work meticulously. He met with the cast, checked the props, attended their rehearsals, and searched for shooting locations.

They even hired a professional dog actor for the film. This meant that the animal rights organization would visit the crew.

Grey Pictures also contacted several companies for possible product placement.

Rolex agreed to pay $1 million to promote their new watch. They would pay another $1 million if the movie grossed more than $300 million worldwide.

Even Ducati and Coca-Cola agreed to pay $1 million each.

The investment for John Wick was confirmed to be $30 million. But it seemed that Grey Pictures only needed to invest $27 million.

The three companies didn't trust the movie. They only believe in the abilities of director Kazir Grey. Hollywood accepted the fact that Kazir Grey has what it takes to sell movies.

The three companies understood that the movie would have a positive performance and investing $1 million was not a problem.

"Are these the real numbers?"

"That's right." Erica Mendez assured her boss.

"I'm not good at math. In fact, I hate math. Still, seeing numbers like this makes me laugh."

Kazir Grey grinned as he looked at the videotape sales. Even though Paramount took a 25 percent profit cut, the money going into their bank account was still impressive.

They started selling the Taken's videotapes at the end of November last year.

Now, after almost four months, the profit that went to Grey Pictures was nothing less than $98 million. This includes both the rentals and the sales of the videotapes.

"... Tell management they will get a bonus this quarter."

"Uh, sir, are you sure about that? You just gave them a bonus last December."

Erica Mendez looked at Kazir Grey. She had an idea how much the company had spent last year.

"Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with rewarding people for their work. Besides, I know you like getting bonuses anyway."

"Of course." The assistant didn't deny it.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm your secretary or your assistant." The woman sighed.

"What's the difference anyway?"

"You're always in your office, so yes, I guess I'm both. Well, the salary is great and I get to spend more time with the kids."

Erica mumbled. She was also a bodyguard. The gun in her purse always reminded her of that.

"I'm actually glad you stay in one place all the time."

She felt like her job was getting mixed up.

"I'm sad to say it, but your expectations will be different once the filming starts. The crew will go to different places. I'm the director, so I have to travel with them, and yes, you will follow us."

Kazir chuckled. He could not help but smile when he saw the profit the company made after selling the videotapes. That business was not bad. However, he still preferred the thrill of the box office after the hard work of making a movie. He felt it was more rewarding than selling videotapes.

"It's okay. I'm prepared. I'm already happy that you're shooting in the country."

"Better stick to the plot."

John Wick was set in the imaginary dark city of New York City. Although the crew would shoot most of the movie in Los Angeles to cut costs. There was no reason to leave the country as they could not get tax incentives anyway. They were not part of 20th Century Fox, which has strong ties to Australia, or any of the Big Six.

But the decision to shoot in the country made most of the crew happy. At least they didn't have to travel far.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Aviral and Danny Y!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 134


April began and Titanic had already passed the 1 billion mark. Many people around the world were shocked, but they accepted the news easily.

After all, Titanic had touched the hearts of many people. Especially women fell in love with the movie. They fell in love with Jack's sacrifice. And, of course, they fell in love with Leonardo DiCaprio. The young heartthrob stole the hearts of many women.

This was the beginning of Leonardo's adventure of dating women under 25 officially happened. He always breaks up with his girlfriend when she's over 25. Well, three decades later, Leonardo DiCaprio would be categorized as a borderline creep...

There was even news that he was dating a 19-year-old model at the age of 48. That was a huge age difference. The model was not even alive when Titanic came out. Leonardo definitely has the P power, I won't lie.

Along with the sinking power of Titanic, the movie industry in Europe went into a protest, saying that Hollywood was nothing but an entertainment factory. Which was true.

Years went by and the production of movies matured. Distribution was in full bloom and companies were using strategies to maximize their profits, nothing wrong with that.

Perhaps the European film industry realized the danger that Hollywood posed to them. If Hollywood continued to produce high quality movies, the European film industry would die. The European film industry has a strong sense of pride because they were the first to produce a movie.

Their era was over after many countries realized that English was the universal language.

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

"Aren't you angry that your movie didn't become the champion of 1997?"

"Me? Of course not. I know my movie is nothing compared to Titanic."

"Is it humility or lack of confidence?"

"Anyway, let's stop talking about me. What about you, kid? Why are you here?"

Kazir was confused as to why this little kid, Scarlett Johansson, was at the Paramount studio. The crew was preparing the set for some interior scenes for John Wick. Filming began last week, and the cast was starting to get into the spirit of working.

"I got a part in Deep Impact. I heard that you recommended this movie to Salvatore after reading the script.

"It's actually a partial script."

"Whatever... Anyway, thanks for that."

After Scarlett said her thanks, she looked around and saw some people she recognized. She waved to them and said hello. She even saw the stunt actor who was injured in a car chase scene last year. It seemed that Grey Pictures had rehired him.

"I'm going to leave now. My mom is going to take me to Disneyland."

"Take care."

Kazir shrugged and watched the little girl act mature.

'She really has the guts to say Disneyland in a Paramount studio.'

As for the clash between Titanic and Taken, Kazir didn't bother.

"William, are you ready? This is a close-up, so it's hard to use a body double."

"I understand, director."

William Dafoe smiled. His smile was sincere, but Kazir could not help but remember a certain goblin.

This was William Dafoe's first big role after acting in the theater stage. He could not help but be nervous and excited at the same time. He did his best to understand his role so that he wouldn't disappoint the director who chose him.

That's right, William Dafoe received an invitation from Grey Pictures to audition for the role of Marcus. The sniper who saved John Wick from death.

William Dafoe was grateful for the opportunity director Kazir gave him. Within three months, he spent his time training in hand-to-hand combat and firearms. He was confident in himself. Although there were some things he was skeptical about... Technically, it was impossible for bullets to bend their trajectory.

But since William Dafoe was just a hired actor, he decided to keep those things to himself.

"Okay, let's start shooting."

The room went quiet and the cameras started rolling. Fremont Smith announced the start of the shooting.

In front of Kazir were four monitors to see different angles of the scene.

Marcus (William Dafoe) entered the house with the two bad guys. To make sure he could move easily, he unbuttoned his tuxedo and took off his watch.

Then he faced the two bad guys as if he was a tough motherfucker.

With his experience, he easily beat the two people without any problem. Breaking bones in the process.

'This is different from the original, but it's just an experiment. It depends on whether I will keep this shot in the final cut. I plan to adjust the scenes just in case.'

After he overpowered the two guys, another group of people appeared.

Marcus grinned and the real fight began. He pulled out his gun and fired bullet after bullet. Of course, the enemies also shot at him.

This scene might look cool on the screen, but filming it in real life was really boring. There was no sound, even the guns they used were fake. It was just an imaginary gunfight. Even the recoil was hard to believe. Anyway, the actors were deeply into their roles, so they were quite enthusiastic.

But for outsiders like Erica Mendez, the scene was really boring.

'There are editors who will take care of this problem and make the scene better with sounds and gunshot effects.'

In fact, it was impossible for a single editor to handle these thousands of shots and edit everything.

Rector, the editor of Taken, was only in charge of the scene transitions and combining the shots into a movie.

Imaginary gunshots echoed in the actors' heads. Deeply into their roles.

Marcus hid behind the wall, his shoulder was wounded, but nothing too serious.

Then he swung his arm and pulled the trigger at the same time. The bullet miraculously bent, killing three people.

Unfortunately, as strong as Marcus was, he was outnumbered. He was cornered.

As for the outcome, it depends on Kazir Grey's decision. Should he let Marcus live or not? That was the question.


[Note: The movie "Wanted" starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman is about an office worker who is recruited into the Fraternity. It's a group of assassins who can bend the trajectory of bullets, I'm super interested in adding Fraternity to the High Table. If you're interested, you can check out Wanted.] [Just to be clear, Wanted is rated R, so no minors allowed].

 

[Crimson Grave]

Unfortunately, as strong as Marcus was, he was outnumbered. He was cornered.

As for the outcome, it depends on Kazir Grey's decision. Should he let Marcus live or not? That was the question.

Click to shrink...

John Wick is routinely outnumbered DOZENS to ONE and comes out the winner.
I am sure Marcus can deal with a fifth of those odds. XD

 

[Lillie Jones]

True, True Marcus may be old friend John Wick but Markus taking out a fifth of the bad guys shouldn't be too hard though.
Wether or not Markus survives or like John Wick cannon events remains up to Kazir Grey in the Cinematic Hotel Universe.
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Wilder, Tolbin, Aviral, and Danny Y!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 135


"Yes, I understand. I will try to deliver your message. Director Grey is busy right now, no, no, he can't talk to you. Please give me your message. No, he is also busy tomorrow. Me? No, I'm not going to give you my home number."

Erica Mendez ended the call with a depressing sigh. She knew that her boss was becoming famous and that many people wanted to work with him. Either to buy his script or to hire him as a director.

And honestly, their terms were not bad. An assurance that his salary would be over $10 million plus 10% of the box office. They can negotiate and make a good contract.

But Erica Mendez understands the intention of her boss. Looking at the man massaging his forehead after a sleepless night, she knew that Director Grey didn't have time for anything else.

Kazir Grey didn't get much sleep last night because he was reviewing all the shots they had taken... So Erica, Hector and Fremont didn't sleep either.

Erica was responsible for serving them a ton of coffee while the three men talked about the best footage they could use.

Kazir intended to let the two of them handle some scenes on their own.

Hector knew about cameras and lighting, but he was clueless about the director's position. This project might be his first time directing people while watching the scenes unfold.

As for Fremont, the man was young. He was only 23 years old and lacked experience. Kazir could sense his sincerity and enthusiasm, so he gave him a chance to blossom.

Kazir understood how terrifying the role of a director was. The pressure was crushing and Kazir suffered from insomnia most of the time. There was a time when he felt that this would be his last movie.

If a movie was a disaster, everyone would blame the director because he was the creative mind of the project.

Kazir hoped that the two of them would have the strength to withstand that kind of pressure.

"Okay, let's rest. You can eat lunch."

Kazir announced, and the people were relieved. Kazir was a fast, consistent type of director who didn't like to do pointless shots. As if everything was already in his head and there was no point in doing useless things.

"Fremont, take your crew to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and get some background shots."

"Alright."

Fremont nodded seriously.

Unlike the original version, the Waldorf Astoria contacted Grey Pictures and offered their hotel as the Continental Hotel. The accommodations were free as long as they advertised their hotel. They also gave Kazir Grey and the crew VIP cards. Kazir's card could use the VIP room at a 50% discount while the crew could get up to 30%.

Kazir was not picky about the hotel, so there was no reason to say no. However, he stated that the hotel might appear in many sequels and related movies, so he signed an agreement with the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

In the next movie, if the Waldorf Astoria Hotel wanted to promote their hotel again, they would have to pay the crew $1 million. Of course, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel had the right to refuse. Although it could be inconvenient for sequels.

The good thing was that the Waldorf Astoria Hotel was in Los Angeles and Grey Pictures could easily contact the management. Grey Pictures believes that both parties would have a good cooperation.

For the sake of their business, cooperation was not a problem.

"Huh? What is it this time, Erica?"

Kazir saw his assistant coming towards him. He already had an idea, maybe it had to do with his scripts again. People kept pestering him about it.

"It's Warner Brothers"

"Warner Brothers? Are they talking about The Hangover Part 2 again? I thought they had a director already?"

"No sir. It's different this time... It's The Bourne Identity."

"... Tell me more about it."

Hearing something unexpected, Kazir became serious. Even though his eyelids were quite droopy, he knew that the subject was too important to ignore.

"They want to buy the copyright of the Bourne Identity movie that's in our film library."

"..."

Kazir knew that Warner Bros had a claim on Bourne Identity back in the 80s, but someone had already gotten the movie copyright. In the end, they stopped acquisition when the first Bourne Identity television movie(1988) came out. Bourne Identity(1988) flopped, so Warner Bros lost interest.

'So what is the reason they are doing this now? Is it because of the Continental Cinematic Universe?'

Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox had an idea about Kazir's huge project. Maybe Warner Bros felt it would be dangerous if his plan succeeded. So they decided to stop his plan step by step.

Movies based on novels were quite a hype in the 90s. The Shawshank Redemption, Silence of the Lambs, Forrest Gump and many more. They were all based on novels.

Warner Bros concluded that the Bourne Identity copyright in Kazir's hands was too dangerous.

'They are interested in buying the copyright, I guess they have regained their passion. Also, they want to prevent the addition of Jason Bourne to the Continental Cinematic Universe. '

Warner Bros realized that Bourne Identity would definitely be part of the Continental Cinematic Universe, considering Kazir's projects.

"We're not going to sell the copyright."

Kazir said firmly. Even if Warner Bros offered a serious amount of money, he wouldn't budge. He already had an idea where to put Jason Bourne in the CCU (Continental Cinematic Universe).

"I understand."

Erica nodded. She knew her boss would refuse the offer. It was a good thing she ended the call sooner.

'The Jason Bourne franchise has made billions of dollars, I'm not crazy enough to sell something that big.'

Even though his relationship with Warner Bros was good, he had to draw the line. Otherwise, it would be problematic later on.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Well now, look like someone finally got their head in the game, which Warner Brothers wants Bourne Identity ( Jason Bourne) trilogy back, but too little, too late for Warner Bros. I wonder about how Kazir Grey ties that particular trilogy to the CCU universe.
Guess we'll see soon enough after John Wick movie premiere blazes through Theaters after post production is over.
My best speculation guesses
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[Pujimaki]

[My symptom called procrastination is kicking in again. Anyway, shout out to Cesar M and Paul P!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 136


"Cut! That's it, we can take ten minutes."

The director announced and Harrison Ford returned to his grumpy mood.

"Sir, this is your towel."

His assistant understood and quickly handed him a hot towel. They were filming on an island and it was cold at night.

"Thanks."

Harrison muttered and took it. Then another crew member handed him a cup of coffee.

Even though Harrison Ford was shooting Six Days, Seven Nights, his mind was racing. He was thinking about John Wick, which was being filmed in another part of the world.

He was still bitter about that. Harrison Ford expressed interest in the script. He didn't have a problem with wearing a wig to have long hair. It was already impossible for him to grow shoulder length hair within 3 months. So using a wig was the best option. He also didn't have a problem taking training lessons, he was used to it since most of his movies were action movies.

Anyway, Grey Pictures gave him the script and he liked it. Although he wanted to change some things about John Wick, like the dialog...

John Wick has so little dialogue. The antagonist has so many lines compared to him.

A quiet person. That was the best way to describe John Wick. Most of his lines were "Yeah."

Harrison Ford didn't like that.

Because Harrison Ford was a superstar, he obviously had the power to bypass the first and second rounds of the audition.

When the third round was over, he was confident that he would get the part. Of course, the contract would have to be in his favor, such as salary, box office share, and sequels.

After his agent contacted Grey Pictures, the result was not what he wanted. Grey Pictures didn't try to negotiate, they immediately decided to go with Viggo Mortensen.

'Viggo what? I don't even know the guy.'

He could not believe he was losing to an unknown actor. He, a superstar, a person known almost all over the world.

Maybe it was his salary and his unwillingness to sign a trilogy, but Grey Pictures should try to negotiate! They didn't even hesitate and chose an unknown actor.

Harrison Ford was angry, although he understood why. His heart and mind were at odds.

One thing was certain. He didn't want the movie to have a good result. At least his current movie "Six Days, Seven Nights" should do better than John Wick. That was the only way he could feel better.

"After this, we will shoot another scene!"

The director announced and everyone started to prepare.

Even though Harrison Ford was a superstar, he knew that he was an actor who should take every movie seriously. Six Days, Seven Nights was not his first choice, but at least his salary was much better. He showed dedication equal to the salary he received.

He sipped his coffee and hoped that Kazir Grey would have a flop movie.

'I don't want to experience what happened in Air Force One again.'

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

"Okay, lights, camera, action!"

With Fremont off shooting the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, another person took his position holding the clapperboard.

The crew rented a bar to shoot the most action-packed part of John Wick.

This was the scene where John Wick showed up at the bar to take revenge for the death of his dog.

The bar was filled with bodyguards, but John Wick killed them all... Well, except for one person.

Filming started and Viggo Mortensen started shooting with his fake gun. They rehearsed this action sequence a long time ago.

Tae-Won Park stood in the corner and watched the actors do their jobs. He was proud to see that they were doing well. Especially Viggo, he looked like a different person.

"Cut! Adjust the lighting, it's too dark."

Out of nowhere, Kazir stopped filming after checking his monitors.

"Let's shoot the scene again in ten minutes. Viggo, your performance is great, but we need better lighting so we can capture it better."

Viggo Mortensen and the other actors nodded their heads. They were really in their zone and felt like they were doing well. They felt like they were real bodyguards working under a mob boss.

Even though there were no gunshots and the punches were fake, they felt like it was all real. It was a unique sensation, as if they were sinking into their roles.

The lighting crew were adjusting the lights. It was a bit difficult because the setting was a bar and that kind of place is usually dark.

After that, filming resumed and the actors did a good job.

'It is good that our pace is on schedule.'

After some grumbling with the Animal Organization, the filming didn't encounter any problems. Animal Organization was quite strict and the dog's working hours, on-set housing and environmental aspects had to be taken into account.

Fortunately, the dog had a better attention span than the baby in The Hangover.

Kazir understood that there would be a lot of dogs on John Wick franchise, and he needed to maintain a good relationship with the Animal Organization to avoid unnecessary hassle.

'Let's deal with that later,'

"Bryan, are you ready?"

"Director, I've been ready since yesterday."

Bryan Cranston smiled modestly. He was excited because the action sequences in this movie were unique and interesting.

He had a scene where he fought John Wick in hand-to-hand combat, and it was a dirty fight to the max. He was excited to imagine it.

His character in this movie was called Kirill. A person who works under Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), a Russian mafia boss. He was the strongest person that John Wick fought in this movie.

They started shooting the bar scene since yesterday and he could not wait to get into action.

"Don't get excited, this is acting."

 

[Cardo076]

Is there going to be a Kazir cameo in this one too?

 

[Pujimaki]

Is there going to be a Kazir cameo in this one too?

Click to shrink...

Yes, I just don't remember if I added it.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to no one!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 137


"Yes, director." Bryan Cranston replied.

Kazir shrugged and let the man feel the adrenaline. As long as everything went well and the shot was good, he didn't have a problem.

Bryan Cranston was 42 years old and still confident in his physique.

'Honestly, I'm not sure if I should kill him in this movie or not. But given John Wick's disposition, he will never leave an enemy alive.'

In their final fight, John Wick strangled Kirill with his handcuffs. John Wick made sure the guy was dead. His chances of appearing in the sequels may be close to zero.

Unless it's a movie about the past, before John Wick retired.

After Kazir announced another break and checked the footage, filming resumed.

This time John Wick (Viggo Mortensen) was wounded by a gunshot. He fought Kirill, but his wound prevented him from giving his best. He was easily subdued and kicked several times after he tried to get up.

Kirill also smashed a wine bottle against his head, breaking it. He then proceeded to stab John Wick with the broken wine bottle and threw him to the ground, by the way, they were fighting on the second floor so John Wick's impact on the ground was really painful.

Of course, that whole action sequence didn't happen all at once. It was shot piece by piece, and even the wine bottle was fake. The person falling from the second floor was a professional stuntman and there was padding for a safe landing. They spent 4 hours filming those 4 minutes of footage... Even John Wick and Kirill's fight was filmed three times just to get a better performance.

Watching it on the screen was completely different than watching it being filmed.

"Cut! Let's wrap it up this time. Tomorrow is Sunday and we don't have any work, but some of you have to stay to take care of the equipment".

Kazir announced the end of work after looking at his watch and showing that it was past 10:30 p.m.

"Yes, director!"

The crew replied and began to clean the set. They were done with the bar scene and would have to move on to their next location on Monday.

Kazir was not a heartless person who would terrorize his crew members. They deserved a break. It was good that they were filming in California because most of the crew live in the state.

The schedule was all good and there was no pressure on the crew. Maybe this production crew is the most relaxed crew they have ever worked with.

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

Kazir Grey didn't have time to go back to his apartment or the company. He decided to spend the night at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

As for reviewing the footage, he would have plenty of time for that tomorrow.

He closed his eyes and let the sleep sink in.

He woke up early, around 6 a.m., and started reviewing yesterday's footage after eating breakfast from the hotel. Reviewing the footage was mostly about checking if the shots were good and could be used.

After that, he decided to go back to the company to check some documents he has to sign.

He drove his Honda car easily through the traffic. However, his eyes caught something interesting.

The movie theater near his office was showing a brand new movie called City Of Angels. He saw on the poster that Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan were the stars of the movie. Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan were superstars back in the 90s.

Kazir Grey believed that he had seen this movie before, but his memory was a bit fuzzy.

Since he was interested in the movie, he decided to watch it before going to the office. He spent almost two hours watching the movie.

'The movie is about an angel and a surgeon who fall in love with each other...'

Kazir thought and entered the office. The receptionist greeted him and told him that someone was waiting for him.

"Huh? Someone is looking for me?"

Erica Mendez had Sunday off, so she was not working today. Perhaps that was why Kazir hadn't received any information about it.

He went to his office and found an old man waiting at the door. He was about 70 years old.

Kazir Grey had a premonition... He recognized the person because he had met him once. To be precise, he met him two years ago, after he bought the Bourne Identity film rights from Alan Shayne Production.

Robert Ludlum. The author of the Jason Bourne series.

"Mr. Ludlum. It's nice to meet you."

Kazir smiled and greeted the old man.

"Haha, nice to meet you too, Kazir."

The two shook hands. Kazir invited the old man into his office. He had a feeling that the subject they were about to discuss was related to The Bourne Identity.

"So, Mr. Ludlum, may I know the reason you're here?"

"Kazir, you can call me Robert. You don't have to be formal. As for the reason... I actually received a call from someone."

Kazir's eyes became serious.

"Is it someone from Warner Brothers?"

"Warner Brothers? No, he said he was from Walt Disney." Robert Ludlum replied.

"..."

Hearing this, Kazir Grey realized that things were getting complicated.

"About that, can you please tell me why they contacted you?"

Kazir ordered two cups of coffee, knowing that this conversation might take a while. A few minutes later someone brought them coffee.

"Walt Disney wants to buy the Jason Bourne movie copyrights."

"..."

Kazir remained silent.

"Of course, the copyrights of the Jason Bourne series such as Identity, Legacy, Supremacy and Ultimatum were already acquired by Grey Pictures."

"Hm." Kazir nodded.

"They wanted to buy it for a whopping three million dollars."

Kazir shrugged. He bought the copyrights of this series for $4.5 million.

"But that's not why I'm here. Kazir, I want you to remember the promise you made to me last time."

"Of course I will keep that promise."

Kazir Grey successfully bought the copyrights for one reason - he promised that Robert Ludlum would see Jason Bourne in theaters before the new century began.

Robert Ludlum didn't care if Jason Bourne became part of a cinematic universe. He didn't like the idea, but his dream of seeing his novels turned into movies was much stronger. So he let go of that prejudice and accepted Kazir's proposal.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 138


"Frankly, their terms are quite tempting. They agree to give me a 5% share of the worldwide box office and a 5% cut of the peripherals sales such as videotapes and merchandise related to Jason Bourne."

"..."

'That's a good offer, no, it's already a great offer. I can't believe that Walt Disney is willing to bleed just to get the copyrights to Jason Bourne, unless...'

"But I don't want to work with them. I'm old and I have experience with this kind of thing. They just want me to bother you as much as possible. As for their promise, they will probably break it when everything is done."

Kazir nodded and agreed with Robert Ludlum's opinion.

"Besides, the contract we signed is already a good one."

As the creator of the Jason Bourne series, Robert Ludlum is entitled to a share of the profits. Robert Ludlum signed a 3% share of revenues for the global box office, videotape profits and other peripherals. Although it was smaller than Walt Disney's, it was a signed legal contract.

Robert Ludlum realized that Kazir Grey was more honest than Walt Disney.

He also felt that Kazir Grey would make a good Jason Bourne. The success of Taken reassured him.

"However, if you want to adjust the distribution deal, perhaps..."

"Mr. Robert Ludlum, we already talked about that."

"Haha, of course. I'm just joking with you."

The old man laughed, but Kazir knew that he would try his best to get more money if Kazir showed any hesitation.

He had to be firm when dealing with a tricky old man like Robert Ludlum.

'The only reason he stuck with me was because of the contract we signed--if Grey Pictures failed to produce The Bourne Identity before the year 2000, all copyrights would revert to its creator, Robert Ludlum. On top of that, Grey Pictures has to pay $3 million if they can't produce the movie.'

It was a dangerous deal for Grey Pictures. But it was the best way to convince Robert Ludlum at the time.

'I think we have to increase our production capacity.'

It was already in his head, and Robert Ludlum's appearance cemented it.

"Kazir, I'm old. I don't know how much longer I can live."

"Come on, Robert, don't be like that. You have to stay positive."

"All I want in this life is to see Jason Bourne on the big screen."

Alan Shayne Production produced a movie of the Bourne Identity, but it was only shown on television. It was a TV movie. And it didn't do well.

Robert Ludlum was so disappointed after he sold the copyrights to them. He felt that his movie could be better in the cinema. Unfortunately, the copyrights of The Bourne Identity would last ten years before he could get it back.

Everything changed when Kazir Grey contacted him and said that he had acquired the copyright to the film version of Bourne Identity.

He was happy, to be honest.

He was a successful author, and the royalties from his books were enough to give him a good life. He was happy with his success. However, he could not help but dream of seeing his book made into a movie.

The best author of his time was Stephen King. But the reason why his career had a successful run was because of the movie adaptations of his books. This was the stepping stone that made him famous all over the world.

The Shining

The Shawshank Redemption

Carrie

The Green Mile

IT

These are just a few of the films based on Stephen King's books.

Robert Ludlum would be lying if he said he was not jealous. He wanted the same success.

The money? Robert Ludlum already had a successful career. Besides, he was past the age of 70 to be thinking about materialistic things. The money was for his family, not for him.

Robert Ludlum lived a life.

"Kazir, keep your promise. I didn't like Walt Disney's offer, but we can negotiate if I want to."

The old man stood up.

"But you have to buy back the copyrights from Grey Pictures." Kazir replied and shook his hand.

"Of course, I bet Walt Disney can help me with that. They will not let another movie company flourish. I hear they are trying to sabotage DreamWorks these days."

Robert Ludlum smiled and headed for the door.

"Before you go, Robert, if Warner Brothers contacted you, please let me know."

"Very well."

"Next year, I promise you, you will see Jason Bourne on the big screen. Stay healthy, Robert."

Kazir escorted him out of the company. Robert Ludlum, assisted by his son, got into the car.

Robert personally went to Grey Pictures to talk to Kazir. Because he could not wait to start the Bourne Identity project.

Kazir waved as the car slowly disappeared from the street. Then he opened his phone and called his agent, Salvatore Barlowe.

"Salvatore, hire another production team. I'm going to start The Bourne Identity after I finish John Wick."

-- Are you serious? Kazir, you haven't taken a vacation in the last three years! Are you sure your body can take it?

Kazir chuckled and replied.

"I'm sure my body is healthier than yours. I exercise three times a week, and my diet is mostly vegetables."

-- How about your sleep?

"That's another story."

-- Sigh, okay, fine. CAA can easily find a crew for your problem. But what about Taken? It was also supposed to come out next year.

Salvatore knew the projects that Grey Pictures would be shooting over the next three years. However, he had only read the scripts for The Bourne Identity and Taken 2. The other projects were still a mystery to him.

"By the way, I'm thinking of letting Fremont Smith take over as director. Do you think your client is ready?"

Kazir joked.

-- ... Kazir, if you ask me, I'm still not convinced that Fremont can handle a big project. The pressure could break him.

Kazir and Salvatore watched Fremont gain experience. They had no problem with his work ethic, but he was still young and might not be able to handle the pressure.

 

[WillowFriend]

I do hope that if Kazir is not taking vacations that he at least sleep well and within reasonable time periods. Also, I can see that he is really using his future knowledge and avoiding the pitfalls when dealing with the big 6.

Can't wait to see John Wick 1 be finished. The character will be very iconic in the pop culture for days to come.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Marcelo V!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 139


Directors were different animals who could handle extreme pressure. This should be one of the common traits that directors should have. They suffer months of nervousness in case their movie doesn't work out.

If a movie flopped, the director was usually blamed. The responsibility they had was a double-edged sword.

"I know, that's why I decided to let him direct Taken 2 instead of The Bourne Identity. Unlike The Bourne Identity, which didn't have a strong guarantee, Taken 2 is a sequel to Taken, which has a successful box office. Even if Taken 2 can't surpass the box office of Taken, it has a strong ability to make a profit."

To be honest, Kazir knew that Taken's success was due to the human trafficking that happened last year. His expectation for Taken was only around $250 million at best. If Taken 2 surpassed the $250 million mark, Kazir would be satisfied.

-- What about the budget?

"We can sign a contract with an insurance company. Besides, first-time directors are usually conscious of spending money; I think Fremont Smith can handle it."

-- But--

"Salvatore, I know you're worried about the boy. But you have to let him spread his wings and give him a chance to fly... He is only five years younger than you, he is not a child."

One of the reasons why Kazir hired Fremont was because he was looking for someone he could trust to take care of Continental Cinematic Universe along side him. So far, Fremont was doing well.

-- I understand. But what about Liam Neeson?

Salvatore Barlowe had a lot to worry about because their plan to speed up the projects might cause a problem.

"Yeah, I need to talk to Liam to convince him."

Liam Neeson trusted Kazir Grey, but it was another thing if another person took over the director's position. Liam Neeson might have a problem with that.

He could drop the Taken franchise altogether and pay damages instead. That would be irreparable damage to Grey Pictures once it happened.

Kazir Grey could be trusted because he had already proven himself. But Fremont Smith was just a rookie. Not only Liam Neeson, but also the other actors might have a negative opinion about these changes.

Kazir hoped that Liam Neeson would not be disappointed.

"Keep this information private for now. We can't let others hear it because it could cause us trouble."

-- Okay, I will start looking for talented people. Who will lead this new team?

"I will take half, and Fremont will take half."

Fremont Smith would perform better if he recognized the people he was working with.

Kazir had Fremont build a small team for him to take over when he started his own project.

Kazir was confident he could handle new people.

'To be honest, I thought about giving Renner Hector the chance to direct Taken 2, but the fire in his heart is still not enough. It needs to be ignited. As long as Renner is not ready to make his own movie, I will let him do what he wants.'

It was funny that the veteran wanted to stay in his position while the rookie was hungry for recognition and wanted to start his own movie.

"I need to talk to Liam Neeson before Grey Pictures starts the project."

-- I have an idea. How about you go to the Academy Awards?

"Huh? I thought that was over. The Oscars are always in March."

-- Something happened so they changed the date to April 12th. There was a small fire at the venue, so they changed the schedule.

"I understand."

Kazir felt that this change was because of him, but he decided not to think about it.

"I will attend."

--That's good.

"I will call you again." Kazir ended the call.

Maybe because he was too busy, he didn't think about the Oscars. He hadn't noticed that the Oscars were late this year.

'If I'm right, Taken has three nominations. Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound Editing.'

Even though they got three nominations, it would be hard for them to win even one of the categories. First of all, Grey Pictures never invested in PR(Public Relations). Well, except for Liam Neeson.

In his career, Liam Neeson has only received one nomination in the Best Actor category. It was none other than Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List. That was the only time he got it.

Grey Pictures and Paramount felt that Taken didn't have a chance at the Oscars after Titanic flooded theaters. So it was pointless for them to invest in PR.

But for Liam Neeson it was different. He wanted that golden statue.

Well, everybody in Hollywood wanted that golden statue. Even Kazir Grey was no exception. He was hungry to get one.

However, there was no chance for Kazir to find the best script to make a movie that would attract the members of the Academy.

'Although I know that the Academy will slowly become conservative and afraid of change. They will stick to their old school ideals and reject others. They will try to accept changes and become so called "woke", but they are just hiding their extreme prejudice... Still, I can't deny the truth that I want to get the Best Director statue.'

Maybe Kazir Grey was a hypocrite, too. The Academy was not perfect and neither was Kazir.

'I heard that Liam's PR team is contacting members of the Academy and giving them gifts. Even Liam Neeson attended so many parties to build connections.'

Kazir knew Liam Neeson's temperament. Like Kazir, Liam Neeson hated parties. But he ignored that just to get the golden statue.

'Hell, I'd do the same if I were in his position.'

But Liam's opponents were not so easy.

Matt Damon from Good Will Hunting.

Robert Duvall from The Apostles.

Jack Nicholson from As Good As It Gets.

And Dustin Hoffman in Wag The Dog.

In Kazir's opinion, Jack Nicholson has the best chance of winning this year.

'Still, I can't deny that Taken is the second best movie of 1997. Liam Neeson is only behind Jack Nicholson for Best Actor.'

+++++

[Author's note: I have always avoided the Academy Awards because I have some prejudices against them. Maybe letting Will Smith win Best Actor Award after he slapped Chris Rock is one of the reasons. But I can't deny that they make a huge contribution to Hollywood. Kazir Grey will have to face them sooner or later].

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[JustAnotherFan217]

This has to be one of the best of this kind of story out there. Your MC sticks to just directing, instead of doing everything from acting to polka dancing. He also isn't banging every actress there is, and there hasn't been any creepy casting couch action like I've seen. So this has been pretty good so far.

I would like to see some alternate POV, and events happening with other characters. I would love to see some more Jack Black, as he is one of my favorite comedians, and I think you stopped doing comedy way too early. I think showing more of other characters, and the effects Kazir has had on them, could make this story better.

As far as movies go, I'd love to see him add The Equalizer to the Universe, and Kill Bill could be a good one for a female lead. I also think Harrison Ford would make the best Big Bad like Thanos. Mostly because I love Harrison Ford. Either way, this was a fun read, and thanks for sharing it!

 

[Pujimaki]

This has to be one of the best of this kind of story out there. Your MC sticks to just directing, instead of doing everything from acting to polka dancing. He also isn't banging every actress there is, and there hasn't been any creepy casting couch action like I've seen. So this has been pretty good so far.

I would like to see some alternate POV, and events happening with other characters. I would love to see some more Jack Black, as he is one of my favorite comedians, and I think you stopped doing comedy way too early. I think showing more of other characters, and the effects Kazir has had on them, could make this story better.

As far as movies go, I'd love to see him add The Equalizer to the Universe, and Kill Bill could be a good one for a female lead. I also think Harrison Ford would make the best Big Bad like Thanos. Mostly because I love Harrison Ford. Either way, this was a fun read, and thanks for sharing it!

Click to shrink...

I gotta copy this comment because it made sense and to remind me to give some actors some PoV. Thanks for the comment.

 

[Pujimaki]

[Shout out to Darui!]

Hollywood What If Chapter 140


"Okay, that's all for today. For those who are interested in attending the Academy Awards, you can leave after cleaning the set."

"Yes, director!"

Kazir Grey stood up and stretched his limbs. He groaned after a good stretch. He spent his day sitting in the chair and watching the scenes unfold.

He knew he was getting lazy. He ordered people around while he just sat in front of the monitors.

'I might have to go to the gym tomorrow, I think my body is getting rusty.'

Benching 405? It depends, if Kazir Grey could do it. He believed he had enough strength to do it because he could bench 6 plates. Maybe he needed to push his limits.

"Director Grey."

Someone called out to him and Kazir turned. He saw Viggo Mortensen wiping his face after a strenuous stunt.

"Viggo, you did a great job today. Keep it up."

"Yeah. Actually, director, I'm here for a favor. Can I have a few minutes of your time?"

"Hm, okay. Let's talk."

Kazir agreed after checking his watch. Today's work ended early, since the Academy Awards were tonight.

"It's still 4:30, I think I have enough time to talk to you."

"Thank you."

The two walked off the set and started talking.

"Director, I know this sounds ridiculous, but can I get your opinion on something? I heard that you helped Reese Witherspoon and Brianna Evans pick their projects."

"Well, I just gave my honest opinion based on the information I could get. I told Reese that There's Something About Mary seems promising. As for The Truman Show, Salvatore was actually the one I talked to. Then Salvatore decided to convince Brianna Evans to audition for the role."

There's Something About Mary and The Truman Show are movies scheduled for summer release. No one knows if they will be successful except Kazir.

"That's enough." Viggo Mortensen nodded.

"Viggo, before we talk about it, the two movies I recommend to them are still not in theaters. There are no clear results for you to trust me. So I advise you not to believe everything I say."

"I understand. I want to ask your opinion because you are one of the best directors I know."

"Viggo, you know I can't increase your salary no matter how much you praise me."

"How about you give me more screen time?"

"But you're already the lead."

The two men laughed. Mild jokes were good to lighten the atmosphere.

"Go ahead, you can ask me."

"Actually, my agent contacted me and said he received an invitation for me to audition for a project. I'm skeptical about whether this project can help me further my career.

"Can I hear the title of this project?"

"It's nothing new. It's the Lord of the Rings."

"..."

Kazir almost coughed. It seemed that New Line Cinema and Miramax were in negotiations.

Actually, Kazir Grey tried to buy the copyrights, but it was impossible to acquire them. Miramax owned the copyright and they didn't want to sell it to Grey Pictures. Harvey Weinstein still held a grudge and so did Kazir Grey.

The last time he heard, New Line Cinema contacted Miramax about The Lord of the Rings. The two studios decided to work together on the project, but Miramax stepped back because they felt it was impossible to adapt the classic novel.

In the end, Miramax sold the copyright to New Line Cinema and let them take responsibility.

'Harvey Weinstein would probably regret that decision.'

According to Kazir's recollection, The Lord of the Rings had two years of pre-production. The pre-production took two years for obvious reasons. The budget and props take time to prepare.

"I know The Lord Of The Rings is a classic and Star Wars was created because of the inspiration George Lucas got from The Lord Of The Rings. But I'm afraid that my decision will be wrong, so I'm looking for an opinion from a professional, just like you, Director Grey. Frankly, I think adapting The Hobbit is a better choice."

The Lord of the Rings is considered the mother of all fantasy genres. However, The Hobbit was written by J.R.R. Tolkien before The Fellowship Of The Rings.

"Let me guess, the director is Peter Jackson?"

"That's right."

"..."

Peter Jackson, of all the directors in Hollywood, he was the only one who persisted to adapt The Lord Of The Rings. George Lucas had the chance, but he didn't choose to do it. Because everyone knows how hard it is to adapt a classic like The Lord Of The Rings. The backlash from avid fans was one of the reasons. The production cost was astronomical as well since they need a proper VFX(Visual Effects).

But...

"This is just my opinion. I have met Peter Jackson twice and I know he is a hard working man. I think he takes this project seriously."

To be precise, he met Peter Jackson in his previous life and his impression of him was mostly positive. He was an avid Lord of the Rings fan.

Too bad, New Line Cinema fucked Peter Jackson and didn't pay him according to the contract.

"The adaptation of Lord Of The Rings is difficult, but there's always the first in everything. Maybe The Lord Of The Rings will start the epic genre".

"I see... I don't have any upcoming projects and the role they gave me is an important one. Maybe I'll give it a chance."

Viggo smiled and thanked Kazir for his opinion.

"It's still pre-production and it will not distract me from shooting John Wick. Thank you, director."

"Glad I could help."

The two parted. Of course, they would meet again tomorrow.

Maybe next year Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) will go to New Zealand with the Lord of the Rings crew.

'I look forward to seeing that movie again.'