HOLLYWOOD WHAT IF

[Pujimaki]

The agencies simply needed to be tipped off and share info. Kazir could've done something, as a film director he could've done a short film like his first successful movie on the lack of cooperation among the alphabet agencies and the realities of terror attacks to bring awareness to said vulnerability. Or even as a plotline in the Wanted-verse. He's already plagiarizing, why not do a positive one on the real world.

Click to shrink...

... Cause I didn't think of it. To be honest, I'm actually against the idea of adding 9/11 in the story but it's a huge incident that it's impossible to disregard. It also affected Hollywood heavily. I never really put much plot into 9/11 because I know it's a sensitive topic.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 271


The impact of 9/11 on the country was tremendous. The incident led to a massive increase in airport security. The idea that the strongest country could suffer such a massive act of terrorism struck a chord with so many people.

Hollywood expressed its deepest condolences to the people who lost loved ones in this tragedy. The President stood at the podium and delivered a speech on 9/11 from Sarasota School.

-- Terrorism against our nation will not stand.

This statement touched the hearts of many. Many young men joined the military, not because of the tuition assistance and other benefits, but because of their heartfelt desire to protect their country.

The aftermath of 9/11 also strengthened the security of other countries. It made it more difficult to travel overseas.

In Hollywood, movies continued to be released, but September and October were very cold months for theaters. People were still in mourning.

Spider-Man was already in its last month and would end its run before November. However, the film grossed $403.70 million at the North American box office.

The overseas box office was still climbing and currently stands at over $372 million. This brings the worldwide total to $775 million. Spider-Man is currently the highest grossing film of the year.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider finished much earlier, before September. It grossed $131.16 million at the North American box office.

Fast and The Furious only opened in 150 theaters now. It has now grossed more than $215 million.

Legally Blonde has grossed $95.23 million. It still had a month or two left in its run.

John Wick Chapter 2 was slightly affected by 9/11, as the movie's box office dropped after the tragedy, just like other movies at the time. However, the movie had already grossed $137 million by that time.

Before November, John Wick Chapter 2 earned more than $176 million after two months in theaters.

Overall, all of Kazir's films did well. Kazir recommended Lara Croft to Angelina Jolie, saying she was the right person for the role. Her career blossomed after this movie and it seemed that his decision was right.

Gossip abounded that Kazir was a god when it came to picking scripts. After Kazir recommended his friends to audition for a role, each of them got a better career.

Suddenly, a lot of new actors and actresses were trying to befriend the guy. Unfortunately for them, they would never find the guy at parties and bars.

Even the bar Kazir usually visited became famous because so many actors hoped to meet Kazir in the bar. They waited in the quiet atmosphere of jazz. Too bad Kazir didn't feel like going to the bar lately.

He was thinking about which of the two scripts to adapt. Next year, he wants to make a movie that could compete at the Oscars.

His first choice was The Revenant. He has already bought the rights to adapt this novel/autobiography. The life of American frontiersman Hugh Glass in the Missouri Territory in 1823.

His second choice was Black Hawk Down. The moment the journalist published this book, Kazir immediately bought the rights to adapt it. The book was based on real life.

Both films were based on real life. Something the Academy Awards loved to see. The members of the Academy had a strong bias against fiction and blockbusters.

Both films had a good chance of winning Best Director and Best Picture if they were done right. Kazir was confident in his filmography, so this was not much of a problem. Besides, even if he wanted to deny it, his race was another assurance that he would win Best Director. Most of the old members of the Academy were Jewish.

Kazir already had the best formula to make sure he would win Best Director.

But since Kazir was already going for the Oscars, why not fight for more?

That is one of the reasons why he invited Tom Cruise. Because he wanted his friend to win his long dream of the Best Actor award.

He helped Liam Neeson win the Best Actor Award, maybe he could do it again.

Kazir planned to include perfect emotional scenes in his movies so that Tom Cruise would have a chance to be nominated. As for winning the Golden Statue, they both have to do a lot of PR to get it.

So, yes, they might be attending a lot of parties next year and in 2003. That was the life of people in this industry, making connections.

With two scripts in his hands, Kazir decided to make the best choice. He decided to sell Black Hawk Down to Ridley Scott. Ridley Scott had tried to buy the script, but Kazir stopped him. So the result was obvious, the release of Black Hawk Down would be delayed for a year or two.

The Revenant won the Best Director and Best Actor awards in the past life. To begin with, those two awards were the only things Kazir was looking for. He might as well take the safest bet.

Having made his decision, Kazir decided to call Tom Cruise. He had been giving signals to the actor and Tom Cruise had an idea about it. So both of them were not making any decisions about their next jobs at the moment, because both of them were playing the waiting game.

Now that the cold events of September and October were over, Hollywood returned to its usual schedule.

On November 2nd, Pixar released Monster, Inc. One of Pixar's most famous franchises. The first three days of Monster, Inc. grossed $62.58 million.

The Big Six realized and understood that the animation industry was another sector that they could profit from. So far, only Pixar and DreamWorks were doing well, but 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures were creating their own animation studios.

While all this was going on, Tom and Kazir decided to meet and discuss their intentions.

+++++

[Author's Note]

Yeah, since it's already the middle of the month, I decided to promote my P@treon.

As of now, the latest chapter of HWI on my P@treon is chapter 441. Using calculation, you can read about 170 chapters on my P@treon... I won't lie, that's a bit overwhelming and I can only blame myself.

Also, for some readers who can't use P@treon, I have a Ko-fi account and have already posted all the advanced 170 chapters of HWI there. You can check it out, the minimum tip is $10 and you can see my posts for 30 days.

Honestly, I still recommend subscribing to P@treon instead of Ko-fi because all my advanced chapters and polls have been posted there. My P@treon also has all the advance chapters of my other novels that are currently on hiatus, such as TOFD and RDD.

P@treon Link: https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

Ko-fi Link: https://ko-fi.com/pujimaki

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 272


Two famous people sat across from each other and had a light conversation at first.

"The atmosphere in our country is very interesting. At first, we were at our lowest point after what happened in September, but now the government has started to spread propaganda. I saw on TV a lot of young men joining the military. Even Paramount Pictures got a message from one of the generals to make a sequel to Top Gun to encourage young men."

"What is their intention?" Kazir was quite curious because he knew there would be a sequel, but it would be at least 20 years before it happened. Unless Kazir caused another change in the timeline.

"No, Paramount Pictures is not interested. Besides, they need to hear my opinion on the matter. Unless they want to get rid of the whole cast and start a new franchise called 'Top Gun'. The government is just doing its best, even the economy is failing because of the bubble dot com burst".

"We will overcome this tragedy," Kazir muttered. At least for the next few decades, the United States would still stand and be recognized as the strongest country in the world.

"I hope so." Tom Cruise nodded.

A few seconds later, a maid approached the table and asked if Tom and Kazir wanted tea or coffee. Kazir went to Tom's house to talk to him about his plan.

Not surprisingly, Kazir did not see Nicole Kidman. He decided to keep his thoughts to himself and wait for Tom to tell the story. It was not his place to pry into his private life.

Tom sensed Kazir's curiosity and decided to admit it.

"If you're looking for Nicole, we're through. We divorced this year. Our agent is just waiting for the right time to announce it. You know, publicity and stuff."

In fact, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman divorced in 2001. There were a lot of factors to this divorce such as their relationship turning cold, social status, and even religion. Tom Cruise was a member of Scientology, after all.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. Life is hard, but we have to move on and become a better person. Anyway, what's the reason why you want to come to my house all of a sudden? This is your second time here."

"Yes, my first time was when you invited me in 1995."

"That was a long time ago, six years."

The maid arrived and gave them their coffee and bread.

"We talked last time about the Academy Awards and our dreams of winning gold statues."

"Of course I remember. You want the Best Director Award, while I want the Best Actor Award."

"We both have our own desires, but our mission is basically the same, to get into the Oscars. So how about we work together this year?"

"Kazir, you know I was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards last year, I don't think the Academy is interested in nominating me this time."

"But there's nothing wrong with trying. What do you think, are you in?"

"I want to see the script first."

Tom Cruise was confident in Kazir's decision regarding script selection and filming, but he had to be sure first. Frankly, Tom Cruise was thrilled when he realized that Kazir wanted to work with him.

God knows how long he waited for Kazir to invite him to star in his movie. They had been friends for a long time, but Kazir never invited him to be in any of his movies, not even for a cameo. Well, his salary was too high for Grey Pictures to afford, so that was another factor.

"Here."

Kazir handed the script to Tom Cruise, and the actor seriously turned every page.

"I have two scripts I'm considering adapting and I've decided to go with this one. The other one is a group play and there's no particular protagonist, so I know you won't like it."

Black Hawk Down was about a group of U.S. Special Forces stranded in the middle of heavy firefights after two of their helicopters were shot down, trying to find their way out.

It was an amazing movie and was nominated for so many awards, but Tom Cruise is not going to have his one-man show in that kind of movie.

"I guess I should be grateful, huh?"

"You're my friend, let's just say I want to see a future where you win an Oscar and change the future I've been thinking about."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm interested," Tom chuckled.

In his opinion, Kazir was one of the biggest factors in Liam Neeson winning the Best Actor award a few years ago. Taken had very few emotional scenes, yet Liam Neeson won the award because of the impact it had on society - showing the truth about human trafficking. Hell, Brianna Evans had a more compelling scene than Liam Neeson in that movie.

But who cares, if Kazir did it last time, he could do it again.

"I know you have a plan. Tell me about it." Tom grinned, knowing that the script Kazir gave him could give him the one-man show he needed.

"Okay, it's nice to hear you're interested."

"Minority Report wraps up next month and I can focus all my attention on this project."

The two shook hands.

As for salary and contract, that was up to their agents and the producer. It was enough that they were both interested in working on this project. They both have their reasons and are inclined to work together.

Although there were some problems that Kazir had to deal with. This project currently has no producer because Harold Witsend will have two projects to take care of next year. Kazir may have to find someone else to fill the position.

For next year, Grey Pictures plans to release three films.

1.) Mr. and Mrs. Smith

2.) Bourne Supremacy

3.) The Revenant.

Two movies were part of the Continental Cinematic Universe, while the last one was not.

Another problem was the distributor for his three movies.

Well, Tom has a close relationship with Paramount Pictures, so The Revenant could be distributed by Paramount.

+++++

[Author's note: I have promised that Mr. and Mrs. Smith will be part of the CCU. However, the female lead will no longer be Angelina Jolie for obvious reasons. I prefer Naomi Watts or Jennifer Connelly because I like them. I can't promise that I'll focus as much on Mr. and Mrs. Smith, since Kazir's interest is currently on The Revenant. I may write two or three about Mr. and Mrs. Smith].

[Yeah, so who do you like better? Naomi Watts or Jennifer Connelly?]

 

[Pujimaki]

Jennifer Connelly.

Click to shrink...

Nice choice

 

[Lillie Jones]

+1 Jennifer Connelly
Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 273


Both sides were represented by CAA and they started their negotiations.

The good thing was that both Kazir and Tom knew the intentions of this project and they already explained their thoughts to their respective agents.

Pat Kingsley and Salvatore Barlowe decided to start negotiations with the thought that this project would happen. There was no in-between. Now they just have to work to meet each side's terms.

Honestly, Pat Kingsley was against this project because Tom Cruise was nominated for Best Supporting Actor last year and they didn't win, even though they did their best PR.

Another thing was Nicole Kidman. You see, Nicole Kidman was striving for Best Actress in 2003 for her role in The Hours. Pat Kingsley was currently on Nicole Kidman's side regarding the split between the couple. However, she could not let go of Tom Cruise, her biggest client.

Unfortunately, The Revenant would also participating in the 2003 Academy Awards, so Pat Kingsley has a lot of things to do.

Both the agents and their clients were quiet about their plans to compete for Oscars. However, the veterans of the industry probably knew their intentions when they heard that Kazir Grey was going to make an autobiographical film instead of action or comedy films that the audience liked. They were not stupid.

There was only one reason why Kazir Grey would make such a movie: to win the Best Director Award. So yes, they were quiet about it...

With Salvatore Barlowe representing Grey Pictures, the terms and conditions slowly became whole. The result was that Tom Cruise's salary was $15 million without box office participation. This was the highest salary Grey Pictures had ever given to anyone except Kazir himself.

No one could guarantee the box office of this movie because it was different from the usual projects that Kazir did, so Tom's side fought for a bigger salary instead of getting a share of the box office.

As for Kazir, he decided to take a $5 million salary for this project. He could say he wanted a $1 salary just to improve the budget, but that would be disrespectful to the four agents who worked with him. They make money on commission.

Now that both sides had negotiated and agreed on the salary, the project officially began.

Kazir and Tom began to talk about the project. Kazir already expected that Tom would talk to him about his role, if he wanted more screen time or lines. Tom was a superstar and he acted based on his status, arrogant. However, as long as it was not outrageous, Kazir would agree.

While this was going on, Grey Pictures was looking for directors to take over their two projects. Fremont Smith had just finished John Wick Chapter 2 and wanted to take some time off. It seemed that Fremont Smith was the kind of director who made movies every two years.

Well, someone like Kazir who never took a vacation was an abomination in this industry.

Kazir already had people in mind to direct Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Bourne Supremacy.

Doug Liman was the original director of The Bourne Identity, but Kazir directed the movie for three years, so it affected Doug Liman's filmography. To make up for it, Stella Willow invited Doug Liman to direct Mr. and Mrs. Smith this time. After all, Doug Liman was also the director of this movie in a past life.

As for The Bourne Supremacy, Kazir recommended Paul Greengrass to direct. Like Doug Liman, Paul Greengrass was also the director of The Bourne Franchise in Kazir's past life.

Kazir just recruited the original directors.

The two directors could be categorized as B-tier directors, if you want to call them that. They were professional directors and had made a few films, but they were not prominent.

Just like what Grey Pictures did with Justin Lin, the production studio gave Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass a three-picture deal. That means they were legally allowed to make three movies for Grey Pictures. As for the raise, that clause could be bent but not broken.

.........

......

...

November.

Two weeks after the release of Monster, Inc., which grossed over $133 million at the North American box office, a new series of films were released.

November 15, 2001. That was Thursday just before midnight. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released for the first time. The first installment of the fourth largest franchise in the history of cinema.

Note that the first biggest franchise was the MCU, the second was Spider-Man, and the third was Star Wars. This is based on the money the franchise generated.

Harry Potter(novels) was already famous all over the world and had many fans, from teenagers to adults. Many people were excited to see the movie.

Before 2001, J.K. Rowling had already produced four books of the series.

The first day (Friday) of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone made 32.33 million dollars. Very big amount of money, unfortunately the first day of Spider-Man was $39 million, so...

Anyway, on the second day (Saturday) the movie made $33.51 million.

On Sunday, the movie made another $24.44 million.

Combined, the first three days of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone grossed $90.29 million. An impressive performance.

Warner Bros. was happy and wanted to capitalize on this success. Their future investment in the franchise would be great.

But no matter how much they bragged about Harry Potter, it was true that the movie had lost out to Kazir's Spider-Man, which grossed $114 million in its first three days.

Now Warner Bros. wondered: WHAT IF Kazir Grey directed Harry Potter, would the movie do better?

Nobody knows the answer. After all, it was just a what if.

++++

[I've written six web novels and finished one. Of all of them, HWI is the most summarized. Usually when I add dialog to the chapters, the plot slows down. But I will try to slow it down now, since I have a lot of things to do for 2002: Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Supremacy, The Hangover Part 3, Star Wars Episode 2, the failure of John Carter, and probably Jennifer Connelly... Yeah, I guess I'll add Jennifer Connelly to the poll. I have a crush on the actress, sorry].

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 274


Warner Bros. could not help but compare Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to Spider-Man. After all, their first choice for director was Kazir Grey. Just like Sony-Columbia, Warner Bros was confident they could fulfill Kazir's contract, but the man ultimately chose Spider-Man.

It was sad, but Warner Bros. had to move on. The plan was already in motion. First of all, they are promoting J.K. Rowling and her books just for the upcoming movie.

Warner Bros. was looking for movie franchises to milk and they felt that Harry Potter was profitable. Lord of the Rings was different because it was acquired by New Line Cinema. The profits of the two companies never merged. Also, New Line Cinema had its own distribution. There was nothing Warner Bros could do about it.

In the last few years, Warner Bros. had two movies that they focused on, The Matrix and Harry Potter. They spent hundreds of millions on each movie.

The Matrix sequels were already in production and seemed promising.

If Harry Potter didn't do well, they would lose money. So the management at the time invited Kazir Grey, who had come out of CCU, to be the director.

Well, the result was obvious. Kazir turned it down and they went with Chris Columbus, the director of Home Alone.

Now, comparing the two movies hurt the management of Warner Bros. for many reasons.

To be fair, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was an amazing movie. And it was an amazing success. It made $90 million in just three days. That was amazing, very few movies could do that.

But it was still bitter to think that Kazir Grey, who turned it down, did better with his Spider-Man movie.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was an adaptation of the novel, and many scenes in the novel were obviously never shown in theaters, which caused some disappointment to fans of the novel. Perhaps if Kazir had been the director, he would have done a great job in this regard.

Unfortunately, they could never bring back the past. Regretting their decision was useless, especially when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was doing well.

After the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, no movie had a promising performance in November.

By the end of the month, only Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone had earned $202 million at the box office. The movie was only in theaters for 15 days and it already made that amount of money.

Hehe, too bad, but Spider-Man made over $252 million in 15 days.

Someone from Warner Bros. curiously did a comparison and was disappointed with the results.

It seems that some people at Warner Bros. were bitter about it. They couldn't help but compare the two.

December 7th and another batch of movies were released. Warner Bros. had another movie to promote and it was Ocean's Eleven.

For this movie, Warner Bros. invited so many big personalities. They invited George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. Yes, it was like a dream team. To accomplish this task, Warner Bros. invested $85 million in this project.

Ocean's Eleven was a heist movie about a group of people who stole money from a casino to get revenge.

Actually, Kazir was very interested in this movie, but he could not get the rights.

Ocean's Eleven was a remake of Ocean's Eleven (1960). Some things did not go according to his plan. Ocean's Eleven was not meant for him and Grey Pictures.

The one who bought the movie copyright was Warner Bros. Well, Grey Pictures would have to invest a lot of money to make this movie. Also, Ocean's Eleven was supposed to be a trilogy and Grey Pictures might have trouble casting famous actors. After all, they were not one of the Big Six.

Grey Pictures was at least a B-tier studio. For them to be an A-tier studio, they should have distribution. But from the looks of it, Kazir Grey, the owner of the company, has a different future for the company.

The first weekend of Ocean's Eleven was good, but not the best. It managed to make $38 million... Not at all comparable to Harry Potter or even Spider-Man.

But again, this performance was already amazing. Very few movies could do that in three days. People just couldn't help but compare it to the best. Just like basketball fans always compared players to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James... These three were the common topics of who was the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT).

12 days after its release, Ocean's Eleven grossed $76 million. Again, an amazing feat... But nothing compared to Spider-Man and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

But that was about to change because on December 19, another movie was released that could rival Spider-Man and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

2001 was a terrible year for the United States, but it was true that these three movies had huge performances that year.

The third movie was none other than The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings.

The Lord Of The Rings had so many cast members but it was acknowledged that the protagonist was Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen).

Viggo already had a status in Hollywood with his role as John Wick. But after that, Viggo Mortensen would have another role to be proud of being written in his filmography.

Now the trio of 2001 was released and it would determine which would be the highest grossing movie of this year (2001).

Last year, the highest grossing movie was Wanted with $1.21 billion... Would Kazir Grey make a miracle and have a back-to-back championship?

+++++

[I was interested in Ocean Eleven at first, but I can't find the right time to include it in the CCU. In the end, I decided against it because Ocean's Eleven is never an action movie, but more of a heist movie. It can fit in well with CCU, but the timing just didn't feel right.]

[I have no idea what I'm doing writing this chapter.]

[Anyway, thank you for all of your support.]

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 275


"So you're going away for a while?" Angelina pouted as she cut her steak. To maintain her figure, Angelina made sure to eat as little as possible. It was the punishment she had to take to maintain her status in this industry.

People in Hollywood were very prejudiced against chubby women. They don't cast chubby women and they prefer skinny women. That was the preference at that time.

To keep up with the ideals, Angelina has to play by the book and keep her stomach as flat as possible. Honestly, there were times when she wanted to eat a whole pizza, but she couldn't because she had to shoot the next day and the director might nag her if she didn't look fit and sexy.

But when she was with Kazir, she didn't feel self-hatred. Instead, the man encouraged her to eat and stay healthy.

Women in the acting and modeling industries suffer from anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder and fear of gaining weight.

It was a sad notion that showbiz pushed on many women that being sexy meant not eating for a day or two.

Angelina was happy in her relationship with Kazir. The man was different from the men she usually dated, Kazir was sincere and serious. The type who didn't like to play games had a clear vision of his future. Besides, the guy was cute and good in bed... The last statement was the biggest reason why she liked him.

Their relationship was getting better and Angelina knew that Kazir was the best man out there... She had many rivals because of that.

Whenever they go out and have fun, there are times when a woman flirts with Kazir.

For the same reason, Angelina was a little upset that Kazir was leaving the country.

"I have three months before I go to Canada. We have plenty of time." Kazir assured her.

After calculating their budget, the production crew decided that it would be better to shoot the movie in real snow than to create artificial snow and do a green screen. Using a real natural background was cheaper than creating a snowy mountain and jungle.

"But you're also going to be gone for three or four months. I don't want that."

"I promised I'd come back every weekend."

Kazir was actually surprised that he had reached the point where he could ignore his work for something else. Damn, weekend rest, Kazir would actually do something like that? Really?

"Besides, Canada's not that far away. We can still call and text and stuff."

"Hm." Angelina nodded sadly after finishing her steak. Kazir encouraged her to have some fun and enjoy life, eating delicious food was one of the best things in the world.

Angelina had two projects this year, one was currently underway while the second was scheduled to start shooting in March, the same month Kazir would be going to Canada. Both of them would be busy then and Angelina was worried that they would lose interest in each other.

A long-distance relationship was not that easy, even if it was only for three or four months. A lot could happen in that time.

Angelina had two projects. The first was Life or Something Like It. Kazir read the script and was not impressed. However, the production team was willing to give Angelina a salary of $7 million, so Angelina's agent begged her to accept.

Then she received another script called How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. This time Kazir had a good opinion of it, so Angelina decided to audition. Even though her salary for this movie was only $5 million, Angelina felt it was worth it.

It was important to keep her fame.

Coincidentally, the said project, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, would start shooting in March, just like The Revenant. How climatic...

Kazir felt that Angelina was sad. He took her hand and held it.

"Look, we'll spend our days together when I'm back. I promise you that."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Take me to a nice restaurant tomorrow, no, for a week."

"Babe, I'm doing that right now."

"So you're backing out?"

"Of course not." Kazir chuckled.

Kazir had already spent a week with his family back in September. Even though half of that vacation was pretty dark because of 9/11, he had still spent a week with them.

So now, on Christmas Eve, Kazir decided to spend it with Angelina. Just like two years ago.

"Remember our first Christmas Eve?" He asked.

Angelina didn't answer. Instead, she smiled and blushed. Of course she remembered. That night had been amazing and out of this world. God, she didn't regret making a move on Kazir back then.

"Actually, this is our third Christmas Eve together and our second anniversary. We should have fun."

"I love you." Angelina squeezed Kazir's hand.

"I love you too."

They smiled at each other. If they were not in public, they might already be kissing and undressing each other.

.........

......

...

"Director Grey! Director Grey!"

"Hm?"

Kazir frowned as he came out of the cafe near Grey Pictures. His eyes were puffy after "cuddling" with Angelina all night, and he loved every second of it.

"Director Grey!"

"Sorry, I don't have time for an interview."

As always, some paparazzi would show up and ruin his beautiful day. It was not the first time this had happened.

"I'm just here to ask a few questions. Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings are doing well at the box office. Everyone thinks that one of them is going to be the champion of this year's box office." The paparazzi proceeded to ask more.

"But considering that Spider-Man has already grossed $800 million worldwide, your movie should be added to the list. Are you afraid that Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings will overtake Spider-Man as the highest-grossing film of the year?"

This question got Kazir's attention, so he stopped walking and faced the paparazzi.

"If Harry Potter and The Lord Of The Rings fought Spider-Man, would you lose?"

Kazir grinned and said.

"Nah, I'd win."

+++++

[Author's note: this was very, very late.]

[Funny that I wrote a Christmas Eve chapter on Christmas Eve. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all! Thanks for all your support. I hope everyone has a blessed and abundant Christmas!]

 

[Garbage_Truck]

Old man, when Jujutsu Kaisen comes out, everyone in that world will think it's a reference to Kazir XD

 

[Pujimaki]

Old man, when Jujutsu Kaisen comes out, everyone in that world will think it's a reference to Kazir XD

Click to shrink...

Lmao!

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 276


The year 2002.

Just after the New Year, in an office.

"There are things that are easy to explain, but sometimes you have to hear it twice for the information to really sink in. So tell me again."

"Sir," the secretary swallowed hard. This folder had just been sent to her and she hadn't researched it at all. That was the job of the sales and accounting department: to calculate the box office.

But since the acting CEO Tom Rothman was late, and the guy from the accounting department had a stomach ache, so the secretary became the one responsible for delivering the news to Tom Rothman.

"Sir, the worldwide box office for John Wick Chapter 2 is currently at $621 million. Our accounting department believed that John Wick Chapter 2 could surpass $650 million..."

"What about The Fast and The Furious? Come on, say it."

Maybe Tom Rothman slept in the wrong position, the man was frowning. He seemed to be angry.

"The Fast and The Furious officially ended its worldwide run three days ago. Some countries were still calculating the box office. The movie has already grossed $502 million, excluding some countries that are still calculating the numbers..."

"Do you think that the box office of these movies is due to the success of the Continental Cinematic Universe? After Wanted, a lot of people became interested in the Continental Cinematic Universe. That is the effect of Wanted, a $1 billion movie."

Tom Rothman didn't sleep well last night because Rupert Murdoch told him to buy Grey Pictures and bring it into the "family."

The reason he could not sleep was the fact that negotiating with Kazir Grey would be the hardest thing to do.

And now two of his movies just happened to drop explosive numbers at the box office!

'What the fuck? That's basically $1 billion! Grey Pictures, a second-tier production studio, just made $1 billion this year! No, they did it last year too with a single movie! This is getting stupid. How is that even possible?' He gritted his teeth.

To be fair, the Big Six made over $7 billion at the box office last year.

20th Century Fox alone made over $1 billion last year with Big Momma's House, X-Men, Cast Away, and so many dozens more.

Still, it was painful to see that one or two movies could easily make their year's worth of hard work.

The only consolation was that Grey Pictures had no distribution channel.

'This means that Kazir is open to negotiations, but my initial statement of $1.5 billion is definitely out of the conversation. At the very least, 20th Century Fox will have to acquire Grey Pictures for $2 billion. Damn, I guess Kazir really is a billionaire now, huh?'

Companies that could make a billion a year were hard to come by. But Grey Pictures did it twice in a row.

"You can go now." Tom Rothman pinched his glabella as the secretary scurried out of the office like a mouse.

"I guess times are changing, well, we are at the beginning of a new century. Even DreamWorks is doing well. Fortunately, we managed to create cracks in the relationship between Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg. They're friends, but they can't overcome the terror of the Big Six. They will split, we will make sure of that."

His last statement would technically become reality a few years later. Inside DreamWorks, two dragons decided to lead their own armies. Jeffrey Katzenberg had the authority over DreamWorks Animation, while Steven Spielberg reigned over DreamWorks Pictures.

"Spider-Man's box office has already surpassed $830 million. Some countries are just starting to release the movie, and most believe that the movie will surpass $900 million. But after that, it will be a miracle. No one seems to think that Spider-Man will make $1 billion at the box office..."

But knowing Kazir, the idea was not impossible.

If Spider-Man indeed surpassed $1 billion, Kazir Grey would be the only director to have made two $1 billion movies, and to do it in two years. This was history. A world record that was impossible to beat.

Two movies.

$1 billion each.

In just two years.

"No, no, no, let's not jinx it. Let's not fucking jinx it."

He gritted his teeth.

The acquisition was his job, a responsibility given to him by Rupert Murdoch. It would be harder if Kazir made another miracle.

"... The first thing to do is to make contact with Kazir and Grey Pictures."

After only a minute of monologue, he called his secretary again.

"Tell Grey Pictures that 20th Century Fox will distribute their three films worldwide for 25% of the box office as a distribution fee. Tell them clearly."

"Yes, sir."

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone grossed $293 million on the first day of the year. It was still in theaters for 48 days.

As for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the film grossed $178 million after 15 days in theaters.

"Damn, Warner Brothers will have a festival this year! Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings looks promising. If they do it right, they will have two strong franchises that will last a decade. 20th Century Fox really needs something like this." Tom Rothman groaned. His head was aching so much.

Everyone in Hollywood believed that Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Spider-Man would dominate the 2001 rankings.

However, it was still a mystery as to which would top the list.

One thing was certain. Grey Pictures' two CCU movies were definitely part of the top 10.

John Wick Chapter 2 with $621 million.

The Fast and The Furious with $502 million.

From a business standpoint, Kazir's existence was dangerous for the Big Six. But there were always two sides to a coin. If Kazir was dangerous, he was also a godsend once he allied himself with one of them.

20th Century Fox found this out with Napoleon Dynamite.

Warner Brothers with The Hangover.

And Sony-Columbia with Spider-Man.

Clear examples that Kazir was a good weapon when used properly.

++++

[Author's note: I'm crazy.]

[Merry Christmas again, haha]

 

[Pujimaki]

Do you think it's about time to close the 'Which Universe do you want to be created' poll? The story has already reach way past that point.

Click to shrink...

That's for the new readers. Even in other platforms I didn't close the polls because I'm having fun seeing the votes increase and reading the comments from the new readers. Like, they really believe I will dabble my hands on DCEU... I actually don't know if that will happen, it depends on how the plot will progress. Anyway, thanks for the comment.

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 277


Jimmy Kimmel Live! A show that started on ABC last year and slowly gained fans all over the US.

It was a talk show with good ratings.

This time, New Line Cinema and Warner Brothers decided to work with the show to promote the movie The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

The audience in the studio clapped when Viggo Mortensen appeared.

Jimmy Kimmel and Viggo Mortensen began to talk, focusing on The Lord of the Rings. Viggo talked about his experience in New Zealand and how director Peter Jackson was a good director.

"By the way, I want to congratulate you on your other movie. John Wick Chapter 2 is a great movie, I love it. You look good in a suit with guns in your hands."

"Thanks," Viggo smiled modestly. His career was flourishing and he was now a certified superstar. Two of his movies last year did very well.

John Wick Chapter 2 grossed over $600 million worldwide. While Lord of the Rings is currently at $245 million at the North American box office. With that, his status in the industry has risen.

"Of course you also look good with a sword."

"Holding a sword is quite hard because it is real metal. Not sharp, but really heavy."

"Tell me, did you practice swordsmanship for this movie?" Jimmy Kimmel Live! and New Line Cinema had a partnership tonight and the talk show received money to promote the movie.

"Ah, yes, I trained for six months. Fortunately, I have a lot of experience with training before Lord of the Rings. I trained for my role as John Wick."

"Tell me, what was it like working with someone like Kazir Grey? Everyone is curious about him."

"He's a serious guy. Strict and always calm. He's an amazing director. Most of the time he just knew what scene to shoot and there was no time wasted on positioning the cameras and stuff like that. It was like he had already imagined everything about the movie."

"Yeah, I heard about that. Apparently he's very professional and never takes a vacation. Is that true?"

"I guess so. I mean, I have never seen the guy having fun, or rather working is fun for him. He spent most of his time at work."

Viggo explained.

The news regarding Spider-Man was quite positive for Sony-Columbia and Kazir. The film was close to $900 million after three weeks in January. The movie had already finished its run in the U.S., but it was doing well overseas.

The Spider-Man hype was still going strong. Merchandise related to the movie was selling like hotcakes. The factories had to work overtime just to keep up with the demand.

You see, Spider-Man was for all ages. Even 50 year old men like the movie. The character of Spider-Man was created in the 1960s and slowly gained fans. And now that Spider-Man is in theaters, the hype around the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has just exploded.

Jimmy Kimmel and Viggo Mortensen chatted a few minutes before the end of the show.

"You're friends with Matt Damon, right?" Jimmy Kimmel asked.

"Ah, yes, we are friends. We worked together in Wanted two years ago." Viggo replied, knowing where this was going.

"Then can you please tell him that we are sorry and that the show is over, we ran out of time and he have to come back next time."

Viggo chuckled and nodded.

"Okay, I'll tell him about it."

The fake beef between Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon may have been the longest running gag in the history of television. It started with Jimmy Kimmel calling out Matt Damon as a joke, until Matt Damon himself decided to play along.

.........

......

...

Kazir stopped directing CCU movies, but that didn't mean he abandoned the project. Hell no, he is usually involved in the production when he has time.

He was the executive producer... Actually, his position was not so simple. After all, Kazir was the sole owner of Grey Pictures and he was the boss. Even Harold Witsend, the current producer of CCU, worked under him.

As executive producer, Kazir naturally attended the third round of auditions for the female lead of Mr. And Mrs. Smith.

This time, the crew had a list of actresses with strong box office appeal who were vying for the role.

It was 2002 and Hollywood continued to grow. People all over the world now recognize many superstars from the USA.

'Charlize Theron, Naomi Watts, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Connelly... Wow, so you're saying that these actresses are interested in being a part of CCU?' Kazir thought to himself.

Honestly, yes. Continental Cinematic Universe was no small project, not anymore. After the huge success of Wanted two years ago, so many actresses/actors in Hollywood became interested in this particular Cinematic Universe.

On top of that, The Fast and The Furious and John Wick Chapter 2 also made a lot of money at the box office. This showed that the influence of the Continental Cinematic Universe was getting stronger. At least a lot of fans were waiting for the next movie.

After so many movies that had mostly male protagonists, Mr. and Mrs. Smith was the only movie in the CCU that had an obvious female lead. Well, one of the leads was female, so they might as well take the opportunity.

Kazir didn't specify a look for Mrs. Smith. He just wanted the woman to be sexy and beautiful and know how to fight.

So it seemed that the role caught the attention of many actresses. The actresses who auditioned for the role are already well established in the industry. They could easily get a job every year.

Charlize Theron and Cate Blanchett have already auditioned and their performances were not bad. They seem healthy and it looks like they have already trained for the role.

Kazir loved the commitment, no lie.

He turned to Doug Liman, the current director of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The man nodded and invited the next actress.

"Hi, I'm Naomi Watts. I worked on Mulholland Drive last year. I'm here for the part of Jane Smith."

As expected, Naomi Watts looked great. Beautiful and sexy, she already passed the appearance requirements.

The woman glanced at Kazir and smiled, they had known each other for a long time. Kazir nodded but kept his expression.

Naomi and Kazir first met at Tom Cruise's party in 1995. And yes, they almost had an affair if Carl Morin had not interrupted them. Since then, Kazir and Naomi have known each other, but they were not friends.

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 278


"Miss Watts, let's start your audition."

Doug Liman said as the cameraman started filming. They were recording the audition of the actresses.

Naomi Watts nodded. For this movie, she was given the chance to do a scene in the script that she liked.

As expected, Naomi chose the dinner scene. The part where the Smith couple met at the dinner table after realizing that the other person was actually an agent.

"How was Atlanta?"

"Big deal?"

Even though it was a solo performance, Naomi got the part right.

Solo performance, sometimes called a one-man show. Naomi said her lines like she was talking to her husband.

But a minute into her audition, Doug Liman raised his hand and stopped her.

"Your acting is great, but I want to see you act with another person."

The role of Mr. Smith was still open because the crew was still deciding between three actors, Hugh Grant, Russell Crowe and Brad Pitt. The crew was fine with casting Hugh Grant and Russell Crowe because their salaries were affordable. Producer Harold Witsend preferred these two.

But both Doug Liman and Kazir Grey preferred Brad Pitt. Grey Pictures was no longer a small production studio and they could afford to hire superstars. Heck, Kazir and Tom Cruise even have a collaboration this year.

Since Doug and Kazir were interested in casting Brad Pitt, negotiations began. Brad Pitt agreed to a trilogy and cameos, but the salary was still being negotiated.

Since there was no official Mr. Smith at the moment, someone had to step in to accompany Naomi to her audition.

"Kazir, um, would you mind?"

Doug spoke to Kazir who was standing next to him. In the audition room, Kazir was the only one with acting experience. He had been in so many movies... All cameos, of course.

Kazir nodded and agreed. He knew Doug had no hidden agenda. He had done this twice before, when Charlize Theron and Cate Blanchett showed up.

Kazir sat across from Naomi, who was poised and beautiful. The two began to act.

He was not a professional actor, so he could not keep up with Naomi. Just like in the dinner scene, Kazir and Naomi talked peacefully at first until the guns came out... Fake guns, of course.

They had a scuffle until they both admitted that they loved each other and didn't want to kill each other. Naomi was so close to Kazir, it was a miracle that Kazir kept his sanity.

"Too bad, this is just an audition and I can't kiss you... Unless you want me to."

Naomi whispered in his ear and Kazir blushed slightly. After that, the actress thanked Kazir and the acting ended.

"Miss Naomi, are you okay with the trilogy and the cameos?"

"Yes. I want to be part of the Continental Cinematic Universe."

A common response. All the actresses who auditioned had almost the same answer.

"You have to sign up for three to four months of training if you get the role, are you prepared for that?"

"I've been working out and I'm confident in my body."

Perhaps these questions were so obvious because CCU was all about action movies.

All the actresses who auditioned were fit and went to the gym to work out.

"That's good to hear."

Doug Liman ended the audition and told Naomi that she would get a call today or tomorrow with the results of her audition.

As Naomi left the room, people began to talk about her and share their thoughts on Naomi's audition.

'This is going to be tough. Each of them is amazing to work with. I prefer Charlize and Naomi in terms of looks, but I prefer Cate when it comes to acting.' Kazir was in dilemma.

Charlize Theron might be the first choice because her upcoming movies are Aeon Flux and Mad Max: Fury Road. But we can't be sure that she's fit for action movies right now.

However, the three actresses were all expensive to hire. They all already have a foothold in the industry and could demand a minimum of $2.5 million. This could be a problem because there would be trilogies and cameos. Also, they had already talked to Brad Pitt and he wanted at least $7 million for the first movie alone. It would be painful if the actress asked for more.

Even though Grey Pictures has a bigger budget and can afford big expenses, they have to be smart with their money.

Another truth was that there was a pay gap between actors and actresses. It didn't help that actors have longer peak careers than actresses.

Even if actors were over 50 years old, they could still get leading roles, but it was the opposite for actresses. If an actress reached the point of 50 years old, it would be hard for her to compete with younger actresses.

The crew wouldn't spend a lot of money on an actress unless she was Julia Roberts or Michelle Pfeiffer, those actresses had worldwide box office appeal.

Then Doug Liman called the last actress to audition for Mrs. Smith.

Kazir was not surprised to see Jennifer Connelly. She was beautiful, as always.

'She was born in 1970, so she's only two years younger than me, huh?' Kazir thought as he looked at Jennifer's information.

Yes, Kazir was 33 years old in 2002.

Jennifer looked at Kazir but kept her emotions under control. She was surprised that the guy she had seen panting in the gym and vomiting at a party was a superstar director.

Her first impression of the man was not positive, but rather negative. Her agent told her to audition for the role because the Cinematic Universe era was flourishing and Jennifer needed a steady role. Her career had not been steady lately... Well, it was going downhill and she needed a breaking point.

CCU could be her door to that. Since she was here, she might as well give it her best shot.

She kept her smile and started her audition... Only to find out that Kazir would be in the dinner scene. Yes, she chose the dinner scene as well. Maybe because it was one of the most compelling scenes in the movie.

+++++

[If you want to read more, you can subscribe to my Patreon or Ko-fi.]

P@treon link: https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

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[Sceonn]

His preference for Brad Pitt is weird, the CCU is already pulling up and does not need a big name to bring in an audience so why is Kazir insisting on him when the saved budget could be allocated for something more?

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 279


"I-I'm sorry!"

Jennifer realized she had made a mistake. She had met Kazir twice, and the first impression the man made was not appealing.

However, when she met the man this time, she realized that Kazir was actually tall and fit. He was domineering. As the audition began, Jennifer began to lose her concentration and forgot her line. She couldn't help but be aware of the man in front of her.

"That's okay, Miss Connelly. We can wrap up the audition here."

Doug Liman announced and Jennifer immediately stepped back. She had a slight blushing face.

After the audition, Doug Liman began to ask Jennifer about the trilogy and cameo contract and her interest in physical training.

Jennifer said yes to everything and left the room... She realized that she probably won't get the part because she made mistakes. She sighed.

"... So who should we choose?"

The one who asked this was Harold Witsend. He had an artistic sense because he was once a prop master. In his opinion, all four actresses were beautiful and attractive. They were right for the part.

"Naomi Watts and Charlize Theron seem promising."

Doug Liman said, and Kazir agreed. Both directors had the same thought.

"Harold, who do you think we should cast?"

"Well, I think I'm going to go with Jennifer Connelly."

"Why?" Kazir asked curiously. Kazir had good impression of the actress but it won't affect his decision making.

"How should I put it... Her career is not that good compared to the other three. We can hire her for a cheap salary."

"..."

Kazir realized that Harold was starting to become a real producer. The guy was basing his opinion on the budget!

"She's beautiful, she can act, and her status is not that high. Definitely someone we can exploit."

'Woah woah woah, Harold, you're going too far. I take my opinion back, you're a real producer now.' Kazir touched his chin.

He disagreed with Harold's thought process, but it was true that Jennifer had a lower salary than the others.

'Naomi Watts' career would take off after the success of Mulholland Drive. She would be in King Kong, The Ring, Le Divorce and other films. If we cast her, her next salary could be at least $5 million.' He calculated.

Charlize Theron and Cate Blanchett were the same way.

Cate Blanchett would win Best Supporting Actress in 2004 and Best Actress in 2013.

Charlize Theron also won Best Actress for her role in Monster (2003). She would also star in many blockbusters like The Italian Job, Hancock, Snow White and the Huntsman and many more.

'... I guess it's a good thing I bought the rights to the Hulk movie from Universal Pictures. Otherwise, Jennifer Connelly might be back in Hulk (2003), which was a box office flop.'

Kazir's butterfly effect changed Jennifer's career slightly.

"I think we should cast her. What do you think, Doug?"

"I'm fine with it."

Doug was just starting his career in the industry and didn't have much authority over Kazir and Harold, so he agreed.

"Harold, get in touch with Jennifer and her agent. Get them to sign a contract as soon as possible because she needs to train."

"Alright."

The negotiations between the two sides would start again... However, Kazir forgot that Jennifer Connelly had actually been nominated for an Oscar this year for her role in A Beautiful Mind.

Anyway, they would tackle the problem when they got there.

.........

......

...

Unlike Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Supremacy didn't spend much time casting. After all, it was a sequel and most of the cast was already in place.

Kazir knew this moment would come, so he decided to attend the script reading, and just as he expected, he met Cameron Diaz.

Cameron Diaz already has a good career and she could get out of her contract if she wanted to. She could probably afford to quit, but Cameron Diaz decided to keep her role.

The salary that Grey Pictures offered was $5 million because Cameron was not that simple anymore. Charlie's Angels, The Invisible Circus and Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise. Cameron continued to grow as an actress.

She could ask for more, but Cameron decided to agree so that the production wouldn't be delayed... Maybe she had another reason.

She read the script and was shocked to find out that her character would actually die in the movie.

She contacted the writers and found out that Kazir and Robert Ludlum both agreed that her character should die to give Jason Bourne character development.

Of course, Cameron didn't like it at first, but she understood that the plot made sense... She hoped to stay on the project for a long time. Maybe she had another reason.

When Kazir attended the script reading, he saw Matt Damon talking to Paul Greengrass. Then his eyes were fixed on Cameron Diaz.

"..."

He expected to meet her today, but she didn't expect Cameron to be so beautiful. It was as if she had really prepared herself and picked out the best dress.

Her makeup, her slim figure, and her dress. Everything was perfect.

Kazir admitted that Cameron Diaz was the goddess of the '90s and early 2000s.

'I can't believe I broke up with her. Well, she's a nice woman, but I failed to open my heart to her. I was still scared back then.'

He swallowed hard for obvious reasons.

When Cameron noticed that Kazir had arrived, she rose from her seat and gave the most charming smile. She approached him and greeted him bubbly.

"Good morning director, I know it's late but congratulations on your latest movie Spider-Man. I hear it's going to top $900 million."

She reached for a handshake.

"Thanks, you too, Cam- Cameron, Charlie's Angels and Vanilla Sky did well. I hear Charlie's Angels is getting a sequel."

Kazir almost said "Cam," which was too endearing. He felt he should be formal since this was a job and they had been separated for almost four years. Besides, Kazir was currently dating Angelina.

He shook her hand. Kazir felt her firm yet soft hand gently squeeze him.

Cameron giggled.

"As expected, you're still serious. Maybe that's what I like about you."

She left after that, but Kazir felt like she was messing with him.

++++

[If you want to read more, you can subscribe to my P@treon or Ko-fi.]

P@treon Link: https://www.patreon.com/Puji_maki

Ko-fi Link: https://ko-fi.com/pujimaki

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 280


Kazir's time with the cast of The Bourne Supremacy was uncomfortable. The actors were professional and they followed the standard procedure of reading the script...

However, Kazir could feel Cameron Diaz giving him flirtatious looks from time to time. Even Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass sensed it, but decided to keep quiet. As long as it did not interfere with their work, they would keep quiet.

Besides, Cameron and Kazir were dating once and they had a history. There would be an awkward atmosphere between them, that was for sure.

Kazir decided to leave the script reading earlier than the others. It was obvious to everyone else that Cameron was disappointed when Kazir left the set.

In Kazir's defense, he was busy, which was true. He had a lot on his plate even in the first month of the year. The production of Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Bourne Supremacy were important and he couldn't just leave those two projects.

He was committed to the Continental Cinematic Universe, a successful cinematic universe that he was building from the ground up. Obviously he didn't want to see it fail.

It was true that he stepped away from the CCU for a while to expand his filmography, but he would never leave the project to anyone else. Grey Pictures could hire directors now, but his presence was also important.

"I have to meet with someone at 20th Century Fox to finalize the distribution deal."

It was a worldwide distribution deal with a 25% box office cut. This time, however, Grey Pictures would be responsible for advertising. That means they have to come up with money for promotion to pay 20th Century Fox.

Hollywood makes about 500-600 movies a year, but most of them never had a chance to be released worldwide. Only about 100 movies had a chance to be released abroad and most of them were distributed by the Big Six for obvious reasons.

The Big Six and MGM were the only ones currently able to distribute films worldwide. Although MGM would lose its international distribution in a few years due to bankruptcy.

In the near future, new studios like Lionsgate, EntertainmentOne, A24, Focus Features and Netflix would set up their own distribution, but that was another story.

Grey Pictures knew that the Big Six already tolerated them enough, and the company couldn't do business with them without bleeding.

News Corporation was a media giant and could promote their films well. The deal was already good and there was no reason to hesitate.

"Nice to work with you again, director."

"Me too."

The person on the other side of the table was James N. Gianopulos. This guy was not that simple. He was the President of 20th Century Fox International. It was rumored that he would become Chairman/CEO of 20th Century Fox when Tom Rothman's term ended. Unless Tom Rothman decided to keep his position by achieving something great that shareholders would want him to stay.

The two shook hands.

"I hope this will not be the last time we work together. 20th Century Fox is serious about Grey Pictures."

"I understand."

'... By the looks of it, 20th Century Fox is going to start moving this year. Probably because Tom Rothman's term is ending and they need some good news to reassure the shareholders.'

Well, 20th Century Fox was one of the best studios around. They made hundreds of blockbusters in the history of cinema. This company has been in the business since 1935, it has a long history and a strong foundation.

Kazir had no problem selling shares in his company. He was not suited for the role of a businessman. It would only cause him stress. But he wanted to sell the shares to someone he could trust.

He knew that unlike Disney, which would corrupt the franchise, 20th Century Fox would be a better option... Warner Brothers, Paramount and Sony-Columbia were all good too. Just not Walt Disney. Disney would have its heyday, but by the 2020s, people would be tired of all their shit.

So Kazir's had no reason to disagree, but the price should be worth it. The biggest weapon of Grey Pictures was the CCU movies and so far all the movies have been box office hits. Last year, two CCU films grossed $1 billion worldwide combined.

Even though the money that Grey Pictures got was only $350 million and after expenses, the company still had a profit of $120 million. Also, the DVDs sold a lot. People were already losing interest in VHS and loved using DVD players instead.

Also, the rentals were profitable as well, they made $62 million from the rentals of Blockbusters, Walmart and movie stores.

Anyway, Kazir wanted to sell at best 40% of the stock to one of the Big Six for protection and distribution security.

So far, 20th Century Fox has been the most honest.

'I'm interested in making Deadpool, so why not?' Kazir thought.

If Grey Pictures was indeed acquired by 20th Century Fox, and Kazir was working for 20th Century Fox, surely management would let him film one of the goofiest characters in X-Men.

'... I love the first trilogy of X-Men, but the later ones are meh. But Deadpool is another story, it's a masterpiece. Have you ever seen a character break the fourth wall?'

Maybe... If the writer of that novel wanted to. He could easily break the fourth wall, like I just did.

Negotiations for a multi-billion dollar company would take at least a year to complete. So far, 20th Century Fox was just in the beginning stages.

"If 20th Century Fox is really interested in Grey Pictures, I hope they are sincere."

Kazir muttered and rose from his seat.

"Yes. Wait, what?"

James replied casually, until he realized that Kazir had actually dropped a bomb.

Kazir Grey had never shown any interest in selling his shares in Grey Pictures, not until now.

His statement clearly showed that Kazir was not against it. He just needed something to entice him.

++++

[I don't have a clear picture of the profits from rentals, but I'm sure they're definitely in the millions annually. So I am just guessing the numbers].

 

[Luizinho]

Sell for stock. If he goes to fox, have them buy Marvel.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Pujimaki]

Hollywood What If Chapter 281


James was surprised because he thought he would have to sit down with the director to convince him of a chance to prove 20th Century Fox.

This was one of their first moves. To become the distributor of Grey Pictures and build a solid cooperation to convince Grey Pictures to sell their shares.

But James didn't expect Kazir to actually see through their intentions and share his thoughts.

"Share swap is no problem either. You get authority over my company, I get authority over yours." Kazir chuckled. Money had never been a problem for him. Money was just a means for him to maintain his status, but it was not everything.

As long as Kazir could stay in the business and keep making movies, he would be alive. In fact, before his divorce from Cassandra, Kazir was earning quite well. He could afford to buy a house because of his share of the profits from the movies he made.

Actually, directors, actors, and producers had residuals from videotapes and such, but they were only relevant for the first five years. The sales of videotapes/DVDs slowed down after five years.

"... I understand."

James felt he had to take his job seriously.

By the looks of it... Kazir could get at least $1 billion from the upcoming transaction.

"Goodbye James."

Kazir didn't stay long and left. Tomorrow he has to talk to Tom Cruise about The Revenant.

Then, next week, Sony-Columbia would celebrate the success of Spider-Man. If their projections were correct, the film would cross the $900 million mark in the same week, the second week of January.

There was no time to rest... Actually, Kazir was very excited to start shooting The Revenant. He was always excited to do his job as a director. He felt alive doing his job. He loved the job more than ever.

.........

......

...

"So how's your reunion with Cameron?" The actor teased his friend.

"Tom, let's not talk about that." Kazir shook his head.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz worked together in Vanilla Sky. They knew each other and even shared a kissing scene in the movie.

"Why not? Cameron knows we're friends, so she asked me a lot about you. Which was a little interesting because you two were in a relationship for almost two years. Have you shown Cameron anything of your true self?"

"I have trust issues," Kazir muttered as he looked through the lists of actors and actresses.

"Did... Did you just say that?"

"Yes. Besides, Cameron and I are over."

"She's a great kisser, though."

"She is."

"Damn, I didn't expect you to react like that. I thought you would at least be angry. So you're really done with her."

Out of curiosity, Tom wanted to tease Kazir about his past relationship, but he didn't expect Kazir to be as stoic as an old tree. The guy didn't give a damn.

"All right, I'm sorry for what I said." He admitted his mistakes.

"It's okay."

Kazir knew that superstars usually had arrogant attitudes, and Tom's behavior was in line with what Kazir expected.

Many celebrities were arrogant, Gwyneth Paltrow, Will Smith, Lindsay Lohan, and even James Cameron. These people were quite known for having arrogant attitudes, some of this was because of the superstar syndrome. Where they think the world revolves around them.

Fortunately, even though Tom had that attitude, he knew when to apologize.

"Kazir, I have someone to recommend for Hugh Glass' wife."

As expected, Tom was going to recommend someone.

Kazir stopped reading the list. The female roles in this movie were basically non-existent, except for Hugh Glass's wife, but even that was a supporting role. In fact, the woman didn't even have a real name.

There were only four major characters in this movie, and they were all men.

"Tom, you know that Hugh Glass' wife is a supporting character. I have no intention of changing the script to accommodate anyone."

"Of course I understand that. I have no intention of doing that either. Just think of it as a cameo. She's a fan of yours, so I decided to give her a chance to work with you, even if the role is small."

"What's her name?"

"She's Penelope Cruz. I'm sure you know her."

'Of course she is.' Kazir thought.

Kazir knew Penelope Cruz, though he knew her only through her relationship with Tom.

Unless Kazir was mistaken, Tom met Penelope Cruz in Vanilla Sky, the same year Tom and Nicole Kidman divorced.

"If you're okay with it, I'll cast her. But you have to tell her it's a small part. Don't expect a big salary."

"We don't expect a salary at all, you can hire her for free if you want."

"We'll probably have to negotiate with her agent anyway, so let them decide."

"Okay."

The two agreed. This was just a small thing, no reason to take it seriously. They were both flexible and agreed with each other's decisions. The main reason they decided to work together was to win the Oscars.

Kazir already proved that he could make someone Best Actor after casting Liam Neeson. Tom Cruise had some regrets about Taken, but there was no reason to be depressed. He knew the movie was not for him.

Besides, Taken was the opening film of the CCU and Tom would probably not be invested in such a long term project.

Tom rarely does movies with sequels, except for the Mission Impossible franchise. Even Top Gun took more than three decades to get a sequel.

The Revenant was another chance for him to win the Best Actor Award. He read the script and was confident in Kazir's ability to bring it to the screen.

Tom Cruise even offered to invest at least 30% of the project, but Kazir and Grey Pictures never agreed. Anyway, small things, as long as their mission was the same, they would work it out.

"So these are the actors who auditioned for the second round, and I chose the actors who best fit their roles. Tom Hardy, Joaquin Phoenix and Shia Labeouf."

"Hm, seems reasonable. Joaquin is a great actor. I remember Tom Hardy in Black Hawk Down. But this Shia Labeouf is a new person for me."

Tom replied.

++++

[Author's Note: Don't mind the note below. This chapter was written ten months ago. I didn't delete it because I didn't want to... Don't be triggered, I want everyone to have fun and enjoy the novel.]

[It's officially January 1st here. And yes, as usual, I never saw The Revenant so I have no idea what I'm doing. Thanks guys for all your support. I hope we all have a blessed year!]

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter