Hollywood What If Chapter 211
Jessica Alba, Kazir recognized her face before she could even introduce herself.
When he glanced at the room, he found her face familiar and recalled a certain TV show called Dark Angel. However, the thing that made him remember was the woman's role in Fantastic Four. A movie based on a superhero comic. Marvel sold the movie adaptation to 20th Century Fox together with X-Men.
Anyway, he knew about Jessica Alba. Kazir Grey studied the woman and realized that the woman was young and she looked innocent and sweet.
'... Now I wonder how she got into that room.'
Based on his deduction, he believed that Jessica Alba was 18 or 19 years old at best. She was looking young.
Kazir's vision traveled down and confirmed that the woman was still in her skimpy outfit. A very short skirt that barely covered her ass and an off-shoulder top.
It would be a lie if Kazir said that he was not attracted to her appearance. The woman's appearance was screaming at him to do her. Yep, that was Kazir's conclusion.
He lowered the car window.
"Miss Jessica, do you wear clothes like this all the time?" He asked, out of curiosity.
"Director Grey, this is my first time wearing a skirt like this, my legs actually feel cold. The reason why I'm wearing this is because I heard that I will meet you today."
The woman did her best and explained.
Kazir looked into her eyes. Kazir was a director and he knew if a person was acting or not, he nodded when he confirmed that the woman was not lying. Unless Jessica Alba was super good at acting she could fool a director like Kazir Grey.
"Director, can you please give me some time to speak? I know you're busy but this is a rare chance for me. I want to talk to you."
'... This is the second time that this thing happened today. Should I agree?'
Kazir didn't have anything to do today. He already talked to Cameron Diaz earlier and officially broke up with her.
'Hehe, it's funny that I just broke up with her today, and yet here I am, having a conversation with another woman. Media might paint me as a womanizer.'
After thinking about it, Kazir nodded. However, he never left the car.
"You have a minute to talk." He announced.
"Director, can I enter your car? I'm not comfortable in my dress right now." Jessica Alba smiled, although her cheeks were blushing.
"I'm sorry. You should speak now, or I'll leave."
"Alright, alright. I auditioned for your project and I passed the first round."
'Now everything makes sense... However, my project only has a few female characters.'
The biggest female role in the movie was Fox, Grey Pictures was trying to contact Angelina Jolie to audition for the role.
The second was the fat female boss who was bullying Wesley Gibson.
The third was Wesley Gibson's girlfriend who cheated on him.
'For Jessica's age, it should be hard for her to pass the second round. Perhaps that's the reason why she attended this 'meeting' today, to convince me...'
The first round was about appearance check while the second round was about acting capability. Although most of the important roles were taken by actresses who had connections with the crew. That was usually how it worked.
"I'm hoping that you can give me a chance to prove to you that I can take the role of Fox in your movie..." She bit her lip and leaned closer to the car. "I can visit your apartment if you want. Don't worry, I'm 18 years old."
"..." Kazir didn't respond.
As a man, Kazir was excited. That was basic biology. It would be gay if he said that he was not affected by the woman's advancement.
Unfortunately, Kazir experienced so many beauty traps in this industry that he was accustomed to this kind of situation.
He shook his head and apologized.
"I'm sorry Jessica but I never resort to that kind of transaction."
"W- What? But I thought Reese--"
"She never did it, I never did."
The two had a staring contest.
Jessica Alba had her movie debut in 1994 as a child actor... The movie didn't have a good performance.
Next year after that, she got a main role in a movie but it was only distributed on the videotape market.
She studied acting for four years after that. She had three movie projects this year. For a new actress, that was actually not bad. Unfortunately, they never had a good performance at the box office, again.
Her agent recommended she audition for movies that had a strong chance of winning the box office.
Everyone in Hollywood knew about the rising production company named Grey Pictures. Next year, they would release another Continental movie and everyone believed that this movie would perform well.
Jessica didn't hesitate and joined the audition. She passed the first audition, thankfully. Yet she understood that it was not for her to secure a role.
She needed to find a way to talk to the casting director. Yes, a very common method in this industry. Having sex with the casting director or any important people in a movie project. This thing could happen to male actors as well. After all, there were many gays, lesbians, and bisexuals in this industry.
Jessica Alba's agent informed her that another agent was trying to contact Kazir. If the director agreed, he would spend some time in the private room.
Jessica accepted the job and wore a very appealing outfit hoping that Kazir Grey would be entertained.
The other six people in the private room were thinking the same way as her. They needed to form a connection with someone like Director Grey.
Unfortunately, Jessica Alba confirmed that the man in the car had his pride and he would never succumb to corruption.
"Director--"
"I'm sorry, Jessica. You can attend the second round of auditions. If you pass the second round, then we will meet at the last round. At that time, I will test you equally based on your capability as an actress. That's all I can do."
The car left the woman standing on the road, quite cold.
[Erm, spoiler alert, the woman will pass the second round and Kazir will meet her again. As for the outcome, I'm still not sure. I promised you guys that Kazir Grey will meet Jennifer Connelly(she's the one you chose a few weeks ago) and I'm trying to cook a story about them. So yeah, maybe Kazir will have a relationship with these two later, not confirmed by the way.]
Hollywood What If Chapter 212
The third week of screening of Taken 2 ended and the result was very good. November 21, 1999, the movie grossed $132.48 million.
The state of Hollywood was getting better and the power of media was stronger as well. People loved watching movies on weekends and this was the reason why the box office was better on weekends.
Kazir Grey was having his time, knowing that he didn't have many things to do lately.
The director of Taken 2, Fremont Smith, was currently promoting the movie together with the cast. They attended many national TV shows and local TV shows.
Paramount Pictures already promised that they would promote the movie, they knew that the box office of Taken 2 would make their appetite better. The company was the distributor of the videotapes and DVDs as well. As long as Taken 2 had a good performance, Paramount would get a better profit from the shared box office and videotapes/DVDs.
Sometimes, Brad Grey regrets the fact that he doesn't agree with Kazir's decision.
He should have let Grey Pictures invest 30% in the movie, at least Paramount owned the copyrights of Taken.
Grey Pictures would have approval rights but it was nothing compared to the profit that Taken brought. The influence of Taken in North America was strong because of the viral kidnapping that happened three years ago. That was the main reason why the movie earned more than half a billion at the worldwide box office.
Furthermore, Taken was part of a huge universe and every movie seemed profitable. Even John Wick that had an average box office was raking money in the videotape market.
Obviously, the people who watched Taken would watched John Wick and The Bourne Identity as well. Meaning, that they have to watch the three movies to get the whole plot. So yeah, more money...
Paramount Pictures regretted that they didn't get a share of this huge amount of money! Why the fuck did they not agree to Kazir's condition at that time.
If CEO Brad Grey could return back in time, he would slap his past self and scream at him to agree to Kazir's condition of investing 30% in the movie! Heck, he would even twerk in front of the director just to convince him.
Money... People would do everything just to get a big amount of money.
Just like straight men said, 20 dollars is 20 dollars, so it's not gay... Ahem, completely irrelevant but you get the gist. Money can make a person go crazy and do something stupid.
Not only Paramount, but even the other film companies that Kazir Grey contacted four years ago were having regret.
Clearly, the outrageous plan that Kazir called "Cinematic Universe" was a big hit! The four movies that Grey Pictures released were doing well at the box office and videotape market.
That was enough evidence that the Cinematic Universe was profitable.
Suddenly, Warner Bros had an epiphany, to be precise, they had the itch to follow Kazir's steps and make their own Cinematic Universe. In fact, they already had the best subject to use. It was none other than DC Comics! The Justice League! Where heroes from different comics made a superhero organization to protect the Earth from disaster.
However, there was something they were troubled about... They have no idea where to start. They felt like they had to invest money in these projects but money was not enough to gain success.
They need someone who can make sure that the project will be a success! That's right, they need someone like Kazir Grey, or to be exact, they need Kazir Grey!
The man, the myth himself, the director who made the impossible, Director Kazir Grey...
The said director was having his time, watching old movies. Today, he watched the iconic Gone With The Wind, the best movie of the 1940s.
Kazir Grey didn't know that his status improved again. He received so many invitations from different personalities in the industry but just like the usual, he declined most of them. He didn't like parties and talking to strangers, especially if the strangers were just interested in his status and money.
So many women conversed with him every time he attended a party but they always flirted with him.
Film? Nah, I want to talk to you about my feelings and how you can give me a role in your next project.
Editing cuts? What's that? Anyway, I want to tell you about my cute kitty. If you want, you can see it later, my soft tight pussy...
What about the production crew? Nah, I want to talk to you about producing a baby.
Yep, it might sound outrageous, but Kazir heard that kind of pick-up line lately.
Honestly, Kazir Grey wanted to nod his head and say yes to their advancement but his fear towards women made him shake his head and walk away. Beautiful female strangers scared him the most.
After Kazir Grey watched the iconic movie, he stood up and changed his clothes. He had a meeting with an investment firm. He heard last time that his investment already surpassed $120 million, surely it increased again this time.
Now that he became a millionaire, he realized that making money was not that hard... Or perhaps he was just being delusional. The hardest step of being a millionaire was earning that first 1 million.
In his past life, his net worth just barely passed 1 million. His life back then was not that bad at all, but he was extremely depressed after losing the divorce, losing his father, and having no contact with his elder brother. He never met his mother in his past life.
He had a hard time forming a connection with the opposite gender and he could never put his heart in them, as if he was scared that he would be hurt again.
He knew that life was never sunshine. This led him to the truth that it was better to be a boring man than a passionate one. At least his expectations would never be high and his pain would be weaker.
[Author's Note: Rereading this chapter, I realized that there's no conversation at all. There's no reason to put a conversation anyway...]
Hollywood What If Chapter 213
Kazir Grey remembered that the dot-com bubble would burst next year and Kazir was not stupid enough to keep investing in internet companies. He knew that once the dot-com bubble burst happened, many industries would be affected.
He decided to retrieve all of his money and wait till the recession ended. Of course, while that was happening, he would try looking for a nice house in Beverly Hills.
Beverly Hills was the place where many celebrities lived. It was Kazir's dream to have a house in that place.
Actually, with his money, he could easily buy a house in Beverly Hills but Kazir decided to keep waiting until the right moment arrived.
Many investors already pulled out their investment in internet companies but more investors were crazy enough to invest more because the trend was getting upward. They felt like if they pulled out, they would lose the chance of making more money and regret it.
For Kazir Grey who didn't have much knowledge about the stock industry and other companies, he decided to trust his memories.
"Um, Director Grey, are you really sure about this?"
Vance Goodhood, the financial advisor, wiped the sweat on his forehead. Kazir Grey was his client for almost five years now and he knew that Kazir Grey was making millions every year. He was an important client that Vance Goodhood didn't want to let go of.
"I'm serious, Vance. I want to take all of my money."
It was a shock for Vance Goodhood that Kazir Grey wanted to stop investing in stocks and take all of the money! Not when the market was bullish!
Still, as a professional financial advisor, Vance Goodhood didn't have the right to stop his client. He just felt bad and sad because his commission would end...
"... Can I hear the reason?"
Vance Goodhood asked with depression.
"I want to buy a house," Kazir answered honestly.
"..."
He suddenly remembered that his client actually didn't have a house! This director was living in his office most of the time! Even his apartment was nothing but a decoration. God knows how many times he used the apartment.
"Don't worry, Vance. I will still contact you once I decide to invest again. You are a trustworthy person."
"That's very glad to hear." Vance sighed but it felt better. He was still losing a commission. Well, he would get a commission once Kazir took all of the money and it was quite big. He was wondering which company should he invest in once he got his commission.
"By the way Vance, you said that you are investing in Microsoft and ATT, right?"
"That's right."
Most of the stockbrokers were putting their trust in the internet companies because of its rapid rise. They were earning money every day.
"I feel like the dot-com bubble will happen at any moment and I fear that my money will disappear. That's the reason why I want to take my money and put it on something tangent."
"..." Vance Goodhood was quiet.
Everyone in this industry understood that the dot-com bubble was real. The real net worth of the internet companies was far lower than the stock prices. Once something big happened, the prices would go lower.
However, almost everyone said that the bubble would burst but no one exactly knows when. Some of his co-workers said that the bubble would burst two years ago yet the dot-com industry was still thriving.
"Your opinion makes sense." Vance Goodhood nodded. Suddenly, he felt like he should take at least half of his investment just to be sure. After all, he already earned a lot. There was no reason to be greedy... Or else he might jump off the building.
Spoiler alert, a few months later, many workers on Wall Street jumped off the buildings to end their lives. Knowing that they could never retrieve the money they lost.
"I promise to contact you again once I'm interested in investing."
Of course, Kazir knew so many companies that would redefine the era. Apple, Google, and Amazon, these were only a few of the companies that he wanted to invest in.
Heck, even if he invested 10 thousand dollars in Amazon, he knew that he would be a millionaire ten years later.
Vance Goodhood was depressed but he still obeyed. Kazir Grey received a notification and confirmed that he received more than $200 million in his bank account.
Vance Goodhood has his documents related to his investment... Kazir didn't bother reading them because he knew that he made so much money in the span of five years.
Ah, the life of a millionaire, just adding dozens of millions of dollars to his bank account, as usual.
Kazir Grey and Vance Goodhood shook hands and the director left the investment firm in jolly. Of course he was happy to earn more money.
"Hello, Erica. I want you to contact a real estate agent. That's right. Oh, you know someone? Ah, so Salvatore Barlowe bought a house last year. Anyway, I want you to tell the real estate agent that I'm looking for a house in Beverly Hills. I'm not picky, since I'm going to use the house to hold parties."
Kazir ended the call. Lately, he felt like life was giving him rainbows, which was suspicious as fuck. Perhaps fate was just giving him good vibes before it fucked him up.
'I hope nothing bad will happen.'
He closed the car and sped up. He was free today so he might as well visit the set of Napoleon Dynamite III. This would be the last movie of the franchise because the salary of the cast was getting expensive. Perhaps a decade later, once the cast was not famous anymore, 20th Century Fox would start the franchise again for nostalgia to earn another batch of money.
After all, Hollywood loves using nostalgia to get the audience to buy more tickets.
'I'm tired of saying that Spider-Man: No Way Home was carried by nostalgia because that was the truth.'
Hollywood What If Chapter 214
[Author's Note: I know some of you are not a fan of Kazir's depressing life. But I have to do this chapter. They need a proper closure. So I apologize in advance.]
"So how's your life these days?"
"I'm fine. Quite busy with work." Reese Witherspoon replied, leaning against the painted wall.
They were having an indoor scene. Ed Helms and Pedro Pascal were in front of the cameras, acting their roles.
Kazir Grey decided to visit the set and found Reese Witherspoon. The two had a conversation, although the atmosphere was awkward.
"How to you, Kazir? How's your life? Are you and Cameron having fun?"
"I already broke up with her two days ago."
"..."
Reese Witherspoon became quiet and bit her lip.
"Then... No, never mind." The woman shook her head and decided to stop talking.
She had a relationship with Kazir and she knew that she was not the right person for him. Kazir was a great lover and sometimes she missed him.
If not for her busy schedule, perhaps she would think of him most of the time. Kazir was a perfect man in terms of status and fame. He was not a womanizer and he treated his girl so well. However, Kazir never got to the point where he could love.
Reese wanted to get back to him but she knew that it would be useless. At this moment, what she needed was to move on.
She was famous anyway, and a lot of men were trying to court her. Perhaps it was time to forget about Kazir... Her first love.
"Kazir, I hope you will find happiness in your life."
"You too, Reese. If you need help, you can contact Grey Pictures."
The woman chuckled and shook her head. As expected, this man was too good of a person. He was too good to his friends.
Director Hugo Lameire called Reese and talked about her scene. Director Lameire was quite docile this time.
He cooperated with Universal Pictures last year ago to make a comedy movie but the result was awful.
Hugo Lameire was trying to make a breakthrough in Hollywood. He was free to work with other companies... Yet his first time working outside 20th Century Fox was a disaster.
After that tragedy, Hugo Lameire lost his fangs and started taking the Napoleon Dynamite III seriously.
Just like last time, Kazir Grey hired a bunch of comedy writers to make the script. He read it and then gave it approval before passing it to 20th Century Fox.
Then, if the script was not within the expectations of 20th Century Fox, they have the authority to alter the script or completely throw it and make a new one.
Kazir Grey looked at the cast. Ed Helms and Pedro Pascal rose from the ranks of actors after the success of Napoleon Dynamite and The Hangover.
They got some huge roles although most of them didn't have a strong impact on the audience.
As for Reese Witherspoon, perhaps she had the most successful career run in the cast. Even her salary was equal to Ed Helms's.
Furthermore, 20th Century Fox extended their hands and invited Reese Witherspoon for the role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
Cameron Diaz expressed her interest in the project as well.
Kazir decided to let fate decide the outcome of this competition. Both women were of equal standing and they have box office appeal.
After watching for a while and being greeted by extras, hoping to form a connection with the director, Kazir Grey decided to leave the set.
...
...
...
"Hey, are the rumors real?"
Harold Witsend talked to Kazir in a low voice and asked.
"Hm, what do you mean?"
"I'm talking about you! People are saying that you want to jump the agency and return to WMA!"
"Ah, so you're talking about that. What do you think?"
"What do you mean, what do you think? I'm asking you, so don't throw the question back to me."
The rumors spread fast and it seemed that they intentionally spread it.
WMA said that Kazir already had an agreement with them and they only needed a proper signing of a contract.
"Kazir, you have to remember what they did to you."
"Relax. I'm just trying to do something. I want to know the reaction of both sides."
Suddenly, Erica Mendez informed them that Salvatore Barlowe arrived at the building.
"Sir, your agent is here."
"Let him enter." Kazir nodded and stood up.
The door opened and Kazir welcomed Salvatore Barlowe with open arms.
"Kazir!"
"Salvatore!"
The two didn't shake hands, instead, they hugged like brothers. However, it was obvious that Salvatore Barlowe was nervous.
"Let me excuse myself."
Harold Witsend understood that the two needed privacy and left the room on his own accord.
The two sat down and Salvatore coughed before talking about the subject.
"Kazir, I heard about this rumor--"
"If you are talking about WMA, it's indeed true that an agent from WMA talked to me about changing agency."
"Then..." Salvatore felt his forehead getting sweaty. Everyone in the industry knew that Kazir was his biggest client. The reason why his actors and actresses got so many roles was because of the connections they formed through Kazir.
"You know WMA, they exaggerated things. Don't worry, I will not do something foolish without thinking about it seriously. Oh, by the way, when is the renewal of our contract?"
"!!!" Salvatore almost jumped.
The Kazir Grey has been a client of CAA for more than 4 years and the contract would end this year... They thought renewal would be simple, not until the rumors started circulating.
"Kazir..." The agent swallowed hard.
"Don't worry, Salvatore. I'm not going to leave the CAA. I think you know what my intention is."
Kazir smiled and assured his agent. Of course he won't leave the agent who trusted him from the beginning.
"I understand..." Salvatore sighed and immediately realized his intentions.
"How about we ask how much can CAA do just to retain my contract?"
Hollywood What If Chapter 215
Kevin Huvane, he was a famous talent agent under CAA. He was the agent of Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock, Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Lopez.
He was a co-chairman of CAA as well, together with Bryan Lourd and Richard Lovett. These three reigned over CAA after Michael Ovitz disappeared.
Even though the three were working for the betterment of the company, it could not help but have competition between the three.
Bryan Lourd was currently the co-chairman and CEO of the company, having the highest position. Kevin Huvane sometimes thought of taking the position, you know, people like to be on top of the food chain and be king.
Lately, rumors have been circulating in the industry. The rising star director, Kazir Grey, intended to change agency once the contract ended. In fact, WMA was already making a contract that would satisfy Kazir's requirements, like, right now.
Kevin Huvane knew that losing a huge director like Kazir would be bad for the company. So he talked to Salvatore Barlowe to convince Kazir to stay in the CAA.
His first impression of the half-Korean agent was average at best. He knew that Salvatore's signing a contract with Kazir was the best decision in his entire life. In a way, the half-Korean agent was lucky.
'A lot of agents are jealous of him because of that.'
However, Salvatore's status in the company was getting better. Kevin Huvane was the one who recommended him to be part of the Board of Directors after the success of Taken. Many agents were against the idea but they gradually shut their mouths once Salvatore's clients found their ways in the industry.
Brianna Evans was doing great. She was a certified star.
Scarlett Johansson had roles here and there and her future was promising.
Fremont Smith directed Taken 2 and it was a success. Another director who had a good prospect.
In fact, Kevin Huvane intended to change Fremont's agent since it would be troublesome to have an agent who had two big directors under him. CAA had to balance their power...
Of course, Kevin Huvane would pass Fremont Smith to an agent close to him.
'I should wait for the right moment to open that to Salvatore.'
Another client under Salvatore was Enzo Park. This Korean actor was still trying to find his stardom. He got some good roles but all of them were supporting actors. He was never invited to be the protagonist.
Out of all of the clients that Salvatore Barlowe had, Kazir Grey was the most important. In the first place, Kazir was the reason why all of Salvatore's clients became famous. The director paved a path for them.
An agent who had a director like Kazir was truly lucky. Well, Kevin Huvane had Steven Spielberg so there was no reason to be jealous.
Anyway, Kazir Grey was an important client and they didn't want to let him go. Kazir was a workaholic director and he always had a movie every year. His projects were profitable and the actors and actresses he cast in his movies were mostly from CAA.
Once Kazir Grey left CAA, it would affect many clients in the agency.
Honestly, Kevin Huvane felt like Kazir was gambling if he indeed changed an agency. His production company was just getting started and it needed stability.
Still, Kevin Huvane took things seriously and he had to think of a solution before things went south.
A few minutes later, Kevin Huvane's secretary informed him that agent Salvatore Barlowe arrived.
The half-Korean agent entered the office and greeted Kevin Huvane. Salvatore Barlowe had a better relationship with Kevin Huvane than Bryan Lourd and Richard Lovett. The three had an inside war in the company.
"Salvatore, I hoped to hear good news."
"I already talked to Kazir. He trusts me so our conversation is not that bad."
"So what are his conditions."
Kevin Huvane was not stupid. He knew that Kazir's contract was going to end next year and the rumors started spreading at the right moment. Clearly, the director was trying to tell something.
"He only has two conditions."
Salvatore raised to fingers and started talking.
"First, he wants to lower the commission to 2%."
"No problem, we can do that."
Kevin Huvane easily agreed. He knew that this moment would come. It seemed that Kazir Grey had the same contract as the other big directors in the agency.
"As for the second, Kazir said that Fremont Smith should remain as my client. He said that he didn't want any trouble so it's better for Fremont Smith to stay as my client so that communication will not be difficult."
"..." Kevin Huvane shut his mouth.
"If Fremont Smith changed an agent, the new agent will definitely ask for an outrageous salary and the negotiation might be difficult. We don't want that to happen." Salvatore Barlowe further explained.
"Salvatore, did Fremont know about this?"
"Yes, he feels indebted to me and Kazir. He trusts us, more than anyone."
'... What an asshole.'
Kevin Huvane said in his head. As for who he was talking about, no one knew. Perhaps he was talking about both Salvatore and Kazir.
"... I'll contact Bryan and tell him about Kazir's condition. Of course, we don't want Kazir to leave so we will definitely satisfy his conditions."
Kevin Huvane smiled and led the agent out of the office. He realized that he raised a snake.
He didn't know who thought of this plan but they sure knew how to silence him before he could even start.
For now, his plan of changing Fremont Smith's agent would be buried.
Indeed, his opinion of Salvatore Barlowe changed. He was not a newbie agent anymore. He was a certified shameless agent who would do something outrageous just to get what he wanted. Ah, the life of a talent agent, is truly one of a kind.
Hollywood What If Chapter 216
Kazir knew that his status was not that simple anymore. His hard work paid off and he was recognized as a true top director who could bring profit to an agency.
From 1995 to 1999, he created movies that were blockbusters.
Napoleon Dynamite
The Hangover
Taken
John Wick
The Bourne Identity
In just five years, he created five big movies. Honestly, that was amazing. After all, making a movie was never simple. The manpower, budget, and creation of the movie were never simple.
For Kazir to consecutively make good movies, he was already a top director. It would be detrimental for CAA to let him go.
At first, Kazir Grey never had the intention of making conditions. He wanted to work with CAA for a long time.
However, lately, many agents have been trying to contact him. Some of them even knocked on his car just to talk to him. Honestly, it was frustrating and these agents didn't respect his privacy.
Suddenly, he thought of an idea. He "agreed" to Franklin Maxwell's conditions, telling the agent that he might return to WMA if they agreed to his conditions.
With that, CAA felt a certain danger. They didn't want to lose and hoped that Kazir would give them a chance to prove themselves.
CAA was an agency and they had to find or cater jobs for their actors until the clients had a steady income that CAA could profit from.
The projects that Grey Pictures made cater to CAA, most of the crew and cast came from CAA, making jobs and money for both sides.
If CAA lost Kazir Grey and Grey Pictures, it would be devastating.
Kazir used this situation to his advantage. Actually, Kazir didn't have anything he wanted from CAA. He had money, fame, and authority over his projects.
The 2% commission rate was not that enticing for him, even if he earned millions. If there was one thing he was worried about, it was the future of Grey Pictures and Continental Cinematic Universe.
Being a veteran in this industry, Kazir knew that Fremont Smith would have a change of agent. It might be bad or not bad, but it would never be good or better.
Changing an agent would possibly affect Fremont's contract with Grey Pictures. Note that Fremont Smith signed a trilogy contract with Grey Pictures and he has to film three movies for Grey Pictures in a decade.
Now, the agent might alter the contract, for his and Fremont's as well... The thing was, Kazir didn't want that to happen.
It might sound bad but Kazir didn't want that. He wanted to keep the trilogy contract. As for salary, Fremont Smith had all the right to ask for more. He deserved it anyway, besides, Salvatore was there to negotiate between the two.
So he used this situation to ask one of the co-chairmen to agree to his request. Again, Kazir was not a simple director anymore. He had the status to negotiate with the CAA.
So fast forward... He got what he wanted. CAA lowered their commission rate and they decided to keep quiet about changing Fremont's agent.
Kazir won this battle without facing Kevin Huvane. That was a victory.
As for WMA and other agencies, he didn't give a fuck if they wanted to make a contract that would satisfy him. Kazir already signed the renewal contract, of course, with his lawyer Terrence Downey.
...
...
...
"... So you really passed."
Kazir weakly muttered as he looked at the woman who was waiting for her number.
The last round of auditions for female roles was today. Kazir decided to take a break since they kept going for half a day now. When he left the audition room, he looked at the actresses who were waiting in the hallway.
The women started posing and kept their poise, they gave their sweetest smiles to the director of the movie.
This was not the first time that this thing happened so Kazir was already used to it. Although, he admitted it, everyone in the hallway was beautiful.
'Unfortunately for them, the leading female role is already taken by Angelina Jolie. She didn't bother attending the audition today because she already signed the contract yesterday. We are now looking for actresses who can fill the other female roles.'
Angelina Jolie was still a rising star and her salary was acceptable, it didn't even reach 1 million. The woman lost her credibility a few years ago because of drug addiction.
The woman was okay now and Kazir even confirmed it personally yesterday. The woman was in her right mind... She didn't look wasted anymore. A good thing since she was the woman whom Kazir portrayed in Wanted.
"Good morning, Director Grey!"
Anyway, while walking, someone greeted him and Kazir instinctively looked at the person who called his name.
"You..."
He was surprised to see a young woman in the line-up.
"Ah, I'm sorry, perhaps you don't remember me anymore. I'm Jessica Alba. We met last in time in--"
"No, I remember you."
Kazir replied.
The women who were in the hallway looked at the two. They glared at Jessica Alba who started a conversation with the director without shame. Jessica Alba was the youngest participant in this competition. All of the actresses except Jessica were over 20 years old.
They didn't like that Jessica Alba hoarded all of Kazir's attention. Because if that happened, then the outcome of this audition would be obvious.
Yet it seemed that Jessica Alba disregarded their hatred or she just didn't sense the actresses' hatred towards her. Well, this is a rare chance to form a connection with a hot, young, and talented director like Kazir.
Note that Kazir Grey was only 31 years old. In this industry, that age was still young. Some actors and actresses bloomed late in this industry.
Hollywood What If Chapter 217
Jessica Alba heard an actress click her tongue in annoyance as Jessica talked to the director.
Jessica smiled sweetly, knowing that the gazes of the women in the hallway were on her, mad and angry.
"Director, are you taking a break?" Jessica asked with innocence in her eyes.
"Uh, yeah," Kazir looked at his Casio watch.
"You guys can take a break as well and eat lunch. The audition will resume after an hour." Kazir announced and some of the women stood up. Some went to the restroom to retouch their makeup.
"Director, can I eat with you? Ah, I have a lunchbox with me. You don't have to treat me."
Perhaps knowing that her chance to get the role was minuscule, Jessica Alba decided to go to the director straight.
Another batch of glaring was pointed at Jessica but she stood still.
Kazir looked at the woman for a few seconds. Jessica felt like Kazir studied her from head to toe. She suddenly felt hot for unknown reasons.
The director's gaze was piercing her. A few seconds later, Kazir nodded his head.
"Okay. Follow me to the canteen."
"Yeah? Y- Yes! Right away, director!"
Jessica was actually surprised that Kazir would agree. She thought that Kazir would decline just like what happened last time. She realized that Kazir was not a simple guy who would say yes just to get into a woman's panties... Making him interesting.
Seducing a man like Kazir meant a lot. A lot of actresses tried to have sex with him, even going as far as inviting him to their hotel room, but Kazir held his position.
For a young woman like Jessica, she was interested in the cold-hearted man Kazir Grey. Kazir was different from the usual directors in her definition. He was tall, fit, and handsome. Especially now that he shaved his beard. He could be an actor if he wanted to.
Jessica meekly followed the man into the canteen, a little bit nervous. She knew that she was trying to seduce the man but she didn't expect that she would reach this far.
The two sat across each other. Kazir called someone to bring him lunch while Jessica opened her lunchbox.
"You are indeed young, who will bring a lunchbox like a student in this situation."
"I cooked this on my own." She sheepishly replied. "Do you want some?"
"It's fine, my lunch is here."
One of the crew put the plate of waffles with syrup and fries. Then his drink was a bottle of Sprite.
Jessica was a bit surprised. She thought the director would eat something extravagant, like steal or something.
"Jessica, someone already got the female lead so you don't have to work hard."
"..." Jessica bit her lip, she didn't expect that. "Can I know her name?"
"It's Angelina Jolie."
This thing would spread anyway so there was no reason to keep it a secret.
"Angelina Jolie? If I'm not wrong she should have a movie that will be released next week. I watched the trailer, I think the name of the movie is Girl, Interrupted. I remember the trailer because Winona Ryder is the protagonist, I love Winona Ryder. She's so beautiful."
Kazir nodded and respected her opinion... Winona Ryder was indeed beautiful.
"Tell your agent to find another role for you. The actress we were looking for is over 20 years old and ready for a nude scene. Jessica, you are too young to do a nude scene. You should take your time and relax, you are still young and have a good future."
This was the reason why Kazir agreed to take Jessica Alba to the canteen. He wanted to tell her that she should not rush. There were lots of opportunities for her, but certainly not Wanted.
"I... I can't. I..."
Jessica started stuttering.
"Jessica, did you..."
Kazir realized that something was wrong with the young woman. When he said that Jessica wouldn't get the role, she became nervous and disheartened.
"Jessica, did you sleep with someone just to pass the second round?"
Everything became clear. In the first place, Jessica Alba was too young for a movie like Wanted. The casting director should have known about that, unless...
"N- No, I did not." The woman immediately shook her head.
"Then why are you stuttering?" His voice became heavier and Jessica hiccuped.
She decided to tell the truth.
"I didn't have sex with anyone in the crew... But my agent did. He had sex with the casting director so that I could pass the audition."
"Wait a minute. He?"
Kazir frowned. The casting director of this project was a male!
"That's right, my agent had a hard time walking for two days after that transaction. There's a rumor that the casting director swings both ways and my agent jumped in the gun."
"..."
Kazir was speechless.
'Damn, that's crazy.'
"Ah, but you don't have to worry. My agent is gay so it's not a problem for him."
'It's a problem to me... I have to talk to Salvatore and tell him that I need a new casting director. Transaction using sex might backfire on us and it will affect the project.'
As much as possible, he didn't want any trouble.
He knew that this kind of transaction was everywhere in Hollywood and he knew that it was impossible to stop it.
As long as there were men and women who were ready to use their bodies, this kind of thing would never disappear. This was the hard truth.
However, Kazir wanted none of that in his project.
"Um, Director... I know that I'm not close to you, but can I get your number? If you are against it, then can I give you my number instead? I hope that if you have roles that are suitable for me, you will call me or my agent... I will work hard."
"Give me your number."
"A- Alright..." Jessica Alba was disappointed. She knew that Kazir would never contact her.
The woman meekly gave the business card to him and left the canteen after eating.
There were a lot of people in the canteen and there were cameras. In case some rumors flew around, Kazir had evidence to support him.
[Author's Note: Damn, I feel like I've wasted this situation. But considering Kazir's personality, I know that it will not be easy for him to have a relationship or even a fling with a woman. Perhaps in another year or two, they will meet again. I apologize, as a man, I have this urge to write smut but I have to make sure that it's believable and within the expected plot. So yeah... I might go for Angelina Jolie's route for now. I remembered that Kazir and Angelina met a few times at parties but I never wrote their conversations, I'll try to cook something about them.]
[Another thing, do you want Wanted to be PG-13? The original Wanted is Rated-R and it's good. But if Wanted became PG-13 then it would be more believable for it to have a higher box office, higher than Taken and The Hangover in this universe.]
Hollywood What If Chapter 218
Why does a person want to be an actor/actress?
Well, there are lots of reasons.
Money. Famous actors earn a lot, by taking roles in movies or commercials. Perhaps money was one of the main reasons why a person wanted to be an actor.
The second is fame. It's very addicting. The pleasure that people know you, looking at you as if you're a God, and asking for your autograph. Perhaps this is the best reason why actors and actresses have superiority complex. Because people around them treat them like Gods and Goddesses.
The other reason might be related to their passion. The love for storytelling or the love of acting.
Well, there are a lot of reasons and it might take a while to list all of them.
As for Orlando Bloom... He was handsome and being an actor or a model was the best profession for someone like him who had a handsome face. Since he was handsome, he might as well use it. It was one of the reasons why he passed the requirements for being an Elf in Lord Of The Rings, Legolas.
Orlando Bloom was still new in this industry. He just started two years ago, in 1997. This year, Orlando Bloom was busy with Lord Of The Rings, an epic novel known to be the father of the fantasy genre. Even though the novel was published almost five decades ago, it was still famous for readers. It had a lot of fans all over the world.
Orlando Bloom was lucky to be part of the movie project. However, he has to be realistic. Orlando Bloom was not the protagonist of Lord Of The Rings and his screentime was not that good either.
Grey Pictures invited him to audition for their new project and Orlando Bloom was very interested. He knew that Grey Pictures was cooking something good and he wanted to be part of it.
Yet when he returned to the USA, he found out that his agent tried to hook Kazir to return to WMA. At first, Orlando Bloom was excited. If Kazir became a client of WMA, then Orlando Bloom had a better chance of being the protagonist of Wanted.
However, the reality was often disappointing, Kazir Grey renewed his contract with CAA and decided to stay with them.
"Orlando, it says here that you don't have a current project except Lord Of The Rings."
"Yes. I spend a year in New Zealand and most of my scenes are already completed. I believe it will not have a conflict schedule." Orlando did his best and smiled. He assured the people in the audition room that he would be faithful to Wanted and work hard.
The one who interviewed him was Harold Witsend. The acting part was already over and they went to the interview part.
Actually, Orlando Bloom passed the appearance of the protagonist-- based on Kazir's drawing.
Furthermore, the Orlando Bloom in front of them looked depressed... Just like the protagonist in the first part of the movie.
"Thanks, Orlando. We will call you back."
Harold Witsend announced and Orlando Bloom understood that his moment in the audition room was done.
"Thanks."
The actor left, giving the people inside the room to talk.
"Fremont, what do you think of Orlando's acting?"
Fremont just returned to the USA and he decided to attend this audition out of curiosity. He was not a part of the crew since he had his own anymore, but his opinion matters.
"Orlando Bloom is consciously acting handsomely all of the time. I'm not sure if that's needed." The young director said and Kazir agreed.
Wesley Gibson was an office worker who was tired of his boring life. It would be awkward if he posed handsomely most of the time.
"Then what about Ben Affleck?'
"The one before Orlando Bloom? He has short hair and it didn't match with the sketch of Wesley Gibson you provided us. Furthermore, if Orlando Bloom is acting handsomely in front of the camera, then Ben Affleck is acting manly and tough. Like he puffed his chest out and stood like a soldier. Ready for battle."
The people inside the room left out a chuckle.
These two had the best chance to get the role because they
'I can adjust their acting mood once they signed a contract. Perhaps Orlando Bloom was still affected by his role as Legolas, the same as Ben Affleck. Once I set their mentalities, their ticks will seldom show up. As for their appearances...'
Honestly, Kazir was interested to see Christian Bale's audition but the actor was too busy with American Psycho and he could not participate. He turned down the role and apologized to Grey Pictures, hoping that they could work on another project.
In Kazir's opinion, Christian Bale had a good actor his acting talent Oscar worthy. Unfortunately, this moment was not for him.
As for James McAvoy, the original actor, Kazir has no intention of finding the young man. In the first place, he had no idea where to find him.
So the crew was left with two choices, either Orlando Bloom or Ben Affleck.
"... Let's go with Ben Affleck. Unlike Orlando Bloom, Ben Affleck has box office appeal and people can recognize him."
The box office of Armageddon last year was over $500 million worldwide. Obviously, many people watched the movie. Ben Affleck was a better choice than Orlando Bloom in this case.
As for appearance, Kazir could change it as long as the plot and the actor delivered a good performance.
"Okay then, looks like I have to apologize to Orlando Bloom's agent."
Producer Harold Witsend could not help but laugh. He heard from Kazir that Orlando Bloom's agent was the one who tried to entice him. Perhaps this was a great slap to the agent.
That night, one group had a celebration while the other had a bleak atmosphere. In the end, Orlando Bloom returned to New Zealand.
Although he hoped to work with Director Grey next time. After all, Director Grey could produce blockbuster movies, something a newbie actor like him needed to be famous.
Hollywood What If Chapter 219
"Why are you here?"
"Huh, that's the question I should ask you. You're a nobody, how can you even step into this building?"
The two teenagers glared at each other with clear hatred. Their eyes never hide the fact that hated each other.
Scarlett Johansson was standing, crossing her arms, like a mean girl.
Across her was none other than Mara Cohen, Kazir's half-sister from mother's side.
The two teenagers had a confrontation last time in an audition. The title of the movie was Ghost World. It was a black comedy, a small-budget movie ranging from 7 to 10 million dollars.
Unlike the other cast that Kazir hired, Scarlett Johansson was still having a hard time finding her foundation in the industry. Especially now that she was getting older.
Salvatore Barlowe was only one person and he couldn't take care of all his clients all at once, so Scarlett Johansson had another agent to take care of her. The name of the agent was Beth Rogers, a female agent recently hired by CAA.
Beth Rogers knew that Scarlett Johansson was still not in legal age and it was hard for the girl to find roles because most production companies prefer 18 years old to cast in their group age.
Scarlett Johansson was still 15 years old. If the production company had to choose between a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old, they would easily choose the latter. Underage actors were troublesome to handle.
Scarlett Johansson suffered because of that.
Thankfully, she was cast in Ghost World. The salary was not important, as long as she kept working hard, she knew that her time would come.
However, there was a "minor" incident that happened after the audition.
Mara Cohen confronted Scarlett Johansson and screamed that she stole her role. That Mara Cohen should have been cast instead of her.
The two started lashing at each other until they pulled each other's hair.
Elizabeth Cohen and Agent Beth Rogers appeared and stopped the two. Thankfully, that ruckus never spread but the two teenagers would never forget that incident.
"Are you going to steal my role again, you bitch?"
"What!?"
Scarlett was stunned. She knew the B-word but she didn't expect that this certain word would be used to describe her. Because she knew that she was never a bitch.
"No, you're the bitch! Besides, I heard that your audition is awful! You can't act at all! Your facial expressions are dead and you don't know how to show any emotions! In this industry, the best you can do is become a nameless base!"
"What did you say!?"
The two screamed at each other.
"I can't believe that my brother hired a spoiled bitch like you!" Mara Cohen sneered.
They kept using the term bitch to insult each other.
After experiencing a life in Hollywood, she realized that her brother was actually someone amazing. He was respected by everyone.
In that regard, Mara Cohen was proud of her brother. She wanted to get closer to her brother but their first meeting was very bad.
It seemed that her brother held a grudge against her mother. Which was confusing. Because her mother was great. Elizabeth Cohen treated Mara preciously, and for that, she loved her mother.
Mara Cohen didn't know why her brother hated their Mom.
"Brother, I have no idea who you're talking about."
Scarlett frowned. She knew that this bitch's surname was Cohen and Scarlett never knew someone who had that surname.
Mara Cohen smirked and raised her chin arrogantly.
"My brother is Kazir Grey. You should be thankful that someone like you was hired by my brother."
"... I don't believe you."
Scarlett Johansson shook her head. She studied Mara Cohen and admitted that the bitch was beautiful, but she didn't have any resemblance to Kazir.
'Kazir Grey is a rough, handsome, tall, and talented guy. It is impossible for someone like him to have a sister like this bitch.'
Scarlett deemed it impossible. She giggled and gave Mara a pitiful gaze.
"I can't believe you're getting delusional. You're still young but you're already suffering a mental illness, what a poor bitch."
"You--!!"
"What's happening here?"
Suddenly, Elizabeth Cohen appeared. Next to her was Mara's agent from UTA(United Talent Agency). Elizabeth was hugging the old man's arm like they were close... Well, Elizabeth was still single after her last divorce. She dated some men and had many one-night stands.
Now that she was free from marriage, she could do what she wanted. She was not doing anything bad.
"Mom! Tell this spoiled girl that she's ungrateful! She said that she didn't respect my brother, Kazir Grey!"
"I never said that!" Scarlett immediately denied it.
Scarlett flinched when she realized that Elizabeth's cold gaze was on her. The woman was in her late 40s, yet she was still beautiful and healthy. It seemed that she took care of her body, by exercising.
"Ah, so we meet again. I think your name is Scarlett Johansson."
Elizabeth Cohen smiled but it sent shivers down to Scarlett's spine.
She wanted to run away from this woman. She was dangerous.
"Hey, kid, where's your agent?" The old agent from UTA asked Scarlett.
"Are you looking for me?"
Scarlett Johansson sighed in relief when she heard Salvatore's voice.
"Salvatore! I'm glad you're here!"
The movie that Mara and Scarlett were auditioning for was invested by Disney. Meaning, it was a good movie.
Salvatore left Scarlett Johansson in the hallway to greet the director and producer and some people he had connections with. Of course, he had to talk to them to give a better impression so that Scarlett Johansson could be cast in the movie.
Yet when he returned to the hallway, he realized that something bad was happening to his client.
Now, the two sides have their backups.
"Hello, Agent Salvatore. I'm Elizabeth, I'm Kazir's mother. Thank you for taking care of my son."
Immediately, Elizabeth changed her expression and greeted the agent gleefully.
Even Scarlett was stunned.
'Are you being serious? Is she really Kazir's Mom? Does that mean that this rude bitch is Kazir's sister?'
"Yeah, I heard about you. I can say that Kazir is very fortunate that he resembles his father more than you. Scarlett, let's go."
"Yes!"
The agent didn't bother talking and led Scarlett away from them. They were at Disney and they didn't want to cause a disturbance.
Elizabeth kept her smile but her eyes turned cold as she watched them leave.
Hollywood What If Chapter 220
"Salvatore, was Mara's Mom not lying. Is she really Kazir's Mom?"
Scarlett Johansson asked her agent who she followed.
"I hate to say it but yes. That woman is Kazir's Mom. Kazir already talked to me about his Mom and told me that the woman is quite tricky. He warned me to stay away from her."
Salvatore Barlowe met Kazir's family back in Los Angeles and they were all kind. It was really a mystery how Kazir and Aaron had half of their genes from their mother yet they grew up nice. Perhaps their father was the answer.
"I see..." Scarlett felt like there was more to the story but she decided to keep quiet. It was not the time to think about it, she had to focus on her audition.
"Scarlett, I have to tell you something. It seems that your chances of getting this role are mediocre."
"What? But this is a movie invested by Disney, they prefer making wholesome movies about families and kids. I'm sure I can get the role."
"No, you don't understand. I talked to some of the crew and I heard that the director decided to alter the script. It seemed that they want to make the female lead older, at least at the legal age."
With his connections, Salvatore found that the movie might have romantic scenes. Not appropriate for Scarlett Johansson
"What? But I thought this movie was about a young woman who realized that she was actually from a Royal Family... So that's the reason why I saw some older actresses lining up."
The older actresses that Scarlett Johansson was talking about were actually young as well. However, these actresses were over 18 years old and allowed to have kissing scenes.
"That's right. Anyway, you can still audition but don't let your hopes up. Don't worry, CAA knows a lot of projects that you can audition for."
Scarlett weakly nodded, disappointed. She thought this movie was her moment to shine.
Suddenly, she thought of Mara Cohen. That bitchy girl.
'Mara Cohen is probably older than me but she's still not 18 years old. That means that her chances of getting the role are miniscule as well... At least that conclusion comforted me.'
The movie project that they were trying to get was none other than The Princess Diaries. A hit Disney movie of the early 2000s.
And yup, spoiler alert, the two underage girls didn't get the role. Instead, the one who became the female lead was Anne Hathaway. An actress who recently turned 18.
...
...
...
"Sorry?"
"You apologize too much."
"Sorry about that."
"I knew your father."
"My father left me when I was born so..."
"Your father died yesterday on the rooftop of Metwopowitan Building-- Pfft, I'm sorry. Let me repeat it again, Your father died yesterday on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Building."
Angelina Jolie giggled and then apologized after making a mistake.
The cast of Wanted was having a script reading session and most of the cast were present. If someone was missing, one of the film crew would say his/her lines to keep the flow going.
Director Kazir Grey was watching and listening to their practice. He let the mistake pass since this was still a practice. No reason to be mad about it. They were not even a camera to film the scene.
So yeah, the cast was relaxed. They were having a relaxing moment while reading their lines.
A few hours later their session ended. They have two more script reading sessions before they start the filming... Well, the crew and cast would have two weeks of vacation since Christmas and New Year was coming.
Already seven weeks passed after the premier of Taken 2 and the movie currently grossed more than $172.39 million.
The budget of Taken 2 was $45 million. In North America, the box office is almost 4 times the production budget. Meaning, the movie was a success.
On top of that, next year, Paramount intended to release the movie internationally. Taken and other movies related to Continental Cinematic Universe had good reputation worldwide and Paramount expected that the movie would earn at least $200 million from the foreign countries.
"Kazir, can I have your moment?"
Kazir was ready to leave the studio but someone called him. He turned to his right and found Angelina Jolie smiling at him.
"Of course, Angelina. You can ask me anything, as long as it's related to the project."
"As expected of our director, you never leave any blindspot."
The woman giggled.
Kazir could not help but stare at the woman's sexy pouty lips. Her lips were seductive.
Angelina sat next to him and Kazir decided to sit down as well.
"I just want to know if my expression looks fierce enough."
"Hm, let me take a look."
For a moment, the woman's sunny expression disappeared. Yet she started giggling again after that.
"How was it."
"Well, if you didn't laugh, perhaps I have more time to discern your expression. Anyway, how about you control your gaze? Give me a cold stare."
"Like this?"
"No, not an angry. A cold gaze. Here, think of me as if I'm an insect, perhaps a cockroach."
"But I hate insects, especially cockroaches." The woman replied.
"Never mind, how about a prisoner then? Look at me like am I the worst person in the world."
"... I'm probably to evade you and avert my gaze."
"You know what, just stare at me with a lifeless gaze."
"Like this?"
Angelina's eyelids released and stared at him boringly. Her pouty lips were pursed.
"Yeah, that's pretty good. Now look at me like that while trying to flirt with me."
"Ah, and I thought I was the only one who's trying to flirt here."
"Wait what?"
Angelina Jolie giggled again and leaned closer to him.
Kazir caught her scent his blood boiled for obvious reasons.
Suddenly, he realized something.
"Angelina, are you just playing with me?"
"What do you think, Kazir?"
The woman stood up and left the studio. She was strutting, swaying her hips out of the exit... Kazir's eyes were on that ass.
He sighed.
"Angelina Jolie is not an amateur. Of course she knew how to give a cold gaze."
Meaning, the woman just wanted to tease him.
[Yeah, I might go for Angelina Jolie's route. Damn, what is this, dating simulation game?]