Hollywood What If Chapter 275
"So you're going to be gone for a while?" Angelina pouted as she cut her steak. To keep her figure, Angelina made sure to eat as little as possible. It was the punishment she had to suffer to keep her status in this industry.
People in Hollywood had a strong discrimination against chubby women. They don't cast chubby women and prefer thin-as-stick women. This was the preference back then.
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 box of pizza but she couldn't because there was filming the next day and the director might nag her if she didn't look fit and sexy.
However, when she was with Kazir, she didn't feel any self-hatred towards herself. 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 idea that Showbiz pushed on many women, that being sexy means not eating for a day or two.
Angelina was happy with 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 playing games had a clear view of his future. Furthermore, the guy was sweet 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 a lot of 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 slightly mad that Kazir would leave the country.
"I have three months before going to Canada. We have a lot of time to spend." Kazir assured her.
After calculating their budget, the production crew decided that it was better to film 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 going to be gone for three or four months too. I don't want that."
"I promised that I'm going to return every weekend."
Kazir was actually surprised that he reached the point where he could disregard his work for another thing. Damn, weekend rest, Kazir would actually do something like that? Really?
"Besides, Canada is not that far. We can still call and text and other."
"Hm." Angelina sadly nodded after eating 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 ongoing while the second was going to start filming in March, the same month when Kazir would go to Canada. Both of them were going to be busy at that time and Angelina was worried that they might lose interest in each other.
Long distance relationship was not that simple, even if it was only three or four months. A lot of things could happen within that time.
Angelina had two projects. The first one was Life or Something Like It. Kazir read the script and he was not impressed. However, the production crew was ready to give Angelina a salary of $7 million so Angelina's agent begged her to accept it.
Then, another script was sent to her with the title of How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. This time, Kazir had a good opinion so Angelina decided to audition. Even though her salary was only $5 million for this movie, Angelina felt like it was worth it.
Maintaining her fame was important.
Coincidentally, the said project, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, would start filming in March just like The Revenant. How climatic...
Kazir sensed that Angelina was sad. He reached for her hand and held it.
"Look, we will spend our days together after I'm back. I promise that."
"Promise?"
"Yeah, I promise."
"Treat me to a nice restaurant tomorrow, no, for a week."
"Babe, I'm currently doing that right now."
"So you're going to back out?"
"Of course not." Kazir chuckled.
Kazir already had spent a week with his family for a week back in September. Although half of that vacation was quite gloomy because of 9-11, it was still true that he spent a week with them.
So right now, on Christmas Eve, Kazir decided to spend it with Angelina. Just like what happened two years ago.
"Do you remember our first Christmas Eve?"
"..." Angelina didn't answer. Instead, she smiled and blushed. Of course she remembered. That night was amazing and out of this world. God, she didn't regret that she made a move on Kazir at that time.
"Technically, 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."
The two smiled at each other. If they were not in public, perhaps they were already kissing and pulling each other's clothes.
...
...
...
"Director Grey! Director Grey!"
"Hm?"
Kazir frowned as he came out of the coffee shop near Grey Pictures. He had eyebags after "cuddling" with Angelina all night, he loved every second of it.
"Director Grey!"
"I'm sorry, I have no time for an interview."
Just as always, some paparazzi would show up and destroy his wonderful day. This was not the first time this thing happened.
"I'm just here to ask some questions. Harry Potter and The Lord Of The Rings are doing well at the box office. Everyone believes that one of them will be the champion of this year's box office. But considering, that Spider-Man already grossed $800 million worldwide, your movie should be added to the list. Are you scared that Harry Potter or The Lord Of The Rings will overtake Spider-Man as the highest-grossing movie this year?"
This question gained Kazir's attention so he stopped walking and faced the paparazzi. He smirked and said.
"Nah, I'd win."
[Funny that I'm writing a Christmas Eve chapter on Christmas Eve. Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone! Thanks for all your support. I hope everyone will have a blessed and bountiful Christmas! Heads up, I might be busy tomorrow because it's Christmas so I'm not sure if I can write. I'll try to write if possible.]
Hollywood What If Chapter 276
Year 2002.
Just after the New Year, inside an office room.
"There are things that are easy to explain, but sometimes you have to hear it twice so that the information really sinks in. So say it to me once again."
"... Sir," the secretary gulped hard. This folder was just sent to her and she didn't research it at all. This was the job of the sales and accounting department: to calculate the box office of movies.
Yet because acting CEO Tom Rothman arrived late, the guy from the accounting department had a stomach ache so the secretary became the one responsible for saying the news to Tom Rothman.
"Sir, the worldwide box office of 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? Go on, say it."
Perhaps Tom Rothman slept in the wrong position, the man was frowning. It seemed that he was mad.
"The Fast and The Furious officially ended its screening all over the world three days ago. Some countries were still calculating the box office. The movie already grossed $502 million excluding some countries that are still calculating the numbers..."
"Do you think the box office of these movies is because of the successful run of Continental Cinematic Universe? After Wanted, many people started getting interested in the Cinematic Universe. This is the effect of Wanted, a movie worth $1 billion."
Tom Rothman didn't have a good sleep last night because Rupert Murdoch told him to acquire Grey Pictures and add it to their "family".
The reason why he could not sleep was because of the fact that negotiating with Kazir Grey would be the hardest thing to do.
And now, two of his movies just casually dropped explosive numbers at the box office!
'What the fuck!? That's basically $1 billion! Grey Pictures, a second-tier production studio, just generated $1 billion this year! No, they did it last year as well using a single movie! This is getting stupid. How is this even possible!?'
To be fair, the Big Six generated more than $7 billion at the box office yearly.
20th Century Fox alone made over $1 billion last year, with Big Momma's House, X-Men, Cast Away and so many dozens more.
Yet despite that fact, it was still painful to see that one or two movies could easily achieve their yearly hard work.
The only comforting truth was that Grey Pictures had no distribution channel.
'That means that Kazir is open for negotiation, but my initial statement of $1.5 billion is definitely out of the conversation. At the least, 20th Century Fox has to acquire Grey Pictures for $2 billion. Damn, I guess Kazir is really a billionaire now, huh.'
Companies that could generate a billion yearly were hard to come by. Yet Grey Pictures did it twice, back to back.
"You can leave now." Tom Rothman pinched his glabella as the secretary left the office like a mouse.
"I guess the era is going to change, well, we are at the start of a new century. Even DreamWorks is doing well. Thankfully, we successfully created cracks between Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg's relationship. Those two are friends but they can't overcome the terror of the Big Six. They are going to split, we will assure that."
His last statement would become a reality a few years later, technically. Inside the company, two dragons decided to lead their own armies. Jeffrey Katzenberg had the authority over DreamWorks Animation while Steven reigned over DreamWorks Pictures.
"Spider-Man's box office already surpassed $830 million. Some countries are just starting the screening for this movie and most believe that the movie will surpass $900 million. But after that will be a miracle. No one seems to believe that Spider-Man will achieve a $1 billion box office..."
But knowing Kazir, the idea was not impossible.
If Spider-Man indeed surpassed $1 billion, then Kazir Grey would be the only director who filmed two $1 billion movies, and what more he accomplished that in two years. This was a history. A world record that was impossible to defeat.
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 that Rupert Murdoch passed to him.
"... The first thing to do is form a connection with Kazir and the Grey Pictures."
He called his secretary again after just a minute of monologue.
"Tell Grey Pictures that 20th Century Fox will distribute their three movies worldwide for 25% box office share as a distribution fee. Tell it to them clearly."
"Yes, sir."
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone grossed $293 million after New Year. The movie was still screening for 48 days.
As for The Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring, the movie grossed $178 million after 15 days of screening.
'Fuck, Warner Brothers will have a festival this year! Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings looks promising. If they do it right, they have two strong franchises that will last a decade. 20th Century Fox really needs something like that.'
Everyone in Hollywood believed that Harry Potter, The Lord Of The Rings, and Spider-Man would take over the ranking for 2001.
However, it was still a mystery which one would be on top.
However, one thing was sure. 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 to the Big Six. However, there were always two sides to a coin. If Kazir was dangerous, then he was also a heaven-sent once he allied with one of them.
20th Century Fox experienced it with Napoleon Dynamite.
Warner Bros with The Hangover.
And Sony-Columbia with Spider-Man.
Clear examples that Kazir was a good weapon once used correctly.
[Merry Christmas again, haha.]