Akatanga felt his heart drop when he read the rejection letter. Most producers were at least somewhat polite when declining his film, but Gollywood's rejection was seriously cold.
To Amateur Director Akabalony,
Your film (?) has no future. The plot is barebones, the action is juvenile, and the "special effects" are downright embarrassing. Using a Natlan Saurian for a heroic monster would be comical at best if it didn't urinate upon the limits of one's plausible deniability. Please, never send us anything else. And get an agent!
Akatanga slumped in his chair, stung by the insults. He'd put his heart into that monster movie. How could anyone write it off so callously? Honestly, their criticisms of his film felt like personal attacks.
Crumpling up the letter, he tossed it into the trash bin along with the others. It rolled off the overstuffed bin onto the floor.
That was the twentieth rejection letter he'd received today alone. Maybe that friend of his was right all along. Being a director just wasn't in his future. He should've just swallowed his pride and managed the store like his papa. Yeah, he'd never be happy, but at least he'd have a job.
Akatanga didn't have the energy to open the final letter. Until he noticed something odd. The return address wasn't one he remembered writing to. Curiously, he unsealed the envelope.
Dear Akatanga,
We would like to speak with you. Take the enclosed token and think 'I want to visit Aether.' The rest will follow.
From,
Xavier Productions
His eyes widened. Xavier Productions? The studio behind the award-winning Two Musketeers wanted to speak with him? He dared hope. Then he came back to reality. Yeah, right. Why would they be interested in his film? And the whole token bit made it clear this had to be some prank.
Putting the wooden talisman in his hand, he mockingly said, "There's no place like Aether…"
His room vanished. He sat before a mansion on an island floating in the sky. A smooth breeze passed across his shoulders like a friend. Around the island, there were buildings from every single nation—things he'd only seen in books and movies. He almost peed his pants.
"Hello," said a sweet voice. He wheeled around. A giant finch in a teapot floated up to him. "They're waiting for you inside. Please, follow me."
Not knowing what else he could do, Akatanga let the bird lead him inside the mansion. There, at the table, sat a young woman in a blue coat and top hat and a Fontaine gentleman in a red suit and vest. His jaw dropped. Those were Furina, the brightest star in Fontaine, and Xavier himself!
"Go ahead," said the finch. "I'll make some tea. Do you take sugar in yours?"
"Y-yes. Thank you, ma'am."
Furina and Xavier welcomed him. They gestured him to sit across from them.
"Akatanga," said Xavier. "Thanks for meeting with us. We've been looking for another project to follow up on the Two Musketeers. Our mutual friend Aether mentioned he made another film in Natlan. We got our hands on a tape and quite enjoyed it."
"Y-you did?"
"Yes," said Furina. "It has room for improvement, but it's intriguing. I especially love your leading actor, the effects, and your premise. Teyvat hasn't seen a monster film on the scale you showed. We'd like to produce your film for a wide-spread release."
"You do?!"
Xavier chuckled. "Not a man of many words, I see."
"But," Akatanga stuttered. "Everyone else rejected it. Are you really sure? Aether probably talked you into this, didn't he?"
"He had nothing to do with it," said Furina. "We want to bring this movie to life. I have a pretty good instinct for theatre, and I think this monster movie could be a big hit—especially in Inazuma."
"So, will you sign on with us?" asked Xavier.
Akatanga was so happy he could cry. Five minutes ago, he'd been about to give up on his dream. All that time he doubted himself, all that rejection, all that hopelessness—it had all been so overwhelming. Now, someone had given him a shot. His hard work had been validated. He'd been validated.
It didn't seem real.
Akatanga wiped his eyes. "I'll do my best to make a great movie!"
They signed the contract and discussed the terms as well as the film plot. Akatanga excitedly shared his vision, getting occasional pushback when the idea was too outlandish. At last, they settled on a title, a plot, and their lead actor. Now came the real work. He'd gotten his foot in the door. Now, he had to prove he belonged here.
A Star is Born Article by Charlotte
Today, audiences got their first look at Xavier Production's newest film: King of the Monsters. Despite being directed by a novice director, the film received overwhelmingly positive reviews and has achieved commercial success.
Using a mixture of live models and special effects, director Akatanga pioneered a film style that places creatures in model-sized cities.
The film centers around a giant monster named Gojira. Following a devastating war with the Abyss, humans devise a weapon to use against the Abyss, but in the process, an innocent Saurian is contaminated. Plagued by Abyssal energy, this monster goes on a rampage across Natlan, blindly mowing down everything in its path until being stopped by an even more dangerous weapon.
Miss Hina, of the famous Ask Hina column, praised the film calling it, "a sobering reflection on the nature of war and the arms race. One cannot watch without feeling some sadness for the monster who suffers for no fault of its own, due to the follies of humanity."
Other critics, such as Yae Miko of Yae Publishing House, see the film as a metaphor for the recent Abyssal Wars waged in Natlan. She explains, "Part of what makes King of the Monsters so harrowing is the obvious parallels to real-world events. I believe the film is Natlan's attempt to make some sense of the recent catastrophe. Gojira represents a world gone wrong, a work of man that cannot be undone."
In its first week alone, the film grossed 183 million Mora domestically and 400 million Mora at the international box office. Curiously, a quarter of the box office revenue came from Inazuma, the Nation of Eternity.
The film has been nominated for several awards including Furina Award for best special effects and best screenplay. Additionally, Little One the actor who played Gojira received this year's Academiya Award for best lead actor, beating out recurrent nominee Leopold Dicape. In its acceptance speech, Little One thanked everyone who supported its acting ambitions. It tearfully said, "Rawr-rawr-rawr, rawr-rawr-rawr-rawr, rawr-rawr, rawr-rawr-rawr!" It then used the award as a chew toy.
Plans are already in the making for a long line of sequels and spinoffs which will make Gojira into a more family-friendly, marketable figure. Xavier Productions is predicted to reap a windfall off the merchandising rights alone. Xavier said, "We'll be making lunchboxes, figurines, coffee mugs, snow globes, shirts, hats, and a whole bunch of stuff. Look forward to it!" Several nations have preordered merchandise, including the Electro Archon Raiden Ei, who put in an order for an action figure signed by Little One.
Director Akatanga is busy planning out the next five films, as well as a spinoff series starring another monster. One thing is certain: the future for the King of the Monsters is looking bright.