[General POV]
"It's out!" Phil shouted to the family members gathered at Jay's house, eager to watch the trailer release together. He watched the release on his phone and immediately snatched the remote from Luke.
Cam walked into the living room, where Jay had installed his own version of a smart TV, a huge grin spreading across his face. "If Edward is here, we can make it like a movie premiere—with a red carpet and projector screen!"
Mitchell scoffed slightly. "It's just a trailer, Cam. And Ed would actually go to the premiere, not a house premiere."
Cam nodded in agreement, excitement still bubbling. Alex, Haley, and Luke sat together on the couch with Jay. As Phil pressed the trailer thumbnail—which featured RG in his fur coat and sunglasses, wearing a haughty expression—Gloria shouted from the kitchen, "WAIT! CLAIRE AND I ARE NOT READY YET!"
"Come quick! There are a thousand views already!" Phil urged, his excitement contagious. Claire rushed into the living room just as the family settled in to watch the trailer together.
Haley giggled. "I'm so excited!"
[The trailer opens with upbeat music playing in the background, leading into the logo of the Entertain company.
"Multiple Oscar nominations this year alone," the interviewer began, his voice smooth and enthusiastic, " From an ordinary kid from Malibu to the biggest star in Hollywood. Tom Ryder is the man of the hour!"
A text frame appears, boldly showcasing "Directed by Judd Apatow."
The screen flashed to clips of Tom waving to adoring fans, striking poses on the red carpet, and accepting awards, kissing beautiful girls and signing autographs.
This is followed by another frame text, "Created by Edward Newgate and Page Swanson."
"What now for you?" the interviewer asked…
Finally, the screen presents the title: "Self Made" in an eye-catching display.]
"Is it me, or does the shot in this movie look incredible?" Mitchell pressed the pause button after taking the remote from Phil. The lighting and tone of the movie, the camera shot, everything signified that this was not a rushed movie but it was made with great care.
Everyone protested, eager to watch the trailer, making him sigh in defeat. "Alright! Alright."
"Keep your opinion to yourself for just two minutes, Mitchell. It's not even a movie yet," Claire said mockingly.
"I was just—"
Mitchell tried to defend himself, but Jay, Haley, Alex, Gloria, and Luke shushed him. Cam laughed at his misfortune and took the remote from Mitchell to resume the video.
["Maybe I'll finally try to get married," RG joked in the interview, a slightly melancholic expression crossing his face. "I still haven't experienced what true love is like."
The audience ate up his words, collectively exclaiming, "Aww!"
The scene immediately cuts to an office where Donald Glover rebukes RG. "So you lied to everyone."
Before RG could respond, Edward, seated at the desk, interjected. "It's not a lie. It's marketing. He can be a petulant child in a man's suit, with the emotional maturity of a toddler, indulging in tantrums and whims behind the camera."
The scene then cuts to several quick clips showcasing RG's childish antics before returning to the office scene.
Edward continued, "But as long as he pretends to be human on screen and people buy into it, then it doesn't matter."
As the scene continued, the background song filled the trailer. (Bruno Mars– Runaway Baby)
♫♪ Well, looky here, looky here, ahh, what do we have?
Another pretty thang ready for me to grab
But little does she know that I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing
'Cause at the end of the night, it is her I'll be holdin' ♫♪ ]
"That song is so catchy– What song is it?" Jay commented.
Mitchell was excited to see someone else get scolded, but Claire replied to it casually, "It's Edward's song. It's titled Runaway Baby."
"Really? So it's fine if Dad talk–"
"SHUUSSHHH!!" Everyone shushed him at the same time, making his expression fall in disbelief.
[♫♪ "I love you so" (Hey) That's what you'll say (That's what you'll say)
You'll tell me, "Baby, baby, please don't go away" (Don't go away)♫♪
Donald Glover asked Edward, "How did you get your brother to go along with this?"
"I blackmailed him with a mistake from his past." Edward's character replied. It cuts into a scene where Emily widened her eyes in shock as she watched the TV. RG immediately ran and tackled her to the sofa to prevent her from doing so.
But when I play (But when I play), I never stay (I never stay)
So every girl that I meet, yeah, this is what I say… ♫♪
The scene shifted to Emily and Ryan, who were initially bitter and resentful toward each other but gradually began to open up. Ryan was headbanging to "Cotton Eye Joe" in the car when Emily asked, "Do you really need me here for this?!"
"You can break up with me if you don't like it," he replied.
"Never mind. The song is pretty catchy," she admitted, joining in the dance. Ryan looked at her incredulously, saying, "Stop enjoying it!"
♫♪ Run, run, run away, run away, baby
Before I put my spell on you ♫♪
The scene then transitioned to Edward and Vanessa in his office, where she was taking his blood pressure. Their focus shifted to each other as Edward pulled Vanessa closer.
♫♪ You better get, get, get away, get away, darlin'
'Cause everything you heard is true
Your poor little heart will end up alone♫♪
"I've had multiple relationships before, and none of them worked out," RG lamented. "This one won't be any different."
♫♪'Cause Lord knows I'm a rollin' stone
So you better run, run, run away, run away, baby♫♪
The final 20 seconds of the trailer featured no background music, focusing solely on RG expressing his views on love to Edward, emphasizing his dislike for Jody.
"Love in real life isn't like the movies you always act in. There are no special effects to make it happen," Edward's character explained.
This cut to a montage of the two spending time together, culminating in a scene of them sitting on a park bench. From RG's POV, a burst of floral effects transformed Emily, dressed casually, into a goddess-like figure in an instant.
The song, "I just died in your arms tonight by Cutting Crew", played in the background as Ryan slowly tilted his head, his face beamed up like a man in love.
♫♪ Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight ♫♪
Emily snapped her fingers in front of RG, saying, "Hello? Did you even hear anything I just said?" The delusion stopped immediately and the scene turned normal.
"What—Yeah, yeah…"
The trailer concluded with details about the cinema release and the movie title.]
Haley grabbed her phone and recorded her family members, "So, what do we all think?"
"It looks like it's going to be a fun movie." Phil said excitedly. "I'm really proud of Edward."
Mitchell said, "I love it! I can't wait for it to come out."
Cameron commented, channeling his inner critic, "There are several parts that I think can be better, but overall, it looks great for an amature studio."
"BOOO!" Luke and Alex booed Cam at the same time.
Jay, Gloria, Claire and the others all talked over each other as they discussed the trailer. Haley then sends the video to Edward.
The views on the trailer were climbing rapidly as it was a featured video on Entertain website.
There was a lot of support from Edward's fans for the movie. His fans were entranced after seeing his tattooed, more mature appearance. A lot of people would want to see the movie from just that.
User123 commented: Another vanity project from a Hollywood spoiled brat. Edward = Another Paris Hilton?
LilyCollins replied: Bish, are you serious? You didn't watch Breaking Bad last night?
Even though there was some negativity, it was quickly shut down by those who knew of Edward's work. The first two episodes of Breaking Bad had already come out, and people loved the series. Almost everyone was talking about it– when they weren't talking about the terror attack or Edward himself.
The producer of the movie, 'Valentine Day', became a bit restless after seeing the trailer reaction. "I should've negotiated with them to pick another release date." He mumbled.
People were still looking forward to seeing the Valentine's Day movie, but the producer knew that Entertain's studio film would be a tough competitor for the box office collection.
Ryan's infatuated look quickly became a meme template, which created more excitement for the movie, as Edward expected.
…
At the film set, it was 10 in the evening. Edward bowed slightly to the crew and said, "Thank you, everyone. I didn't think I could shoot all my scenes today."
Director Judd Apatow chuckled at him. "Yes, yes. We had to. Otherwise, it would interfere with your busy schedule of saving the world."
Laughter erupted from the crew, and Edward scoffed playfully at the joke. Throughout the shoot, they had been teasing him about his involvement in the recent terror attack—in a lighthearted way, of course.
He waved goodbye to everyone, promising to attend the wrap party. Although Edward was supposed to help with the shooting after his scenes wrapped, Judd insisted he take some time to rest.
As he walked to his car, he turned to Vanessa, who was standing beside him. "Still sulking because you only appear for five seconds in the trailer?"
"You have twenty seconds! It's so unfair," she complained, though with a playful tone. Then her expression shifted to concern. "Did you check into a hotel? You have a place to stay, right?"
"Are you worried about me, Hudgen?" Edward teased. "Or are you just hoping I'll provide you with a second hangout spot?"
Vanessa slumped, feigning depression. "Ugh, that villa was so nice. I really loved it. A lot of my stuff is still there, you know."
"That's your own fault," Edward replied cheekily, leaning against the door of his Dodger as they chatted.
"You know a lot of people want to interview you," she said, changing the subject after a while.
"Hmm, I'm aware of that," Edward replied, his expression becoming slightly serious. He smirked and said, "One of them offered me a million dollars for an exclusive interview."
"Oh, you took it, right?" Vanessa asked excitedly. "Then you can buy a new house!"
Edward looked at her incredulously. "Wait, do you actually think my house is worth a mere million?"
"I know it's worth more! I meant that it could go toward your next house," she rolled her eyes playfully.
"I'll consider it," he said. "But I don't really want to do any interviews right now."
"That's understandable," Vanessa nodded. Then she adopted a childish tone. "Hey! Everyone got a bag except for me!"
"You didn't come! I had one prepared for you, but now it's gone—burned to ashes. It'll take months to make more," he shot back, feigning annoyance.
Vanessa shook her head playfully. "I don't care! You promised everyone would get one. I'm a talent! I want one!"
"Ugh." Edward groaned in frustration for a moment before he relented. "Alright then, I'll give you double later on. After I set up my lab again."
As the trailer came out, the actors began to participate in promotional interviews for the movie. It wasn't an official promotion yet, and during this time, they had to be cautious to avoid any PR disasters—no scandals that could spark fan ire or lead to boycotts.
This rule was included in their contracts when they signed on for the film. Edward had seen numerous examples of movies suffering from bad PR due to actors causing trouble, so he made it a priority to prevent that from happening with his projects. That's why the actors were required to undergo media training to prepare for any potential pitfalls.
In December, there were several charities, fundraisers and gala parties held as it was the end of the year. Entertain also decided to hold a party to promote the movie and invited several interviewers to the party.
The main cast members, Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling, settled into their seats across from a female interviewer for a brief ten-minute chat about their upcoming film.
"Ryan, I heard that the director, Judd Apatow, personally reached out to you at the beginning, and the whole movie signing took place in just a day?" the interviewer asked, her smile inviting.
Ryan raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Wait. How did you know that? Did Emily tell you?"
The interviewer chuckled, and Emily joined in, "Don't look at me. It might just be you who spilled it."
"It's the director," the interviewer confessed with a playful grin. Laughter erupted between the three of them before Ryan finally answered. "I guess. Yeah. But I wasn't cast by the director. Neither was Emily. We were both… cast by the same person."
Emily tilted her head, confused. "I interviewed for the part?"
Ryan shot her a knowing glance, then realized, "Oh yeah. You didn't know! When I got the call, I already saw your name on the storyboard. It was Newgate who wanted us. He just made you go through the interview for formality."
Emily's eyes lit up, her excitement palpable. "Oh, really? I didn't know that!"
Ryan shrugged nonchalantly, a smirk playing on his lips. "Yeah. He thought we were like big stars or something. I didn't want to tell him in case he snapped out of it." His blend of sarcasm and self-deprecation earned more laughter.
"What can you tell us about the movie?" the interviewer asked. The conversation flowed effortlessly, with Emily and Ryan showcasing their chaotic chemistry, making it clear why they were cast together. They answered some vague stuff about the film but didn't tell the core element of it.
"And Emily, you play Jody, who becomes entangled in Tom's chaotic life. What was it like working with Ryan on this project?" The interviewer turned to Emily.
Emily was smiling, "It was fantastic!It's our first time acting together. Ryan brought so much energy to the role. Jody is strong and independent, but she definitely finds herself challenged by Tom's immaturity. Their dynamic is hilarious."
Ryan shared a few funny anecdotes about Edward while filming, causing the interviewer to burst into laughter. "The sandwich was in my seat, so I thought it was for me," he defended himself, slightly agitated.
Emily guffawed until she lost her breath, mimicking Edward's tone, "When Edward came, he was like, 'Dude!'" This made Ryan crack up as well.
Still laughing, Emily added, "Ed called Ryan a sandwich thief."
Ryan quickly retorted, "I explained to him that I really thought it was from the cart or something my manager put in my chair. He will not trust me!"
As the interviews gained traction online, drawing significant views on YouTube and other platforms, they created a buzz for the movie.
However, the playful interactions between Ryan and Emily sparked some trouble for Gosling. His current girlfriend, seeing the flirty and fun chemistry in the interviews, confronted him, leading to a heated argument.
"We don't have anything going on between us! She has a boyfriend!" Ryan defended himself.
"Oh, don't be so naive Ryan. This is Hollywood. No one cares if someone has a partner or not!" His girlfriend rebuked him.
…
[Edward POV]
After enduring so much, the media was relentless in their pursuit of my side of the story and exclusive interviews about the incident. It would be better for me to get in front of it rather than let people speculate.
As I drove to Jenna's place, I called Pepper and said, "You know those interviews? How about reaching out to Conan? He's not working on anything right now, so he can fly out here. I can't go to New York to let Jimmy interview me again."
Pepper replied nonchalantly, "Fallon would actually come here if you want him to. But do you really want Conan?"
I agreed immediately. "Yeah, why not? He's been out of the biz since I got famous, so I've never met the guy. Tell him we'll do the interview in a spicy chicken wing style."
"What's that?" Pepper asked, confusion evident in her voice.
"I'll text you the details later. I have a party to drop by, but I'm not sure if everyone's still up yet." I replied, a hint of worry creeping into my expression.
"When will we do it?" Pepper asked, slightly excited as he was a huge fan of Conan.
After some thoughts, I replied, "After my fan meeting? I want to take it slow for the next few days."
"Great idea. Get some rest," Pepper said before his tone shifted as if he were speaking to someone else. "Uh, alright, alright, I get it, I get it. I'll tell him."
"What's wrong, Pep?" I asked, sensing the change in his demeanor.
"That's Harvey. He was calling about your house. The insurance company is being difficult—they don't want to compensate you without a thorough investigation first."
"It's fine. I didn't expect anything to come through this early," I replied, nodding slightly. "But there's no trouble finding a new place, right?"
"I don't know about that," he said honestly. "There isn't much property that fits your requirements. You might have to move in with me for a while."
Pepper had been the first to offer his home after the incident. His mansion had plenty of space, enough for both me and my dad. If I couldn't find a place quickly, it made sense to accept his offer.
"Okay, Peps. I'll talk to you later." I ended the call as I arrived at Jenna's house. "Is anyone still up?" I pulled out my phone to text the group chat, checking if my friends were still awake.
The boys weren't supposed to stay past ten, but Jacob and Finneas were there, waiting for me. Jenna and Enid rushed out the door after I texted them, and Enid leaped into my arms.
"EDDD!! YOU'RE ALIVEEEE!" she shouted dramatically. Both Jenna and Enid were in Santa-themed outfits, with Jenna's costume a bit more conservative.
"Enid! Are you crazy? Don't expose him!" Jenna scolded, still hugging me tightly.
Then Alex and Elsa appeared, Elsa also in a Santa costume while Alex wore casual clothes.
"Oh look, it's Santa's three little ho's," I quipped, smirking. Enid shot me a glare as she released me.
"Oh look, it's the he-whore," Elsa shot back, her tone playful.
"Is that a lisp, or do you not know how to say 'hero'?" I teased again, eliciting groans from the girls. They burst into laughter and pulled me inside the house.
Jacob and Finneas were there, but Billie had stayed home; her mom thought she was too young for the sleepover.
"Ed, we're playing Secret Santa. You're the only one who hasn't pulled a name yet," Enid said excitedly.
"Really? That's what you guys were doing?" I asked, slightly confused. "Alright, I'll pick a name. So I assume someone already picked mine?"
"It's a secret draw. You could end up with your own name," Alex interjected. I nodded, reached into the hat, and pulled out a name . It was Enid's. Then, I noticed that she was staring intently at me with a face full of anticipation.
"Um, are you guys sure the draw wasn't rigged?" I teased slightly. I slowly sat down on the couch as I got settled in.