[Shout out to David K., AR3S, Atticus C., Alejandro O.!]
Hollywood What If Chapter 95
"Cut! This time I want to make a certain adjustment."
Kazir Grey didn't use his megaphone since they were inside the yacht. There was no need to shout.
This yacht was mainly used for filming. It was a yacht specially made for the purpose of renting to production crew to shoot movies or tv shows. So the corner of the rooms in the yacht had spaces for cameras and cameramen.
Roman Polanski recommended this yacht for them to use. Because of his connection, they rented the yacht for a better price.
There were some scenes where Bryan Mills was breaking glass walls while fighting the bodyguards... These scenes had to be shot elsewhere.
The production crew was not crazy enough to damage the rented yacht. There was a clause that they would have to pay if the yacht was damaged.
They only used the exterior of the yacht and some rooms for shooting.
Like now.
"Let's try a different approach this time."
Kazir also understood that introducing the High Table and Baba Yaga in the first movie could be a dangerous move. So he had a plan B.
After a ten-minute break, shooting resumed.
Bryan Mills entered the room to find his daughter being threatened by the Middle Eastern man.
The man pointed his gun at Kim Mills. However, the man knew he was in grave danger. So he decided to negotiate with Bryan Mills.
"Let's negotiate..."
Bryan Mills didn't bother to listen and shot him in the head.
Unlike before, the Middle Eastern man died instantly. He didn't say anything about the High Table and Baba Yaga.
Kazir Grey was still struggling between the two scenes. Introducing the High Table and Baba Yaga might cause confusion. So he decided to shoot the original version just to make sure he had two different scenarios to choose from.
Filming ended today and the crew dispersed. Working at night was obviously double pay for the production crew. As for the actors, they have different contracts, so they were pretty tame. However, there was a clause in the contract that the actors should have a comfortable place to stay during the night shoot.
In fact, Liam Neeson and Scarlett Johansson had their own trailers. Liam Neeson was a well-known actor, so he had his own trailer to rest in. As for Scarlett Johansson, she was an underage actress and she sometimes had to study in the trailer.
As for the extras... The crew could not give them their own trailers. Most of them have to share.
Obviously, since Kazir Grey was the director of this movie, he had his own trailer to rest in.
He leaned against the chair and watched the shots they had acquired today. They mostly focus on expensive shots for the first week to make sure they can control their cash flow.
There were instances where the money was spent before they even rented cars and such. So to make sure they knew what they were spending, the production crew decided to spend big and then gradually control their spending.
If they didn't have enough cash... They might have to ask for a loan.
Fortunately, Kazir's shooting was fast and precise. There were some mistakes along the way, but it was within expectations.
Besides, this time the situation was different from the last time. There was no WMA to interfere with his shooting. He was in a foreign country and William Morris Agency didn't have time to bother him.
As for the film companies, especially the big six, they kept their attitude. They just watch and see the results. Kazir's current project was an experiment and the film companies were not sure how to face it.
If his movie wasn't really amazing, they wouldn't approach him.
Kazir watched the shots many times. There were different angles to be used and he tried to find the best one.
A few minutes later, someone knocked on his door.
"Brother Kazir?"
"..."
Hearing the young girl's voice, Kazir sighed uncontrollably. Kazir looked at the entrance and found Scarlett Johansson together with her tutor. The tutor didn't enter the trailer.
"Scarlett, I'm busy. It's late now, I suggest you get some sleep because you have a scene tomorrow."
"I know. That's why I'm here. I want to ask you about it."
"... Come in."
Months passed after Kazir realized that Salvatore Barlowe had signed a contract with Scarlett Johansson. After their first meeting in the audition room, the little girl, for reasons unknown, started calling him brother.
Kazir let it go because he didn't really care. Besides, Scarlett Johansson was too young and he didn't want to reprimand her. So he let the girl call him brother.
But Kazir started to realize that Scarlett Johansson really treated him like one. That she started making fun of him like a real brother. It was cool at first, but the girl gradually lost her respect for Kazir Grey, the director of the movie.
'It is good that she is taking things seriously this time.'
Earlier, Scarlett Johansson had begged Kazir to buy her a croissant since they were France. Kazir didn't want to upset her and caused a mistake in the set, so he called one of the interns to buy one.
Scarlett Johansson was still young, but she was already displaying the arrogance of a superstar.
'To be honest, Scarlett Johansson is serious about her role. I can see that she has studied the role a lot. However, she is still young and her acting is unstable.'
This was one of the disadvantages of hiring underage actors/actresses.
If not for his promise to Salvatore Barlowe, Kazir might have chosen a young but legal actress instead. He only agreed because Salvatore Barlowe helped him most of the time.
"What question do you have this time?"
"About this one."
Scarlett Johansson pointed to a section of the script.
"Hm, page 36... Are you asking about the kidnapping of Kim Mills?"
"That's right, I want to know what emotion I should show. Should I be shocked or frightened? how about both?"
Kazir chuckled as he listened to the young girl's thoughts.