[Author's note: I just want to remind you guys that Jezebel is just a character I added to the story. She is not a real person.]
[I really want to thank you all for supporting my novel. It means a lot to me. I pray that motivation possesses me and I keep writing.]
Hollywood What If Chapter 253
The two women began to talk and Rosemary comforted Kirsten Dunst.
Kazir felt he didn't have to talk to the actress anymore. Someone was already doing it for him.
Suddenly, Kazir noticed that Rosemary was staring at him, signaling that everything was fine.
Kazir nodded and walked away, giving them more time to talk.
'The mentality of the actors was very important. Their mental state could affect the filming.' He thought.
Just as Kazir expected... Kirsten Dunst had dozens of NGs. She did her best, but she couldn't help but be aware of the cameras.
'She tries to show her beauty...'
Kazir sighed. It was a good thing they were not late. Kazir had this passive ability that made the filming faster. He knew what to shoot and his plan was set. There was no need to pile up many useless scenes, since the movie was already finished in his head.
However, it was a different matter if the actress had the problem. That was out of his hands.
The best he could do was to encourage Kirsten and never berate her. Her mental state was delicate and negative comments would be bad.
"Kirsten, come here."
"Yes, Director."
The woman realized that the director had reached his limit.
Directors had short fuses and they were vocal about it. They would scream in anger if the actress continued to make NGs (no good).
Kazir was known as a calm director but everyone has a limit. It seemed that Kazir had reached his.
Kirsten swallowed hard and approached the director who was sitting in the chair.
"Kirsten, what are you thinking about right now? Your eyes are always looking at the cameras. You're consciously trying to be sexy. What's up with that?"
"Director... I want a lasting impression."
The director sighed...
This is the typical mentality of Extra and Vase.
Extra and Vase characters were background characters. They didn't have lines and they weren't important at all. So these small-time actors/actresses had this mission to make a 'lasting impression' so that they would have a chance to work on another project.
But Kirsten had already passed that stage before she became an adult.
She was part of the cast of Interview with the Vampire along with Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas and Brad Pitt.
She was also in the cast of Jumanji. She was not a fucking Vase.
Kazir could scold the woman right now. But he knew that would be the wrong thing to do.
The best response was to give her the confidence she needed.
"Kirsten, do you know why I decided to cast you even though some of the crew were against it?"
"Director?"
"Because I see something in you. I see potential in you. You're young and your future is limitless. Besides, you're beautiful. The way you smile makes me smile. So don't worry about leaving a lasting impression. Because in my opinion, you are already making a strong impression on everyone in the cast."
Kazir didn't give a fuck about what he said. He was basically lying. Sounds heartless, but Kazir would never hesitate to praise a literal shit if that shit would bring him a huge box office.
"Don't think about some people making fun of you. In my opinion, they are trying to destroy your mentality because they don't want to see you succeed. They are jealous of you."
So yes, he was lying with a straight face. Kazir never liked Kirsten Dunst, that was the truth. But business was business and he would do his best to make things work.
'... Am I a sociopath or a psychopath? I didn't study psychology and I never knew the definitions. Maybe Palenque knows the answer, my assistant director knows a lot about human psychology.'
Suddenly Kirsten's eyes widened as if she realized the truth. She looked at Kazir, blushing slightly, and nodded.
"T- Thank you, director!"
Kirsten glanced in the direction where Jezebel stood. She gave the producer a smug smile and returned to the set.
Jezebel just tilted her head. The producer was actually angry that Kirsten kept making a mistake. She reminded Kirsten that she was supposed to be perfect on camera and yet she had so many NGs.
Surprisingly, after this conversation, Kirsten Dunst rarely had NGs. Even her smile and expressions seemed genuine. It was as if she was a recent college graduate blossoming in society, playing Mary Jane in the movie.
......
...
...
"Girl, did you see the paper?"
"Shh, we're in the office. You shouldn't talk about movies that have nothing to do with us."
"Why, it's early in the morning. Most of our managers and supervisors are coming in half an hour later--"
"What are you talking about?"
Tom Rothman appeared from behind the two interns. He was always early.
"C-CEO! Good morning!"
The two interns greeted their boss and walked away. They were new to the job and didn't want to make a scene, especially in front of the CEO.
Tom Rothman glanced at the newspaper one of the interns was carrying and thought of something.
When he got to his office, he asked his secretary to bring him the day's newspapers.
Most of the covers were about Wanted.
--The fourth $1 billion movie in the history of cinema! Wanted!
-- The movie directed by Kazir Grey surpassed $1 billion in the first month of November.
-- After six months in theaters, Wanted has surpassed $1 billion!
-- The Movie of the Year 2000. Wanted!
Reading the headlines, Tom Rothman could only shake his head.
There were no what-ifs. Not anymore. All that was left was regret.
Regret that they hadn't held hands with Grey Pictures.
"X-Men" came out in July and had a great reception. But if I knew that the Cinematic Universe would have this kind of impact, I should have delayed the project and waited for the chance to work with Kazir, or at least get his opinion on a possible X-Men Cinematic Universe."