Chris Henderson, the head of Stardust Studios, found himself deep in discussion with his colleagues about the challenges their newly established studio faced. Stardust had been born out of the shared dreams of Chris and his friends, who, tired of working for other studios, decided to create something of their own. However, the journey had not been as smooth as they had hoped. Their investors were growing impatient, as the studio had only secured small contracts and not gotten a chance to produce a full-fledged movie.
He had been very busy for the last few months, trying to find or create a story that they could turn into a movie. He was in a discussion about it when his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he noticed it was his wife, Sarah. The familiar pang of guilt struck him; he had promised to be home early today, and it was already late. Most of the employees were on Christmas break, and he was supposed to be as well, but the new challenges the studio faced kept him occupied.
"Hey, Honey," Chris greeted as he answered the call.
"Chris, where are you? You promised you would be home early. Jaime has been looking forward to your time off," Sarah's voice carried a mix of concern and disappointment.
"I know, I know. We're just wrapping up here. I'll be home soon," Chris reassured her.
"Oh, and did you get the Buzz Lightyear action figure for Jaime?" Sarah asked, her tone hopeful.
"Buzz what?" Chris replied, confused.
"Buzz Lightyear, the action figure from the new toys that were released last month. It's from his favorite book. I told you to buy one last month as Jaime's Christmas present. Please tell me you bought it; it's very popular and might be sold out by now," Sarah reminded him, her disappointment now more evident in her voice.
Chris's heart sank. He had completely forgotten about it. "Oh, right. Buzz Lightyear. Yes, I got it. It's all wrapped up and ready to be gifted. it's here in the office," he lied quickly.
"Good. He's been talking about it all day. Make sure you're home soon," Sarah said before ending the call.
"Look, we can continue this discussion later. I have something important to do. We'll reconvene after the holidays," Chris announced, his tone firm.
He dashed to the nearest toy store, hoping that he wasn't too late. The shelves, picked bare by last-minute shoppers, seemed like an obstacle course. His eyes scanned the shelves for the elusive Buzz Lightyear action figure, but he couldn't find it.
A store employee approached him with a forced smile. "Can I help you find something, sir?"
"I need the Buzz Lightyear action figure. Are there any left?"
The employee's forced smile turned into a stifled chuckle. "Buzz Lightyear? Good luck with that, buddy. We've been sold out for days."
Panic set in for Chris. "Are you sure? There must be some left. Can you check in the back or something?"
The employee's amusement grew, and a condescending smirk played on their lips. "Buddy, there's nothing left. These toys are like gold right now. You might want to try another store, but I wouldn't get my hopes up."
Determined not to give up, Chris mustered a forced smile, thanked the employee, and ventured out of the store. The chilly December air felt like a slap in the face as he stepped onto the bustling street.
The quest for his son's present led him through various stores, each one presenting the same disheartening sight—shelves stripped bare of the sought-after toy. He refused to succumb to despair, persisting through the crowded malls and bustling shops as the hours ticked away. Finally, he found one in a store he literally had to fight his way to get, as there were others searching for it as well.
Triumphant, he entered the car to drive back home, but that feeling turned to dread when he looked at his watch and realized he was very late.
"Oh, Sarah is going to kill me," he said as he began his long drive home.
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Chris stepped into his home; his wife's displeasure was evident in her expression as she greeted him. Before he could offer an explanation, he was tackled by his son, who, to his surprise, was still awake.
"Dad, you're home," his young voice said with excitement.
"He refused to sleep until you came home," Sarah said, glaring at him.
"Okay, Jaime, it's time for bed. Say goodnight to your dad," she said, looking at their son.
"I want dad to read to me," he said, still holding on to him.
"Why don't you go wait in your room? I'll be there in a few minutes," he said to his son, ruffling his hair.
Chris sighed, watching his son disappear into his room. Sarah crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. "I know I am late," he tried to explain.
"You were looking for the toy, weren't you?" she said.
"Please tell me you at least got it," she added.
He nodded. "Yes, I got it, and I am sorry," he said, hoping she would forgive him.
The relief on Sarah's face was evident, and her expression softened. "Well, at least you got the toy. Jaime will be over the moon."
"Now go to your son," she ordered.
He entered the room; he saw Jaime in his bed waiting for him with a book. "Dad, read it to me," he said as he lifted the book to him.
"Alright, let's see what we have here," he said as he laid next to his son. He looked at the book's cover; it said Toy Story, and there were two characters in the cover art—one was a cowboy, and next to him was Buzz Lightyear that he spent the whole afternoon chasing.
He began reading the story to Jaime. After a while, he noticed Jaime had fallen asleep, but he didn't stop reading; he was too engrossed in the story. It was only when his wife had come to check on them that he left his son's room. When Sarah went to sleep, he stayed up reading the book.
This was it; he realized he could turn this into a movie. He had been searching for a story, and now he had found it, and it was perfect. He hoped that the author hadn't sold its rights yet.
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After the holidays he arranged a meeting he had already asked his employees to look in to getting the rights for the story
After the holidays, Chris gathered his team for a meeting to strategize on acquiring the rights to 'Toy Story.' During the discussion, he learned that Daniel, the author, was only 11 years old and had rejected all previous offers for the story to be adapted.
"So, any idea why he rejected all the other offers?" he asked his team.
"Creative differences, mostly. The kid doesn't want many changes to the story, and he wants to be involved as well," James, his right-hand man in the company, replied.
"So, he is very attached to the story, hmm we need to show him that we respect his vision. Maybe a personal approach would work," suggested Samantha, the creative director.
"Let's try to make this more than just a business deal. I want to show him our passion for his work. What about animating a segment from his book?" Chris suggested.
"That could work," James replied, agreeing with his idea.
"How long would it take to get it done?" Chris asked.
"It depends on how long it is," Samantha replied.
Chris nodded, "Alright, we will set up a meeting after we finish it." He ended the meeting as the team left to begin planning