In the living room, Kirkland stared at the television with a dark expression, clearly in a bad mood.
Harley gently patted his hand, comforting him, "It's okay, really. Actually, it's kind of interesting if you think about it, we..."
"We've been played!" Kirkland stared at the television screen, his expression growing even darker. "Those bastards!"
The fire within him was intense. Ever since he first saw the news on the Discovery Channel, he had been following this matter closely, not only spreading and reposting online posts everywhere but also joining a volunteer organization at one point, volunteering to distribute related materials and photos to passersby, hoping to contribute to finding the three college students.
However, reality was too cruel.
Everything, everything Kirkland had been paying attention to and putting effort into, turned out to be nothing but a joke.
The so-called Blair Witch and the disappearance of the three students were nothing but a massive hoax.
What was once rumors had now been confirmed by tonight's talk show, turning all speculations into reality.
Thinking about the ridicule from those around him, thinking about the passion he had invested, Kirkland felt like a joke himself.
Harley glanced at the talk show on television, took the remote, and said, "Shall we switch channels and watch something else?"
Better not to further upset her boyfriend with these shameless creators of "The Blair Witch."
Kirkland grabbed Harley's hand. "Don't change the channel. I want to keep watching. I want to remember these despicable bastards! I won't watch anything related to them in the future!"
He said each name slowly and deliberately, "Daniel Malek! Edyado Sanchizz! Heather Donayou! Michael Williams..."
Harley didn't change the channel and also turned to look at the television, where a thin middle-aged man with glasses was answering the host's questions.
As introduced at the beginning of the program, this was Daniel Malek, the producer and first director of "The Blair Witch."
Kirkland looked at the director on the television screen with disgust and anger.
This director was shameless, still boasting!
The host asked, "Director Malek, is it true that the concept, filming, and marketing of 'The Blair Witch' all originated from you?"
Daniel Malek knew this was a huge platform, a rare opportunity to promote himself, as there were no representatives from the distribution company present at the show, and the crew was entirely focused on him.
Given such a good opportunity, Daniel Malek naturally wouldn't miss it, slightly boastful, he said, "I used to listen to stories about witches from my grandmother when I was young. Later, I had the idea to make a witch movie. One year, when I was traveling in Maryland, I heard locals talking about the Blair Witch story, and I found it to be fantastic material."
Since there were no objections from Ronan Anderson's side, he no longer held back. "I wrote the script for 'The Blair Witch' and collaborated with Edyado to shoot the film using handheld cameras."
The host timely asked, "Did you consider presenting it as a mockumentary?"
"No, it's not a mockumentary," Daniel Malek asserted confidently. "I consider it a new type of film, a 'pseudo-documentary.'"
The host remained calm but led the question, "It's said that you were responsible for all the pre-production work of 'The Blair Witch,' is that correct?"
Daniel Malek was just a director who was barely starting out in the industry. He had never dealt with the media before, so he couldn't perceive the trap in the question and directly replied, "You could say that."
He was unequivocal in his statement, and Ronan Anderson and the distribution company had already expressed their support.
"Could you elaborate?" the host guided further.
Daniel Malek emphasized his role, "I came up with the idea for 'The Blair Witch,' I wrote the script, I directed the film, I created the website, and I gathered information about the witch."
Considering that the North American box office of the film was soon to exceed $100 million, Daniel Malek further emphasized his role as a director, "In other words, the film's marketing plan also came from me."
Daniel Malek didn't think there was anything wrong with his statement, and Ronan Anderson also admitted that the Embassy Pictures' marketing plan was inspired by the website he created.
The program continued, and Kirkland, the audience member, was becoming increasingly enraged.
Seeing her boyfriend's increasingly gloomy expression, Harley once again sought his opinion and then turned off the television.
Kirkland said with a grim face, "I won't watch any movies involving that bastard director in the future!"
Although not as angry as Kirkland, Harley was also displeased. She said, "Neither will I!"
Kirkland got up and walked towards the computer desk, saying as he walked, "I'm going to write a blog!"
Opening the computer, he posted a blog post first, then Harley also wrote a blog post. The content of both posts was similar, condemning the despicable behavior of Daniel Malek and his team, and calling on friends to boycott any movies they were involved in in the future.
Kirkland specifically checked online and found that the internet was full of condemnation. Of course, there were some who admired the creation of this "viral marketing plan," but the condemnation outweighed the praise by far.
"That director, Daniel Malek, is so despicable, he's just a scammer!"
"The movie is so poorly made, did they use their brains at all?"
"Are we viewers all idiots? I'll never watch a movie related to this bastard again."
"Pioneering the way for shoddy and mysterious pseudo-documentary horror films, I'm disgusted by the marketing tactics of this film, it's really shameless."
"If I weren't in Los Angeles, I'd rush to NBC's studio right now and shoot this bastard!"
Kirkland also felt the urge to kill someone. Daniel Malek and his team were too much! They treated people like circus monkeys.
In NBC's studio in Los Angeles, after the show, Daniel Malek was still excited.
"Director Malek," a staff member from Embassy Pictures came over to inform him, "the car is at the front door. Are you ready to leave now?"
Daniel Malek consulted the opinions of others and said, "Let's go back to the hotel."
His mood today was particularly good. When they went out, the staff from Embassy Pictures even cleared the way for them, following them like entourage.
Daniel Malek was very satisfied with the attitude of Embassy Pictures. Ronan Anderson respected him and valued him. The difference between success and obscurity was indeed like heaven and earth.
He would soon become a member of the club of well-known directors and directors with box office revenues of over 100 million.
Thinking of "The Blair Witch" soon breaking the $100 million mark in the North American box office, Daniel Malek suddenly realized he had overlooked a problem.
"The Blair Witch" made so much money, how much could Ronan Anderson and Embassy Pictures earn? And what about him?
How much can I make?
Daniel Malek's heart sank. He had been intoxicated by the excitement and joy of the success and fame of his first work, and he hadn't considered this aspect of the problem.
Now that he had the fame, his thoughts naturally turned to profit.
No matter how much money "The Blair Witch" made, how much could I get?
Daniel Malek thought of the contract: $80,000 for the rights buyout, and a $50,000 box office bonus when the film's total revenue reached $500,000.
Then... that was it.
And this $50,000 box office bonus had to be shared with other members of the crew.
At most, he could profit $100,000.
How could I be so stupid? I only asked for such a small rights fee and backend share at the time! No, I need to have a serious talk with Ronan Anderson about this.
Daniel Malek still had some confidence. Ronan Anderson valued him, and now he wasn't the unknown director he was before. Moreover, from the concept to the script and then to the shooting and production of "The Blair Witch," everything was his doing, so he had the capital to discuss the backend share with Ronan Anderson.
Lost in thought, he left the studio. The lights on the roadside were exceptionally bright, and there were many lights near the entrance, as well as many fans and reporters.
Some fans were wearing cultural shirts with "The Blair Witch" printed on them, and the reporters seemed eager to come over for interviews.
Countless flashes lit up, and the dazzling lights almost made it impossible to open one's eyes.
The feeling of media attention pulled Daniel Malek's sinking heart back up. He raised his eyes, put on a smile, and prepared to respond to the people around him.
It seemed like something flew over from the left.
Daniel Malek subconsciously turned to look, and an oval-shaped object had flown in front of him, hitting him in the face and then shattering, leaving his face covered in a sticky yellow substance.
Another egg flew out from among the fans, grazed Daniel Malek's head, and landed on the ground.
"Kill this bastard!"
Someone in the crowd of fans shouted excitedly.
Daniel Malek was a little dazed, unable to understand what was happening.
"Quick, let's go!"
"Quick, let's go!"
Security personnel urged them.
The staff from Embassy Pictures also ran over from behind, pushing the crew members to get into the car quickly. A few more eggs flew out and smashed on the ground behind them.
"Why?" Daniel Malek sat in the car, took a tissue to wipe the sticky stuff off his face, and asked, "Why is this happening?"
I'm the director, they're fans of "The Blair Witch," why are they attacking me?
Daniel Malek couldn't figure it out for a moment.
The staff from Embassy Pictures replied, "It may be that some fans are overly emotional." He knew the inside story and made up nonsense, "During the screening, some fans were very frightened, and it's said that some even fainted. Perhaps it's the overreaction of these fans."
Daniel Malek nodded, finding some truth in the explanation.
The staff continued, "It's not necessarily a bad thing; it shows that your movie is too outstanding and too scary."
The car arrived at the hotel, and the staff reminded them, "There's a media interview tomorrow morning, and a photo shoot for the cover of a magazine in the afternoon. These are all arranged specifically for you by Mr. Anderson."
Upon hearing this, Daniel Malek's mood quickly improved. Ronan Anderson was indeed a good person. One media activity after another, and they were all specially arranged to highlight him.