My Hollywood System

Chapter 53:

It was hard for anyone to say something when Will was adamant about the idea. Most of them took it as immature stubbornness stemming from his success and experience in the industry.

Mark was one of the people who still strongly rejected the idea to go for a big-budget Sherlock Holmes movie.

The franchise had potential, but it was really hard for anyone to make something out of it.

At least for a young director.

That was Mark’s opinion, and clearing his throat, he asked.

“How much do you think it will earn with a 90 million budget? The box office numbers need to reach at least 200-300 million for it to be a big hit.”

“It won’t be around that mark.”

“If you are not confident that it will reach that number, it’s better to give–”

“You didn’t let me finish my sentence.”

Mark snorted and tried to get Will to reject this idea, but his words were cut off in the middle. He looked at Will, who smiled.

“500 million dollars. That is the mark that it will reach!”

Some of the board members had a strange expression when hearing those words. Even Jeffery looked at Will like he was crazy.

But some of them also had thoughtful expressions. After all, Will had managed to make 200 million dollars with a budget less than 500k dollars.

Moreover, his confidence was something that made people want to believe in him.

‘Maybe, just maybe, he has a good plan. At least they could listen to his proposal.’

That was the thought in their mind, and at that moment, Amanda cleared her throat and spoke.

“How about we at least take a look at the script?”

“Is the script already prepared?”

Jeffery asked, not knowing of this. He knew that Will was working on something, but he didn’t know he had finished it so quickly.

“I have read it. It’s terrific.”

Amanda said, her words causing some murmurs.

“Even if the script is good, you do realise the idea is completely… shocking. I have never heard of such a gamble in my entire life.”

An old man who was head of the production department spoke. His name was Anthony Zabka.

“I know it is. But I don’t think there is any reason why we shouldn’t at least try to listen to the whole proposal. Will isn’t someone who will talk about things without thinking it through.”

Her words made one thing clear. She was on Will’s side, and it did give a clear message to the board members.

If even the CEO is on his side, then there wasn’t much they could do, to begin with. Mark was still not satisfied and looked at Amanda.

“It seems like you have already gone through it.”

“Yeah, and it was pretty good. At least I think it has potential, and I think we should at least understand every point before we say anything.”

Mark frowned but still nodded his head. There was nothing wrong with listening through it all.

“Okay, so let’s take a look at the script first.”

Everyone nodded, and at that moment, Will spoke.

“I have already sent a script to everyone’s office. Do not share it with anyone, and let’s come back tomorrow to finalise it.”

He knew that it would take a bit of time to convince everyone, but he would go ahead with it no matter what.

Just that he needed to be patient.

‘I will make this movie a huge hit.’

He thought in his mind as he glanced at the board members. Many of them didn’t trust him enough yet.

But it was just a matter of time.

***

Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.

And Will knew this very well. He smiled as he stared at his reflection in the makeup room mirror, which was bordered by bright bulbs.

He was currently at a photoshoot for one of the industry’s top magazines, the Hollywood Pride.

Hollywood Pride is a monthly magazine of popular culture, fashion, and current industry affairs, from gossip and rumours to the latest announcement.

Will was the industry’s current hot topic, and Amanda had convinced him to accept the invitation for a photoshoot at the editorial building of this magazine company.

With the success of the [Blair Witch Project] movie, many people were interested to know more about him, and Amanda wanted Will to be serious about this since he would be the face of the Dream Vision Studios.

The photoshoot that he was attending right now was for the magazine’s cover page, and once this was over, he would then go for an interview which would be published in the magazine with his cover page.

Right now, he was going with a very simplistic look – slick hair, white shirt with the top button unbuttoned and a black tie.

One thing to note about his shirt was that it wasn’t even ironed, and the tie was slightly out of place.

This wasn’t due to negligence; rather, it was under the photoshoot director’s instruction. That person wanted Will to give a workaholic type of vibe, someone who’s new to this industry and understands the weight he has on his shoulders and takes his work very seriously while also being confident about everything he does.

He also had black trousers, but the photo needed for the cover page was only of his upper torso.

Just as he was correcting his tie, one of the staff members stepped inside the room.

“Mr Evans, we’re ready.”

Will nodded at him with a slight smile and went out.

Outside, the staff of the photoshoot had arranged a white screen, which would be his background.

“Will, come here,” The director, John, gestured at him as soon as the former stepped out of the makeup room.

And as Will stood in the white background, facing the cameras and big lights, John told him about the pose he had in his mind.

“I want you to relax your shoulder, Will.” He said, “Just be chill. Pull up the sleeves of your shirt, and put your hands in your pocket. You got it?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, let’s do it then.” John then concentrated on the camera while saying, “Look into the lens! On the count of three…1…2…3!”

-Khachak!

“Perfect!” John smiled, “You have a pretty photogenic face, Will.”

“Is that a compliment?” Will smiled.

John chuckled, “From a photoshoot director? Yeah, of course, it is.”

The photoshoot continued for about twenty more minutes, and Will even changed his attire into a tux.

Satisfied with the shoot, John shook Will’s hands as the event came to a closure, “Will, that was a good one. I hope to see you more for the photoshoot in the near future.”

Will smiled, “It was my pleasure. And yeah, I hope the same too.”

John chuckled a bit at this, and glanced at the staff; he told them to pack up.

As Will returned to the makeup room to change his clothes, a staff member was already waiting for him there.

“Sir, I will take you to the interview for the magazine in the next room once you have changed.”

Will nodded, and the staff member left.

Five minutes later, Will walked out of the room, back in his own casual clothes.

The staff member, who was waiting for Will just outside the room, gestured at him to follow and took him to the next room.

In the next room, a young reporter was waiting for him. She had been working in the magazine for a few years, and her name was Amelia Kathy.

As she saw Will enter the room, she shook hands with him and introduced herself.

“I’m Amelia Kathy. I will be doing your interview today.”

“Will Evans.”

He said and sat down. As he wanted to get the interview over with, they quickly started it.

“So, how does it feel like to be a multimillionaire? Your story is an inspiration for a lot of young filmmakers as it’s basically a rag to riches one.”

She asked, asking one of the most fundamental questions, but it was inevitable that people would be interested in knowing his views.

“It feels incredible, obviously. Everyone likes having money, but I don’t think my lifestyle has changed much. Aside from a better house, everything is still the same.”

“Did you always believe that your movie would earn so much?”

“I know it will be successful. A filmmaker doesn’t make a movie that he thinks won’t be successful. Though, it was a surprise to me too when it earned so much.”

Amelia smiled at that and asked some more questions. They were pretty simple ones, like how it feels to be famous and why he sold the rights to the Blair Witch franchise.

He easily replied to them, and after a while, she asked a question that put him in a tough spot.

“There were rumours that many students from EUC and other film colleges are dropping out to be a real director. Do you think it’s because of you?”

Will took a while to answer this question. If he replied hastily, there would be headlines like ‘A young director said that film schools are of no use.

Media were always good at changing words in a way to create controversy.

This question had stemmed from the fact that Hollywood was seeing a craze for camcorder movies. They were cheap to make and were perfect for young filmmakers.

But it’s not like he was encouraging something like that. He knew well that the craze wouldn’t be there after some years.

“I don’t think the reason is me. I mean, it’s not like I’m telling them to drop out. I personally would have stayed in the EUC if not for my circumstances.”

“So, it was not a choice?”

“It was a necessity. I didn’t have money to pay the fees, and I opted to sell scripts for a living. At that point, the idea for Blair Witch came to my mind. Thankfully, it worked out for me, but I don’t know if it’s going to work out with other people too.”

She nodded her head at that and asked about other stuff like his life in EUC and his relationships. Or if his classmates had tried to contact him after he got famous.

In the end, she asked about something he wasn’t expecting.

“There were reports that Edward Friedman’s next movie is written by you? Are you going to make a career out of screenwriting?”

“Yes, I am indeed the screenwriter of his next movie, and in the future, I might write scripts for others, but directing movies is something I won’t give up.”

Amelia curled her lips up and asked.

“So, will we see a new movie of yours this year?”

“If everything goes well, then yes!”