HWI 449

Hollywood What If Chapter 449

Kazir couldn't deny that. He was the writer of La La Land and a factor in its success.

However, the box office was already an obvious statement and Kazir was confident that La La Land was profitable.

What he needed from Lionsgate was their power. Despite being a second-rate studio, they have the power to help Fremont and Brianna win their respective awards.

"If Fremont and Brianna won the Best Director and Best Actress Award, I don't mind working with you... I might even direct a movie for Lionsgate."

Kazir smiled, trying to increase the benefits.

The benefits of winning the awards at the Academy Awards were significant. It could boost the box office of La La Land, and it could also boost the DVD sales of La La Land.

However, what Kazir offered was a benefit that Lionsgate would have a hard time achieving. They did try to hire Kazir to direct their movies.

God knows how many times they tried and how much money they offered to convince the director but Kazir was not moved by money anymore.

At this point in his career, what he was looking for was fun and the happiness of directing movies. It didn't matter which studio he would work with.

"... Gulped."

Mason Aiden, the producer who might have a role in this novel, swallowed hard. He could not help but gulp down the saliva that was stuck in his throat, or else he might suffocate because of extreme shock.

He heard it clearly and understood what Kazir was saying, but his mind took a second to comprehend it.

"... We will do our best."

Winning the Academy Awards was not simple. So many movies and celebrities were fighting to win the awards. Lionsgate would have a hard time winning one or two.

They were supporting La La Land and hoped that it would win, but Lionsgate was not giving their all. They were still new in the industry, and their social network was not widespread, unlike Miramax.

But now, Lionsgate had a reason to go full power. Just like the lottery, even if the chances were low, the winning price was worth it.

"I'm glad to hear that."

The two shook hands.

Despite being a verbal agreement, Mason knew that this was the best they could get from Kazir. The director had a great reputation and he won't back away from his promise.

"You don't have to worry, I won't break my promise. I can either sell another script for Lionsgate or direct a movie for Lionsgate."

"Of course, of course."

Mason nodded twice, wiping his sweaty forehead. He didn't expect that this small meeting would end up like this. He felt like his seat was on fire because of the pressure.

Actually, Kazir's next movie was already planned for 2006. It was none other than Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

The props were long prepared and even the cast all signed the contract. They were, in fact, undergoing training at this moment, particularly Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom.

This was also the reason why Grey Pictures only had one CCU movie because they would overspend their resources if they made three movie projects and a TV series per year.

This was a problem that Grey Pictures suffered two years ago. Back when Grey Pictures thought that they could make four projects per year. God, that was a bit of a hassle, even for Stella Willow.

In 2003, Grey Pictures arrogantly released Wanted 2, The Equalizer, Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl, and their TV series Game Of Thrones.

Thankfully, despite their overconfidence, all of their projects were successful. All of the four projects profited millions.

So now, Grey Pictures returned to their usual 2 movies per year. As for Game Of Thrones, Fox TV was taking care of that series. They had no intention of letting Game Of Thrones jump to another TV network.

'If both Fremont and Brianna won, I have no problem working with Lionsgate. But they have to wait. Of course, I'll pick the movie I'll direct. Maybe the script will also come from me.'

.........

......

...

The Cinefamily. A nonprofit cinema exhibition. A Silent movie theatre on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. The Cinefamily mostly features silent films and old obscure cult movies that didn't receive much attention.

The Cinefamily also did a live score screening where a silent film was accompanied by live musicians.

Tonight, on Valentine's Day, Scarlett was smiling ear to ear while sitting next to Kazir. Of course, she was happy that the man made his first move at last and invited her on a date.

And now, she was having fun because the silent film they were watching was The Circus (1928), starring Charlie Chaplin. Despite being almost a century old, the movie still made her laugh.

The musicians who accompanied the silent film made it livelier. At first, she was skeptical about the venue that Kazir chose, but she didn't expect it to be this fun.

Even Kazir, who was serious most of the time, was laughing. The two had a great night. They had dinner in an expensive restaurant and had interesting conversations.

"I had fun."

"Me too." Scarlett blushed.

They agreed to have another date next week. Scarlett was so happy. Now, she didn't regret pushing Kazir to take her seriously, because she loved being taken seriously.

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[I know it's not relevant, but do you want Fremont and Brianna to win the Oscar or only one of them? I'll make it a poll so you can vote.]