My Hollywood System

Chapter 104:

12th September 2011.

Making a script for an original movie was an arduous task. In the first place, it wasn’t about lack of ideas, but having too many ideas to be selecting one of them. Brainstorming through a bunch of ideas while thinking which one would work the best was a task worth complaining about.

Will, who was currently going through another such brainstorming session, was having a headache thinking about what to do and what not to do. There were just too many options to select from. He could go with a rom-com or even a fantasy genre. He could even opt-out for a mystery thriller, which can be considered his speciality after [Sherlock Holmes] made a name for itself.

If he did decide to go with a mystery thriller, then he can just add a bit of fantasy element to it to make it more interesting. As he kept on thinking, he couldn’t come to a conclusion as to which idea would work and which wouldn’t.

He wanted to make a movie that he could direct and feel great about it and that it also connects to his future projects. Will didn’t want to make a movie that wouldn’t connect to his future projects. In fact, he would feel bad about it.

After all, Hollywood was all about franchises. Not only that, but in Will’s precious world, not only franchises but different universes also existed, making a room for a large amount of story connectivity and thrill. The most famous ones were of course universes that consisted of Marvel and DC heroes.

As Will kept thinking about such things, he kept typing and deleting his words on his laptop. His days passed by in agony with him not being able to come up with any outstanding idea that would be a surefire hit. After all, it was very hard for Will to think of an idea and stick to it for a long time because he thought that this and that can be better in this and that.

Of the many ideas that Will thought about, there was an idea about a time loop story. A man would go through an unfortunate event in which his daughter was killed in a car accident, but after every time he reaches her funeral, he would go back in time and try to save her and would end up failing every time, because he later finds out that he wasn’t the only one time travelling back in time, it was the same for his daughter’s killer who was doing the car accident with the intent to murder his daughter.

Apart from this, there was another idea for a musical about the life of a comedian, but that idea was soon scrapped too. In the end, he finalized two ideas that seemed to have an equal amount of potential and risks while scrapping all the other ideas. He would select one of them and make a movie out of it, he was short on time, to begin with.

After a rough draft of both the ideas was completed, Will called Jeffrey to ask for his opinion. Although Will knew Jeffrey was busy and all, he wanted Jeffrey to pick one idea for him so he can continue with them.

*Knock* *Knock*

After knocking once, Jeffrey entered the office without waiting for Will’s permission to enter. They were close enough that he could do such things and Will wouldn’t mind. Unless, of course, Will was busy in a rendezvous in his office and Jeffrey came and caught him in the act. Which was quite unlikely considering Will’s personality.

Will looked at Jeffrey and couldn’t help but chuckle at his run down and haggard appearance.

“Yeah yeah, laugh all you want, brat. I am just too tired from producing movies and being a cinematographer.”

Jeffrey said in a complaining voice, although his smiling face betrayed it. He was currently so busy with everything related to [1917] that he would consider himself lucky if he was able to sleep 4 hours a day without any disturbance. Will himself knew how hard Jeffrey was working and was very appreciative of him.

Though, his wife kept complaining that he wasn’t giving time to family. But work was work.

After [1917] ended shooting, Jeffery was already planning a holiday.

“How is it going, Lieutenant Jeff.”

Will acted like the chief of an army asking for reports of the battlefield. He was currently referencing [1917] and was talking like that to help Jeffrey lift his mood.

“Aye, Captain. It’s going well. Haven’t had proper sleep for a week now but I think I can still function for a few days even if I am out of gas.”

Jeffrey said sarcastically, playing along with Will’s chief and lieutenant act.

“Really though? How are the preparations coming along?”

Will asked seriously this time.

“Well, the preparations are progressing smoothly. The sets are taking longer time than expected due to how realistic you want them to be. Apart from that, the casting for the other roles is going on too, not so smoothly.”

Jeffrey said, his brows knitting at the end of his sentence.

“Why? What happened?”

Will asked curiously. Since [1917] didn’t have any major roles apart from the main roles, Will had advised getting famous actors to play a cameo for the other roles. Robert had even agreed to play the role of General Mackenzie.

Coincidentally, that role was played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the original.

“Yeah well, Neil Williams is asking for half a million just for a 1-minute cameo role. Negotiations are still ongoing but yeah, I am really speechless at some of these big actors and their agencies’ shamelessness.”

Jeffrey said with stress visible on his forehead.

“Hahahaha. This is a common thing. They are not really serious and are trying to see what’s the most you would go for. Don’t bother too much about it. And Neil Williams isn’t required if his agency is like this. Not like the movie can’t work without him.”

“I know. Some of the other actors agreed without much negotiation. But this guy is one of those arrogant guys.”

During the casting, many big actors have even said that they won’t take payment for small roles.

This was not the actor’s intent but of the agencies behind them. As [1917] was Will’s movie, the agencies were trying to get in his good shoes. Like this, their actors will have a better chance to work in his movies in the future.

And the agencies can even look to cooperate with DTA.

“Like I said, just stop the negotiations on your end and he will quickly give out his true value. And if he gives more trouble, just go to another one. Hollywood doesn’t lack stars.”

“Yeah, okay. So, why did you call me here? It must be something urgent?”

Jeffrey asked, changing the topic. He was busy and couldn’t give much time to this meeting.

“Yeah, well, I want you to help me out.”

Will said and opened a drawer, revealing two drafts that he had made.

He put them on the table and Jeffery’s eyes fixed on them, wondering what Will was trying to do.

“Choose one from these.”

“What are these anyway? Scripts?” He asked, taking a guess.

“Drafts. I will start working on the scripting once you select one. One of these is going to be my next movie.”

Jeffrey had earlier thought that Will was going to take a break from directing after he had told him he wouldn’t direct [500 days of Summer] but now, he had prepared two new stories.

He wanted to frown thinking about his workaholic nature.

“Okay, let me read them and then I will say.”

He said and tried to grab the first draft but Will quickly shook his head.

“Ah, no, you can’t do that.”

“What?”

“You need to select without reading.”

Jeffery looked at him like he was saying something absurd and Will hurriedly explained himself.

“The reason I’m asking you to choose is because in my eyes, both these stories would work well in the box office and they both connect well with my future plans. Just I don’t know which one to do next, so I’m leaving this on luck.”

“And you want me to decide based on my instinct. What If I made the wrong choice?”

“I won’t blame you. Just choose.”

Jeffery sighed after hearing those words. For a second, he felt like he should argue against Will’s reckless words but decided not to.

He knew enough of him to not do something like that. Will was stubborn.

The best thing here was to just get it over with.

“Okay, let’s see…”

Jeffery looked at the two drafts. Both of them didn’t have any title written on the front and they both looked the same. But contained different stories that would have different fates at the box office.

In the end, he just grabbed the second draft and gave it to Will.

“This one. I don’t know what type of story it is but let’s bloody hope it works.”

Will smiled hearing that and opened the draft. On the first page of it, the title of the movie was written.

“What is the name of your next movie then?”

Jeffery asked, seeing Will’s smiling at the draft.

“See it for yourself.”

He passed him the draft and Jeffery made a strange expression reading the title. It didn’t give him any idea about the movie.

“What genre is it?”

“A gangster movie.”

On the front page of the draft, the title was [Liberty City].

***

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