HWI 469

Hollywood What If Chapter 469

Robert found his seat and read the newspaper. Younger people these days had stopped reading newspapers and preferred watching television as a means of entertainment instead.

Perhaps only old people appreciated the novelty of reading newspapers.

'Hm, I heard that Kazir also loves to read newspapers. Maybe he's an old man deep inside.'

He turned the page and frowned when he saw the box office of Batman Begins.

After 47 days of screening, Batman Begins grossed over $210 million. It was a success, but some movie critics criticized Kazir because, out of his recent movies, Batman Begins had the lowest performance.

"People always expect too much from a person who keeps spamming blockbuster movies every year. Batman Begins' performance is amazing on its own. There's nothing to be sad about."

Robert sighed. It would be a lie if he said that he was not jealous.

Walt Disney had an amazing lineup of animated movies. However, their live-action movies were getting stale as the years went by. They didn't have any strong movies lately.

They didn't have Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

They didn't have Spider-Man.

They didn't have Pirates of the Caribbean... Ahem, Robert was clueless about the fact that this franchise was meant for Walt Disney.

Disneyland had an attraction ride called Pirates of the Caribbean. Kazir also admitted that he found inspiration when he rode that ride.

Robert thought of filing a lawsuit, but he felt like they would lose the case. They did not own the trademark for Pirates of the Caribbean.

If Robert pushed the lawsuit, he was afraid that Kazir would completely close his door to working with Walt Disney.

Yes, Robert was still hoping. He knew the truth regarding the industry. The best way to make money was by hiring Kazir Grey.

He didn't want to follow Michael Eisner's path by acting arrogant. He wanted to work with Kazir.

That was one of the reasons why he agreed to buy the shares of Grey Pictures. Unfortunately, the acquisition failed, and 20th Century Fox won the race.

As for the scandal that Walt Disney spread with the help of Universal Pictures, Robert went along with it because of his position.

In a way, Robert wanted to work with Kazir. But if Kazir didn't want to, then Robert had no problem dirtying the director's reputation.

At the end of the day, this was business, and Robert was standing on business.

"Our live-action movies don't have strong power to compete with the other studios. We need to level up."

Walt Disney was the giant of the animation industry, but he didn't want to let go of live-action movies. Because live-action movies could also bring them a lot of money.

Robert could see the trajectory of the company. If they failed to make interesting live-action movies, their market shares would decrease.

If that happened, Robert would be blamed and possibly kicked out of the company, just like what happened to Michael Eisner. Robert didn't want that to happen.

"I have plans. First, ask Kazir if he's interested in working with us."

He heard that Paramount Pictures asked Kazir to work with them on a project, and Walt Disney could do the same, with a thicker face.

"If that doesn't work, we will invite Fremont Smith or Palenque Simone."

Fremont was currently relaxing after the success of La La Land. The award-winning director was having a blast and attending many parties in Los Angeles, except for Epstein and Diddy parties, of course.

As for Palenque Simone, Walt Disney was ready to shoulder the expenses if the TV show director decided to break the contract.

Palenque Simone didn't have experience directing a movie. But at this point, Walt Disney was ready to gamble just to achieve success.

After all, Kazir Grey was Fremont and Palenque's mentor. The director taught the two how to direct a project, and the two also adapted Kazir's fast style of filming.

Robert was also interested in Renner Hector, Kazir's director of photography, or cinematographer.

After working with Kazir for more than a decade, Renner Hector probably learned so many things from Kazir. However, this cinematographer never stepped into making a movie. He stayed in his position and followed Kazir in every movie he created.

"If my second plan doesn't work, maybe I can make live-action versions of our fairytale movies. Just like I said last time, we can start with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

To be fair, the idea of live-action versions of fairytale movies was not bad. It was actually a great idea... once done right.

It was true that Robert reached his position because he was talented and smart. His way of thinking was on the right track, but it didn't mean that every project he partook in would be successful.

"... Maybe I can start with Cinderella instead?"

...

...

...

Mascots of characters from Kung Fu Panda were parading in front of the El Capitan Theatre. Po, Master Shifu, Master Oogway, Tigress, and many more were waving their hands adorably (the people inside the mascots were probably showering in sweat).

Tonight was the premiere of Kung Fu Panda. 3D animated movies were well-received even by adults, so people ranging from 5 years old to 50+ years old were eager to watch the movie. Especially when Kung Fu Panda was written by none other than Kazir Grey.

++++

[And yeah, this chapter is a bit of a filler I guess. I'm still waiting for the results of the poll regarding Ninja Assassin and Transformers before adding Kazir's next step. The poll was tough because the two almost have the same number of votes.]

[Edit: It has a clear answer now.]