HWI 557

Hollywood What If Chapter 557

Money was not the problem for Kazir. But it was different for Paramount Pictures.

Transformers was a toy line owned by Hasbro, and they hoped that a talented director would handle the filming. After all, they hoped that their toys would become popular once the movie was released. Their best option was Kazir Grey, so Hasbro and Paramount were eager to hire the director.

Despite Kazir's silence, Paramount Pictures refused to give up. They knew he wasn't motivated by money, but what about creative control? What about an offer he couldn't resist?

Heck, Paramount Pictures even offered him women. There were many aspiring actresses who wouldn't hesitate to form a relationship with a famous director like Kazir, by the way.

But that option didn't work.

Meetings were held. Executives debated. It was a great deal for them.

Yet, when the offer reached Kazir's ears, he simply chuckled.

"Tempting," he admitted.

"But I already told you, I'm taking a break."

Kazir said that to their executive, word for word.

Paramount was left stunned, as if they were a high school girl rejected by their crush. Very painful. But they had to swallow the truth. They didn't have the sex appeal to attract Kazir, ahem, figuratively, of course.

They also understood why Kazir wanted to rest. He almost died last year, and it would be such a waste if he didn't live his life to the fullest.

With that, being heartbroken, Paramount Pictures had to move on and find another "crush" to lean on.

The director they chose was Michael Bay. Michael Bay was one of the best directors in Hollywood. Furthermore, Paramount Pictures knew that Transformers had a lot of explosion scenes, and Michael Bay was an expert in that stuff.

Paramount Pictures was still bitter though. They couldn't help it.

As of November 2008, Michael Bay took over the position of director of Transformers.

With Michael Bay leading the creation of Transformers, Paramount quickly started their jobs. They knew Michael Bay wasn't Kazir, but Michael Bay had his own strengths. His ability to deliver intense action and adrenaline-rushing explosive scenes was undeniable.

Negotiations moved fast, especially since Michael Bay was trying to prove himself because of his last failure. He agreed to a salary of $10 million plus undisclosed box office and merchandise shares.

Actually, the success of Transformers earned Michael Bay around $75 million, that was in the original timeline (2007).

Transformers was supposed to be released in 2007, which means that the past estimation was practically useless since it was already 2008 now.

By December 2008, pre-production for Transformers was in full swing. Hasbro was still invested, albeit with slightly less enthusiasm.

They had dreamed of Kazir Grey elevating their toy line into cinematic history, but they had to settle for a different vision.

Meanwhile, Kazir barely paid attention to the news regarding Transformers. In fact, he already forgot about it.

He was too busy planning his next year. First, he had to tackle Ninja Assassin, then visit Blue Sky Studio once or twice a week, then perhaps he and Scarlett could go to a tropical country to relax.

Hollywood was always taking a step forward.

By the way, the top 4 movies released in November 2008 that grossed the highest worldwide box office were:

1. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. This animated sequel produced by DreamWorks Animation was a box office hit, earning $603 million worldwide.

2. 007: Quantum of Solace. This was the second Bond movie starring Daniel Craig. It grossed $589 million globally.

3. Twilight. This novel adaptation of a vampire romance was a phenomenon for the female audience, especially teenagers. However, in the next decade, people would make fun of this franchise for some reason. Anyway, the movie earned $408 million worldwide.

4. Bolt. This was a Disney animated film about a dog that believed it had superpowers. The movie grossed $310 million worldwide.

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Just like that, December arrived, and Game of Thrones Season 3 started.

Game of Thrones Season 3 premiered on Fox TV with high ratings.

The anticipation was massive, and fans were eager to see how the battle for the throne would unfold. Each episode was amazing, and the fans' love for the show grew stronger. The cast also became popular. Hopefully, this timeline will fix the last two seasons of Game of Thrones.

The fans were glued to their screens, watching the TV show. Obviously, the more people watched the show, the better it would be for Fox TV, Grey Pictures, and Game of Thrones. As long as the show was popular, it would keep making money.

A 30-second commercial on a prime-time TV network could cost around $250,000 to $300,000. However, only Fox TV gets paid, while Game of Thrones couldn't get a share of that commercial fee.

While Grey Pictures didn't earn from the commercials directly, they made money in other ways. The success of Game of Thrones Season 3 could lead to a surge in DVD sales. Merchandise deals and international distribution agreements also brought in significant revenue.

While Game of Thrones was having a blast on TV, Hollywood movies were also having a blast in December.

December was always a competitive month for Hollywood, with studios releasing their biggest films to capitalize on the holiday season.

One of the biggest hits of the month was The Day the Earth Stood Still, a sci-fi remake starring Keanu Reeves. Despite mixed reviews, the film performed well at the box office, grossing over $230 million worldwide.

Another major success was Marley & Me, a heartwarming family film starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, which resonated with audiences and earned $247 million globally.

Gran Torino, a movie directed by and also starring Clint Eastwood, grossed $340 million.