Hollywood What If Chapter 459
"Let's see. This movie has few female roles, and most of the important ones are already filled."
Kazir was looking at the list of cast members. He was trying to find a suitable role for a woman, someone Kazir didn't like.
Kazir hated a cheater. He knew that the future could change, but he couldn't erase from his mind that this woman had cheated on her partner.
"You said that one of the actresses who was supposed to slap me in the movie backed out? How about we give her that role?" Johnny Depp was in his pirate costume, and his demeanor was different from usual.
Whenever he was in his costume as Captain Jack Sparrow, he would always act tipsy. Kazir didn't want to interrupt his immersion, but he had to tackle this topic.
"So let me get this straight, you want your girlfriend to slap you in the face?"
"In the film."
"Alright, in the film."
"Come on, Kazir. We are professionals here. I'm an actor. If the script says I have to be slapped, then I have to."
"You sure there's no kink to this?" Kazir asked.
"Maybe, maybe not. Hey, why are you looking at me like that? You're the one who wrote the script, not me."
"Okay, fine."
Kazir sighed and agreed, even though he didn't want to.
Kazir didn't want to hire Amber Heard, for some reasons.
But because Johnny was asking for a favor, Kazir didn't have a choice but to agree. He wanted to make sure that Johnny would be at full capacity while filming.
If Kazir didn't agree, the actor might hold a grudge against him, and it could cause a problem for the movie. Kazir needed Johnny Depp to finish this trilogy.
The first three movies of Pirates of the Caribbean were the peak performances of the franchise. No one could deny that fact.
'As for possible fourth movies, well, maybe I can sell the franchise to Fox instead? They're looking for movies that can turn into franchises.'
By the way, 20th Century Fox was having a blast because Final Destination was a huge hit. The horror movie dominated April, earning $122 million at the North American box office within 20 days of screening.
Kazir admitted that the toys and merchandise related to Pirates of the Caribbean were making them tons of money, but Kazir had no interest in making a fourth movie. If Grey Pictures and Fox wanted to make a fourth movie, then they would have to look for another director.
'Hm, now that I think about it, Pirates of the Caribbean is my first official trilogy… Damn, am I really that choosy?'
Kazir asked himself. Even in the Spider-Man franchise, Kazir only signed on for two films. For the last movie, Sony-Columbia had to find another director.
As for his old movies, Kazir never filmed any of their sequels. He was just responsible for the first movies.
"Thanks, Kazir. I appreciate it."
"Ah? Ah, yeah. No problem, Johnny." Kazir was so deep in thought that he forgot he was actually talking to Johnny Depp.
For the record, Captain Jack Sparrow was slapped in the franchise many times. He deserved some of the slaps, while other slaps were not. Either way, Jack Sparrow getting slapped was a comedic scene in the movie.
And now, one of the actresses who would slap him was actually his current girlfriend, Amber Heard. Kazir didn't know what to feel about that, because he knew that Amber would do much worse than that in a few years.
"So, how's your relationship with your girlfriend? Based on how you want to help her climb the ladder in Hollywood, I guess you guys are doing great."
"Oh, absolutely. She's one of a kind. The best thing that ever happened in my life. Although for some reason, whenever I wake up next to her, the bed smells like shit."
"..."
Kazir suddenly had an epiphany.
'Am I doing God's work if I make them break up?' he asked himself.
Perhaps while filming this project, Kazir would have a chance to change the future. He actually didn't know the exact, specific reasons why Amber and Johnny tried to destroy each other's careers. He was also not sure if Johnny was completely innocent.
However, Kazir decided to side with Johnny Depp, just for the simple reason that he liked the guy.
Now that most of the cast was filled, the crew would have a script reading to make sure the cast understood their roles.
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April only had a few movies that surpassed $100 million. Final Destination was the only one that created a sensation.
So when May arrived, which was the start of the summer schedule, cinemas started getting packed with moviegoers.
Kingdom of Heaven was released in the second week of May… It didn't have a good reputation because the plot was messy, it was constant war. Some blamed Ridley Scott, but the director didn't hold the editing rights. Ridley Scott's version was better, but 20th Century Fox decided to go with a different tone.
In 20 years, some scenes in Kingdom of Heaven would become memes. Anyway, everyone agreed that Ridley Scott's version of Kingdom of Heaven was way better than the theatrical version.
Aside from Kingdom of Heaven, 20th Century Fox also released a huge movie! This movie was the most anticipated Star Wars movie!
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
This was the last movie of the second trilogy. The movie that completed the Star Wars saga.
Many people were so excited to watch this movie. Even 20th Century Fox was putting in effort even though they didn't own the IP of Star Wars.
Star Wars was owned by Lucasfilm. A lot of people were not confident in Star Wars when it was released, so none of the studios even bought the copyrights. That decision led to Lucasfilm retaining ownership.
Some fans were disappointed in the last movie, while others were just fine with it. At least they knew how Anakin Skywalker went to the Dark Side.
Either way, Star Wars obviously made money. It was not even surprising at all.
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[Author's Note: Since this is fiction, might as well save Johnny Depp from the trouble.]