DOS Ch-346

I walked into the living room of Casa Encantada after a long shower, which was badly needed after my hectic two-hour gym session involving weightlifting and Muay Thai. Working out has become my routine now, and I can’t imagine life without it.

I used to maintain my shape in my past life as well, but back then it was mostly because of my profession. Who wants to see a pornstar who isn’t in good shape?

Now, though, I do it as much for my health as for the aesthetics it adds to my looks.

I walked over to the man who had come to meet me today and offered him a handshake.

“Thank you for coming to see me, Richard,” I said with a smile. “I can’t tell you how big a fan I am of your work. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched your films like [Four Weddings and a Funeral], [Love Actually], [Notting Hill], and [Bridget Jones’s Diary].”

“Thank you for saying that, Troy,” Richard Curtis said, inclining his head in gratitude. “But I’m a bigger fan of yours. I really love all your films. Whatever you do to select your projects, please don’t stop. Because when I see you have a movie coming, I know it’ll be good. I’ve watched each of your films at least ten times.”

“Oh?” I asked curiously. “Which is your favorite?”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Now that is a difficult choice to make, but if I really had to pick just one, I’d go with… [Little Miss Sunshine].”

I nodded in agreement. “That’s definitely one of my favorite films of my own. Right up there with [Perks], [Deathly Hallows], and [Superbad].”

“Not [The Sixth Sense]? Or maybe [The Dark Knight]?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “As much as I’m proud of my work in [The Dark Knight], I can’t rewatch it without going back into Joker mode. That shoot was the most difficult thing of my life, and I don’t like to relive it. As for [The Sixth Sense], I absolutely hated myself in that movie when it came out. In hindsight, yes, it’s one of my better performances, but I never understood the hype. A suspense movie is a terrible watch when you already know what’s going to happen.”

“True,” Richard agreed, leaning forward. “I was more than a little surprised that you were interested in investing in my next project.”

“Not just investing,” I added. “I want to act in it as well. Not just me, either. I want it to feature me and Scarlett together. We haven’t done a movie together in a while, and I wanted you to direct us.”

“I’d be happy to work with you, but are you sure about that? You can handpick any movie you want in the entire world, and you’re going with me?”

“My British fans have complained that I haven’t done a proper ‘English’ movie in a while,” I said, rolling my eyes good-naturedly. “That I’ve become too Hollywood-ized. So I thought, why not try something from the homeland? I picked up a summary of your idea, saw your name, and knew I had to do it at all costs. So I called you for this meeting. Unless you’re dead set on casting Hugh Grant for this movie, I’d be happy to be a part of it.”

Richard laughed at the jab.

“Hugh isn’t suitable for this one,” he confessed. “He’d be perfect for the role, but only if he were at least twenty years younger.”

“Which I am,” I added.

“Which you are,” he agreed, then sighed. “When I conceived the idea, I didn’t want to make it a star vehicle, which it would become after you and Scarlett get involved. But I’d be foolish to turn you down because I’ve wanted to work with you ever since [Love Actually]. I don’t know if you know this, but I tried relentlessly to cast you as Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Unfortunately, you were busy.”

I stared at him, wide-eyed. “That’s my favorite scene in the entire movie. The way he runs across the airport had me rooting for him more than any other character. I even did a sort of homage to it in [Echoes of You], where I run through a train station instead of an airport.”

He laughed. “I know. It was while watching that movie that I decided I’d work with you one day. So let’s do this.”

I grinned and offered him a handshake, which he accepted.

“I’ll ask my manager to send you a formal contract within a week or so,” I continued. “He’ll handle the money side of things and all that jazz.”

“I’ll start working on the script right away,” Richard promised. “I already know the direction I want to take the story in.”

I nodded, but there was one major thing I had to say before he began writing it properly.

“One thing I’ve noticed about your films is the language,” I said before he could continue outlining his plans. “As much as I love your movies, from a business perspective, the R rating in America takes away a good chunk of the audience.”

“You want me to make it PG-13 for your American viewers who can’t handle a few extra fucks?” he asked with amusement. “Do you think you’re the first producer to tell me that over the years?”

“So you’re rebelling against the MPAA?” I asked rhetorically. “Have to say, you’re not doing a great job, man.”

We both chuckled.

“Seriously, though,” I continued. “You need to decide who your audience is. If it’s the family audience you’re targeting, many American families will avoid the film entirely just because it has that red R stamped on it.”

“I’m not saying you should make the film PG-13 or R-rated. I’ll work in it regardless. What I’m saying is that the film should deserve that rating. So if it is R, don’t let it be because of a few extra swear words that could’ve been avoided altogether.”

He was silent for a few moments, clearly thinking about what I’d proposed.

“I don’t want to add anything more than a few curse words,” he confessed. “Because I want to make this a film families can enjoy. I want to explore love, both romantic and familial, and I do want families to enjoy it, especially children with their fathers.”

I didn’t interrupt his thought process and let him come to the conclusion himself.

“Alright, I’ll drop the swear words and keep it PG-13.”

“Thank you!” My smile widened. “I’m really looking forward to working with you.”

“Me too,” he smiled back. “I’ll contact you when I’m done with the first draft of the movie.”

I shook his hand one final time before letting him go.

One thing I’d learned from all my time watching movies is that optics play a big role in determining whether a film will be successful or not. [About Time] was undoubtedly one of my favorite rom-coms of the modern era. Sure, some of the time-travel mechanics were flawed, but it was never about time travel. It was always about love. And when it comes to love, Richard Curtis is a master.

In the original timeline, the film did above-average business, and even the ratings were average, but over the years, it gained cult status. Because the movie is so close to my heart, I know exactly why it didn’t work as well as [Love Actually] or [Four Weddings and a Funeral].

The biggest reason was the lead actor, Domhnall Gleeson, who, despite being a very good actor, wasn’t a popular face. Not just that, he wasn’t a particularly attractive man. He looked like your everyday Joe. A perfect casting choice for a movie like [About Time], but not good from a business point of view. You need to be able to sell the lead couple if you want a rom-com to be successful.

The second big reason for the film’s performance was its R rating in the US, which killed half the family audience immediately. The worst part was that the film didn’t deserve the R rating at all. Richard did his own film a disservice by not substituting a few f-words with something else. Hopefully, this time around, my involvement will make sure the film turns out differently.

With that meeting done, I decided to walk over to the kids’ room to play with them.

(Break)

“I really think you should hear this demo, Troy,” Michael Jackson said to me over the phone. “I love it. I would sing it myself, but this song needs a different voice than mine.”

I was a little surprised to get MJ’s call all of a sudden, less than a week before I was meant to begin prep for my next film, [Hacksaw Ridge].

“And why do you want me to sing this song?” I asked curiously. “I know I have a good range, but you know I’m taking a break from all that for my next movie.”

“Yes, I know, but please just hear it once. If you still don’t like it, I won’t pester you about it again.”

I sighed and nodded. “Alright. I’ll listen, but only because you’re insisting.”

“That’s all I ask. I’ll wait on the line for you to finish listening to it. I know how hard it is to get a hold of you nowadays.”

I didn’t bother commenting on that and did as I’d promised. The only reason it was difficult to get a hold of me was that I chose to reject many calls so I could focus on what was right in front of me, which was my family and my job, meaning prepping for my next movie. I had already started researching and preparing the mindset for the character of Desmond Doss.

And now MJ was asking me to sing this song. I had no idea what it was, or who the songwriter even was. Till date, I hadn’t sung anyone else’s original song. It was always either written, or stolen, by me, or covers of previously famous songs.

So it was to my utmost surprise when I heard a beautiful female voice singing from the other end.

~Just gonna stand there and watch me burn?
Well, that’s all right because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry?
Well, that’s all right because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie~

Hearing just the chorus was enough for me. This was undoubtedly one of the most powerful songs of the 21st century. I paused the song and picked up my phone again.

“Alright, you have my attention. Who wrote this?”

“A girl who goes by the name of Skylar Grey,” MJ said, amusement clear in his voice. “She was shopping the song around, and it caught my attention. I offered it to Rihanna almost immediately because of the theme involved. She absolutely loved it, but she and I both think the song is missing something. It’s mostly from the female point of view, and it would get boring after a while.”

“You want me to provide the male vocals,” I stated.

“We do,” he agreed. “And help in writing the male part of the song as well. Skylar has written a good portion of it, but it’s not complete, and most of the parts are just ideas. We’ll need a competent lyricist to finish the job, so I thought of you.”

“I’m in,” I said almost immediately. “Let’s do this.”

“You sure?” he asked. “Don’t you need to consult your fiancée or something?”

“I’m sure,” I assured MJ. “Send me the lyrics and the sheet music of whatever Skylar has written. I’ll complete it. Hearing this song has given me inspiration, and I can’t rest until I finish one version of it.”

“Both have already been mailed to you,” MJ said happily. “I knew you’d accept. You work on the music and tell me when you’re done.”

I shook my head at the presumptuousness of the situation, but in the end, I focused on the song in front of me. I didn’t listen to many rap songs in my first life, but this was one exception I’d made. For me, this was a perfect song with perfect lyrics and composition. Heck, even the video was amazing.

And now I would get to rewrite it. I rubbed my palms together excitedly before diving into the song.

(Break)

“Welcome to the show, Scarlett,” Jimmy Kimmel greeted her jovially. “It’s your first time here. Why is that?”

Scarlett smiled. “Well, you were too busy not inviting Matt Damon over that you forgot about me.”

“That guy,” Jimmy said, shaking his head. “Don’t even take his name in front of me.”

The audience laughed at Jimmy’s reaction.

“So, I watched two of your movies recently, and I have to say, you’re ruling it all, both live-action and animation. [Black Swan] has emerged as the highest-grossing horror movie of the year, while [Rapunzel] is all but guaranteed to cross a billion dollars soon.”

“Thank you!” Scarlett smiled.

“So how did you juggle such diverse roles?”

“I compartmentalize, of course,” she said as if it were obvious. “I keep both roles in different parts of my head, and then when I finally have…”

That was as far as Scarlett got before her security team burst onto the stage, interrupting the recording and surrounding her from all sides.

“Scarlett, we should go home,” said the head of her security. “Now.”

“What happened?” she asked, worried.

The man shook his head. “Not here. I’ll tell you in the car.”

Dread pooled in her stomach. Were the babies alright? Did one of them fall or something? Did they get sick? What about Troy? He was supposed to be with them today.

In the end, she knew that getting out of the studio was her only realistic option right now. She gave an apologetic look to Jimmy, who motioned for her to go. “It’s okay. I understand.”

Scarlett was on her feet immediately, walking with security. When she was finally in the car and learned the reason, her stomach dropped.