I took a generous amount of my special blend of face cream and carefully applied it to my skin. I like to think that I'm not that vain, but I have to maintain an image while going out. Although I'm not expecting paparazzi or reporters here in Phoenix, you never know.
"I think you are overdoing it for this date," Tobias commented from behind me.
I looked at him through the mirror and said, "It's not a date. Emily invited me to hang out with a group of her friends. I rarely get a chance to do it back in London or Los Angeles because of how people crowd around me. Also, this is not excessive. It has SPF-50, Vitamin C, and everything else your skin needs to keep it soft and supple for years to come. It came highly recommended by my dermatologist."
"You sound like a TV commercial I saw yesterday," Tobias remarked smugly.
"Fuck you too, Toby," I shot back jokingly before donning my baseball cap and sunglasses. Being a celebrity can be such a pain sometimes. I really didn't like wearing anything over my head, but it helped to blend in a little. At least in America, it does. In a sunny state like California or Arizona, almost everyone wears a cap like this.
Dad, who had some work in LA had sent along Tobias with me as a companion when I told him what I intended to do for a week before Sundance. Tobias would remain with me only when I was at the hotel. I also had three bodyguards assigned to me at all times.
"Hey, Troy," Tobias said casually. "I was thinking."
I turned back to him to see that he wasn't looking at me, but rather seemed lost in thought.
"Yes?" I prompted.
He looked up at me and seemed to steel his nerves before saying, "I don't think I can be your manager."
My eyes widened in genuine bafflement. "Are you gonna quit?"
"No! Woah!" He shook his head vehemently. "That's not what I meant. I…" He paused for a few moments as if searching for words before finally saying, "I saw how your father handled the situation with Warner. He is good at negotiating. Heck, even you are better than me. It's not my strong suit."
"But your work on [Perks] and [Brick] was very good," I remarked. "Half of the things that you managed I didn't even realize until much later."
"Exactly!" Tobias agreed. "I know I'm good at film production stuff, but negotiation is not my forte. I fucked up [Dawn of the Dead] and you didn't even want to do it that much."
"That wasn't your fault," I said.
"And then, in the meeting with Warner," Tobias continued as if I had not spoken. "I couldn't add anything substantial just because they ambushed us."
On second thought, he wasn't wrong. I hadn't noticed it till now because Dad was with me. But if I had been just with Tobias, as I was during the meeting with Universal, I don't know what I would have done had he clammed up like he did. I need a better manager than that. Not necessarily a manager, but a good negotiator at the very least. While my parents were good, I needed some independence as well, especially when I turned 18 in two years. I can't rely on them blindly for anything and everything related to my career for the rest of my life.
"Okay," I nodded slowly. "You can continue being my assistant and work on my film productions. I'll get someone else to negotiate my future contracts for me."
He nodded in relief. "I think you should go now or you'll be late for your date."
"It's not a date!"
(Break)
"It's totally a date!" Rachel said excitedly to Emily when they were away from everyone else. "If he goes out with you solo and someone takes a picture, then everyone will think that you're his girlfriend. But if you are in a group, no one will suspect anything. It's so sweet that he's trying to protect you from the media."
Emily rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. Despite Rachel's words, she didn't believe for a moment that it was a date. Moreover, she just wanted Troy to meet her friends—friends who had started arriving one by one outside the bowling alley they had decided to come to.
"He's late," she said casually after a few minutes, as Troy was the only one yet to come.
"Who is your friend exactly?" Rowan, one of her male friends who was also a neighbor, asked curiously while looking down at his watch.
"Just a guy I met while filming that movie I told you about," Emily replied.
"Right, the 'movie'. I get it." Rowan mockingly made air quotes with his fingers.
Sometimes Emily wondered why she was still friends with this guy. He was the only person in the friend circle who didn't believe at all that she had gone and done a movie in Hollywood.
"Shut it, Ro," Lisa, another of her friends and Rowan's girlfriend, said furiously. "If you don't believe her, you didn't have to come here at all."
"I'm just kidding," Rowan raised his hands in surrender. "You know that, don't you, Emily?"
She shook her head gently, not willing to answer him.
"Why don't we get in and start a game until your friend comes?" Chris, the last person in the group and Rachel's boyfriend, asked.
This was the biggest reason she had invited Troy for bowling. Both Rachel and Lisa were coming with their boyfriends, which made her stick out like a sore thumb in the group. Usually, whenever they arranged an outing like this, she would decline, but today she didn't want to.
She was about to say yes to Chris when suddenly her eyes fell on the boy coming through the parking lot. He was casually dressed in a t-shirt, jeans, a cap, and sunglasses and looked quite normal, like any other teenager. Yet, there was something about the way he walked that made him stand out if you were looking directly at him. His confidence and demeanor made him very desirable. Then there was the fact that he was bloody gorgeous, as the Brits would say.
"Hey, Emily," Troy said casually as he stopped in front of her and hugged her lightly. "I'm so sorry for being late. Tobias was being a dick." Then he turned toward Rachel, who was looking awfully smug seeing the gobsmacked expressions on the faces of the other three.
"Hey, Rachel," Troy offered her a hand, which she shook.
Then he turned back to Emily and asked, "Aren't you gonna introduce me?"
"Sorry," Emily suddenly realized that this was not the time to be smug and made quick introductions. "Guys, this is my friend, Troy. Troy, these are Rowan, Lisa, and Chris."
Troy shook hands with each one of them, but the other three were yet to speak a single word. To his credit, though, Troy never called out any of them—probably used to a reaction like this.
"So, shall we get in?" Emily asked Chris, who seemed pretty eager just a few minutes ago but was now starstruck.
"Holy shit, dude!" Rowan broke the silence. "You're like, the Troy Armitage. Harry Potter."
Troy chuckled good-naturedly, "Just call me Troy. And please keep it down. I don't wanna be noticed here. My security is around if anything extreme happens, but why take the risk of announcing my identity out loud?"
"Oh," Rowan shrugged. "Don't worry, dude. I don't like [Harry Potter] to begin with." He may have tried to act cool, but even a blind man could see that he was just feigning nonchalance.
Troy smiled at him in amusement, "Good for you, mate."
Lisa, being the one with the sane head in the relationship, punched her boyfriend in the arm. "Stop being an ass, Rowan. Ignore him, Troy. He likes measuring his dick against others."
"Hey!" Rowan complained.
"It's true! If I were a boy, that's exactly what you'd have done all day every day with me."
Troy could only laugh at their antics before turning to Emily, "I like your friends."
"They are a bunch of assholes," Emily announced before taking Troy's arm in hers. "Come on. Let's get in and get the show on the road."
It was lucky for them all that it was a slow day at the alley, with only six or seven other kids bowling when they walked in. Emily took the lead and was about to pay for the whole group when Troy overtook her and pressed his credit card forward.
"Don't worry about it," he said before she could even argue, as the alley employee took his card, not recognizing Troy.
It didn't take long before the six of them were inside the bowling area, knocking some pins down.
"So, Troy," Lisa began curiously when it was Rowan's turn to bowl. "Since when are you and Emily an item?"
Troy looked over at Emily, who was barely resisting the urge to bash her head against the wall or something. Everyone else was listening eagerly to the conversation now.
"To be honest, I've been head over heels for her ever since I saw her in New York," Troy said, shocking everyone, including Emily. "She was so confident and cool. I just knew right then that wanted a friend like her."
"Aww, that was so sweet of him," Rachel whispered so only Emily could hear, and she had to agree with the sentiment. Troy knew just the things to say to make her melt without even realizing it.
"That's not what I asked," Lisa said, catching how Troy had avoided answering the question.
"And that's all you're gonna get from me," Troy replied. "You wanna know anything else, ask Emily."
Emily closed her eyes in mortification as the realization hit her. She needed to clear this up with Troy. But it was his turn to bowl, so she waited. He picked up a neon green ball and took aim, knocking down all ten pins in one go.
"Strike!" Troy called out excitedly before giving a high-five to Emily.
"That was good," Emily said.
"It was my first time," Troy confessed. "It's rare for me to go out like this because of, you know. So I'm enjoying it a lot."
"Really?" She asked, surprised. "What else have you not done? What about laser tag? Or paintball? A water park?"
"No, to the first two," he replied. "I have been to a water park, but I was 8 or 9 last time I went."
Emily felt a little bad for him. "Troy," she lowered her voice a little. "I didn't tell anyone that we're together. They just assumed that on their own."
Troy shrugged. "Would it be too bad if they thought we were together?" He took her arm in his. "You're so beautiful, any guy would kill to have you as their girlfriend."
Emily snorted. "See, you say stuff like that once in a while, which confirms that you're lying through your teeth." Troy opened his mouth to retort, but Emily beat him to it. "What about Emma, huh? She's much more beautiful than me."
Troy closed his mouth and looked pained for a moment before going back to normal.
"She broke up with me," he said after what felt like an eternity.
Emily could only gape at him in shock. Is he for real? Why the hell would Emma break up with someone as amazing as Troy?
"So those photos of her with Nicholas Hoult were real?" Emily asked before she could stop herself. "Did she cheat on you?"
"Emily," Troy said firmly. "No."
That one word was enough to properly chastise Emily. "Sorry," she whispered.
"It's okay," Troy said with a small smile. "Let's just forget about it all and enjoy the day here."
As Emily went to take her shot at bowling, she realized now why Troy flew all the way to Arizona to see her. He just needed a change of scenery.
(Break)
January 2005, Sundance Film Festival, Utah
As I fixed my bowtie for the umpteenth time in our limousine, I couldn't help but think back to the amazing time I had with Emily back in Phoenix. I hadn't even realized how much I missed being like other teenagers and just enjoying life with people my age. Emily understood that as well, because the next day after bowling, she took me and her friends for a game of laser tag, followed by a day at the water park. It was weird to know that there was a water park in a hot state like Arizona that was as abandoned as it was. Then again, it was January. Its quality wasn't the best, but it was the peace that I wanted above anything else. A few people recognized me there, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been if the place was crowded.
"You look fine," Evan said pointedly. "Let's just go. I'm getting bored over here."
Turning to him I said, "You won't have the fashion police judging your every accessory to the minute details."
He rolled his eyes and opened the door, which caused a flurry of flashes to start even before I got out of the car. Asshole.
I fixed a smile on my face and stepped out of the vehicle, causing a usual blinding effect. I was used to this treatment by now. I stepped forth and saw a group of fans shouting my name. My smile widened as I took a step forward and started signing a few autographs and taking a few photos.
"Marry me, Troy!" the girl in the very front shouted at the top of her voice, startling me.
I chuckled before shaking my head. Not wanting to indulge her, I turned around and started walking away when I found that I couldn't move. Something—or rather, someone—was clutching tightly to my left leg, refusing to let me go. I looked down to see that a little boy, around the age of seven or eight, was holding onto my leg for dear life.
"My brother won't let go until you agree to marry me," the same girl shouted. "Timmy! Hold tight for your big sis."
I probably shouldn't have, but I couldn't help myself at that moment and started laughing. On some level, it was very invasive and a little creepy, but on another, it was a little cute as well. Had I not had someone demand something similar at gunpoint, I would have freaked out by now. Given how I was much stronger than last time, and the boy was a cute little fellow, I didn't mind too much.
Just then, security came over to try to diffuse the matter and pushed the girl back into the crowd. They were about to separate me from the kid as well, but I raised a hand to stop them. Then I bent forward as much as I could with a koala-like kid attached to my leg and patted the little guy's head, "Hey, can you let go of me, Timmy?"
"Will you marry my sister?" he asked challengingly.
"I don't even know her name," I replied. "Don't you know you need to know each other before you marry someone? What if your sister doesn't like me?"
"She loves you," he replied innocently. "Our whole family does. Daddy says that he'll allow her to marry only someone like you."
"Did he?" I shot back, to which the boy nodded dutifully.
"Okay," I said before fishing out a card from my pocket. "I will marry your sister. Take this card, and tell her to send me an email after the premiere is done."
The email mentioned on the card was not managed by me anymore but by Tobias. Someone had leaked my original email online, so I had given that email to Tobias to manage my fan mail weekly. For some fans like Benji, whom I had been in contact with for a long time, I had given them a new email address. (However, Benji didn't count since he had my phone number as well.)
The boy's eyes shined brightly as he saw the card in my hand. He released me to get hold of it, and right at that moment, security made their move, scooping him up and dropping him back to his sister.
I couldn't help but chuckle again as I made my way inside the theater where [Brick] was having its premiere. It was also competing against 15 other films in the Dramatic film competition. While [Perks] was also being premiered here, it was out of competition because its budget exceeded $10 million. Maybe in a few years, they will ease up on the regulation about this, but right now, films above $10 million can't compete, though they can still be premiered as long as they are truly independent of studio influence during production.
_____________________________________
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Warning: A major portion of this chapter contains the summary of the movie [Brick]. If you have seen it recently, or just don't want to read it, you can skip the summary part because it doesn't have a lot of changes from the original. I included it only because many readers prefer reading the summary of the movie. So please think twice before leaving a negative comment.
________________________________
Emily felt overdressed. Looking down at her beautiful floor-length royal blue dress, she couldn't help but feel like an impostor. She couldn't have afforded that dress even in her dreams. Her mom had talked to a designer friend to rent a dress for a few days, but even that was costing more than what Emily received for shooting [Brick]. Then Troy came like a knight in shining armor and hooked her up with a designer who got her a new dress. Emily hadn't even mentioned the dress issue to him, but Troy just knew somehow.
It was a little weird to walk the red carpet when you're a no-name actor and the photographers don't recognize you. They still clicked a few photos of her. Maybe that was the norm? She wasn't sure.
"Emily!" Another girl greeted her warmly on the red carpet with a small hug. "It's so nice to see you."
"Nice to see you too, Anna," she greeted back to her co-star in the film, Anna Kendrick.
"Heard about your accident," Anna said. "Are you okay now?"
"Mostly, yeah," she nodded.
To be honest, Emily was a little jealous of Anna, who had a much bigger role in [Brick]. Troy had explained to her that the casting decision was ultimately with the director, Rian Johnson, but still, she couldn't help but think that maybe something was missing in her acting, which is why she didn't get the lead female role.
"Yo, girls," Michael B. Jordan greeted them with a grin on his handsome face. "What's up?"
"The ceiling?" Anna deadpanned before looking up comically at the ceiling of the hall they had entered.
"Haha," Michael said dryly. "Someone give her an award or something for her terrible comedy."
Emily chuckled at the duo before turning to Michael. "How did your shoot for [Perks] go?"
"It was good," he grinned at the reminder. "Although…" He hesitated. "Not as good as [Brick], that's for sure. For… reasons."
"Wait a minute," Anna interrupted. "You're also in [Perks]? The film Troy was shooting in Pittsburgh?"
"Yeah," he replied casually. "It will also premiere here at Sundance in a few days. Emily was supposed to play the lead role in it, but she couldn't because of her accident. That's why Troy called Emma Watson."
"That's not fair," Anna said immediately. "Troy asked both of you for that film, but not me?"
"He didn't ask me," Michael said as a matter of fact. "I cold-called him to give me the role. The character I played was meant to be white, but he changed it for me. That's how things work in Hollywood. You want something, you gotta take it."
"Same," Emily said. "I asked for the role. But I guess it wasn't meant to be."
Troy had advised her that it would be better if she lied a bit to avoid speculation about the two of them. If she told anyone the truth—that Troy basically handed her both roles—they'd assume the worst when there was nothing there to begin with.
"Why was [Perks] not as good as [Brick]?" Anna asked the million-dollar question, making Michael wince visibly.
He lowered his voice as he said, "I didn't tell you this, but after photos of Troy and Emma leaked in the media, the two avoided each other like the plague. I think they had a fight about it. Before that, they were inseparable. No one said anything outright about it, but the tension was so thick on set that you could cut it with a knife. Then there were the reporters and paparazzi. They tailed our production closely from start to end. It was a nightmare. I lost count of the number of reporters who tried to bribe me to give them some inside scoop. I can't believe that Troy has to suffer through this on a regular basis."
"So, was it true then?" Anna asked curiously. "Were they dating or…?"
Michael mimed zipping his lips, signaling he wouldn't speak further on the matter.
"Hey guys," said Lukas Haas, who played the Pin. He was walking toward them with Noah, who played Tug, Matt, who played Brain, and Rian Johnson, the director.
Before anyone could say anything else, the media outside the door went wild. For most people, only a few photos might be snapped by each cameraman, but now they were taking multiple shots every second, not willing to miss a moment.
"Ah," Rian said knowingly. "I guess our diva producer and lead actor has arrived."
Emily laughed at the description of Troy. It was a bit jarring to see the stark contrast in how people reacted to Troy compared to everyone else. A cacophony of shouts and calls filled the air as photographers clamored to capture the perfect moment when Troy entered. For some, all that attention might seem exhausting, but for others, it was a dream come true.
It took a while, but finally, Troy was inside. After an exchange of greetings, the group moved into the movie hall, where many reporters, critics, and notable film experts were already seated. Emily took her assigned seat, which was a row behind Troy, who was sitting with his family, just like Emily.
"I'm so excited!" Emily's dad, Jeff, said, practically giddy. "My baby girl's first-ever film!"
"I barely have a ten-minute role, Dad," Emily countered. "I'm sure if it wasn't for Troy, they wouldn't have even called me to the premiere."
"It doesn't matter," her mom, Krista, said. "I'm sure you'll be wonderful, no matter how big or small the role is."
"Thanks, Mom and Dad," Emily grinned at her parents before turning her attention to the screen as the movie began.
The film opened with the an beautiful animation that started with a pile of dust on the ground, from which a small chick emerged, growing into a majestic fire-red bird within moments. The words "Phoenix Studios" appeared—Troy's company. Emily's paycheck had also come from that company's account.
Troy had once explained that he strongly believed in rebirth and reincarnation, which is why he named his company after the mythical bird known for its resurrection.
After the logo, the movie starts with an unusual scene focusing on Troy's character, Brendan. He wore cheap-looking glasses, an old jacket over a white T-shirt, and blue jeans, staring down at the lifeless body of Emily Kostich (played by Emma Stone), who lay face down in a stream.
The story then jumped back two days. Emily had left a note in Brendan's school locker, asking him to meet her at a specific spot near a phone booth at a certain time. When he arrives, the phone rings. Emily, sounding distraught, says random words like "Bad Brick," "the Pin," and "Tug" before abruptly hanging up. She sounds terrified of a black Mustang passing by. Someone inside tosses a half-smoked cigarette out the window, marked with a unique brand logo.
Worried, Brendan seeks out his brilliant but socially awkward friend, Brain, who was the last person to speak with Emily. Brain hands over Emily's locker combination. Brendan breaks into it, uncovering a clue that leads him to his ex-girlfriend, Kara. Kara, a theater girl with connections in the high school's social scene, flirts with him and hints that she knows something about Emily's disappearance, but she doesn't reveal much. His investigation takes him further, leading to a party at Laura Dannon's house.
Laura, a wealthy, popular girl played by Anna Kendrick, had some connection with Emily. She spoke a little cryptically with Brendan but eventually gave him the location of a café where Emily was a regular with her current boyfriend, Dode. Before Brendan could ask more, someone came to call Laura out of the mansion. Brendan hid and followed her, watching as she met with a big, muscular guy wearing a white vest and a white beanie.
The next day, Brendan went to the café Laura had mentioned and found Dode, a small-time dealer and junkie. Dode refused to share anything about Emily, dismissing Brendan as a "jilted ex." Furious, Brendan punched Dode, knocking him to the ground, and demanded that he bring Emily to him.
Emily met Brendan at school, where she told him to forget about the phone call and to forget about her altogether. But her distressed demeanor betrayed her words as she broke down in Brendan's arms. She gave him a goodbye kiss, hoping it would help him let her go, and then walked away.
"That was some fine acting," her mother noted.
"Thanks," Emily whispered. "But not now, Mom."
As the film continued, Brendan stole a notepad from Emily's belongings, leading him to a tunnel—the same tunnel where he had found her body. The timeline returned to the present, showing Brendan hiding Emily's body so he could solve the mystery behind her murder.
With the help of his friend Brain, Brendan decoded one of the words Emily had mentioned in her last phone call: "the Pin." It referred to the Kingpin, a 26-year-old local drug dealer who supplied to small-time dealers like Dode.
Knowing Brad Bramish, Laura's boyfriend, was a known drug user, Brendan picked a fight with him, hoping to get the Pin's attention.
On his way home, Brendan spotted the black Mustang in a parking lot and tried to break into it, only to be caught by the beanie-wearing thug, the car's owner. The thug attacked Brendan, but instead of fighting back, Brendan repeatedly demanded to meet the Pin. The thug turned out to be Tug, the Pin's main enforcer, and reluctantly, Tug took Brendan to the Pin's house. Brendan asked the Pin for a job, and the Pin agreed to investigate him, promising that by the next day Brendan would know if he was hired or hurt.
Laura was also at the Pin's house, revealing that "Bad Brick" referred to a missing brick of heroin, which Emily had been involved with in a deal gone wrong. The missing brick was at the heart of the mystery.
The next day, the Pin hired Brendan. Dode then called Brendan, claiming to have seen him hide Emily's body. Believing Brendan was the murderer, Dode threatened to expose him. Brendan met with the Pin, who suspected that Tug was planning to betray him. At the Pin's house, Tug told Brendan that the Pin had recently bought ten bricks of heroin. Eight were quickly sold wholesale, one was stolen and later returned contaminated, and the final brick was still to be sold.
The Pin announced that someone wanted to meet to discuss Emily, revealing that Tug had also been romantically involved with her.
Brendan intercepted Dode on the way to the meeting and discovered that Emily had been pregnant when she died—Dode believed the baby was his. Brendan, weakened by his injuries, passed out and arrived late to the meeting, where Dode was already demanding money to reveal who killed Emily.
What followed was a meticulously directed scene where Dode kept building the suspense around Emily's murderer, while Brendan grew increasingly nervous, fearing that Dode would reveal his involvement.
But before Dode could say anything, Tug went berserk and shot Dode in the head, leaving the audience stunned by the sudden, violent turn of events. Tug then threatened the Pin, who walked away as Brendan fainted once again.
Brendan woke up in Tug's bedroom, where Tug explained they were now at war with the Pin. Essentially, the Pin felt Tug was a liability due to his violent temper, which jeopardized the entire operation. Tug, on the other hand, believed the Pin was suppressing him and treating him like a child.
Being the good guy he was (just like Troy), Brendan arranged a meeting between the two and waited in Tug's bedroom. Lying on the bed, he stared at the ceiling fan and suddenly broke down, overcome with emotion.
Emily's eyes watered as she watched Troy's superb acting, his sobs touching her very soul. What made it even more intense was that he was crying while remembering his lost love, Emily.
Laura then entered the room. Seeing Brendan overwhelmed, she lay down beside him, hugging him from behind. She soothed him gently, and when he calmed down, she pulled his face closer and kissed him passionately.
A small part of Emily felt a twinge of jealousy watching that scene. It was an intensely emotional and realistic portrayal. Troy was an excellent kisser; she could say that with certainty. Although she hadn't kissed anyone else, she couldn't imagine it getting any better.
Back in the movie, Brendan recognized Laura's cigarette as the same brand dropped from the Mustang during his phone call with Emily. Laura tried to convince him not to go to the meeting, but he insisted, knowing he was deeply entangled in the mess now.
Before the meeting, Brendan arranged for the police to arrive at the scene at the exact time, with Brain's help. He also left a message that there were drugs in the trunk of Tug's black Mustang.
At the meeting, everything seemed to be going smoothly at first, but chaos erupted when it was discovered that the tenth brick was missing. Tug attacked the Pin with a gun, which Brendan wrestled away from him, only for Tug to beat the Pin to death with his bare hands. Realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, Brendan dropped the gun and fled, escaping just as the police arrived. As he left, he passed Tug's Mustang with its trunk partly open, where he had placed Emily's body previously to ensure that the police would blame her murder on Tug.
The next day, Laura met with Brendan, informing him that the Pin, Emily, and three others were found dead at the meeting place, and that Tug was killed in a shootout with the police.
Then, in a final twist, Brendan explained that he knew Laura had set Emily up to take the fall for her theft of the ninth brick, then manipulated Emily into meeting Tug, who panicked and killed her after learning he was the father of her unborn child. Brendan had left a note with the school administration, stating that the tenth brick was hidden in Laura's locker.
Laura vindictively told Brendan that Emily hadn't wanted to keep the baby because she didn't love the father, and revealed that Emily had been three months pregnant when she died, meaning the unborn child was his.
Troy, as Brendan, kept staring at Laura's retreating figure, the realization sinking in that he could have been a father if Emily had lived.
Then, the credits started rolling.
Emily turned to her mother first. "How was it?"
"It was so good, honey," Krista smiled warmly. "One of the best films I've seen this year."
"It's only January," Emily deadpanned.
Krista chuckled. "You know what I mean."
"Your mom's right," Jeff agreed. "Your role may have been small, but your presence was felt throughout the movie. And whenever you were on screen, I couldn't look anywhere else."
Emily smiled, although she didn't believe her parents for a second. It was their job to praise her, even if she was terrible.
(Break)
As the viewers stood up to applaud our movie, I felt mightily satisfied. Having seen the original, I knew this version was far superior. The sound in the original had been unclear, (making it feel like it was directed by Christopher Nolan), but this time, everything was crisp and clear. My involvement in production led to a few key changes that made all the difference—besides hiring age-appropriate actors.
One of the main changes was simplifying the dialogue. In the original script, the lines were unnecessarily complicated, making it difficult to follow what the characters were saying. Rian was hesitant about this at first, but I convinced him by arguing that no teenager speaks like that.
Secondly, I made sure to review each shot alongside Rian. He was quick to approve scenes sometimes, but I'd step in when needed, insisting on reshooting moments that I felt could be better.
Most importantly, we hired an external film editor, which sped up the editing process and improved the structure of the film overall. These changes resulted in a far superior version compared to the original. At least, in my opinion—and judging by the initial reactions from the audience. Now, we had to wait and see how the critics would respond.
"That was a fantastic movie, Troy," Tobias said excitedly, standing beside me with a grin.
"Take some credit for yourself," I patted his back. "If it wasn't for all the hard work you put in, we'd be lost."
Tobias chuckled, not modest enough to dismiss the praise.
"Anyway," he continued, "it's time for the press conference. All the other cast members and Rian Johnson are already there. You should join them."
"I will," I nodded. "Anything else?"
"Yeah," he said. "Your [Perks] team will be here in two days for the premiere. I've taken care of the hotel bookings and everything else."
"Okay, thanks," I smiled at him outwardly, though inside I was full of turmoil. I hadn't seen Emma in a long time. And as the lead actress in [Perks], she'd definitely be here for the premiere. It would make headlines if she wasn't.
_____________________________________
AN: Visit my Pat reon to read ahead, or participate in free polls about the story.
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