Big Incident
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"Jodie, Jodie, something has happened"
Jodie had returned late from Vinales Valley yesterday and fell asleep very late. This morning, she barely stirred from her slumber. Instead, she chose to snuggle under the warm silk quilt and enjoy a comfortable sleep.
However, her morning did not unfold as planned. A young woman, a few years her junior, abruptly burst into her bedroom, shattering the tranquility of her sleep.
"What's the matter, Anna? Did something happen with Hinckley, or did Dr. Hannibal make a reappearance?" Jodie, still half-asleep, inquired, her mind sluggish.
"Neither, Look at this" Anna thrust a newspaper into Jodie Foster's face with such enthusiasm that it was almost glued to her skin.
"What is this?" Foster's eyes struggled to focus as they awoke. She followed Anna's pointing finger.
"The body of Alan McElroy was discovered by the Los Angeles police? Not far from Vinales Valley? There was an iron arrow lodged in the body, and it was strangled with a chain of iron thorns. It's uncanny"
Thoughts of a similar plot in the "Wrong Turn" sample she saw yesterday sent shivers down the queen's spine. But in the next instant, her role as a producer and businesswoman took over.
"Hurry, contact Westwood at New Line. Regarding 'Wrong Turn,' we need to invest more"
Although Jodie Foster was already quite pleased with the unfinished film after watching the sample yesterday, she continued to maintain an air of "still considering" when it came to additional investment. On one hand, it was to maintain a strong negotiating position and not appear too eager. On the other hand, Jodie wanted to analyze whether there was an opportunity to maximize profits from this seemingly profitable, low-cost film.
However, the newspaper's news left her with no time to ponder.
Ultimately, the reason for needing additional investment in the "Wrong Turn" project, under the banner of her production company "Egg," was to enhance post-production, publicity, and distribution—especially promotion. After all, no matter how good a film is, it's challenging to turn a profit without proper promotion, and Jodie saw this as a chance to outmaneuver the competition.
But the discovery of Alan McElroy's body provided another avenue.
This was Hollywood, a place of value, whether in life or death, would be harnessed. Jodie could already imagine Westwood taking full advantage of this opportunity, using it to generate buzz, linking Alan's death to the film "Wrong Turn".
Imagine it. The former director mysteriously disappeared before the project began, and now his body was found near the film's shooting location. The injuries on his body eerily resembled the deadly weapons designed in the film.
The tabloid reporters would go wild.
What a perfect story, transcending the realms of entertainment and society, encompassing murder, movies, and an element of mystery. If the paparazzi dug deeper, they might even unearth some scandalous elements—after all, in Hollywood, Jodie had never heard of directors who could control their desires. Most importantly, this news was authentic.
Jodie could already envision third-rate tabloid editors, usually living off concocted stories, raising half-eaten burgers or doughnuts and shouting,
"Thank you, Alan. You've helped us"
"The agreement for additional investment must be finalized before the situation truly turns around" Jodie resolved.
But after a while, her assistant Anna returned, in tears.
"Westwood's phone is busy..."
"What? That old fox!!!"
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Meanwhile, at that moment, the "Old Fox" Anthony Westwood was happily on the phone with Christian.
"It's like even the heavens are on our side"
The producer was flushed with excitement as if he had consumed 20 kilograms of sildenafil.
"Christian, do you know? I've been feeling a bit under the weather for the past couple of days, almost ready to check into a hospital. But after seeing this news, I feel like I've turned into a superhuman, ready to save the world. Thank God, Alan, that son of a ****, finally did something right"
"Calm down, Tony" Christian hurried to reassure Westwood. He didn't want his producer to suffer a heart attack due to excessive excitement just when they were on the brink of success; that would be both joyous and tragic.
"Let's not forget, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. This isn't the time for celebrating with champagne."
"You're right" Westwood took a deep breath, regaining his composure, moving away from the brink of a heart attack.
"From now on, we have to do our best to capitalize on the fact that Alan's body has been found. While the **** reporters are still focused on this matter, we need to build up the buzz for 'Wrong Turn' "
"Do you want to release details about Eliza Kunis as well?" Christian followed up with a rather devious suggestion. After all, he had become a director thanks to the deaths of the former stars, Alan and Eliza Kunis, but they had caused him no small amount of trouble.
"Let's hold off on that. I need to carefully time and release the follow-up news." Westwood, a seasoned professional, had once faced the frustrations caused by these two people. Now, he was much more composed, after all, Alan and the others had met their end, and they could still use their deaths to generate publicity for their movies. Why complain?
"Whoever laughs last, laughs best, Alan" Suppressing the pride swelling within him, Westwood remembered something.
"By the way, Christian, do we still need that additional investment from Jodie Foster?"
"Well..." Christian pondered over the phone for a while. "From the perspective of improving the film's quality alone, the money doesn't make a huge difference. After all, filming is complete, and it's not a special effects-heavy sci-fi blockbuster. There's limited room for improvement through increased post-production spending. However, when it comes to publicity..."
"This money can make a significant impact"
Westwood understood what Christian meant. As a producer, he had a better grasp of the intricacies of film promotion and marketing than Christian, the director. While Alan's body's discovery had saved them significant publicity expenses, stirring up attention for "Fatal Bend" would still require a substantial financial investment.
"But if we take the money..."
As a producer, he was naturally attuned to the relationship between investment and profits, which made him hesitant to introduce more investment during the later stages of production. After all, when it came time for profit-sharing, it was the actual greenbacks that would be divided.
On the other end of the line, Christian seemed to have understood the implication of her producer. After a pause, he said, "Tony, should we look at this from a different perspective? No matter whether 'Wrong Turn' makes a profit or not, I won't be making much money from this film, especially considering I've already given up a small share to win everyone's support. And as for you, an old-timer who's been on the sidelines, there's a limited benefit to be gained. After all, when Alan was around, you, the producer, were just a name."
Christian's meaning was crystal clear. From a personal standpoint, it made perfect sense. But, in the end, who would care about them? At this point, it was fair game to fleece the investors. For a seasoned producer, investors were synonymous with easy marks. If you didn't dupe them now, when would you?
"You're right" Westwood agreed, decisively.
Once he had made up his mind, Anthony Westwood wasted no time. After hanging up the phone with Christian, he was about to call Jodie Foster. But then, a question crossed his mind.
Ever since he took over as the director, Christian had studied a plan to use the disappearances of Alan and Eliza Kunis for publicity. That had been Christian's suggestion, and Westwood had found it worth a try at the time. But now, with Alan's body discovered, and with injuries resembling those in the movie, was it divine intervention or was it, as Christian had suggested, a case of self-help?
Having weathered the storms of Hollywood for so long, Westwood couldn't help but shiver.
But who cared? As long as you weren't caught, you could make money, regardless of whether it was through angelic means or devilish ones. Everything else was an issue for the FBI.
Mr. Westwood stopped pondering and continued with his phone call. This was Hollywood.
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References-
1. Hinckley- John Warnock Hinckley Jr. is an American man who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley was reportedly seeking fame to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he had a fixation.
2. Sildenafil- Brand of Viagra.
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