May 2010, Los Angeles, CA, USA
I held the phone close to my ear as the man on the other side explained how things stood.
"We've finished pre-production on [Snow White], and we'll begin shooting next week," Tobias said, his tone almost clinical. "Lily Collins has been cast in the lead role, opposite Henry Cavill as the prince, with Charlize Theron playing the evil stepmother. We've even cast seven real life dwarf actors as the dwarves. Once filming begins, [Cinderella], [Sleeping Beauty], [The Little Mermaid], and [Beauty and the Beast] will follow shortly after, in that exact order. We've already entered pre-production for [Cinderella] and hope to start shooting by next year."
I nodded to myself in quiet satisfaction as I listened.
My mind drifted back to a meeting from the previous year, right before I'd begun rehearsals for [The Book of Mormon].
(Flashback)
"We're missing one crucial segment in our lineup of movies," I said, pacing across the conference room. Dad, Mum, Tobias, Benji, Reed Hastings, and several other key figures from Phoenix were seated around the table, watching me closely.
"And what segment is that?" Dad asked curiously.
"The little girls, of course," I said as if it were obvious. "Our goal is to provide entertainment for people of all ages and genders. Little boys would be more than happy with the Marvel films we're producing, but little girls need something else. Something like a Disney princess movie."
"But Disney refuses to sell us their library," Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix, pointed out. "We can't make a Disney princess film without Disney."
I shook my head. "That's not true. Disney made one major mistake in their animated film production that we can take advantage of. They don't own the IP to their biggest stories. Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and even The Little Mermaid. They're all in the public domain."
"So what are you suggesting?" Mum asked slowly. "That we remake them as live-action films?"
I nodded. "Yeah. While I was recording for [Rapunzel], someone joked that Disney was running out of ideas and might start remaking their classics in live-action someday. I couldn't get that thought out of my head. The more I considered it, the clearer it became. What if we made those films before Disney officially announced anything? Since the fairy tales are in the public domain, we can adapt them anytime without them being able to sue us."
"That's…" Dad paused, searching for the right word. "Genius. It's simple, but if it works, it could be massive for us. We could even shift the tone to something darker and more realistic, so that—"
"No," I cut in immediately. "We stick to the light, bright fairy-tale fantasy. The same template Disney uses. You can modernize certain elements so it doesn't feel like a straight rehash, but don't strip away the magic. Films are an escape from reality. What's the point of watching a fairy tale if it feels too real?"
Dad tilted his head, considering it, before finally nodding in agreement.
"Don't spare any expense on CGI," I continued. "These movies need to stay relevant for decades, maybe even forever. Every one of them must have a PG rating and top-tier actors. Popularity doesn't matter. If they can't act, they're out."
"Which one do we start with?" Dad asked.
"The same one that started the entire Disney empire," I said with a grin. "Snow White."
(Flashback End)
Some people might call it petty, but this was a small act of revenge against Disney for refusing to sell us their library's streaming rights. If they had, I would've gladly let things play out as they did in the original timeline and focused on films that actually concerned me.
One interesting detail was that they cast Lily Collins and Charlize Theron without any intervention from me, even though the two would eventually go on to play their respective characters in two completely different versions of Snow White. That alone was another reason to make [Snow White] right now, before anyone else could.
After some casual conversation with Tobias, I ended the call and turned my attention back to my makeup artist, who was apparently finished with my look for the day.
Because my schedule was packed to the brim, I'd arranged for all my scenes to be shot first, back-to-back. That was why I was already on set on the very first day of filming.
I stepped out of my trailer and headed toward the main set, only to run into someone I hadn't seen in a while.
"Emily!" I pulled my longtime friend into a tight hug before stepping back to take in her properly. "Wow, you look great. I can't believe it's almost been a year since we last met."
"It has, hasn't it?" she said with a small smile. "I came to see you when you were doing [The Book of Mormon] on Broadway, but you already had a long line of celebrity visitors that day, including Steven Spielberg, so I left early."
"I still think you should've stayed," I said. "I got your message, but seeing you in person always lifts my mood. Anyway, thanks for doing this."
I gestured behind me toward the bustling set of our next film together, which was once called [Crazy, Stupid, Love] in another timeline, my favorite rom-com of all time.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked in mock seriousness. "No actress would've said no to a rom-com opposite you. And after the favor you did by appearing in [Easy A], this was a no-brainer, even if you're lowballing me a little."
"I didn't negotiate your salary, Em," I shot back. "Blame your agent for that. We gave them our budget, and you agreed."
At present, Emily was the biggest female star of her generation. She'd delivered hit after hit for years, starting back in 2005 with [Brick] and [Echoes of You], followed by successful studio films like [John Tucker Must Die] and [Step Up]. Then she'd reached the stratosphere of international fame with [Twilight], which earned even more than anyone could have imagined. [Eclipse], released earlier that year, had already crossed $800 million worldwide.
It wasn't wrong to say she was in extremely high demand.
She'd only agreed to do a smaller film like [Easy A] because the producers offered her a share of the backend profits. That wasn't the case with [Crazy, Stupid, Love], though.
As much as I wanted Emily to say yes to this film, just like in the original timeline, I didn't go out of my way to pursue her. I texted her about the project and sent over the script, but that was it. The decision to do the film or not was entirely hers.
She was still being paid $4 million, though, which was nearly half of what she'd make for any other major role.
Most of the production budget went toward cast salaries. Steve Carell took home the largest paycheck at $10 million, along with 5 percent of the profits since he was also serving as a producer. Julianne Moore agreed to $3 million, while Kevin Bacon and Marissa Tomei earned $2 million each.
I knew the pay wasn't evenly distributed, but that was simply how things worked in showbiz. Steve, as a producer, held significant bargaining power, which explained his salary. Julianne Moore was a multiple-time Oscar nominee and easily the strongest performer in the cast, but pay was never decided by talent alone. More people would show up for this film because of Emily and me rather than Steve and Julianne, but life wasn't exactly fair.
Despite being the biggest draw, I was getting paid the minimum SAG rate for this film and for any future projects under Phoenix. Taking a larger salary would've only increased my tax liabilities when I already had more than enough liquid cash to cover my needs.
"So, are you ready for tonight's shoot?" I asked, steering the conversation away from money.
"As ready as I can be," she replied confidently. "It's still crazy to think that in one year I went from playing a high school girl to a lawyer."
I laughed. "That's acting for you. For me, the transition was the opposite. I went from a schoolboy to a homicidal maniac, then right back to being that same schoolboy. Ignore the age part. That's the casting department's job. Now that you've got the role, just focus on giving it everything you've got."
"I intend to," she said with a nod.
We walked together toward the house set, where my character, Jacob, was supposed to live. In the scene, he'd brought Emily's character, Hanna, there for the first time. Crew members moved around us, adjusting lights and final camera placements as the evening shoot prepared to begin.
"I've got a question," Emily said after a moment, once we reached our filming spot. "Something I've been curious about."
"Ask away," I said, motioning for her to continue.
"Why are you doing this film?" she asked seriously. "I get that you liked the script, but most serious actors avoid rom-coms if they can. Take Leonardo DiCaprio, for example. He hasn't done a romantic film since [Titanic]. Matthew McConaughey's also trying to move away from rom-coms and focus on heavier dramas. But you're doing the opposite."
I hummed thoughtfully as I considered my answer. "You know, that's actually a pretty profound question. Are you sure you're in the right career? You should be a journalist."
She laughed.
"To answer you, the reason's simple. Both of the actors you mentioned are chasing an Oscar. I'm not. I already have five of them, which is more than most people earn in a lifetime. I think only four people in history have more Oscars than I do. So my reason for making movies isn't to impress everyone with my acting prowess. It's to entertain people. I'll never make a pure Oscar-bait film with no entertainment value."
I paused briefly before continuing.
"In fact, Alfonso Cuaron just offered me a space movie that I turned down for the same reason. It was a heavy drama with incredible acting potential, but very little dialogue. Phoenix will still produce it, but I won't be acting in it."
Emily hummed thoughtfully, nodding as my explanation began to sink in.
"Then there's the issue of typecasting," I added. "Most actors have a manager whispering in their ear about how a certain role might hurt their image. I don't."
"Wait, you don't have a manager?" Emily asked, clearly surprised.
"I do, technically," I replied. "But Bobby's role is limited to negotiating contracts. I choose my projects myself. And since I own a studio, I can make whatever kind of film I want without worrying about typecasting."
"That actually makes a lot of sense," Emily said slowly. "Now you've got me thinking about starting a production company of my own someday. Maybe in the future."
"You should," I encouraged her. "You've made more than enough money from Twilight and your other films that you could retire tomorrow if you wanted. Maybe try directing to shake things up a bit. Study the techniques of the directors you work with and see if it's something you'd enjoy doing yourself."
She fell quiet for a few seconds, clearly thinking it over.
"You've given me a lot to think about," she said at last. "I'll need to weigh my options before jumping into something new."
I nodded. "You do you. You can always—"
Before I could finish, Glenn and John, the directing duo of the movie, walked over to us.
"I can see you're both ready," Glenn said cheerfully. "Let's talk about your characters' behavior in this scene. Troy, you need to be effortlessly charming. Emily, you need to be drunk and nervous."
Emily and I exchanged a confused glance at the vague instructions.
"Let's not overthink the details," John added before I could question it. "You'll get multiple takes, so just do what comes naturally."
That was an instruction I could work with. Unlike most actors, I liked it when directors trusted me with my performance. There were exceptions, of course. Some directors gave brilliant guidance. But in most cases, I preferred the freedom to do my own thing.
We moved into position, the set growing quiet as the crew settled.
It didn't take long before Glenn called out, "Action!"
I started mixing the drink I was supposed to make for Emily. I'd hired a professional bartender to come over to my house for two hours the previous day, just to teach me how to prepare this one cocktail effortlessly so it would look natural on camera.
Once the drink was ready, I picked up both glasses and walked over to Emily.
She was wearing a sleek black dress that hugged her figure perfectly, her hair still slightly damp as if she'd just come in from the rain. I, on the other hand, was dressed in a white jacket over a black shirt, paired with gray trousers. The contrast was deliberate and looked great under the warm interior lighting of the set.
"I really like this song," Emily said, glancing at me nervously. "It's a good choice."
"Yeah?" I replied with an easy smile, speaking in my natural accent.
I'd convinced the filmmakers to make my character half British, just so I wouldn't have to retrain my accent again for this role.
"It's a good song," I continued casually. "You don't really hear this one much."
There wasn't actually any music playing on set. That would all be added later in post-production, which was why the song itself was never mentioned in the dialogue.
I clinked my glass gently against hers. "Cheers."
I took a small sip of my drink. There was no alcohol in it, because if there had been, we'd both be drunk by the time this scene wrapped with multiple takes.
Emily, however, did the exact opposite.
She chugged her drink as if her life depended on it.
I stared at her in fascination as she finished and shook her head. "Not my kind of drink."
Then she went completely off-script.
Before I could react, she leaned forward, grabbed my glass, and chugged that one down too.
"It's not my favorite," she added, handing it back, "but thank you. I needed that."
I took the empty glasses from her and walked over to the coffee table, setting them down before slipping my jacket off and tossing it aside.
"So this is how this works?" Emily asked curiously. "You put on good music, make them a drink, and then you sleep together?"
I raised my hands instinctively to protest, then thought better of it and let them fall back to my sides. "Yeah," I said simply, choosing to go with the flow.
She shifted slightly where she stood. "I'm very nervous."
I smiled. "I'm getting that."
"Cut!" John's voice rang out across the set. "You two are doing great, Troy, Emma. Keep that energy, but raise it one level. Troy, I need more suave from you. Emma, I loved the drink bit you did. Keep that in every take."
Emma's face visibly paled as the realization hit her.
I couldn't help laughing at her misfortune.
Eating or drinking on camera was a nightmare. With multiple retakes, you ended up consuming the same thing again and again until you were sick of it. The fact that Emily now had to chug two full glasses in every take was going to be brutal.
That was exactly why I never improvised with food.
We finally cleared the scene after eight retakes. Emily looked thoroughly tired of drinking by the end of it, but she was a consummate professional and stayed fully in character as we moved on to the next part.
"Will you please take off your shirt?" she pleaded softly. "I can't stop thinking. I just need a mental image of what I'm working with."
"Okay," I agreed before standing up and pulling my shirt off in one smooth motion.
She stared at my bare torso for a full five seconds before blurting out, "Fuck. Seriously? It's like you're photoshopped."
I glanced down at my abs in mild amazement. All eight of them stood out clearly under the set lights. I simply shrugged as Emily crossed the room.
"Can I?" she asked, though she didn't wait for permission and immediately started running her hands over my stomach.
"Aah, you've got cold hands," I said with a laugh.
"Cut!" Glenn called out. "Emily, we need a little more from you. That was good, but not good enough. Trust me, this scene's going to be iconic, so your delivery has to be perfect."
"He's not wrong," I added lightly. "This scene's definitely going to be iconic."
She nodded once before returning to her starting mark, while I pulled my shirt back on.
When we finally cleared the scene, only one moment remained. I had to lift Emily over my head, [Dirty Dancing] style.
"So what's your big move?" she kept asking, repeating the question until I finally gave in.
"I work [Dirty Dancing] into the conversation."
"Dirty Dancing?" she asked, staring at me in disbelief.
"Can I sit down, please?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Can I put my shirt back on?"
"No," she said firmly. "Why Dirty Dancing?"
"You know the big move at the end where Patrick Swayze lifts Jennifer Grey?"
"Yeah."
"I can do that. So I tell girls I know the move, put on 'Time of Our Life,' do the lift, and they always want to have sex with me afterwards."
"Oh my God," she laughed. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
"I agree," I said. "But it works every time."
"Yeah? It wouldn't work on me," she said confidently.
I gave her a calm, challenging grin that clearly asked, are you sure about that?
Apparently, she was.
A moment later, we were standing on opposite sides of the room, both of us rolling our shoulders and getting ready for the big move. She broke into a run toward me.
I'd practiced this moment relentlessly with a choreographer the week before, just not with Emily. Ideally, she should've been there, but she'd had other commitments, and I'd been on the road promoting my film. We never found the time to rehearse together.
When she reached me, I lifted her up, and then…
All hell broke loose.
_____________________
AN: I'm so sorry for the delayed updates. I had a family emergency on top of my work being extra crazy this last month. I was literally running on fumes, and was this close to quitting everything, my job and writing all included.
Finally, I did what I should have done a while ago. I went on a holiday retreat that forced us to abandon our phones and laptops. A digital detox of a kind. It helped, and now I'm back in form again.
As an apology, I will be posting two chapters each of both my stories today.