SF Chapter 186: Oscar II
After talking with Steven Spielberg for a moment, Dani returned to where his family was.
"Dad," he said excitedly to Jay, "I just found an unbeatable investment opportunity!"
Claire, who was standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Investment? Here?"
"Yep, Sis. From what he told me, they're still finalizing the idea and raising money, since it's going to be a big budget movie!"
Dani turned to his dad again. "So we can do something similar to what we did with Percy Jackson!"
"We come in as co-producers of the movie. Only this time, we probably won't get an offer as good as we did with Percy, since we don't have the upper hand."
Jay sighed for a moment but asked what it was about.
After his son explained it to him, Jay stared at him to make sure he'd understood correctly. "You want to be part of a movie about giant toys fighting each other?"
"Exactly! It's cars and other types of vehicles turning into giant robots and fighting each other!" Dani gestured with his hand, already imagining how incredible the movie would be.
"If we put a very hot actress in it, it's impossible to go wrong!" he stated.
Claire made a face. "Toys turning into robots... like those ones you used to have and Luke has?"
"Yes, those ones," Dani confirmed. "Transformers. Perfect for every man and boy's dream: cars, robots, and a hot girl!"
"We'll always support you, mi niño," Gloria said with a smile, giving him her usual support even though she didn't think the idea sounded particularly good.
Claire stared at her with a judgmental look, but then looked surprised when she saw her father face. "Dad, are you really thinking about doing it?"
Jay ignored her question and asked his son, "Daniel, who told you that?"
[Jay commentary]
"Daniel has this annoying habit of sometimes deliberately explaining things in the dumbest way possible," Jay remarked.
"But then, the idea turns out incredibly well, and you're the one left looking like an idiot!"
"And you even have to endure his smug grin afterward," Jay scoffed.
[Commentary ends]
"Steven Spielberg!" Dani finally revealed. "When I was coming out of the bathroom, I saw him and went over to meet him."
"Turns out he also wanted to talk to me. Spielberg wants me to be part of the Transformers writing team, along with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman."
Dani explained further, "Because I could add the comedic touch and help with the interactions between the young lead couple."
"Spielberg won't direct it personally - he was leaning toward inviting Michael Bay to do it."
Now Claire and Gloria were looking at him differently. They might not have known Spielberg's entire filmography, but they knew the major titles and just how famous he was.
What initially seemed like someone trying to scam the boy with a stupid idea, turned into something worth considering, given that one of Hollywood's biggest names was involved.
Before either of them could say anything, Evelyn Harper appeared. "Hello, everyone."
She placed a hand on her son's arm. "I need to say, son, I'm loving this place. I feel like I was born for this," Evelyn remarked in her usual narcissistic style.
"Glad you like it, Mom," Dani said. "And I was just talking about a proposal I received."
"Mr. Spielberg wants me to be part of the writing team for a movie he's looking to produce."
"But here's the thing," he went on. "You taught me not to work for peanuts. So I think our studio could co-produce this movie with DreamWorks."
"That seems wonderful," she praised her son.
"It is," Jay chimed in. "Well... Evelyn, why don't you take our son along and talk with Spielberg some more about it?"
"That's not a bad idea either, Jay," Evelyn nodded, delighted by the idea of meeting another famous director.
-------‐-----------‐-----------‐-----------‐-----------‐---------
After talking with Spielberg for the second time, this time accompanied by his mother, Dani was wandering around alone again.
A girl stopped him. "Dani Harper?"
"Helloo-" He turned to see who was calling him. "-Ooo there!" He raised an eyebrow - she was stunning.
"Star Wars?" Scarlett Johansson wondered.
"Finally!" he exclaimed happily. "A girl with culture!"
She looked amused. "Scarlett Johansson." Scarlett extended her hand.
Dani shook it. "I know who you are. I watched your movie. And I just hope the best script wins tonight," he stated.
Scarlett made a surprised face. "Confident in your movie, huh?"
"Oh, I wasn't talking about Mean Girls," Dani denied. "I meant Finding Nemo. You can't possibly not like it!"
"A movie that stirred your emotions and made you root for a clownfish is a movie that should win!"
She chuckled, especially since he seemed completely sincere about what he'd said. "So you won't be sad if you lose?"
"I won't be happy either. I don't like to lose." He made a face. "But there's something more important than winning, Ms. Johansson."
Scarlett waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "Like competing?" she tried.
"Competing?" Dani gave a few snorts. "Jesus, now you're losing all the points you earned at the beginning."
"Competing is something you tell your uncoordinated or chubby eleven-year-old kid when he loses a game," Dani remarked.
He even added, "I know because I was the uncoordinated one. And my nephews and nieces are the same!"
"No! In this case, the most important thing is meeting beautiful actresses. The plus side is meeting people who will make you even more money."
Scarlett let out a genuine laugh. "God. I watched your interviews. You really do say whatever comes to your mind."
"So meeting me is already your big prize?" she teased.
"Oh, look who has a big head," Dani fake-scoffed. "Miss-I-Know-I'm-Gorgeous."
He turned his body and pointed with his hand. "Maybe I was talking about her."
But then the woman in question heard him, turned around, and looked at him. She even glanced at his pointing finger and then back at his face.
Scarlett was hiding her smirk at the embarrassing situation.
"Oh, hello there!" Dani said without any shame, still pointing his finger.
"Hi?"
He explained to the blonde woman, "I was talking about meeting beautiful actresses. And you, lady, are amazing. You have my congratulations!"
"Thank... you?" She made an odd face.
"And your nutritionist is even more amazing - I watched Monster. You looked horrible in it. Like an old hag. But without the old part. So just a hag."
"A very astonishing performance, though." He finished.
Charlize Theron looked awkward for a brief moment, but then gave him a polite smile. "Thank you, kid."
"Good luck in there," she wished before walking away.
Dani waved his hand. "You too!"
Scarlett moved closer to him again.
She asked, sounding a little disbelieving, "Did you just flirt with Charlize Theron?!"
"Flirt? I got rejected! And for free, no reason at all!" he complained.
"Rejected?"
"She called me a kid... worst kind of rejection!"
"Well... she's twenty-eight, and you're eighteen..." Scarlett pointed out.
"Yes! So up to twenty-one is still the best," he said, giving her a thumbs-up.
Scarlett said nothing, just narrowed her eyes. She was nineteen.
"And when I'm twenty-eight, she'll be thirty-eight..." he muttered. "Thirty-eight years old-" he repeated, but paused mid-sentence.
"Oh, hello, Sis, Gloria," he said when he noticed them standing beside him.
"Are you going to say something about thirty-eight years old?" Claire crossed her arms.
"Nah, I'm good. Don't like to repeat jokes on the same day."
-----------
If you enjoy it, please leave a Review and Power Stones
You can also support me on patreon and read up to 25 chapters ahead, plus 32 chapters of Modern Family: Francis Jacob Pritchett
[email protected]/Japa_Madri