What Rachel McAdams didn't expect was that not only would she and Amy Acker fail to regain any face, but they would also be quickly ushered out of the office.
Well, of course, it wasn't an actual expulsion.
Someone specifically explained that they needed to discuss how to help the actors get into the right emotional state during filming, which wasn't suitable for outsiders to overhear, as it might ruin the effect. They also assured that the measures taken would definitely not be dangerous.
Take the original The Blair Witch Project, for example. Although it looked rough, the production team put a lot of effort into the filming process, especially the actors' performances. To truly immerse the actors in a state of emotional breakdown, the team left the main cast in the woods for several days and nights to improvise. This ultimately resulted in a film with performances that met a high standard, including the iconic monologue by the female lead directly into the camera.
It's easy to imagine that if the actors in The Blair Witch Project had been as exaggerated as the silicone-chested eye-candies in many low-quality B-movies, the film would never have achieved its accidental success.
For the new version of The Blair Witch Project, Simon Westeros's expectations were undoubtedly higher.
However, the methods to stimulate actors' emotions are pretty much the same: isolation, harsh criticism, and even deliberately fostering conflict between co-stars.
In the new version of The Blair Witch Project, the atmosphere at the beginning of the story is light, which isn't a problem for the young actors, who are professionally trained and have solid acting foundations.
The real challenge lies in the latter half.
As the story progresses, the actors need to teeter on the edge of a breakdown, or even fully break down. The leads are young, and even if they're talented, it's hard for them to naturally build up the required emotional intensity. This is where the production team needs to employ some unconventional methods.
After some discussion, the methods they settled on weren't particularly groundbreaking.
During filming, especially in the latter half, they would minimize contact with the actors, making them feel isolated and helpless. Each actor would sleep alone in a tent, maintaining distance, and they wouldn't be given any items to pass the time at night, leaving them with nothing but boredom.
Additionally, they would reduce the actors' sleep time, have them watch horror movies, and even limit their food and water supply to create a genuine sense of anxiety and desperation.
If all this was done well, the film wouldn't turn out badly.
That said, many actors develop various mental health issues, and a big reason for that is the toll these kinds of methods take. Take Heath Ledger, for example, who tragically passed away young. To portray the Joker, he pushed himself to the brink of madness. Of course, there are exceptions—some talented actors who later resort to nothing but furrowed brows, either roaring or yelling. Aside from their faces becoming increasingly square from all the grimacing, there aren't many other negative effects.
The last issue was promotion.
The new The Blair Witch Project was scheduled to start filming in early November, wrap up by mid-December, premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in mid-January, and release in early February, just in time for Valentine's Day. From start to finish, the entire process would take only three months, so they needed to work on production and promotion simultaneously.
The plan was already in place.
Viral marketing.
After a brief discussion, the plan was quickly finalized.
By mid-December, when the film wrapped and entered post-production, the official The Blair Witch Project website would go live, leveraging the Westeros network for promotion.
The website would appear authentic, featuring missing person posters for the five college students, various legends about the Blair Witch, and even some "leaked" video clips. With strategic public opinion guidance, the topic would quickly spread.
Once the hype built up, unlike the original film where many people thought it was a real event even after the movie left theaters, Daenerys Entertainment would promptly clarify that the entire thing was just a marketing campaign for a movie. This would help mitigate potential legal risks and officially announce Daenerys' second found-footage film project following Paranormal Activity.
With the Sundance premiere and a full marketing blitz, it would be hard for anyone not to know about this film.
Then, when it released in February, aside from the built-up hype and some luck, the film would have to rely on its quality to succeed.
The meeting lasted over two hours, and by the time it ended, it was already past 11 PM.
Simon didn't offer to have anyone stay for dinner.
Everyone got up to leave. The others went out first, while Lena Kane slowed her pace, waiting until everyone had left before fluttering into Simon's arms like a bird returning to its nest. After some affectionate hugging and kissing, she looked up at him expectantly and said, "Simon, can I stay tonight?"
Simon held her slender waist and shook his head. "Not this time."
Lena immediately upped the ante. "How about Rachel and Amy too? The three of us."
Simon patted the scheming little agent on the bottom and laughed. "Go home. Doing a good job on the project is the best way to please me. Like this time—the writer you found is excellent."
Lena blinked again. "What if we add Annika? Four of us."
Another pat.
Lena knew it wasn't happening this time, so she adopted a slightly more serious tone and explained, "Annika is my alumna from USC, a year ahead of me. We've been good friends for a long time. She used to work at Warner Bros., and I just had her try writing something. I didn't expect you to like it."
Simon smiled. "I can see that. Your friends are never mediocre."
Birds of a feather flock together.
After some more chit-chat, Lena reluctantly said goodbye.
Simon could tell that this ambitious little vixen's clinginess was mostly an act, but he didn't call her out on it. He walked out with Lena, where everyone else was waiting. Ulyana Meletskova, who hadn't shown up earlier because she was still in bed, was now present and joined Simon in seeing the guests off.
Lena Kane had come hoping to stay the night, especially since she'd brought two eye-candies and even Annika. Four girls together should be enough to tempt him, right?
After all, it's a man's preference.
However, when she saw Maria in the morning, Lena felt her plan might not work. And when she saw Ulyana, whose looks, figure, makeup, and demeanor were even more stunning, any hope she had vanished completely.
If Maria's appearance and demeanor were the kind that made people instinctively want to get close, Ulyana's flawless Eastern European features, perfect figure, and the dignified aura cultivated by her family background made her the kind of woman who made most other women feel inferior at first glance.
Even though Lena never thought she could secure a place by a man's side based on her looks alone, seeing two such stunning women in a row still left her with a faint sense of insecurity. As they said their goodbyes and got into the car, it wasn't until they left the estate that she managed to console herself with a small thought.
At least she was young!
On the way back to the city, sitting next to Lena wasn't Rachel McAdams or Amy Acker, but the fair-haired Blair Witch Project screenwriter, Annika Sattler.
Birds of a feather, indeed.
Although they were in different majors and different years, Lena and Annika had met soon after Lena started at USC. Both outstanding and equally ambitious, they quickly became good friends.
Annika graduated from USC a year earlier and was immediately hired by Warner Bros., working in their script acquisition department.
She hadn't chosen the red-hot Daenerys Entertainment, not because she wasn't qualified, but because she deliberately avoided it, thinking the competition there was too fierce. Warner Bros., Hollywood's steady second-place studio, had been in constant turmoil in recent years, which actually created opportunities for newcomers.
Annika's judgment proved correct.
After just two years in Warner's script acquisition department, Annika helped select a low-budget hit, earning herself a promotion and catching the attention of Warner's higher-ups. They had already discussed moving her to a more core production role.
Around the same time, her good friend Lena Kane approached her, saying there was a low-budget horror film project she could try writing for, with the concept coming from Simon Westeros.
Annika didn't hesitate.
Even though she was confident in her abilities, Annika knew that under normal circumstances, it would take her at least five more years to get anywhere near the upper echelons of Time Warner, let alone its parent company, General Electric.
Now, with a direct opportunity to connect with Simon Westeros, only a fool would pass it up.
Annika worked during the day and spent three consecutive nights writing, quickly producing a draft. As a USC writing graduate, she had kept her skills sharp. The draft was sent to New World Pictures and quickly accepted, with Annika officially hired as the screenwriter for The Blair Witch Project, working with Paul Greengrass on the script.
Annika promptly quit her job at Warner Bros. to focus on the project.
Recently, for location scouting, Annika and Paul Greengrass had traveled across several southern states with a small team. It's safe to say that the project's smooth progress was partly due to Annika's efforts.
The reason she was allowed to come meet Simon today was also because of this.
In the car.
Once they left the estate, Annika let out a long sigh of relief and turned to Lena. "How did I do this morning?"
Lena was reviewing the meeting notes from the morning. She would be involved in the production from start to finish as a producer. This wasn't part of her usual job as an agent, but for her future plans, even without extra pay, it would be an important credential and a chance to gain real work experience.
Hearing Annika's question, Lena looked up briefly before returning to her notes. "Simon doesn't really care about how women look when he's working."
Annika smiled. "I was asking about my work performance. Where did your mind go?"
"If you hadn't performed well, you wouldn't be here today," Lena affirmed, then added, "I was just wondering about the ages of those two women."
Annika, hearing Lena's confirmation, relaxed a bit and joined in the gossip. "I guess…" She caught herself and glanced at the two Westeros attendants sitting in the front, lowering her voice and leaning closer to Lena. "I guess their daughters are old enough to climb into Westeros's bed."
Lena pushed Annika's head away with her own, not as cautious as her friend, and continued flipping through her notes. "Simon doesn't hide these things. Why are you being so careful?"
Annika didn't elaborate, instead expressing a hopeful thought. "If I can maintain those two women's level of self-care by the time I'm 40, that would be amazing."
Even though Annika was career-driven, she couldn't help but care about her appearance.
Lena glanced at her and couldn't resist teasing. "That might be hard. Women of Nordic descent tend to age faster."
Annika pretended to be offended. "Hey, is that racism?"
With her fair hair, light blue eyes, pale skin, and even her name, Annika's Nordic heritage was obvious.
Lena laughed. "A little Latina mix like me wouldn't dare discriminate against a white aristocratic lady like you."
"True," Annika said, flipping her hair with a flourish and tilting her head up slightly. "Westeros prefers fair-skinned girls, so you're at a disadvantage there."
Lena rolled her eyes at Annika's vanity. "People's preferences change. Besides, Simon likes girls with softer facial features. Your face is too angular, and your mouth isn't small enough. He definitely wouldn't like that."
"Hey, who just said people's preferences change?" Annika shot back, then leaned in to whisper, "Why does he like small mouths? Is it because…"
Lena laughed and pushed the little pervert away. "If you get the chance, you can see for yourself."
"Then take me with you next time."
"I wanted to this time, but Simon said no."
"You're so dumb. Just looking at those two women, you should've known the timing was off." Annika looked disappointed, then clearly remembering the earlier topic, slightly opened her not-particularly-large mouth and mumbled, "Is this… enough?"
Lena laughed and glared at her. "If you're that desperate, go find a man at a bar tonight."
"I don't want a man. My boyfriend hasn't had his batteries changed in ages."
Lena paused, then burst out laughing and hit Annika. "If you keep being this perverted, I'll kick you out of the car."
After some back-and-forth banter, Annika finally got a bit more serious. "Have you noticed that Hollywood seems to be trending toward a matriarchal society?"
The sudden shift in topic caught Lena off guard. "What do you mean?"
"Let's count," Annika said. "Out of the seven major studios, Daenerys has Amy Pascal, and MGM has Sherry Lansing. Even though it's only two studios, that's basically half of Hollywood. Oh, and there's Nancy Brill, plus all the female executives who've risen in recent years, including us. And don't forget Nancy Josephson at ICM, one of the top three talent agencies. See the trend?"
Lena understood but shook her head. "You're being too optimistic, Annika. Hollywood is still a man's world—or rather, it's practically one man's world. We're all just his vassals."
"I know," Annika said. "But Westeros is already starting to step back from the spotlight. Maybe one day he'll lose interest in Hollywood entirely and let go. When that happens, Hollywood will be ours. You know, once a trend starts, it's hard to reverse."
Lena thought for a moment but couldn't argue, so she smiled and asked, "Even if that happens, what do you plan to do? Start a feminist movement and drive more men out of Hollywood?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead."
"Then stop overthinking. The Blair Witch Project starts filming in a week. Focus on making this project a success."
Annika didn't argue and started going over the morning's meeting with Lena. After a while, she added, "I've been quietly studying the case of Paranormal Activity. It's a miracle, Lena. What do you think The Blair Witch Project's box office will be?"
"Since it's another concept from Simon, $50 million is the minimum Daenerys will accept. I think that's achievable. Anything less would be a failure on our part. If it crosses $100 million, I'll have a solid footing with Simon."
Annika looked disappointed. "So you haven't found solid footing yet?"
"No. If you think just having a pretty face is enough to win Simon's favor, you're being naive."
Annika raised a slender hand, made a slight gesture, and smirked. "Actually, I was asking if you can hold your position securely."
Lena: "…"
Annika was driving too fast, and it wasn't until Lena was thrown into a ditch by a sharp turn that she realized what was happening. She put down her folder, pinned Annika to the seat, and gave her a thorough "punishment."
Lena's daily workouts gave her a clear physical advantage over Annika, who eventually had to beg for mercy before being let go.
Time was precious.
Since they hadn't been invited to stay the night, Lena and the others flew back to Los Angeles after returning to Boston, preparing for the final stages of The Blair Witch Project.
Back in L.A., the team immediately began revising the script based on the meeting discussions and searching for a suitable cinematographer. Paul Greengrass had already identified someone, but for a project like The Blair Witch Project, the person was slightly over budget. After getting Simon's approval, the team officially signed the contract.
Simon didn't object.
The cinematographer's name was Oliver Wood.
Like Paul Greengrass, Wood was British and middle-aged. The two had known each other for a long time and had collaborated on some projects in the past.
Oliver Wood had come to Hollywood in the 1980s and successfully established himself as a top-tier cinematographer, working on films like Die Hard 2. His most recent big project was John Woo's Face/Off. Despite his status, Wood had never received an Oscar nomination, partly because he had spent over two decades working on TV shows and commercial films.
This kept his fees within The Blair Witch Project's budget.
Simon had no objections for another reason.
Oliver Wood was the original cinematographer for the Bourne trilogy in the other timeline.
This was clearly due to his long-standing relationship with Greengrass, and it also proved that the two were a perfect match.
Simon knew that after The Blair Witch Project, when Paul Greengrass directed Enemy of the State, Oliver Wood would naturally take on the role of cinematographer again. It was a perfect fit.
After spending the weekend in Boston entertaining guests, Simon flew back to Los Angeles on Monday morning.
At Daenerys Entertainment, not only had the new fiscal year's financial report just been released, but projects like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Matrix, Enemy of the State, The Blair Witch Project, High School Musical, Celebrity, and Elizabeth were all in full swing. The entire industry was buzzing with activity.
After being away for a week, Simon's return to Hollywood immediately drew everyone's attention.
Malibu, Daenerys Studios.
It was the afternoon of Monday, October 17th.
In one of the studio's office buildings, an audition for the female lead of High School Musical was underway. The long hallway and waiting room were packed with teenagers.
Of the two originally planned female leads, Christina Aguilera had already signed on, while Britney Spears had been replaced.
Not just for High School Musical—the young girl's father had been involved in a highly publicized case of raping a 13-year-old girl. With solid evidence and caught in the act by the police, along with charges of assaulting an officer, Daenerys Entertainment couldn't afford to be associated with the family, even though the girl herself was innocent. As a result, Daenerys Records had terminated her contract, and there would be no more singles or albums.
Lynne Spears, who had been on edge for a long time due to her husband's insistence on pursuing something, was called to the police station that night. After seeing the rescued minor and the deep bite marks on the black officer's arm, she spent the night in a daze. Strangely, her nerves relaxed the next day, as if a weight had been lifted.
The day after the incident, George Norman visited the Spears family. Without mentioning the previous night's events, he presented them with a confidential agreement.
They didn't get the $200 million they had hoped for, but they were offered a $2 million compensation, paid out over 30 years through a secret trust. Lynne Spears would receive about $5,000 a month, enough for the family to live comfortably.
In return, the Spears family had to agree to leave Los Angeles and relocate elsewhere, pretending as if nothing had happened. George Norman also showed Lynne the original recording evidence, making it clear that if they caused any trouble, they would receive nothing and that she could face extortion charges.
Lynne Spears didn't resist and quickly signed the agreement.
Later, strangers arrived with divorce papers, which Lynne also signed. They reminded her to act as if she had never known Jamie Spears. As for Jamie's other relatives, they would be informed.
The strangers even helped the Spears family change their identities and surnames. Lynne picked a small town in northern Florida from a map, and three days later, the family of six moved there. Lynne was given a job as a music teacher at a local school.
And that was the end of it.
While the other children adjusted, Britney couldn't accept the sudden changes. After some crying and arguing, the young girl even guessed some of the truth and had a big fight with her mother. But it was no use. Even if she left that small town in the future, there would be no place for her in the entertainment industry.
Simon only briefly heard the follow-up from Neil Bennett and simply said, "Noted," before moving on.
Occasionally, he thought about it.
In the original timeline, Britney Spears had been controlled like a mental patient by her father for over a decade. This time, without the fame, she might have a平淡 but different life.
Of course, Simon wasn't trying to justify himself.
Only good people need psychological comfort.
Even if the young girl's fate in this new timeline turned out worse, he wouldn't intervene. From Simon's current position, the whole incident was just a tiny ripple in his life.
As for the music industry losing a "Britney," it didn't matter.
The world keeps turning, with or without anyone.
Rumors soon spread in the industry—someone had tried to blackmail a Hollywood big shot using their daughter, only to end up in a miserable situation, with the daughter permanently exiled from Hollywood, never to return.
The story didn't spread widely, and the details were vague, but those in the know could easily connect the dots, leading to some quiet self-reflection.
At the bustling audition.
Linda Vagos, Simon's go-to casting director, spent an hour there before having to leave. She didn't have time to oversee the entire process, as she still needed to report to her boss on some projects.
She was only there because Simon had instructed that for projects like this, Linda had to be personally involved, including having the final say on casting decisions.
This was mainly to avoid any potential disasters.
Simon had no interest in underage girls or boys, but in Hollywood, there were plenty of people with questionable tastes. Or rather, given certain deeply ingrained societal norms, this was a widespread issue in Western society. Simon didn't think he could eliminate it entirely, but he could at least minimize it.
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