Chương 45: All According to Plan pt.2
Jeremy sat in an empty office, his eyes fixed on the TV.
On the TV, the TMZ news segment plays.
Harvey Levin stands in the middle of the office, surrounded by his team of reporters and producers, all waiting to share the latest Hollywood gossip.
"Alright, we've got a big one. It's an update on the Daniel Adler and Stardust Studios situation," Harvey said, leaning on the desk.
It cuts to footage of Daniel at the launch party for 'Sea of Monsters' and footage of him doing the Adler at the party.
"The kid has some moves," Harvey quips.
"But getting back to the point, this thing is huge. Daniel Adler, the wonderkind who brought us blockbusters before he could legally drink, is now at odds with Stardust, the studio that has brought him so much fame and fortune," he added.
"I think he was famous before that, Harvey," one of the producers interjected.
"Yeah, he was, but not this famous. The kid is a multimillionaire now, thanks to the studio" Harvey argued back.
"And this whole thing seems to be about money,"
"Some sources tell me that this whole thing began with the overwhelming success of the 'Blair Witch Project,' which our wonderkind here produced. Apparently, he is supposed to get the majority of the profits, and the studio is disputing this, demanding a larger share of the profits," a reporter said, reading through his notes.
"Daniel Adler's fans staged a protest the other day in front of the studio," Harvey said as it cuts to footage outside Stardust Studios, where a group of fans, primarily teenage girls, are holding signs and chanting in support of Daniel Adler.
A girl holding a sign that reads 'Team Adler': Justice for Daniel.
A girl wearing a 'Blair Witch Project' T-shirt: "The studio can't just take advantage of his genius. We'll be here as long as it takes to show them Daniel has people standing behind him."
Three girls holding an 'Adler's Angels' banner: "This studio is nothing without Daniel. So listen up, Stardust! You better treat Daniel right, or you'll have all of us to answer to."
The scene cuts back to the office again.
"Stardust tried to clap back with a press release, trying to smooth things over, but let's just say it wasn't received too well," Harvey said to his assembled employees.
"That's putting it mildly, Harvey. Their statement went down like the Hindenburg. Everyone online in the social media space has come out in support of the kid," another reporter added.
"And here's the kicker: amidst all this chaos, there is a rumor floating around that Daniel has been approached by DreamWorks. If that's not a power move, I don't know what is," a producer claimed.
"Stardust might have just pushed one of their brightest stars right into the arms of the competition," he added.
Harvey continued "Talent like Daniel doesn't come around often. I mean, look, $300 million for his movie with a budget of what, $2 million? I understand where the studio is coming from, but they should have invested more in the movie or had a better contract,"
"So, we caught up with Chris Henderson, the head honcho of the studio; this is what he had to say,"
Footage rolls of Chris walking into the studio building; a reporter walks with him, asking questions.
"We're navigating through the situation with the utmost respect for all parties. We hope we can continue our collaboration with Daniel," Chris said.
The scene shifts back to the office again.
"Ah, 'navigating' and 'collaborative'. A very nothing answer from the head of the studio. Stardust has got to be in crisis mode, trying to figure out their next move. As for Daniel? Well, he's got a very bright future ahead of him,"
"This story is far from over…
.
.
.
Jeremy turns off the TV, enveloping the room in silence. He hears the door open and sees Jacob entering the room. They had lost control of the narrative; Daniel had beaten them to it. The narrative painted Stardust in a rather predatory light, suggesting that elements within the studio were attempting to take advantage of Daniel.
Jeremy turns to Jacob, disbelief etched across his face. "Did you see this coming? Because I sure didn't," he says, his voice a mix of shock and frustration.
Jacob shakes his head, equally taken aback. "No, this is a nightmare. We didn't leak anything. Who would do this?"
Their first suspect was Chris. He had been unusually silent during their recent board meeting, which they had interpreted as tacit support. But now, they weren't so sure.
"Could Chris have double-crossed us?" Jeremy pondered aloud, the suspicion clear in his tone.
Jacob was quick to dismiss the idea. "No, it doesn't make sense. He's been with us every step of the way. Plus, he knows that airing our dirty laundry like this would hurt the studio more than anyone. There's someone else we're not considering."
The realization that they were not in control of the narrative panicked them. They needed to regain control and fast.
"We need to do some damage control. Now," Jacob asserted, already pulling out his phone to arrange emergency PR meetings.
Jeremy nodded in agreement, his mind racing through potential strategies. "We'll make a new statement clarifying our stance. Emphasize our respect for Daniel's talent and our commitment to fairness and transparency within Stardust."
It's time for a more diplomatic approach." Jacob suggested.
Jeremy agreed, albeit reluctantly. "We have to tread carefully. The last thing we need is to escalate this further."
Jeremy's phone rings, piercing the tense silence of the room. Glancing at the caller ID, he sees it's Chris and quickly answers, hoping for some insight or solution to their rapidly escalating crisis.
"Chris," Jeremy greets, his voice betraying the urgency of their situation. "Do you have any good news for us?"
There's a pause on the other end before Chris speaks, his tone grave. "I just got off the phone with an angry Daniel. He's informed me he wants out of Stardust," Chris says, delivering the news like a bombshell.
Jeremy's initial reaction is one of triumph. This is more than they had hoped for. They had only wanted to renegotiate Daniel's contract, to scale back his control a bit, but now he's choosing to leave altogether. "So, he's leaving? This might actually work out better for us," Jeremy says, barely concealing his satisfaction.
Jacob nods in agreement, a smirk forming on his face. However, their moment of victory is short-lived.
Chris continues, "It's not that simple. If Daniel leaves, we're in a disaster scenario. His contract stipulates that if he exits the company, Stardust can't use any of his intellectual property. And considering that the movies in production are all based on Daniel's work..."
The revelation hits Jeremy and Jacob like a punch to the gut, washing away any fleeting sense of victory. The implications are dire: no Daniel means no access to his successful franchises, essentially gutting a significant portion of Stardust's future slate.
"Wait, what? Are you serious?" Jeremy asks, panic creeping into his voice. "We can't lose those projects. They're expected to be huge for us."
Chris's silence on the other end is answer enough.
Jacob, ever the pragmatist, jumps in. "There has to be another way. What can we do, Chris?"
Finally, Chris speaks, his voice tinged with resignation. "The only real option we have is to talk to Daniel. Try to mend fences and come to some sort of agreement."
Jeremy and Jacob exchange looks of disbelief. The strategy they had employed, pushing for more control and challenging Daniel, had backfired spectacularly. Now, they were in a position where they had to negotiate not from a place of strength but desperation.
"Talk to him? After everything that's happened?" Jeremy asks, skepticism lacing his words.
"It's that, or we risk losing everything Daniel has brought to Stardust. I'll set up a meeting. It's time to swallow our pride and work this out—for the good of the studio," Chris states firmly.
As the call ends, Jeremy and Jacob are left to grapple with the reality of their situation.
"fuck," Jacob muttered.
"Maybe we can talk some sense into that kid," Jeremy said.
Jeremy remained in the office as Jacob left, he sat there wondering how the brat had run circles around them.
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