Hollywood What If

Chapter 144

The whole place fell silent, waiting for the announcement. The cameras never left the five actors, broadcasting their expressions live.

The presenter opened the envelope and paused for a few seconds, leaving the nominated actors nervous.

"The winner is..."

Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Robert Duvall, Dustin Hoffman and Liam Neeson held their expressions under suffocating tension.

Then the host said the name.

"Congratulations, Liam Neeson, for winning Best Actor!"

The expressions of the four actors were good... They didn't show clear disapproval, they just smiled in the right way. Although deep inside, they were devastated.

As for Liam Neeson. The man stood up and straightened his tuxedo. Then he shook hands with director Kazir Grey and producer Harold Witsend.

"Kazir, thank you for giving me this opportunity."

Kazir laughed.

'Damn. Sometimes I don't know how things are going to turn out. My prediction is way off.' Kazir thought.

Liam Neeson stood on stage.

"... Liam's salary will probably go up." Harold Witsend muttered and Kazir nodded.

"You're right... Keep it down if possible. We signed a contract."

If there was one thing that worried Kazir, it was the change in the director's position.

'He's in a good mood, so he won't be mad if I tell him I'm not directing Taken 2, right?'

Only God knows the answer. One thing was clear, the crew was happy about the awards they received.

Then it was time for the Best Director announcement. As everyone expected, director James Cameron won the award.

The guy came on stage and jokingly shouted "I'm the king of the world, wooohh!". People laughed and applauded.

Everyone has probably seen the movie Titanic and knows that line.

Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) shouted that line as he stood at the edge of the ship.

Of course, knowing James Cameron's skills, no one could deny that he was the king. The king of the blockbuster. Since then, his only competition for the biggest box office was himself. My man kept outdoing himself.

Then came the final award, and it was no shocker. Titanic won Best Picture with no suspense.

Titanic got 11 awards while Taken only got 2. Well, that was not bad.

When the ceremony was over, Kazir was invited by the old members of the Academy.

He had an idea when he saw a person he recognized. One of the old members approached him.

"Kazir Grey, I believe this is the first time we have met. I'm Frank Pierson. You can call me Frank."

"Nice to meet you, Frank."

"Hm, you look like a strict and uptight guy. We are happy to know that a person like you is becoming famous. Keep it up. You are one of us."

"Yes," Kazir said.

Now he understood why he had won. Most of the old members of the Academy were Jews, and despite their age, they had a strong influence.

Since Kazir was one of them, it was not a bad thing to give him an award. It was his award for spreading awareness in society.

The two ended their conversation, leaving each other with impressions.

'... Looks like I can win the Best Director award if I try hard.'

That was the only thing he realized when he talked to Frank Pierson, the current president of the Academy.

"Hm?"

Suddenly Kazir saw some people out of the corner of his eye. He turned around and saw three people staring at him.

Three people. Harvey Weinstein, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

'Now that I think about it, Miramax is the distributor of Good Will Hunting. I heard they spent a lot of money on PR to win some awards. '

Unfortunately, Titanic was their biggest obstacle.

'But I guess they didn't like it when Taken won two awards.'

To be honest, Kazir felt good seeing Harvey's unfiltered resentment. He looked ugly with that expression. The fat in his face was quivering angrily.

Still, Kazir didn't like that Matt Damon was staring at him, too. He could not read Matt Damon's feelings because the guy was just staring, Ben Affleck was doing the same.

Kazir was hoping to invite Matt Damon to audition for the role of Jason Bourne.

'Do I have to find another actor, like I did with John Wick?'

Anyway, Kazir walked away because it was so awkward. He was the director in the first place. He would pick whoever he wanted.

'If Matt Damon had a grudge, so be it.'

With this unexpected victory, the crew decided to throw a party.

Liam Neeson's team prepared a party for the crew. Even though Liam's chances of winning were slim, they should prepare a party just in case.

"Kazir, ahahaha! Choosing your script is the best decision I have ever made in my life!"

Liam Neeson hiccupped after downing a bottle of alcohol. Well, he had every reason to celebrate and get drunk.

"That's good to hear. Now promise me that you will not leave Taken 2, no matter what happens."

"Of course! Why would I leave the crew? It's the movie that gave me my Oscar statue!"

"Haha."

Kazir was satisfied with that. He drank another glass of vodka and sighed at its smooth heaviness.

He knew he was getting tipsy. He got up and went to the balcony to get some fresh air. He thought he was hallucinating when he saw a woman sitting next to a statue.

"You are...?"

He narrowed his eyes. Maybe he drank too much because his vision was blurred.

Winning Best Original Screenplay made him so happy that he didn't hesitate to drink any alcohol he touched.

++++

[Author's Note: I have three things to say/ask.]

1. [I decided to let Liam Neeson win, because why not?]

2. [Do you want Matt Damon to be Jason Bourne?]

3. [Who do you think was the woman next to the statue?]