Sophomore (3)

The pre-production meeting. The moment when, after a film's concept is finalized, everyone involved in the production gathers together for the first time.

Before they knew it, July had arrived, and the moment of commencement was finally upon them. Around this time of year, Los Angeles, California, averaged about twenty-five degrees Celsius. On particularly sunny days, the temperature would creep just past thirty, but the humidity remained low and dry. In other words, it was warm and mild, just as it always was.

Right before my regression, climate change was causing wildfires and all kinds of chaos.

Dressed lightly in just a simple shirt, Sion strolled leisurely toward the meeting place with a relaxed expression.

A moment later, Sion Lee confidently pushed open the door to a conference room large enough to accommodate a crowd. Everyone who had arrived early turned their attention to him. His entrance naturally triggered a wave of quiet whispering.

"Look who it is. The great actor has finally graced us with his presence."

That comment acted as a trigger.

"Don't be so sarcastic. His acting in his last project was actually good."

"That's why I said it."

"Wow, but he really is incredibly handsome."

"Don't you think it'll do well? Just putting that face on screen for two hours would probably recoup the production budget."

"That's not why we're making this movie, though."

Starting with those remarks, the crew members began whispering their own impressions to one another. Despite being a team that needed to unite to make a movie, the atmosphere was distinctly unsettled. And they watched intently to see who Sion ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lee would sit next to.

Reading the subtle tension in the air, Sion thought to himself:

Mmh, a familiar atmosphere.

If filmmaking ran as beautifully and smoothly as the art it sought to portray, it wouldn't truly be "filmmaking." Wherever people gathered, there was bound to be a certain "flow," and those with power would always try to control it. That was the reality of the world, and in Hollywood, where massive capital and vested interests were intertwined, even a slight shift in power could trigger a massive tidal wave.

Anyone who had shed their rookie skin in the film industry knew this fact all too well. That was why this moment was so crucial.

Who was the lead actor designated to sit next to at the pre-production meeting? Which "line" was the man closer to?

"Oho... As expected."

The seat right next to Jack Nicholson, the legendary actor and one of the film's investors.

"Since they're both actors, maybe they clicked?"

"I heard Jack Nicholson contacted him directly."

"Is Jack starring in this movie too?"

"No, I heard he's just an investor."

The factions for this film were broadly divided into two. The faction of the founding members of Longday Studios, and the faction created by one of those founding members who had suddenly broken away to elevate their own standing.

The former group of founding members was dubbed the "Nicholson Line," while the opposing faction, clashing with them on various scales, gathered around the studio's CEO, Linda Ackerman, and was called the "Ackerman Line."

Since this was Longday Studios' first project, meticulously prepared over two years, the two main factions and their subordinates were doing everything they could to seize control of the film. Rumors circulated internally that the Ackerman Line was primarily involved in the production side, while the Nicholson Line held significant sway over casting. Sion's current seating arrangement lent strong credibility to that speculation.

A moment later, the other lead actor they had been waiting for entered the conference room.

"Hello."

"Oh, Miss Asimov. Right this way."

In stark contrast to the somewhat casual Sion, her attire was impeccably neat and proper. With skin as pale as freshly fallen snow, platinum blonde hair, and doll-like features, she was a striking beauty. While anyone could tell she possessed Slavic heritage, her accent was perfectly standard American.

Meanwhile, the clear voice slipping past her lips carried an elegant yet chilly edge, prompting some to childishly dub her the "Ice Princess."

Elena Asimov.

The only daughter of a three-generation acting dynasty. Having undergone rigorous acting training since childhood, she was currently one of Hollywood's most highly anticipated rising stars. Consequently, not only her career but also her daily life, speech, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and every single action were strictly controlled.

The portrait of a perfect actress.

While many industry insiders acknowledged her as such, two recent blemishes stained Elena Asimov's record. Her appearance in the critically panned teen movie Deadly Summer Camp, and her subsequent "I hate you" outburst at Sundance.

...Without a doubt, Sion Lee was the culprit behind both. He had completely botched his lead role, ruining a film ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠where Elena had actually delivered a stellar performance, and had then shamelessly continued to needle her.

The sight of the two of them sitting side by side was highly intriguing.

Of course, this casting choice was not without its risks. Re-casting Sion Lee and Elena Asimov, who had shared the screen just a year ago, in a romance film was bound to be perceived by many as a direct provocation regarding their previous work, Deadly Summer Camp. Many would undoubtedly view it as a deliberate jab.

Although concerns were raised internally, Jack Nicholson brushed off the Ackerman Line's objections and pushed the casting through. Officially, he claimed to be anticipating Sion Lee's transformed acting abilities. However, the opposing side couldn't help but suspect that such an "aggressive" casting choice was chosen precisely because it would generate viral buzz.

And in truth, if they could endure a bit of criticism within the industry, it was undeniably an excellent, cost-effective marketing strategy. Thus, the contracts for Sion Lee and Elena Asimov were signed, and the Nicholson Line pulled the reins of the film slightly closer to their side.

Even before the cameras started rolling, a quiet power struggle to seize control of the production was already underway.

"Alright, let's get started."

With the key production staff gathered, the film's producer opened the meeting. Meanwhile, Sion looked around at a few familiar faces and fell into a daze.

No wonder the movie flopped.

He had received the film's documents from Jack Nicholson earlier and read the synopsis, which triggered his memory. He finally remembered what kind of movie this was.

Fragments of You.

A sci-fi romance film inspired by the style that was popular around this era. The story followed a husband who, after his beloved wife's death, recreates her in a virtual world to preserve his fading memories of her, only to fall in love all over again.

Upon its release, it was panned for its convoluted plot, poor direction, and disastrous acting, ultimately flopping and failing to recoup even half of its production budget. Furthermore, despite masquerading as an "indie film," it utilized industry-leading CG technology, drawing heavy criticism for "Hollywood encroaching on the indie scene."

Well, even if it was "industry-leading," it's nothing compared to what Jurassic Park will achieve.

Years later, an insider's exposé shed light on the production.

They said the production team was split into two factions that fought constantly, unable to reach a consensus. It's a common story in Hollywood, but it became a massive scandal because behind-the-scenes footage leaked showing the director, Kate McCushey, completely losing her temper and throwing the script.

Yet, the film was eventually re-evaluated in the future. In 1991, Hollywood was in a phase of exploring human identity through sci-fi, with films like Terminator 2, Total Recall, and Flatliners. Fragments of You shared a similar thematic depth while maintaining an indie film aesthetic. By using a sci-fi narrative about preserving the deceased to explore memory and affection, the film amplified the tender, melancholic emotions of the romance genre.

It's a classic genre fusion that holds up even in the future. If only the movie had been made a little better back then, it would have moved everyone to tears and been talked about in the industry for a very long time.

Unfortunately, in the history he knew, that never happened. After the sensational exposé, everyone involved had been too busy burying the project as if it had never existed. It was a cold, harsh reality.

...I wonder how it will go this time.

Sion felt this could turn into a highly intriguing project. Reviving a film that had immense potential but was utterly ruined by studio infighting. While there were certainly causes for concern, he couldn't help but feel a thrill of anticipation.

Yes. This is the true "Hollywood" style.

While projects flopped like that all the time, it was equally common for one or two "super carries" to bring them back from the dead. Feeling as though he had finally returned to his true home after a long time, Sion let out a faint smirk.

A few days after the pre-production meeting.

Who knew where the leak had come from, but news articles were already popping up one after another. They weren't from major newspapers, but several dailies with decent readerships had begun running stories related to Fragments of You.

After reading through the articles, Sion looked up and slid the newspaper toward the young woman sitting across from him.

"Read this."

"...I've already read it. Someone delivers any articles mentioning me to my door every morning."

"You must have a big Siberian Husky at home. Having someone fetch the paper for you every morning."

"It's an agency employee, actually. And besides..."

Elena Asimov adjusted her sunglasses and scanned her surroundings. Early this morning, Sion Lee had suddenly called, asking to meet up. When she arrived, she found herself at a run-down pub.

Having never set foot in a place like this, Elena felt a shiver of apprehension at the thought of her skin touching the worn, sticky vinyl booth. However, she did her best to hide her discomfort and asked with a cool expression:

"Why did you call me here?"

"Just wanted to chat before we start filming. Oh, look, a paparazzi."

"...Why are you flipping off the paparazzi?"

"It's my signature pose. Think of it like Hulk Hogan's."

"Hogan...?"

"You're American and you don't even know Hulk Hogan?"

"...I know him."

"Who is he?"

"A famous... person."

"Right. It was on the news when he hit that home run."

"Ah... yes. I think I saw that. It was a really long home run."

"Hulk Hogan is a professional wrestler."

As Sion smirked and teased her, Elena's face instantly flushed red. Despite being American, Elena Asimov was an incredibly naive late-teen girl who knew absolutely nothing about niche sports like professional wrestling.

Though she would eventually become a legendary, aristocratic actress renowned for her overwhelming performances in the distant future, right now, sitting in front of Sion, she was staring at a plate of french fries like a terrified baby husky.

Still, if it weren't for her, this project would have been incredibly difficult.

Sion took a sip of his cola—which he had ordered topped with whipped cream instead of beer—and spoke.

"What do you think?"

"Huh? About what?"

"Who do you think leaked this article?"

"A reporter from 'Most Section' wrote it. The names are written on all the other papers too."

Just as expected, Elena was incredibly naive. On the outside, she looked like a cold Siberian Husky. She gave off an impression that she might tear your throat out after fixing you with a freezing glare, but if you pushed just a little past her defenses, she would tuck her tail and run, whimpering in confusion.

"Is it the Jack Nicholson Line? Or the Linda Ackerman Line?"

"Ah, that...?"

Elena furrowed her brow in thought for a moment before answering.

"I don't think we need to worry about that. We're actors. Isn't it enough for us to just do a good job filming the movie?"

"The problem is, if we leave things as they are, the movie won't turn out well."

Sion dipped a french fry deep into the whipped cream and took a bite.

"Didn't you feel it during the first meeting? Who sat next to whom, and why. I want this movie to succeed as much as the effort I put into it. So, if external politics try to interfere and ruin it, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠intend to stop them with everything I've got. I don't want to remain a disposable actor."

"A disposable actor? I thought you said you only act because you want to make money."

Her voice carried a sharp edge. For Elena, who had been trained to view the acting profession as something sacred, this was a natural reaction. She didn't know the true reality of Hollywood. Perhaps even after she became a legendary actress, she only had a vague inkling of it but never truly understood. Because as far as Sion remembered, she had never been replaced. There was no way she could comprehend the mindset of a "replaced actor" like the Sion Lee of his past life.

"Exactly. And making money is simple. You have to shoot a lot of good movies and gain recognition. But if we act our hearts out and the movie turns out to be garbage, there's nothing we can do, right?"

"So what are you going to do? Play politics?"

"That's a job for Bill Clinton or George Bush..."

Sion said, dipping another french fry deep into the whipped cream.

"An actor should act like an actor. Even in reality."

"...What does that mean?"

"You see, despite how I look, I'm actually a pretty trusting person. I believe that as long as there's no direct conflict of interest, people generally want to move in the right direction. Believing that is better for one's mental health."

The Jack Nicholson faction and the Linda Ackerman faction. Gathering those who belonged to neither of the two factions to form a third force to counter them. That was the very first idea Sion Lee had come up with.

"It sounds grand, but it's simple. We keep making good movies and share that passion with others. Then people will think, 'Ah, I want to make this movie absolutely brilliant and add a spectacular line to my resume.' If we do that, won't we start to gain leverage too?"

"...I want to ask you three things."

"You can ask four, Ellie."

"Could you please not call me Ellie?"

"Now you have two left."

"Th-that wasn't a question! ...One. Do you think Jack Nicholson will just let that slide?"

"If I cared about that, would I have flipped off the paparazzi?"

"Two. What do you want me to do?"

"Just match my pace. If you help me liven up the atmosphere on set, laugh along, and pretend we're close, the first mission is a success. You remember how tense the atmosphere was during pre-production, right? In a situation like this, if the two leads create a friendly, cooperative vibe, people will naturally start to warm up to us. Especially the crew."

"That sounds incredibly naive."

"Then do you have a better idea? What else can young actors like us do in a situation like this?"

In truth, there were additional details to his plan, but Sion didn't bother explaining them.

"...Then, the last one."

Elena pointed at the "sin" sitting in front of Sion with a look of utter disbelief.

"Aren't you managing your weight lately? Is it really okay for you to eat sweet, greasy things like that?"

Come to think of it, Elena had ordered a diet coke, but she hadn't taken a single sip yet.

"What did you eat today?"

"A salad and two eggs."

"Fried? In the grease left over from frying bacon?"

"Boiled, of course! If I ate something like that, my face would swell up immediately and I wouldn't even be able to go outside."

"This is seriously delicious, though."

"Are you going to eat your fill just because it's delicious and show up bloated like in your last project? You're my co-star, so take care of yourself."

"Yes, ma'am."

Watching Elena snap at him like a strict governess, Sion made a mental note. Before this shoot is over, I am absolutely going to force-feed her french fries smothered in whipped cream.