55. Witnessing The Birth of a Legend.

Disclaimer: The story that I have written here takes on the names of real people, but this story is based in an alternate earth with some changes in its timeline.

This story does not intend to represent the celebrities/real people or make any commentary on them whatsoever. This story is entirely fictional, and it should be viewed entirely as such.

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Recap of the Previous Chapter -

The day which Mark had waited for a long time had finally arrived. It was the day of test screening, he met up with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas; and gave them a short tour of the facilities at Eidolon. They got to talking about Mark's business philosophy and his intention with the brand Eidolon.

He then left to meet up with Sofia and her entourage which consisted of her family and friends from CalArts, friends that he had specifically told her to befriend and invite over for the screening. After briefly introducing himself to the group he led them to the screening hall and after making a good impression he left again.

This time to pick up Sophia Vergara and her siblings, he had a good laugh at their assumption and clears up their confusion about his relationship with Sofia. After which he takes them to the screening hall and then leaves to deliver a short speech so that the film could finally begin.

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~ Third Person POV ~

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Date: 2nd August, 1990.

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Location: At Eidolon HQ.

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Time: 05:21 pm.

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After Mark left Steven and George at the entrance of the screening hall with a staff to help them to their seats, they continued their conversation. Steven was trying to get George to relax and not to think like a studio owner for a moment but like a director and artist.

Steven explained to George how the only reason Mark created Eidolon was so that he could have complete control over his creative work, over his films, and that even though he was a businessman. Mark was first and foremost an artist at heart, and has an inherent confidence in his work.

George harrumphed and replied, saying that confidence in one's own work is good, but one should also never lose sight of reality. As it will only take Mark to miss the "mark" on a few of his costlier projects for his film studio to shut down. Steven first admonished him for the bad pun and then told him about Mark's wealth.

He said that even though Mark hadn't really gone into the details, they were once sharing drinks and Steven jokingly asked Mark how much capital he had saved up. He said how Mark looked hesitant at first but then later opened up, even the man himself didn't know the exact number, but it was over $500 million.

George's eyes widened as he exclaimed and questioned if he was serious. George himself was a very successful studio owner, and he had grown Star Wars into a billion dollar franchise. But even he couldn't imagine a young man who's just 20 to be worth over half a billion dollars.

When he asked Steven how that was possible, he told him that Mark had strategically invested his money in some IT companies that had shown a huge growth recently. He jokingly replied that he needed to get some tips from the man, Steven just laughed at his friend's joke.

They were finally seated in a private booth on the right wing of the huge theater; it looked like it could fit in at least 500 people. Steven glanced to his left and saw Francis Coppola sitting in a private booth of his with Nicolas Cage.

He called out to George asking him to look over, when George did, so he was taken aback to see Mr. Coppola present as well. They began gossiping about why Mr. Coppola would be there for the screening of Mark's movie.

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After Mark left Sofia's group, they started ribbing Andrew, roasting him about not telling them how he had already met Mark Spencer. He just explained that it really wasn't a meeting and that they just had a brief conversation when he went for an interview at Pixar.

It was Pete who asked him if he knew why Mark was at Pixar. Andrew told them that he had asked around, but none of his colleagues knew or were willing to share. It was Sofia who answered them, she told them that it really isn't that big of a secret but requested them not to tell anyone.

They all nodded, in agreement, and urged Sofia to answer. She told them that Mark is interested in buying Pixar, and he has been in search of a good animation studio for a while now.

They're really excited hearing that and asked her to not forget about them, if Mark would be hiring cartoonists and animators in the future. She laughed and said, "obviously you guys would be the first to get my recommendation."

Then they took their seats as Mark went up to give a short speech, they laughed at his joke about an open buffet. Sofia laughed as well but told them it wasn't actually a joke as there's an actual open buffet waiting for them after the screening, and they were free to partake.

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Sofia Vergara could be seen grabbing her younger brother's ear, scolding him for the rude comment he passed to Mark. He just smiled and said that it was a test, how he wanted to see if he could take a joke or was he just an uptight jerk who would be trouble in the future.

She let go of his ear but warned him not to pull such a stunt on anyone else as not everyone would be as easy going and friendly as Mark.

He chuckled as he replied, "sis, you might not see it, but he ain't as harmless as he looks. There is this aura of confidence that he just casually gives off. I am certain that he definitely knows his way around a fight and how to come out on top."

She nodded at her brother as she led her siblings to their seats and whispered back. "Yeah, I know, I felt it as well. But he is a nice guy and treats me with respect and has never shown any hate or bias against our people."

"So try not to step on any toes, I want you guys to be on your best behavior. Do you understand?" Sofia asked them, loud and clear this time.

The three in question just nodded their heads and promised to be on their best behavior.

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Today didn't really go the way he thought it would. It was a Wednesday, and he didn't really have anything planned for the day. Well he actually planned to laze around and relax as his schedule was clear of any work appointments, and he was doing just that, he was relaxing by reading a Stephen King novel.

But then he got a call on his personal number, there weren't many people who had it, so he decided to pick it up. It was from Mr. Coppola, one of his most favorite directors to date and a friend, but what he asked him made feel both surprised and vexed.

He had been asked to go see Knives Out together, well, he had been invited by the production house - Eidolon. But the sum which he was offered was way too low for a person of his standards. So his agent had declined the offer on his behalf.

What inflamed him even more was after asking about the invitation from some other critics, his agent had found that he had been offered the exact same amount of money as the other no name critics.

He is The Roger Ebert, the first person ever to receive a Pulitzer Prize for film criticism, yet was offered the same amount of money.

Yet now, here he was forced into a rock and a hard place. He had already declined the paid invitation to the screening.

'So what should I do? Do I just bow my head and push down my pride and ego and go to the event?' He remained silent for a few seconds as these thoughts ran through his mind.

"You don't have to think that hard about it, Roger. This is just me asking you to watch a movie as a friend, no strings attached." Francis replied, calm and composed.

"Why do you want me to be there? It's just a movie made by a 20-year-old amateur. No matter how many millions he put into making it or marketing, it won't make a difference." Roger finally answered, trying to reign in his emotions.

"Hmm, looks like the kid stepped on your toes by offering you the same amount as everyone else." Francis teased as he chuckled but then grew serious as he replied and even Roger could tell that he meant business.

"I just don't want you to miss out on witnessing the birth of a new legend in Hollywood, my friend. This is no joke, my daughter already saw the movie, and she couldn't stop herself from singing praises about it." He told him about the internal screening.

"Now, I know my daughter isn't a good actress, but you and I both know she has an eye for films. So what do you say, put aside your childish temper tantrum and come with me to the screening." Francis asked at the end, knowing that he had successfully made his friend curious about the movie.

"Okay, fine, I will go. But I will let you know that I will be writing a review about it and I won't be holding back." Roger replied, trying to get the final word in the conversation.

"Well, I won't ask you to. Speak your mind, as you always have, Roger, and be true to yourself." Francis replied with a cryptic message at the end.

And here he finally was waiting for the movie to begin as Mark ended his speech and went off-stage. Francis had briefly explained that there will most probably be one thing that he won't like about the movie.

He didn't really elaborate "what" that would be but said that he would get it when he saw it on screen and to keep an open mind as the story of this movie was conceptualized by Mark when he was just 11 years old.

Roger just look at him skeptically, already regretting coming to the test screening, but he couldn't back out now. So he just patiently waited on his seat with a notepad and pen in hand, ready to see Knives Out along with over 400 others in the audience.

When he looked down, he could see some celebrities, even some media personalities and critics like him. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were also present in a separate booth. The sight of this spectacle and the fact that it's a test screening would make him doubt anyone, as it's more like a movie premiere than a test screening.

His eyes stopped looking around as a peaceful and majestic sounding opera music began playing out, the screen lit up in the center as a lotus came to life on screen and rose up. It was a simple yet beautiful blue and white logo of the company - Eidolon Entertainment.

The animation looked stunning, and the next animated logo was of the studio that produced said film - Nirvana Pictures. It was much shorter this time, thankfully, and he was dreading how long the director would waste with names until the actual movie began.

At Least the music kept him engaged and happy, he was really enjoying it. But to his surprise it didn't, the movie directly cut to the opening shot. The music came alive again, it seemed like a play on the whodunit score.

The shot itself was just beautiful, the framing of the tree in almost silhouette in the foreground of the house, the dogs running away from the house in slow motion as the house looms behind, looking very dark and ominous.

The fog just rolling across the screen, in an overcast morning alluding to the mystery that they were about to discover, is all top-notch. He was dumbfounded by the subtle nuances he found in the scene, and it made him question if Mark Spencer really had been the one to direct it.

But the movie didn't really provide him much time to contemplate about it as the next began. The music, still continuing, only slowly bills up in momentum as they see the interior of the house.

It was very tastefully decorated, the prop master really needs to be given a bonus for the hard work he had put into the details of the place. It all looked so very real and actually looked like a place where people had lived in for years.

He must have been muttering because Francis, who was sitting next to him, explained that Mark had spent nearly $8 million and over two years just to build that house from scratch.

He was really amazed by the piece of information, but he couldn't think too long about it, as the scene continued with perhaps the maid bringing up tea for the master of the house.

And as she entered his study she discovered his throat sliced open with a knife, she was very shocked and startled, almost dropping the tray.

And he thought to himself, 'will the "dropping the tray" cliché continue here as well.' He knew that filmmakers had been using it since the old days to signify a shocking event in the story, but it got old real fast.

His expectations had been subverted again as the tray was held on, the scene changed again showing a woman on bed crying. He found the subtitles help yet also give the vibe of a whodunit murder mystery novel.

The next few scenes were decently presented. The introductory scene felt a little forced, but it being shown through a police investigation also drove home the severity of the situation. The color palette was something that he didn't really pay much attention to, but was now drawing his eye.

As he observed carefully, the color grading of the movie shifted from a cold blue in the beginning of the movie to a golden brown. The changes in the flashbacks due to the people telling their own version of the past was another great little bit.

As he watched the rest of the movie, he had some fantastic highlights that he knew he would remember for weeks or even months to come. The subtle discrimination and obliviousness of the family towards Marta, the politics scene, was masterfully done.

The chaotic will reading scene, the hyperrealistic office burning, the search and rescue scene performed by actual firemen if he could believe the testimony of his neighbor.

This might just be his movie of the year. Francis really wasn't joking around when he claimed that he might just witness "the birth of a legend in Hollywood."

This movie isn't on par with some of the best he had ever seen, but it was definitely not what he would expect from a 20-year-old who just graduated from his university a few months back. It was spectacular visually, and the story was coherent and cohesive by the end of the movie.

And boy was it an ending. The performance by Johnny Depp was definitely some of the best he had seen recently. It was riveting, he just couldn't take his eyes off of Benoit Blanc. The call back to Ransom being unable to distinguish between a real knife and a stage prop, the twist ending was really well done and executed.

Even though he hadn't really ever read the book, much to his ire, his beloved girlfriend was a big fan of Mark's work and would always tell him the latest developments in the book. He surprisingly found the Vinland Saga very much to his liking, and the couple often read it together.

The changes that were made while adapting it into a movie were obvious to spot yet also very cleverly hidden. He knew he would have to at least watch it 3–4 times to spot them all. The movie had finally come to an end, and he was left completely satisfied with the way it all played out.

He was glad he agreed to Francis' request and came to watch it, not that he will ever admit to saying it out loud. The man already had a big head; it didn't need his validation to grow even bigger. Before he could get up, though, the screen lit up with a picture.

It was of the actors with their names standing and posing in a line together. But what really made him pause was the next picture, it was of the crew if he wasn't wrong.

Reading the small accompanying texts along with the photos, revealed them to be divided by department and each crew member being given a chance to appear on the big screen, even if only as a photograph.

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A young Mark Spencer fanboy named Rian Johnson was also in the crowd. Watching the film filled him with a sense of joy and satisfaction that couldn't be expressed with mere words.

When he had first read the book of Knives Out. It had played out like a beautiful movie in his mind, but to see his imagination come to life on the big screen was a whole new experience for the young child.

It solidified his dream to become a director in the future, he would do whatever it takes to get there.

He could spot the changes as his friends called them out while the movie played. He understood that changes were inevitable and that the movie version of Knives Out would be different from the source material.

But he was glad that Mark had stayed true to his original story and didn't make any big changes that would make the story into something it's not. His father had told him that the swear words would have to be taken out to make it PG-13.

But he really liked all the small changes that Mark made to the movie. To him, it only made it better as he had already read the books, but the movie was slightly different and only served to enhance his movie viewing experience to the next level.

Mark turning Trooper Wagner into a fanboy of Benoit Blanc was a funny addition, the final scene was definitely a bit of a let-down though.

Not getting to see Martha vomit on Ransom's face was an unfortunate development for him. As he personally wanted to see the asshole get his comeuppance.

Oh, how badly did the young kid wish he could meet with Mark again and tell him all about what he thought about the movie. Just how much he loved it, and how badly did he want to see more of his books be adapted into movies.

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"Wow" muttered the group of Sofia's friends collectively as they watched Johnny's performance as Benoit Blanc.

They knew Mark was a highly successful book author, but this was a movie it was infinitely more complex and harder to pull off, and yet the man did it.

They loved every second of the movie, and now they understood even better why Mark joked about the free buffet and that they would have something to feel happy about even if they didn't like his movie.

He did so because he was absolutely sure that his movie would win them over, and he was absolutely right. The visuals, the props, the acting, the editing, everything was just simply mind-blowing.

Andrew couldn't help but speak out. "I can't wait to see Mark adapt Jurassic Park into a movie. It's my favorite book out of all that he has ever written, and I would love to see it on the big screen."

As he said this, Sophia gave him a teasing smile, as if she knew a secret that only she knew and he didn't.

When he saw it, he asked her about it, and she told him that his wish was going to come true in a few years.

She couldn't really tell him how exactly, as that was a confidential matter, and told them to try and keep it hush.

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All the media personnel, the reporters and the critics couldn't wait to have a conversation with Mark at the banquet. He was thoughtful enough to set up two different halls for the audience to enjoy their food at the end of the screening.

They were separated by Hollywood insiders and normal audiences, the media personnel, the reporters, the critics, the trio of esteemed directors, his friends and family were led to the smaller hall which was sealed off from the rest of the public.

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{Author's Note: So, I tried writing this scene to show the epicness that Mark had pulled off by filming Knives Out 2.0, an improved version. But then I thought I should really be saving something for the later chapters.

So I just did it like this, but it's still Roger Ebert being impressed by Mark's work. The media interviews, the talk with Roger, the interaction with the audiences, etc. will be shown in the next chapter.

Anywhos, moving on, thanks for reading my work. I am entirely motivated by interaction, suggestions and feedback. So please leave a comment or review and I will probably write faster.

If you like my work please throw a power stone my way so my book can climb the rankings. Slurp some nice ramen and I hope you all have a beautiful day (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧

Update schedule for this book: 1 chapter every 2 days.}