51. Post Prodⁿ and A Promise To Mr. Wick.

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 -

Mark, after being asked by Eva, decides to tour Britain for the international marketing of his movie Knives Out. We then see the different perspectives of people at the final shoot of Knives Out like Chris Plummer who is just in awe of Mark's remarkable talent.

Steven Spielberg also brought his friend George Lucas along to surprise Mark as he is a fan of George. Mark then gives a pep talk to Johnny is fire him up with the -

"I am here." After the scene is successfully completed, Eva tells Mark that Mr. Zimmer wants to show him the opening film score.

At last we see a third person perspective (3PP) of Marvel Comics going through the changes that Mark had ordered. We see the plans Mark has for the New Marvel, the yet to be established Eidolon Specialized Chain Store. The competitions he plans to hold to find and foster new comic book artists and illustrators for the mangas he will later release.

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~ 3rd Person's POV ~

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Date: 20th July, 1990.

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Location: At recording studio, at Eidolon HQ.

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Time: 04:47 pm.

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Hans was waiting for Mark at the recording studio. After 3 days the sample that he had shown Mark before was finally completed. Mark had asked him to recreate it but with a more ominous yet still retaining its upbeat nature. The demand was quite contradictory but Zimmer didn't achieve legendary status as film score producer for nothing.

So in the past three days he had made something he thought would blow Mark's socks right off. The music still started off with a string quartet in G minor like in the original but it meandered into an enchanting yet melancholic symphony from the piano accompanied by the saxophone.

He had been invited over from his studio in Santa Monica, having no deep knowledge about his employer except for what he heard in passing. A world renowned author, a creative genius, now turned amateur director. He had heard quite a lot and not all were praising the man.

Many Hollywood gossip magazines had already released an article about how he was a greenhorn with zero experience as a director. They even dragged his name through the mud by bringing his private buyout of Marvel Comics into the light. His employer had presumably bought said company for $60 to $80 million dollars.

But he was a man who believed in observing something with one's own eyes and only then making an opinion. From his observations, Mark had been very professional and courteous in their talks. Even though he was very adamant about certain things, other times he gave complete creative freedom.

When he arrived at the Eidolon HQ, he found that Mark had outfitted a studio with all his preferred equipment. But calling him from Santa Monica while looking inefficient at first served a few very important purposes. Things that he failed to take into account before meeting Mark, if nothing else that was the moment that humbled him the most.

Mark took him through the various set pieces he had set up for the filming of Knives Out. The tour of the estate and the burned down coroner's office had moved him the most. He even showed him sample shots of the scenes where he thought the soundtrack will play a major role to lift the movie's feel.

With all these, Hans felt inspired like never before, observing the set where the movie was shot, getting the sample shots proved to be a great help. He had actually created various other soundtracks as well for other scenes like the one where Harlan's body is found, the will reading scene, etc.

He turned at the sound of the door being opened and saw Mark enter.

"Sorry, for keeping you waiting Mr. Zimmer." Mark said as he entered the room.

"It's alright Mark, I know you must have been busy and please call me Hans." he replied and gestured for Mark to take a seat.

Mark after sitting down on a nearby chair asked him, "Hans you said the background music and the opening soundtrack are done. How have they come out?"

"Well it would be easier to just show you, Mark, here. Listen to this piece." Hans said as he played the prepared piece. The music started off with a string quartet in G minor like in the original and Mark closed his eyes and concentrated on the music.

It was similar to the original but this one could have been toned down to give a more somber vibe. It meandered into an enchanting yet melancholic symphony from the piano accompanied by the saxophone. Mark could see the movie in his mind's eye as the music played out.

"It's beautiful, Hans. I couldn't have hoped for any better. How are the other background scores coming along?" Mark praised at first and then asked about the rest.

Hans explained how he was more than half done through creating the movie score of Knives Out. Mark praised him again for his remarkable speed at completing his work.

Hans deflected the praise and instead thanked Mark for helping him understand the importance of visualization through visiting the onset scenes and understanding the movie to create a better suited movie soundtrack.

He told Mark that the only reason why he was able to complete over half of the film score so quickly was because he was inspired by Mark's tour through the set of knives out.

The beauty of the Thrombey estate, the burnt down coroner's office, the shots from the will reading scene, the chaos of it all came together in a Symphony which became his muse towards creating the best film score that he could imagine for this beautiful film.

Mark told him that it was own interpretation of it and its actually his own talent that lead him to this very moment of self actualization and that he didn't have any right to take credit.

He thanked him again for such a wonderful job done and requested him to be open for future collaborations together. For he believed that Hans would go on to make his name resound through Hollywood.

After that they discussed the different kinds of soundtracks that Hans would have to create for the different scenes that Mark had put in the movie. He had brought along with him a folder of sample shots from the movie that he felt could be enhanced if they were accompanied by a soundtrack.

After Mark was done with guiding Hans Zimmer through the various kinds of soundtrack he needed to create. Mark left him to his job and went to meet his editor, one Bob Ducsay. He was a talented yet eccentric man, rumored to be quite willful and difficult to work with.

When Mark had met him for the first time realized that Bob was actually a Pioneer and he was trying to create his own style of editing movies. His current style consisted of making quick cuts and close ups to emphasize the expressions of the actors and then panning out of focus to the background to create a sense of depth in the scene.

While his current technique worked there were still a lot of improvements that could be made. Mark had seen the original movie many times and if he wanted he could easily edit the film himself. He could even do it in half the time it would take Bob but he wanted to mentor Mr. Ducsay into forming his own style.

This was because Mark was thinking more in the sense of a long term work relationship. He had more important things to do than spend weeks editing his movies. Especially when he could train someone to be even better than him to do it for him.

It was a slow and agonizing process because Bob was very wilful and wouldn't realize his mistakes if Mark didn't properly explain how he wanted the scene to flow and how Bobs version of the edit wasn't letting that happen.

But it was a fruitful endeavor as well because Bob was someone with talent in the editorial field after all the aggregate score of his editorial skills were an 88 which meant he already had the talent but only like they experience to become master.

Through working with Mark, Bob realized his glaring mistakes that were holding him back he learned how sometimes the scenes must be edited so that the whole film can be seen as a big picture instead of a patchwork of perfect yet disconnected acts.

Mark also taught him how the color grading of a film differentiates how the audience perceives the scene. They started off with highlighting the blue to give a cold feeling when Mr. Harlan Thrombey's death is shown in the movie. And then perfectly contrast it with a yellow and reddish color in the flashback scenes of Harlan's birthday celebration.

This was done to help the audience differentiate between the death of a character and the flashback where the past memories are being revealed. The rest of the movie is highlighted in a slightly green and brown tinge.

This was done because the actual movie is supposed to be shot in London. Yet the actual shooting location was in the outskirts of LA, so to give the movie a more somber and drab vibe of an actual London winter evening, he went with this color palette for the movie.

Mark was very careful to avoid using gray and black in his movie's color palette and the only place where he used them were at the very beginning of the movie where he wanted to show the Thrombey family home as kinda like a haunted mansion with a dark and ominous vibe.

As Bob got more and more comfortable with him, he started sharing his thoughts and ideas about how some scenes could be framed and edited. Mark acquiesced where their opinions met yet remained steadfast in his disapproval when Bob went astray on whimsical ideas.

But he was a quick learner as well and with each scene they sat and edited together. Mark saw Bob getting the feel of it and becoming more and more proficient as they kept editing the movie. Mark even gave him a side project, after he saw just how much film they had remaining from the original shoot.

Mark told him to take the extra film they had left over and edit the film in his own style and from whatever he learned from his help and what he felt to be right. After they had both finished editing the first arc of the movie. He wanted to compare the two's work and observe how all the scene flow together.

Mark told him that ensuring that the scenes gel together in a seamless whole and that there is no disconnect in the movie is the most important job of an editor.

It's way more important than editing each scene to its very best and making it look perfect yet failing to ensure that scenes gel together perfectly and don't cause a disconnect in the viewer's mind.

Mark explained how the mistake he was making is the trait of a true artist and perfectionist, that it would help him and prove useful in his career as an editor. As he will be able to easily pick out the small mistakes in a flash and cover them to make the scene look perfect.

Bob was grateful to Mark's advice and understood that he wasn't trying to put him down or disregard his skills or hard work but was instead helping him realize where his faults lay. He realized that his teacher Michael Khan was doing the same yet they had a fall out due to their miscommunication.

When he told Mark of the same Mark advised him to put aside any ego or pride and ask for his teachers forgiveness and let bygones be bygones. After all, a GOOD teacher is someone most worthy of one's respect in their life after their parents.

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•••••{Author's Note: From here the chapter's second half which I failed to upload yesterday starts}•••••

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Bob nodded and told him that he would go meet his teacher and apologize for not being able to understand him. Mark just smiled and nodded. He told him that he can do that he gets off work, but for now all his concentration should be on his edit.

Recently Mark had kept finding himself working hard and busy from his packed schedule, he found that the best way to let off steam after the mind-numbing editing work was to do the horizontal tango with his two lovers -

Eva and Salma. His relationship with them had some good progress, and they were getting along better, understanding the dynamics of a harem.

Just a few days back for his birthday they gave him his most favorite gift till date. After going out and partying with his friends - old and new, he came back to his office apartment thinking about sleeping in early and stuff. But when he arrived and switched on the lights, he found two very special presents.

His girlfriend and slave/pet were the gift waiting for him while dressed in some very risqué lingerie. Suffice to say, he didn't get much sleep that night, well how can one sleep when they are enjoying the first ever threesome of their life.

Though he had a reputation to maintain, so he went extra hard on them, he always made it his priority that his partner or in this case partners are satisfied. It was a long night, but after the passionate love making that Mark had with the two of them.

His personal favorite part was where he got to cuddle with the both of them to sleep, with Eva on his left and Salma on his right. They both hugged him and laid their heads on his chest as they fell asleep.

And after some time so did he, exhausted from the long and sex marathon he just participated in with these two beautiful women. But he had made a promise to always do his best to satisfy his partner to the best of his capabilities.

It not only boosted his self-confidence but also made him a thoughtful lover in the eye's of his girlfriends. But Mark was a man of his word and took his promises very seriously. Just recently he had made a promise to a friend of his, it was done right after the shooting for Knives Out was completed.

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~ Flashback Begins ~

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Date: 18th July, two days ago, at the day of the final shoot.

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Location: At the Knives Out estate.

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Mark had finished his small impromptu speech and was overlooking the equipment being packed up again. He had already talked to the department heads and asked them to notify their respective team that all personnel not required for post-production will be on a paid leave.

He requested them to not leave LA unannounced and asked them to be on standby in case some needs to be reshot in the future. The said paid leave was also only for Mark's core film crew and not the support crew hired from CAA. As he was doing this, he was approached by Keanu.

The man looked hesitant to ask him something, so Mark did the job for him. "You look like you wanted to ask me a question, Keanu. What is it? You know we are friends, right? So please don't be hesitant or shy to ask me anything."

Keanu smiled and nodded, it was this very trait that drew to want to work with Mark. He had a very calm and confident presence, very self-assured about his capabilities. But never once did he come off as smug or arrogant to him or even anyone on the crew.

Keanu drew in a deep breath to gather his courage, and yet he deflected at the last second as he couldn't bring himself to ask any more from his friend. "I just wanted to thank you, Mark, for allowing me to perform on screen with my friends."

Mark just stares at him for a few seconds and then said, "You and I both know that's not the question you were just about to ask me. As you have already thanked me for that favor before. So what was the real question you're going to ask me, Keanu?"

Keanu sighed and let out the breath he was holding, he knew Mark wouldn't be fooled that easily. So he just told him the truth. "You're right, it wasn't. I actually wanted to ask you if you have any characters that would suit me. Then I would love to have the chance to collaborate with you."

"The atmosphere that you create on set is so inviting and friendly. I wish to experience it for myself again. I know, I am not as good of an actor as Johnny or River. But if there is ever a role in your movie that I could play, please do let me know." He said at the end explaining his reasons.

"Hmm, we better have this conversation somewhere more private, too many prying ears on set." Mark replied as he guided him to his office and told his secretary to make sure they wouldn't be disturbed. Then he removed his mask, picked out the final draft for John Wick, and gave Keanu his reply.

"Keanu, you are right, you aren't as good of an actor as Johnny or River when it comes to expressing a range of emotions on screen. But it doesn't mean you aren't as good as them as an actor, it just means you have a different skill."

"I don't know if anyone has ever told you, but you're excellent at subtle expressions and saying more with less. You are some of the few people I know who are humble and committed enough to bringing the character they play to life without inserting their own persona into it." Mark explained as he listed off his strengths.

"You're too closed off, though, Keanu, and I don't know what you went through in the past. But I hope you see a therapist and try to overcome it, you still have a long life ahead of you, so don't let the past hold you down. If I said anything out of turn or that was inappropriate, then I am deeply sorry." Mark apologized at the end in case his assumption was wrong.

Keanu shook his head and told him that. He understood what he meant and had been trying to, but couldn't gather the courage to go and also if some paparazzi found out about it. They would spread rumors about how he might be suffering from mental issues.

Mark kept silent as he thought about it for a moment, he knew the kind of man Keanu Reeves was. The nicest man in Hollywood was the title the internet had given him, and he really wanted to help him out. So he quickly thought up a plan to help his friend.

"Keanu, I do have a role which I think would suit you perfectly. But it will ask a lot out of you, agreeing to play the role might be the best and worst thing you could ever do for your acting career."

"How could it be both?" Keanu asked, bewildered by Mark's statement.

"Well, for one, I wrote my character - John Wick, with the intent to create one of the most iconic and memorable characters in fiction. So it will leave its mark on you, Keanu, people will always remember you as John Wick, of course provided that we are successful." Mark explained the idea behind John's conception.

"And that mark will only become more permanent as you play John Wick in the sequels I have planned. Keanu, you need to understand, John Wick is not just a one-off character whose story can be told in just one movie or even three." Mark said, explaining the problem.

"I have planned and written the drafts for eight movies to be made to tell the story of John Wick, and any actor who is selected for the role will have it mandatory in their contract that they will have to take part in all eight movies. This, Keanu, would be the commitment of a lifetime." Mark explained seriously as it truly was the commitment of a lifetime because even if he films a John Wick movie every three years it would still take him at least 2 decades to finish.

When Mark saw that, Keanu was about to insist. He said, "Do not give me an answer right now, Keanu. Here take this, read it, it's the script for the first movie. At the back, you will find the brief summary of all eight movies, which will give you the idea of where I want the story to go."

After giving him the script, Mark went to fix them a quick meal for lunch as Keanu read through the script.

Keanu was just half through the script, but he had already been fascinated by the character of John Wick and the world he resided in. Wanting to know how it ends, he immediately skipped to the back and read through the summaries of the eight movies Mark had planned for the legendary assassin.

After he was done, he couldn't help but feel bad for John's ending. He knew John wasn't a good man, but he still felt sad all the same. It made him realize the potential the story had, and it made him feel even more grateful that Mark allowed him to read the summaries of the sequels to make a more informed decision.

It was a show of trust because he knew there was no way Mark already completed and registered the scripts for all eight movies, and yet he still allowed him to read the yet to be registered material of the story.

He saw Mark come back with two bowls of soup and a huge plate of dumplings. Mark placed it on a side table with comfortable, low seats and gestured for him to take a seat as well.

"Mark, thanks for the lunch, and also for allowing me to read the complete story. I would still like to play the role of John Wick." He said as he sat down.

"While I am very happy to hear that, I need you take a look at this, it's a list of things you would have to do if you decide to go through with this decision of yours. Read through them carefully and give me your answer again." Mark replied as he prayed and started to blow on the hot soup.

Keanu raised the paper and read it. It read - Your to-do list to become John Wick -

1. A fitness coach/trainer will be hired to help you exercise properly in the gym.

2. An MMA expert will be hired to train you in martial arts and self-defense.

3. An expert marksman will be hired to train you in gun handling, shooting and maintenance of said weapons.

4. I will recommend and book an appointment with a trusted therapist I know, and you trust me to take extreme precaution that your visit will remain discreet and anonymous.

NOTE: You can choose to reject this, as this one is just a suggestion and not a mandatory demand. It's just me trying to look out for my friend, sorry for being nosy (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)⁠・⁠・⁠・

He chuckled at Mark's childish drawing and thought maybe it would be good to meet this doctor once and see for himself, and Mark did mention that he will keep it discreet.

After they were both done with their lunch. Keanu spoke up, "Mark, I agree to follow all the things you listed, would please give me the opportunity to play John Wick."

"Even the fourth one?" Mark asked in an uncertain tone.

"Yup, even that, but only if you promise to keep it a secret." Keanu replied and asked for a promise in return. After spending some time with Mark, he really did put a lot of importance to his words and always tried his best to keep his promises.

"Of course, I promise to keep it a secret. No one will know about it." Mark replied with a smile as he made a promise to the man who would become more famous as the name of a character he played, than his own name, John Wick.

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~ To be continued in the next chapter ~

{Author's Note: I would like to apologize for the incomplete chapter, it's actually 2000 words but it only covers the post production part of the chapter. I wanted to write 1k to 1.5k words in the second half that was going to feature "a promise to John Wick" which is not yet completed. I could have split the chapter and said that this is it.

But that would be lying to myself and to my readers, now the reasons for why i couldn't complete the chapter are many. Like me researching about the different movies that came out in the July to December of the 1990s and then note down their weekly box office, their audience ratings, etc. How the critics and the media responded to them. Basically TLDR - I was busy researching.

Because even though this is AU earth with an alternate timeline I still try to keep the events same as our real world and that takes a lot of google search diving and reading. But it pays off as I can create a better and more cohesive chapter.

Now onto the other reason why i wasn't able to complete the chapter (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)⁠・⁠・⁠・

I found a really good book to read and I didn't even realize how the day just slipped away. It's called Warformed: Iron Prince and it's a really great book. This is NOT a paid advert, just my honest opinion. Nearly 90% of my time the last two days were spent reading it.

Another reason why I feel this chapter is incomplete is because most people would find the post production part of the chapter basically the part of Mark's conversation with Hans Zimmer and Bob Ducsay to be boring and not important enough to the story. So I wanted to add another scene of his "promise to John Wick" that I knew would make the readers more excited for the future. But sadly I couldn't finish it.

Yeah, so I will complete the chapter and upload the rest of it in a few hours. Sorry again for the inconvenience.

It's finally complete, yay, "The Promise To John Wick" part is done. I rewrote the promise as it wasn't really fitting to the story. This one should fit better at least in my humble opinion.

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.}