Happy death day

"Happy Death Day" was a 2017 horror movie that was released before "Christian Crossing." This film also employs the infinite loop concept from "Groundhog Day," but it offers a much lighter tone than "Horror Cruise," a similar horror movie. In simple terms, it's a horror-comedy featuring a heroine.

The heroine, Tree, is, well, according to popular girls' chatter, a beautiful girl. She is, indeed, quite stunning. On her birthday, she is murdered, only to wake up on that same fateful morning, forced to relive the day repeatedly. Through these endless repetitions, she strives to uncover her killer and undergoes a gradual transformation.

"This is the perfect movie for my needs," Christian thought to himself.

Firstly, it's a film set in an infinite loop. The heroine alternates between life and death, meeting Alexis's need for a vitality boost.

Secondly, the movie features a heroine who undergoes evident changes before and after her experiences, making it suitable for Charlize and Alexis to portray separately. Each character possesses unique qualities while sharing the same person.

Lastly, the movie concludes successfully, garnering both critical acclaim and box office success, aligning with Christian's personal preferences.

"Just go with this one" Christian made his decision.

Afterward, the process was straightforward. Christian briefly outlines the core plot of "Happy Death Day" to Charlize and Alexis, receiving their approval before retreating to commence drafting the screenplay. However, an unexpected obstacle arises—"Old Gun."

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"If we proceed with this script, I'm quite confident in its success. But..."

Old Gun cast a glance at Charlize, who was engrossed in conversation with Annika.

"Are you implying that Sally should play the role of the 'beautiful girl'? Her acting skills are commendable among her peers, and her beauty is exceptional. Yet, the script calls for a 'beautiful girl' with more expressive qualities. Are you sure she fits the bill?"

In Old Gun's eyes, Charlize's acting skills are decent, but her facial expressions lack depth. This is a common issue for models transitioning to acting, stemming from the professional habits acquired during modeling.

While this issue might seem minor, Charlize's inherent icy demeanor and slightly rigid expressions compound the problem.

"Regardless, I believe it's best not to cast her as the 'beautiful girl.' It doesn't suit her," Richard pronounced his verdict.

Christian understood the temperament mismatch but faced a dilemma. If Charlize didn't play the role, Alexis, attached to her character, couldn't participate, and the script's original creative intent would be lost.

"That would be putting the cart before the horse," Christian lamented. The director needed to find a way for his default heroine to excel.

"It's quite simple, just let Alexis serve as her 'golden ticket'! After all, we intended for them to portray different stages of the same character."

Nonetheless, Christian couldn't reveal this surreal reasoning to Old Gun, and Charlize, with her strong self-esteem, might not accept such a workaround.

"I believe Charlize still possesses untapped potential in this aspect," Christian persisted. "Don't you think her eye rolls and piercing stares are quite expressive?"

"True..." Old Gun grudgingly admitted, unable to dispute the observation. What he didn't know was that Charlize's evolution from the model's stiffness to these expressions was thanks to Christian.

"Staying by that guy's side, the world view shatters and rebuilds itself every two or three days—rolling your eyes and staring are the natural reactions" Charlize once explained to Alexis the reason behind these expressions.

Christian's endorsement of Charlize led Old Gun to abandon his doubts. He recognized the unique relationship between Charlize and Christian and understood that now being the director's muses, they would receive preferential treatment. Furthermore, according to the "Happy Death Day" script, acting wasn't the dominant feature of the film.

"The acting, if it's subpar, a few retakes won't hurt that much" Old Gun contemplated.

"What about the other roles? Any plans for them?" he inquired.

"The rest of the cast hasn't been finalized yet. They've been absorbed in the script lately," Christian admitted with a scratch of his head.

"But what do you think about the role of Tree's father in the script? How about we invite Bill Murray to play it?" Christian proposed.

"You..." Old Gun had also seen "Groundhog Day," so he immediately grasped Christian's intention.

"You want to deliberately mislead viewers who've watched 'Groundhog Day' into thinking that the heroine Tree in 'Happy Death Day' is the daughter of the male protagonist Phil in 'Groundhog Day,' right?" Old gun deduced.

"Bingo!" Christian playfully tapped Old Gun's shoulder. "

I told you we should collaborate! Look at our great chemistry"

"Gimmick," Old Gun retorted.

"It's just a little gimmick," Christian confessed, now adopting a more serious tone.

"For audiences who haven't seen 'Groundhog Day,' it won't make a difference. But for those who have, it adds a fun layer to the experience. Most importantly, don't you think it's amusing?"

"Your real motive lies in that last sentence, doesn't it?" Old Gun asked.

"Of course" Christian admitted with candor. "Being in charge of a production can be quite stressful. If you can't find enjoyment in your work, life can become dull, don't you think?"

"You make a valid point," Old Gun acknowledged, nodding in agreement. Christian continued his argument.

"Furthermore, I've always believed that if you want the audience to find your movie interesting, you must first find it interesting yourself. If even the director finds the movie boring, who'd want to watch it?"

Indeed, it was still a job, and instead of letting tension dominate, why not relax and relish the fun of it? Richard felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

"In that case, let's make sure that the role of the heroine's mother is also decided—how about Andie MacDowell?" he suggested.

"The heroine of 'Groundhog Day'?" Christian chuckled.

"Old gun, you're getting the hang of it too. It's a shame we can't outright say that our movie is a sequel to 'Groundhog Day'..."

No, there's no shame in that. Old Gun silently admitted to himself.