Today was undoubtedly a big day of significant meaning. Kazir lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to get even a wink of sleep.
As dawn gradually broke, he got up and looked in the mirror, only to see two dark, shiny circles under his eyes.
However, he was so excited that he didn't feel tired at all. He walked straight into the bathroom and took a cold shower to fully wake himself up.
Afterward, he changed his clothes, went out, and drove his rickety old car, which rattled all the way, speeding toward the studio.
There was a small newsstand next to the studio. He pulled over and bought a newspaper. When he saw the front page of The New York Post, he couldn't help but grin.
"$68 Million! As of October 6, 1995, Se7en, directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, successfully surpassed $68 million at the box office after opening in 2,500 theaters. It grossed $47 million in its first week and added another $21 million in its second week, with an average box office of $8,363 per theater!"
Once this news spread, it would likely drive all the major Hollywood companies collectively insane.
For Kazir, who was eager to prove himself, this was undoubtedly fantastic news.
Today was the small test screening for napoleon dynamite, and New Line Cinema and Fox Searchlight Pictures had both announced early that they would be sending representatives.
Kazir had already arrived at the studio a full four hours before the test screening was scheduled to begin. He knew he needed to adjust the projector beforehand to ensure everything was foolproof.
As soon as he walked into the studio, he found Rekote already busy there.
"Rekote, you got here even earlier than me!" Kazir said with a smile.
"How could I sleep? Just thinking about those bigwigs from Hollywood coming to watch the film I edited, my heart is just racing," Rekote responded excitedly.
Kazir couldn't help but laugh—he was, in fact, no different.
A few minutes later, Reiner and the others also arrived one after another, and even Ed Helms and Pedro Pascal came to help.
For them, this film was their key opportunity to break into Hollywood, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
If napoleon dynamite could become an instant hit, they might just make their mark in Hollywood and change their destinies forever.
An hour later, Reese Witherspoon also arrived at the studio.
During this time, she had been busy with acting classes, striving to improve her acting skills, and her relationship with Kazir was also going "very well."
She saw Kazir, smiled, and walked over: "Your face is so worn out; those dark circles are as heavy as a panda's."
This was the first time she had seen Kazir look so haggard.
Before, she always thought this man was always so calm and composed, but it seemed that was just her illusion.
'As soon as it comes to anything related to film, he gets incredibly excited,' Reese Witherspoon thought to herself.
After spending this time together, she had completely understood that Kazir genuinely loved film.
He meticulously scrutinized every transition, every cut, every shooting angle, and every frame of the film, allowing no room for sloppiness.
In the past few days, the two of them had also watched several classic films together, and through their discussions, Reese Witherspoon gained a deeper understanding of Kazir—she found that this man seemed to be becoming more and more charming.
In her eyes, a man who is serious about his career is the most handsome.
"I need to go adjust the projector quickly. We'll talk later, Reese," Kazir said hastily, then plunged back into his work.
"..."
Reese Witherspoon looked at his busy back and couldn't help but feel a little helpless.
If Kazir had any minor issues, it was that he was too engrossed in his work; his eyes were only on the task at hand, and he didn't even spare a glance for such a beautiful woman beside him.
'But perhaps that's his unique charm!' Reese Witherspoon thought to herself.
There's a saying that women like men who are indifferent to them; the harder they are to get, the more captivating they become... Maybe there's some truth to that.
Isn't there also a common saying, "Nice guys finish last"!
Just then, Salvatore arrived with a group of people; they were there to show their support for the test screening.
"Salvatore," Kazir greeted him.
During the time he was busy editing the film, Salvatore was responsible for connecting with companies interested in collaborating. With him around, Kazir saved a lot of worry.
Although this young agent only represented new actors, he showed no timidity in front of large companies, appearing very calm and confident.
"Kazir, this is an actor I represent, Park Haewon, a Korean mixed-race like me," Salvatore introduced.
"Hello, Director Gray," Park Haewon said respectfully.
"Hmm," Kazir merely glanced casually at the Asian actor, not paying much attention.
It wasn't that he was prejudiced, but in his impression, Asian actors had never been very popular in Hollywood, and even in the future, only a few would make a name for themselves, with Jackie Chan and Jet Li being relatively successful.
He really couldn't understand why Salvatore would sign an actor who seemed to have little potential. Was it just because they were both Korean mixed-race?
But he didn't have time to think about such things now. As time ticked by, people from the film companies arrived one after another, and Kazir and Salvatore quickly went to greet them.
Some executives were invited through CAA's connections. Salvatore had put in a lot of effort and energy to gather so many companies.
The reason these people came to the test screening was, first, to give face to CAA, and second, to see if Kazir truly had potential.
After all, although Se7en and napoleon dynamite were completely different genres, for these film company people, as long as it could make money, it had value for purchase—it was that simple and direct.
The film officially began; there was no studio logo, and the credits appeared directly.
napoleon dynamite had not yet finalized a distributor, so the studio logo would be added after a contract was signed.
A few minutes later, bursts of laughter erupted intermittently in the theater, and not just once or twice.
This indicated one thing: napoleon dynamite was indeed very funny, at least judging by the reactions of these distributors, the effect was quite good.
The film finally ended, and Kazir watched the audience's reactions, smiling with great satisfaction.
From everyone's expressions and attitudes, he could clearly feel that these film companies were all interested in collaborating.
"Nice film, Mr. Gray. We should have a good chat sometime," a stout man said with a smile, walking over and extending his hand to shake Kazir's.
"Mr. Weinstein, I am very honored to hear you say that," Kazir quickly responded.
Harvey Weinstein nodded. He glanced at the people from the other distribution companies, knowing that he wasn't the only one interested.
Se7en and napoleon dynamite, these two films with completely different styles, were both from the hands of Kazier Gray. This young man definitely had immense potential.