Re:life with Karmic Gacha (Modern Family)-Chapter 361: Casting.

[Edward POV]

"Here's the latest update on the Cuban situation," Robin said, adjusting her circular glasses. "Sado has faced criticism from several hawkish U.S. Senators who want to intervene in Cuba's democratic transition."

We were at my house, where I fiddled with some technology in my lab while Robin spoke.

"Essentially, they're trying to insert themselves into Cuba's governmental processes to regain the influence they lost when U.S.-backed officials were ousted," I replied, nodding in understanding.

"What's been Europe's response?" I asked, glancing up from the monkey-bot I was assembling.

"Are you working on props for that magic movie?" Robin asked, her attention diverted by the various items on my table: four cards featuring images of Horsemen, a magic wand, a cape, and more.

"Yeah, I think the movie wasted its potential with poor CGI, so I'm going for practical effects instead," I said, smiling with excitement.

Robin nodded approvingly. "If anyone can pull it off, it's you. As for Europe, the reaction has been largely positive. Denmark and Finland sent representatives last week. We've negotiated some deals that will not only justify their support but also help boost Cuba's stagnant economy and assist local businesses in entering the European market."

"But we need to establish those businesses first. We'll start with hair transplant procedures and gradually expand into high-end goods. What about Cuba's allies? Have they commented on the changes?"

"They haven't made any official statements, but they've strongly hinted at concerns regarding Cuba's debt. They're pressing for payment on what's owed, especially since the previous government kept postponing payments and didn't even pay the interest."

"The total debt is $13 billion. We could pay it off immediately and cut ties with our allies, but that could lead to more negative repercussions than positive ones. Sado mentioned the previous government left behind a significant amount of wealth, but he hasn't specified how much."

"Right. He hasn't," Robin confirmed.

"So, we should settle the overdue debts while simultaneously initiating conversations with the other countries. We need to negotiate economic agreements with Spain, Japan, France, and Russia. We want to avoid hostility as we begin developing the country."

"Let's make a strong impression right from the start," I said, handing Robin the blueprints for a floating wind turbine. "This is the Altaeros Buoyant Airborne Turbine, or A BAT for short."

Robin shot me a disappointed look at my pun. "Isn't this a bit high-profile for our initial phase of development?"

"Not at all. Several companies are already researching this technology. It's essentially a wind turbine floating 600 meters in the air, which solves noise issues and generates more electricity compared to traditional turbines."

"We could secure contracts with countries in need of this technology while gradually advancing our development plans. How's the sewer line project progressing?"

"Slowly. We're still waiting on equipment deliveries from Europe. It's challenging to move forward with the trade embargo still in place."

"I've already discussed this with the President. He'll meet with Sado next week and is prepared to pause the trade embargo against Cuba, pending confirmation of their democratic progress. The justification for the embargo has diminished since the regime fell. It's only a matter of time before dialogue begins."

Robin nodded. "Are you going with the President to visit the country?"

I grimaced slightly. "Obama wants me to go since I have a strong impression on the citizens. Mad Dog actually leaked that my mom was a Cuban Freedom Fighter—the urban legend known as The Poison Rose."

Robin continued, "She was reported deceased after the regime cornered and executed them all two years ago. The Mad Dogs are really reckless. They exposed all of this without even confirming it with you first."

"But it works to our advantage," I said, my expression conflicted. "Families escaping Cuba to raise their children in America wasn't uncommon. It humanized me in the eyes of the public. No one thinks I had anything to do with the revolution since I'm only 17, so I've gotten away scot-free."

"Mad Dogs also reported on 'Fernando' and exposed that he was working on your family ranch two years ago. They even claimed he was your economics tutor."

"Basically, they're doing everything they can to raise Fernando's profile. They revealed his trading success under Goldman Sachs, claiming he turned $100,000 into $30 million in just two years. In total, they stated he has a net worth of $200 million from stock trading."

I nodded, recognizing their strategic efforts. The more high-profile Fernando became, the easier it would be for him to engage with representatives from other countries.

Mad Dogs even staged a photoshoot for Sado, showing him shirtless, wearing a hard hat and holding a pickaxe while helping to build roads. They claimed it was a picture from six years ago since he looked quite young, but Sado was only created two years ago.

It wasn't hard for the androids to craft the image of a hardworking, patriotic young man with an impossibly good physique that made women swoon worldwide.

Standing 6'5", tanned, muscular, and handsome, Sado had stolen the hearts of countless women. Currently single, he received invitations from various CEOs, celebrities, and wealthy women—widowed, married, or young daughters of affluent families—to rendezvous in exchange for support for his country.

At first, I was irked that Mad Dogs decided to release this profile and connect the dots to me. I didn't want the public to know about my connections, especially regarding my mother.

But Mad Dogs had a clearer understanding of my status and reputation than I did. They presented the narrative in a way that focused on the positives. If anyone tried to use my mother's past against me, they would face the overwhelming wrath of the American and international communities.

Just imagine the backlash against someone who lost their mother, who dedicated her life to freeing people from an oppressive regime. Many fans expressed their support for me on social media, which only added to my internal conflict.

As a result, I had agreed to an interview with Larry King on Larry King Now to discuss my past and move beyond it.

"I still think we could've waited about a year before doing all of this," I said to Robin.

However, as Mad Dogs pointed out, the longer we waited, the more complications would arise. Right now, Sado had a clean political slate. He hadn't committed any atrocities to gain power; he was elected by the people after the revolution, and he hadn't made enemies among foreign powers. But that wouldn't last forever.

People are driven by self-interest. Once Sado started to diverge from the expectations of other powers, it wouldn't be long before he faced slander and a damaged reputation.

So, banking on his current status, I needed to resolve the connection between myself and Cuba and bring this issue to a close.

"It feels bad in my mouth since my mom isn't actually dead. I feel like I'm lying to my fans and faking sympathy." I mumbled.

...

The last week before June. Inside a bustling production office, thick stacks of scripts towered precariously on desks, while a storyboard displayed pictures of potential actors, plot twists, camera angles, and cinematography directions.

The entire office buzzed like a hive of bees because the boss was visiting today—myself. Dressed in a sleeveless black Metallica shirt and jeans, I lounged casually on the sofa, re-reading the script while employees busily ran around, pretending to work.

To be honest, most of them sat at their desks all day, studying scripts, so I didn't understand why they decided to act as if they were in a large corporate meeting, using dramatic jargon while discussing the plot for Pitch Perfect 2.

The Pitch Perfect movie had achieved tremendous success at the box office, earning around $300 million worldwide on a budget of $20 million. Many credited the film's success to my musical acumen, as I rearranged every a cappella rendition myself. I even made a cameo as a judge in the movie.

I ignored the staff's role-playing antics and waited for the chaos to settle in the boss's office. This wasn't because I looked down on them; rather, they never acted this way when I wasn't around.

"Oh, I thought the movie was going to be about magic, but it turns out it's about a heist," Maggie said, flipping through the completed script of Now You See Me as she barged into the office, clearly eager to offer her unsolicited commentary.

"So far, it's you and RDJ who have been confirmed for the cast. When are you going to start auditions for the role?"

Maggie was there to annoy me, not because she wanted a role in the production. She was adamant about maintaining boundaries and didn't want to rely on my influence for recognition. Still, she wanted to shadow me to learn the inner workings of the industry.

"More accurately, it's a revenge story," I clarified, turning to face her. "Why aren't you at the Spider-Man shoot?"

With her striking red hair and model-like features, Maggie had auditioned for the role of Mary Jane in The Amazing Spider-Man. She had landed it.

"The shoot was over months ago."

"Wasn't there a reshoot?" I asked skeptically. "To add more scenes of you? Although I felt it was unnecessary."

Maggie gasped in mock indignation. "IT. WAS. NECESSARY!"

"Not when the scene involves you sitting on the bed, wearing a Spider-Man shirt and holding a cup of tea." I shook my head slightly, looking at her with disappointment.

"It's a teaser trailer clip! It's also going to play before the movie starts in theaters. They offered me a million dollars just for that. I'm going to take it!"

Maggie suddenly pointed an accusing finger at me. "And don't pretend you don't have a part in this! You cut a deal with Sony to get 10% of the box office and made yourself the creative director of the entire movie! You're the one who told them to ask me to make the trailer, didn't you?"

I smirked, caught in her accusation. "Well, it's an iconic Spider-Man artwork, so I decided to recreate it."

Maggie fumed and threw a tissue box at me, but I dodged it effortlessly, using my Observation Haki.

The 2012 Amazing Spider-Man, set for release in just a month, was not the same as the version from my previous life. After all, I had penned the script for this reboot.

"By the way, I watched the director's edit for the movie. It's really great." I told Maggie. She smiled and felt at ease after hearing my feedback. Being Mary Jane was quite a pressuring role since there was a lot of hate for this character back in the Raimi's trilogy.

I followed the route of Spectacular Spider-Man in creating the characters dynamic between Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, Liz Allen and Peter Parker. The movie, which was heavily inspired by Insomniac's studio Spiderman Game storyline, received an overwhelmingly positive response for the test audience.

That's why Sony decided to shoot more scenes with Maggie as they wanted to increase the promotion for the movie.

Sony was ecstatic when they received my script back in 2010. They used it to heavily promote the film, attempting to deflect criticism that the reboot was unnecessary. Of course, this decision incurred the ire of many Sam Raimi fans.

But Raimi himself came to my defense, stating he was done making Spider-Man films. The truth was more complicated: Sony was reluctant to pay him after the "failure" of the third film and didn't want to offer the actors hefty salaries.

Raimi had a plan for a fourth Spider-Man movie, but it was abruptly shut down by Sony. That plan would only be revealed years later during negotiations about Spider-Man returning to Disney. freēnovelkiss.com

And if you think the leak happened naturally, think again. The reason those damaging details emerged was that Disney wanted to pressure Sony into relinquishing Spider-Man back to Marvel.

They wanted to show fans that only Marvel could do their characters justice. Following the flop of the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, Sony had to sit back and endure the brunt of public criticism.

In Hollywood, an incident from years ago could be buried by studio executives until they decided to use it to ruin someone's life or until the individual ran out of usefulness. That's how they kept directors and actors in line—through blackmail disguised as doing people a favor.

"I really underestimated Marc Webb. I didn't think he could film the movie properly at first," Maggie commented.

I just smiled and didn't respond. Maggie wasn't being condescending when she said that. In the first week of filming, Marc was actually flailing around so much that it pissed Maggie off.

Then, I met with him to check on the set and had a thorough discussion with him.

After that, Marc was haunted in his dreams about how the movie should unfold. These dreams persisted for months, and at first, he thought he was going crazy. He told his psychiatrist and she told him it was his subconscious and he should listen to it.

But then he realized he was absorbing a lot about filmmaking techniques through these visions. He kept this revelation a secret, believing it to be a special ability of his.

Of course, I was behind all of this. I wanted to help him normally, but like many other directors in Hollywood, they have a lot of pride in their works.

Over the past two years, I had gained multiple talents and skills in filmmaking through various gachas. I used that to help to develop Marc as a director.

Right now, he was giving off the aura of a veteran director with 50 years of experience, making quick cuts while filming the movie, and even worked on another project with Entertain while filming Spiderman.

It wasn't hard to admit that I was now among the top directors in Hollywood since I managed to build Marc up like that.

Marc Webb had only 500 Days of Summer in his filmography, and before that, he primarily directed music videos. That's why The Amazing Spider-Man had such a convoluted plot that went nowhere in the first movie.

This time, I decided to help him create an Amazing Spider-Man movie that was truly amazing.

"Edward, I know a girl. She's quite talented. I met her in my acting class," Maggie said casually while I showed her several actresses I was considering for the role of Henley Reeves. Isla Fisher had played the role in my previous world.

I wanted to offer her the role, but she was deep into production for Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. She had landed the role Vanessa was supposed to play after some tweaks in the plot.

"Hmm? Really? Are you trying to push talents onto my production right now? How much of the actor fee will you take?"

Maggie gasped again. "Not for this movie! I'm just saying she's really great. She's almost on my level."

"So not that great," I retorted.

Maggie grumbled, revealing her eighth-grade mentality. "I'm one of the greatest actresses of our generation! Whenever the director yells cut, I completely transform into the character! I've got three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes—"

"Golden Globe nominations, not wins," I interjected.

"STILL! It was a really amazing achievement!" Maggie yelled, almost storming out.

"It really is amazing." I muttered to myself as she walked away.

But she immediately did a 360 since she hadn't achieved her objective yet and said, "Of course, who am I to compare with the greatest talent of the century? Five Golden Globe nominations, two Golden Globe awards and one Oscar nomination." She approached me gleefully, trying to flatter me.

"And that's just for me individually." I nodded in agreement with her praise and added, "When Amy starts to get awards, people will start to think it has something to do with our genetics."

The company has received countless awards in the last three years. Most of the awards came from the animated movie: Frozen, which earned the company 14 awards from various awards programs.

Self Made, the first movie the company ever made, got two Oscar nominations and four Golden Globes nominations, but we didn't win anything though.

Warm Bodies, although it made around 660 million dollars in the box office, didn't receive any nominations. Popcorn flicks usually didn't do well with the Academy Awards, so I didn't expect anything from them.

To be honest, I was only making movies for the public, not for the critics. So even if they called the movies brainless popcorn flicks, I wouldn't stop doing it.

"She's going to need to play the main role first. She's still working as an extra right now." Maggie said, referring to Amy.

"Side character. Not extra. Don't disrespect her like that. You know she has a weird pride about her work." I raised my eyebrows at her.

Maggie sighed. "I know. I won't say it in front of her or anyone else. I'm only joking."

"Anyway, who's the girl you're talking about?" I asked curiously. Maggie smiled in satisfaction and showed me a video of her acting class.

I grimaced instantly and scolded Maggie, "You could've just told me she's Lyndsy Fonseca. What's with all the build up?"

Although she had played a few roles, I remembered her as Ted Mosby's daughter in How I Met Your Mother. She also played Jenny in Hot Tub Time Machine.

Maggie said while laughing, "I just want to see your face when you see it."

"Why is she dressed in a chicken suit?" I asked with disbelief. "And making chicken sounds."

"The teacher is trying to make us find our inner animals." Maggie replied.

"You're going to stop going to that class." I said firmly.

The casting director contacted Lyndsy's talent agency and sent her part of the script for the audition. I decided to hold an audition for casting for the role of Jack Wilder and Henley Reeves.

Everything was going great until Pepper asked me to let Kate act in the movie. She eyed a minor role, the Daniel J Atlas groupie. The woman at the beginning of the movie picked a card for Atlas, and also went back to his house and made out with him in her underwear.

Instead, I gave her the role of Catherine Tresser's. She would be Michael Caine's young wife in the movie. Morgan Freeman and Micheal Caine already signed on for the movie.

I also got Melanie Laurant to play Alma Dray, the interpol agent, the same actress from my previous life.

For Dylan Rhodas, I decided to go with Cillian Murphy rather than Mark Ruffalo.

I casted Tye Sheridan for the role of Jack Wilder, and Lyndsy Fonseca got the role of Henley Reeves.

"Finally, everything is set up for me to begin filming." I said in satisfaction.

*Ring Ring*

Suddenly, I received a phone call. It was from my aunt. My heart beat quicker and I answered the call hurriedly. "Hello. Aunt Camila?"

"Edward. Something happened..."