klr wrote:There must be a movie plot somewhere about high-flying executives getting their comeuppance
You know, that would make a killer script...
A whizz-kid producer is head-hunted by a huge studio and placed in charge of its flagship movie. The script is by a hugely lauded author - based on their best-selling book. He is given an astronomical budget and told to go and make something amazing! He hires the hottest director in Hollywood. He fills the starring roles with A-list actors. He poaches the best cinematographers, sound-guys, special effect artists and key-grips in the industry and...
...then the interfering starts...
The head of the studio insists that he finds a starring role for a very young, very pretty, very stupid starlet that he just happens to be fucking. The director insists on changes to the script which the author utterly refuses to allow. The insanely overpriced leading man thinks that his character is a little unsympathetic and persuades his father, one of the studio's biggest backers, to apply pressure. Focus groups hate key elements of the plot when viewing the rushes and a panicky group of studio sponsors, fearing a billion dollar turkey, insist on changes. The deeply religious head of a company that is paying bonkers money for product placement is horrified at the proposed 18 certificate and insists that all scenes involving nudity, bad language and extreme violence are removed. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Finally, a film that: is absolutely nothing like the original script; has none of the original cast selection; contains scenes patched together from the contributions of multiple directors (each less talented than the one before); has had to be renamed due to the refusal of the author to countenance a happy ending to his story of revenge, guilt, rashness and consequence; has overt product placement for a nationally despised fast food chain, adult incontinence wear and pre-school learning toys; has resulted in the producer's wife leaving him, him becoming the laughing stock of Hollywood and death threats from hardcore fans of the film's author... opens...
...and...
IS AN IMMENSE SUCCESS!!1!!
And then the producer wakes up as the chamber maid in the fleapit motel in which he now resides kicks him out of bed so that she can change the sheets...
It could be HUGE!!1!
...until they tag on a happy ending... and robots... and 4D... and (because robots make it sci-fi) they rope in Keanu Reeves... Etc... Etc...
. And then when they come back, they can