AN: New week, let's aim for top 10 again. Oh, bonus chapter? This is a +3k-word chapter. But I might release another one if I get at least 400 powerstones.
---
[48 Hours Later – Global Reaction to King Kong Trailer]
YouTube Views (Early Stats)
Trailer upload: 6 million views in 48 hours
Likes: 4.6 million
Dislikes: 190k
Comments: 3.2 million
Critics (Early Takes):
Variety:
"Peter Jackson's King Kong trailer looks gorgeous. The trailer showcases jaw-dropping visual effects, from the sweeping shots of Skull Island to the thunderous arrival of Kong himself. Naomi Watts feels luminous, and the Titan Studios production scale is staggering. March 1 can't come soon enough."
New York Times:
"The spectacle is undeniable. Alex Wilson has marketed King Kong with the same ruthless energy that has made Titan Studios a Hollywood juggernaut. The trailer plays like an adrenaline shot: exotic jungles, dinosaurs, and a beast of impossible scale. Yet there is something undeniably Hollywood about it, raising the question: Will this film prioritize thrills over heart?"
The Guardian:
"Gargantuan, yes. Impressive, yes. But King Kong 2006 already feels like an overstuffed buffet of CGI. The trailer is a fireworks show that risks overwhelming Peter Jackson's quieter strengths as a director. We're intrigued, but cautious."
Public Reactions (Forums & Reddit):
r/movies
u/CinemaNut91: "This trailer is INSANE. Kong looks terrifying and majestic. That shot of him fighting two T-Rexes at once? Peak cinema. March can't come fast enough."
u/OldHollywoodFan: "I'm worried it's going to be all action, no soul. The 1933 and 1976 films had weight. This looks like Titan Studios just flexing their money."
u/ScarlettFanGirl: "Alien blockbuster, then Spiderman animated movie, and now this? Titan is feeding us like it's Christmas every month."
u/MaxIsQueen: "The REAL question, which is completely unrelated to the topic. But I gotta ask: Are you gonna cast Max Black on the big screen anytime soon? C'mon Titan, don't play us."
IMDB Forums:
Thread: King Kong (2006) – Better than Jurassic Park?
FilmGeek47: "The jungle scenes look like Spielberg on steroids. If the full movie keeps that intensity, it could dethrone Jurassic Park as the king of creature features."
SkepticalSam: "Titan is overhyping everything these days. I smell a 3-hour bloated monster flick."
Ain't It Cool News (legacy fan site)
"Wilson knows how to sell a movie. Everything he touched so far turned out to be gold. He trusts the director. So, I put my faith in Mr. Jackson. That last trailer shot of Kong roaring against the New York skyline? Absolute chills. Mark my words, this is the tentpole film of the year."
Entertainment Weekly:"Titan Studios is shaping Hollywood in its image. First Alien reinvents horror, followed by Spidey, and now King Kong is poised to redefine spectacle. Say what you will about Alex Wilson's empire of stars and scandals, but he knows how to package a blockbuster."
Los Angeles Times (Critical Edge):"The trailer is dazzling, but troubling. Peter Jackson has gone from Heavenly Creatures to this mammoth, glossy spectacle. The emotional resonance of the classic Kong story risks being buried under Titan Studios' marketing avalanche. Is this cinema, or corporate spectacle?"
Audience Polls (Titan Studios internal tracking, leaked by Rachel):
89% "Very excited"
7% "Mildly excited"
4% "Not interested"
Top Anticipated Moments (based on early buzz):
Kong vs. T-Rex fight
Empire State Building sequence teased
Naomi Watts' and Kong
Skull Island dinosaurs
...
[Alex's Office, Titan HQ- LA]
Rachel dropped the latest reports onto Alex's desk.
"The views are solid. The critics are split, but the buzz is nuclear. Half call it soulless, half call it the new benchmark for blockbusters."
Alex smirked, swirling his coffee. "Perfect. Controversy fuels curiosity. By March first, the theaters will be begging us for more screens."
Rachel crossed her arms, watching him. "And if the film doesn't land?"
He didn't look up. "It will land. I've seen it. I trusted Jackson, and he delivered."
Rachel's expression softened just slightly. "Then congratulations, boss. You just lit the fuse."
...
[Noon]
The black SUV glided through midday traffic. Alex leaned back in the rear seat. Max sat beside him, one leg crossed over the other, scrolling through her phone like she hadn't a care in the world.
"Y'know," she muttered without looking up, "I could've stayed another week. Maybe even snatched a small role in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Sexy assassin in the background, just taking shots, chewing gum, looking hot. That's Emmy material right there."
Alex smirked, sipping water from the chilled bottle Rachel had shoved into his hand earlier. "Max, if you stayed another week, Caroline would fly out here and drag you back herself."
Max finally looked up, smirking. "True. Blondie's probably sharpening her pitchfork as we speak. Fine. I'll let her yell at me in person. Give her the satisfaction."
"You'll survive," Alex said.
"Oh, I'll survive. But you?" Max tapped his shoulder. "You've got the Halle Berry lunch thing today. Careful, Romeo. Add one more queen to your chessboard and you might not have enough hands to juggle them."
The SUV slowed at the departures curb. Alex got out first, circling to open the door for her. Max tossed her bag over her shoulder, then leaned in close.
"Promise to call me at midnight when I'm rubbing myself off," she whispered with a sly grin.
"Are you gonna squirt?" He whispered back.
"Buckets," Max said before kissing him.
Alex kissed her back. It was a small kiss that lasted ten seconds or so before they pulled back.
"Well," Max said as she looked at her wrist watch. "It's almost flight time. Gotta go. You take care."
"You too. And good luck dealing with the blonde," He said as he gave her one final kiss before she winked at him and walked through the sliding doors.
Alex slid back into the SUV.
"Hotel," he told the driver.
[Since he was free, he called Halle that morning and asked her out on a lunch date.]
The vehicle pulled away.
...
[The Hotel – Thirty Minutes Later]
Halle was waiting by the front entrance when Alex arrived. She wore a soft beige dress that hugged her figure without screaming for attention. Sunglasses shielded her eyes, but her smile when she spotted him was unmistakable.
Alex stepped out, dressed sharp but casual: fitted black shirt, dark jeans, jacket tailored to perfection. The kind of look that said effortless money. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.
"You look gorgeous," he said.
"So do you," Halle replied, her smile widening as she slid into the car.
The door shut. The SUV pulled away again.
...
[The Restaurant – A Rooftop Overlooking LA]
The elevator doors opened to a rooftop washed in sunlight. White tablecloths fluttered in the light breeze, the city stretching far below. The maître d' guided them to a private corner where no cameras could intrude.
Alex held the chair out for her, and Halle sat with an elegance that came naturally. He took the seat across. Soon, the menus arrived. They skimmed through the menu before ordering.
Halle leaned forward, elbows on the table. "So. Am I just lunch company today, or is this a Titan Studios audition I wasn't warned about?"
Alex's smirk flickered. "Why not both?"
She laughed, soft and throaty. "I knew it. You never waste a minute, do you?"
"I don't like wasting opportunities," he said. "And you're one of them. You know that."
Halle shook her head, still smiling. "Flattery. Dangerous weapon, Wilson."
"Truth," he countered. "You're talented. And you've got fire. Hollywood forgot it for a while. That's their mistake. I'm not making the same one."
The waiter poured wine. They clinked glasses.
"Tomorrow's audition," Alex continued, "I want to see your A game. Then, after the audition. I want to see the real you. I want Halle Berry as she is when nobody's watching. I want to get to know you more. What you like, what you dislike, what makes you smile, your favorite food, music... There are so many things I want to know about you."
Halle's gaze lingered on him, thoughtful now. "You really mean that."
"I don't say what I don't mean," Alex said simply.
For a moment, silence stretched between them, broken only by the clink of silverware from other tables.
Halle tilted her glass, studying him over the rim. "You know this is the first time someone said they want to see the real me."
"Well, someone said once that there is a first time for everything in life," Alex said with a slight nod.
"Really? Who is this someone?" She asked with a cute smile.
"It's from a Hindi movie. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., which is a remake of the 2001 Malayalam film Vasanthi," He replied.
"Is it good?" She asked.
"Yep!"
"Hummm... Maybe we should watch it together sometimes?"
"Tomorrow night?" He asked.
"Yeah... Yeah, tomorrow night."
The food arrived: grilled salmon for her, steak for him. For a while, conversation shifted lighter—stories about travel, funny disasters on set, Max's unhinged humor.
But the undertone never left. Halle kept sneaking glances at him between bites, and Alex noticed every one.
Alex cut into his steak, eyes glinting with amusement. "You want to talk disasters? Try shooting Titanic. Half a billion dollar budget. A set the size of a floating city. And one morning, the hydraulics jammed during a storm sequence. Instead of the ship tilting thirty degrees like it was supposed to, it just locked there—mid-tilt—forty tons of set frozen like a drunk leaning against a wall."
Halle laughed, covering her mouth with her napkin. "Oh no."
"Oh yes," Alex said. "Actors hanging sideways, extras sliding into the fake railings, cameras rolling off dollies. I'm standing there thinking: Great. We just sank Titanic before we even hit the iceberg. Took us twelve hours and an army of engineers to reset. Half the cast went home with bruises. I went home with a migraine."
Halle was laughing openly now, shaking her head. "See, that's the thing. You tell it like it's chaos, but the movie comes out and suddenly you're a genius who reinvented cinema."
Alex smirked. "Genius is just surviving the screw-ups long enough for people to forget them."
She leaned in, her eyes mischievous. "Okay, my turn. Catwoman."
Alex chuckled immediately. "Do you really want to bring that up?"
"Oh, I have to bring it up," Halle said, laughing with the ease of someone who'd long made peace with it. "Imagine me in a leather catsuit, trying to look fierce while the CGI team promised the effects would be 'finished later.' Spoiler: they weren't. I'm standing on set, hissing at a tennis ball on a stick because that's supposed to be my nemesis. And I'm thinking: This is my career. This is my Oscar follow-up."
Alex winced theatrically. "Ouch."
"Tell me about it," Halle said. "The day the reviews dropped, my phone wouldn't stop buzzing. Not congratulations. Pity. My friends were sending me care packages like I'd just been through a breakup. One of them even sent catnip. Real catnip. No note, just vibes."
Alex laughed so hard he had to set his fork down. "That's brutal."
"It was," Halle admitted, though she was still smiling. "But here's the thing. I survived it. I owned it. I even showed up to the Razzies to collect that Worst Actress trophy in person. You can't cancel me if I cancel myself first."
Alex lifted his glass toward her, respect clear in his expression. "That's why you're here. Anyone can ride the highs. Surviving the lows? That's what makes the real stars. And I promise you, this time around..." He leaned forward with a serious expression. "...I'm going to put you back to the top, and then we'll watch those who used you and blacklisted you, cry."
After the lunch...
The waiter cleared their plates and returned with dessert menus. Halle flipped hers open, brow arched. "Okay, serious question," she said, "are you a chocolate lava cake man, or a crème brûlée man?"
Alex smirked. "Neither. I'm a 'why not both' man."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Of course you are. You really are trying to kill me with calories."
"I'm trying to spoil you," he corrected. He waved the waiter over. "One lava cake, one crème brûlée, two spoons."
The waiter left, and Halle leaned her chin on her hand, watching him. "You're dangerous, you know that? You make it too easy to say yes."
He tilted his glass in her direction. "Then don't say yes. Say maybe. Maybe keeps it exciting."
Her lips curved. "Maybe," she repeated softly, rolling the word in her mouth like wine.
The desserts arrived. Alex cracked the top of the crème brûlée with his spoon and slid the first bite toward her. "Ladies first."
She took it, her eyes fluttering shut for a second at the taste. "Okay, fine. You win this round."
Alex cut into the lava cake, and rich chocolate spilled out. He scooped some onto his spoon, but Halle leaned forward suddenly and took it straight from him, lips brushing the edge of the spoon. She grinned as she swallowed. "That's better."
"You always take what you want?" He asked.
"Only when it's worth it," she said, eyes locked on his. "And this? Definitely worth it."
After they finished eating...
The waiter returned with the check. Alex didn't even glance at the bill and just handed over his black card. Halle shook her head, amused.
"You didn't even look."
"I don't need to," he replied. "Lunch with you is priceless."
After that...
They walked through the rooftop dining room, heads turning as they passed. A few even snapped quick sneaky pictures.
The maître d' gave a polite nod as the elevator opened. Inside the mirrored walls, the two of them stood close, the city shrinking beneath their feet.
Halle broke the silence first. "So… tomorrow. Audition, then dinner, then a film?"
"Yep, that's the plan," Alex replied.
"So… dinner tomorrow," she said, her voice playful. "Are we talking takeout, or don't tell me you're actually cooking?"
Alex gave her a look, the corner of his mouth tugging upward. "No takeout. I'll cook."
Her brows shot up above the rim of her glasses. "Wait. You cook?" She tilted her head, half skeptical, half impressed. "Every girl I know in this town can barely toast bread without a fire alarm going off. And here you are telling me you can handle a kitchen?"
Alex smirked. "Not just handle. I own it. Italian, French, Indian, Japanese—you name it. Give me a kitchen, I'll give you a meal you'll remember."
Halle laughed, shaking her head as they stepped out into the hotel lobby. "Now I'm intrigued. Hollywood's king of blockbusters also moonlights as a chef? What's next, you gonna tell me you knit sweaters in your spare time?"
"Don't tempt me," Alex said smoothly. "But I'll admit—cooking's personal for me. It's like directing a film. You've got ingredients, timing, rhythm. If you know what you're doing, you can make magic."
They paused near the entrance, sunlight spilling across the marble floor. Halle's expression softened into something warmer, less guarded. "I love to cook too, you know. Maybe tomorrow it shouldn't just be you spoiling me. Maybe we can cook together."
Alex's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Maybe."
She arched an eyebrow. "Maybe?"
"Maybe," he repeated, leaning in just close enough for her to catch the hint of challenge in his tone. "Depends if you can keep up."
Halle laughed again, the sound low and genuine. "Careful, Wilson. You might find out I'm better in the kitchen than you are."
"We'll see," Alex replied, that sly smile of his refusing to fade.
...
[Inside the SUV]
Alex's phone buzzed. He took it out and saw Rachel's name.
"Hey. What's up?"
Rachel answered with her usual calm tone. "Sorry for disturbing your date, but we've got a problem with Zathura. Jon Favreau just got nailed—sexual abuse accusations from his ex, plus drug possession. The story hasn't hit the press yet, but it will. I already put production on hold. The assistant director's here in your office, wants to talk about the film's future."
Alex's jaw tightened. "Jesus."
Rachel didn't pause. "The assistant director's here in LA. He came straight to the office. Wants to talk about the film's future. I told him to wait until I ran it by you. And that's not all," She continued. "I dug into Martin Channing's Ponzi case. My sources found things that don't add up. Evidence buried, testimonies coerced. He might've been railroaded harder than we thought. I can pull strings and leak just enough to get him out… or we can push for a clean legal reopening. That'll take longer."
Alex's jaw tightened as he stared out the tinted window. "I'm coming in. We'll talk when I get there."
"Got it," Rachel said, then hung up.
The line clicked dead.
Halle, watching him from the other seat, tilted her head. "Work?"
Alex sighed, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "Work. And someone who's wrongfully convicted. I'm going to help him out."
Her brows lifted slightly at that. "That's… noble."
"I don't like good people rotting in a cage for crimes they didn't commit," Alex said simply. Then his expression softened as he looked at her. "I'm sorry for leaving so early."
Halle studied him for a moment, then reached over, brushing his hand lightly with hers. "Don't apologize. You've got empires to run and people to save. I'll see you tomorrow."
...
The SUV pulled up to her hotel. Alex got out first, opened her door, and offered his hand as she stepped down. She instantly leaned in and kissed him. He put his arm around her waist as he kissed her back. It was a passionate kiss. Her hands were around the back of his head as she slightly opened her mouth as their tongues met for a moment.
But both of them stopped before it got out of hand.
Halle whispered against his lips, "Tomorrow then."
"Tomorrow," Alex promised with a little peck on her lips.
They stood there for a moment before they pulled away. She walked inside, and Alex slid back into the SUV, his face already shifting back to work mode. "HQ," he told the driver.
---
[POWERSTONES AND REVIEWS PLS]
Support link: www.patr eon.com/UnknownMaster
[6 advance chs] [All chs available for all tiers] [No double billing.]
+ [Brooklyn 99: 30 chs Early access]