Illusiveone
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218: Redoing my Life, Important Mails
🕑 Added 2025-06-25 18:47:33 +0000 UTCThe Adler Hypothesis isn’t finished yet...I’m stuck on the ending, like I always am with these crossovers. I’m hoping to get it done this week, since I only started writing today after taking a break since Saturday.
More chapters, especially for The Son of Ice and Fire, coming this week.
Also, this chapter uses a new format I’ve been wanting to try for a while.
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A selection of emails sent to Daniel in the month of January and the beginning of February
Subject: ASOIAF, Percy Jackson, and Invincible
From: Lucy Wallace
To: Daniel Adler
Daniel,
Storm of Swords, Part 2 was supposed to hit shelves by the end of last year. Can you confirm whether you’re still on track for your June–July promise? A Song of Ice and Fire has become more popular than Percy Jackson, so I don’t mind your delaying the next Percy Jackson series—I just need the next ASOIAF book.
Also, Invincible—what’s the status? Can we get a timeline for the next issue?
Lastly, you haven’t been to the office in nearly three months. Why not come for a short visit? It might remind you of your obligations here.
Best,
Lucy
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Subject: RE: ASOIAF, Percy Jackson, and Invincible
From: Daniel Adler
To: Lucy Wallace
Hey Lucy,
Appreciate the nudge—I needed it.
Yes, Storm of Swords, Part 2 is well under way. I’m finishing that while simultaneously starting A Feast for Crows. The plan is to have Storm on your desk by March, and you can target Feast for a 2016 release. I also intend to pitch a series to Netflix based on this soon, so don’t worry about it.
As for Percy Jackson—let’s shelve it. Please postpone the next series for at least two years. I know the fans will be upset, but since I committed to another Batman film, I’ve had to slow down all non-priority writing. Something had to give.
On Invincible—Matt’s been tied up with Dark Souls II and a couple of Arcanum projects. We’ll have the next issue finished by next month.
I’ll drop by the office next Friday.
And stop pestering Julie through Adrian.
Best,
Daniel
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Subject: Oscars Campaign Update
From: Elise Marchand
To: Daniel Adler
Daniel,
Here’s a quick update on the campaign:
We completed the second round of The Revenant guild screenings—SAG, DGA, and ASC—and the response has been consistently strong. Several Academy voters approached DiCaprio and Alejandro directly at the Soho House reception on Sunday night, including three former winners from the Actors and Directors branches. All were very enthusiastic.
The cinematography Q&A with Lubezki drew more than 95 percent attendance, and several ASC members described it as “the most immersive shoot of the year.”
The SAG-hosted brunch in Beverly Hills was packed. More than 60 voters RSVP’d, and DiCaprio handled the room beautifully—humble, articulate, and, as more than one person noted, “not trying too hard.” That is playing very well with the older contingent.
We re-sent Oscar screeners to roughly 1,200 members who had not yet opened their digital link. Click-through rates are improving noticeably this week—a good sign.
We have approved the next phase of advertising: full-page placements in Variety, The New York Times, and the L.A. Times Envelope section, running January 9–22.
Let me know if you’d like to review the creative before we go to print; otherwise, we’ll proceed with final delivery by Thursday.
Best,
Elise Marchand
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Subject: Congrats, Julie! Come Celebrate Her Promotion This Friday
From: Serena Walsh
To: All Staff
Hey everyone,
We have something to celebrate!
As many of you may have heard, Julie Chen—yes, that Julie—has officially been promoted from Daniel’s long-time PA to Associate Producer.
After years of wrangling calendars, cleaning up messes, and somehow knowing where the boss is before he does, she’s finally moving up.
To celebrate, we’re throwing a little party this Friday at 5:00 p.m. right here in the office (And some after party too if you are interested).
Come raise a glass and toast Julie—she’s earned it.
P.S. Yes, Daniel will be there.
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Subject: RE: DC Studios Structural Separation
From: Head of DC Studios
To: Daniel Adler
Hey Daniel,
We really need to push this separation forward. It’s been more than two years since the agreed date, and DC Studios is still tangled up in Nebula’s old approval structure. We’re relying on too many former Nebula executives for project green-lights, budget approvals, and internal alignment—even though we were supposed to be operating independently by now.
The whole situation with Batman 3 shows exactly why this can’t keep dragging on. Everything we need to stand alone is already in place; they just haven’t flipped the switch.
Can you talk to Buddy? We need him to cut the cord and let DC Studios function the way we built it. We have to make it happen this year.
—Dave
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Subject: RE: DC Studios Structural Separation
From: Daniel Adler
To: Head of DC Studios
Hey Dave,
I agree—we’ve been ready for full separation for a while. Some of the former Nebula folks still feel as though we’re “taking” DC and walling it off, carving out a fiefdom for ourselves with what they consider theirs. There’s still a bit of tension.
I’ll talk to Buddy next week and make it clear we can’t keep running like this. I have a feeling there will be interference in the future as the DCU moves forward. I’ll push for a firm date and timeline to make DC Studios officially autonomous, reporting only to Chris.
I’ll keep you updated.
—Daniel
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Subject: Major Globes Momentum — Next Steps
From: Elise Marchand
To: Daniel Adler
Daniel,
Huge congratulations to you and the entire team—four wins last night!
Best Motion Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Screenplay
Your screenplay win has officially positioned you as the front-runner for Best Adapted Screenplay. Overnight, our campaign saw a 320 percent spike in traffic.
Both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are running morning-after editorials declaring The Revenant the new Oscar front-runner.
Quick notes from the team
DiCaprio is now considered a “sentimental lock.” We’ll keep emphasizing the story of his physical transformation and emotional control in the role.
Alejandro’s chances have improved dramatically—especially strong positioning as a first-time nominee. We’re leaning into that narrative for DGA outreach this week.
For your screenplay, we’re pivoting our messaging slightly: your age and career trajectory are central. You’re being framed as part of Hollywood’s future—mentioned alongside the industry’s greats.
Next moves,
We’ve green-lit the next round of FYC ads (digital and print), launching Thursday.
We’re organizing a private “Conversation with Daniel Adler” event for key AMPAS screenwriting voters next Tuesday—I’ll loop Adrian in to help shape the format.
DiCaprio and Alejandro will send a joint letter of congratulations to the entire Revenant crew today. It’s a classy gesture and a great way to reinforce team momentum as we head into the Oscar voting period.
Best,
Elise Marchand
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Subject: Early Screening + Post Update
From: Edgar Wright
To: Daniel Adler
Hey Daniel,
Quick update — post-production is moving along smoothly. We’re ahead of schedule on most fronts, and I’m very happy with how everything is coming together: the performances, pacing, and tone are exactly where we want them.
The earliest we could have a rough screening ready is by the end of March. I’ll firm up dates once we finish about 70 percent of the VFX.
Also, we’ve wrapped your cameo.
More soon,
Edgar
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Subject: Re: Early Screening + Post Update
From: Daniel Adler
To: Edgar Wright
Hey Edgar,
Great to hear — thanks for the update. I’ll plan to swing by next Wednesday to check in with you and the team.
Also, I can’t wait to see my cameo. I’m 99 percent sure my acting is the worst in this one for some reason, so I’m looking forward to seeing just how bad I was!
Talk soon,
Daniel
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Subject: Arthur & Mera Revisions — For Review
From: James Wan
To: Daniel Adler
Hey Daniel,
As we move closer to production, I’ve revisited the latest script draft—specifically the material between Arthur (Alan) and Mera (Deborah). The overall structure is strong, and their chemistry (especially Deborah’s) really shines, but I see room to deepen their emotional arc and to improve how Mera is introduced and developed.
Right now, some of their scenes feel a bit expository or situational rather than truly reflective of who they are—both individually and as a potential partnership.
I’ve trimmed a few sequences that felt redundant or slowed the pacing and used that space for stronger emotional beats and sharper dialogue that builds chemistry more organically. Mera, in particular, receives more character development in these revisions.
I’ve attached the rewritten sections, flagged for clarity. They include:
Adjusted scene dynamics in the desert and Trench sequences
Rewritten dialogue in Sicily
A new, quieter scene after they find Atlanna
Let me know your thoughts when you have a chance to review. I’m happy to walk you through my intentions if that would help.
[Attachment: Aquaman_ArthurMera_Revisions_Wan]
—James
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Subject: Re: Arthur & Mera Revisions — For Review
From: Daniel Adler
To: James Wan
James,
I just skimmed the flagged pages and can already see what you’re aiming for.
I’m free the day after tomorrow—let’s meet in my office at DC.
—Daniel
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Subject: Quick Heads-Up
From: Elise Marchand
To: Daniel Adler
Hi Daniel,
I wanted to quietly surface something that’s been developing on the circuit over the past few days—something that may deserve our attention as we approach final voting.
There’s been a noticeable shift in The Imitation Game campaign. As you know, it’s being distributed by The Weinstein Company, and Harvey is, of course, one of the most experienced—and most ruthless—campaigners in the business. He practically reshaped how this entire process operates.
What I’m seeing now is a concentrated push not just for Best Picture but, very specifically, for Adapted Screenplay. Harvey has been highly visible at recent WGA and PGA events, working the room as only he can. Some of the quieter voters are beginning to sense the change in momentum.
Our campaign, built on dignity and creative merit, is working—we’re being heard. But sentiment can shift quickly when certain levers are pulled behind closed doors, and Harvey has a way of making things feel inevitable.
Let me know what you think.
—Elise Marchand
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Subject: Re: Quick Heads-Up
From: Daniel Adler
To: Elise Marchand
Let’s keep going exactly as we are.
—Daniel
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Subject: The Revenant — Preliminary Box-Office & Profit Summary
From: Maya Singh
To: Daniel Adler
Boss,
Here’s an early snapshot of where we stand with The Revenant as of 5 February.
Box-Office Performance (to date)
Global gross: $475 million
The film is still playing in key markets and continues to benefit from awards-season buzz.
International holdovers remain steady, and the picture has yet to enter the post-Oscar window—when, based on comparable titles, we typically see a 12–18 percent bump in ancillary value.
Cost Breakdown (rounded)
Production budget:
Midas: $80 million
Stardust: $20 million
Outside investors: $20 million
Total production spend: $120 million
Marketing spend (Midas only): $50 million
Awards & campaigning: $10 million
Midas share: $7 million
Stardust share: $3 million
All-in spend to date: $187 million
Preliminary Profit Distribution
(Assuming a 52 percent post-theatrical revenue share on $475 million gross …approx. $247 million net revenue)
Total profit pool: ≈ $60 million
Stardust
Total investment: $23 million
Share: ~14 percent
Preliminary profit: ≈ $8.4 million
Outside investors
Total investment: $20 million
Share: ~11 percent
Preliminary profit: ≈ $6.6 million
Midas
Total investment (production, marketing, awards): $137 million
Share: ~75 percent
Preliminary profit: ≈ $45 million
Post-Oscar Revenue Projections
(If major wins occur)
Expected home-entertainment / streaming (Netflix) / TV bump: +$60–75 million in additional gross
Potential net to Midas: +$30–40 million
Final projections will depend on the categories we win—especially Actor (DiCaprio), Director (Alejandro), Best Picture, and your own screenplay category.
I’ll send a full P&L with receipts and a detailed recoupment waterfall in the next report once we’re through the Oscars window.
Maya Singh
Chief Financial Officer
Midas Productions
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Subject: Final Pre-Oscar Campaign Summary
From: Elise Marchand
To: Daniel Adler
Daniel,
As we head into the homestretch, here is a quick roundup of our position before the Academy Awards. I will send a full written report and debrief in two days, as promised.
Major Wins to Date
Golden Globes
Best Motion Picture (Drama)
Best Director — Alejandro Iñárritu
Best Actor — Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Screenplay — you
BAFTAs
Best Film
Best Actor — Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Cinematography
Best Sound
Critics’ Choice Awards
Best Actor
Best Cinematography
Guilds & Technical
ASC — Lubezki, Outstanding Cinematography
CAS — Best Sound Mixing
MPSE — Best Sound Editing (FX/Foley)
DGA — Alejandro Iñárritu
Losses / Competitive Areas
WGA: Lost Best Adapted Screenplay to The Imitation Game (Graham Moore). Harvey Weinstein is using this to reframe Imitation as “the writer’s movie,” an effective narrative shift over the past week.
The Imitation Game remains visible despite not sweeping:
SAG — Ensemble nomination (very popular cast)
ACE — Best Edited Feature (Dramatic)
BAFTA — Best Adapted Screenplay (win)
Critics’ Choice — Best Adapted Screenplay (win)
Other contenders: Boyhood and Whiplash have strong niche support, with Whiplash gaining late momentum in Picture and Actor.
Oscar Forecast — Internal Read
Best Picture: Leaning toward The Revenant, but Whiplash is a late-breaking threat (roughly 50/50 or 40/60 in our favor).
Best Director: Alejandro is the favorite.
Best Actor: DiCaprio will definitely win.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Currently favoring The Imitation Game — Weinstein’s campaign is in full swing.
Best Cinematography: Lubezki is a strong choice to win.
Other technical categories: Solid footing, with momentum on our side.
Looking forward to our meeting.
Best,
Elise Marchand
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“So, how many are we going to win, then?” Jay asked, steering the car left.
I shrugged in the passenger seat. “Three are guaranteed.”
Jay glanced over at me. “What about you kid? Aren’t you nominated for, like, two?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Maybe I’ll win. Maybe I won’t.”
Truthfully, I didn’t know anymore. Elise, the awards strategist at my PR firm, had been confident. According to her research and the internal chatter, The Revenant was a lock for Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Picture. But when it came to Best Screenplay—my category—it was a different story. She put my chances at about thirty percent.
The favorite was The Imitation Game, and we both knew why: Harvey had gone all-in on its campaign. Elise told me he had practically made it his mission to see The Imitation Game win Best Adapted Screenplay. And even though I had another nomination for Best Original Screenplay—that category was impossible to predict; voters were all over the place.
After I lost the WGA Award to The Imitation Game, Elise’s prediction felt more and more like a safe bet. To be fair, that loss might not have been entirely about the quality of the script. It could have had something to do with my “feud” last year with the WGA president—if you could even call it a feud.
I turned to Jay, deciding to change the subject. “So… your book’s doing well...”
Jay nodded with a smirk, keeping one hand on the wheel. “Yeah, it’s selling. Really selling.” Then he glanced at me, hesitated, and said, “Hey, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Shoot.”
“Why are some people saying that I’m… you?”
I blinked. “What?”
Jay kept his eyes on the road. “Manny told me the reason the book’s flying off shelves is because people think you wrote it…and some of my friends have been alleging that too…”
“Oh,” I said, laughing a little. “Right. That.”
He glanced at me again, clearly waiting for an explanation.
I sighed. “Okay, so… I’ve been publishing a book series called A Song of Ice and Fire under the pseudonym George R. R. Martin. Everyone knows it’s me—it’s a very open secret and an inside joke among my fans.”
“What does that have to do with this?” Jay asked.
“Well, some of my fans have been trying to figure out whether I have any other pseudonyms. They’ve been stalking everything Infinite Worlds publishes, looking for more of ‘my’ books.”
“Lucy told me something like forty percent of your book’s sales are coming from people who think Jay Pritchett is my new alias,” I said.
“Forty percent? So forty percent of readers think I’m just some schmuck whose name you’re using?” Jay sounded shocked and offended.
“Yeah. Some of them figured out you’re my ex’s grandpa and have seen pictures of us together, so they think I used your name to write your book.”
“What the hell?” Jay muttered.
“Don’t worry—I’m going public about the whole George business soon. Those forty percent will know it wasn’t me.”
“Well, I hope so,” Jay replied, almost offended.
We sat in silence for a moment. After a while I asked, “So, where are we going? You were pretty insistent I come with you.”
Jay smirked. “You’ll see. Just go with the flow.”
I shook my head but let it go.
A few minutes later, we pulled into a quiet commercial lot tucked between two larger buildings. A massive sign overhead read:
CLOSETS CLOSETS CLOSETS CLOSETS
I stared at it. “…Huh?”
Jay parked with an almost giddy smile on his face, like a kid arriving at a toy shop. As soon as the engine cut off, he reached into the glove box and pulled out what looked like an invitation—thick, glossy, and gold-trimmed. Whatever this was, he’d clearly been waiting for the moment.
He stepped out of the car, humming under his breath.
I got out and followed him inside.
He led me through an office area, striding past cubicles and confused staff as if he owned the place.
Then he stopped.
Standing near one of the cubicles was a short, portly man whose jaw dropped when he spotted Jay. He looked like that character in Jay’s book—the one who kept ratting people out to the cops and somehow got his fingers broken every other chapter: pathetic, sniveling, and oddly endearing, more comedic relief than threat.
Jay lit up with a broad grin. “Earl!” he called.
Earl blinked. “What… what are you doing here?”
Jay clapped his hands together. “What do you mean, Earl? Can’t a man visit an old friend?”
“Friend?” Earl echoed, suspicion creeping into his voice. “Why are you here?”
Jay flourished the fancy invitation like he was unsheathing a sword. “I came to invite you to my party—an Oscar watch party.” His voice rose, clearly for the benefit of the bystanders. “Since I’m now an associate producer on the Oscar-nominated film The Revenant, I thought I’d spread a little joy.”
He glanced around with smug satisfaction, making sure the title landed with everyone listening.
Earl’s jaw worked, but no sound came out. “You… you’re a producer?”
Jay turned to me, an amused glint in his eye, clearly enjoying the moment. “Daniel, have you met—?”
“Daniel Adler?!” a voice squeaked behind us.
I turned to see a teenage girl—probably Manny’s age—hurrying toward us, cheeks bright red, eyes wide, hands clamped over her mouth.
“Hi, hi!” she blurted. “I’m Sophie—I love your work—like, all of it! I’ve read everything you’ve written. I even did my English project on The Others… oh my God, I can’t believe you’re actually here—are you working on the next Percy Jackson book? Please tell me you are, because—”
I blinked, momentarily overwhelmed and confused…
Meanwhile, Earl jabbed a stubby finger at Jay. “Aha! So this is the boy who wrote your stupid book!”
Jay spun around. “What? Who said that?”
Earl folded his arms smugly. “Sophie, my granddaughter. I always knew when I heard it …you, Jay Pritchett—you couldn’t write if your life depended on it.”
“You did?” I asked her.
“Well, yeah—everyone knows Jay Pritchett is your alias,” she said with a knowing smile.
“So you’re the one who’s been spreading that rumor around?” Jay said, turning his glare on Earl.
Earl shrugged with a smirk. “Just getting the truth out there.”
As the two launched into a full-blown argument—loud, ridiculous, instantly drawing attention from half the office—I stood awkwardly beside Sophie, who was now trying to press both a note and her phone into my hands.
“Can I get a selfie? Also, what happens to Percabeth? Are the new books going to be darker? Oh my God, is it true you almost killed Grover in book three but changed it at the last second?!”
I blinked. “Why did I agree to come here…?”
The shouting behind us escalated; Jay and Earl were practically circling each other like two old wrestlers.
I took a long breath and smiled politely at Sophie, raising her phone for the selfie.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s get this over with.”
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Earl Chambers is Jay Pritchett's former business partner and best friend and later his business rival and worst enemy.
Comments
JL
Like why is he waiting so long?
JL
He needs to destroy Weinstein ASAP
TMHioSaviour
tftc
