Illusiveone
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199: Redoing my Life, Just a Suggestion
🕑 Added 2025-04-30 22:32:27 +0000 UTCSuperman Trailer Smashes Records with 44 Million Views in 24 Hours
The internet exploded yesterday when the official trailer for Superman racked up an astonishing 44 million views across social-media platforms within its first 24 hours online. Of that total, 16 million views came from YouTube alone, placing it among the most-watched movie trailers in history.
Directed by Brad Bird and written by Daniel Adler and Scott Snyder, the film is already being hailed as one of the most anticipated superhero releases ever. Early projections from industry insiders suggest Superman could break box-office records upon its release.
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I looked at the article on my screen and smiled.
The Superman trailer had been received far better than most people expected—but not me, of course. I’d envisioned something even bigger; I’d wanted it to break the record for the most-viewed video on YouTube (held by some music video I couldn’t remember). Still, 44 million views in a single day across platforms was no small feat in this day and age. The buzz was real—electricity in the air. Everyone at DC, and even the suits at Stardust, could feel it. The numbers were climbing, and they were all getting richer by the minute.
Margot and I were set to leave for Australia in two days. She was busy preparing—packing, sorting, planning family dinners with both her family and mine. I was about to click on an email from Sam, the head of Stardust Studios, when Margot walked into the room.
“Hey,” I said with a smile, leaning back in my chair.
She rested against the doorframe. “So…how long are Mary, Nathan, and Alice staying with us?”
I looked up, studying her face.
She smiled sweetly, but her tone was just a bit too casual.
I smirked. “Well, I figured they’d be with us the whole trip. Every day. Every night. All three of them—always around.”
Her smile faltered for half a second. “Oh.”
Then she quickly recovered. “That’s fine. The more, the merrier, right?”
I couldn’t hold back the laugh that burst out. I stood, walked over to her, and wrapped my arms around her waist.
“I’m kidding,” I said, kissing her forehead. “They’ll come with us for the first few days, but then they’re heading off on their own. We’ll have plenty of time—just the two of us.”
Margot exhaled with relief, giggling.
“We’ll be there for two weeks—longer if you’d like,” I added. “I’ve got things planned that you’ll love. Trust me.”
She gave me a quick peck on the lips and smiled. “Looking forward to it.”
Then she was gone, off to pack, call her mother, or whatever it was that kept her busy (and glowing) like that.
I returned to my desk and finally clicked on Sam’s email. Something about the subject line had caught my attention.
The email was brief. Attached was a document—a script.
“Huh,” I muttered.
Curious now, I opened the file and began to read.
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I walked into Stardust’s offices to see Sam. I hadn’t planned on stepping inside any studio this week—certainly not Stardust—but after reading the email he’d sent, I had to squeeze in a visit before leaving for a few weeks.
When I entered Sam’s office, he was already halfway out of his chair, surprise flashing across his face.
“Danny!” he said. “Didn’t expect to see you so soon. I thought you told us not to disturb you for a month.”
“Yeah, well…” I gave him a half-smile. “Then I read your email.”
His eyes lit up. “So you did see it. Tell me—do you see what I see?”
I nodded slowly. “I see it, yeah. But I also think it could be way better—with a few changes.”
Sam tilted his head, curious. “Changes?”
He gestured toward the leather couch along the wall, and we both sat. He was already intrigued, eyes practically sparkling.
The script he’d sent was titled Passengers. It wasn’t new to me; I remembered it vividly from my old world—the Chris Pratt – Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi romance that never quite stuck the landing. The potential had always been there, but the version that reached the screen had taken the safe route—and that, in my opinion, killed the film’s greatness.
Sam leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “All right, hit me. What’s the better version hiding inside it?”
“You’ve got a sci-fi concept with a romance,” I began, tapping the script on my phone, “but you also have the makings of a psychological thriller. What if, instead of softening the premise, we lean into the darker aspects?”
Sam looked intrigued.
“In this draft,” I continued, “Jim wakes Aurora up, lies to her, and the movie tries to sell that as romantic. Then there’s the whole plot of her finding out, the ship malfunction, the reconciliation. Sure, it kind of works.”
Sam nodded, resting his chin on his hand. “Yeah, I mean—it’s a nice story; it hits the beats.”
“Okay,” I said, sitting up straighter, “but what if we moved some pieces around?”
He looked at me, curiosity sharpening. “Go on.”
“Picture the movie starting with Aurora already awake—after Jim releases her—but we never show that part. From the first frame, we follow her. We introduce Jim to the audience through her eyes, and that changes everything.”
Sam leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Okay, I see it.”
“Exactly. By staying in her perspective first, the audience can sense the creepier side of Jim when he interacts with her. Suspicion builds.”
Sam sat back, letting the idea unfold.
“And then,” I said, “we use that unease. The audience doesn’t know Jim’s motives. Maybe we don’t reveal the truth until much later—through logs, recordings, clues Aurora uncovers. She, and the audience, piece together what really happened.”
He was nodding now, a slow grin forming. “So Jim goes from protagonist to possible antagonist.”
“Right. You can add his backstory later if you want—make him sympathetic, or don’t. Make him the villain completely. That’s up to you. But the point is, she’s the lead now.”
Sam asked, “How does it end?”
I thought for a second. “You could keep the original ending, where they reconcile. Or you could go darker: Jim dies—sacrifice or punishment, depending on how you frame it. Aurora survives, alone. And here’s the kicker…”
Sam raised his eyebrows.
I leaned forward. “She roams the ship for days. Then, in the final scene, she stops in front of another sleep pod. She hesitates. Her hand hovers over the control. She considers waking someone up.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “The cycle continues.”
“Exactly—out of loneliness. Maybe she believes her reasons are better. But the question hangs in the air: Is she any different from Jim?”
There was a long pause.
Sam finally broke the silence, whispering, “Shit. That’s good.”
Sam stood, pacing slowly, already doing the math in his head. “I’m calling Development. We’re putting this into rewrite.”
Then he turned to me. “When do you want to start writing?”
I shook my head. “No, no, Sam—I don’t want anything to do with it.”
He blinked. “What?”
“I’m trying to do less,” I said, hands raised, backing away from the idea as if it were radioactive. “You don’t need me on this. You’ve got the concept—take it and run with it. I just gave you what I had.”
Sam stared at me for a second, as though still processing my words.
“Okay…okay,” he said at last. “But I’m still giving you credit.”
I chuckled. “Sure. Just make me a producer or something.”
Sam laughed, pointing at me. “Done. Now go enjoy your vacation.”
I waved and walked out of his office. It felt good—actually letting go. Something I’d been struggling to do. Just because I could control everything didn’t mean I had to.
I got home not long after. Margot was still packing when I walked in, surrounded by a mess of clothes and open suitcases on the bed.
“Oh!” she said excitedly, looking up. “Mum says the house is ready and—good news—she made sure there aren’t any spiders. Checked every corner.”
I smiled. “That’s great. Arachnophobia isn’t easily cured.”
She laughed and zipped up one of the bags.
“I’m still half-convinced I’ll be ambushed by a gaunt spider the size of a labradoodle, but…hey…”
“What’s the worst that can happen?”
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What’s the worst that can happen?
The Australia chapters—200, 201—will be posted next week. It’ll take a bit of time.
Comments
Samuel Famakinwa
Something crazy gonna happen
Tyler Karp
Thank you for the chapter
