Illusiveone
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173: Redoing my Life, Dark Universe pt.2
🕑 Added 2025-02-19 21:40:03 +0000 UTC“Damn, so everyone is getting into the cinematic universe game now,” I muttered to myself as I walked through the bustling studio lot.
Paul, who was walking beside me, chuckled. “That’s where the audience interest is now, Daniel.”
I sighed. “So we have Marvel and Disney, DC and Stardust, X-Men with Fox, and now Universal is trying to get in on the action?” They were doing the Dark Universe, which had failed spectacularly in my previous life.
Paul nodded. “You gonna take their offer?”
I shook my head. “Maybe, but not now. I already have too much on my plate. But I talked to this Cross guy—the one heading their project. Based on their production schedule, I think I’ll be able to work with him at some point.”
Paul raised an eyebrow. “And what do we get in return?”
I smirked. “We get a director for The Thing.”
“Who?” Paul asked as I stayed silent.
We weaved through the busy set where Fast Five was being filmed. The place was packed with crew members, stunt doubles, and cars—big, loud muscle cars. This was Vin Diesel’s domain, and I was here on his invitation.
Paul glanced at me as we maneuvered past a group of grips setting up a shot. “This Cross guy—he’s a solid director. I saw his last movie. Well-made, and it earned Universal a good chunk of money. But I still don’t get why they’re putting him in charge of something this big.”
I grinned. “Paul, I’m twenty, and I’m the creative head of DC Studios.”
“Yeah, but you’re you,” Paul shot back. “A child prodigy who’s made millions from movies and books.”
I shrugged. “Maybe Cross is like that too. Who knows?”
As we continued walking through the studio lot, Paul glanced at me. “By the way, what’s with the increase in the PR budget?”
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “Oh, that… yeah. I feel like someone is targeting me.”
Paul narrowed his eyes. “Weinstein?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think it’s him. Someone else.”
Paul frowned. “What makes you say that?”
I exhaled. “Did you see the tabloid news about Margot?”
He shook his head.
I took out my phone and showed him an article on a tabloid site:
DANIEL ADLER CHEATED ON BY LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND?
“Bonnie and Clyde” Star Margot Robbie Spotted Cozying Up with Mystery Man in Australia!
Looks like Hollywood’s ‘it’ couple might be on the rocks! Margot Robbie, the acclaimed actress and star of Bonnie and Clyde, was recently spotted enjoying the Australian sun—but not with her longtime boyfriend, multi-millionaire filmmaker Daniel Adler. Instead, she was seen getting very close to a mystery man on the beaches of Queensland, leading many to speculate that she has ditched Adler.
Trouble in Paradise?
Robbie, 22, and Adler, 20, have been together for two years. With Adler riding high off the massive success of The Batman and Robbie cementing herself as a rising star through her breakout role in Bonnie and Clyde, they seemed like the perfect match. But now, whispers of trouble in their relationship are getting louder.
Photos obtained by Hollywood Exclusive show Robbie walking along the shore, laughing and chatting with an unknown man. The two appear very comfortable together, with Margot looking relaxed and happy—something we haven’t seen her do in public with Adler in quite some time.
Could this be the end of their relationship?
Where is Daniel Adler?
While Robbie was frolicking on the beach, Adler was thousands of miles away, reportedly at work. Sources say he has been completely buried in his upcoming projects, from DC to his personal production company, Midas. Has work taken priority over love?
As expected, social media is having a field day with the rumors.
💬 “I KNEW IT! Margot deserves better.”
💬 “It’s Hollywood, baby. No one stays faithful.”
💬 “I refuse to believe this. Margot and Daniel are literally perfect.”
Meanwhile, neither Robbie nor Adler have responded to the rumors. Could their silence be confirmation?
“Some paparazzi took photos of her on a beach in Australia with her cousin. They twisted it to look like she was cheating on me.”
Paul made a face. “That sounds like normal tabloid bullshit. I think you’re being a little paranoid.”
I shook my head. “I’ve seen other signs. It’s more than just that. I just need to figure out who’s behind it,” I muttered, my mind racing through possibilities.
“Ryan Reynolds,” I said absentmindedly, then immediately dismissed the thought with a chuckle. “No… I don’t think he’d do something like this. We don’t hate each other that much.”
Paul crossed his arms. “Like you said earlier… Harvey?”
I considered it for a second before shaking my head. “Harvey’s been quiet ever since he lost that power struggle. He won’t do anything for a while.”
Paul gave me a skeptical look. “Then who?”
I let out a slow breath. “The only logical answer? Someone who feels threatened by my rise… or by Midas’ rise.”
Paul scoffed. “Danny, you’re being paranoid.”
I gave him a small, humorless smile. “I hope I am.”
I stopped mid-step as I saw Vin Diesel walking toward me with a medium-height man wearing spectacles.
“Danny, look who I found,” Vin said, grinning.
I glanced at the man. “Julian Cross?”
The man gave a small, polite smile. “Yes, Mr. Adler. I am indeed Julian Cross.”
Vin patted him on the back. “Cross here is a great director. I saw his last movie—it scared the shit out of me.”
“Thank you, Mr. Diesel,” Cross said with a nod.
Vin motioned for us to follow. “Come on, we can talk in my bus.”
I glanced at Cross, shrugged, and followed Vin toward his trailer.
The inside of Vin’s bus was as luxurious as one would expect from a Hollywood A-lister: plush leather seats, dim mood lighting, and a mini-bar stocked with top-shelf liquor. A large screen was mounted on the wall, currently paused on what looked like a storyboard for Fast Five.
Vin gestured for us to take a seat as his assistant quickly brought us drinks.
“So, you and Daniel,” Vin said, leaning back. “You guys planning to work together?”
Cross nodded. “There is a possibility.”
Vin smirked. “Good idea. I think you two can whip up a fantastic movie. Just don’t get him distracted from our movies, though.”
Cross chuckled. “Would never think of it.”
I took a sip of the drink placed in front of me and turned to Cross. “So, Universal is really going through with their own cinematic universe?”
Cross gave a slow nod. “Yes, Mr. Adler. I hope you got the dossier I sent you.”
“I did, I did,” I said, setting my glass down. “Very impressive how you’ve planned things out.”
Cross exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I had to put it together quickly. The executives wanted to announce it as soon as possible.”
I smirked, leaning back. “Ah, that’s something I know all too well.”
“So, The Wolfman first, then The Creature from the Black Lagoon, followed by The Last Voyage of the Demeter.” I glanced at Cross.
“And then The Bride of Frankenstein,” Cross added. “Well, I haven’t come up with the rest yet.”
I let out a low whistle. “It’s a fantastic lineup. If done right, it’ll be great.”
Cross gave a small smile. “I appreciate that. We want to do something different—well, I want to. They might try to make me follow your and Marvel’s style of movies, though.”
I nodded. “Good idea. Always good to stand out, and I hope they don’t force you to copy what’s already out there. Horror doesn’t work quite like the superhero genre.”
Cross sighed. “Yeah, well, try telling that to the executives.”
I chuckled.
Before Cross could respond, Vin spoke up, grinning. “The Wolfman, huh? That sounds great.” He turned to me, his expression growing more serious. “Hey, do you think I could play him?”
I saw Cross stiffen beside me, his eyes widening like he’d just swallowed a lemon whole.
“Vin…” I started carefully, suppressing a smirk. “I’m sorry, but you can’t do it.”
Vin narrowed his eyes. “Why not?”
I gestured toward Cross. “Because you’re a megastar, and Cross here is trying to make something a little more grounded.” I waved my hand vaguely.
Vin exhaled, then grinned. “You’re right.”
I smirked. “Besides, you’d stand out too much. You’d overshadow everyone else.”
Vin chuckled, shaking his head. “Maybe just a cameo, then? Something small to excite the audience?”
Cross, still looking relieved, nodded quickly. “Yes, yes, that could work.”
Vin clapped his hands together. “Alright, I gotta go talk to Lin. You guys take all the time you need.” He gave us a nod before heading out.
As soon as the door shut, Cross let out a breath. “Thank you for that. If he had really insisted, there’s no way the studio would’ve told him no.”
Paul, who had been quietly sipping his drink, shrugged. “Hey, I could totally see him as a Wolfman.”
Cross shot him a glare.
I just laughed. “Let’s get back to my involvement,” I said, leaning back on the seat. “I gotta say, I’m very busy. I have three movies in the works for Midas, the entire DCU, and my books. There’s a lot on my plate, Cross.”
Cross nodded, clearly expecting this. “I understand, Mr. Adler. I’m not asking you to join right away. I want you to write The Creature from the Black Lagoon. The movie is three years away.”
That caught my interest. “Three years?”
Cross nodded again. “Yes, and Mr. Del Toro, who’s going to direct, personally requested you. He believes you’d be the perfect writer for the film.”
Now that was tempting. Working with Del Toro? That alone was worth considering. Plus, if I got involved, I could use my leverage to get Universal to greenlight Riddick for Vin. That would definitely make him happy.
I ran a hand through my hair, thinking. “I have some ideas, Cross. I think I can do it. But I have one demand.”
Cross leaned forward. “What is it?”
I smirked. “I’ve seen your movies, and I really like your style.” I turned to Paul. “Paul, what do you think? You think Mr. Cross here can handle my thing?”
Cross, who had just taken a sip of his drink, nearly spit it out. He coughed, trying to recover. “Excuse me?”
I blinked, realizing how that sounded. “I mean The Thing—my movie! That’s what I meant.”
Paul chuckled. “Damn, Danny. Buy the man dinner first.”
Cross cleared his throat, still looking slightly caught off guard. “You mean, The Thing—like Fantastic Four’s Thing?”
“No, no.” I waved a hand. “Julian—can I call you Julian?”
Cross nodded, intrigued but cautious. “Yeah, sure.”
I leaned in. “Look, I have this killer script. It’s a sci-fi survival horror. The Thing. I think your gritty filmmaking style would be perfect for it.”
There was a moment of silence as Cross considered my words. I could practically see the gears turning in his head.
Finally, he spoke. “Tell me what it’s about.”
Comments
Wizzy
Damn, I really thought the Dark Universe was hinting at "Batman Who Laughs"
Illusiveone
Marvel has released six movies with a total box office gross of $3.8 billion. DC has only released The Batman, with a total box office gross of $1.4 billion.
Elle
So who’s in the lead in the box office? DC or Marvel?
Illusiveone
In my notes, Margot is one and a half years older than Daniel.
mlungisi mguni
No one will stop Daniel Adler 😡😡😡I hope Margot clears up the rumors
Matias Arce
If I'm not mistaken, Daniel and Margot are the same age.
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